Legion World Forums LEGION OUTPOST Bits o' Legionnaire Business FINALE! - Legion 35C

Commander Hor Elli has given his men their orders.

There were a few muttering voices of dissension but he quickly silenced them. The Space Rangers were a highly trained and strictly regimented organisation and as such each Ranger knew better than to query a commanding officer especially while in battle.

Still Hor Elli acknowledged he had given them an order that would make most Beings balk. In thirty seconds they were to launch Legion ‘Stroid into the heart of the Valenian Star.

Counting his heartbeats Hor Elli thinks about the offer Kord Das had made. Freedom from his race’s allergy to lead, passed through his genes so his children and their children would be free. He would father a dynasty of supermen!

Hor Elli counted his heartbeats.

……………………..

Helen of Thermyscira watched as Asclepios, healer to the Gods stood.

The god straightened his hair, pushing his immaculate hands through the long radiant locks away from his face. Helen could see he wasn’t happy, a slightly puzzled tilt of his head, eyes looking beyond her, mouth pursed.

“I must speak to Father Zeus, thy friend’s ailment needs more than I can give. Do not despair fair Amazon, Father Zeus is just and loving.” And with that the son of Apollo disappears in a swirling cloud of lavender.

Helen falls to her knees and resumes her prayers for Zoe Saugin, unconscious and wrapped in the strange magicks of Earth Lore.

………………………

Xo ‘Strer Chan, the Dalai Lama of the Trom Buddhists strains the limits of his abilities.

Sweat pours like rivulets down his back. Eyes closed and teeth pressed tight in concentration he visualizes the elemental structure Kord Das had shown him.

Xo ‘Strer Chan had partaken on the Ceremony of the Divine Crystal Realignment nearly forty years before as part of his initiation into the Quiet Nucleus, the inner circle of the uppermost heirachy within the Trom Buddhist movement. He had a tiny slither of the crystal of the Most Revered Jan CRE 71 inserted into his throat and had been trained in the art of transmutation. Only five times, each as part of a ritual, had he used these abilities before now. Each time had involved changing a small token element, never anything as large and complex as this though.

Kord Das had explained the situation in frank brutality to the Dalai Lama. He would help Das transform the inert life of the ‘Stroid to make a weapon against the Valenian invaders. Das had calculated the exact changes needed, and predicted that the change would spread through the ‘Stroid in seconds as tightly packed inactive spatial bacteria infected their neighbours with the changes he, Xo ‘Strer Chan would make.

In return Das promised that all records of Chan leading the Emerald Eyes of Ekron would be conveniently lost and his people would not be persecuted for having harboured these ancient alien horrors. Chan realised that it was not much of a deal, but as the subtle poisons of the Eye had left his mind, leaving him free to think for himself for the first time in years. He knew that it was the only deal he could expect.

Eyes shut, teeth clenched tight, he concentrated on the task at hand.

The walls at his side began to glow with a faint pinkish cast. He had done it, the Trom Buddhist’s Dalai Lama’s last action while he was alive was to transform the very stuff of life at Kord Das’ bidding. Kord Das had rather negligently forgotten to tell Chan that he had ordered Hor Elli and the Daxam space Rangers to hurl the ‘Stroid into the Valenian Star.

With both Xo 'Strer Chan and Kord Das on board.

Well, it's a fine mess you've gotten us into this time Kord!

But something tells me the master schemer of your fantastic universe will somehow get out of this.

Prove me wrong, I double dog dare ya!

dare accepted Chuck

In the docking bay of the Legion Cruiser being piloted by Jo Nah the NowYouSeeMeNowYouDon’t Beetle had reached it’s Ascension Point.

The small motley blue scarab had reminisced with Glorion Grundy for an hour, reinforcing for Glorion the happy memories he desired. It was now the moment for the Moving On Down The Line Prophecy. Yet there was one small problem. Actually it was a rather large problem, the ‘Beetle didn’t know who or what was to be the next host.

Glorion had entered the Zone of the Next Truth, a semi comatose state where he would give voice to the ‘Beetles prediction for the circumstances that will alert the ‘Beetle to moving from the next to the next but one Host. As the ‘Beetle had long predicted that Glorion will pass him onto the penultimate Host in his very long life, the ‘Beetle is very concerned that this event takes place correctly.

37,000 and some years is a long time to be waiting to meet your maker.

There are a few more minor details that are occupying the ‘Beetles awareness at this moment. The current company is definitely one of these matters. The obviously confused solo Emerald Eye of Ekron is the ‘Beetle’s main concern. It is buzzing around the docking bay avoiding all the Beings present as if searching for an exit, or an Empress. The ‘Beetle has encountered these mystical Beings before and has a natural aversion to them. Glorion will be vulnerable for a few moments after the Ascension and the ‘Beetle does not want to see his current host suffer.

As Glorion starts to speak the prophecy that will guide the next stage in the NowYouSeeMeNowYouDon’t Beetle’s existence there seems to be a hush fall upon the docking bay. Triple Cubed’s surviving selves turn away from tending to one another to pay heed to the gorilla. Both Kid Mental and Hol El, trying to attack the wary Emerald Eye stop in the act and twist around to face Glorion. The palatable Magicks unleashed by the Prophecy bring a subtle change in the lighting on the bay. The air is suddenly very much alive with Promise.

“Penultimate Host, Strange- lit
And bold. Most of Man
Shall you know until the Star
That holds the Space Dancer’s spores
Talks once more, and
The Face of God will
Be shown.”

It is at that precise moment that the Emerald Eye, so recently acting timid crashes into both Hol El and Kid Mental sending both of them skidding across the docking bay, crashing into the semi conscious Glorion.

The ‘Beetle, having just reached the base of Glorion’s tongue decides enough is enough and reaches out to deal with, once and for all, the Emerald Eye.

Even as Hol El stands up she can see the strange changes to the Eye. The iris, usually a vivid jealous green slowly fades to a pale, pale blue then white as the pupil, a malignant black hole, turns violet then blue before it too becomes as ivory as the rest of the globe. In the ten seconds it takes to happen she never thinks to blink, the sight before her chills down her spine even as she cheers its happening.

The globe falls from the air, as if just a bauble dropped by a child.

As it strikes the deck and starts to roll out towards the docking bays hazy force field doors she turns back to her Legion comrade Triple Cubed. Hol El takes a second to realise that the young girls from Carggg have not been watching the changes to the Eye of Ekron. Hol El turns to look at whatever has made Triple Cubed's jaw drop and is confronted with a sight she would never have expected. Kid Mental, misogynistic sex addict and all round Legion louse was apparently kissing the fat magical gorilla in what appeared to be a passionate tryst!

Triple Heavy was most efficient in repelling the V-Star’s attacks.

She could tackle an individual tongue with just her three selves. The big Cargggite altered her internal reality creating a positive feedback to the Grand Invaders negative charges, causing the AU long fingers to shudder and recoil. Still, Triple Heavy Blue had been seriously wounded and both her sister selves worried that she may not survive the battle.

The Martian Manhunter, alongside the mighty axe wielding war god Ares, leads the swooping attack formation of Dragons and Space Rangers. Aphrodite rides in a chariot of Father Zeus with the Space Rangers. The Daxamites proximity doesn’t stop her from dying as she zigs when she should have zagged out of the way of a three AU spear of Valenian energy.

She is not the only Olympian who falls before the Grand Invaders. Father Apollo is blinded amid a particularly messy attack, even he does not survive much longer. The former Titans, Hyperion, Mnemosyne, Themis and Iapetus, so recently awoken from Tartarus to join this campaign fall before the Strange Light attacks. Dionysus, Eros, Hebe, Eris, Thanatos, Nemesis and Hestia are killed in the first assault.

One hundred and eighty nine Daxamite Space Rangers are killed on the first wave of the attack that historians will call The Olympian Stand. Sixty one Green Lanterns are killed or incapacitated. An entire battle ship of Thanagarians is burst into a million million pieces, none survive. The survivors of every race present would have similar tales to tell in the days and weeks that followed.

The Freetraders are also losing their numbers quickly, Clear Skies Coming misses being atomised by millimeters but senses Small Circle of Stars behind him being agonisingly ripped apart. Clear Skies Coming had opened his awesome senses out to the Great Spirit of the Cosmic Plain. The damage the Valenian Star’s eruption had caused with it’s initial push into the Einsteinian Reality were slowly righting themselves as Reality healed itself. With the closure of the intra-dimensional wounds by the Amber Man and his Firstfooter followers the initial rent in the cosmic stuff that had allowed the invasion was beginning to close itself, cutting the Invaders off from their original home dimension.

Helios had flown to the southern pole of the Valenian Star. His Olympian senses allowed him to gauge the truly awesome energies that Dak Sacchev had channeled to hold back the advancing Valenian Star. Helios, already weakened by the mere presence of the intra-dimensional Invaders, had inadvertently allowed himself to fly into one of the gravity feed streams that Sacchev was channeling. With conceit that only those old enough to have forgotten the civilisation that spawned them, Helios did not resist the pull of the gravity stream, instead he converted his mass into hard cosmic rays and dove straight at Dak Sacchev unconcerned by any danger he may be putting either in.

As tends to be the case in a universe apparently ruled by irony, Dak Sacchev passed unscathed through two and a half centuries of some of the bloodiest battles the Milky Way would ever see, only to meet his end as a supposed ally could not keep out of his way while he single handedly held back the Grand Invader’s exploding star, mere seconds before the battle was won.

It was said by the Freetraders afterwards that in the split second before the gravity forces he had been manipulating caused him to implode that he had sent a powerful telepathic message. He congratulated them on their fearlessness, honour and beauty, and asking them to remember him as a friend always. The depth of his love for these space borne peoples was felt in their hearts as a physical warmth for that eternal second of his death.

The physical manifestation of his demise was more spectacular. As his body vanished the massive forces he had been so carefully guiding no longer flowed as he had directed. The Valenian Star erupted for a second as gravity rebounded hurling many hundred Legionnaires away and killing just as many. Nearly 11,000 Braalians are killed or crippled by the gravo-magnetic feedback.

It was at this precise moment that 120,000 Kenroshi Starsailors, dancing around the equator of the Valenian Star began to pour their spores into space, creating a new Stream of Life for their race.

It was also at this moment Kord Das ordered Commander Hor Elli and his one hundred Space Rangers hurl the Legion ‘Stroid into the heart of the Valenian Star.

Within seconds the battle was over.

Excerpt from “The Unseen Prophet”, the words of the Great Speaker, Glorion Grundy of Heliotrope City, Tharn.

When Helen of Thermyscira married Clear Skies Coming, nearly exactly six standard months to the day after the Great Battle against the Valenian Grand Invaders the Milky Way’s meta-being community and the Technocrat’s media came out of mourning for all of the horrific losses we had endured in that battle. It was finally okay to smile again. Even here in the relatively unscathed Magical community our spirits were greatly uplifted and delighted by this news.

The loss of so many of our bravest and brightest heroes in such a shocking manner led to an almost galaxy wide peace movement being instigated and encouraged by an incredibly diverse selection of the Milky Way’s political organisations and alliances. Nearly every system known to harbour life had been affected by the Valenian Invasion. With the initial loss of hyper spatial travel (see note #1417(ix) – “Technocratic Travel Aids”) there was fear that many millions of Beings would be cut off from the stabilising and supportive network that the NuUP or AP could give. Irony of ironies was that the Valenian Drive, the cause of the recent battle was the only form of intra-dimensional travel that the Technocrats could access. Their obvious wariness of using this mode of transport limited the aid that could be sent to the many desperate worlds in the Out-reaches. Still, the Peace Corps, as the new movement was initially called, swept across the known galaxy with the speed of all communication (see note #441(d)(ii) “Old for New, Technocrat politics and the social order”).

There were many who expected the return to feudal powers in most systems, and truth be told there were a few that returned to, or maybe broke down to would be a truer phrase, older societal make ups to survive those strange and scary days. Civilisation within the Milky Way had survived an assault from beyond anything it could have ever expected, and not without a great price paid. Still, Helen and Clear Skies coming’s wedding was the turning point for most of us, we had had time to grieve for our lost and without it ever being discussed we all realised it was now time to celebrate those of us that had survived.

Presiding over the marriage ceremony was Mother Hera herself, her aura making the marriage dome resplendent in peacock hues. The Amazons had lined the halls with banners and ribbons beautifully. Abbi came with me of course – and remember that this was months before her chosen nu-form and our own much smaller wedding ceremony – and we were both particularly delighted that Zoe Saugin and Jo Nah had come down from their new posts on Olympus to celebrate with us. These two newly empowered Olympians were still coming to terms with the elevated status Zeus had bestowed upon them. I have to admit I was surprised that J’onn J’onzz, the Eternal Hero, and our friends Triple Heavy did not come down from their posts on Olympus that day but as a poor scholar who am I to judge the motivations of Gods? Abbi said she could feel their prying eyes but I saw no evidence of this personally.

The Transcendant Tamarani Princess, now called Corona by her people showed signs of the bloom of pregnancy. Her rebirth in star goddess form had been one of the few joyous occasions in the days after the Battle, and many had overlooked the miracle of her new life in their grief so soon after the many losses of battle (see note #223(a)(iii) – “The Resurrection Clause”). She carried within her the seed of the Greatest Warrior, Dak Sacchev, and this was certainly one of the main talking points of that day. She was radiant in more ways than one, as the Great Media Machine was heard to say. Still, even six months after the event I don't think there was any Being present who wasn't still in shock at the loss of both Dak Sacchev the Blackstar and Kord Das the Arch-Schemer on that dreadful day.

None were surprised that Commander Hor Elli and the Daxam One Hundred did not deign to show. The self appointed Police of the New Star took their duties of protecting the Valenian Star remains and the new Life Stream of the Kenroshi Starsailors very seriously. Of course, his ex-wife Snaija was still "recovering" from the enforced 4-D hop inflicted by the strange H’Dritki when they tried to save her from the erupting Legion ‘Stroid. I must confess that the Trom Buddhist community really helped with the tragically damaged after the Great Battle. Their aid with members such as Snaija, whose ailments were more psychological that physical, was of particular melancholic joy to witness. It is sad that all these years later and still poor Snaija's mind remains trapped in the Eternal Now moment that the Hive Drones used to transport her.

The NowYouSeeMeNowYouDon’t Beetle (see notes ~12 (a) “The BIG Event”, 135 (ii) “Li’l Sneaky Thing and I, and 221 “Scarabs and the Truly Metaphysical”) was there, inside his host Polurs Corpinini, but we never had much opportunity to talk. This sadly was the last time we ever met and I do regret missing the chance to say so many things to my old friend. They had been busy with the Legion Academy, alongside Sister Paragon and Clear Skies Coming of course and the grumpy Green Lantern Widdid Spood, Cheshire and Hol El, they had created a new safe haven for the Technocrats Meta class. It sounded terribly impressive I must say, but I do wish I could have spoken with the little scarab that drove so much of my earlier life for an hour or two or three alone.

Of course, Holy Mu’s will is never to be second guessed, and as the Mighty Magee said “Take it now- whatever it is, as you may not get your hands near it again!”

Okay B, can I post something now?

I admit that we never thought you'd do it yet here it is, a super hero space opera all of your own. We're really proud of you Mrs HB, really proud! It's been an interesting journey for all of us and you took us to some unexpected places along the way.

I'm sure someone might have said this before but well done you!

One Hundred and two standard years later.

Polurs Corpinini stands on a small frozen asteroid, barely bigger than a Yani pitch wide, watching the Kenroshi Life Stream as it slowly revolves around the Strange Light Star. He has dreamt of this day for over a century now. It doesn’t make it easy for him knowing what must happen in the next few minutes.

The former Kid Mental had given up meta heroics seventy years before and vanished. Rumours, speculations, gossip all wrapped in a tiny slither of truth had been rife in the Mediaweb. As a founder of the Nu Legion he would never had been allowed by the public to retire. With the aid of the small magical scarab hitch hiking within his system he had simply became invisible, stowed away to Tharn and hid in the Sunken City of Orampaw for three years. Polurs missed the celebrity, the attention, the hangers-on and the groupies for two months before Abbi came to them.

Although never having hosted the NowYouSeeMeNowYouDon’t Beetle herself Abbi Ardeen had a link as strong as Polurs to the small blue scarab. Initially, Polurs hated to admit, he was jealous.

The former skinny girl, so rudely brought up on a Braalian relocation camp had chosen to have her form altered by a combination of both High Science and Creative Magicks. As a gorilla she had married the scholar Glorion Grundy, and they had raised eight children together. Her psychic abilities never dimmed though her anger and pride had both been mellowed and Polurs became quite fond of her over the time. She never told her husband where she went when she visited them. Every month for nearly three years she would arrive with supplies, news and all the latest jokes. She said Glorion and their children never asked but both the ‘Beetle and Polurs had doubts. In the three years Polurs and the ‘Beetle hid from the nano- cams and Eyespys they successfully wrote the books that Kord Das had followed so blindly years before. Abbi’s memories of the Arch- Schemer’s visions were invaluable to them. They never discussed his apparent death as the Naltori Legion leader had plunged into the Valenian Star inside the transmuted Legion ‘Stroid. History books were full of explanations of the alterations he had caused to the ancient Terry Stroid to calm the Valenian energies. The ‘Beetle, Abbi and Polurs had all been there, they didn’t want to know any more. Even without fully understanding the logic and technology behind his final incisive attack, they had witnessed too much. They didn’t care anymore.

Once the fraudulent books had been written and the appropriate spells cast to attract Das’ Seer’s eye Polurs sealed their small rough hewn cave against the elements and returned incognito to the NuUP. Their goodbyes to Abbi were tearful.

The last six and a half decades had passed so quickly, and the shy boy from Greenjaw, Antarctica, had suddenly found he was getting old. Even with the mutant abilities that had served him so well in his meta heroic days he found he was slowing down, creaking and reminiscing over matters that once wouldn’t have even caught his notice.

And here they were.

The Final Ascension Point.

Hor Elli and his Hundred Daxam warriors had stopped protecting the Star and Life Stream over a standard year ago and had set off to establish a dynasty within the Daxamite systems. From what Polurs had heard the succession had not been without blood being shed. Let them sort themselves out, he had heard on quite a few occasions. The NuUP would not directly interfere with in system politics.

There were many strange and unconfirmed stories that had sprung up over the last year about visitors to this star hearing a voice, a voice rich in the tones of command telling them to leave. Within a year word had reached the Beings of the Milky Way that the Strange Light Star was not welcoming guests. Few were brave enough to argue. As a spatial oddity it would always illicit interest, but none wanted to risk another potential battle against the extraordinary Valenian Star.

What had finally put an end to the flocks of curious sight seers though was the Kenroshi issueing a warning that this was their Birthing Star and that they would brook no trespass. None dared cross the elusive gods of the dark spaces between suns. Even the Daxamites, once the self imposed police of this area of the cosmos didn't return after that.

It was an eerie place Polurs thought, so rich in terrible history.

“Polurs, we only have a few more minutes left, thank you for allowing me to reside within you for the last century, you were a tremendous host and I value the time we had together”

“Beetle, hurry up and get out will ya….”

Neither are convinced by the former Kid Mentals’ gruff response yet neither says anything more. Even as they watch, a slither of Strange Light snakes towards them. Tentatively it reaches the asteroid where they are waiting.

“Polurs, it is time, goodbye my friend.” The small scarab that had crawled into his mouth so long ago slides onto the tip of his tongue. “It is time for me to face my ultimate host, my destiny at last.”

For a split second Polurs considers not opening his mouth, but with a heavy heart he pokes his tongue out allowing the scarab to meet the tongue of Strange Light.

And in a flash the small blue beetle is gone.

Polurs stands for a few minutes, watching the Strange Light Star, before calling to his one Being shuttle hopper for the return journey to the great silver ship that had brought them here.

It is a sad time for the former Legionnaire. Perhaps the ‘Beetle would somehow remain in contact, or maybe they would meet in another time or the next life? Polurs pulls at the privacy collar of his jerkin, a habit he would never lose, and steps into the Hopper without a backward glance.

Perhaps it is because of his mutant ability, or because of the strange effect that the Valenian Star had on his metabolism over a century before when it burst into this Reality, maybe even it was the ‘Beetles way of thanking Polurs by giving him the final piece of a puzzle. Whatever the reasons Polurs Corpinini is on the Hopper when he hears the last recorded exchange between the NowyouSeeMeNowYouDon’t Beetle and a Host.

And it made his blood freeze!

“Welcome, Beetle, we have much to discus.”

The voice of the Star is almost soft in his mind, like a warm breeze on a cool evening it whipped at the edges of his awareness. The tone is clipped and strong, but the feeling is of a host welcoming a favoured guest. Polur thinks he must be imagining it, as he thinks he recognises the voice. The ‘Beetle’s reply was rich in the ironic acknowledgement of final revelation, it bordered on laughter.

“Indeed, it is about time we finally met isn't it Kord Das.”

The end.

!!!!!!!!!

What an ending!

I gotta run, more comments later, Belinda.

FC nailed it - !!!!!!!!! indeed

There is so much happening right up to the end that this deserves a second (and third and probably fourth) read! A really lush, layered and well considered story.... yum

Keith x

I never promised a happy ending!

I'll get around to posting my notes/ideas/etc soon and hopefully that'll fill in a few of the (intentional) blanks I left, 'til then thanks again for all your support over the last year and a quarter everyone, especially Chuck, Keith, Nancy and Ken for posting your thoughts, opinions, ideas and encouragements throughout. If it weren't for you lot this would never have been finished.

to all

Bxx