Legion World Forums LEGION OUTPOST Bits o' Legionnaire Business Legion Worlds (fanfic - Finished 23 April)

Deathstorm was experimenting with new ways to disable the attacking force.

He would follow the stupid no intentional killing rules that the humans enforced, as much as he disagreed with them. Still, in laser form he had enjoyed blasting the arms of the attacking forces. The stupid expressions on their faces as they realised that they suddenly had cauterized stumps instead of hands made the Khund very happy. Blinding their horses so that they crashed into each other had entertained him as well; the pandemonium it created was a joy to behold.

They were all stupid, he thought to himself. The stupid cowardly humans and the stupid Dominator created Bandits. As long as he played the game for now, in the long run he would get what he wanted out of this situation.

He had listened to the flight ring created telepathic conversations between the newly arrived Legionnaires with interest. As he had personally stopped several hundred of their opponents he wondered if the Legion Leader would include him in her wager. He was zigzagging his way through the attacking swarm merrily slicing through limbs as he went when he heard Jo Nah’s telepathic cry. Without a further thought the Khund warrior focused on Ultra Boy and Lightning Lasses position and with laser precision flew towards them.

Pretty exciting seeing the Legion girls kick ass, and I love the visual of the Starburst Bandits...they're one lot of bad guys I always wished would get some play in the modern Legion comics!

Wow. Such a huge battle! Very cool, and it was great to see Ayla playing with an aspect of electricity-manipulation more advanced than 'throws lightning at people.'

There were hundreds of Starburst Bandits approaching from all directions.

Jo's invulnerability kept the majority of their stinging blasts from getting anywhere Ayla but he knew it was only a matter of moments before they unified their attack and then she wouldn't stand a chance. As he was weighing up the chances of being able to make an ultra speed escape with Ayla in his arms a beam of garish light shot across the approaching horde in a mad zig zag, smashing them off their mounts.

Deathstorm had arrived and was single handedly holding the attacking mass back. There were still the odd attacking bursts that made it to Jo but he could easily deflect these away from the unconscious Lightning Lass.

"'Stormy, we're definitely gonna take you out to celebrate this when we get back to Earth."

Jo didn't expect a reply as the Khund warrior as he focused on the job at hand. It was perhaps twenty seconds later that the mark viii cruiser blasted through the unconscious bodies of the Bandits that the Khund had recently stopped and sped towards Jo and Ayla with its docking bay doors wide open. Jo sped Ayla into the bay, through the protective force field that stopped the air from being explosively ripped into space just as Vi rushed in, an auto-doc drone floating at her side. Ayla's eyes were beginning to open as Jo gently put her onto the floor.

"Hey gorgeous gal, how's things?" Ayla smiled as she spoke, her eyes and voice were both sleepy.

"Fine." Vi's reply was all business; pleasure could wait until she knew Ayla would be okay.

"Right, better not let 'Stormy have all the fun, catch you later ladies." Jo impulsively bent down and stroked Ayla's brow affectionately before rushing out through the atmospheric protection field, into space and the oncoming mass of red and flames.

Harmonia had reached the Oort cloud planetoid and was inside the central chamber that had housed the temporal vortex that Brainiac 5 had mentioned in his report to Legion HQ. Reep Daggle and Querl Dox were both with her, all three discussing their next action. Jacques Foccart had taken his sister Danielle to find the kitchen that the on-site AI had informed the young girl was nearby.


"So," Reep checked that Invisible Kid and his sibling were out of earshot, "Did you tell Adym about this?"

"Of course Reep, he said he was very grateful for my continued support of ECHO" Harmonia gave her colleagues a sly smile.

"Perfect, we can't let him suspect that you alerted Querl and I about his activities when you joined us."

"He still thinks you are none the wiser about the experiments I worked upon in the Time Institute that tragically led to Titan's destruction. I have led him to believe that it would not be in my interest if you knew about that horrific series of accidents." As she finished Querl smiled. Harmonia knew he was deeply suspicious of the Black-Ops Time agent that had tried to recruit her into an unnamed mission that may or may not have official UP government sanctions. The Coluan Legionnaire had been waiting for the right moment to deal with this situation and it appeared that the Dark Circle had handed it to him in this planetoid. That though, he knew, was only a bonus to this already fortuitous find.

"According to Danielle the console will be back on line in approximately four minutes and the vortex will be up to full power three minutes later. So, I've suggested to her to inform the controlling AI system that we no longer wish to follow the protocol that it had been working under. We no longer need an army to fight for the Dark Circle, instead we need to locate all members of the Legion of Super Heroes that have been misplaced in time. If my calculations are correct we may finally be able to retrieve our lost comrades." Querl's smile was broad and was shared by his two comrades.

Reep replied, "Who would ever of suspected the Dark Circle could be such a helpful organization?"

Whoops, just rereading this to confirm something and realised I'd stupidly missed out a rather important post - Tinya alerting Chuck at the academy that there were over 4,000 Starburst Bandits raiding the Saturnian settlements. It's been added in if you want to go back a page and check it out. Sorry.

Dream Girl hated this place.

The Naltorian beauty was famous throughout the galaxy for her pride in her personal appearance but had any of the news-steeps that often hounded Legionnaires have seen her they would not have believed the sight before them. Her usually well coiffed hair was tied back roughly with what looked like string, her shapely figure was hidden underneath a baggy olive green overall whose colour seemed to be solely designed to draw any warmth from the face of its unfortunate wearer, while her normally radiant face was half hidden behind a small breathing mask and rather clumsy looking goggles.

"Ms Nal, please, the patient seemed increasingly agitated when he can see any of his... ah... guest's faces. Please keep your mask on for now."

"No. No I don't think I will Doctor, he has been a friend of mine for almost a decade and you really wouldn't believe some of the things we've seen together in that time. One of those was his last bout into this horrid state and he didn't mind then so I doubt he will now."

Before her, behind a holographic wall that allowed her to see in but not the patient to see out, sat Senator Tenzil Kem, former Legionnaire and Holo-star of several reality shows. He was currently squatting on his haunches in a corner picking at the hairs on his arm and eating whatever it was he found there as if he were an ape grooming itself. In a strangely childish voice he was humming a popular tune that had only left the Terran music charts the month before. Nura couldn't help but smile to herself, Tenzil had always been a sucker for a sugary pop ballad.

"I need to talk to senator Kem...."

"I'm not sure if...."

"I've already seen myself in there so let's not waste any more of your time Doctor." She strode up to the security panel and gently rested her flight ring upon it. There was a soft breeping before the doorway appeared in the holo-clad wall. "I'll only need a few minutes, thank you." She pushed open the door and quietly entered the cell carefully making her way to the wall next to him before sitting on the floor.

The Bismollian Senator's eyes were focused on a place that Nura would never reach, somewhere past the probabilities that even her highly trained Naltorian mind could predict.

"Tenzil sweetheart, how are you?"

Without looking at her he continued humming and plucking at his arms though slowly lowered his head until it laid to rest on her lap.

"It's okay darling man, I'm here for you now for as long as you need me."

Ultra Boy, Deathstorm and Violet in the cruiser held the line between the Bandits and the settlement off Nu-de Janiro in the Tirawa Basin on Rhea.

Ayla had grudgingly agreed to sit quietly as the audo doc fussed over her. Vi estimated if Lightning Lass was to stay there for five solid minutes it would be a miracle. Glorith had muttered about the Bandits being anomalies that she had to stand steadfast against and returned to her meditation. Vi used every weapon on board the cruiser, including the hull to disrupt the attacking horde. Her instrumentation had shown her that the mining settlement on Kiviuq had been massacred before they had reached it.

Salu Digby was not going to allow that sort of destruction to happen again.

Otaki stood at the back of the room hugging herself for warmth.

Beside her the unconscious Ontiir clone gently rasped as he snored in his sleep. The Legionnaires were stood around the strange looking console discussing information that Danielle Foccart had just persuaded its AI to reveal. Apparently, the Dark Circle had summoned over seven thousand Starburst Bandits, nearly twenty five thousand clone troops and, most worrying of all, recently had started poking into alternate realities and had found a version of the Legion from a reality governed by their counterparts. They had summoned several of these Legionnaires through the vortex in the last week.

Jacques Foccart stood with his arm protectively across his sisters shoulder as she relayed this information. Brainiac 5 assumed that whatever the cult's plans were they must be close to fruition. Chameleon Boy said he would go search the Planetoid for any more information and as he started to leave Danielle called out that the on site AI had told her where the command room could be found. Reep asked Jacques to join him and even though it was obvious to everyone that the Invisible Kid did not want to leave his sister he nodded. Before leaving Jacques said something quietly to Danielle and almost as an after thought turned to the academy student and, with a brief smile, asked if she would like to join them too. Otaki stammered her yes and alongside the two Legionnaires strode out of the room. Their confidence and determination shone to her mind sense and for about the twentieth time that day Bina Nawoti wondered how she could ever live up to their standards.

Tasmia was beginning to tire.

They had been in this battle for over twenty solid minute now and even her Talokean stamina was beginning to reach its limits. She knew she wasn't the only one either feeling the burn as she had watched the Khund stop several times to slurp from a protein pouch and Jo had sweat ringing his hair as he blurred past. The constant wave after wave of Starburst Bandit was beyond what they expected. Surely they had fought their way through the 4,000 or so that the scanners had picked up? The vacuum of space around her was littered with unconscious and incapacitated bandits. Their flaming mounts, if not also unconscious, were adding to the melee with their senseless rearing and charging through the litter of fallen.

Tasmia smiled as she punched another Bandit into the realm of sleep. The physical action of dealing with the attacking force had reminded her that she may not exactly feel comfortable yet amongst the Legionnaires - despite their every effort to support her while she recovered her memories, but she had every reason to be their - she was a Planetary champion and no-one would forget that!

Star Fleet had arrived, finally, about five minutes before and their two battle cruisers were blasting the raiders then sucking them into holding bays. Still it seemed as if they were up against an endless enemy as yet another wave dove towards the settlements below.

"Why are they doing this? What is down there that they are willing to risk so many for?" It was not the first time that any of the Legionnaires had asked this question but this time Tasmia Mallor decided it was time to actually do something about it.

Trusting that Glorith's magickal protection would stop any blast from doing her too much damage Tasmia turned around and dove towards the domed settlement below.

"Professor Dox, it says it's found fourteen Legionnaires with associations to this timeline and current temporal point."

"Fourteen? Incredible, I only expected ten.... when are they Danielle?"

"Uh... it says one is in a stasis about 6 years ago.... nine are in early 21st century.... another two are mid- to late 20th century... oh... one is mid 43rd though seems to be traveling away from us into the future.... and the last is in the 75th century. It's asking if you want it to bring them here now?"

"First let me set up a force field Danielle, we don't want any nasty germs being brought here by accident do we?"

Harmonia and Querl shared a moment of eye contact. They both understood that it was not merely germs that could be brought here to trouble them despite the young girls assertion that the AI in charge of the temporal vortex was under her control.

"Professor Dox.... do you mind if we give it a name, it's says it has a name and.... it is kinda weird speaking to something without a name."

Harmonia Li answers, "Why Danielle, that's a really nice idea, what name does it suggest?" The ancient elemental's tone is slightly distracted though pleasant.

Danielle Foccart doesn't look at Harmonia, her eyes barely reach Brainiac 5. Her social awkwardness and shyness around most adults was a visible reminder in that moment to the Legionnaires that despite her ability to communicate and maybe even control artificial intelligences Danielle Foccart was still a young girl with emotional problems.

"Henry. It says we should call it Henry.... it says that's funny for a time traveler.... I don't understand...."

"So long as it doesn't start calling you Clare Anne it'll be all right." Harmonia's tone was light, though the joke was beyond Danielle's grasp.

Querl Dox continued to read through a hard light data scroll apparently uninterested in the conversation. Harmonia's attention returned to her own scanned results. Danielle stood awkwardly as she listened the voice of this strange machine from an unknown future. For several minutes the only noise was the gentle rasping snores of the unconscious Ontiir clone against the far wall.

Gazelle took a few seconds to suck the contents out of the Protein Pouch.

She was exhausted and knew from bitter experience that if she didn't refresh her reserves she would not be able to last much longer. The Legionnaires had proven to be an effective fighting unit she noted. Despite the members present not being perhaps the most powerful they had managed to turn back an apparently endless opponent. As much as she found the Legionnaires to be strange and perhaps too soft, her admiration for them grew. Shadow Lass in particular had shown how effective a fighter she was, and Gazelle realised that given her recent memory loss the Talokean was perhaps not fighting at her best. The young Khund warrior knew logically that the Legionnaires must be relatively effective to have lasted as long as they had, even in the feeble United Planets, but seeing them in action had brought it home to her just how skilful they truly were.

Deathstorm had briefly joined her to say he would win the wager that Tinya had offered her team before blasting away into an oncoming wave of invaders. Gazelle thought that despite his high spirits Deathstorm looked exhausted as well.

Reep Daggle had followed the directions Danielle Foccart had given him.

Behind him Invisible Kid and Otaki peered into every room they passed. So far they had found 81 living quarters, seven localised engineering and electrical power hubs, twenty rest rooms, three communal areas, two kitchens, nine hydroponic areas and; a well fitted gym. Everywhere they looked there were signs of he original designs in the tunnels and rooms - rococo flourishes with intricate and eye catching details lined around the cornices; swirling door handles that warmed slightly to the touch; stained glass displays that overlooked architectural facets. Whomever had designed this asteroid retreat had an eye for quality. There were obvious later Dark Circle additions too that distracted from the original considered aesthetics. Reep found himself saddened to see the damage that the cult had inflicted upon this otherwise quite beautiful place.

Reep estimated they had walked through about a third of the living space in the asteroid before they finally reached the command centre that Danielle had told them about. As they walked in it was obvious that Ultra Boy had met some resistance here when he had swept through the planetoid, several chairs were over turned, a screen was smashed with torn shreds of a robe hanging from the sharp edges and a blaster scorch mark close to the spiraling door. Other than that Reep was glad to see the central command panel looked pretty much UP standard. It wouldn't take him long to figure out how this planetoid operated and with the judicious use of a data vampire or two he would ensure the SP and UP governing bodies could access the data stored here to examine how a potential dangerous force like the Dark Circle could get so close to Sol.

While Reep looked at the main command console Jacques and Bina wandered around the circular room examining each work station they came to, trying to discern the function and practical application as they went.

"Reep, you may want to see this..." Jacques Foccart's normally soft voice sounded surprised, "It looks like a feed straight into the United Planets High Council main chamber...."

Tinya Wazzo was tired.

Even in her inter dimensional intangible state there were limits. Star Fleet had arrived and they were assisting but still the sprokkin' bandits appeared endless!

She had just phased through one of the bandit's horses to punch the rider under his jaw, knocking him flying into the rider to his side and also spooking the mount so it reared up impeding the riders behind when something green flashed on the edge of her sight.

There! Finally, she thought, Soddam Yat deigns to appear.

And as she watched the flash of green became a wrecking ball as big as a battle cruiser that swung easily through the attacking horde knocking them flying in all directions.

"Ho Legionnaires! Apologies for taking so long but I had a rogue Tenanite pirate ship to detain." The ancient Daxamite sounded truly happy to be there helping. Tinya smiled to herself, glad that she had asked him to take the flight ring earlier, in the minute he had been here he had already knocked out over 100 of their opponents.

The Legion had so many potential allies yet rarely asked for their support. With the introduction of the two Khund members Tinya had realised that they could no longer be so UP-centric and insular, there was a great big universe out there that needed their help too. And, when she allowed herself the time to think about it she knew there were other dimensions too.

Soddam Yat was the first of a few ideas Phantom Girl had that would help increase both the Legion's reach and effectiveness.

After Tinya's holo had dispersed Chuck immediately hit the all-level alert wakening up the entire dorm facility and sending an info- blip into all staff and student quarters that would relay the appropriate data. Within seconds Jenni was on the control desk alongside Chuck, eager to get started.

Lu holo'd asking the teams to be ready within ten minutes. Jenni's team; Dragonmage and Kinetix, would leave Montauk Point in 15 minutes in a cruiser. They would be the Strike team, dealing with any immediate event. Bbob's team of Sade and M'Windaji would be more strategically used - they were on support detail primarily focusing on rescue and relief.

Chuck and Lu, alongside Dr Shakespeare, the visiting virologist that they knew Brainiac 5 was eager to encourage to join the staff at the academy were the reserve.

XS's team had been in the air approximately one hundred seconds when the alarm sounded. The Fusion Sphere near Kiev had been breached. Setting the cruiser on a priority flight path that followed a parabolic arc they reached their destination minutes later.

Kiev was a city of many paradoxes. As an ancient market town that had grown and developed and renewed itself many times in the previous three thousand years it showed a wealth of architectural styles that could only be found on Mother Earth. It also currently had a large percentage of it's population of nearly twelve million beings trying to flee by any means possible while the few Science Police officers and the huge AI guided infra-structure were struggling to manage the terrified crowds. As the cruiser landed Kinetix said the sight reminded her of a war zone.

The Fusion Sphere was housed in an ancient mosque on the outskirts of the metropolis, redeveloped to keep the stunning hexagonal tiles and archways that had decorated the original building on display. The air steamed with the releasing energy and the obvious hole and fracture lines that ran along the outside of the building showed them that this was no accident.

Jenni, of course, was the first one off the cruiser and she zoomed into the breach in the Fusion Sphere's walls. Kinetix walked to the walls and stroked them, her telekinetic abilities knitting the ancient stones and tile skin back into place. It may not fully contain the energies being released from inside but it would help in the short term. Dragonmage muttered something about impulsive leaders as he traced glowing sigil lines in the air with his fingers. From these sprung a swarm of tiny flying apparitions that he directed into the hole.

"Whoah"Getawayfromthewall,it'sMon-Elgonemad!" Jenni flashed past the trainees and dramatically skidded to a halt before turning back to them and shouting, "I SAID... GET AWAY, IT'S MON-EL DOING THIS!"

Danielle stood behind Brainiac 5 as the temporal vortex roared into life again.

The Coluan genius had asked the young girl to focus on the group that the AI had sensed in the early 21st century. The room was thrown into stark relief of black and white as the harsh light blazed out from the rip the time’s heart. Dox had set up a force field that ran approximately 12 feet around the vortex. Danielle gasped, "There's someone coming, they aren't happy!"

With a crashing roar Wildfire blasted through the vortex and spun into the force field, slamming down towards the floor with a loud thump.

"Hey! Where...?"

Dawnstar quickly followed though gracefully spun around mid-flight to land lightly beside Drake Burroughs crumpled form.

"Querl ...Professor Li? Are we back?" She looked around as she bent over to help Wildfire stand up.

In rapid succession behind them Timber Wolf, Tyroc, Tellus, Chameleon Girl and Gates tumbled through the vortex's event horizon and landed roughly on the hard stone floor. Brainiac 5's fingers danced across a hand held scanner. The hard light screens that popped up were brushed aside as he completed his examinations. He reached for his belt, flicking off a switch.

"It's them! We found the Lost team!"

"But Professor Dox," Danielle Foccart pulled on his long coat from behind, "...there are two others from the 21st Century coming through now as well."

The Lost team had begun to stand up, excited questions and smiling faces as they gathered around Brainiac 5 to congratulate him. Even as he tried to desperately set up a force field to catch whoever or whatever was away to arrive the vortex roared again and an unconscious Drudra Sepht fell onto the floor. Timber wolf was on hand with a single bound to gently pick up the young pale skinned woman. Even as he took her over to the rest of the group the vortex roared once more and this time a young blonde woman wearing a red and gold outfit fell through. As she stood up, dusting herself down without looking up at the Legionnaires present she said "Brainy.... I thought you had believed I didn’t love you no more so were gonna leave me stranded me there forever!"

"Ah....okay, so you know our Brainy, but who are you?" Tyroc stood between the group and the newcomer. By now she had stood up and was obviously confused by the group before her.

"Sandy Anderson, Inferno.... so I recognize Greenie there but who are the rest of you?"

They could see immediately it wasn't their Mon-El.

The dark haired young man that levitated through the hole in the fusion sphere's wall wore a similar outfit though the gold clasps to hold his cape were replaced by black circles and the blue highlights on boots and wrists were also black. Most telling of all though, the body language of the man before them was one of utter contempt and arrogance.

"'Mage, we've got to do something, get ready to summon a dragon to hold him...." Zoe Saugin reached out with her mind and telekinetically wrapped the imposters blue cape around his head. At the same moment Xao Jin spoke quietly into his palms before turning them out and as he did a swarm of tiny green lights erupted into the air around the strange Mon-El.

The imposter was struggling to pull the cloak from off of his face so was unaware before it was too late that the young mystic had released a spell against him. The lights coalesced into a form of a winged reptile, its hind claws grasping around this Mon El's waist while its fore limbs reached across and pinned his arms to his sides.

"You'redoingit!Wow!OhwowIknewyouweregonnabegreat!"

Even as she cheered the trapped Daxamite tried desperately to spin and fight his way free. Sweat started to pour off Xao Jin's brow as he kept muttering the restraining spell. It was obvious that the young sorcerers abilities were being tested to the full. Kinetix shouted to XS, "Hey, get the SPs here already, we can't keep him bound forever y'know!"

Even as XS acknowledged the suggestion there was a yell of triumph as the dark Circle's Mon'El ripped the fore legs from the magical dragon construct and kicked out at it. Xao Jin collapsed with a grunt, cracking his head against the pebbled street.
Without a thought XS threw herself towards the rogue Daxamite at supersonic speed but his hand swatted her away.

Xao's dragon's claws had torn into the flesh while restraining the imposter and his blood splattered across the floor in a wide arc. The Daxamite tore the cloak from off his head and turned towards Kinetix as she cradled the unconscious Dragonmage."That mystic hurt me." Mon El's Dark Circle duplicates voice gave away the pain he was in. The dragon spell had obviously hurt him and now he was looking for revenge.Zoe Saugin's life flashed before her eyes and she screamed as his eyes flashed with fire.

INFERNO!!! And Drura!!!! Yay! :D:D:D

“Maybe Danielle could get it to ....”

“Reep... please mon ami, my sister ‘as not been well and we mussn’t push her. I am quite capable of doing this.” Jacques fingers slowly turned a virtual dial and the holo before them sharpened into crisp focus.

Chameleon Boy and Invisible Kid scrutinised the image before them. It was clearly a real time transmission from within an ambassadorial event. Before them they could see whatever the Dark Circle spy could see; a group of glorious Thanagarians in full military dress uniform complete with neatly upright wings, a large squid like creature tapping a sphere with a Gil’Dishpan inside, several obvious bodyguards in dark clothing,and there! Reep recognised the Lalloriam Ambassador he had met recently on Weber’s World, Oodoo Shanair - he had joined the Legion’s Ambassadorial team that Brainiac 5 and Projectra had set up there in the aftermath of the Llorn invasion. Reep pointed out the Lallorian mutant to Jacques.

Within the communication function of the Flight Rings that they all wore was an electronic communication sub routine that could simulate telepathic conversations. I was usually used when in deep space but Chameleon Boy knew that this was another perfect example of when to activate it.

“Oodoo....” In the image the Lallorian ambassador turned around, looking to see who had said his name, “Don’t react Oodoo please, this is Chameleon Boy. The flight ring you have is transmitting this directly into the speech recognition parts of your brain. I need you tell me who you are with, Just think clearly and it’ll be sent to me.”

“Aah... that’s rather odd you know? Anyway... I’m a guest at a function being hosted by the Martian First Minister Anna Gruttenbach in the High Council’s primary entertainment suite right now, It’s rather plush....”

Reep let Oodoo ramble as he watched the holo feed waiting for the moment when the Lallorian would look directly at the person transmitting these images.

Now! “who are you looking at now Ambassador, right now!”

“Do you mean Anton? I’m looking at Anton Relnic right now. Why ever do you ask?”

Thanks Raz, yup everyone's favourite pyrokinetic psycho returned to the fold. Fun fun fun! Two more coming, can you guess who?

Meant to post the bit above last night too but somehow missed it, d'oh!

Hope you have enjoyed this so far, more coming soon.

Hmmm two more from the 21st century...who's left? Superboy & Supergirl? Karate Kid and Una from *shudder* Countdown? Timber Wolf and Aria from 5YL?

Can't wait to see who it will be!

Wow! The gang's all here!

XS, Kinetix, Dragonmage, Infectious Lass, Gates and the rest of the Lost team, Inferno... you are on a roll, B! This is amazing!

Lonely Galaxy guide to travellers wanting to see absolutely everywhere: Takron-Galtos’ existence has never former been formerly acknowledged by any government within the United Planets though it is widely suspected to be a heavy guarded planetoid within the Horsehead Nebula that houses the most dangerous criminals within the Milky Way. If it’s possible to give a negative rating this would get it. 0 stars.

Jed Rikane was asleep when the alarm started to scream.

He had been dormed with Tel Vole in a rather spacious apartment on the northern side of quadrant twelve. All science police staff were based here as it was the furthest point on the main archipelago of islands that spread out like a crescent beside the one continent on the lifeless hell hole world. The one continental landmass on this world had been turned into the largest corrective facility in galactic history.

He jumped out from the sheets, grabbed his pants and jumped into the grav-lift and shouted the command to take him to the shuttle bay on the complex roof. By the time he reached the shuttle the resident AI had informed about the situation he was away to fly into. Sector Four, the area that focused on rehabilitation of political terrorists was under attack. Three thousand Starburst Bandits had appeared out of a special warp and were on the rampage.

“Jed, you on your way?” Tel Vole’s holo did little to disguise that he looked stressed,

“Alarm woke me, in a Shuttle Tel, what’s your twenty?”

“We have an army attacking the Four’s and Mandalla and I are the only ones here. Tayla is on the Sub-Dome,” the prison section for non-oxygen breatherssituated1,000 feet under the raging southern pole’s sea, “and Berta’s on her way but we need your muscle, lover.”

“On my way babe, go get them ‘til then eh?”

“See you soon.”

Gravity Kid’s holo winked out and Jed double checked the shuttle’s controls. He would get there in less than three minutes at this rate. The display showed real time feed of the events. The sky above sector Four looked as if a burning twister had hit it as the Bandits swarmed down onto the prison complex below. The automated defenses and few Science Police officers stationed there were doing their best but the number attacking them was awesome. The collateral damage already was horrific and still the Bandits rode out of the sky on their fiery mounts down towards the besieged Sector, and Tel Vole.

Even as he watched Jed could see a group of about thirty or so of the Bandits turn and start attacking their own force, flying straight into the oncoming swarm. Jed knew what that meant; his comrade Mandalla would be using her hallucinatory abilities to try to turn the tide. And there! Tel’s signature energy signature at the heart of a ever expanding knot of Bandits.

The personal cruiser was carrying Jed towards the attacking force at supersonic speed. He punched in the auto pilot control, giving it the order to attack the Bandits and decreased his molecular mass to phase through the bottom of the craft.

Tel Vole had used his gravity manipulating abilities to push his way into the attacking force, throwing the flaming mounts aside, their riders flung off and into the approaching Bandits. Confusion reigned and Tel used the opportunity to punch his way further into the attacking swarm. The air was full of screams and falling bodies, blasts of concentrated energy and flaming hoofs, and Gravity Kid used every ounce of energy he had to push it all away from him and into the Bandits comrades.

The initial confusion created by his attack had disrupted the huge column of Bandits as they swept down from the heavens. The solar system that Takron-Galtos was located within had a network of some of the most sophisticated sensor technology in the United Planets yet somehow the alarm yet somehow the Bandits were not detected until they swept down like a Biblical horde from the upper atmosphere. Gravity Kid knew that after they had defeated this current attacker there would be serious questions asked about their security.

A solar burst stung across his shoulders causing him to twist awkwardly onto a raging steed whose rider had been dislodged. Tel swung about, extending the pulse of gravity negating energy that kept him afloat to throw the nearest Bandit up into the oncoming army. He could hear the detonations of blasts and the screaming of the Bandits as an endless wave seemed to descend on him from above.

“Jed, where are you?”

Tasmia Mallor landed just outside of a smashed airlock on the edge of the grey dome.

She had used the scanning function on the flight Ring to try to establish what she may find inside but it had drawn a blank, unable to penetrate the geodesic domes outer protective skin. The planetoid’s weak gravity threw her balance off for a second as she floated down to the airlock and she banged her shoulder painfully on the metallic edge. Momentarily Tasmia thought that her former self, the one whose life she no longer remembered, would have had enough experience of these environments to have not have been so clumsy.

Well, determination and embarrassment blushing her face, she knew that she was a Mallor, a Shadow Champion of Talok viii and she would prove to the Legion, the United Planets and, perhaps hardest of all, to herself that she was still worthy of her name as such.

As she flew into the damaged airlock she noticed several dead bodies littering the floor. Taking a moment to examine them she realised they were identical; a slender pale blue skinned male with pointed features, white hair and in dark robes. The multiple blast marks on each showed they had been heavily outnumbered.

“Phantom Girl, I’m at the dome below you on Rhea investigating what the Bandits are so focussed on. It looks like a massacre down here. I’m going in.”

And with that message Tasmia Mallor dove into the dome. It appeared that she was under a deep blue sky, the light that trickled through reminded her of dusk in the desert. Beautiful and tricky at the same time, a light that hunters used to catch easy prey foolish enough to think they would see them coming. There had been a space captain she had met a few years back, well thirteen years back really, who had called this the “gloaming”. She smiled, if either the survivors or the Bandits hunting them down thought they could hide from her in it they were in for a surprise. Let’s see who was the hunter now....
The city before her was made up of hundreds of cubes, some rooted into the sterile metallic looking ground though most floating in columns above. Cubes of smaller sizes floated in square circuits between the larger cubes. Equidistant and perfectly symmetrical, this place had obviously been designed and built by a perfectionist. There were tired wisps of smoke in the thin atmosphere and she could see in the distance flashes as the Bandits blasted their quarry. Flying as fast as her ring could carry her Shadow Lass soon reached the central square – quite literally a square, light strips along its perfect edges flickered and bodies of the fallen littered around. The four buildings that lined its sides were blasted and charred as the Bandits focused their attention on them.

Tasmia Mallor was rocketing towards them when a Bandit caught sight of her and started blasting in her direction. More turned and started following suit. She unleashed a wave of pure darkness towards them and veered slightly off her trajectory. In seconds she was upon them. There were almost forty of them though within four minutes of fairly vigorous martial arts none were conscious. She landed beside a crumpled pile of bodies, all were wearing black cloaks and as far as she could see they were identical: pale blue skin and pointed features.

Why would the Dark Circle send the Starburst Bandits to attack this dome full of clones?

While Gates spoke to the young woman who had introduced herself as Inferno his colleague Tellus skimmed telepathically across her surface memories. She had known the Legion that Gates had originated from, he confirmed, though had never quite agreed with the team on a few core principals. Tellus shared his findings with Brainiac 5 who had been using his hand held scanner on the young woman. Querl Dox asked for a personality assessment from his recently returned psychic comrade and continued to scroll through hard light displays. Gates and Inferno continued talking. It was obvious the Vyrgan teleporter was not entirely comfortable around his comrade from his reality – whether it was because of his altered appearance or due to personal matters between the two Querl Dox couldn’t tell for sure but he continued to peer over the hard light displays at the two. There was something about Inferno that he just didn’t trust.

Meanwhile Harmonia Li contacted Chameleon Boy and Invisible Kid to inform them that their missing friends had been found. She was slightly puzzled by Reep Daggle’s curt response that they were busy but would be back soon. She turned to Chameleon Girl and requested the recently returned Durlan see if they could give assistance to whatever it was that was delaying Chameleon Boy and Invisible Kid.

“Who died that you’re the boss lady?” Brin Londo’s caustic response.

“No one died, in Phantom Girl’s absence I am deputy leader, as per the recent team vote. Now, please, will you assist our friends Yera?”

“Whoah, Tinya as boss. Cool. Guess we have been away a while.”

“Professor Dox, Henry said the Legionnaire in stasis will challenge him so do we want them returned here?” Danielle Foccart had a quiet voice that it was easy to ignore but the Coluan Legionnaire immediately responded, “Of course Danielle, and thank Henry for us please.”

“Okay.....He says you are a lot nicer than the reptile was.”

“That’s nice....” Querl Dox continued scrolling through the read outs that popped up from his scanners. As far as he could tell, other than the relatively low levels of temporal radiation the returned Legionnaires appeared to be unhurt by the experience of being ripped through the Flashpoint barrier. As for the injuries they had suffered and alterations they had been through, well that was another matter. Gate’s DNA appeared to be entirely corrupted; Tellus appeared to have been induced into his race’s elder form a good thirty years premature; Chameleon Girls nucleonic acid cohesion had been weakened, while; Timber Wolf’s radiation induced meta gene appeared to be accelerated towards some altered state; and fates only knew the psychological damage and trauma they had all had to endure a thousand years in the past. Professor Querl Dox knew he would have his work cut out in the coming days and months as he tried to right, or at least stabilise his newly returned comrades.

The temporal vortex flared into life again, this time the roaring appeared louder than before as ‘Henry’ fought against the stasis that this Legionnaire had been placed into 6 years prior. Querl was curious to see who would come through this time. And with a flash an unconscious naked girl flew out of the vortex and landed roughly on the floor.

Inferno stepped back while Tyroc and Wildfire approached their returned comrade.

“Oh god, it’s Laurel....” Wildfire immediately recognised the former academy student, “It’s Laurel Kent!”