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Note 1: These stories do not take place in Marvel continuity (Earth-616). They take place in an alternate timeline, Earth-3992, which diverges during the events of the Shi'ar-Kree war, a.k.a. Operation: Galactic Storm. For further reference on the Imperial Guard and Operation: Galactic Storm, see the excellent IG guide at uncannyxmen.net.
Note 2: Raila Ynzz is not a Marvel character, she is my own creation (though like all IG members, she is a Legion of Superheroes homage, in this case Ayla Ranzz.)
These were troubled times for the Shi'ar Empire. They had emerged as victorious conquerors from their recent war against the Kree, but at a heavy price. Thanks to the clandestine activities of the shape-shifting Skrulls -- whose feud with the Kree predated the Shi'ar's feud by thousands of years -- the Shi'ar were now the most hated empire in the universe. Unknown to almost everyone involved, the true responsibility for the genocide of the Kree lay with one of the Kree's own -- the presumably deceased Supreme Intelligence, who had used his unimaginable mental powers to secretly manipulate Shi'ar, Kree, and Skrull alike.
But it was the Shi'ar who were shouldering the burden of the blame. Every former Kree world was spawning anti-Shi'ar terrorists. The image of Shi'ar Empress Majestrix Lilandra had been adopted by them as a symbol of oppression. The Empress herself had been forced into isolation for fear of an attempt on her life.
Under these circumstances, it was not surprising that all was not going well at the private meeting of the senior members of the Shi'ar Imperial Guard, at their Command Center on the Shi'ar throneworld of Chandillar.
The building was, like all architecture on Chandillar, streamlined, stylish, and spotlessly clean. In the main control room, a television screen provided a window into a sparkling fantasy world -- in an effort to strengthen the Guard's ranks while at the same time providing opium for what they myopically saw as the restless masses, they had decided to turn the search for a new Guardsman into an inter-galactically televised competition.
And it had been a surprising success: trillions had cheered the victory of a young woman with pale skin and a coltish build, whose soft, shoulder-length hair was brunette with blonde highlights. Her apparent lack of guile, coupled with her amazing ability to manipulate gravity, had taken her to the top. The gloriously candy-colored images of the competition had been endlessly replayed in recent days, and they were being replayed again in the Command Center's control room. But the loud argument among the Guardsmen drowned out the happy facade onscreen.
"I refuse to accept this travesty!" bellowed Gladiator, pounding the table with his fist. "Turning the sacred duty of Guardsmanship into a circus! Is it any surprise at all that the least worthless of them turned out to be a half-breed Natillian raised in Adorfal, that toxic pit of glitter and scum?"
Flashfire refused to look Gladiator in the eye while he mumbled his response. "What's done is done, Kallark. Now deal with it."
Electron, on the other hand, didn't hold back. "Why are we even having this argument? Kallark, you were outvoted three-to-one about holding the competition. And I'm having serious thoughts about going to the Empress with a proposal to have you voted out of the Guard."
Gladiator stood to his full, and very imposing height. "If you dare try any such nonsense, I swear by my ancestors I shall..."
"Quiet!"
"** Q * U * I * E * T **"
Oracle had used her powers to scream both verbally and telepathically. She didn't do it often, as she knew it caused great pain to those it was directed at, but when grown men started acting like schoolboys, there was no alternative.
"Now I'm only going to say this once -- we had to move with the times, we had to lower ourselves to this crass competition, because it was a means to an end! Approval ratings for the Empire are at an all-time low, and if this is what it takes to get the Empress's subjects back on our side, then so be it!
"Moreover, I mind-scanned every applicant, and Raila was the only one who was not a glory-hungry snake. Her heart is pure, she is a valuable addition to our ranks, and she begins her official Guardsman duties next week. End of discussion!"
Oracle and Gladiator stared into each others' eyes for what seemed like an eternity. She had always been the only one to stand up to him in these situations. The tension between the two ran so high, that it often seemed to herald Armageddon -- the Empire's most powerful telepathic might versus the Empire's most powerful physical might. If the day ever came where they battled one on one, the Empire would surely be devastated.
The tension was finally broken by a low-level alarm siren. "Alert! Terran intruder approaching Imperial border, coordinates AXA-74."
Gladiator spoke up. "I shall deal with this..." he paused to bear his teeth, "...alone!"
Before anyone could reply, his super-speed had already whisked him out of the control room and into the sky.
"We should follow him." said Electron. "In the state he's in, he might do something really stupid."
"No," Oracle replied calmly, "in the state he's in, he's too afraid of embarrasment to do anything really stupid. Just let him blow off steam."
"Sybil's right, as always." mumbled Flashfire.
Electron glared at Flashfire out of the corner of his eye. You think everything she says is right ever since you got engaged to her, Electron thought but didn't say out loud. A few seconds later, he calmed down and accepted that Oracle's psychic powers did make her the best judge of character among them. He looked at Oracle, exhuding serenity as always. She always seemed so perfect. Sometimes it was his favorite thing about her, sometimes it was his least favorite thing about her.
I don't understand, he thought, we're all just a little over thirty -- this is supposed to be the prime of our lives. It looked so clear when we first joined the guard, but now it's like we've turned into a bunch of strangers who hate each other and only get together because we're paid to do it.
Electron, or K'orr to his friends -- although he was no longer sure about who his friends were -- took a deep breath. Dammit, he thought, I pushed for this competition more than anyone else, and I'll see that some good comes from it, or die trying.
As he finally began to relax, he looked at Oracle again and smiled. At least I know she's on my side about the things that matter the most.
********
From the Digi-Diary of Raila Ynzz:
"Dear Diary,
"If anyone knew I had a diary, they'd laugh, they'd say I'm not a kid anymore and I should act my age. I say screw them! I'm feeling more like a kid now than when I actually was a kid.
"Anyway, Diary, I am inviting you into my life just as a dream is coming true for me. I've won the imperially televised competition for membership in the Imperial Guard. Can you believe it? The Imperial Guard! I've been given my code name: Gravitress. Gravity + Mistress = Gravitress, get it? Yeah, I know it's dumb, but I had no say in it; the judges -- the Imperial Guard commanders -- chose it for me. Tell you the truth, I could tell that one of them, Gladiator, didn't like me. Then again, he seemed not to like any of the other contestants or anything about the competition. I used to sort of have a crush on him, but after seeing what a bitter bastard he really is, I feel sick whenever I think of him.
"Oracle, on the other hand, OMG! I used to daydream about being just like her, back when I was a dork with bad teeth and bad posture and no grace. I had posters of her on my wall! She is so classy, everything I ever imagined her being, and I feel so honored to be working for her. I just hope she realizes I didn't enter the competition for fame and status, I entered it because I really do want to work for the greater good. I almost said that in my acceptance speech, but I was afraid people all over the Empire would laugh at me and think I wasn't being sincere. You know, Diary, I really hate these cynical times we live in.
"I've gotta go now, Diary, and get ready for something really special.
"Love xoxoxoxo, Raila"
********
At the Empire's border, Gladiator charged at the rapidly approaching intruder. One split second later, he saw that the intruder had armored himself with pure quantum matter.
But it was too late for Gladiator to stop. They collided hard, and both went flying in opposite directions.
The intruder recovered his balance first, proving he had been prepared for an attack like this. His armor vanished, revealing the handsome, flaxen-haired figure of Quasar. Without missing a beat, he trapped Gladiator in a quantum bubble.
"Hear me!" Gladiator bellowed through the bubble. "I..."
"I can hear you fine, you don't need to shout." Quasar replied with perfect deadpan timing.
Gladiator was now volcanic. "When I break out of here, I..."
"First of all," said Quasar calmly, "you're not gonna break out of there no matter how hard you try. Second of all, what you are gonna do is tell your Empress that a bunch of renegade -- for her sake, they better be renegade -- Kree stormtroopers just left Earth, but not before they kidnapped three super-human bad guys who were serving prison sentences.
"After the way that me and my Avengers buddies kicked the collective butt of that goon squad of yours, I don't think the Empress is gonna want to get in trouble with Earth. Capeesh?"
Gladiator's shouting had become incoherent, and he was frothing at the mouth.
"I knew you'd understand." smiled Quasar sarcastically. "But just to make sure my message gets delivered, I'm gonna tag along if you don't mind -- or even if you do."
And so, Quasar resumed his course to Chandillar, all the while calmly towing the blustering buffoon in the bubble.
********
Meanwhile, at the Imperial Guard Command Center, three female Guardsmen -- Nightside, Scintilla, and Astra -- were chatting in the cafeteria.
"So, she's gonna be inducted next week." said Scintilla, before twisting her mouth into a smirk. "Can't wait."
"I know," Astra agreed, "she's so annoying. When she talks, she either whispers or makes that weird baby-voice. Ick."
"Yeah," laughed Scintilla, "and there's no way she's that sugary-sweet nice, the way she pretends to be. If she won that competition, she's gotta be a total bitch underneath. She's probably gonna start demanding special treatment..."
Nightside spoke at last, in a voice as elegant as her face. "I think she may surprise both of you. I, for one, have a very positive impression of her." She smiled. "And remember, it would not be wise of you to offend someone with such power...she controls one of the greatest forces in the universe -- gravity."
Scinitilla snickered. "Of course she controls gravity, that's how she keeps her chest from dragging on the floor. She looks older than my grandmother."
"And just what was your last birthday?" Nightside asked with subdued sarcasm. "I may not be psychic, but I need not be when your insecurities are so painfully transparent."
"Hang on a minute," giggled Astra, "her chest doesn't drag on the floor because she has no chest in the first place!"
They both broke out in loud, cruel laughter.
But their laughter caught in their throats when Oracle walked through the door, accompanied by none other than Gravitress.
"Good morning, Ladies," smiled Oracle, with a sly look on her face that showed she knew exactly what Astra and Scintilla had been up to, "I decided it would be best if Gravitress received her orientation as early as possible. Gravitress, I would like to introduce Nightside, Astra, and Scintilla."
Astra and Scintilla turned on the smarm. "Oh my god," said Astra, "you're so awesome." "Yeah," said Scintilla, "I wanted you to win from the start."
Nightside, on the other hand, was subdued and sincere. "Congratulations, Gravitress. Welcome to the Imperial Guard."
And she was the only one Gravitress replied to. "Thank you," she said shyly, "it's an honor to meet you."
"Why, thank you." said Nightside. "I look forward to our first mission together."
Oracle knew it was the perfect time to end this. "We must move along now, Dear. There's so much more for you to see."
"Okay." said Gravitress before looking over her shoulder and waving at Nightside. "Bye for now."
Nightside smiled radiantly. "Until later."
After Oracle and Gravitress had left, Nightside looked at Astra and Scintilla with pity. "At least now that Gravitress is here, I shall have company I am not ashamed to be around." She grinned and walked out.
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Nightside stood quietly in her private quarters, amid a decor that was as tastefully elegant as Nightside herself. She was deep in thought, watching the evening sky through the closed window.
Her reverie was interrupted by a sight she did not want to see -- her estranged lover, Gladiator.
"Su'eva, love of my life," she heard him bellow through the window, "jewel of the Shi'ar Empire, let me in. It has been far too long since we were last together."
Knowing that the only way to deal with this was to let him in and get him out as quickly as possible, Nightside opened the window.
"This is not a good time, Kallark..." she began.
"Indeed," Gladiator interrupted, "it is not a good time for anyone. The empire is losing it's way, and the Imperial Guard has become a mockery of its former self. Sybil, Granzz, and K'orr have barred me from the next brain trust conference -- can you believe their gall, their foolishness?"
From the things I have heard about your recent behavior, I believe they were right to bar you, Nightside thought but didn't say.
"Su'eva," he continued, "we must go off our own, and bring real justice to the cosmos. Let us depart together at once."
Nightside was momentarily speechless.
"We do not need anyone else. You are a literal goddess among mortals, and I am the last of the Kromonians, the greatest race in universal history. It is our destiny to be together."
"It is not!" snapped Nightside. "I may be a goddess among mortals, but I refuse to share in your elitist delusion. Now begone, Kallark! BEGONE!!"
Gladiator was not so romantic now. "Woman, do not try my patience..."
How many times must this scenario repeat itself? thought Nightside for a split second. Then she frowned and bared her teeth, as she called upon her darkforce powers to begin enveloping Gladiator in shadow tendrils.
As always, as ever, Gladiator backed off. Nightside had learned long ago that the only way to handle him was to threaten him with a force greater than his own; it was Gladiator's nature to flee any situation in which he thought he might appear weak.
He walked to the open window. "This is not the end." he said angrily, before flying off into the sky.
It IS the end! Nightside thought as she slammed the window shut.
She went to her bed, sat down at the foot, and put her face in her hands. Nightside shed no tears, she has passed that stage long ago. All that was left now was the anger...and the wistful memories.
The memories flooded Nightside's mind, crystalline and exquisitely colored. She had once been happy with him...it had been as if her girlhood fantasy had come true, that Gladiator had been the mortal of whom the elder Darkforce Gods had spoken, the one to fulfill the prophecy. Gladiator had once seemed the most noble and courageous of all mortal men. But times of crisis bring out our true selves, and the empire's civil unrest, catalyzed by the mass murder of the Kree, had betrayed Gladiator as a fanatical xenophobe who ultimately cared about no one but himself.
Nightside frowned at this last thought. She had already seen hints of his true self long before the crisis. The mask now been truly torn and shredded. It was time to put him behind her, and apporach the mortal whom she now sensed was truly the one from the elder gods prophecy. She prayed to the elders for the strength to make this union come true.
********
Quasar was doing his best to keep cool even as the rage burned inside him. "Jeez," he said dryly, "you Shi'ar really do everything bass-ackwards, locking me up and letting the Kree escape."
Through the anti-matter bars of the holding cell, Quasar saw Electron, Oracle, and Flashfire staring at him and shaking their heads.
"I wouldn't go accusing us of making the wrong moves," said Electron, "when you're the one who trespassed into Imperial airspace and resisted arrest."
"Gimme a break," sneered Quasar, "your pet psycho with the mohawk attacked me without even the courtesy of a warning. I did what I did in self-defense. Hell, I bet even you guys hate his guts."
"Actually, we do hate him..." began Electron before stopping himself. "...but that's beside the point! You had no right to swagger in here without authorization, and then try to order us around!" Electron was building to a full head of steam. "What pisses me off so much about you Terrans is that I do think you have a lot of admirable qualities, and you have more potential than any race in the universe. But this damn arrogance of yours, and this damn sense of entitlement just makes me wish sometimes that you would just blow up your own planet to pieces like you've been threatening to do for decades."
Quasar was unflappable, his reply sarcastic. "So, does this mean I can look forward to the death penalty?"
Now Flashfire spoke up, in an even drier tone than Quasar's. "If we wanted you dead, we wouldn't have held back Gladiator after you freed him from your quantum bubble."
"Nah," Quasar smirked, "I could've taken him."
"Let's stop the waffling, and deal in facts." Flashfire sounded more authoritative than Electron had heard him sound in ages. "You, Quasar, trespassed in Shi'ar territory, and headed here to Chandillar, ranting and raving about Kree commandos kidnapping Terrans, with no proof to back up your claims. As I speak, our satellites are scanning the empire for anything that remotely fits the description of the spacecraft you claimed to be pursuing. And we three senior members of the Imperial Guard are now heading off to a conference which will decide the best way to deal with the situation, as well as the most fitting penalty for your actions. So, if you'll excuse us..." he signalled to Oracle and Electron that they should all leave now.
As the two male Guardsmen walked away, Oracle stayed behind for a moment. "A word of advice, Quasar -- do yourself and the rest of the universe a favor and drop that ridiculous tough-guy facade. It's not intimidating anyone, and it doesn't become you. And you yourself know that better than anyone."
Quasar was amazed. "Are you psychic or something?"
Oracle smiled. "As a matter of fact, I am. Now sit back and be patient. I promise you that our decision will be the fairest one possible." She walked away.
Quasar lay back on his bunk and exhaled. Wendell Vaughn, he thought, you're so stupid, you should have the word written on your forehead. What was I thinking? Of course I had no right to strut in here and expect everyone to do what I want. What the hell kind of person am I turning into?
He closed his eyes and allowed himself to think of the one thing he never wanted to think about again -- the Nega-Bomb explosion he had witnessed; trillions of Kree lives had been sacrificed in order to bring the Shi'ar-Kree War to an end, and to fulfill the Supreme Intelligence's monstrous agenda. No one, he thought, could ever live through that and expect to be the same person they used to be. But it's obvious I'm not letting myself change the way I'm supposed to. That lady was right...trying to put on some cheeseball macho act, that's not me. All it did was get me into this mess. But if that's not me, then what the hell am I really supposed to become?
As he drifted off to sleep, he had one more thought. I just hope they can find those Kree, and stop them from doing whatever they planned to do with those bad guys they kidnapped from the Vault.
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I like the proceedings thus far, Stealth - so...will Nightside hook up with somebody with super-strength and a cape?
From: Adelaide, Australia | Registered: Jun 2005
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Thanks for the feedback, LAM. Glad you're enjoying, and it's only gonna get better from here. I had originally planned to post a new chapter every Thursday, but this story arc is going such great guns that the next chapter might be ready sooner than that.
In answer to your question -- if it's an Imperial Guard counterpart to Mon-El you're thinking of, I'm afraid the answer is no. There is a Mon-El counterpart in existence, named Commando, but I have no plans to use him. I just don't see any point in re-writing the Mon-El & Tasmia story. The object of Nightside's (possibly unrequited) affection will be revealed at the end of this story arc.
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Hey, Stealth- I'm enjoying this. I particularly like the way you're presenting Oracle and Nightside. I always liked Oracle-- her look and coloration is unique. I remember I hoped she'd take Jean Grey's place in the X-men after the Dark Phoenix saga. Why *she'd* want to, I now can't imagine. Unfortunately, she's evidently considered 'retired' in current Marvel continuity.
I also always wondered why Element Lad never has had an IG counterpart? Maybe you can create one? For that matter, I don't think Invisible Kid has, either. Or Insect Queen... Hint, hint... You're doing great with Gravitress (gravity-altering hair powers?). Ayla hasn't had an IG counterpart, either. Wonder why some were never 'Marvelized'?
Gladiator has always been the most colossol jerk. It'd be refreshing if someone found something beneath all that bluster that made him a tad sympathetic. However, he's fulfilling his role in your story just fine, so far.
Will there be something analagous to the Subs?
This should be lots of fun.
From: Knoxville, TN | Registered: Jul 2003
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Thank you for all these wonderful suggestions, Mystery Lad. I'll definitely take them into consideration. One thing I already have long-term plans for is to turn the competition's remaining finalists into a cross between the Legion of Super-Rejects and X-Statix (because, as Oracle said, "Raila was the only one who wasn't a glory-hungry snake.") But in the short-term, I plan to use the first four or five story arcs to make the core Guardsmen more three-dimensional and to introduce recurring villains (which leaves open the possibility of IG analogs to LSH villains, hint hint.)
Thanks, too, for the kind words about my characterizations of Oracle and Nightside. They have always been two of my favorites. Oracle's look is definitely one of Dave Cockrum's most inspired designs, and I hope to succeed in my goal to make her a warmer person than Imra became as an adult in the Preboot LSH. I like your idea of her joining the X-Men as Jean Grey's replacement. And who knows, it just might happen someday. With new writers for the core X-Books and a sense that the X-Verse might finally be evolving, I think just about anything seems possible now, even bringing Oracle out of retirement and into the X-Men.
Nightside and Shadow Lass have both always been very special to me, because even though they are both from another planet and both have blue skin, I've always considered them both honorary Latinas because of their hair and facial structure. And since Cockrum gave Nightside a costume similar to the one he gave Storm (and Shadow Lass), I look at Nightside as the Hispanic Storm. Which is why it was only a natural progression for me to take Len Wein's unused idea of Storm being a goddess among mortals, and turn it into Nightside's backstory.
There is another unused Wein idea for another vintage mutant which I think is better than what Claremont evolved the character into, but I'll save that for the Dr. Gymll board.
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In another corner of the galaxy, a rough-hewn but powerful spacecraft de-activated its cloaking device and approached what appeared to be a barren planetoid. In reality, it was a space station built with Kree technology, maintaining an illusion thanks to a hologram projector. The spacecraft entered the station quickly and efficiently.
Once inside, a squadron of renegade Kree commandos -- the very same who had outrun Quasar -- disembarked and headed for the control center, a short distance from where they had landed. All of them had varying degrees of Nega-Bomb radiation burns, but the squad leader stood out because of his containment suit, which included built-in weapons. Only the barest outline of his ravaged head was visible through the suit's helmet.
Without warning, a cavernously deep voice boomed through the entire space station. "Alpha Squadron, report!"
The squad leader replied, in a voice like a cold wind blowing through a graveyard, "This is Alpha Squadron leader, codename Corruption, reporting. Our mission to Earth was a success, and we are proud to serve The One True Ruler of the Kree..." he paused and kneeled; as the rest of the squad followed his example, he spoke again, "...The Supreme Intelligence."
The Intelligence's voice boomed again. "You have performed your mission acceptably. It was, perhaps, inevitable that with all the super-powered beings on Earth, one of them would follow you. Fortunately, the Terran was diverted from our strategic location, and he is no longer a threat. You may now rise, and unload your cargo."
As the commandos got back on their feet, Corruption glanced at the Intelligence's new form: after his apparent death at the hands of the Avengers, the Intelligence's failsafe systems had converted him into pure data, which was now stored in the space station's computer. Beside the computer stood the Intelligence's yes-man, who was Kree in appearance and went by the name Boll-Drik. A digital simulation of the grotesquely tentacled head of the Intelligence's previous form pulsated on the computer's monitor. Its virtual mouth moved as it resumed speaking.
"Dr. Minerva, report to the control center. Your...raw material has arrived." Towards the end of that statement, there was a hint of a chuckle.
The commandos were all the hardest of hard Kree, but even they were intimidated by the venomous glare of Dr. Minerva. A deceptively fragile beauty with raven tresses and obsidian eyes, she had been the top Kree scientist and the highest-ranking female Kree in history. But the Kree Empire was no more, and her status had dissapeared along with it. Minerva, like the Intelligence, was presumed dead by the universe at large. Her lover, the Kree military hero Captain Atlas, was also presumed dead...and in his case, it was true. After seeing the true colors of the Supreme Intelligence, Captain Atlas had chosen to commit suicide rather than continue to serve the mass murderer of his own people. Minerva, needless to say, was not happy about this. No one could have ever imagined that the hatred flowing through her could be any more intense than it had once been, but Atlas's death had broken her links to anything other than hate.
She glanced briefly at the Intelligence. He had saved her life, teleporting her away one split-second before Atlas's self-immolation. She had not wanted to live without Atlas, she had wanted to go up in flames with him. But she now considered that a moment of misguided passion; she was far too proud to kill herself. Hurting others was so much easier, and so much more pleasurable.
Minerva finally spoke to the squad, in a tone as cutting as her stare. "Remove the bodies from the containment units and take them to my laboratory."
As she watched the three unconscious but still-living human prisoners being carried away, Minerva reached for the trusty laser-scalpel on her belt, and smiled. The pain was about to begin again. How she loved bringing pain to others. Especially humans.
********
The discussion among the Imperial Guard's brain trust was animated, but with Gladiator absent, it was productive rather than pointless.
"Run that by me again, please, K'orr?" Flashfire inquired. "You really think the Supreme Intelligence is alive and in hiding?"
Electron, as he always did when he was on a roll, was pacing the room and gesturing dramatically. "Absolutely! Who else could be running an operation like this, yet still manage to elude the Empire's entire ring of satellites? I'm telling you, the renegades must have their base just outside the border. That's how they escaped Quasar. He thought they would cross the border into the Empire. Instead, they stay behind, he just barely misses them, and ends up trespassing. Quasar gets captured, and the renegade Kree get him off their back. And since they're outside our border, that makes them untouchable as they build in strength, waiting for the right moment to attack. It makes perfect sense!"
"Okay," replied Flashfire tentatively, "let's say, hypothetically, that the Intelligence is alive, he's putting together some kind of private army, but his base is outside the border. What would he hope to accomplish with that?"
Electron raised his finger to the ceiling. "A terrorist attack of such magnitude, it would destroy any progress we've made in restoring a positive image for the Shi'ar Empire. And I know exactly when he's going to strike."
"Do tell." Oracle said softly.
"Gravitress's induction ceremony. Which means we only have four days to stop him." Electron took a long pause after his reply to catch his breath and allow Oracle and Flashfire to digest this.
After a couple minutes, Flashfire spoke up. "And you think the Intelligence's renegade army would be so powerful that they could get past a combination of the border patrols, a fleet of the Empress's finest battleships, and the Imperial Guard?"
"Yes, I do." answered Electron. "But only if they have the element of surprise. What we need to do is beat him to the punch. And we have..." he raised his finger again, "one x-factor the Intelligence is not counting on."
Electron paused again, to smile in self-satisfaction.
"Quasar! If he has to pay some kind of penalty, then let's use him as bait! None of us can go after the Intelligence if he's outside Shi'ar territory, but Quasar sure as hell can. The Intelligence would never expect us to put another life at such risk, so that's exactly what we're gonna do. The ends justify the means, desperate times call for desperate measures, and so on and so forth. What I propose..."
He paused yet again, to lean on the table and get closer to Flashfire and Oracle.
"...is for Quasar to track them down, breach their base, raise some hell, lure them out of hiding, lead them on a chase across the border, and then WHAM, we ambush the bastards! I would be [/b]more than willing[/b] to lead the Imperial task force which would lie in waiting just a short distance from the border, and I would assume full responsibility if anything goes wrong." He raised his finger to the ceiling yet again. "That's how sure I am of this."
The meeting room fell silent for a moment.
"Full responsibility?" asked Flashfire.
"Full responsibility." replied Electron.
Flashfire turned to Oracle. "Sybil?"
Oracle took a deep breath. "I'm in favor of K'orr's plan." she stated plainly.
Flashfire closed his eyes and opened his mouth. "So am I." he mumbled.
Electron grinned from ear to ear. "Could you please speak up, Granzz? I didn't quite catch that."
Flashfire closed his eyes tighter and bared his teeth. "I said," he replied a little louder, "you can go ahead with your plan, K'orr."
Electron punched the air victoriously. "YES" He began pacing again, and was now talking enthusiastically to no one in particular. "Watch out, So-Called Supreme Intelligence! We're gonna take you down before you even know what hit you!"
Flashfire and Oracle silently shook their heads and hoped they hadn't made a mistake.
Footnote: I am well aware that there is a 90s issue of Silver Surfer in which Captain Atlas and Doctor Minerva are shown as both having faked their deaths. As far as I'm concerned, that story is a lie, because it ruins one of the most powerful scenes from the conclusion of Operation: Galactic Storm in Avengers # 347.
The Imperial Guard task force lined up, stood still, and stared straight ahead. Their commander, Electron, walked parallel to them, with his hands behind his back. He silently studied each of his hand-picked Guardsmen:
Smasher, whose strength was almost the equal of Gladiator's, without the ego; Smasher had always considered himself a good soldier in the service of the Empire, no more and no less -- Electron liked that about him.
Manta, mistress of light, and Nightside, mistress of shadows -- two of the greatest forces of nature, fighting on the side of the Shi'ar.
Starbolt, whose powers over fire and heat were astonishing.
Onslaught, the galaxy's greatest martial artist, possessing agile fighting skills which could easily take down bigger and more powerful opponents.
Warstar, the Shi'ar's greatest cybernetic achievement -- one smart little robot, B'nee, and one big stupid robot, C'cll, combined to form one mighty machine.
Shifter, descended from a benevolent offshoot of the Skrulls, could take the form of any organic sentient being.
And finally, Titan, whose ability to increase the size of his entire body could have him towering over any opponent in just a few seconds.
Electron finally spoke. "Guardsmen, I've chosen you in order to form the Empire's strongest line of defense. We're about to head into deep space, and patrol the border until our enemy comes to us. And we'll show them no mercy, just as they won't show any to us. I won't lie to you -- this is a dangerous mission. But I am confident that you won't back down and that, once this mission is over, the Empire will be just a little bit safer."
He paused and frowned. "Now, are you ready to fight?"
"Yes, sir!" the task force replied in unison.
"I can't hear you, I said are you ready to fight?"
"YES, SIR!"
"About face. FORWARD!"
The task force, with Electron in the lead, marched into the flagship of the Empire's finest armada.
Before long, the armada was primed for takeoff. At a safe distance, the Guardsmen staying behind in order to protect Chandillar -- Oracle and Flasfire leading, backed by Impulse, Astra, and Scintilla -- quietly watched, while also praying they would return with a minimum of casualties.
Flashfire broke the silence. "Electron's enjoying this a little too much."
Oracle half-smiled. "Doesn't he always?"
On board the flagship, Electron stood tall and proud. And once the armada soared into space, he felt his pride soaring with it. This, he thought, is gonna be one of the greatest victories in Shi'ar history...and all thanks to me!
********
At the same time, Electron was callous about the well being of Quasar, who was reluctantly putting his life on the line...all thanks to Electron.
Fortunately, Quasar had friends in high places, including a mind-link with a cosmic diety which also happened to be his god-daughter.
"Epoch, you there, kid?"
"Yes, Quasar."
"Okay, listen up. Uncle Quaze has gone and gotten himself into a fine mess. See, a bunch of renegade Kree broke into the Vault and kidnapped three bad guys. I chased their ship for a while, but then they cloaked themselves. Instead of doing the smart thing and asking you to help pierce their cloak, I let my anger blind me and I did a stupid thing -- I raced headlong into the Shi'ar Empire, and got myself captured. The Shi'ar gave me two choices -- I could either rot in jail for the rest of my life, or I could become their fall guy by tracking down the Kree outside the Shi'ar border, and baiting them. I made the second choice, and just for insurance, they implanted a miniature bomb in my neck. One false move, and my head turns into blooey juice. So, if you could please use your cosmic poweres to help me find any remaining traces of the Kree ship's energy trail, it'd be a great help..."
"But of course, Quasar, that is child's play."
"I thought you were a child...oh, never mind that right now. Thanks, Epoch. I knew I could count on you."
And for the first time in days, Quasar felt positive as he roamed the spaceways in search of the renegade Kree.
********
At the renegade Kree's base, Dr. Minerva was working fast. She always did her best work under a tight deadline, and the Supreme Intelligence had made it clear that time was of the essence.
She had started with one of the two male Terrans. This one had no super-powers, but he was one of Earth's greatest experts on machinery, to the point of obsession. It would stand to reason, the Intelligence had deduced, that this Terran would ultimately want to become more machine than man.
From the way the Terran was screaming, the Intelligence's conclusion seemed dubious. But this had a lot to do with Dr. Minerva's refusal to use anesthesia on anyone she worked on. Pain -- or rather, bringing pain to others -- thrilled her, inspired her, made her work faster and with better results. She grinned as the Terran's screams became louder and the Terran's blood sprayed all over the laboratory. We all must suffer, she thought, and better that others suffer more than I.
posted
"Good work, Epoch." said a smiling Quasar. "I've got the Kree ship's trajectory all worked out in my head. It's gonna be a lot easier from here."
"Is there any other way I can help you?" asked Epoch.
"No, not for now, thanks." Quasar replied, "I have no idea what I'm gonna find at their base, and I don't want to put you in any kind of danger."
"That is very considerate of you, Quasar, but I can certainly defend myself."
"I don't doubt it, but I have a really bad feeling about this whole thing, and I wouldn't be able to live with myself if you got hurt. Thanks again for your help, kid. I'll see you later...I hope."
"I hope so as well."
Quasar took off toward what seemed more likely every second to be his final destination.
********
Dr. Minerva activated the Psyche-Magnetron. This new version of the legendary Kree device was made of spare parts and would most likely fall to pieces after only one use, but it only needed to serve one purpose for the immediate future.
The second male Terran, a giant, screamed in agony as he was bathed in the Psyche-Magnetron's radiation. According to the Supreme Intelligence's data banks, this Terran had originally received superhuman strength through artificial means, then later became an ionic energy creature in humanoid form, with size-shifting abilities. The purpose of the Psyche-Magnetron was to evolve him further, into an even more powerful creature with no intelligence and no free will. Minerva smiled as she saw that her calculations had been correct -- the Terran's appearance was becoming more monstrous, and his screams also became more monstrous.
Minerva heard the Supreme Intelligence's voice through the screams.
"Dr. Minerva," said the Intelligence, "report the current status of your work."
"We are ahead of schedule, your supremacy," Minerva responded, "and I am about to begin the final procedure."
"Excellent," replied the Intelligence, "your industriousness is much appreciated, Doctor. Once you are done, bring the finished results to the control center immediately."
"As you command." she answered before returning to her work. The one female Terran would be the easiest; the cosmic stone which was the source of her powers rested underneath the palm of her right hand. It would be a simple process to cut it out of her hand and graft it onto her forehead, where its powers would be maginified a thousandfold. A perfect metaphor. thought Minerva, Humans always think with their fists, not their brains. It takes a superior race such as the Kree to push them into fulfilling their potential.
********
"Quasar to Shi'ar flagship, do you read?"
"I read you, Quasar." replied Electron.
"I'm closing in on the Kree base. ETA four hours. Get ready for some action."
"We're more than ready. Electron out."
Electron grinned and slammed his fist into his palm. This victory is so close, he thought, I can taste it!
********
"Boll-Drik."
"Yes, supreme one?"
"Prepare the transfer sequence."
"Yes, supreme one, yes, yes, yes." He raced to the complex control board next to the computer housing the Supreme Intelligence. This is perfection, thought the Intelligence. Boll-Drik lives only to serve me, out of fear that I will reveal he is actually a Skrull posing as Kree. I alone among the Kree realize that the time for any kind of racial centrism is over. If we are to rebuild the empire, we must turn the cream of the other races into our subjects, just as we are doing with the three Terrans. One universe under the Kree. I have always been ahead of my time, but I sense the rest of the universe is finally coming around to my way of thinking. Glorious times lie ahead.
Corruption walked into the control room, bowed and saluted. "Corruption reporting for duty, your supremacy."
"Ah, yes." replied the Intelligence. "I have sent for you because your super-powers, awakened by the Nega-Bomb, make you the very first step in the long-delayed evolution of our race. Therefore, I am promoting you from Alpha Squadron leader to member of my new elite force. Your second-in-command shall assume leadership of Alpha Squadron."
Corruption kneeled. "I am honored and grateful, your supremacy. I shall continue serve you to the best of my abilities."
"You may rise." replied the Intelligence. "The moment of truth approaches rapidly. Boll-Drik, initiate the transfer sequence now."
"Yes, yes, yes, supreme one." Boll-Drik threw the appropriate switches and the control center hummed loudly.
"At last!" roared the Intelligence. "I feel the fullest measure of my power coursing through me...the might...the muscle...the menace..."
********
Quasar closed in on the renegade Kree base. Of course, he thought, a phony planetoid. They're clever, but I'm cosmic! He headed for the postition where he detected the highest concentration of energy, and molded his quantum force into the shape a giant battering ram.
Quasar charged, and smashed into the base. Without missing a beat, he shifted the quantum force into a full suit of armor, then looked straight ahead.
What he saw made his blood run cold.
"Oh, shotz!" he exclaimed.
A familiar deep voice laughed heartily. "Such a typically vulgar response is to be expected from a Terran."
The Supreme Intelligence laughed again. "Do you recognize my new allies, Quasar? You once knew them as Moonstone, the Fixer, and Goliath. But I have evolved them all into far more powerful forms, and re-named them fittingly. I give you -- Lunatica, Mecha-Zoid, and Humonguss!" After a pause, the Intelligence resumed. "And they are all the handiwork of an old friend of yours."
"We meet again, Quasar dear." said Dr. Minerva before grinning and giving Quasar the evil eye. "For the final time, I assure you."
"And this," said the Intelligence, "is Corruption, the first of the Kree to evolve after the Nega-Bomb explosion...and far from the last." The Intelligence raised his voice. "Finally, I give you my new battle-shell, light-years ahead of the obsolete Supremor. You must now address me as...the Supreme Nemesis!"
Stepping out of the shadows, the Supreme Nemesis stood at least eight feet tall, with a streamlined, athletic cyborg body, a head which began with tentacle-like cables attached to various sections of the body and ended in a sharp humanoid face with utterly demonic features. At the end of each arm was a gigantic scythe, the blades gleaming menacingly.
"We five are the new, unstoppable elite of the reborn Kree Empire. We are The Fatal Force!"
He looked Quasar straight in the eye. "And your fate is sealed."
posted
Wow. Stealth very impressive! You got some serious depth, subplots, and all kinds of cool things going on!
Love Corruption!!! Supreme Nemesis? Awesome! Boll-Dirk being a Skrull? Suprising!
I can't say I care for Gladiator getting the short end of the stick BUT i kinda see why and what you are doing and it's cool. I like the focus on the "founding three" and Nightside.
I may have to make much more micros now!!! Corruption and Supreme Nemesis possibly?
From: Tampa | Registered: Mar 2004
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posted
Thank you, Jorge. I'm very proud of what I've been able to do with Corruption. Out of the original members of the Fatal Five, my second favorite (second only to Emerald Empress) has always been Mano, and I really wanted to make sure his analog did him justice. Supreme Nemesis has lots of influences: Persuader, of course, and also Monstar from "Silverhawks", as well as the only thing I liked about "G.I. Joe The Movie", the new character named Nemesis Enforcer, plus the thought of the Intelligence running free in a manga-style/anime-style battle-shell, instead of that clunky Supremor thing. Thanks for offering to make micros of both of them. That would be awesome. Boll-Drik evolved from the unnamed Skrull seen in the next-to-last panel of "Operation: Galactic Storm"'s final chapter, where we discover that the Intelligence is still alive; and Yes-Man from "Silverhawks", naturally; plus a character from an 80s British TV show...I wonder if anyone here at LW has already figured out that last reference?
Without spoiling too much, Gladiator has some surprising twists and turns ahead of him. Just out of curiosity, what do you think of Smasher? Anyone else is also free to contribute their thoughts on Smasher, because I have a lot of plans for him, too.
posted
Thanks, Jorge. There is such a nobility about him. I remember the first time I saw him, in the final chapter of the Dark Phoenix Saga, I thought, "Yeah, Smasher is the Shi'ar's finest warrior."
Now that the entire cast of the first story arc has been introduced, I thought this list might be helpful to readers who are less familiar with the IG than Jorge and Mystery Lad and I:
Oracle = Saturn Girl Flashfire = Lightning Lad Electron = Cosmic Boy Gladiator = Superman (too old to be Superboy) Nightside = Shadow Lass Astra = Phantom Girl Scintilla = Shrinking Violet Smasher = Ultra Boy Manta = [not a LSH analog] Starbolt = Sun Boy Onslaught = Karate Kid Warstar = [not a LSH analog] Shifter = Chameleon Boy Titan = Colossal Boy Impulse = Wildfire Gravitress = Light Lass
posted
Good stuff Stealth. I like how you jump between different characters giving their side of the story while letting us know more about their character- keeps it fast moving and interesting! I don't know too much Quasar - I'm sure I read the whole series once about 6 years ago - so am intriqued by him.
More, more, more!!!
-------------------- "Tempus Fugitive" the final part of the Adventures of Dream Boy series, set in the Three-Boot Universe. Read it only in the Bits o' Legionnaire Business Forum.
From: here, more often than not | Registered: Sep 2003
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posted
Thank you, Harbi. And this is only the beginning -- I've got the next four story arcs already mapped out, and I hope that by the time those are finished, they'll have already spun out further arcs.
I can't really take credit for the storytelling technique, since it was infulenced by those issues of L.E.G.I.O.N. I reviewed here on LW last year. Doing these IG stories really is a dream come true for me -- I'm getting to do my own version of L.E.G.I.O.N. without having to answer to an editor or a publisher.
Quasar is an interesting case. I originally included him because I thought having a heroic human character might make a good stand-in for readers who are still getting to know this alien world. But over the course of this story, he has gone from being a character I like to being a character I love. I've outlined a Quasar fanfic, but it came out a bit overambitious for where my writing skills are at the moment. I'll definitely do it sometime in the distant future, though.
Quasar's solo book was IMO a missed opportunity. I know Mark Gruenwald's writing is generally well-liked here at LW, but I think Gruenwald was one of those writers who placed inventiveness over craft, and he always did his best work with a co-writer, like he had back in the late 70s on Marvel-Two-In-One. Plus I think the art in Quasar started out very nice, but then got steadily worse.
I highly recommend the Operation: Galactic Storm TPBs. Volume One (of two) has already been released in the US, and hopefully it's also out (or will soon be out) in the UK. Of the few mega-crossovers that actually hold together as a story, I think Operation: Galactic Storm is, quite simply, the best.
Hyperpath: Email this page to someone!
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