Legion World Forums LEGION OUTPOST Bits o' Legionnaire Business Legion Worlds Ten - the final chapter. Updated 30 April 25

Sheekareedree-Ahm Six - within the UP though not a member world. The indigenous people are small humanoids with butterfly-like wing that are at a lo-tech stage of development and are reported to not be welcoming to those from other worlds. Science Police reports indicate there is an incursion happening currently and the Legion have been alerted; a team has responded.

Lightning Lass - Deputy Team Leader, Ayla Ranzz of Winath - electrical generation and manipulation
Backlash - Mrruaw MNau of Simballi - enhanced strength, speed, senses, absorbs kinetic energy to boost own size and mass
Dragonmage - Xao Jin of Earth - dragon magics
Kinetix - Zoe Saugin of Aleph - telekinetic animation
MWindaji - Gahaji of Kiringyaga - super tracker, carries the Ruby of Life allowing tactile transformative magic

Taikonglong - previously 'Szenlong' - the first Spirit-Dragon... of Space!

Science Police meta-squad seconded to Legion World First Base:
Captain Heavyweight - Senior Team liaison, Science Police Captain Tuk Shir of Daxam, Senior Team liaison - incredible strength, speed, stamina, senses, laser vision, space flight, invulnerability

Current interns from the Home Base training program included on missions in a probationary status:
Haze - Tkemwa Autmi-Hu of Ungara - strength, durability, induce confusion and senselessness
Polestar - Nykko Rine of Braal, magnokinesis

..............................


<Team!> Xao's message got their attention, <we have a bigger problem than just protecting this colony, they're digging up a highly dangerous elemental ore and we can't let them get it off planet. Also, we think this isn't the only site where they're drilling>

<okay> Ayla responded, <Captain Shir, get up into the atmosphere and check if there's more, Polestar and I'll deal with the ships up above us. Xao, anything else you got to tell us? If not, we need your help up here as well>

<ah... um, there's these machines they're drilling into the ground, like they're pretty big and have these mechanical insects in them that are probably searching for elements>

<we've seen them and smashed a couple, but let's take the transport vessels out first, get their cargo off them so they don't get any off planet and then we can shut down the operation>

..................................


Captain Tuk Shir enjoyed being able to cut lose.

The Daxamite flew into the craft he had been meticulously tearing apart. Using his x-ray vision he quickly located the loading bay were several dozen three legged beings scurried around robots that were unloading raw matter that had been streamed up on a grav-lift.

<Kinetix, get ready, I'm away to drop this ship> and with that, the Daxamite's laser vision tore through the craft, severing the section of the attacking ship that housed the docking bay.

There was an enormous screech as part of the craft tore off, sending it flying off. As the section with the mined material spun into the air Captain Shir used his great strength to grab told of the edge of the red hot tear and fling the craft out of the atmosphere. He flew after it to ensure it left the planets gravity well and didn't tumble back down.

As he reached the very edge of the planet's atmosphere and was certain that the damaged craft was in no condition to return, he turned back towards the green and blue world below. Using his expansive senses, Tuk Shir noted sixteen other sites where the strange three legged aliens were stealing resources. In a flash of speed he set out to dissuade them from completing their task.

He planned on dissuading them rather strongly!

..................................


Kinetix hadn't heard the approaching Sheekaree warriors as they flew up towards her.

Her focus was entirely on the section of the large craft that Tuk Shir had just blasted off the craft directly above her. It had started to fall and Zoe was certain it would make a hell of a mess if it were to land on the natives below. Zoe didn't want to admit it but she was scared: the section that Captain Heavyweight had severed from the larger craft was still several hundred tons of material and she doubted if she could alter than much of it...

Reaching out, she caused the material around the edges to flatten and extend into a twenty metre-long frill, and with a push from her telekinesis she sent it spinning, hoping to at least move it away from the already damaged colony several hundred metres underneath her. Zoe thought it looked something like a flying saucer with its bulbous midsection. She was aware that there were smaller lumps of flaming debris falling though she didn't had either the concentration or power to focus on them, and out of the corner of her eye she caught a white shape tearing past her to deflect a lump of this falling material that was spiralling towards her.

<You've made some friends, Zoe> The intern from Braal, Polestar sent across the telepathic matrix as she flew up beside the Legionnaire.

Kinetix glanced over her shoulder and saw several of the pale winged natives flying at the falling smaller pieces of debris and ensnaring them with nets or smashing them with spears. For a second she was surprised by how beautiful they were, with alabaster white skin and long slim features and massive butterfly like wings with dark marking along their edges.

<let me help you with that...> Polestar reached out with her magnokinesis and sent the reshaped section of the craft Tuk Shir had cut from the mothership and sent it flying towards one of the other crafts. The young Braalian took off after the reshaped debris, guiding it towards her target.

Kinetix was simply too tired after her last use of her power to muster the will to chase after the intern, and instead, she took a few seconds to gather her breath and see what was happening around her. In the distance, she could see Lightning Lass was blasting at the third of the alien crafts, aiming for their propulsion units to cripple them and leave them stranded on this world. Around Ayla were specks of glowing green streaks - Dragonmage had arrived and was supporting their mission leader.

As she hovered surveying the scene, one of the white skinned natives flew up in front of Zoe. It tilted its head and started to chitter in a high-pitched voice. Kinetix' flight ring had access to a basic translation matrix but was unable to suggest an interpretation. The Legionnaire smiled and shrugged.

"I'm sorry honey, but I didn't catch that and I gotta go to my team. Thanks for helping me out though." She gave a quick salute and flew off after Polestar.

Behind her, the winged nativehissed and shook their spear in her direction.

...............................................


The air for over twenty metres around MWindaji had been cleared of the greasy smoke.

The Ruby of Life glowed in his hand as he willed it to transmute the air around him. He had been avoiding the drones and trying to help the natives, though as soon as he had gotten close to them they had hissed and chittered to him, shaking weapons in his direction before flying away.

Haze had smashed one of the remaining drones into twisted wreckage not far away, so Gahaji flew over to join the intern.

"Hey, how're you getting on? The locals don't seem to appreciate our help, eh? I've never been hissed at before today..."

"They ran away from me." The intern replied as he looked around for more invasive technology to destroy.

Above them they could hear and almost constant tattoo of booms and crashes as their fellow Legionnaires stopped the crafts in the atmosphere from leaving this world with the dangerous minerals they had stripped from the ground.

Both MWindaji and Haze knew there was still work to do down at ground level, so levitated and looked around for Resource Raiders to catch or their technology to destroy.

"You're the tracker. Where we going next?" Haze asked the Legionnaire.

MWindaji felt a momentary flash of embarrassment as for a second, he hadn't thought to use his innate ability.

"Yes... ah... this way." Gahaji flew off to the right where he could sense the last of their prey.

.............................


Legion World Home Base - the Academy:

Former Legionnaires:
Cosmic Boy – Rokk Krinn of Braal - manipulation of magnetic fields
Night Girl - Lydda Jath of Kathoon - incredible strength and durability out of direct sunlight

Science Police training staff:
Tues El - Science Police Officer Vae Loct of Daxam - incredible strength, speed, stamina, senses, laser vision, space flight, invulnerability


The warp control room on Home Base was behind an ornately carved set of large double doors.

It was 2:47am standard time when the doors slammed shut and a screeching noise was heard from within. Gear was usually aware of any strange activity on Home Base as the Linsnarian's nannites had been liberally spread around the planetoid. The exception was the control room, where Henry's original mushroom shaped mainframe console was housed. As there were no tutors or students present in that room, Gear, who permanently monitored the Base, decided to call for help to investigate.

An alarm sounded, and Rokk Krinn and Lydda Jath were alerted. Within three minutes, the two former Legionnaires arrived. As they had flown along the corridor, a general alarm sounded for all the tutor's quarters, informing them of the situation and ensuring they were awake and ready if further actions were needed.

Just as the recently wed couple arrived, Vae Loct, the Daxamite tutor who was often called Tues El, arrived in a burst of hyper speed. Behind him flew one of the students, Science Police Cadet Ber Sind of Daxam. They had been practising laser vision drills in a lower gallery when his alarm rang.

"It'll be safer if I go first." He said confidently as he strode past Cosmic Boy.

"No. You will wait... use your x-ray vision and find out what's happening in there before we touch the door. And Lydda and I will go first. We have decades more experience than you." Rokk said in a level tone; the look he gave the Daxamite made it clear that there would be no argument.

"Ah..." The Science Police Officer's eyes glowed pale blue for a couple of seconds before he spoke again. "There is a spinning disc of red and violet... and Henry is stood beside it; he's not moving."

"Henry, report!" Lydda barked at her flight ring.

"He's not budged an inch." The student, Ber Sind, said a couple of seconds later. It was the first words she had spoken since arriving. Lydda thanked her, though her eyes remained focussed on the double doors before them.

Rokk reached out with his magnokinesis and pushed at the large metal door handles; the doors creaked and groaned, straining before they finally flew open.

Rokk and Lydda darted in, Vae Loct behind them.

The holo-man Henry turned to face them, his expression unreadable as he whispered, "Wait..."

Rokk scanned the red warp before them, but his flight ring database could give him no usable information.

"There's something coming through..." As Vae Loct said this, he positioned his invulnerable frame between the warp and his fellow tutors. As they watched, several dark forms stepped through, and with a sudden silence that was as deafening as the screech had been, the warp disappeared.

Element Lad, the Huntress with her hound Laipas, Karate Kid, Strobe, the intern Shadowsurfer, along with a tall, powerfully built woman with dark skin and electric white hair stood in the centre of the warp control room.

"You did it, Henry! You reached us in the other dimension." Jan Arrah said with a broad smile.

"Welcome home, you have been missed." The holo of Henry flickered but grinned as he welcomed them back.

yay, more!

love Ayla taking a leadership role - she didn't get to do that enough in the comics!

great teamwork between Zoe, Polestar and the natives!

too bad the natives' language hasn't been translated yet! ominous, the spear-shaking...

interesting that the natives are running away from Haze...

heh at Mwindaji forgetting his tracking! he must be enjoying the Ruby of Life too much

heh at Cos taking charge over Tues el! ah, these invulnerable heroes, sometimes they are way too confident for their own good

I'd forgotten that Jan and company were off somewhere! curious to see where they've been, and who that woman is!

Sheekareedree-Ahm Six

Lightning Lass - Deputy Team Leader, Ayla Ranzz of Winath - electrical generation and manipulation
Backlash - Mrruaw MNau of Simballi - enhanced strength, speed, senses, absorbs kinetic energy to boost own size and mass


Ayla took a deep breath.

They had immobilised the two crafts and wrapped incapacity cuffs around the wrists of every Resource Raider that they could find.

Captain Shir had reported that he had immobilised a fleet of crafts across the globe and was currently chasing after one that managed to leave the planets atmosphere. Ayla had no concerns for the Daxamite, she was more worried for the Resource Raiders...

Kinetix and Polestar were moving debris away from the colony, while Haze and MWindaji gathered the unconscious Raiders into a central area where Henry could warp them to the appropriate authorities.

Ayla decided to check on Backlash and Taikonglong.

She was not especially surprised when she found the Tigeram lounging in a pocket of sunshine on the warm ground next to one of the destroyed machines.

"Ayla, before you say anything, I'm waiting for those scurrying robots that the Raiders were pumping down their holes to find that toxic mineral. Taikonglong has flown down there..." he nodded towards one of the drilled holes, "and has been sending them up here for me to squash."

As he finished speaking, several of the six legged scurrying machines were violently ejected from the hole. Backlash pounced and swatted them to the ground where he jumped on them, smashing them into component parts on the hard ground.

Ayla had grown up on an expansive farm where they had several dozen cats that roamed the fields following their ancient instincts to keep their pests down. She knew how focussed they could become on the hunt and aw that same instinct in Mrruaw's behaviour. She smiled as she watched the great horned cat play.

Lightning Lass watched Backlash for ten seconds before she took to the air again.

One last check in with the team - MWindaji and Haze had arranged for Henry to warp the Resource Raiders to Takron-Galtos and transport their technology off world. Gear had asked that it be teleported close to Second Base where his nannites could repurpose it for the teams benefit.

After speaking to her team she estimated they would be gone within an hour. This thought made the Winathian hero smile again - they had put an end to this incursion, and as awful as it had been for the indigenous race they had stopped something far more awful from potentially happening.

today was a good day!

....................................


Outside Second Base, in the Far Southern Fringe Space between systems.


Dawnstar of Starhaven - Senior Team member - space flight, incredible speed, tracking
Southern Lights of Starhaven - spaceflight, magic user

Southern Lights couldn't keep up with Dawnstar.

The tracker had tried to initiate a game of tag as she flew around the outside of Second Base with him, but the young mystic, as agile as he was, couldn't even get close to her. She had laughed and gently teased him as she darted just out of his reach.

He smiled as he asked if they were supposed to use their abilities when playing games. Dawnstar considered his question and told him that of course they should use their powers, that was the whole point.

Southern Lights smiled mischievously and blew her a kiss.

Dawnstar started to laugh, but within seconds his spell had taken effect - it was an adaptation of an enchantment that Glorith had taught him which slowed the recipients perception of time.

Dawnstars senses went far beyond the simple assessment of stimuli from her immediate environment, like a normal person. She had additional mutations that allowed her to feel far beyond the range of most, and with deeper clarity than the vast majority. The clash between her normal human senses and her mutant psionic awareness was huge - one told her that everything was slowing down while the other informed her that the very same universe was moving much faster... As a result, the simple spell that should have just slowed her down, threw her into a panicked state as it appeared to her that reality was being somehow being torn apart!

Dawnstar put her hands to her face and screamed as her senses twisted and warped and her awareness of the universe around her fractured. Her wings beat erratically and she almost collided with Southern Lights in her panicked attempt to escape. While her perception had been slowed, her instinctive automatic physical reactions to this threat had not, so with a swoop of her wings the tracker was gone in a blur of hyper-velocity.

Southern Lights was momentarily shocked and quickly recalled the spell, hoping that the tracker would be returned to her senses.

<Dawnstar, my love, where are you? Please, let me know you are okay. Dawnstar...?>

The winged mystic waited a few seconds for a response but none came. He knew then that something was terribly wrong and he would need help making it right.

................................


Otaki - Bina Nawoti of Earth - mind-sense
Power Lass - Science Police Officer Nel Duwi of Daxam - incredible strength, speed, stamina, senses, laser vision, space flight, invulnerability

Bina Nawoti and Officer Nel Duwi were snuggled on a sofa watching a holo-documentary.

They had been relaxing in Nel's quarters on Second Base enjoying a peaceful evening to themselves when the alert came through their flight rings. A holo of Friction - currently on Monitor Duty - explained Southern Lights' request for help.

Nel changed into her battle armour while Bina quickly grabbed the spare uniform she had left in her girlfriends' quarters just in case issues like this arose when she was visiting her over on Second Base.

"I'm going to grab a shuttle, you go help Southern Lights. I'll be out there in a couple of minutes." Bina raced to the door. As she did, the Daxamite wrapped her arms around her psychic girlfriend and said "Let' me save you the time m'darlin'..." And flew Bina through Second Base to the docking bay at speed.

Even though she was left feeling a little dizzy by the experience, Bina was grateful for the speedy trip to their shuttles, and more so for the kiss Nel planted on her forehead before the Daxamite flew out into space to join their mystic teammate.

...........................


Southern Lights looked distraught.

The young mystic from Starhaven had cast an enchantment and a trail of small twinkling lights led away from their planetoid base out towards the inky blackness of space. Officer Duwi flew alongside the winged Legionnaire while Otaki travelled in a double-seater shuttle close behind. The psychic Legionnaire reached out with her prodigious mind-sense and quickly found her teammate.

<Dawny is really confused; I can feel her anxiety. I can try to calm her but don't think this is a psychic thing, it feels odd what she's experiencing, is it magic? ...are you able to help Southern Lights?>

<the spell has been rescinded, she should have returned to her senses>

<ah, Dawnstar has a unique perception of the universe... I'll try to calm her a little>

Even though Otaki's comment had not been an admonishment, Southern Lights felt himself blush as he realised that he should have taken into account his fellow Starhavenite's mutant abilities included an expanded awareness of her surroundings.

As they approached a small asteroid, the three Legionnaires could see their colleague. Dawnstar was floating in space, her hands waving in front of her face as if she were trying to swat at an invisible swarm.

Southern Lights flew in towards her, though before he could get too close Officer Duwi flew in front of him.

<let Bina try first> she sent to him, holding a hand out in front of his chest.

Bina Nawoti flew her shuttle closer to the tracker. She closed her eyes and let her mind sense expand outwards. As she reached Dawnstar's mind, Otaki visualised a feeling of relaxation and gently laid that over her colleague's mind.

<<the bond needs breaking>> the voice in Southern Lights' mind came from the consciousness of the pocket dimension that had taken to him on a mission many months before. The young mystic had almost forgotten about it.

<what do you mean? Which bond?>

<<the bond between you and your lover. Your emotions feed your magic, do they not? You both share deep feelings so the bond keeps the magic flowing>>

Southern Lights felt a cold chill run down his spine as the implications of what he had just heard became clear. His love for Dawnstar and hers for him meant the spell would keep affecting her... as long as they felt that depth of emotion Dawnstar was at risk.

............................


Dawnstar appeared to be calm so Otaki relaxed and flew her shuttle in closer to Southern Lights, while her Daxamite girlfriend flew to the winged trackers side.

Southern Lights explained his dilemma across the telepathic matrix to Otaki and Officer Duwi, being sure to exclude Dawnstar from the conversation.

As far as he could tell, unless Dawnstar or him stopped having such depth if feelings, the spell would linger and continue to distort her senses.

<So, what can we do?> Nel Duwi asked.

<I can only see one solution, and I'll need your help Bina.> Southern Lights turned to the lithe psychic, his expression full of anguish, <we have to make her forget she... her feelings for me. Once she no longer has those the spell will break and her senses will return to normal>

<I can't just turn on and off people's feelings!> Otaki exclaimed, her distaste at the idea was very clear.

<I have a spell that will do it, and once done she'll... but... once it is done I cannot turn it back. She will no longer feel her love for me. It is the only way I can discern that we have which can return Dawnstar's right mind to her. Please, Bina, soothe her while I call upon the Spirit to take these feelings away> and before she could argue he started to mouth words in a long dead language, his eyes squeezed closed as he concentrated on the spell.

Otaki was momentarily stunned by Southern Lights suggested solution, but as the spell was already being cast she had no time to come up with another plan.

Dawnstar's eyes rolled back and she moaned in pain as the enchantment re-wrote her emotions. Otaki was unprepared for how powerful the feelings it generated were so she cried out as she held onto Dawnstar's mind, helping to stabilise the process.

It was over in under thirty seconds and the usual stoic Southern Lights had tears pooling in his eyes as he finished. Otaki rubbed her forehead and blinked her eyes as she cleared her mind.

"You! You did this!"

Dawnstar flew to Southern Lights. The young mystic had tears on his cheeks that he quickly tried to wipe away.

"Yes, I did not know..."

"Do not ever mess with my mind again!" She stated bluntly over his apology. "You are from Starhaven and I expect you to act with propriety and respect in future."

With that, Dawnstar flew away at high speed.

There was little could be done to hide the heartbreak on Southern Lights' face as she vanished into the inky blackness of space.

Hey IB, many thanks again for your kind review above, it's greatly appreciated.

Next up, the day after... Timber Wolf plays Tag, Amynta is a tour guide, and what is going on with Dawnstar? After that, we catch up with Friction and Booster as they face some uncomfortable questions, and how is Kid Flux coping in quarantine? And, of course we have a Try-Out and all the fun that that brings to look forward to close on the heels of those vignettes.

Then things will get ...interesting, as the Immortal strikes! Yikes!

Thanks again, more, more, more coming soon

yay, more!

heh at Ayla's thoughts that it's the Raiders who should be worried

and also heh at Backlash being all "hey, just so you know, I'm not just being lazy here"

hahaha oh how tricky of Southern Lights, a magical kiss!

oh, DEAR! didn't expect that, and you make a good exploration of what exactly Dawnstar's powers are. oh boy, I hope Dawny will be ok!

Bina and Duwi sure make an amazing team AND couple! Love them!

wow, what a dilemma... Southern Lights can't turn the magic off unless he stops loving Dawny? Whoa!

oh my... not a good day for either of our Starhavenites

what an impactful installment, Harbi!

Thanks IB, glad you enjoyed it.

I decided to torture Dawnstar a bit more as she makes such a great martyr though their story is still far from finished.

I'm tempted to post the next section tomorrow as I've about 6 or 7 sections ready to go, so expect more very soon

Thanks again, hope all's going well at your end of the aether

C

First Base, Mission Monitor Board control room

Friction - Janee Whittakka of Xanthu - manipulates the force of friction
Solstin Wang of Earth - Booster - medical support - awareness and manipulation of physical properties of those around him


Friction and Booster found themselves on General Mission Monitor Board duty on First Base at the same time.

While Brainiac 5 had arranged for an AI to keep a general monitoring role to alert the team to any event they might need to get involved with, the Senior Team had decided that two members would be randomly assigned from all the teams to keep a more sapient view on alerts as they were raised.

Janee and Solstin had attended the Academy at roughly the same time, though they had never spent much time together.

While at the academy, she had heard that he was uptight and a teachers pet, so the young woman from Xanthu hadn't gone out of her way to make friends with him. Meanwhile, he had watched on as it appeared that she had involved herself in every drama going, while playing at being the good girl whenever a tutor or Legionnaire looked her way.

Needless to say, they were polite and professional whenever they were in a room together with absolutely no love lost between them. They were two hours into an eight hour shift with barely a word said between them and time was dragging its heels for both of them.

Other than Southern Lights requesting support to find Dawnstar, it had been a particularly quiet couple of hours.

"So..." Janee started to speak, more to break the silence than because she particularly wanted to talk to him, "are you and Old Father Time still hooking up. How's that going?" She gave a little laugh as she used the nickname that students had given Spoiler.

"Yeah... Great, thanks." Solstin didn't turn to face her, and his tone was flat.

"He's a solid guy, isn't he? Gosh, must be great to get a muscleman like him. Lots to grab hold of when he isn't off on a mission, I imagine." Even as she said it, Janee knew she had gone too far as she watched Solstin's jaw tighten.

"Says the girl boffing the student that can alter his dimensions... I'm sure you can have as much as you want to grab hold of whenever he's out of class and doesn't have too much homework." His cold tone made it clear that the conversation was over.

"Oi! I was just trying to make conversation. There's no need to get so defensive and spiky."

"Yeah? You're the one slinging these innuendos as if we're best friends... or even just friends."

...........................


There was silence between them for about a minute before Janee replied:

"That's actually... yeah, that's probably true, I suppose, but at least I'm trying to talk. You're so bloody rigid that you freak me out, Solstin. If I tried saying 'nice day' you wouldn't reply so I thought I'd try something fun."

"There's nothing 'fun' happening between Gord and me. We had a night together... one! But he... it didn't go any further. Okay? Now, you've got your story, happy?"

"Ah, shit, sorry... Genuinely, Solstin, I thought you two would be cute together. That's why I mentioned it. Seriously, I was happy for you. What happened, and, are you okay?""

"He.... It's like... When my powers first materialised, I was only thirteen, and there was this boy I had a crush on. He was really sporty and was tipped to go professional..."

"Oh, I know the type." Friction muttered, "let me guess, he was everyone's friend so long as they supported him?".

"Yeah, that's pretty much how it was." They shared a knowing look before he continued. "Anyway, he had an accident on a Lazer Ball court, and I was close by and rushed to him. As I touched him I boosted him. I didn't know what I was doing but word got around that I had magic hands that could help people and quickly it spread to the local Lazer Ball team. They weren't top league but they were professionals in the Second Division on Earth. They offered to pay me to help them recover after their games and of course I agreed... Not sure if you know, but I'm the third of nine children..."

"Whoah!"

"Yeah, after the last World War on Earth the Sino-Alliance lost so many people they offered tax break for large families and my folks are traditionalists. And being a large family, money was always tight so I jumped at the chance at getting paid. But the players were dogs and expected me to be on call whenever they needed a boost, and that led to some really unsavoury situations. If Rokk hadn't read about me on some Sports Stream and offered me a place at the Academy I'd probably still be stuck in that situation. I think Cosmic Boy probably saved me life. Anyway, what Gord said to me... it kinda threw me back into that headspace where I was only needed to boost others' gratification... I don't know why I expected anything different really. Naltorans, what can I say." He muttered.

"Yeah... Wow, you've had it tough, haven't you Solstin? Sorry to hear that. I think you deserve so much better than being treated like that... Naltorans, indeed! Them and Rimboran dancers, bloody hazards the lot of them." She stated.

"Things not going so well for you either? I'm sorry too. He seems like..." Solstin had turned around and could see her expression so pivoted from what he was going to say, and instead said what he truly thought from watching the students on Home Base, "he seems to enjoy the spotlight a bit too much for my taste, to be honest. He's an attention seeker, isn't he?"

"He really is! Oh, stars above, he lives for it... and it's exhausting! And not the fun sort of exhaustion either." She gave a small laugh as she finished.

"So you're not really having much fun either then?" Solstin asked.

"Not lately. Rubbish, isn't it?"

"What do you do when he's like that... Have you said anything to him?"

"Couple of times now I've said real clear I'd love some time just the two of us, y'know? He either doesn't get it or is too in love with performing to hear it... How about you? What exactly did Gord say to you?"

"He... he kinda said it's... like, he doesn't want to commit, but of course we can still have fun when he's free. Like, does he just expect me to hang about waiting for him? Ugh! I was so annoyed with him!"

"Tell him... say to him that you get a choice in all this, whatever it is, and he needs to respect that. I'll talk to Victa about his ...his selfishness, if you talk to Old Father Time about his aloofness. He was always a stand-offish git at the Academy, remember? Seems he hasn't changed all that much." Janee gave Solstin a sympathetic smile as she finished.

................................


There was a minute of comfortable silence between them before Solstin started laughing.

"What?" Janee asked.

"I just thought... we're not getting much but I gotta wondered how many Legionnaires have had 'fun' here on the monitor console?" He gave a nervous laugh as he mimed wiping something sticky off his hands.

"Well... I reckon back in the day Sun Boy must have. I reckon, going by his reputation you'd probably need to hose the place down after he'd been in here." Janee said, laughing.

"Oh, for sure, and definitely Nura and Thom."

"Absolutely! You know what they say: grass is green, sky is blue, Nura and Thom just love to... and what about Rokk and Lydda?"

"No way! Those prudes? He'd be writing reports or doing press ups or some exercise and she'd be marking test results and planning more impossible scenarios for students. They wouldn't do anything outside the rules... I bet Shield and Timber Wolf do though."

"Y'know, when I think about it, I've never actually seen them on monitor duty together before."

"And now we know why!" Solstin said emphatically.

They both cracked up laughing. After that, their shift went much faster and involved many more laughs.

...............................


Half a light year from Second Base

Dawnstar of Starhaven was renowned for her stoicism.

Yet if the majority of her teammates had seen her at that moment they would have been very surprised.

Second Base was currently stationed three light years from the nearest inhabited system, and the winged tracker was half a light year further away from her teammates. Six hours before, she had left Southern Lights, Otaki and Officer Duwi to find solitude and now she was spinning through a shower of comets as they travelled out from the nearest Oort cloud.

While she flew, Dawnstar cried harder than she could ever remember having done before. She was not really sure why, but she knew it felt good to let her emotions out.

The tears were streaming from her eyes as she twisted and turned, instinctively dodging with balletic grace the tons of frozen methane and rock as they hurtled at many thousand of klicks an hour.

Her memories told her that she and the young blue skinned mystic from her home world, Southern Lights, had been romancing... She had led them through spatial vistas that she viewed as the most beautiful while holding hands, they had enjoyed socialising with their teammates while exchanging knowing glances between themselves at in-jokes...

She clearly remembered that they had been intimate...

And she didn't understand why she had allowed any it!

As much as she tried to rationalise why she should share so much of herself with the young mystic, she knew that she only looked at him as another teammate, a colleague, with a shared heritage but nothing else. Their Starhaven heritage was not enough to justify what she recalled they had done together. Why had she...?

<Dawnstar> Thunder's voice echoed across the flight ring generated telepathic matrix.

<not now, please Cece, this is not a good time>

<I'm sorry, but I think now may not be good but it is the right time> and with that, in a blur of speed, the First Base team leader, who was also one of Dawnstar's closest friends, appeared at her side.

Dawnstar turned to her friend, her expression hurt and angry.

She could see clearly the understanding and empathy on Cece's face.

<Oh, honey, let's talk... Please, it hurts me to see you in such pain> And with that, Thunder flew out of the streaming comets. Dawnstar paused for a second before she followed.

<Dawnstar...> Thunder began, tentatively, as it was obvious that her friend was upset.

<why did I let that boy... We... Cece, did he put a spell on me so he could take advantage...?>

<no! No Dawnstar. Southern Lights only ever cared for you, he deeply cared. You both adored each other>

<then why can't I remember those feelings?>

<it was a spell that went wrong. Nel Duwi filed a report. When I read it I knew I had to see you, to check you were okay>

<tell me what is happening Cece, please...> more tears fell as the tracker looked into her friends eyes. She could see the water pool in Cece's eyes as well.

Over the next forty minutes Cece Becks shared what she had seen happen between the tracker and the mystic, and what Dawnstar had told her about their relationship. All of this was before Thunder got onto the reasons why Dawnstar could no longer connect with those warm emotions. Both ladies cried, though by the end of the conversation there was an odd smile and even a warm hug.

<does he know if my feelings will return?>

<I'm not sure, though Officer Duwi's report stated that he had said if the depth of your feelings came back, your senses would get twisted again. That's not to say there isn't a solution out there as he was really upset as he kept his feelings for you when he cast that spell, so maybe with some further research...? I'm so sorry but I don't really understand his magical abilities. Glorith and Xao might be able to assist as well, maybe Mysa?>

Dawnstar turned away for a few seconds as she considered her friend's words.

<I feel I need some time to think about this... but I have to talk to Southern Lights. I owe him an apology for the way I spoke to him. Perhaps we can find a way to resume the path of our relationship... We were happy, weren't we?>

<you were Dawnstar, you truly were>

<then we must find a solution to this... to our predicament, one way or another. Surely, we both deserve happiness>

Next week we'll have a couple more vignettes as Amynta becomes a tour guide and we check in with Kid Flux and a couple of the students.

yay, more!

Tee-hee on the AI callout! Imagine how it has evolved in 1000 years!

lol, Old Father Time! and very realistic segment between Friction and Booster --- with a class so large, it makes sense that we'd have such different personalities, and not everyone would be friends with everyone else!

good on Janee for trying and continuing the conversation! I like her a lot better already!

ah, love the references to Chinese culture here, very well-researched and realistic, if I do say so from personal experience!

ahh love the gossip, and eager to see Janee and Solstin speaking with their respective love interests.... also, a nice potentially budding friendship here! very clever, having these two thrown together and bonding!

aww, how touching of Thunder to know that Dawnstar needs a friend (and the truth!) right now...

oooh, I love Dawny's conviction here. and yes, they both deserve happiness!

great stuff, Harbi, eager to see where you go with these!