Legion World Forums LEGION OUTPOST Bits o' Legionnaire Business "Omnia mutantur nos et mutamur in illis" - 52 days after INVASION

COBALT ROW

Clarkson hated himself. Since his paper had shut down he had been forced to make ends meet by freelancing stories for the LMB Inquirer under a various pen names. Clarkson had actually begun his journalism career working for a scandal rag. Although he had been on features, mostly health related as opposed to the front page exposées.

He hated this part of the job most of all. To feed Legion World's insatiable desire for scandal, preferably sexual in nature, Clarkson had staked out Cobalt Row for the past two nights. Unfortunately there was not much sex to be had on Legion World these days. Since the invasion it seemed that the whole planetary elite was not in the mood.

Several hours trundled by ever so slowly as Clarkson passed time by listening to war news coverage from the Dark Oval all the while his gaze was fixed upon the deserted streetscape.

Just after midnight a lone figure strode through the empty street. Striding boldly Clarkson could tell that this was a person of some importance and was without a doubt one of the super powered individuals of Legion World.

"You would have to be to be brave enough to walk in this neighborhood this late at night." thought Clarkson trying to zoom in to identify the face of the person with his imaging device.

Clarkson reeled slightly as he caught the face of the woman as she walked past a street lamp and towards into the Secret Retreat Hotel.

"For crying out loud it's WINEMA WAZZO"

Clarkson waited in anticipation waiting for an individual to arrive and meet Ms. Wazzo for in his experience no one ever checked in alone to Cobalt Row. Although it was customary to arrive and depart individually.

He did not have to wait long as several minutes later another figure appeared. This one was male to be sure. Clarkson prepared the camera, aiming it at the same spot under the street lamp where he was sure to catch a glimpse of his face. Underneath the light Clarkson caught the unmistakable face of Tamper Lad as he too entered the Secret Retreat.

"Damn," said Clarkson. Everyone knew Tamper was attracted to power but to say Winema had been around the block a few times was an understatement.

"Why would they meet here?" he asked remembering that there was a perfectly good Genius Club where Tamper was every night. Even the Secure Undisclosed Location might have been a better spot because even though everyone knew about it, it was boring enough to escape notice.

By the time the two guests departed the Hotel on Cobalt row separately just before dawn, Clarkson had already prepared an innuendo filled piece that would pay his rent for two months.

The Villa

"It's been over a month, we really need to..." Cabana Boy was saying when he was interrupted by his companion.

"What we need to do is keep the Villa functioning smoooothly, exactly as he would want it so that everything is in order when he returns." Pool Boy countered. "He's had a very difficult year, remember. Not only did he lose the companionship of his long time partner, Semi...he also suffered the loss of two dear friends, The Empress and Space Ranger during the Crisis. And now, losing Queen Connie so unexpectedly...well...he really is entitled to disappear for a while if he so chooses, Cee."

"I'm not saying he isn't entitled to, Pee. It's just that it's not like him to be gone for so long. He's had more than his share of tragedy over the years and he always bounces back quickly and is ready to face the future. Something else else must be wrong. I'm sure of it."

"I see you two are at it again," interjected a third voice. Kid Towel moved to join them as he added, "but it seems that Cee has been right to worry, Pee. We've just received a sublight message from the Variable Realm asking to speak with Vee on a matter of some urgency."

"But Tee..." Pool Boy said as he and Cabana Boy looked at Kid Towel in dismay.

"Yes, I know...Vee left for the Variable Realm four weeks ago to arrange for Queen Connie's Royal Funeral. He never made it there although it only should have taken a few days at most. Something else else or someone prevented him from getting there."

"We need to call the Office of Security and let Cobalt know," Pool Boy decided.

"Cobalt isn't there, Pee," Cabana Boy reminded him. "And most of the LMBPers are either off with Cobalt fighting the Dark Oval forces or too busy dealing with the wreckage left here on Legion World from the Invasion."

"Cee is right, Pee. There is no one we can call that can be of any help right now. We'll need to figure this out for ourselves," Kid Towel concluded.

"Guys, this won't be easy," Pee commented. "Whatever kept Vee from reaching the Variable Realm had to be enourmously powerful or extremely important. Vee is one of the most potent LMBPers, especially since he inherited the Emerald Eye. I can't imagine what could have stopped him from getting where he was going."

"Well, I guess it's time we tried to find out," Tee said.

The Poltergeist Zone

Dedman finds himself drifting phantomlike in the foggy dimension between life and the afterlife that he always goes to temporarily after his body is killed.

He remembers that it was a struggle to convince his friends at the Security Office to kill him. He had thought it was quite silly since they knew he'd return. But he always admires the consideration his friends give him and how they value his life. There was still an innocence in them despite all their trials. Dedman often envies that innocence.

In the end, though, Frio performed the necessary business. The tactic Dedman used on her was to egg her own about her fling with Cobalt Kid. For a woman with cold powers, Frio's temper can be awfully fiery if one knows what buttons to push! Oddly, it was the first time he'd been killed by flash-freeze, or was it? It was getting difficult to keep track!

Recently, Dedman had been remembering more and more about his time spent in the Poltergeist Zone, about the other spirits he encounters their between his deaths and resurrections.

Toward the end of his examination of HUGEMANBREASTS, he realized that part of the unsettling feeling he had had was caused by the fact that he was sensing Hugh's spirit. Dedman could sense it's presence but couldn't communicate with it. But maybe if he went into the Poltergeist Zone.....

In an instant, Dedman suddenly is knocked from his musings and feels Hugh's presence calling to him like a beacon. He wills himself to float toward the source of that feeling. There he is!

"Hugh!" he yells. "I'm here! Stay where you are, friend!"

As he gets closer, Dedman sees that Hugh is floating near a tremendous source of light and appears to be fighting a gravitic pull from it.

As Dedman gets closer, he feels confusion because there's absolutely no force pulling on him as he nears Hugh.

"Glad you finally made it, Deddy! I can't fight this much longer!"

"Hugh? I don't understand--I don't feel anything, and you're so..."

"Lucid? Intelligible? Yes, the afterlife seems to have cured me of my mental...deficiencies. And apparently Heaven or Nirvana or whatever wants me pretty badly, but it doesn't want you, I'm afraid. That's why you don't feel its pull...it's not your time."

"Yeah," Dedman says,"I guess it'll never be my time..."

"Well," Hugh says, "you never know. Anyhow, I need to give you something before I go. I have to be quick about it!"

"What..what is it, Hugh?"

"Knowledge, my friend! Come closer please."

Dedman drifts closer and Hugh's transparent finger enters Dedman's transparent skull. Dedman is stunned as the events of Hugh's last days flood into his brain.

"It's too much to process all at once," Hugh says. "It'll take time. But try not to be too hard on the woman who killed me. I believe there's more than--Ahh..!"

The Light's pull is too strong now. And Hugh let's go and starts to let the Light take him. But before he's completely enveloped he yells back to Dedman, "please, when you see Fiona...tell her I love her, and that I'm better off, now--"

And in an instant the Light vanishes and takes with it the man known as HUGEMANBREASTS.

Though still reeling from the information overload, Dedman manages a smile and says, "goodbye", before feeling a pull of his own.

"Back to life, I guess," he sighs and a moment later, he's no longer in the Poltergeist Zone.

LMB Headquarters

Late in the morning, when the Rockhoppers and the Super-Pets arrived at LMB HQ, there was not a large number of the membership present. Most were off on various missions.

Interestingly, one new member was on monitor duty: Time Teller Lad. He could tell at an instant what time it was anywhere in the universe and he could tell exactly how old an object was.

"Rockhopper Lad!" TTL called out. "How is Rockhopper Lass doing?"

"I'm fine," she replied for herself. "I've learned Interlac again. I just can't remember anything."

"I'm hoping there's something here that can help her," Rockhopper Lad added.

"You'll be back to normal in no time," TTL smiled. "And then you'll feel just like any other Pyngwyn would at age earth-standard twenty-five years, three months and fourteen days!"

Rockhopper Lad shook his head. "That can't be. Adelie is just over a year younger than I. She should be--let's see--earth standard twenty-four years eleven months and twenty days."

"Maybe she was born a few months earlier in Rockhopper Lass's universe?" TTL asked.

"No. Both Adelies have the same birthday."

"What does this mean?" Rockhopper Lass asked.

"Apparently, Adelie, when you disappeared, you aged four months that he rest of us didn't!" Rockhopper Lad replied grimly.

The Origin of Dominus

As far back as his people could remember, they had always been Barbarians to the United Planets, and they had always been barbarians to their neighbors. Living far away from a natural sun, they developed slowly and used only technology that had been given to them by accident. Their people had no name, native only to one planet and limited to the livable areas on such a barren planet. But that had all changed with Carthac. Either the legends were true and Carthac was born smarter, larger and crueler than the rest of this people, or perhaps he was just lucky, but he somehow amassed an army renowned for his mercilessness and its proficiency in the art of subjugating another people. He created fleets out of centuries old technology, and he created a kingdom out of nothing. In three decades, he created the most magnificent, and the most horrific barbarian kingdom his sector of space had ever seen.

His son, Carthac II, grew up knowing he would be King, and had one goal throughout his youth and beyond: to outdo his father and grow the kingdom thrice over, and to subjugate triple the amount of people his father had, so that all who heard his name knew that one day they would pay him home. It was Carthac II that established the Khanate of Carthac was the most potent force in the sector now commonly referred to as ‘The Barbarian Hordes’. And it was Carthac II that massacred his neighbors and the other Barbarian tribes for decades, until finally realizing that beyond their borders, there was a whole universe of planets ripe for the plucking.

Carthac III was born thirty years earlier. Before the Barbarian Hordes even thought of crossing into the United Planets, they had their first great war with the Empire of Khundia. It was relentless and ruthless on all sides. Carthac II glady wasted the lives of his allied barbarian kingdoms and even his own people, to continue such a glorious war. When peace was finally established after twenty years of brutality, Carthac II demanded a Khundian high-born princess to be part of the terms. The Khunds cared little for this small point and awarded it to him. Thus, Carthac II married a Khundian Warrior Princess, whose stature left Carthac’s citizens in awe and horror. And further thus, Carthac III entered the world a half-Khund/half-Barbarian, twice the size of a normal tribesman in the Barbarian Horde, and horribly ugly to those he grew around.

Carthac III’s childhood was unique as well. His father knew that his son must outdo him, as he had outdone his father, and thus wanted him prepared. So he sent him to Ggrrgg, the most famous planet in the universe for breeding conquerors and warlords, so that he would be schooled in the disciplines of making war upon the universe and conquering other planets until they submitted to their will. On Ggrrgg, Carthac III trained and learned about strategy, tools, morale, and the cold arts of waging war without emotion. He also learned that the greatest value the Ggrrggian war machine instilled was that it could conquer a people and make them willingly submit to the glory of Ggrrgg. This was most commonly exemplified by the title ‘Dominus’, which a conquered slave would use as a term of respect to their Ggrrggian master. Lacking any subtly, Carthac III thus returned to the Barbarian Hordes with a new name, and was crowned Dominus I. When his father died, he quickly became Khan of the newly reformed Khanate of Carthac, and renewed the wars with great vigor. It was he who encouraged the massive Barbarian migrations a few years ago. Some believe his father died in his sleep, some believe his father died with Dominus’ blade through his heart.

Dominus believed in three things now: (1) the domination of the Dark Oval, the United Planets and all other planets not subservient to him. (2) The unification of the ‘Barbarian Hordes’ under his banner, so that his empire might stretch across this entire sector of space as one great people loyal to him. (3) The complete devout belief in Sol Invictus and the religion of the Black Sun.

Dominus could hardly remember how the Black Sun religion had become such an important part of his life, only that it had. It began among his soldiers when he was much younger, spreading among them like wildfire. The belief that Sol Invictus, the unconquered sun, would come down from heaven one day and be a new beacon of light for them, after all the other suns and other peoples were eliminated from the world, was one that he believed in strongly and did not question. His devout faith in Sol Invictus reinforced his desire to overtake the rest of the universe. And his soldiers shared faith gave them an even greater loyalty.

And now Dominus was ready to begin.

IN ROUTE TO THE PLANET ORVILLE

No ordinary man could've have travelled to Orville hidden in the twisted and narrow spaces in the ventillation shafts between the cargo hold and passenger section of United Planetes Space Flight 52. But Dak Arthu was no ordinary man, for he was... The Living Pretzel!

The Popcorn People of Orville seemed peaceful enough, but the Light Brigade had a tip that something big was happening on the planet that soon might affect the very course of the Universe. So he, Mascara Man, and Coma Lad had all used their unique abilities to secretly board the regular round trip flight to Orville.

Suddenly the starship was shunted out of hyperspace by a giant explosion! Damaged and out of control, with the pilot unconscious, the ship plunged straight into an asteroid belt! Mascara Man converted from Mascara to human form and rushed toward the cockpit, only to find it locked. Fortunately, such barriers were no obstacle to Coma Lad's ability to teleport to the scene of danger, and so the comatose body of the Light Brigader exchanged places with that of the pilot, and slumped over the controls of the space ship in such a way that it changed course away from the asteroid belt. As the ship approached a nearby planet, it jarred on impact with the atmosphere, causing Coma Lad arm to flail into the autolanding sequence control.

The ship landed safely... but where?

Galicia 5 ~ New Iberian Cluster

Who would have thought I would end up here, in the middle of this mess, when I left the Villa for home? thought Vee as he looked out the third story window of the small loft he was currently using as a base of operations in Nueva Cordoba, the capital city of the planet.

Four weeks earlier while enroute to the Variable Realm, he had picked up a faint distress call on his ship's communicator. Though it was very weak, he was able to trace it's orgin to this sector of space, a desolate corner of the galaxy, far from any major trade routes. This portion of the universe was neither UP, Khundian, Dominion, nor Barbarian territory, though it sat right smack dab in what could only be called the "Four Corners" ... bordering all, yet beholden to none.

Sadly, upon his arrival, Vee quickly discovered that the distress signal had reached him way too late for the humanoid sentinents that had broadcast it. The hull of their small ship had been torn asunder in multiple places and all 5 inhabitants of the ship had quickly died from explosive decompression. From the looks of it, whoever had attacked the ship had scoured every inch of it searching for something. It appeared they had not found what they sought because of the grotesque mutilation they had inflicted on what must already have been ice cold corpses at the time...or maybe they had found what they sought. What else could explain that all five of the corpses had been decapitated!

Vee could have simply offered up some prayers for their souls and given them each a decent space burial then continued on his way but something had caught his eye.

Carved on the left forearm of one of the corpses were some barely distinguishable words...words that had sent a chill down his spine! Not only because of what they said but because they were obviously self inflicted. The carvings had small streaks of blood running from them. They had to have been done prior to the hull being breached. The humanoids had been trying to leave behind a message.

N.I. Inquisitors ~ Make them pay!

Vee had downloaded the small ship's logs and poured over them for hours after doing what he could to give the ship's inhabitants a decent burial. He had discovered that the five people killed had been fleeing for their lives for quite some time. Their last planetfall had been on Galicia 5 in the New Iberian Cluster and they had left there hurriedly just 5 days before the attack.

Using his omnicom to cross reference the info in the databanks, Vee had concluded that their final message had to be a reference to a fairly new group of religious zealots that had arisen in the New Iberian Cluster within the past year. Calling themselves "La Nueva Inquisición de la Luz" in the ancient Terran Spanish language that was the origin of the native New Iberian tongue. This translated into "The New Inquisition of the Light" and was commonly refered to simply as the "New Inquisition" or simply, the Inquisition.

Beyond that data, the rest was wild supposition. Some claimed that this group had arisen to combat the influence of another quasi-religious group, the Black Sun, which was making huge inroads throughtout the Barbarian sector of space and beyond. Others claimed it was simply an even more stringent branch of the same group. Still others claimed it had nothing at all to do with the Black Sun, yet everyone agreed on one thing...The Inquisition had powerful connections and should be feared by everyone.

What made no sense is how these five sentinents , fleeing across space had so quickly run afoul of the Inquisition. They had barely been on Galicia 5 for three days! Either they had stumbled onto something very big by mistake, or it was interrelated to their original cuase for flight.

Either way, the answers could only be found on Galicia 5 and Vee felt duty bound to search them out. After all, he had been the recipient of their message from the grave. He could do no less.

The Dark Oval: De Facto Headquarters of the Armies of the United Planets and the Legion World Triumvirate


In his quarters, Cobaltus saw to his unending string of military duties, maintaining the army’s progress in all of its facets. Disaster Boy and other generals silently followed suit. Outside Shark Lad grew restless. Somewhere deeper in the Dark Oval, Hrun moved ever deeper into enemy territory. Business proceeded as usual.

“No change,” said Abin Quank, suddenly appearing besides Jailbait Lass.

“No,” she said quietly. “Nothing. I-I’ve tried to talk to him a few more times…but he barely says anything. Its like just being in my presence makes him cold…”

“Its not you, Lolita,” said Abin, now putting his hand her shoulder. ‘Its himself that he’s wrestling with.” Now Jailbait Lass saw a side of Abin Quank reserved only for those that were known to be in the House of Quank: Pagan Lass, Abin’s wife, Stoopid Cat, her familiar and oldest friend, Everyday Girl, Abin’s granddaughter, and once Space Ranger, his brother. It was the side that showed he understood when it was time to be a father, grandfather, and someone that knew when and what to say. “You’ve given him some time, but its all so sudden,” he continued. “But I know we don’t have time. So I think you’ll be happy to know that some friends have come here to talk to him…” With that, Abin stepped away, and walked into the fort. Jailbait Lass seemed unsure of what he meant, but then heard a ship landing near her. She looked and saw two figures exiting it. And there she saw: Spellbinder, the royal Princess Crujectra of Psyonia, the love of Cobalt’s life…and Space Tart, his former wife and first true love. Here they were…together?

Spellbinder approached Jailbait Lass directly. “Lolita, we’ve come to save him. Whatever your reasons were for coming here, you must realize that your goal now is the same as ours. I must save him…we must save him.” Jailbait Lass only nodded. Spellbinder had a confident, beautiful and regal look on her face, but Jailbait Lass had seen her enough times to recognize that she also was concerned, and was terribly sad. She turned to see Space Tart, surprised to see her here. She too looked sad, and her exotic features could not hide that. That these two women made the trip all the way to the Dark Oval together, which must have been completely uncomfortable, was surprising to Jailbait Lass. The tension between them, no matter how they tried to conceal it, was evident to anyone paying attention. And here now stood two of the most renowned beauties in the universe, two of the most celebrated heroes and admired leaders, preparing for what could end up being the most painful intervention of their lives.

“Come on Lolita,” said Space Tart, and they moved forward. Both she and Crujectra had called her Lolita now. Usually only Cobalt or Everyday Girl did that, the rest just called her Jailbait Lass. As they moved forward, every soldier in the jam-packed headquarters moved to the side, not hiding the fact that they were staring and gaping at the trio approaching. The woman walked confidently, but at an easy pace. All of the soldiers in Cobalt’s tent quickly filed out. Shark Lad nodded at the two women, as Space Tart smiled at him, and Crujectra quietly patted his shoulder. Disaster Boy filed out silently, wondering what this all meant. And finally, the tent held only four people: Spellbinder, Space Tart, Jailbait Lass and the person they’d come to see, Cobalt Kid.

Silence pierced the air, and Jailbait Lass wondered what Cobie must be thinking. Was he mad? The way he’d been acting, it’d seem likely. But she had never seen him mad at Crujectra before ever, and never anything but faux-anger with Spacey. “Well,” he said at last, “I’ve had this dream a lot recently, so I must have dozed off…”, and although they knew he was smiling underneath, they felt it being forced.

“Cobie,” said Crujectra, “we’re here for you. I’ve asked Spacey to join me, and you know I wouldn’t if I didn’t think it was necessary. It’s time, love. It’s time.”

“Please Cobie,” said Space Tart now, “none of us here want to see you do this to yourself. We know what you’re thinking and what’s happened. We don’t need to go over it all. It’s alright. You can come home. You’ve made amends, and you’ve made things right. You can stop now, before you go too far.”

He continued to be silent, still covered in his armor. He looked at all of them—all three, including Jailbait Lass to her surprise, but said nothing. “What I’m doing,” he said softly, “is finishing something that should never have begun on my watch. I’ve let you all down. You three most of all. But I need to make it right.”

Spellbinder stepped forward. She put her soft hand on his cold armor. “Cobie, take off this mask. Please.” She stared into the dark opening for his eyes. “For me.” Slowly, he picked up his helmet and tossed it to the ground. His horrifically scarred features were plain to see. Jailbait Lass, having seen it before, couldn’t help but stare at him. Space Tart gasped, and moved closer. A single tear went down Crujectra’s face. She looked into his eyes. “Beautiful as the day I met you,” she smiled, more tears flowing.

He stared at her. “But I’m not, Crujeckie,” he said. “I’m no longer. The man I am on the outside is what I am on the inside.”

“No Cobie,” said Space Tart, putting a hand on his other shoulder. “You’re not. And you never will be. We’ve always known that. You are who you are. But you’re a good man, and a hero. Always.”

He looked at her now. He said nothing. “Thank you, Spacey,” he said quietly, then looked at Crujectra. “I’m not worthy enough for you,” he said softly, his features betraying nothing. Long ago, Dr. Albert Hoffman had taken away his ability to cry, when his torture had pushed him far over the edge. “You deserve far better than I,” he finished.

Her smile had gone, and her tears stopped. She put her hands on his cheeks. Crujectra spoke softly, but firmly, “but I’ve chosen you. Now you have to be you.”

And now silence was louder than ever in the room, and no one said anything. Jailbait Lass knew that outside, every soldier waited eagerly. Finally, Cobalt backed away, his face no longer inches from Crujectra’s. Then slowly, he pulled a metallic bracer off his right wrist, and then the other bracer off his left wrist. His cape fell off and he removed the armor on his torso, revealing his naked chest to be full of more scars. His armor was gone. He stared at them. A small smile, slowly crept back across his face.

“Thank you,” he said quietly, stepping forward. “For all of it,” he finished, embracing Spellbinder tightly, feeling her check against his. Space Tart moved forward and joined them. Both women wept quietly.

“Thank heavens,” thought Jailbait Lass. “At last, Cobaltus Primus Augustus is gone…and I’ve finally found Cobalt Kid…”


Later

“Come on in, Lolita,” said Cobalt, as she entered his tent. He had called on her moments before, and it was suddenly now, she realized that he sounded normal again. His triumvirate armor was off him still, and she saw that he had put on his old LMB costume. His face remained heavily scarred. He motioned to his chair. “Sit.”

She did. He looked at her for along while, and she couldn’t tell what he was thinking. A small smile was across his lips, and she could swear his eyes looked misty. “I’m glad you’re okay, Cobie,” she said, with a shy smile. And she was—she felt like on the verge of everything being broken, things had been mended in the nick of time.

“Lolita,” he began, but stopped. “I owe you a great apology. I…I, I’m sorry.” He seemed like he was grasping for words, which was unlike him. “You’ve been a great friend to me—no, more than that. You’re one of my best friends. You’re one of my closest confidants. I know…” he seemed unable to get the sentence out. She leaned closer to him, putting her hands on the table. “I know you care a great deal about me. Well, I want you to know I care a great deal about you.” He put his hand on hers. “I love Crujectra. And I’ll always love Spacey…” he continued. “…but I’m ending this war. And I’m doing it for you,” he finished. And then she saw something she’d never seen before, as one single, solitary tear-drop fell down his cheek.

She held his hand tightly and continued to sit with him, and neither said anything anymore.

All Across the United Planets!


<span style="font-size: 18px;">PEACE!!!</span>

<span style="font-size: 10px;">affiliated press</span>

Reports continue to pour in from the outskirts of the United Planets, where the borders meet the sector commonly referred to as the Dark Oval. For months now, war has waged on between the Dark Oval and the United Planets, with the famous planet Legion World leading the charge. Well, today, on a day that will live on a time when sentients across the universe could exhale, the war is finally over!

The head of the UP armies, Cobaltus Primus Augustus, the legendary Legion World Triumvir and LMBPer who had been commissioned to be the lead general in the assault on the Dark Oval has agreed to a cease-fire and an end to open hostilities. While there was widespread support across the United Planets for Cobaltus and the military, there was some criticism among his own peers in the LMB on Legion World in his continued attempts to invade the Dark Oval. Today, with Cobalt’s ceasefire, the Dark Oval has agreed to open negotiations to end the ongoing war, and experts say they should not last long. The Dark Oval is currently at war with the sector we call the “Barbarian Hordes” and despite its unmeasured but commonly believed to be superior military power; it cannot fight a war on two fronts.

With peace at hand, Cobaltus has stepped down from his position and allowed the military leaders and ambassadors of the United Plants to resume their control of diplomacy with the Dark Oval. It is believed that the borders will be the same as they were pre-Invasion, with the exception of a small cluster of planets ‘liberated’ by Cobalt now being inducted into the United Planets. Now referred to by the free press as the ‘Contested Territories’, they have received full-UP status as planets.

Citizens will recall that once the Invasion began six months ago, there was a period of two and a half months of intense invasion by the Dark Oval into the United Planets, until the armies of Legion World led an offensive assault that drove them out, and then went a step further, invading the Dark Oval itself for three more months. Finally now, it appears peace has been somewhat restored. One must wonder, however, if it will last.


Greg Evignan Island, Legion World

FROM: Cobaltus Primus August
TO: Eryk Davis Ester

“Eryk Davis Ester, noble brother at arms and my good friend, I am writing to inform you that peace is here at last. I have been persuaded that the best course of action is to cease the invasion of the Dark Oval and give diplomacy and peace a chance, and that is what I have done. With the small Contested Territories now part of the United Planets, the war is over. Given that our fellow Triumvir from Starhaven has retired himself and his entire army, there now leaves two of us Triumvirs left, ipso facto, there is no Triumvirate. However, you, yourself, have chosen to live in peace and harmony on Greg Evignan Island. I will keep my armies here, on the border of the Dark Oval, as a border force, to live in peace while it lasts, and to rise again if war rises first. However, I will follow your suggestion from the last time we spoke and speak no more of the Triumvirate for the time being, allowing it to lapse from the public eye, where we can revisit the topic another time.

There is one other item. I am sending Shark Lad to Greg Evignan Island. As you know, his ferocity is legend, as is his tendency to rage and to do terrible things. I have done him a great disservice in encouraging his rage and anger, and I have betrayed his trust in me. I now do the only thing I know best, to send him to you and to the culture of Greg Evignan Island, where I hope he will be cured of any ailment I encouraged and know peace once more. Treat him well, and give him peace and solemnity.

Best Regards,
Cobalt


The Dark Oval

He slipped out quietly, so no one would notice he was gone. That wouldn’t last he knew, but he had ways of moving unnoticed when he needed to. He had come for answers and he still wanted them. So once more, Disaster Boy would try and find them, and once more, he would hope he got back to Legion World soon

Evil Genius Club

Tamper Lad sat in the board room nervously watching the news reports on the millitary front. The price of Evil Genius Inc. was sufferring on the market in the wake the weekend's events. Apparently the LW populace believed the Inquirer's outrageous innuendos despite the denials of two upstanding LW citizens.

EG Inc. had lost its squeaky clean image. Amazingly enough, a company with Evil in its name had a squeaky clean image. It was a credit to the brilliant marketing campaign showcasing bunnies with pancakes on their heads.

"This is terrible news. Now our war division will face a whole bunch of cancelled orders. CALIENTE!!! I'll be gone for the rest of the week. Take care of the guests."

With that Tamper took off in his personal transport for a trip off of LW.

Planet Raisa. A Spiritual Retreat.

Lard Lad and Whordru lie in bed, sharing postcoital bliss.

"Dru..that was amazing! I-I can't express how much--"

"Shh, Anthony. This is the latest breakthrough in our relationship. Just...let's just bask in it for awhile, darling."

"No, honey. What you've done for me..."

"No," she corrects him. "It's what we've done for each other, my love! I lost my entire planet, but you've helped heal me through your love and by teaching me what it truly is to love and be loved. Love's power is greater than any magic I can conjure!"

"Dru, before I found you, I was on a dark path. Sometimes, I believe your sister Mordra was onto something when she told me how her 'Church of the Eternal Void' thought I would destroy everything someday..."

She uncurls off his chest and looks him in the eyes, "never let her bullshit poison you anymore, Anthony. In all my days no one has ever shown me the kindness you have." Tears well up in her eyes. "All I ever used to care about was controlling people. All those years wasted..."

"Hey, baby," he says holding her more tightly, "it's okay. This wasn't one-sided, you know. Mordra left me a mess. Her mental and physical rape of me left me impotent. But you were so understanding...suggesting this retreat. I'm at peace with myself. I'm also able to express love physically again--and it means more now than it ever has!"

They embrace tightly and exchange a passionate kiss.

"Gods," he says after they kiss, "I did so much that was just plain wrong while in that state. I'm not sure everyone would forgive me if they knew what all I--"

"Shush!" she says putting her finger over his mouth. "The two of us need to put the darkness in our pasts behind us. That's a big part of what this retreat was for, I've come to realize. I think it's enough that we've acknowledged our mistakes and will not be repeating them again, don't you?"

"Yeah, you're right, baby. I know now that as long as we have each other, we're gonna be alright."

"Damn right!" she says and snuggles on his chest.

"So," he says as he runs his fingers through her hair, "when do we return to Legion World?"

"Soon, I think, to prepare for the wedding. But nottoo soon!"

"I'm not in any hurry, either, Dru. I'm sure things are quiet over there as the rebuilding goes along. Still, for some reason I've been thinking about Hugh alot lately."

"He's like a brother to you, Anthony. Maybe we can try to find him after we leave?"

"Yeah, I guess. I haven't had much luck since the last time I saw him."

"Things are different now, my love...you've got me!"

"Yes...yes I do!" And he embraces her tightly again. "mmmmm....ready for seconds, Dru?"

She answers by kissing him very hard, and soon enough, they are discovering each other all over again....

LMB HQ

Upon hearing that she had "lost" four months, Rockhopper Lass stood stunned.

"Is she gonna faint again?" Blok the Pet Rock asked.

Hyvvie the Wonder Beagle snarled in Blok's direction.

"Adelie," Rockhopper Lad said, putting his arm around her, "Are you all right?"

"Eudyptes. I--I remember something!" Rockhopper Lass announced.

"I wish I could remember something," muttered Old Dutch the Super Cow. Hyvvie snarled again.

"I--I was someplace else," Rockhopper Lass continued. "Someplace I didn't understand."

"What else do you remember?"

She knitted her brow. "I'm sorry. That's all. I was somewhere I'd never been before--but then everyplace feels like somewhere I've never been before."

Rockhopper Lad sighed. "I guess we know a little more now."

Old Dutch muttered "That's true." She paused. "What do we know again?"

Matlock's Office. Legion World Office of Security.

Lil' Matlock sits strapped into a booster chair behind his desk. "Ah! There you are," he says as he looks up and sees Dedman standing in front of him. "Back from the dead, eh? Did you find him?"

"Yes. Yes I did," Dedman replies wearily.

"And--?" Lil' Matlock prompts.

"And he put the memories of what happened in here," and Dedman points to his head. "But I can't access them. They're, I dunno, locked or something. It may be a reflexive defense for me because the pain of them being put in there was pretty bad! No telling what having them flood into my brain at once would do."

"Yes," Lil' Matlock says as he thinks aloud, "we may need a psychic to extract or interpret them." He looks at his Omnicom and taps it. "We currently don't have any psychic adepts active currently in the Office...hmmm, gotta rectify that soon...but..." He taps it further and his eyes dance over a list of names crawling before him, until they suddenly stop. "...YES! I think she could help us, if she will..."

"Who?" Dedman asks.

"Candace Ames. Shadowplay in Candlelight Lass."

"Shady?" Dedman responds wistfully. He always had a special fondness for her. "But she's pretty much retired from the LMB and isn't even on Legion World."

"No," Lil' Matlock acknowledges, "but she's never retired from being a great person! And I know she'll want to help us find out who killed poor Hugh."

"Yes, you're probably right. But...where is she?"

"She's back on Earth. Metropolis. So...road trip?"

"Road Trip!" Dedman exclaims with a grin.

GREG EVIGAN ISLAND

"Of course Cobie knows that I am deathly afraid of sharks. Especially ones that can run around on land."

"I would be happy to take charge of his training, sir."

"Would you, Soho? That would really be great! He's full of a lot of rage, though. It's not going to be easy."

"Is he that much different than I was when I first arrived here? Besides, I know you have more urgent matters to deal with, Mr. Ester."

"That's for certain, Soho! That reminds me that I've got to check on Lucy! If you'll excuse me..."

"Of course, sir... and as for you mighty Sharklad, we begin the process of getting your great rage and propensity for terror under control... under my control that is! For little does Eryk Davis Ester suspect my true identity is that of his old enemy Porta-John!"

The Contested Territories – formerly the Dark Oval area conquered by the Triumvirate and now a part of the United Planets

“Well, that looks like the last of the armies, heading back home while Cobie’s border force digs in and keeps their ‘peace-keeping’ force here,” said Abin, looking into space.

“I’m glad,” said Spellbinder, with an evident look of relief in her eyes. “Now we can move forward. Thanks for agreeing to give me the ride to Weber’s World, Abin,” she added.

“No problem. Where are you gals off to again?”

Space Tart smiled. “Top secret,” she said, “but don’t worry, I’ll call if I need someone to lend me their hands…”

As Spacey turned to Crujectra, the Princess replied “I’m meeting Actor and Kippers and although its more ceremonial than anything, its still important.” And under her breath out of Abin’s ear range she added “…and so was this…” with a smile, as she thought about the last two days she’d spent with Cobalt Kid here and the change it had on him.


The Dark Oval

“I don’t get it Cobie,” said Jailbait Lass, “you just made this hugely dramatic showing—one might say overly dramatic—of leaving the Dark Oval, and now we’re going in deeper?”

He smiled, and his old features almost seemed to come through his horrifically scarred face. “You said you wanted answers Lolita, and well, now you’ll get them. At last you can understand what this is all about…conspiracies, wars, mushrooms, canisters and all…”

S.H.A.G., Cobalt Kid’s artificial hip-hop robot sidekick chimed in, “dag playas! And off we be to the Black Sun quadrant of the Dark Oval!”


The Borders of the Barbarian Hordes and the United Planets

“Good,” said Dominus, the grotesquely large half-Khund/half Barbarian Khan. “Peace between the Dark Oval and the United Planets,” he replied, throwing the holo-news to the ground, “means it’ll be us, their so-called Barbarians, that will let them know what an enemy truly is.”

Who are the 52?

The Border of the Barbarian Hordes and the United Planets

“I’ve alerted the United Planets General Assembly, per Cobalt’s instructions,” said Scipio. “All we can do now is wait.”

“Wait. That’s all we ever do,” said Danger Damsel. She was antsy, and she was ready for action. The Barbarian attacks were days ago, and nothing had been done. “We still have no idea why the Horde would attack the UP, when they’re at war with the Dark Oval. Especially when we’re at war with the Dark Oval.”

“We were at war,” said Scipio. “Not anymore.” It was hard to tell whether he disapproved. “But it doesn’t matter. The attacks happened before we were aware of the peace out here on the outskirts. I’m still trying to figure out Dominus’ strategy. Was he simply using UP space to find a hole in the Dark Oval defenses, and pierce through from the side? Its an old tactic, not using your own borders but pushing through someone else’s…”

“Maybe he thinks he can take on the UP and the D.O. both at once?” she said, now fiddling with her sword. As she swung it, she smashed through a statuette in the corner of the room.

“Anne, please,” said Scipio, annoyed. “And no, he wouldn’t think that. That’s the reason the D.O. so gladly accepted their peace. For all we know, they have a superior fighting force, but couldn’t fight a multi-front war. No…it must have been another reason.”

She leaned forward and wrapped her arms around him. She couldn’t help but smile. This much older man’s presence had been invigorating to her, and she was enjoying every moment possible with him. She leaned near his neck and whispered in his ear. “Maybe you’re just too distracted to think…”

He couldn’t help but smile. Despite her tenacious attitude, she was soft and petite, and she made him feel young. And she smelled so wonderful. But suddenly—it hit him. “Of course!” he said, jumping away, out of her arms. “It was a distraction! So simply…how didn’t I see? They were distracting us…but why? To keep our attention here, while something else was going on at the borders elsewhere. Some fleet getting out? No, no, we’d know that…” Danger Damsel rolled her eyes as he continued to think outloud. “Someone getting in. Which is what we’ve always tried to stop. Not Earth, or Ggrrgg, or Khundia…they’re too far off from this sector of space…someone snuck into the Barbarian Hordes while we were distracted. A UP force? Someone from…the Dark Oval?” He was moving faster now, walking down the hallways. Any playfulness was replaced by the soldier spirit he exemplified. “Come on, Anne, we’ve got work to do. The Barbarian Hordes have an ally, and we need to know who…”

“Great,” she rolled her eyes a second time. “Sounds like a blast…”

Six Years Ago

Fred was excited. Ever since he'd discovered his superhuman abilities three months earlier, he'd dreamed of using them to earn a spot in the LMB. And today he had his chance. Open tryouts. He was excited. And he was first in line.

The second in line was a squat, portly young man who introduced himself as "Hash". Hash was nervous. He was boiling over with a power he could barely control. Fred tried to keep his distance from Hash as best he could, lest he end up getting accidentally blasted by him and spoiling his own chances at LMB membership.

Soon, it was the moment Fred was waiting for. The LMB called him in to show his stuff. There were all his heroes: Lash Lad, Cobalt Kid, Shadowplay in Candlelight Lass, Lardlad. He was excited. And so thrilled to demonstrate his power when they asked him to.

He could tell by the looks on the faces of the LMBers that his tryout had not gone as well as he hoped.

Cobalt Kid was the one who told him the bad news: "We're sorry, Fred, but while your ability to remove the clothing from other sentients is impressive, I'm not sure how practical it would be in a fight. Especially since many of our villains are already naked."

Lardlad added: "Plus, if you use your powers on someone really HOT, it might distract us as much as our opponents!"

Shadowplay in Candlelight Lass tried to console him: "At least you get this consolation walking stick..."

Just then Loser Lad rushes in: "Guys, come quick! We've got an emergency outside! The next applicant just lost control of his powers and turned everyone else in line into countries of the former Soviet Union! I just barely missed getting turned into Kazahkstan!"

As the LMBers rushed out, Fred stood there heartbroken.

Candlelight Mental Health Clinic, Metropolis, Earth.

The woman who was known galaxy-wide as ‘Shadowplay in Candlelight Lass’ listens intently to her visitors.

“So that’s what’s going on, Shady,” Lil’ Matlock finishes. “We could really use your help.”

“Oh, sweeties, you have no idea how rough the past few days, heck the last few months, have been for me since that awful invasion of Legion World!”

“Well,” comments Lil’ Matlock, “it hasn’t exactly been a spacewalk for us, neither.”

“Oh! I didn’t mean to imply otherwise, sweetie--oh, you make such a pretty baby,Matty--but you know what a worrier I am! When it was announced that Lardy was murdered--and then, it turned out to be poor Hugh instead, well I’ve been beside myself. The galaxy really appears to be a much darker place these days…it‘s why I had to get away and help people my own way.”

“Well,” Dedman speaks up for the first time, “it’s always less dark if you have a little candlelight, Shady.”

“Oh, that’s so sweet, Deddy! But…I’m holding things back. Of course, I can help you. Once my powers consisted only of a kind of morale boost, but over time, I‘ve been able to delve into people‘s psyches to help get at the root of their problems. I think I can access poor Hugh’s memories. Deddy, sweetie, please lie down on this couch.”

He does as instructed and then closes his eyes when Shady prompts. She moves behind the couch where Dedman’s head is resting and massages his temples. She reaches out with her mind into his and finds the memories floating and visually represented as a safe. She touches the lock, and it dissolves. Dedman lets out a momentary gasp as this happens, but with Shady’s steadying influences, he begins to channel the memories and speaks as if he were the man known as HUGEMANBREASTS.

“I…I am Lard Lad. I am protector of the universe...am Lard Knight! I don’t understand why everyone acts like I’m not. Treat me like I am clone. It was clone who hurt Fiona, not Lard Lad. Enemies trick me. Make me think I am clone. Make me look like clone! Must have these boobies removed and belly-button put back, so friends will know I’m Lard Lad, not clone!”

Dedman pauses for a moment as Shady accesses another memory.

“Hmmm…” Lil’ Matlock muses, “Hugh was so traumatized by how he accidentally hurt Space Tart that he became delusional and convinced himself that he was Lardy.”

Dedman speaks again: “Nice man, Mr. Drall. Ugly man, but nice. Helped Lard Lad get surgery he needed. Lard Lad is Lard Lad again! No more boobies and have belly-button back! YAY!”

“Shady,” Lil’ Matlock interjects, “can you see the man Hugh’s talking about in his memories?”

Eyes closed, she answers, “Yes, sweetie, I see him, but I don’t know who he is. He looks like a burn victim, his features hideously scarred. I don’t recognize him. I’m not sure his own mother would, frankly. I can tell he’s Caucasian, medium height, wearing a hooded cloak, intense brown eyes--gosh, they look familiar, somehow, but I can’t place them. Maybe this will help…”

Having been silent for a while, Dedman speaks again, “Mr. Drall has mission for me! Needs me to go in fake Lard Lad’s house and get something for him. Put it in canister. Security will think I am fake Lard Lad. I will rescue friend held captive by fake Lard Lad!” And Dedman stops.

“Well, what did he take from Lardy’s place?” Lil’ Matlock asks. “And who did he rescue?”

“I-I don’t know, Matty. The memories I’m getting from Hugh are very spotty. The poor thing was mentally handicapped, you know. But I get the sense that he succeeded in whatever objectives he was given. He felt so heroic like all his dreams had come true.” And tears begin to stream down her face. “That’s all he ever wanted to be, Matty. A hero…”

“I know, Shady,” Lil’ Matlock says soothingly, “but I need whatever else you can give me…”

“Of…of course,” she says in a measured tone, trying to calm herself back down. Then, she closes her eyes again.

And the inert Dedman begins to speak again: “I am success! I will do what I always do when I save day…drink beer and make love to ladies at Hootchie Hut!”

“Yuck! This not taste too good. Makes head swim. Ladies all over me…what do I do? Got to…got to get out!”

“Hoo! That was weird. Why did I ever go there before? Did I ever go there before? Ooh…hard to walk! Am…dizzy.”

“Who’s that? Hummer Lass! My girl! I love her so much! She’s running to me! Why she have big knives? She make me dinner?”

“OW! Oh, Gods! Hummer Lass hurt me---why? OOOoooooowwwwWWW!!! Gods, it hurts so much {sob} Why she do this to me? Why…why…won’t she…stop….”

“f-finally, she stop. She--she leaves. {sob} hurts…who that? is…bat lady? Oh, please, bat lady…please make the pain……..*”

With that, Shady breaks the connection and, crying fiercely, embraces Dedman who is frantic as he tries to transition completely back to himself. A bright glow emits from her and engulfs the two for several moments. When it subsides, the two are moderately composed.

“Shady?” Lil’ Matlock finally says. ”Are you too, alright? Did-did Pru really do this?”

“Yes,” she says wiping tears away, one hand still on Dedman’s shoulder, “that memory was quite clear.”

“Well, then,” Lil’ Matlock says, “guess we’d better get back to Legion World. We have an arrest to make.”

The Isla Larga Planetoid

A dark antechamber is filled with the sound of growling animals. More than one bone is broken as a frenzy breaks out.

"Can't you keep them quiet!?!" bellows a cloaked figure from within the chamber.

"They're hungry, sister," answers a large, fur-covered creature, "we haven't allowed them to feed for quite some time."

"Soon enough, soon enough. What of that transmission you intercepted?"

"He's been moved. To a place called "Greg Evignan Island."

"Excellent," replies the cloaked figure, "though I had hoped to take out some of the others at the same time, particularly that pudgy one, they'll have to wait. Prepare the ship."

The sound of laughter fills the chamber.

The Dark Oval, Black Sun Sector

“And here we are,” said Cobalt, flying through space with Jailbait Lass in his arms and S.H.A.G. following closely. “Helios Nocturnos, the home planet of the Black Sun. I’ve always wanted to see it, but never have been this far into the Dark Oval. No army could make it this far of course…only a spy or singular force.”

“You sound like you know a lot about the Dark Oval, Cobie,” said Jailbait Lass. “I wish you’d shared it with me. I collect information for you, that’s my job. I don’t see why you’ve held any of it back…”

He smiled at her. The problems of before seemed to have vanished in the last few days. Now she jabbed him like usual, and he knew there was honesty in her words, but she wasn’t as hurt as the words sounded. “And now you’ll get your answers. You know I have agents here, have had various ones in the past. Even Lardy, Spacey and others have worked in the D.O.”

“Of course,” said Jailbait Lass. “But how does that relate to conspiracies, mushrooms, canisters, intergalactic war, religion, the kitchen sink—“

“I get the picture,” he smiled. “Here, lets sit on this asteroid and take a look at the planet. We can view it from here where it’s beautiful. Because once we’re planet-side, our view of it might be different.” They sat on a large asteroid, floating in space, and Jailbait Lass marveled at the use of their transuits and how they survived in space. “It began a few years ago, though I’d always known about the Dark Oval and have tried to learn its secrets. Make no mistake, they are our enemies. And there *is* a lot of secrets and a lot to learn. Some still so raw that I can’t even talk about them without sounding crazy. But there are some that I’m now sure of. But a few years ago, a mission happened that completely changed my life. A young boy was found on Legion World, that had the power to completely change the world. A ‘nexus of magic’ Stu called him, and the boy was exactly that. By far the most powerful entity we’d ever encountered this side of the Anti-Moderator or Ekron. But he was only an eleven year old boy. His name was Elagabolus.”

“I know this story,” said Jailbait Lass. “You named it ‘The Price of Security’ in our archives. That’s an ominous name.”

“I know,” he said with a sigh, “and I’ve had to deal with my guilt of it ever since. We had to get him off Legion World because people were dying, as various forces tried to collect the boy. In our mission to stop them, he was lost along the way. He disappeared, unable to take the pressure any longer. You see, I have these spiritual powers that allow me to heal, because he transferred them to me. By giving me his ‘good magic’, he kept only his ‘bad magic’. Its much more complicated than that—I hate magic, you know that, and don’t feel like trying to understand it. But that might have sent him on a horrible path. Because the red magic in him might have begun to corrupt him. And its worse. The reason it was such a problem was that I had become aware of a Legion cadet, named Esk, who had the power of prophecy. She’d been having nightmares and I talked to her, and she described to me in vivid detail the prophecies she had—about the destruction of the LMB, and the horrible fate of the UP. She said the reason the LMB would split, was a horrible madman named…Elagabolus.”

“Yes,” said Jailbait Lass. “I remember. I remember you believing that fate isn’t predetermined and the boy had a chance to change his destiny.”

Cobalt looked at the stars. “I believed that once. I hope I still do. But that was part one of what was to come. Months later, another mission went awry and it took even more months to make the connection. Stoopid Cat, as you know, travels back in time occasionally to fight alongside his friends in the JSMBP. On one such mission, he had traveled back with Time Boy, who I know you’ve recently met. Upon their return, they were supposed to land back here. For some reason for another, Time Boy is never allowed to travel beyond the current rate of our time moving forward. What I mean is, and I don’t get it, is that there is an iron curtain of time that does not allow him to travel into our future. He must age as we age, never moving forward too far. He couldn’t reveal our fates to us if we wanted is what I mean. The curtain doesn’t allow him to travel in the space of time between ‘x’, our current continuous forward moving time, and ‘y’, which is 14.24 years into the future. We’ve been able to measure the number. It’s exactly 5,200 days into our future. We’ve never been able to figure out why.”

“I never knew that,” said Jailbait Lass.

“No one does. Only Faraway Lad and Lucien Lad are aware of it with me, because of our investigations into the time stream. But for some reason, and we don’t know why, they were able to this time. They landed exactly five years after the LMB had disbanded, in a horrible period of time where we had fallen into disarray and the UP was doing badly. The exact date was too hard to figure out. They were only there briefly, but tried to learn about what happened. The information was too much to comprehend—wars, deaths, assassinations, dictators, etc. But they did hear one name that was loathed—Elagabolus. And so on their return, I met with Stoopid Cat, and we began making plans.”

Jailbait Lass’ attention was drawn to him now, and he continued. “You know Stoopid Cat and Hrun were once the deadliest of enemies. To say they disliked each other was beyond understatement. Nowadays they are known as one of the most effective duos in the LMB, one of the most ferocious and beloved teams. Well, this is how they became that way. Stoopid Cat and I began making plans, and in an attempt to curb their rivalry, I brought Hrun aboard. Hurn has always been an ally and friend of mine, and I’ve stuck up for him many times despite his bad behavior. He reveres my warrior spirit he says, and the feeling is mutual. Well, we presented our case and the three of us planned on what to do. I decided to bring in one fourth party into our ‘conspiracy’ to get his opinions—because frankly, I respect them greatly, and think the man is brilliant, horribly misunderstood by Legion World at large.”

“Dr. Mayavale,” said Jailbait Lass.

“Correct. Mayavale knows things Lolita. Remember that. Mayavale has some important wisdom that is often lost in the shuffle. He predicted the Dark Stu Saga, did you know that? Anyway, I brought in Mayavale and we decided to work together to do whatever it took to prevent that awful future. All three being alt IDs, the notion that the group secretly protected alt IDs occasionally came up between the four of us, but was never really a part of it. It did factor into my suggestions of building the Giant Squid Memorial Alt ID Center though, but that’s neither here nor there. But we decided to go back to Esk, and to find out what we could. So we approached Esk finally and had her join us at Dr. Mayavale’s Meditation Tent. There, we wanted to know more about her prophecies. The problem is that they are often brief and uninformative. But with the help of Mayavale’s mushrooms and wheezing mists, I believed we could get Esk to tap into her potential and reveal to us a great deal more than normal.”

“And?” said Jailbait Lass.

“And we did. Esk, after hours of wheezing mists and mushrooms, went into a prophesizing state, which lasted for hours. And the four of us looked on, as she began to write down the vivid things she saw. And it was then that she explained to us, that one day soon, we would be on the verge of World War VII.” Now Cobalt hesitated, and took the canister from Jailbait Lass. “So here, in this secret canister, which we falsely nicknamed ‘Stoopiod Cat’s Alt ID Files’ to throw people off, is our big secret.” He opened it up, and pulled out an old document, nothing more than a few pieces of paper, sealed tight. The canister he tossed aside as if nothing. “Not much is it?” he mused.

“What is it?” she said.

“This, I’m afraid, is Esk’s prophecy. 52 steps that will be taken that will lead us to inter-galactic war—and the end of all of us.”

The Dark Oval, Helios Nocturnos

“This, I’m afraid, is Esk’s prophecy. 52 steps that will be taken that will lead us to inter-galactic war—and the end of all of us.” Cobalt looked at it, and there was no smile on his face anymore.

Jailbait Lass looked at Cobalt’s face and saw his horribly disfigured features shine in the sunlight. Actually, they looked different. Better. Still horrible—but better. He must be healing, she thought. “Go on,” she said.

“This document contains the secrets to possibly saving the universe,” he said, now folding it up. He put it in the pocket of his overcoat, which he had just put on. “…but its impossible to read. Its jumbled and out of order and makes little sense. Its too hard to comprehend, too complicated to crack and then use to our advantage. So the four of us have done what we can, various things here and there, to see if it will help. But there are things happening now that directly relate to it, as if we’re on the verge of another turning point. The Dark Oval. The Black Sun. Dominus. Caracalla. These names are all on their, among riddles and notes. It can’t be coincidence. I think we’re at a crossroads.” He was silent now.

“The world changes Cobie,” she said. “And we must change with it. How can we proceed?”

He smiled at her. “I know. Here’s what we’ve deciphered. A new power arise that connects to the Barbarian Hordes and the Dark Oval. All the current players on the board are connected. And it somehow relates back to Elagabolus. He’s the destroyer of the LMB in this. And if we can’t change his destiny by helping him grow into someone else, we can at least stop those trying to put him on his path. This man, Dominus, seems like he could be a central figure to all of this. Half-Barbarian. Half-Khund. Ggrrggian trained. Worshipper of the Black Sun. He must be stopped.”

“Why wait until now then?”

He hesitated. “I…I lost my way. But thanks to you, Crujeckie and Spacey, I’m back. But, it doesn’t matter. Despite it making total sense, I can’t help but feel I’m overstating Dominus’ importance. He feels like a bit player, as arrogant as that sounds.” He looked at the planet. “But here, now, at the Black Sun, we might be able to get some more answers.”

They were quiet now. Jailbait Lass spoke up after a time. “What ever happened to Esk?”

“I hid her from the rest of the LMB and the rest of the world. She was too dangerous a figure, and if our enemies ever learned of her, they’d probably come after her. She still trains at the LMB Academy, but has no desire to join the LMB. She has a different codename now. Some know of this whole thing, you know. The Legion World Founders know—I had to tell them, otherwise I’d never get over the guilt of Legion World being in trouble. That’s about it actually. Crujeckie knows of course.”

“But no one ever gets the whole story,” said Jailbait Lass. “That’s the wrap on you Cobie. And you know what? Its right. What aren’t you telling me?”

He looked at her, getting serious. “Very good Lolita. Stay sharp always—never let emotion cloud your search for answers,” he added, meaning it. “Down below is the Black Sun planet. The Black Sun is a religious sect that grows every day. They attempt to bring new people under their spell. Some say they are a cult, and the things they practice, they sound like it. They want nothing less than the annihilation of all the suns in the universe, and all the people other than them, so that their deity, Sol Invictus can come down and be the final, unconquered sun, giving the true believers paradise. I say with no small hesitancy, they are our enemy. They’re coming for us one day, that I know. I’m quite sure they’ve begun already. Their Head Priest is a man named Caracalla. I’ve never met him, but I know of him. He’s a devout follower, a truly gifted leader, and has a keen intellect matched only by our wittiest and most intelligent. And he’s also a craven killer, and master manipulator and an excellent strategist that knows how to get others to follow his desires. I secretly suspect he’s not just a ‘man’, but someone with immense power. I also secretly suspect that although he believes his religion, he has his own agenda that he pushes, whether it fits his holy doctrine or not. And I’ve recently become aware that he has a young apprentice that follows him everywhere. The apprentice has become a holy figure among the Black Sun, and is revered as Caracalla’s favorite. The young man’s name, as he is no longer a boy, is…Elagabolus.”

The old Ice Cream Parlol

This was the part of town that sustained the least amount of damage during the invasion. And Helena could see why. This area had once seen better days. There were quite a few boarded up windows and not a lot of people around. Helena was by herself. Winema stated that she had urgent business at the medical center.

Turning a corner, Helena saw the pink and white building. Over the enterance was the sign "Ice ream Parlol", the "C" having fallen in front of the door. Helena continued to amble along as she scouted out the area. She did not notice anything or anyone that appeared out of place. But that didn't mean there wasn't. She saw that there was a side door into the Parlol down the alley. Helena walked around to the back street and enter the alley from that direction. The door was locked, but her robotic arm allowed her to twist the knob off.

To the left was the storeroom. The only thing left on the shelf were two industrial size cans of marachino cherries. To the right was the main area of the parlol. On both walls were a series of booths. About 5 wrought iron tables were in the middle of the floor with 3 chairs at each. A fine dust had settled over everything. Helena was not sure exactly what she was looking for. She wasn't even sure if she should be trusting the strange Dr. Mayavale or even Winema. Behind the counter was a door marked "office". It was the last place to look. Helena opend the door and was blinded by a flash of light.

Helena rubbed her eyes and blinked several times. There were still bright stars of lights dancing wherever she looked.

"Are you all right, honey?" Helena felt an arm going around her shoulder. "I told you that you didn't need to use the flash, dear. Are you ok honey?" Two shapes came into focus for Helena. "Mom? Dad?" Helena squinted, then closed and opened her eyes. Yes, it was her parents. And she was in her old house. She could smell the roast of lightning beast coming from the kitchen. "Dinner will be ready soon." said Dad as he put down his camera and headed back into the kitchen. Mom steered Helena to the couch. "Oh I am so glad you could make it back. You must be tired after your long trip. Sit down and rest. I'll put on some music and during dinner you can tell me all about college." Helena did feel tired and the couch was so soft. It wouldn't hurt to close her eyes for a few seconds, would it?

Outside Dr. Mayavale's Mediation Tent

Seth had finally been released from his questioning by some of Legion World's security force. So far, it didn't look like he was being accused of the disappearance; a bit of a surprise to Seth. What worried Seth now was that Helena would be unjustly hunted down for this... she'd done so much to make up for her past, but it could still be a weapon against her.

He wandered away from the tent, not sure where to go now...

Hrykosian Fortress. Lin-Dak Nebula, Dark Oval.

Collus Hrykos's Ready Room...

"What news, Vice-Regent? Speak."

"I won't mince words, Lord," Zyrnyn begins, "I now know who betrayed the Hrykos Clan. It was Kalla Hryl, the Chief of Reclamation at the Hronmire Shipyard."

"Kalla?! I know of her--excellent service record! Are you certain?"

"Yes, my Lord. Her department specializes in refurbishing damaged warships. The Night Raven was allocated to her. She personally logged it out days before the attack on Rrraahhm. And she's been AWOL ever since."

"Why haven't I heard of this before now?"

"Lord, there's been chaos in the entire Dark Oval sector ever since the Barbarians retaliated, and the United Planets, under Cobalt Kid's commission, almost simeultaneously led their assault. Most of what I've done since...our last talk...was to reestablish our internal communications network. The U.P.'s withdrawal helped as well. With only one (though considerably huge) front to manage, it's been somewhat easier to rebuild the net. Having rebuilt, finding Kalla's duplicity was simple."

"Why would she do this, Zyrnyn?" Hrykos shouts, his face turning red. "Why would she cast aside the loyalty that is ingrained within every Hrykosian?!?!"

"A search of her quarters revealed nothing in the way of specifics, but she left this note." And Zyrnyn hands it to Hrykos.

Hrykos reads it: "I commit no treason. The treason was committed against me when my lover was executed by High Command. He served them faithfully but was manipulated by them. His life was thrown away when they were done using him. Hrykosian High Command use and throw away 'inferior' races as they see fit, though without them the Clan would wither and die. My hope is that my actions lead to the cleansing of a corrupt hierarchy and to a new enlightenment. Until that time, I will seek a new home that embraces and celebrates diversity and will do whatever I can there to remakethe galaxyinto a better place!"

He finishes reading the note and angrily tears it to shreds. "Ridiculous! Where is she, Zyrnyn?!?!"

"Uh--unknown, Lord."

"Find her! And find out who this 'lover' was!! I don't believe at all she was in this alone. If we know her lover's name, we'll be that much closer to finding out who precisely she conspired with and where she's gone! GO!"

"Y-yes, my Lord!"