Last Daughter of Krypton: Legion IC

[Abraxas Winterlight]

Legion HQ

"Attention Legion of Super Heroes! Maxsec Takron Galtos has been hacked! Massive prison break out. Releasing Paxilon D into atmosphere to subdue inmates. Science Police enroute. Legion Prescience requested to assist in cataloging escapees. A cargo cruiser Satnav id #18827663004776, departed mid breakout. DNA scan indicated the prescience of one known metacriminal not in roster of convicts. Scan identity Mano of the Fatal Five."

"Oh bloody nass!" Shvaughn shuddered. keying the comms back online, "It never rains and all that guys. Cosmic boy, we've had a prison break on the Galtos. Guess who's team is behind it. Dawny was a distraction I think."

Cos slammed his fist down on the console. "DAMNIT!" He thin punched in some commands. bringing up duty rosters.

"Imra, I want you, Shady, Jo, Ayla and Phantom Girl to head out to Galtos and assist. Shvaughn, I'm going to send Brainy up here to help you with tracking down the Five. Once you got a bead on them, I want M'onel, Power Girl, VM3, Garth, and Timberwolf ready to go at a moments notice. Dawnstar will go out to Galtos once she gets cleared from med bay."

He began punching in commands, activating the emergency alerts to rings, then stopped.

"Imra, where is Val?"

 

[Abraxas Winterlight]

Wraith

I looked over at James, then turned to Jonah. "Go ahead and get comfortable, we need to have a family meeting."


I then turned back to Arzat. "Send up Andalla with refreshments for five. Have you even been home yet? Your wife is going to turn you into something small and cuddly if you don't go see her soon. Why you choose to marry a transmutation mage I don't know."

He bowed his head, the smile evident on his face and left, closing the door behind him.

I then collected my will, calling upon Shadow to assist me, drawing upon the power of the realm I commanded.

Around Liz Greystone, as she walked out of the room where Shadow Girl and the others were talking, the shadows grew darker, then exploded out, surrounding her in a field of utter darkness. She reached out to command her ring to push it back, but Shadow was faster, already enfolding her in it's dark embrace.

In Jaymie's room, it was already dark. The two young women were in bed, neither truly asleep, holding each other in an embrace that for now meant only friendship. Shadows crept around one, embracing her closer than the arms of her companion, until they enfolded her completely, yanking her out of Jo's embrace.

Both women appeared seconds later in the room with Wraith. One looking ready to fight in the uniform of the Lantern Corpse, one looking bewildered and a little frightened in McCrimmon armor of a Tee shirt and boxer shorts.

"Ladies, welcome to my home. We are having a family meeting, and your presence is required. I apologize for the abruptness of your arrival, but time is of the essence. James, you always seem to know ten times more than anyone thinks you should, so why don't you go first."

 

[ChasNicollette]

The Doctor, GL 2261, VM3. Various, and Shadow.

I looked over at James, then turned to Jonah. "Go ahead and get comfortable, we need to have a family meeting."

The Doctor nodded easily. "Sooner would be better than later."

I then turned back to Arzat. "Send up Andalla with refreshments for five. Have you even been home yet? Your wife is going to turn you into something small and cuddly if you don't go see her soon. Why you choose to marry a transmutation mage I don't know."

The Doctor returned to the chair he'd sat in briefly, spun it around and straddled it, crossing his arms over the back of the chair, and nodded easily to the warleader.

"Hope he gets to keep his bipedal symmetry," The Doctor murmured to Merick, camaraderie dancing in his eyes. "I've been lucky with transmutations, m'self. Still, if he does end up as a fuzzy thingamajig, there are worse fates. I once knew this brilliant shapeshifty penguin--"

He bowed his head, the smile evident on his face and left, closing the door behind him.

I then collected my will, calling upon Shadow to assist me, drawing upon the power of the realm I commanded.

Around Liz Greystone, as she walked out of the room where Shadow Girl and the others were talking, the shadows grew darker, then exploded out, surrounding her in a field of utter darkness. She reached out to command her ring to push it back, but Shadow was faster, already enfolding her in it's dark embrace.

Liz had turned to leave that place, to walk out the front doors and out into Legion Plaza. The Guardians were coming, their emissaries were en route, she could feel it in the bones of her left hand, and it would be better to go out to greet them than to make them hunt her down any more than was necessary.

But somewhere between the two sets of doors, she stepped in a patch of bleak blackness and it swelled and swallowed...

She frowned. She knew this. She knew what was happening here...

Holding up her left fist, she shook her head. "No, Dad, not yet, I have to square things for my mentee, this is important--"

But she knew that her father wouldn't call her like this unless he thought it utterly necessary, and she remembered that her father had trouble teleporting those who were unwilling. She closed her eyes and lowered her fist and let Shadow swallow her whole.

"(This had better be good.)"

In Jaymie's room, it was already dark. The two young women were in bed, neither truly asleep, holding each other in an embrace that for now meant only friendship. Shadows crept around one, embracing her closer than the arms of her companion, until they enfolded her completely, yanking her out of Jo's embrace.

Jaymie stirred, nigh unto slumber, nigh unto walking the silvered glass pathways of Dream... a little more sane now, though not all the way... there would be nightmares yet... she stirred as she felt a cool caress. At first she thought it was Jo, and this gave her a pleasant shiver, an unexpected turn of events...

She held up her fingers and she stared at them as she watched them vanish into the dark.

"Jo," she murmured. "It's... it's cool. It doesn't hurt. It's like... putting your feet under the covers and finding that cool spot down at the bottom..."

She smiled a wobbly smile as she felt the shadows claim her face.

"I'm not afraid. Whaddaya know."

Both women appeared seconds later in the room with Wraith. One looking ready to fight in the uniform of the Lantern Corps, one looking bewildered and a little frightened in McCrimmon armor of a Tee shirt and boxer shorts.

Liz shook her head fiercely, tossing her dark hair back, squinting her shadow-clad eyes at her father. "Between my father and my governing body I'm never going to get a minute's peace. Not that I'm ungrateful for the diversion, mind you. Just. Dad. Timing."

Now that her transition had been completed, Jaymie's momentary serenity in the face of the black was immediately replaced by confusion and incredulity.

"Am I dreaming after all?" she glanced down at herself. "This is that dream you get when you're somewhere in front of a bunch of important people and you're in your underpants..."

The Doctor was on his feet again in a heartbeat, tugging his coat off of the sword-hilt where he'd hung it. Crossing the room, he swirled the big brown thing around Jaymie's shoulders.

"There you are, nice and comfy," he smiled gently. "And, oh, spitting images must run in the family, look at you."

He glanced quickly at Liz. "'Ello, Lizzy. Looks just like your sister, doesn't she? Bit of a chromatic switch, hair and eyes, but otherwise."

Liz pursed her lips, frowning at her Ring, something here was dampening it. "Yeah. She looks just like Ceri. And she acts just like Mom. (Hello, Granddad. Should've figured you'd be here, too.) Jaymie, this is my Granddad. Granddad, this is Jaymie."

"'Jaymie,'" The Doctor repeated, grinning. "Pleased as Punch."

VM3 slipped her arms into the coat sleeves and frowned at The Doctor, though not ungratefully. "'Granddad.'" She did the math. "Huh."

"Ladies, welcome to my home. We are having a family meeting, and your presence is required. I apologize for the abruptness of your arrival, but time is of the essence. James, you always seem to know ten times more than anyone thinks you should, so why don't you go first."

The Doctor turned and blinked at Wraith, at Kyle, and then nodded swiftly, like he'd just tuned out for a minute, pause for station identification, and then tuned back in. "Right. Thanky'sir."

Jaymie hugged The Doctor's coat more tightly around her, she was almost swallowed in it, slender enough to rival even The Doctor's skinny frame. And she waved at Jonah. "Hey, Fate. (You don't have your helmet thingy. At least I'm not the only one here underdressed...)"

Liz tapped her chin as she regarded the Time Lord. "(Should probably have J'onn here for this. He's been working himself to the bone trying to get intel.)"

The Doctor's smile split his face. "J'onny! Oh, stone me, is he still around, too?"

Liz shrugged. "He's had his reasons for keeping a low profile."

"Be that as it may," The Doctor nodded easily, "best to compare notes while we've the chance and fill the green bloke in when he gets the chance."

The Doctor turned slowly in place, eying his ersatz audience. "First things first, tho'. You lot can call me whatever name you find most familiar, but in all honesty I'm not the man I used to be. Jamie Hamilton was something of a waypoint for me, a hiding place. And I've gone back to being the person I was before I was him. Gone back to being... extraterrestrial. There really is no uncomplicated way to explain it, and that'll take too much of our very short time. Suffice it to say: call me The Doctor."

His hands slid into his pockets. "I'm something of a traveller in time. And, burning with curiosity, I skipped to the end. I went to the ultimate Vanishing Point of time and space, and nearly didn't get away with me knickers intact. But while I was there... while I was there, I learned something. Something dark, something terrible. There are many timelines woven in and out of hypertime, Schrodinger's moggy. But so many of them converge on this point in the timestream, it's... it's rather unnerving.

"Something deep and dark and terrible is happening," The Doctor continued, almost breathless in his intensity, "deeper and darker and terrib'ler than even Lord Wraith here has yet imagined. It may well be that the fate and the soul of all mankind and all The Universe will be determined by what we do here, warriors past and heroes present."

"Unfortunately," he frowned, "I've been stymied in my efforts to determine the specifics, trying to discern more than the broad strokes through the tangle of The Infinite Temporal Flux. I've been doing my best behind the scenes to nudge things in the right direction, sometimes over centuries, trying my best to get people into the right places at the right times. And I've been trying to learn the name of whom we're facing. Who and what."

He quieted. Just for a moment. He frowned, there with his hands in his pockets.

"But while the nexus of this spacio-temporal locus is swaddled in mystery," he murmured, "there has been a name. Echoing. Back and forth throughout history, flung to the far future and whispered in the distant dawns. Like the sound of drums."

He glanced at Liz. "There's been a symbol, Lizzy. Scribbling itself over and over again, on the psychic paper. Like a message encoded in the fabric of hypertime itself. Like a warning. A symbol, a single single Kryptonian symbol."

He reached into his coat pocket and pulled out the sonic screwdriver, and pointing it at the wall of the castle, he pressed its trigger... blue-white light, whistle and hum...

...and the stonework on one of the walls sizzled and grew white white hot...

...it flashed and burned and cooled.

And there it was, as he tucked the screwdriver back away.

Carved and burned into the stone.

A single symbol.

"'Zod,'" The Doctor enunciated, with all the dark aplomb of a man who has seen the end of the world and is seeing it come again.

Jaymie blinked, horrified. "Oh my sprocking grife. I know that name. From stories."

Liz' jaw clenched. "Yeah. We should get J'onn for this."

 

[Wyldfire]

Jo, Shvaughn, Vi.

In Jaymie's room, it was already dark. The two young women were in bed, neither truly asleep, holding each other in an embrace that for now meant only friendship. Shadows crept around one, embracing her closer than the arms of her companion, until they enfolded her completely, yanking her out of Jo's embrace.

Jo had been in that place between sleep and waking when she felt Jaymie being pulled away. "Lights!" she bellowed as she began to move in the direction she felt Jaymie pulled. Ultra speed was full on as the lights came up and she saw wall heading at her at speed. She managed the shift to invulnerability a nanosec before impact.

"Sprocking great," she thought to herself, "The rumor mill will be in full swing once maintenance gets around to banging the imprint of my body out of Thermangel's bedroom wall."

Cos slammed his fist down on the console. "DAMNIT!" He thin punched in some commands. bringing up duty rosters.

"Imra, I want you, Shady, Jo, Ayla and Phantom Girl to head out to Galtos and assist. Shvaughn, I'm going to send Brainy up here to help you with tracking down the Five. Once you got a bead on them, I want M'onel, Power Girl, VM3, Garth, and Timberwolf ready to go at a moments notice. Dawnstar will go out to Galtos once she gets cleared from med bay."

Shvaughn had to bite back hard in her glee. "Umm Cos, you only need to pull his majesty up here if you want the track second checked. I managed to get a lock on Validus' electrical energy signature. The Empress has her Satnav jammed, and her tracking beacon is gone. Let's just hope Lallor doesn't have a sudden Tech advancement or Chief Zendak finds out I've been overteching a sovereign foreign body."

In med bay Salu's hand flew to her ring. Rok, you'll get her as fast as Fate's healing and my machines can mend her. Not a second before."

She checked the amerind's status. "She'll be ready in a minimum of an hour, half if you don't like her too much."

Jo's ring alarm began it's alarm call followed by Threshold room number and mission objective. "On my sprocking way." she answered. At what Brainy tended to call ADUD (A joke that only the medicos got for some obscure medical affliction) speed Jo managed to get into her costume and it took her no time to get to the threshhold gate assigned. She looked at the oh so familiar cruiser ( http://www.readersadvice.com/lsh/lshcr10.jpg )that stood ready in front of the large portal. This was going to be a longer than usual mission it seemed.

An incoming signal came through channels. "Legion headquarters this is Starhaven Prime incoming transfer at location Medbay 1. Priority delivery for Legionnaire Dawnstar."

A threshhold portal opened in Medbay and a package was sent skidding through. The portal closed as soon as the package was through. No sooner had the portal closed than the HQ sensors announced "Unsanctioned material alert. A mass of Nth metal has been droppped via Threshhold."

Salu stood transfixed looking at the package. Some sprocker had a sick sense of humor. The box was wrapped with a ribbon holding the golden metal spear to it, a bow, and one dark grey feather on par with Dawny's. "Umm guys, I think Dawnstar just got some sort of care package from home."

She turned and looked at Jan, "Think we need to worry here?"

 

[ChasNicollette]

Element Lad. Medbay.

In med bay Salu's hand flew to her ring. Rok, you'll get her as fast as Fate's healing and my machines can mend her. Not a second before."

She checked the amerind's status. "She'll be ready in a minimum of an hour, half if you don't like her too much."

Element Lad arched a goldenrod eyebrow. "And we like her, Cosmic Boy. We like her very much."

An incoming signal came through channels. "Legion headquarters this is Starhaven Prime incoming transfer at location Medbay 1. Priority delivery for Legionnaire Dawnstar."

A threshhold portal opened in Medbay and a package was sent skidding through. The portal closed as soon as the package was through. No sooner had the portal closed than the HQ sensors announced "Unsanctioned material alert. A mass of Nth metal has been droppped via Threshhold."

Salu stood transfixed looking at the package. Some sprocker had a sick sense of humor. The box was wrapped with a ribbon holding the golden metal spear to it, a bow, and one dark grey feather on par with Dawny's. "Umm guys, I think Dawnstar just got some sort of care package from home."

She turned and looked at Jan, "Think we need to worry here?"

Element Lad moved closer to the package. He took a knee, almost reverent.

He held out his fingers, probing the air around the packaging. "Well. Insofar as this is the real thing, real Nth metal, not the synthetic variety Brainiac Five has incorporated into our Flight Rings, yes, we need to be worried. Jazmin would be better able to verify its effects on the fundamental forces of The Universe by detecting variance in local quanta, but I can assure you. There is no other substance like this in the cosmos."

He stood, and frowned at her. "I know not how this comes from Starhaven. I comprehend not those implications. And I am fully capable of rendering this substance inert, or transmuting it into Valorium for Flight Rings if that would be the preference, or into Tromium. But the legends of Nth Metal are many. And they say that worn, Nth Metal promotes healing, and gives strength to the wearer, and enhances resistance to the elements. Are these things not valuable to Dawnstar right now? Is this not worth bending mere legality for her benefit?"

 

[Wyldfire]

Element Lad arched a goldenrod eyebrow. "And we like her, Cosmic Boy. We like her very much."
Element Lad moved closer to the package. He took a knee, almost reverent.

He held out his fingers, probing the air around the packaging. "Well. Insofar as this is the real thing, real Nth metal, not the synthetic variety Brainiac Five has incorporated into our Flight Rings, yes, we need to be worried. Jazmin would be better able to verify its effects on the fundamental forces of The Universe by detecting variance in local quanta, but I can assure you. There is no other substance like this in the cosmos."

He stood, and frowned at her. "I know not how this comes from Starhaven. I comprehend not those implications. And I am fully capable of rendering this substance inert, or transmuting it into Valorium for Flight Rings if that would be the preference, or into Tromium. But the legends of Nth Metal are many. And they say that worn, Nth Metal promotes healing, and gives strength to the wearer, and enhances resistance to the elements. Are these things not valuable to Dawnstar right now? Is this not worth bending mere legality for her benefit?"

Salu thought through what Jan was proposing and thought it through again while they waited for Cosmic boy to give them instruction. "I think you're right Jan. Dawnstar needs to be able to track them down, and she can't do this here."

Vi approached the package and kneeled down. "Think Dawny's got her a boyfriend or something back home?" She said as she undid the bow and let the spear clatter to the ground. She opened the box and gasped. Reaching in she pulled out a headdress resembling a hawk or falcon that you might find in a zoo. "What do you make of this Jan?" She set the headdress aside and pulled out the tribal bone breastplate of the Apache, with it's Nth metal fixtures and wire lacing the bone together. In the center was a badge or symbol of the same bird as the headdress.

 

[ChasNicollette]

Element Lad. Medbay.

Salu thought through what Jan was proposing and thought it through again while they waited for Cosmic boy to give them instruction. "I think you're right Jan. Dawnstar needs to be able to track them down, and she can't do this here."

"I may not be the logician that Querl is," Element Lad nodded firmly, "and usually I object to such Machiavellian teachings as the end justifying the means, but lives are at stake. And life is more sacred than a thousand words from the mouth of Buddha, or a thousand papal bulls."

Vi approached the package and kneeled down. "Think Dawny's got her a boyfriend or something back home?" She said as she undid the bow and let the spear clatter to the ground.

Jan considered this for a moment. The sort of man who could impress Dawnstar, of all women? He decided that his momentary flare of jealousy was entirely forgivable.

She opened the box and gasped. Reaching in she pulled out a headdress resembling a hawk or falcon that you might find in a zoo. "What do you make of this Jan?" She set the headdress aside and pulled out the tribal bone breastplate of the Apache, with it's Nth metal fixtures and wire lacing the bone together. In the center was a badge or symbol of the same bird as the headdress.

Jan Arrah gazed upon this with wonder, and with comprehension dawning. "Well. I would say that that mask is more evocative of Earth's Ancient Egypt than it is of the ancestral traditions of the Native Americans. Gods with the bodies of men and the heads of animals. I would say this one invokes Horus, in particular. The Hawk."

He smiled worriedly. "So it's not just Nth Metal, is it? Not just a coincidence. Such a sample, paired with masks and crests of raptor deities that influenced the pagan animism of Egypt?"

He closed his eyes. "Again: I am no logician, but truth would seem to be self-evident: the noble tribes of Starhaven are joined in pact with the wingmen of Thanagar."

 

[ChasNicollette]

Brainiac Five, Powergirl, Lightning Lad, Teen Lantern. The Lab.

"Imra, I want you, Shady, Jo, Ayla and Phantom Girl to head out to Galtos and assist. Shvaughn, I'm going to send Brainy up here to help you with tracking down the Five. Once you got a bead on them, I want M'onel, Power Girl, VM3, Garth, and Timberwolf ready to go at a moments notice. Dawnstar will go out to Galtos once she gets cleared from med bay."

Reluctantly, Brainiac Five took his eyes away from Powergirl and frowned at his Flight Ring. "I'm certain that my voicing a complaint about your taskmastery is at this point a cliche, Krinn. All the same, I'm equivalently certain Erin is capable of performing a routine trackdown without my extremely valuable assistance. (Which, I might add, is at a premium at the moment.)"

Shvaughn had to bite back hard in her glee. "Umm Cos, you only need to pull his majesty up here if you want the track second checked. I managed to get a lock on Validus' electrical energy signature. The Empress has her Satnav jammed, and her tracking beacon is gone. Let's just hope Lallor doesn't have a sudden Tech advancement or Chief Zendak finds out I've been overteching a sovereign foreign body."

Querl smirked. Ever so slightly. And it was a smirk, however begrudgingly, of respect. "Case in point. A credit to the force, Erin."

Caroline, meanwhile, smirked at Brainiac Five, and she, in turn, addressed her own Ring: "Consider me on immediate standby, Cosmic Boy."

Garth glanced absently at his own Ring. "Uh, yeah, me too. 'Roger Wilco,' Rokky, whoever he is."

"'Whomever,'" Querl muttered.

"Yeah, him too," Garth waved dismissively, and then rapped his knuckles on Wildfire's new, sterner helmet. "Dude, 'Fire, you okay in there? You got lungs now, right? Can you even breathe in there?"

"He's fine," Querl scowled. "I simply neglected to tell him how to activate the helmet speakers. He'll figure it out eventually, but in the meantime, we'll all get a much-needed moment's peace."

His fists went to his hips, then, as he regarded the three most recent intruders into his lab, only two of which were completely unwelcome. "And, speaking of the meantime? Is there a reason you blundered into my halidom without so much as a by-your-leave or a come-into-my-parlour?"

Rond coughed, feeling extremely awkward about this. "That'd be my doing, I guess. I need a Flight Ring."

Brainiac screwed up his face distastefully. "What's this, now? Are we giving them away? One with nineteen-point-nine-five credits shipping and handling and five proofs-of-purchase from boxes of-of-of Chocolate Frosted Sugar Bombs?"

Powergirl chuckled faintly. "The Green Lantern lady said he would score points with The Guardians if he had a Flight Ring."

Garth held up a tsking finger: "Also, don't mock one of the seven culinary wonders of the ultra-modern world. Their wind-up figure of me in my old red outfit was the sprocking spet."

Brainiac hmphed. "(I could have sworn they made high-fructose corn syrup illegal nine hundred years ago.)"

Brainiac did, however, turn to a desk drawer, producing a Flight Ring and a spare PD3. "This rhetoric seems tautological to me, Teen Lantern."

Rond nodded quickly. "Yeah. Convincing the Guardians that I'm Corps-worthy by giving me an honorary Flight Ring when the only reason you're giving me a Flight Ring is that I've been given a starter Power Ring at least partly conditional upon my acceptance into The Legion? Using 'tautology' in the sense of rhetorical discourse (rather than in the sense of logical discourse), each Ring is a redundancy which adds no additional clarity or meaning to the argument."

Brainiac's eyebrow twitched. He narrowed his eyes. "All right. So you're not an imbecile. Or at least, you're less of one than most of the nitwits around here. You agree that this reasoning does not hold up to scrutiny?"

Rond smiled faintly. He was trying to be brave. "Doesn't mean I'm going to turn either team down. Are you kidding? This is the chance of a dozen lifetimes. Even if I die on the front lines in a dozen minutes, it's still worth that chance."

Brainiac pondered this. "Well. Forgive me if I revise my assessment of your intellect. But you're not a coward. Fair enough."

He scanned Rond with the PD3, takked a few keys... The Flight Ring's molecular circuitry flickered to life, awakened from dormancy, glowed brightly... and then faded. He handed this Ring to Rond Vidar.

"Welcome to history," he pronounced.

"Welcome to tomorrow," Powergirl agreed.

"'Collect the whole set,'" Garth grinned.

Rond took the Flight Ring, and slipped it onto the middle finger of his left hand.

He gazed down quietly at both hands. And then gathered both hands into fists. "'Long Live The Legion.'"

 

[ChasNicollette]

Lightning Lass, Kid Quantum, Ceriel, GL 2261, M'onel. The Lobby.

Nodding, with a simple tilt of her head Allana acknowledge that she would have to wait. She’d wanted to explain about the Holy See and it’s Curia being simple mortal beings. That they could only understand with the mind of a mortal. Unless they’d looked beyond the Veil of life and death.

Unless they’d died.

But to her knowledge none of the Ecclesiarch had died. At least not died and come back from it. “Is there a place where’d you’d like me to wait? And do you have anything to eat? Water and crackers at the Vatican isn’t a proper meal.”

"Of course," Ayla nodded firmly. "Forgive our manners."

Jazmin still eyed the direction in which Tasmia had departed. "Or, y'know, total lack thereof."

"We can set you up with temporary quarters," Ayla continued, "and have the autobutler rig you up a meal to your preference. Or you can chill in the cafeteria and thrill to the Bismollian culinary stylings of Mr. Kem."

Ceriel glanced ceilingward with a soft, warm chuckle. "Bismollians. Talk about not living 'by bread alone.'"

Liz nodded firmly, and inclined her head to Allana. "Good luck and Godspeed, Lady Knight."

Looks like Granddad was onto something, with you.

She turned, though, she turned to walk away. "Seems as you lot have this well in hand. Meanwhile, I better put out the welcome mat for certain dignitaries and/or their living cybernetic proxies."

She strode towards the doors of Legion HQ. They'd land in The Plaza, of that she was certain.

As she walked, however, the red sands rolled across her consciousness once more, and she couldn't help but smile.

No rest for the weary.

I will be with you. I will never leave you again.

Nor I you.

Fear not. I will always be with you.

I will.

But then she stepped through one set of sliding doors and approached the next, approached the light of the outdoor Metropolis sun...

The Guardians were coming, their emissaries were en route, she could feel it in the bones of her left hand, and it would be better to go out to greet them than to make them hunt her down any more than was necessary.

But somewhere between the two sets of doors, she stepped in a patch of bleak blackness and it swelled and swallowed...

She frowned. She knew this. She knew what was happening here...

Holding up her left fist, she shook her head. "No, Dad, not yet, I have to square things for my mentee, this is important--"

But she knew that her father wouldn't call her like this unless he thought it utterly necessary, and she remembered that her father had trouble teleporting those who were unwilling. She closed her eyes and lowered her fist and let Shadow swallow her whole.

"(This had better be good.)"

Ceriel watched her grand-daughter vanish into a swirl of darkness. "Hmh."

"Right, then," M'onel began, turning to Allana: "We just need to--"

"Imra, I want you, Shady, Jo, Ayla and Phantom Girl to head out to Galtos and assist. Shvaughn, I'm going to send Brainy up here to help you with tracking down the Five. Once you got a bead on them, I want M'onel, Power Girl, VM3, Garth, and Timberwolf ready to go at a moments notice. Dawnstar will go out to Galtos once she gets cleared from med bay."

Reluctantly, Brainiac Five took his eyes away from Powergirl and frowned at his Flight Ring. "I'm certain that my voicing a complaint about your taskmastery is at this point a cliche, Krinn. All the same, I'm equivalently certain Erin is capable of performing a routine trackdown without my extremely valuable assistance. (Which, I might add, is at a premium at the moment.)"

Shvaughn had to bite back hard in her glee. "Umm Cos, you only need to pull his majesty up here if you want the track second checked. I managed to get a lock on Validus' electrical energy signature. The Empress has her Satnav jammed, and her tracking beacon is gone. Let's just hope Lallor doesn't have a sudden Tech advancement or Chief Zendak finds out I've been overteching a sovereign foreign body."

Querl smirked. Ever so slightly. And it was a smirk, however begrudgingly, of respect. "Case in point. A credit to the force, Erin."

Caroline, meanwhile, smirked at Brainiac Five, and she, in turn, addressed her own Ring: "Consider me on immediate standby, Cosmic Boy."

Garth glanced absently at his own Ring. "Uh, yeah, me too. 'Roger Wilco,' Rokky, whoever he is."

Ayla put one hand on her hip and pursed her lips at her Ring. "Cos. I'm on my way."

And she turned and sprinted for the lifts, calling back over her shoulder: "Magdalena: You're gonna do awesome!"

"Good luck, Sparky!" Jazmin called after her.

M'onel nodded slowly. "Cos. Keep me posted; I'm here if you need me."

He paused. "Might I also suggest XS for the Galtos assist? We might also need your assistance with fast-tracking Legion candidacy for another individual. The, ah, visitor from The Vatican is a serious technological powerhouse. And unlike certain Shadow Lasses, she does not rub me the wrong way."

 

[Wyldfire]

"I may not be the logician that Querl is," Element Lad nodded firmly, "and usually I object to such Machiavellian teachings as the end justifying the means, but lives are at stake. And life is more sacred than a thousand words from the mouth of Buddha, or a thousand papal bulls."

Vi approached the package and kneeled down. "Think Dawny's got her a boyfriend or something back home?" She said as she undid the bow and let the spear clatter to the ground.

Jan considered this for a moment. The sort of man who could impress Dawnstar, of all women? He decided that his momentary flare of jealousy was entirely forgivable.

She opened the box and gasped. Reaching in she pulled out a headdress resembling a hawk or falcon that you might find in a zoo. "What do you make of this Jan?" She set the headdress aside and pulled out the tribal bone breastplate of the Apache, with it's Nth metal fixtures and wire lacing the bone together. In the center was a badge or symbol of the same bird as the headdress.

Jan Arrah gazed upon this with wonder, and with comprehension dawning. "Well. I would say that that mask is more evocative of Earth's Ancient Egypt than it is of the ancestral traditions of the Native Americans. Gods with the bodies of men and the heads of animals. I would say this one invokes Horus, in particular. The Hawk."

"All way out of my field of study Jan, but I do know that as soon as we find out how much or if this accelerates her healing I am so bringing Cos down here to see this."

Vi started making heads and tails out of the breastplate, shuddering as she did. This wasn't Synthabone, it was real. Some large animal died for this. She got the plate in place.

He smiled worriedly. "So it's not just Nth Metal, is it? Not just a coincidence. Such a sample, paired with masks and crests of raptor deities that influenced the pagan animism of Egypt?"

He closed his eyes. "Again: I am no logician, but truth would seem to be self-evident: the noble tribes of Starhaven are joined in pact with the wingmen of Thanagar."

"Which is going to cause a big stir in Politics isn't it?" Vi began putting on the headdress. The system chimed and Vi looked up. "Looks like you're right Jan. Our little barbarian is going to make a very speedy comeback."

She keyed up the comm. "Hey Cos, looks like you'll have your tracker in the next fifteen minutes, but you might want to see her first."

 

[Varshanka]

Allana "Magdalena" Lang - Lobby

Looking around the room, even as a tactical data of the building and it immediate environs was pulsed across her brain cells, she waited for them to decide what to do.

“My needs are not great. A simple room will be sufficient. A bed to sleep on and a place to clean myself when it’s needed. As for my dietary requirements, I‘ll be satisfied with whatever repast the rest of you consume. As long as it’s tolerable for humans.”

“Cortana translate and broadcast the same in interlac.” Allana thought. Which was the same as giving the Machine-Spirit a vocalized command.

Microseconds later external speakers broadcast the same message. converting it into the comman Intergalactic Speech known as Interlac. Useful for trade and commerse across the galaxy. Unless an individual didn't speek the language normally.

“I apologize if my own speech patterns are not recognizable. But, by the Throne, I shall endeavor to become more.. familiar with your speech.” She wondered how they would react if they found out that Cortana had been translating their speech, where possible, into Gothic. Some words didn’t translate well, but she’d managed to maintain a comprehensible understanding of the conversations around her.

“I’d like to offer my assistance, if there is a situation developing that I may be helpful in.”

 

[AmenRa]

Nor I you.

Fear not. I will always be with you.

I will.

The Martian Manhunter smiled.

And then....

Liz was gone.

Vanished.

His telepathic connection with her severed abruptly, J'onn reverted back to the visible spectrum. He was alone in his quarters, so he did not worry about security cams seeing him.

He closed his Martian eyes and concentrated. He focused his powerful psychic energy in a planetwide search for Liz Greystone.

And he found nothing.

He felt the others, the members of the Legion still within the building, from the enigmatic psychic energy of Braniac 5 to the steadfast and strong Lar Gand.

But of his love, he could find nothing at all.

It was as if she had been swallowed whole by a shadow.

 

[Varshanka]

Allana Lang - The survivor

Age 15:

Twisting through a double axle as she flipped end over end, Allana landed on the Verispex unit’s back. Knee and toe spikes ejecting, locking her in place as the combat dreadnought twisted, trying to dislodge her from it’s back.

Unsheathing her blade she slid the glow steel between the joints of it’s neck, rupturing control cables and power couplings she twisted her wrist and jerked the blade sideways.

Steel parted like sinew and muscle before the techno-blade. Her other hand jerked up, a plasma bolter pumping rounds deep inside the casing. Melting their way deep inside.

Leaping up and backwards Allana didn’t even feel the spikes retracting. Nor did she feel the poisonous atmosphere of the mineral stripped planet around her. But she did feel the concussion wave of energy that washed over her armour. Sending her leaping backflip into an uncontrolled blast/fall.

Slamming into the ground she rolled. Her shield snapping up as kneel and heel spikes snapped out, and deep into hard bedrock. Locking her in place. Granted she could be moved. But only if the bedrock around her separated from the planet.

Gravel, dust, and radioactive material spattered against the crouched Knight. The onboard CORTANA, a Mark II unit, constantly spoke in her ear. Providing a running update in unison to the data-stream projected against Allana’s cornea’s by holomatrix beams.

“Terror sight,” she commanded. Her vision blurred for a moment, the eyes of her helm gleaming red as hyper scanners engaged. Providing her a detailed schematic of the region, and allowing her to see the battle units that were heading her way.

“Disengage.” She said, her skull splitting from the massive amount of data that had been forced in through her eyes. If she continued for to long she could be incapacitated. But a few seconds was moderately safe.

Moment’s later she was up and running. But where most - Knights, marines, troopers included would be running away – Allana ran straight for the heavily armoured squad. She didn’t bother with her weapon. Not yet. Give the enemy a moment and they would kill you. Instead take that moment and kill them.

Diving between two massive forms she twisted, rolling over, her chest turning to face the sky. Plasma bolter in one hand spitting bolts of burning death. Her other hand barked, spike bolter rounds ripping upwards, punching through the rear armour. Tracking upwards until they punched holes in the back of the skull. And exploded inside.

Toppling forwards the left unit collapsed with a thud of finality. The pilots face gone. Instead a red dribble of gore dripped through cracks in the face plate. Either way – death by bolter or death by atmosphere - that unit wasn’t moving under it’s own power again.

Plasma bolts burned through the right unit, punching through the armour with ease. The superheated plasma melting internal organs in their wake. Bone and internal organs oozing from the holes, running and dripping down the armour to splatter on the dust planet.

Standing up she scanned the area, watching as the last of the enemy troopers fell to their deaths. Tanzio was dead, his armour ripped open to the caustic gaseous atmoshere of this world. The residual reading from his armours machine spirit he’d died not from his wounds, but from the planet itself.

“Collect them. We’ll turn them over to the tech-priest. Let them identify the intruders.”

Acknowledgment runes flashed on the HUD, and the remaining troopers began hauling the enemy bodies, and their armour, back to the starhawk assault ship.

****

“Knight-Captain Lang. Were receiving a message from Celyddon. They’ve been attacked.”

Looking up from her position in the jump eat she asked, “How bad?”

“Very bad. The message is being sent by machine spirit. From what I can grok, there are no life-readings within the auspex range.”

“None?”

“None within range.”

Turning to the servitor pilot she began giving commands. “Relay the missive to all vessels and outposts, on all channels. Anything that can receive it is to transmit it along. They are also to send assistance, including but not limited to troops and medicae.”

“All troopers lock down for max speed.”

With an intake of breath the troops locked down as tight as they good. Each of them a Knight trained for war and battle. To die for the Truth was their duty. To die spreading the word, and protecting it. But dieing as a starhawk ripped itself apart from the stresses of starburst – well – that was a way to die that truly and royally sucked.

“Commencing Starburst in three…”

“Everyone locked in?” Allana asked.

Runes winked across her HUD. Everyone confirming lockdown.

“Two.”

Snapping the final restraint in place Allana toggled her own confirmation just as the servitor-pilot uttered the last word.

“Engaged.”

Outside the small craft the darkness of space turned white as the reactor core kicked in. Faster than light. Faster than reality. The ship traveled at speeds that were theoretical. None of the Knights understood how fast they moved. Nor did they care. It worked with the blessings of Truth.

And they arrived.

Twelve light years in the blink of an eye.

The ship exploded, seven knights in combat drop formation launching from the ship. Drive burners propelling them away from the starship, firing them towards the planet Celyddon.

And in the space above them, the Starhawk gunship detonated. The drive engine was powerful, but when used for a Starburst jump, it became unstable.

 

[Varshanka]

Allana Lang - Survivor (part 2)

****

Slamming into the ground mere minutes after launch, the Knights cracked the surface. Each of them slamming like a meteor into the surface.

Standing up they looked around, their huds connecting by proximity to each other. Linking and sharing data.

“That way.” Allana said, indicating a direction north by north east.

“What’s that way?”

“My home.” She answered quietly. Home. She hadn’t been home in over a year. Not long if you were off at Schola. But when every day was battle and blood. OR training for more. Then it was an eternity.

****

A wasteland.

Overturned carts. Ground transports. Blast holes indicative of heavy weapons. Rubble from buildings. Shattered equipment. A war had taken place here. That much was obvious.

The only thing missing were bodies. Oh there was tanker loads of blood and pieces. Small pieces. But the actual bodies, attacker and defender, were gone.

Strogg.

“Spread out and search. Report ANYTHING.”

“Understood Knight-Captain.”

Leaning against the wall Allana ran the auspex again. And again. And again.

“Biosignature confirmed. Lord Knight-Commander Karak Lang of the House of Kent. Lady Cleo Lang Sulliman of the House of Sulliman. J’on Lang of the House of Kent.”

Her fist struck the wall, shattering it. Rockcrete and Ceramite exploding into the hallway outside her parents bedroom.

“Genome structure match. Strogg genome presence confirmed.”

“Identify sources.”

And in her minds eyes, her HUD, Allana watched as splatters of blood were highlighted. Far far more than would be reasonable if it came from an incidental splatter or droplet from battle gear.

These were splatters and fonts of blood, indicative of a battle having taken place.

“Do you need assistance Knight-Captain Lang?” One of the others asked over the voxlink.

“Negative. Assistance not required.” She responded, walking through the room. Lost and alone. Dead inside. More dead than that night. That night so long ago when she and – that individual – had spoken.

Stepping onto the balcony she looked up at the sky. A blue sky that spoke of playing children. Crops in the fields. Lovers walk hand in hand. Peace. The Glory of Truth.

And then she looked down at the courtyard. The warzone. Wisps of torn lace and bloodied flowers blew in the air. And a cold hate burned within. A hate colder than dark space. Colder than the void between. Colder than the hand of Death.

“Brother-Sergeant, You have Command.”

“Knight-Captain?” the Sergeant asked.

But no reply was coming. Allana had already sealed her armour for deep space and was rocketing upwards. Her launch scorching the ferrocrete balcony.

****

 

[Varshanka]

Allana Lang Survivor (part 3)

Five days it took to reach the next world. Her armoured boots slamming into the blast pad of the spaceport. She ignored the port authorities demands for information. Instead she flicked a data spike from her gauntlet, slamming it into the data socket. Authority runes flashed across the surface of his data slate.

One set of runes flashed repeatedly.

Knight.

It had been a long time since anyone had arrived on this world with those runes.

“I require a vessel. Level 4. Fatal Drive.” Fatal drive. A word made from abbreviations. Faster than Light. FTL. Fatal. Only the outreaches called them that. Everyone else just called them FTL ships.

“I..we.. I’ll do what I can.”

“I’ll be getting food. You have 3 hours to comply. Or I’ll take which ever ship suits my needs, whether the captain wants it or not.”

“Yes.. um.. understood.”

Looking over at the port master Allana’s armoured visor flashed red. Her eyes gleaming like something from hell. “Knight-Captain.”

“Shaking the Administratum Officio stepped back nodding furiously. “Yes.. Knight-Captain.”

Turning away Allana ignored the officious little man, the clatter of his data slate on the ferrocrete simply background noise.

*****

Walking into the local eating facility she scanned the building. A hundred different species of life filled the confines of the structure. Several of them not in official data files.

“We don’t surve you kind in here!” she heard from the heavy set creature behind the bar.

Turning her head she glared at him, stomping over. Fingers opening and closing. “Fight!!” someone screamed and patrons rushed to clear the way between her and the owner of the place.

Jerking a tentacle upwards he flashed a short barreled scatter gun. Useful for boarding actions on a starship. And clearing a bar of unwanted patrons.

With a roar the dual barreled weapon bucked and roared. Shields flashed and sparkled around Allana. Her hand reached out and ripped the gun from the shocked creatures grip. And she bent it in half. Twisting it around she turned a weapon that was worth a modest price into a 12 pound piece of garbage.

Her helm retracted, revealing a human face surrounded by golden brown hair. If her eyes were filled with anger she’d be classified as beautiful. But right now. In this moment. She was a terrifying sight to behold.

“Felgergarb..” the tentacled bartender muttered, backing into racks and glass bottles.

“Don’t do that again.” The armoured figure said, tossing the now useless weapon over her shoulder like a rolled up ball of paper.

Moving to a table she looked at the squat being behind the wooden table. And then sat down. Not bothering to ask permission. By her estimation anything that could hold up that things bulk should be able to handle her armour.

The creature pushed itself back against the wall, as far from her as possible. Almost afraid to get up and leave. But afraid to be near her if, and when, the shit hit the fan.

Turning her gaze. Her cold cold gaze to the being she shared a table with she raised an eyebrow. And her table partner bolted. Leaving it’s plate of food, and drink.

For some reason it just wasn’t hungry anymore.

Reaching out Allan grabbed it’s food and began eating. It smelled horrendous, and tasted worse. In fact it was probably the worst tasting food she had ever consumed. But it wasn’t deadly, so it would satisfy her hunger.

And so she ate. And waited.

Two hours and thirteen minutes later the Administratum Officio entered the building and haltingly, with great trepidation, approached her table.

“A.. a…a shipppp has been assigned.”

“Take me to it. And pay the barkeep.”

*****

 

[Varshanka]

Allana Lang - A World Burns (survivor part 4)

The ship exited FTL with an explosion in deep space. Snapping from the immaterium and back into reality. Energy snapped and rippled across the hull. The cockpit exploded outwards, the pilot flung into space. It’s armoured form dragging a case along.

And in the silent darkness a ship gave it’s life. The machine spirit failing and rupturing the core. Beneath her. Above her. Beside her. Before her. Loomed a planet. Direction didn’t matter. It was there. She was here.

Microburst from her power armour engaged, and she orientated. The planet was below and before her. The case floated beside her.

And she heard a word. A word that made her skin grow cold. It was her voice. But not her voice.



“Guilty.”

****

On the planet tens of billions of Strogg looked up into the sky. Watching as a starburst exploded. Brilliant white. And then its streaked around the world. Parts of it breaking off and plummeting to the ground.

The Virus bombs detonated high above Cannibal City, the huge explosions spreading the deadly payloads far and wide into the atmosphere. Designed to kill every living thing on the surface of a planet, the viral strains released on the world were the most efficient killers in the known universe. The bombs had a high enough yield to murder the planet a hundred times over and were set to burst at numerous differing altitudes and locations across the surface of the planet.

The virus leapt through forests and plains, sweeping along algal blooms and riding air currents across the globe. It crossed mountains, forded rivers, burrowed through glaciers. The universe’s deadliest weapons, the had been hidden from everyone. For a thousand years….

The bombs fell all across the world, but most of all, they fell on Cannibal City.

Strogg screamed. The sound was all the more shocking for its very existence rather than for the horror of its tone. The virus broke down cellular bonds at the molecular level and its victims literally dissolved into a soup of rancid meat within minutes of exposure, leaving little but sloshing suits of rotted armour and clothing. Even many of those who reached the safety of the sealed bunkers died in agony as they shut the doors only to find they had brought the lethal virus inside with them.

The virus spread through the civilian populace at the speed of thought, leaping from victim to victim in the time it took to breathe in its foul contagion. Strogg dropped where they stood, the flesh sloughing from their skeletons as their nervous systems collapsed and their bones turned to the consistency of jelly.

Bright explosions fed the viral feast, perpetuating the fatal reactions of corruption. The very lethality of the virus was its own worst enemy, for without a host organism to carry it from victim to victim, the virus quickly consumed itself.

However, the bombardment from orbit was unrelenting, smothering the entire planet in a precisely targeted array of overlapping fire plans that ensured that nothing would escape the virus.

Entire kingdoms and vassal states across the surface were obliterated in minutes. A cultures that had survived Old Night and endured to invade countless societies and planets a dozen times over fell without even knowing why, millions dying in screaming agony as their bodies betrayed them and fell apart, reducing them to rotted, decaying matter.

Strogg screamed, coughing up black puss from rotting lungs. Their flesh melting and oozing from liquefied bones.

Across the world toxic gases were released by rotting corpses. And out of the sky burned a comet. A comet that spoke the death of a world.

****

Ripping across the moldering plains of the Strogg world the burning figure ignited the corrupt gases. A firestorm raging out of control. A conflagration that rivaled the pits of the damned.

A world burned.

And the crust cracked. Molten lava spilling form from the depths of it’s core. Volcano’s, dormant for millennia erupted as the surface slagged. Burning hotter than a sun the world ignited. A burning ball of gases.

And pain.

Streaking through the core of the planet itself the burning creature ripped it asunder. Fragments exploding outwards in a shower of cosmic death.

 

[ChasNicollette]

Phantom Girl, and Shadow Lass. UP Building, and Legion HQ.

"This is another fine mess you've gotten us into," Vice President Winema Wazzo declared as she gazed out of the window of The United Planets Building. Blocks away, she could see the Legion Headquarters, standing tall, saluting her as if in mockery.

Tinya Wazzo glanced wearily up from the hands folded in her lap, her Flight Ring thrumming with an alert to which she wished, she wished she could reply. Anything would be better than this. Trapped in a miles-high office with the second-in-power for the whole United Planets.

Who also happened to be her mother.

Porcelain skin, long thick dark hair, Phantom Girl was easily centerfold material. And she had long enjoyed the luxuries that came with being the daughter of a powerful politician. Back home on Bgztl, Winema had been part of the 4D Council. And then she had become part of the newly-formed United Planets Senate.

Shortly thereafter, when elections were held, Winema had won the seat of Vice President. And things in the Wazzo household had only gotten more comfortable.

Bgtzl's relationship with the United Planets was an interesting one, as the entire world was largely extradimensional, residing in a timebent gravitational pocket. Residents of this world were naturally gifted with the ability to phase between their home dimensional plane and the Earth's.

Similarly, Tinya found herself caught between two worlds. She couldn't stand her mother's pompous attitude, the way she frowned upon the less empowered, the less prosperous. There was a part of Tinya that screamed and railed against the unfairness of this, despised the way her mother behaved like a "toff."

But then, nature and nurture, double-edged swords...

Tinya was a product of that world, like it or not, that sort of privileged upbringing. And sometimes, thoughtlessly, self-centeredly, she lapsed into that snooty behavior. Sometimes. Often. More often than she'd like.

...rejecting this, rejecting herself, she rebelled against her mother's edicts. Sometimes in more flagrant ways than others.

Right now, sitting in that miles-high office and frowning at her mother's back, this was not one of those times. For the moment, she covered her thrumming Ring with one hand and prayed for the thrumming to subside.

"I fail to see how any of this is my fault, Mother," she shook her head.

Arching a prim eyebrow over the lens of her spectacles, Winema turned to face her daughter. "Perhaps not directly. But you joined this team of superdunderheads to get your hands dirty, to show me up, you fell into the bed of that reprehensible 'Bor-spawn, this is where we find ourselves. And it seems as though your brothers and sisters in The Legion have been conducting somewhat extralegal visits to non-U.P. space. My good friend President Chu has already had words with your primary benefactor regarding this, and has been summarily rebuffed."

Tinya gritted her teeth. "Mister Brande perhaps had more important business dealings than a conversation with The President. He operates on levels most humans, most sentients, can barely conceive."

"This is the problem, Daughter," Winema harrumphed. "Ordinarily, we applaud his visionary tactics. But no man is above the law. Not Brande, and not any member of his little Super Scouts Troop. If he, and through you, puts The UP into the dangers of a wartime situation through his disregard for our diplomatic niceties, we may find ourselves forced to excise The Legion from its UP endorsement. Granted, that's a worst-case scenario. We'd much prefer to avoid that end of things, we'd even prefer to continue granting you your autonomy, rather than reinstating all those silly rules we had when first we permitted The Legion's forming."

"'Only one representative per world,'" Tinya grunted, "'no duplicate powers,' limits on the membership roster, insisting on having the first word in our leadership structure, I remember. All you did was keep us from doing as much good as we could have. Unshackling us was the best thing you could have done for the fledgling United Planets."

"This remains to be seen," Winema sniffed. "As I say, we may have to... re-evaluate."

Tinya chuckled bitterly.

Winema pursed her imperious lips. "Daughter. I can practically taste the insolence rolling off of you."

"The United Planets is an experiment," Tinya replied. "You know that better than anyone. Three, four years after its initial creation, you're still finding your footing. But here you are, second only to the leader of the free worlds and you're feeling your foothold on this power-structure slipping. You're afraid the experiment is going to fail and you're going to lose your... relevance.

"You're afraid Brande is going to discover a better way of doing things than yours.

"A way to really really Unite the Planets.

"One that won't involve you.

"And then where will you be?"

Winema practically hissed. "Stuff and nonsense. You've been listening to the Vyrgans again."

Tinya stood, crossing her arms over her stomach. "And what if I have? Thesis and antithesis resulting in synthesis, cyclical change, maybe they're onto something. Change is coming, Mother."

"Change that might not just render your precious little government irrelevant, but your-- our --whole pampered lifestyle, too."

Tinya smiled a grim little smile. "I'm going to make sure I don't get left behind. So should you."

And she stepped backwards. Stepped backwards through the chair in which she'd just been sitting and backwards through the wall of the office...

...she phased through the solid matter and wafted through it as easily as she might traverse a sunbeam.

The advantages of a four-dimensional molecular structure.

Winema Wazzo glared at that patch of wall with her hands curled into fists.

She refused to yield to impatience; she refused to allow her daughter to gall her with as simple an act as getting the last word.

But she wanted to burn this Legion to the ground, no matter all the good it had done in its thus-far short existence. She hated that it encouraged her daughter's willfullness, her childish acts of impudence.

Winema's son was nothing like this. He was a good boy.

But Tinya...

Tinya came from stock that was half-flawed. Her father, that ridiculous vagabond, obviously he had passed on authority issues in his Cargggite genes.

Winema Wazzo glared at the patch of wall through which Tinya had vanished and pounded her fist down hard onto her desk.

"This isn't over, you miserable little runt of my litter. This isn't over."

At that moment, Winema's omnicom meeped to life. "Madame Vice-President. There's been an event."

Winema sighed, dismally. "What sort of event?"

"It's Takron-Galtos, ma'am. President Chu's ordered a briefing in ten minutes."

Winema removed her glasses and rubbed the bridge of her nose between thumb and forefinger. "Fantastic. If it's not superheroes, it's supervillains. Very well. I'll be along."

Phantom Girl, meanwhile, had little desire to be in that building any longer than was necessary. The next window she saw, she stepped through that, too, stepped clear out into miles-high sky.

She dove through the wind, using her phasing power in conjunction with her Flight Ring to soar at higher velocities-- true, she couldn't approximate the speeds of-- of-- those with Daxamite or Kryptonian powers, or the speedstress Ognats, but phasing all but eliminated wind resistance and she could get quite a clip going.

She powered through the skies towards Legion headquarters. And as she did so, the omnicom aspect of her Flight Ring came to life as well.

"Imra, I want you, Shady, Jo, Ayla and Phantom Girl to head out to Galtos and assist. Shvaughn, I'm going to send Brainy up here to help you with tracking down the Five. Once you got a bead on them, I want M'onel, Power Girl, VM3, Garth, and Timberwolf ready to go at a moments notice. Dawnstar will go out to Galtos once she gets cleared from med bay."

Reluctantly, Brainiac Five took his eyes away from Powergirl and frowned at his Flight Ring. "I'm certain that my voicing a complaint about your taskmastery is at this point a cliche, Krinn. All the same, I'm equivalently certain Erin is capable of performing a routine trackdown without my extremely valuable assistance. (Which, I might add, is at a premium at the moment.)"

Shvaughn had to bite back hard in her glee. "Umm Cos, you only need to pull his majesty up here if you want the track second checked. I managed to get a lock on Validus' electrical energy signature. The Empress has her Satnav jammed, and her tracking beacon is gone. Let's just hope Lallor doesn't have a sudden Tech advancement or Chief Zendak finds out I've been overteching a sovereign foreign body."

Querl smirked. Ever so slightly. And it was a smirk, however begrudgingly, of respect. "Case in point. A credit to the force, Erin."

Caroline, meanwhile, smirked at Brainiac Five, and she, in turn, addressed her own Ring: "Consider me on immediate standby, Cosmic Boy."

Garth glanced absently at his own Ring. "Uh, yeah, me too. 'Roger Wilco,' Rokky, whoever he is."

Ayla put one hand on her hip and pursed her lips at her Ring. "Cos. I'm on my way."

M'onel nodded slowly. "Cos. Keep me posted; I'm here if you need me."

He paused. "Might I also suggest XS for the Galtos assist? We might also need your assistance with fast-tracking Legion candidacy for another individual. The, ah, visitor from The Vatican is a serious technological powerhouse. And unlike certain Shadow Lasses, she does not rub me the wrong way."

On and on and back and forth they talked, and Tinya couldn't have gotten a word in edgewise even if she'd wanted to. She didn't. Want to.

Because all she could think about was that Rokk, the ever-delightful captain of the guard, the blue-eyed boy scout, Rokk had put her on an assignment with Jo.

With Ultra Girl.

Beautiful, beautiful, pain in the nass sprocker Ultra Girl. With whom certain tangled feelings were absolutely unresolved.

She wanted to bitch Rokk out. She desperately wanted him to squaj him right there on the spot, to call bullspet and demand reassignment.

But she knew for a fact, Rokk did not make it a habit to consider love lives when doling out the missions. And Rokk would take offence at her suggestion that he might do so. Rokk wanted them all to be professional, Mxyzptlk damn him.

Tinya soared high, high above the Legion headquarters.

Tinya would have to deal.

This would not be fun. This would not be fun at all.

Diving down, Tinya squinted at the roof of the building, guesstimating where the elevator shafts were in relation to the roof. This was an entrance technique she'd used a few times before...

Slipping seamlessly through the substance of the rooftop, she barrelled down through the shaft of the elevator, using this as a bit of an off-ramp, taking advantage of the unobstructed space to decelerate, to brake.

As she did so, she noticed a lift far below her, descending.

Closing her eyes, she phased through the roof of the lift, and, adjusting her flight, she matched her descent such that her feet made not a sound as they became solid on the lift's deckplates.

Beside her in the lift stood Shadow Lass.

Shadow Lass arched an eyebrow at Phantom Girl, and tutted softly, seeming inordinately pleased with herself.

"So," Tinya nodded to Tasmia, primly. "Off to battle."

"More like doing a headcount and babysitting whosoever's left," Tasmia replied. "Apparently, this is what Cosmic Boy considers to be women's work."

Tinya glanced at Tasmia more fully, now, as if to object to Rokk's portrayal of sexism, but then she took in Tasmia's clothing. "What are you wearing?"

Tasmia didn't miss a beat: "I have my reasons. Why, are you afraid I'm going to snake your ex-girlfriend?"

Tinya bristled, flushed, opened her mouth to berate the Talokian temptress, but then the lift whined to a stop and the doors wsssshed wide.

Wsssshed wide open on the Threshold hangar bay. And before them stood the aforediscussed ex-girlfriend, examining their long-range starcraft.

"(This should be interesting,)" Tasmia smirked, and flounced out of the lift.

Stricken, just as now suddenly pale as she had been furiously crimson moments before, Phantom Girl walked more stiffly out of the lift.

"Ultra Girl," Shadow Lass nodded to Ultra Girl, that smirk never wavering.

Feeling as awkward as ever she had, Phantom Girl clawed a hand through her dark dark locks and regarded her former flame.

"Josephine."

 

[Wyldfire]

Wsssshed wide open on the Threshold hangar bay. And before them stood the aforediscussed ex-girlfriend, examining their long-range starcraft.

Stricken, just as now suddenly pale as she had been furiously crimson moments before, Phantom Girl walked more stiffly out of the lift.

Jo turned and did several internal contortions that weren't physically possible for one of her body design.

"Ultra Girl," Shadow Lass nodded to Ultra Girl, that smirk never wavering.

"Oh this is going to be absolutely sprocking delightful," Jo thought to herself, "As delightful as a 20th century dental procedure."

Outwardly she gave an equally catty smirk back and replied "Nice outfit Shady."

Feeling as awkward as ever she had, Phantom Girl clawed a hand through her dark dark locks and regarded her former flame.

"Josephine."[/QUOTE]

From one cut to the next she almost let Tinya's slide. Almost. No one sprocking called her that name. Especially Tinya. It was on.

"It's ever an honor to be in the presence of the esteemed Tinya Wazzo, daughter of the beneficent Winema Wazzo, Vice president of our glorious United Planets."

Jo knew this was a low blow, but Tinya set the mood for this. She turned away from her. It was like a V'rillian solar moth turning away from a sun going nova, but, she managed it. She looked back at Tasmia and asked "So, Tas, did you lose a bet and have to wear a Bgtzllian Ambassadorial uniform?"

 

[ChasNicollette]

Shadow Lass, Phantom Girl. Threshold Hangar.

Jo turned and did several internal contortions that weren't physically possible for one of her body design.

"Ultra Girl," Shadow Lass nodded to Ultra Girl, that smirk never wavering.

"Oh this is going to be absolutely sprocking delightful," Jo thought to herself, "As delightful as a 20th century dental procedure."

Outwardly she gave an equally catty smirk back and replied "Nice outfit Shady."

Feeling as awkward as ever she had, Phantom Girl clawed a hand through her dark dark locks and regarded her former flame.

"Josephine."

From one cut to the next she almost let Tinya's slide. Almost. No one sprocking called her that name. Especially Tinya. It was on.

"It's ever an honor to be in the presence of the esteemed Tinya Wazzo, daughter of the beneficent Winema Wazzo, Vice president of our glorious United Planets."

Tinya recoiled at this, opening her mouth for a moment and then closing it again, unwittingly mimicking her own mother in glaring with her fists at her sides. But she bit her tongue, she bit the inside of her cheek, she looked away, furious.

Cursing herself for being so... snide and derisive in moments of discomfort, she struggled desperately to get the better of herself and apologise.

But her mother. Her mother was such a sore spot between them.

She couldn't get the words out.

Jo knew this was a low blow, but Tinya set the mood for this. She turned away from her. It was like a V'rillian solar moth turning away from a sun going nova, but, she managed it. She looked back at Tasmia and asked "So, Tas, did you lose a bet and have to wear a Bgtzllian Ambassadorial uniform?"

Phantom Girl's eyebrows shot skyward at this. So much for that apology.

Tasmia's tongue, meanwhile, was as wicked as it was quick. "I'm afraid so, Nah. It was either this or that terribly gauche ensemble with the pigtails and the portholes, and nobody needs that brought back."

"You can both burn in the seven Thanagarian Hells," Tinya snarled, gesturing rudely, and flew off, levitating from the floor and silking through the cockpit wall, settling into the pilot's seat and angrily flicking switches, initiating preflight.

The sooner we get out of here the sooner we can get back and the sooner I can--

She covered her mouth with her hand.

She willed herself not to get the slightest bit teary-eyed.

I've sprocked everything up.

I've alienated my mother, good riddance, by joining The Legion.

But now, by upping the ante and pushing the envelope I've turned The Legion into a drama-ridden torture chamber and consequently I can't be happy anywhere.

Viciously, she takked the key for the fuel cell diagnostic.

Affecting mild surprise, mock mild surprise, Tasmia arched her eyebrows at the departing phantom, and glanced at Ultra Girl. "Oh, I'm sorry, should I not have disparaged that outfit? Did we like that outfit?"

Tinya covered her face with both hands. This is just sprocking great.

 

[Varshanka]

Allana Lang

Age 13:

She knelt on the floor, the heavy chains shackling her to the rockrete. Chains made for Troop carriers to haul each other out of soft mud when they got bogged down. Chains made to rip trees from the ground.

“Who are you?” the first voice asked, softly.

“I am Knight Alla.. ahhh..” she finished in a scream of pain and anger, the lash of the whip marking her back. Dipped in vinegar the lashes stung even more than normal.

“Lie not to us, Deamon. We can smell your stench. Your foulness in the fabric of reality. We know what you are.” A second voice demanded. Harsh and cruel it was filled with venomous hatred.

“Tell us your name.” A third asked.

“Allana Lang of the Hous…arggghhh..”

“Power the Rune.” Said a fourth voice. A much softer voice than the others. But one with authority.

Kneeling the First figure stretched out a hand. An armoured hand. Silver glinting in the meager light of a dozen candles. And the scribbles on the floor around her flared with light. Blue, green, gold, silver, and white.

A triangle that she knelt in the middle of.

“What is your name, Deamon!”

Snarling Allana looked up. But it wasn’t Allana.

Not anymore.

Flames licked along the edges of her eyes as the pupil burned itself out. An unholy flame filling them and spilling forth.

“Azazel,” replied an unearthly voice.

“It lies, that one is known to us.”

“It is not possible to lie. It touches the Triune Rune of Truth. The Will of Truth forbids falsehood.”

Stepping forward the smaller figure. The figure with the soft voice inspected the marks on the floor. Slowly and carefully. “The Rune is Truth. It must speak Truth. But it Lies.”

“Perhaps..”

“Yes?”

“Perhaps it’s stronger than the caster of the Rune?”

“Stronger than all five of you? Stronger than the Truth?”

“Not stronger than The Truth. But perhaps stronger than our will, Reverend Father.”

Looking back at the kneeling girl-child the first armoured and cloaked figure spoke once more. “What is your name, Deamon!”

“Anub'arak’n”

Smiling the soft voiced figure straightened up.

“Andramalach.”

“Andrealphus.”

“Ba’al.”

“Pick any name you wish. I might answer to it.” The Deamon inside Allana smirked. “Or I might not.”

Snarling the Priest backhanded Allana. “Lies!!”

Out of the shadows a golden gauntlet rested on the Priest shoulder. “Don’t do that again, father.”

“Unhand me, Knight.”

“Don’t hit her in anger again…” The Knight repeated. “I won’t warn you again.”

“You allow the Deamon to befuddle your mind and Heart.”

“Be that as it may. I won’t allow you to strike in anger again… Priest.”

Stepping away from the armoured figure the Priest silently nodded. Considering it’s words. “You’re right of course. Calm. Anger leads to the path of darkness. And allows the adversary in.”

Behind them came a creaking. Steel stretching and Superheating. Rock cracking. Turning the Knight pulled his sword. Even as four others bared their blades as well. Force shields snapped and crackled. Power Armour engaging. Technoblades shimmering with power.

Straightening up Allana stretched her neck, smoke and steam billowing from her form. And with a shimmer and snap Her hair exploded into flame. The heat wave washing down her form. Igniting her in living fire.

Looking over at the Priest she.. it.. considered the Knights for a brief moment.

And the rune shattered.

“You cannot hold me. Only he who’s name I may not speak may Command me. And you don’t have his trust. She does. You want my name? YOU WANT MY NAME!”

Walking with purpose the Deamon crossed the room. It’s stride slow and sure. It’s confidence obvious in the way it held itself. And the contempt it had for the ones around it.

With a flack of it’s hand the Power wrought blades glowed, and melted. Pools of useless metal puddling on the floor. Burning footprints scorching the rockcrete.

Leaning forward the Deamon whispered it’s name in the Priest’s ear. And chuckled hollowly as the Human’s hair turned white with horror.

“That.. that’s not possible.. You were.. banished.. for all time.”

“No.. I was not.” He said, laughing. And then the deamon was gone. And Knight Allana Lang of the House of Kent collapsed to the floor. Her skin shimmering with sweat.

Stammering the now white haired Priest stuttered “I.. I.. Nneed to sssppeak with the Mmonsignor..”

Running to the door he fought with it for a moment. His brain wanting out, but his hands refusing to pay attention in his panic.

Stepping over a Knight with white armour reached out and opened the door for the frazzled Priest. Her hand calm and assured.

“Don’t let it out of this room. Kill her if you have to.” He priest said, escaping into the castle.

 

[Wyldfire]

Tinya recoiled at this, opening her mouth for a moment and then closing it again, unwittingly mimicking her own mother in glaring with her fists at her sides. But she bit her tongue, she bit the inside of her cheek, she looked away, furious.

Jo knew this was a low blow, but Tinya set the mood for this. She turned away from her. It was like a V'rillian solar moth turning away from a sun going nova, but, she managed it. She looked back at Tasmia and asked "So, Tas, did you lose a bet and have to wear a Bgtzllian Ambassadorial uniform?"

Phantom Girl's eyebrows shot skyward at this. So much for that apology.

Tasmia's tongue, meanwhile, was as wicked as it was quick. "I'm afraid so, Nah. It was either this or that terribly gauche ensemble with the pigtails and the portholes, and nobody needs that brought back."

"You can both burn in the seven Thanagarian Hells," Tinya snarled, gesturing rudely, and flew off, levitating from the floor and silking through the cockpit wall, settling into the pilot's seat and angrily flicking switches, initiating preflight.

Jo shot a look at Tasmia. Why the nass was Shady being such a little bitch? Tasmis wasn't the easiest to get along with in the best of times but today she was being sprocking rediculous.

She covered her mouth with her hand.

She willed herself not to get the slightest bit teary-eyed.

Viciously, she takked the key for the fuel cell diagnostic.

Affecting mild surprise, mock mild surprise, Tasmia arched her eyebrows at the departing phantom, and glanced at Ultra Girl. "Oh, I'm sorry, should I not have disparaged that outfit? Did we like that outfit?"

Jo almost snarled at Shady for that. She'd designed that costume for Tinya. She'd loved that she could tough bare skin through those holes. An the pigtails had been Jo's idea too. They gave Tinya a look all her own. Without them it was like looking at her mother.

"I liked the costume with the portholes Shady, made it for her myself. Liked it better than your Long slutty night of disappointment look."

Tinya covered her face with both hands. This is just sprocking great.

Jo stalked to the ladder down to the weapons systems. "If anyone wants to sprock with me some more I'll be at my station." she slide down the ladder instead of taking the time to use the steps. She wanted away from both of the women.

As she began to run through her inspections she tried to calm herself down. She wanted so bad to knock the bitch out of Tas. She also found herself wanting to either smack the taste out of Tinya's mouth or kiss the nass out of same said mouth.

If her crew back on the 'Bor could see her today, she'd never live it down.

 

[ChasNicollette]

Shadow Lass, Lightning Lass, Phantom Girl. Threshold Hangar.

Jo shot a look at Tasmia. Why the nass was Shady being such a little bitch? Tasmis wasn't the easiest to get along with in the best of times but today she was being sprocking rediculous.

Jo almost snarled at Shady for that. She'd designed that costume for Tinya. She'd loved that she could tough bare skin through those holes. An the pigtails had been Jo's idea too. They gave Tinya a look all her own. Without them it was like looking at her mother.

"I liked the costume with the portholes Shady, made it for her myself. Liked it better than your Long slutty night of disappointment look."

Tasmia glanced down at herself. And then eyed Jo.

"I dressed to impress," she replied, liquid nitrogen cool. "And I daresay I succeeded. Which, I can't promise you that your fashion-plate girlfriend did the same. (If she impressed you, well, that's something I suppose. But there's no accounting for taste.)"

She pursed her lips. "Did you do a lot of needlework in the slums of Rimbor, was this something of a sweatshop scenario?"

Jo stalked to the ladder down to the weapons systems. "If anyone wants to sprock with me some more I'll be at my station." she slide down the ladder instead of taking the time to use the steps. She wanted away from both of the women.

As she began to run through her inspections she tried to calm herself down. She wanted so bad to knock the bitch out of Tas. She also found herself wanting to either smack the taste out of Tinya's mouth or kiss the nass out of same said mouth.

If her crew back on the 'Bor could see her today, she'd never live it down.

Tasmia stood there for a moment on the deckplates, arms crossed over her abdomen, and she took herself a deep breath. She closed her eyes, and chuckled softly.

"Ah, me," she murmured. "Ah, dearie, dearie me. We do have fun, don't we?"

The door wssshed open behind her and Ayla hurried out, looking flustered. "Sorry I took so long, I had to wait for the lift."

"No big rush," Tasmia replied, sardonically. "Apparently we're having a meltdown drill before takeoff."

Ayla blinked, and then followed along. "Oh, spet. Right. This is their first mission together since-- well, since."

Tasmia smiled thinly. "What did we used to call them?"

Ayla rubbed the back of her head, gazed up at the spaceship. "'The Smitten Kittens.'"

"Now they're more inclined to claw each other's eyes out," Tasmia tsked. "Shame, really. Seems like the slightest thing's enough to set them off."

Immediately Ayla's gaze turned suspicious. "The, ah, 'slightest thing.'"

Tasmia smiled brightly, dismissively. "Just watch your step, that's all I'm saying. Fair warning."

And then she proceeded to the ship and boarded, disinclined to assist with the preflight, she instead decided to scope out the living quarters and reserve herself a good room.

Ayla stood there, gazing after the other three women, with a sinking feeling in her heart and in her gut.

Tinya noticed Ayla from the cockpit and gave her a weary little wave, which Ayla returned in kind.

She glanced down at her Flight Ring adorning the waving hand, and she whispered: "Cham. I wish to Grife you were coming with me on this one. I'm gonna miss you. If the maxsec perps don't throttle us, I think we might actually murder each other..."

 

[Lunaramblings]

Timberwolf was on his way to meet his team. He was angry, though that is nothing new. He wanted a good scrap. He hoped that he got the chance to make the Five pay for the mess they had made. He arrived in the Threshold hangar with his game face on.

"What's the deal? I say we hit them hard, make em have to think fast." Timberwolf rolled his neck and shoulders as he cracked his knuckles.

"Afraid pushing to hard too fast may just leave us open to a counter attack. The Five are merciless but the are not stupid." Cham had started for the Threshold hangar as soon as Rokk had made his announcement. Cham had shifted forms to a smaller quicker form to get there in a timely fashion. Seemed like he was needed in many places so far this day. Thankfully he was flexible. Cham hated sitting idly by when there were things to be done. Cham smiled as he received the message from Ayla. Cham re-assumed his natural form as he stood beside Timberwolf."Rokk, if I am not needed here, and it seems there is little for me to do that can't wait, might I suggest you put me on the first team. Espionage seems to be needed here and I am well versed in those matters. Also, Rokk, I think an extra hand in this situation may be warranted." Cham knew the real reason he wanted to go. It had little to do with the mission. More to do with Ayla.

 

[Abraxas Winterlight]

Wraith

Time slowed. Zod's fist pulled back, then it was caught in a green skinned arm of flesh like steel.

And Zod screamed.

I looked down upon Zod, then looked over at Rose, leaning on Merick with her nose dripping blood and fire in her eyes.
I looked at the broken bodies around me, those caused by Zod, and those caused by us.
I looked at the horror that had been unleashed, and looked down at the man that had unleashed such death and destruction, all in the name of power.

And around me the shadows rose like a miasma rising from a fetid lake.

I looked upon the face of J'onn J'onzz, and looked at the ravages of a eternity of fighting and stopping madmen in his alien features.

Claws faded back to fingers, and I looked down at Zod.

"I could kill you," I said. "I could take this hand", (I slowly formed my fingers into diamond-sharp blades) "and drive it into your chest and pull out your heart. I could do that. I might still do that, but that would not bring back the people you have killed. The PLANET you destroyed! You should die for your crimes Zod, You. Should. Die!"

I drew my hand back for the killing stroke, and let loose a darkblast with my other hand straight into Zod's face, snapping his head back and knocking him unconscious. He sagged in the Manhunters arms, blood dripping freely from his smashed and broken face.

"Send him back to Hell, I am not killing anyone today." I said in a low, dangerous voice. Then I walked over to check on Rose.

Memories flooded my mind with the mention of that name. The last time I had seen Zod, he had been whisked away, bound in kryptonite by J'onn, and sealed back in his prison of time by Kara soon thereafter.

If Lucifer has chosen Zod to be his vessel in the mortal world, then things were going to be very, very bad. Drakula was born of man and woman, and it had taken everything me, Bruce and Ras Al Gul could do to put him down. Zod would start with the powers of a Kryptonian, and whatever abilities he would gain as a Scion would only make him worse.

"Yeah. We should get J'onn for this." my daughter said, her voice low and quiet.

"Your right, we should. I'll go fetch his jolly green behind, I can't just reach out and grab him like I did you girls. Blood ties mean quite a bit with magic. Your uncle John could explain it, but it would take a few hours, and quite a few pints."
I smiled to myself, remembering the cantankerous old pain in the ass.

"I'll be right back. Liz, why don't you explain to Jaymie where she is and get her a bit up to speed with our little family here." I said, then shadows swirled and I was gone. Seconds later Dirge was back in it's resting place, and a few minutes after That the wards and traps were reset on the blade. Then I focused, and sent my will searching. Once my quarry was found through means of eldrich shadows, I was off, materializing in an office with a very upset martian in it.

"Hello old friend. It is time we talked." I said, looking down at the being that had given birth to legends.

 

[Varshanka]

Allana Lang

Age 13:

She sat at the table pouring over pik and tome. Holilithics. And Holycron. She’d been allowed to leave the cell.

Finally.

They were still deciding her fate. The Holy Father declared the stain of sin could only be removed with her head. Or when her soul was released on a funeral pyre. To be burned alive at the stake.

As a Servant of Darkness. A darkfriend. A Knight of the Black Chalice.

She’d died fighting them.. was she to be burned as one?

So while they decide which manner of death she’d be given, she searched. She was a Knight. She deserved to die as a Knight, with Heraldry. To be remembered. Not quite the memory she’d have hoped for, she thought wryly.

Pages and books, lay open before her. Dozens of them. Centuries of knowledge lay within her reach. Minutes stretched into hours. Hours stretched into agonizing torment.

Tens of thousands of heraldry marks dating back to the beginning. Many long long forgotten. A few select ones still in use today. Their descendants, such as the Kents and the Luxtors bearing the marks of ancestors that had settled this world.

Marks from the age of Darkness, when contact with Holy Terra was lost. And mankind turned on each other. They’d fought fuedal wars until the Skrogg arrived. The merrowin. And so many others.

And the Age of Strife. When they’d risen up, bonding together under the Banner of Kent. Striking back, hard and brutal, against the enemies of Mankind.

Grabbing another Holycron she placed it in a transmitter unit, flitting through stories and images of Knights from the ages of Darkness and Strife.

***

Night had fallen hours before, the sun setting in a burning glow across the fields around the castle. Looking out the window slit, not quite wide enough for a person to crawl through, but wide enough to fire a bolter or bolt caster through.

Rubbing her eyes she began to realize the magnitude of her task. A quest to find an appropriate heraldry. Something new, and old. Not her fathers, or anyone elses. Her own.

Taking her hand away from bleary eyes she looked at the Holycron, reaching out to shut it off for the night.

Her hand stopped in mid motion. A knight in ancient armour was projected, his story. His legend inscribed, and spoken.

Increasing the volume, she listened, her eyes tracking across ancient script of High Gothic. During the darkest times of the Age of Strife, when the planet was nearly overrun with Strogg, the attacks and slaughters coming nightly, the Night had arrived. Walking out of the shadows of a forest. And without a word spoken he’d lain waste to the forces of the Strogg. Lance fire from his hands and destroyed siege engines. Disrupting ground and sending waves of burning rock and rumbling earth towards the enemy.

His heraldry painted dark black. Black as night with a speckling of white. The stars of the sky.

After the battle, he’d joined the defenders and stayed a year. Battlements had been reinforced, preparations made for more attacks. Both in defense, and for attacks against the Strogg.

His name had been Valor. Sir Knight Valor. His name meant courage.

But she couldn’t copy his heraldry. Such an act would be blasphemy. Especially with her own death so soon to be here. Looking out the window at the stars she pondered, praying for a miracle. A sign.

Something..

Anything…

And in the darkness of eternal night, a thousand years ago a star went supernovae. It’s life force extinguished in a detonation of light and power. The light taking a thousand years to travel across the depths of space and time.

A thousand years to reach a young knight seeking a sign. A burst of light in the darkness.

And she knew.

Turning from the window she began drawing. A star with four points. Truth. Honour. Glory. Justice.

And a center point. An unseen point in the center of the shield. Valor.