posted
Teachers' Isle had never held this many non-mages within its enchanted boundaries. Yet those of the Sorcerers' World had no choice. They needed a great deal of help from the mundane sciences if this blight was to be removed from the Orion Arm of the galaxy.
Several humanoids stood talking with strained voices near the lecture podium. In the tiers of the hundred-seat auditorium, representatives of at least fifty different worlds sat pensively, most reviewing their notes. Several dolphins sat to the side in water tanks, furiously exchanging comments in high-pitched sonar over private microphones.
As muffled chimes tolled the hour, a tall, copper-skinned man with black-feathered wings stepped to the podium, and the conversation died down. He pulled the floating microphone-bot in front of him into a closer position.
"Fellow sentients, I am Mistrider. Thank you for coming here today. I know that many of you had great difficulty in reaching Zerox without being discovered. We lost one ship from Talok Eight and two from Winath when their cloaking devices failed. We all mourn their loss, and yet we must move onward.
"We of Starhaven are pleased to have been able to bring you together in person with our own abilities, since all electronic communications are now monitored by our enemies. I wish to especially thank my son Greybird and my nephew Soaring Eagle," he said as he nodded toward two younger winged men at his left. "They put the initial network together, in service of which I recently lost my other son.
"Most of you know the strategic situation, but I will have my son summarize it for everyone."
One of the younger men stepped forward, pulled a laser pointer from a belt pouch emblazoned with the Legion's "L" logo and folded his grey wings back out of the way of a hovering holo-display.
"Thank you, Father. Sentients, you know our coalition has been unable to break free from the outer ring of Earth colonies. We have not had enough success in infiltrating the trade routes that the Mordru Hegemony restored two years ago. Several of our associates in the former Legion of Super-Heroes have done stellar work in attempting to turn customs and local militia officers to our side, especially our friend Jo Nah, who has been undercover on Rimbor for a year now.
"Unfortunately, Mordru has been nimble in keeping the inner, larger systems in line. Although he ended the economic autarky that kept the major worlds isolated and thus more under his heel, he still rules by fear and genocide. Having the weapons of the Dark Circle and the Dominion makes it far easier, despite several well-armed regional revolts.
"Our massing of coalition ships on the far side of Starhaven could not go undetected forever, even with Mordru having dismissed our planet as an insignificant backwater. We were expecting a frontal assault from Earth within two weeks, until we received the unexpected offer of help that has brought you here to vote today.
"Our new friends have themselves enlisted their own associates to aid our ships in their assaults on the inner systems. We know that many of you have been assailed and injured by these people in the past. Nonetheless, they know that a tyranny fueled by magic is unacceptable, and they are willing to help us coordinate our tactics and smash the Hegemony. You have read their dossiers. I will present them to you now.
"Fellow sentients, I bring you the now-heroic band that saved Xanthu from being conquered, and which has eminently earned the name of the Freedom Five!"
The delegates burst into applause, some reluctantly at first, but slowly rose as individuals until they made a standing ovation.
"The Emerald Empress!" A tall, striking, green-haired woman in jeweled regalia bounded onto the stage, with two green-and-gold orbs floating in the air behind her. She pumped her fists in the air.
"DEATH TO MORDRU!" she yelled at the top of her voice. The audience responded with cheers and continued applause.
"The Persuader!" Greybird continued, as a man in silver armor and carrying a pole-axe weapon walked on stage. "Mentalla!" A honeyed blonde with a hypnotic gaze and fierce demeanor followed. "Tharok!" The half-cyborg that had created the coalition's deadly new phased-energy weapons joined them.
"And morphed to a smaller size, but just as deadly, Validus!" A two-meters-tall hulk of a man, with his brain visible through transparent skin, ran onto the stage. He pointed at the wall diagram of the inner systems with his hand, and lightning crackled from his brain to burn Sol Three out of the map in a flash of flame.
"That is what we will do to Mordru's throne world, if we cannot overpower him otherwise!" yelled Greybird. "Delegates, do you take their help? Are they to join with us?"
"YES!" replied dozens of voices, in Interlac and local languages, as the fervor increased and the room began to resemble a frenzied rally of moopsball fans. That is, thought Mistrider, back when we could afford such luxuries.
As Greybird slowly calmed the meeting and stepped back, to allow the newcomers to outline their tactics, Mistrider and Soaring Eagle walked to the anteroom to retrieve more holo-slabs for the rest of the briefing.
"I still am nervous about enlisting these miscreants in our cause, Uncle, however much we may need them," Soaring Eagle said with a resigned tone to his voice. "To reverse ourselves so fully about them makes me think about all of the might-have-beens of the last years.
"If only one of our people had been present to find the kidnapped Dominion diplomats before Mon-el destroyed that rogue space station ... for example. We would have avoided the Dominion having joined the Earthwar against us."
"We cannot think about that now," Mistrider replied, as he gathered recording chips and a replacement wall diagram. "Nor can we remember Greatfire now, lest we lose our resolve. Our time of mourning is postponed. We should not make the strain worse by failing to rein in our imaginations. We must work with what is, and with what we have, however dangerous."
He let his shoulders sink in the eternal weariness of frustrated hope, common to those who were fighting, and whispered, "I only hope we can win this war."
The two winged men returned to the stage, where five who were once villains were once again being cheered to the skies.
From: Starhaven Consulate, City of Angels | Registered: Jul 2003
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posted
Year-later bump ... any more such tales? Even a scenario or description, if you have one.
From: Starhaven Consulate, City of Angels | Registered: Jul 2003
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posted
Even with the best of intentions and every resource comitted to the benefit of all sapients the wrong choices could spell disaster to the brightest of futures
RJ Brande stood befor the assembled UP Council and announced his plan to create a peace keeping force made up of special citizens of member planets. Well lit and hovering above the wealthiest man in the galaxy were three holovids of the teenagers that had stopped an assassin and been mortally while wounded doing so. All three had perished and been acclaimed as heroes by the United Planets for their sacacrifice.
"I mourn for these three heroic youths. They saved my life and I'll be eternally grateful to them. Young Garth Ranzz sacrificed himself and killed the assassin with a bolt of lightning from his fingertips. Imra Ardeen, a cadet on her way to join our own heroic Science Police stood valiantly against them using only the power of her mind and Pol Krinn the famed Magno Ball champion turned the tide of the fight with his finely tuned magnetic abilities when I was certain I was staring death in the face. They lost their lives for me. In the process they inspired this new organization based in part on the heroic myths of Earth's own past and the actions of these three galant teens, never again must we allow the children, our future, the hopes and dreams of our families take these risks and pay such a horrible price."
The delegates looked at one another with dubious expressions and a whispered buzz spread across the room. A spotlight glowed on the curtain behind RJ as he turned and announced to the assembly,
"Ladies and gentlemen! Today I introduce to you the Legion of Superheroes!"
The curtain rose and the light spread across the figures in bright costumes gathered together on the stage. A buzz went up from the gathered sentients and the word "Superman!" was heard from every corner.
"Fully empowered by the courts as executioners of the law, here to protect us from madmen and terrorists who would destroy our peaceful homes and planets I give you the Superman robots! The Green Lantern of Rimbor! The timelost Flash - Professor Zoom! The greatest of all the telepaths of Titan - Universo! From Durla, designed to be the perfect warrior, he's The composite man - Chameleon Chief! The foremost scientist of venus, the transmuter - Cosmic King! The beautiful and deadly Sarya of Vengar - The Emerald Empress! The toughest and most ruthless warrior in the galaxy - The Persuader! Specially delegated to us just for this purpose - The Hawkpolice Last and by no means least, I give you the brother of one of the very kids that saved me Mekt Ranzz - Lightning Lord!"
"Criminals beware! As the famous hero of the 20th century used to say, The weed of crime bears bitter fruit! The Legion of Superheroes will show NO mercy! They will take NO prisoners! Lawbreakers prepare to be broken! From this day forward there is a NEW law in the galaxy!"
The crowd rose and delivered a thunderous ovation to the assembled figures on the stage. They wildly applauded these colorful symbols of swift and terrible justice.
Powerful visions can be fragile things. One mistep, one misguided choice, one false move and the grand design is tarnished, smeared, sometimes ruined.
Who's next? Surely somebody's got a vision of what it would be like without Fill_in_the_blank_Lass.
From: Smallville Sector : Greater Metropolis | Registered: Jun 2004
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posted
Well, without Fill_in_the_blank_Lass there would've been a lot of incomplete forms and unfinished games of hangman lying around HQ.
From: Douglasville, GA | Registered: Jul 2003
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Hyperpath: Email this page to someone!
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