Shadowland - The Vanguard Issue #1A The mirror crack'd

His clanking metal boots echoed on the metal floor of the bridge and Sentinel looked around. Though he was from the 1940s, his mind seemed wide open to new concepts and technology. He wasn't surprised when his call of "lights?" illuminated the bridge of the MARO. Sleek, polished, clean, new. An amalgam of his own power and the Dark Power, maybe the last time he would use the Dark power now that the Devourer has followed the trail of the Vanguard and watched, waiting for it to be used again.

He shook his head, flowed the helmet away from his face and let the cool air conditioned breeze wash over him as he settled into the Captains chair. Humanoid robots emerged from panels set into the walls. Sexless, they walked to man several consoles.

Beth Carter, Sunburst, walked onto the bridge. With a thought she manipulated light waves around her form and resembled the woman she'd once been. She thought back to a few minutes ago.

The team moved to the airlock, watching Sentinel and Sunburst board the smaller ship. Beth had hugged them all - Anyman, Frostbite, Wynn - and paused when she got to Lionheart. Looking into his eyes she felt something stir inside, but couldn't summon up the emotion that a human might. She was thoughts, memories, the emulation of emotions, placed into a solid light construct, and nothing more. Sad, she stroked Richard Kings cheek, gave a small smile and turned without looking back into the airlock.

'Set the mirrors up, get back to Earth.' said Frostbite. 'Sounds simple! Have the kettle warm - this baby'll be back in a jiffy!' laughed Sentinel.

They'd shaken hands, then Sentinel had boarded the ship.

Steve called up the main viewscreen, and the wall vanished to be replaced with a view of the inky blackness of space, punctuated by occasional stars. A robot stepped up. "I am designation Klaatu 58531AV class. Navigation class. Course?"

The robot turned, then gestured. A holographic image of the solar system flickered into life, and the robot gestured. The planets appears, the sun too, and the estimated size and shape of the Devourer cloud. "We must first ascertain the size and shape of the phenomena, then use the raw materials stored in the hold to construct the space mirrors."

In a stroke of genius the robots had quickly converted part of the scrap metal from the smashed alien ships into compressed cubes. Using his power Sentinel could stretch out a 3m square cube to a vast area. By interconnecting them, a huge space mirror could be constructed, angled, then fire off the suns reflected light towards Earth! More, the technology of the Robots would integrate and transmit heat via special lens technology. Sentinel didn't understand all that, but knew it would work - it had to, or Earth would become a winter wasteland!

Having explained the basic principle, Sentinel had a choice. His ship was fast - but he was unsure of its long range capabilities. The lunarium fuel store was full, and had more to spare, but things like shields, travelling faster than light and weapons would drain the power. That said, they were aware of the Earth cooling down - every hour counted!

"Sir, please set:"

OOC Choose a score of 1-10 for each of these, with 1 being minimum, 10 flat out push it to the max...

Weapons
Shields
Life Support
Navigation
Speed
Repair
Sensors

and course:

1) As far away as possible from the Dark Cloud, increasing the time needed to get round it
2) closer, skirt the edges if you have to, risking being engulfed if it expands, or possible attack if getting too close
3) Damn, it, go through the black cloud if need be! Time is of the essence!

OOC: Most of the different aspects of the ship won't be use all the time surely so speed is highest priority but if its pushed to 10 and if....sorry when it hits the fan we will have no reserves but then again time is of the essences, sod it part of being a hero is to put others life's first before your own so its warp speed flat and the rest on 5 more when we need them e.g. Shields, weapons and repair.
I know weapons will have little effect in destroying but hopefully will keep the enemy at bay though and nav com should be on a fairly good number as we don't want to be lost in space.

And as much as i would like to fly straight through it sentinel must think of the mission and his crew, as much as he doesn't know subtly he wouldn't risk others lifes too. Somewhere between options 1 and 2 would be nice as time is of the essence.


IC: Sentinel when to work on the digital 'clipboard' he had been handed setting power levels and checking outputs, not that he really knew what any of it ment but the weapons systems did look impressive....he just how they didn't need them on this trip although he was curious about spoiling them up.
He nodded to the technical officer and handed to board back, within moments the shining white beacons that were stairs smeared on the view screen as they obvious had set the first destination after confirming Steve's orders but the ship didn't feel like it was moving which Steve had to admit he was looking forward to at lest somekind of thrust. With all the ships dampers in effect other than the step up in the back ground hum no one really notice the pick up in pace.

OOC: If its all to much of a drain as i don't know what the max usage of the fuel cells are i think I'll knock life support down to 1.

OOC Just so you know, the ship regenerates 35 energy per turn/post and has a pool of 100. You allocated 5 per station save for speed at 10 which is 40 points, so the pool is at 95/100. Still plenty left, but something like life support at 1 would give bare minimum breathable air, no lights or artificial gravity, no dampers and no hot water. It would quite literally be a metal coffin. 5 (average) is about right for comfortable living and would need to go up if the ship took on more people. You've no real need to worry about this until... well, until you need to worry about it That won't happen for a while though.

Uh, right...

The ship thundered through the darkness, punching a hole through space as it went! Space wasn't quite as empty as it looked, what with floating debris and dust, and the shields at the level they were set coped admirably. At the speed they were going, the Robot advised that a lower level of life support might slam the occupants of the craft to the rear, so it was, perhaps, wise to leave things as they were!

Sunburst looked through the viewscreen "This is amazing! I saw some technology when I was in the arctic with Richard, but this is..." she ran a hand over a console. "This is more than technology. This stuff shouldn't work. This whole ship almost feels... alive? What did you do to...?"

An alarm blared and Sentinel looked at the main viewscreen. It flickered to show the dark cloud mass bulging out to block their path! Whilst it was millions of miles away, at the speed they were travelling it would take only seconds to reach it!

"Evasive action? This may provide an opportunity to get some vital scanner readings about what it is the Earth is facing." asked the Robot, Klaatu. "To evade it would push this vessel beyond the boundary of what this solar system considers its limit, albeit we would then be able to turn and approach from another angle, one where the sun mirrors could be set up."

"That would take hours, however."

=========

"Report!"*

"The cloud is expanding. We have picked up something else though."

"The P'utinarian vessel? It's been holding a stationary position for months. They are worthless creatures and not worth the time to..."

"no, this is something else. Matches no known configuration."

The Captain glanced at the First Mate, making his annoyance at being interrupted known, before standing. "Alright, ye lubbers! Pull her about! Hard to Starboard and make full solar sails! Let's take a look!"

*All this is translated...

"Do what you must but don't take any unnecessary risks, although any readings from that thing might prove invaluable this mission is still of the utmost importance." there was a short pause "Klaatu you seemed to understand the ships capabilities better than any member, although still much of her is unknown, how should we handle this senerrio?"

"Sir?" klaatu asked briefly with a cocked head then understanding, the silver sentinel was no order shouting captain....especially when it came to understanding technology that was clearly eons away from what he was used to. "Sir i recommend that we drop MARO from high warp and increase power to the sensors to maximize range sir"

"Make it so......oh and Klaatu best step up the shields too as this could get bumpy" he replied with a wink

The ship dropped from Warp Speed, a term given to faster than light travel which appeared to break a number of established laws of time and space, and extended the sensors to their maximum capacity. Sunburst watched, marveling at the capabilities of the craft. "The sensors are probing the cloud in every electromagnetic spectrum type... most are being reflected... hmmm. There seems to be a very small signal coming back, perhaps the computers can make sense of... oh, there it is." said Beth, looking up on the screen...

Sentinel stared at the screen, unsure of what he was seeing. The scan had penetrated the darkness, and revealed millions... billions of objects, in the midst of the cloud! Indeed there seemed no limit to them!

"Can you tell me what they are?" he turned, asking Klaatu. The Robot adjusted the settings on a console, and the screen flickered. "There seems to be some kind of interference. The signal is being jammed. Boosting power. There is no.... wait."

The screen flicked off, then the Robot called up the last blurred, fuzzy image. It appeared to be an object around 7 feet in length, a couple of feet across, and oval in shape.

A coffin.

Inside, though the details could not be made out, was what looked to be a human form.

The cloud was, in essence, formed up of trillions of these things, and the black ooze held them all together!

Beth raised a hand to her mouth, shocked. "Those people! All those people! What...?"

Suddenly the Robot turned, glancing at another screen. "ALERT!" it announced and the bridge turned dark red as the lights dimmed and changed colour. "Incoming signals - from the cloud. Faster than light speed, direct intercept course, three man size objects, here in... less than 30 seconds. ALERT! A larger object, a vessel of unidentified origin, is closing in at Warp Speed on out current location! ETA... 25 seconds!"

Suddenly it seemed to Sentinel that not only had his presence been noted, he was in demand! He didn't know who, or what the incoming things were, but was in little doubt that both would be hostile! He looked about, and wondered if his ship was up to the task of keeping them in one piece!

OOC You are being approached by three beings from the Cloud, and a large vessel from out of the solar system, which will get there slightly sooner. Your shields are up to 7, Sensors at 10, Speed 1. Energy at 92/100

"How long will it take us to spool up the FTL drives?" he quickly asked then followed by "we may needed them" before Klaatu could answer.

Steve knew as advanced as the MATO weapons maybe the best defense against anything from that cloud was more than likely to get the hell out of there as much as he didn't like the idea of 'running away'.

"Faster than light drive plasma pre heat cycle ends in 3....2....1. System ready sir." announced the ensign

"Good, be ready would weapons too but just the primary's (OOC:I'm thinking ion lasers or something) we might need those missiles later. I wana stick around just a moment longer and see what our guests have to offer but don't fire until fired upon."

The scanners revealed the ship to be enormous - not in the same league as the Robo Carrier, but of an alien design and sure to hold hundreds of troops at the least!



Klaatu turned. "Unknown vessel approaching weapons range. Unidentified projectiles will be in visual range in a few seconds. Orders?"

OOC You have a few options:

1) Your shields are up. Stay and chat? See what they have?

2) Go down... ALL .. GUNS... BLAZINGGG!!!! YAHHHHHH!!!!

3) Get the heck outta Dodge - spool up the drive and out of the solar system, where no man... well, apart from Anyman and Nowhere Boy. And possibly Frostbite. Have gone before! Come to think of it Lionheart might have been for a quick jaunt into deep space. And Gravity Girl. And... well, you get the idea.

4) Call on the dark power...

5) Prepare to repel boarders! Let them come to you, then kick the stuffing out of them!

6) Something else...

ooc: AArrr Matey! Let's Keelhaul the Swabbies!!!!!!! Board their ship! [darn it! no pirate smileys to choose!]

OOC: Nah nah nah nah space pirates.
Thinking logically if that ship also has warp capabilities it'll be pointless to run even if MARO is all they say it is and i bet we are out gunned too.

IC: "Hail the alien vessel after all being British we must exchange pleasantries, lets see if our guests want to chat and as soon as those coffins get into range lock on but hold until my command."

OOC: Does the alien vessel answer oh and do any have a computer or something as a translator?

Sunburst nodded and turned to a console, pressing a button. "Hello the ship approaching the HMS MARO. Identify yourself and state your intentions please, over."

There was a momentary pause, then a crackling voice answered "Alien vessel. How is it you speak the Quaznak tongue so fluently? Your ship has no markings we recognise, nor is it of a configuration we recognise. Know that we have come to investigate the phenomena afflicting this solar system... and we have come to confiscate your ship! Wherever you are from, and from wherever... you must have heard of Piracy, and if not, you soon will! Lower your shields!"

Beth turned to Sentinel. "How is it the machines on this vessel (OOC remember computers are the size of rooms in the early 1940s, though the Vanguard has seen more than its fair share of futuristic equipment, and Sunburst herself is an energy construct implanted with the originals memories and thought patterns...) are able to so accurately translate what is clearly an alien tongue?"

Sentinel could only shrug. He knew little or nothing about the way the ship worked. As far as he could tell, it was a vessel born from science and super sorcery, that of the Dark power! It was certainly a tough, fast little ship, but that thing was many times its size, and doubtless had a crew that was aware of its capabilities!

Klaatu turned "Incoming projectiles identified as humanoid, approximately 6' long and similar in size and shape to humans. Approaching at ... greater than light speed with no visible means of sustenance or propulsion and on a direct collision course with us! ETA... less than 10 seconds!"

OOC: Assuming the alien ship is close to are own. I kind of want to see what will happen with coffins. It would be easy just peg it but sentinel should at least warn the other vessel. If the coffins look like they are going to hit MARO will blow them to bits.

Moving at a much slower speed now, roughly at impulse power but with the FTL drives ready, the MARO drifted in a foolish attempt to gain a few extra precious seconds as the coffin shaped objects approached. Hitting the comms button sentinel tried to reason with the captain on board the pirate vessel
"Look at your sensors, there's two incoming projectiles head for the both of us and i don't think its a welcoming committee, can't we talk after?"

Then after releasing the button he said "Klaatu ready weapons full power on those coffins, they funny business.....well you know the drill".

There was a pause then the alien pirate vessel replied "Our ship can take a hit or two from anything! Surrender and we'll drag ye on board an' skedaddle afore they strike! Otherwise, ye can take yer chances... arrrr"

OOC Couldn't help it. They are pirates, even if they don't come from Portsmouth or Plymouth...

Klaatu turned "Impossible to lock weapons. They have slowed to impulse power and are splitting up. Still too small and fast moving to get a lock on. Suggest we charge the warp drive to maximum capacity and discharge the quantum energy through the weapons system in a wide arc. The resultant fracture in space may scatter the projectiles across light years of distance, but may have unforeseen effects for us. The other vessel will doubtless be caught in the effect as well."

OOC They are almost on you! My next post will resolve the action you decide on!

OOC: I want to say the enemy of my enemy but we really have to think of the bigger picture and even if we take those coffins out the pirates will try to board us and we/earth hasn't got time for that.

IC: "Klaatu get us outta here"

"Coordinates sir?"

"Anywhere, just get us outta here" sentinel replied sharply hoping the pirates were as good as they say they were or could out run any trouble

As they fired up the FTL drives sentinel hit the comms button once more.

"Happy hunting and good luck"

Klaatu turned, and the ship responded, immediately dragging the star around the viewscreen as the ship catapulted forward at Warp Speed! The solar system was left behind, and so were the pursuing forces...

For a moment!

"Scanners indicate that two of the projectiles have turned to engage the pirate vessel, which has opened fire on them. The third is turning to pursue us." said Klaatu.

As the MARO left the solar system behind, Klaatu spoke up again.

"It appears to be catching us..."

Sunburst gasped! "That's impossible! I can transform my body into pure energy and travel near the speed of light in vacuum! We're travelling hundreds, perhaps thousands of times the speed of light! How can this thing catch us? How powerful is it?"

Sentinel didn't know. He did have a theory though. He knew that his own Dark Power worked by 'tethering' to a certain area and drawing on the suffering of the thousands, millions of souls around it. Once tethered, he could theoretically draw on that Dark Power from anywhere. When Frostbite unwittingly severed the tie to Britain, they'd all lost their Dark power because there was no suffering to draw upon. The tether had been re-established by visiting another area where there was suffering and negative emotions to draw on.

He looked about. There were, quite literally, in deep space. He had no idea what was out here, or even if they would continue forever in the dark void running from that thing behind! More importantly, the power reserve of the ship was dropping rapidly - if that thing behind wasn't discouraged or got tired, it was certainly catch them!

He had a choice to make - turn and fight, or push on, and hope beyond hope that creature would tire and turn back? He glanced at Sunburst. She was powerful in her own way, but whatever that was that could fly at such speed was clearly of a power level not seen since... well, the Vanguard!

"Now that this coffin is closer can we determine what's inside it?" the silver clad hero asked a nearby sensor operator.

OOC: Assume no then....

IC: "Okay that's it people its go time we ether take this thing out or earth chances are shot and i for one aren't gotta let them down by Jove." opening the intercom sentinel shouted
"All hands brace for impact"

Sentinel suddenly dropped the ship out of high warp causing the vessel to lurch something fierce for the first time ever the crew felt any moving sensations as for once the kinetic dampers couldnt hold up. The coffin shaped projectile whisked past just a brief second before recalibrating its collision course once more but not before...

"OPEN FIRE ALL WEAPONS (flash Gordon) GIVE IT HELL"

OOC: If destroyed.....

IC: "Klaatu back on course please for deployment of the solar sails, i think we've wasted enough time don't you?"

The 'coffin' seemed to unfold arms, and it became clear it was a human like object! The scan revealed nothing - aside from the fact the computer identified it as a moving object on an overlay on the main view screen, it was as if the sensors couldn't find it because the thing was in fact living, as opposed to a space ship. After all, this was deep space - no living thing could survive this deep, on its own.

Could it?

Sentinel turned then gave the order to Klaatu. Sunburst braced herself. The ship BANGED! with robots flung this way and that! With their superhuman strength the heroes were able to steady themselves, but the robot, Klaatu, looked in dismay from where it lay - it's feet were magnetically anchored onto the floor metres away!

Alarms blared across the ship. Even a vessel such as this couldn't hope to be unscathed by such a massive jolt. In fact it was a miracle that it had decelerated so quickly and not been destroyed!

A console sparked and burst into flames, and a robot scurried across the deck to fire foam at it. Sunburst looked from the the dented rail where her hands had made grooves and shook her head. "Let's NOT do that again! Where is that thing..." she asked, looking at the screen.

The ship scanned near space for living beings, but picked nothing up. The unexpected move had left the creature light years away! Even so, at the speed that thing could fly, there was only a small amount of time before it returned!

Klaatu, limping along to where its feet where then waiting for a small wheeled robot to start reattaching them with a welding tool, announced "The warp drive has been damaged and will need repairs!"

Sentinel groaned, and Sunburst asked the question "So we're stuck here?"

"We have impulse, which is sub light but capable of cross system travel. Our current location is unknown. No human being or Earth derived technology has ever ventured as deep into space as we have, to this units knowledge!"

Sunburst turned to Sentinel. "What do we do? That thing will be back soon!"

Sentinel turned to the viewscreen. "Anything nearby that will hide us? What's around us? Anything?"

There was a moment, then the screen flickered to show an image.



"The planet shown is distant, but can be reached if we push the impulse engines beyond their stated parameters. In the process, that will blow them out too, but they can be repaired. It might be enough to reach the planet before the hostile can return, and we can use the planet itself to hide on and make repairs. We will not know the composition of the planet until we get closer."

An alarm blared!

"Deep space scan reveals an object approaching at high warp! ETA 2 minutes!"

Sentinel had a choice to make - Fight... or Flight!

"We have no choice, Klaatu do what you can to get us down there i can't risk the lives of the crew........lets just hope if there is any sentient beings on that planet we don't bring them into our fight" sentinel said balling up his fist. Klaatu hurried off to over see the drive rooms technicians for they're efforts had to be doubled if they had any chance to make the planet in time.

The next few minutes were a blur of sirens and alarms as the coffins narrowed the gap between its self and its pray causing system wide failers as the plasma fusion drives gave all they could as the planets surface approached quicker by the second.

"And what if it finds us Steve how we defend our selfs hmm?" questioned Mary in a still calm tone. "There's no way even with a ship as advanced as this one we could possibly ever hope to lock on to a target that fast"

"I..i really don't Mary but we better come up with something quick. I better make my way to engineering for when we land to see if i can help speed up the repairs".

OOC I suppose by 'Mary' you mean Agent Beth Carter - Sunburst. No worries, anyway, and you picked the right choice. Sometimes there are fights you just can't win, at least not without sacrificing so much that even if you do win, you basically lose everything else...

The Ship blasted through space at Speed and the engines roared in protest at the treatment given them! The lights flickered as all available power was routed to the propulsion and the ship moved in to the shadow then the upper atmosphere of the leviathan planet with moons greater than the size of Earth!

Behind them somewhere, the pursuing Dark Enemy blasted through space, intent on destroying its foes!

The ship started to shudder as it hit the upper atmosphere at speed and started to slow, even as the shields tried their best to stop the hull from melting! With a deafening roar the ship lurched and shook, vibrating and rattling even as repair bots scurried around to keep the thing together as best they could!

"Scan shows massive life sign readings" declared Klaatu "It appears to be a jungle world, though the scale of the fauna and foilage is several multiples higher than that found on planet Earth. The air is a thin mix of various gases, including some small part of Oxygen, but it is so thin it would leave you short of breath constantly."

Sunburst glanced at Sentinel knowing she would not be hampered, but he may well be!

The ship slowed to supersonic speeds and blasted through the upper atmosphere. The clouds parted enough to reveal a vast, seemingly never ending jungle spread across the view, with trees standing what must be hundreds of metres tall, their leaves the size of houses! A curious, seemingly impossible sight greeted them as the screen flicked to view on a number of floating mountains, suspended upside down with point towards the floor over a kilometer up in the air with no visible means of support! Life had found a way to survive on these too, and the trees and undergrowth covered every square inch where it could.

"Picking up something. A beacon?" said Klaatu.

Suddenly an alarm blared! "Incoming contact.. but not from space!" said Beth. She activated several controls and put it on screen. "What on Earth is that?"



The size of several football pitches, the creature was clearly NOT from Earth, which made her comment almost funny! What wasn't funny was the fact that the creature was diving... straight at them!

OOC: Sorry don't know why i said Mary, i should of checked. Is the planet yodas is it? Am I going to learn the ways of the force? Plllleeeeaaaasssseeee.

IC: "We aren't here to upset there ecosystem, avoid it at all costs or shoot to scare don't attack until we have no choice". What a beautiful planet he thought, he had ever seen so many trees and leaves all the colors of the rainbow, a virtual paradise.....save for the lack of oxygen.

OOC: The MARO will shoot the creature if attacked but if we can help it just scare it off rather than obliterate it.

The Maro swooped down, and Klaatu seemed to look at Sentinel for just a second longer than might be required before answering "As you wish". A rail gun jutted from the smooth top hull and the bridge occupants heard the muffled roar as it fired round after round of magnetically propelled shells. Wildly inaccurate within atmosphere, the noise and random strikes nonetheless did their job as the creature swooped into a dive, took a face full of hard projectiles and turned away, thoroughly unimpressed with a meal that dared to fight back so effectively and painfully as that one did!

Sunburst breathed a sigh of relief. Though a construct, she had a sentience and personality that made her feel human, and she could alter the light patterns in her energy matrix to resemble any human like appearance, including her own human form as Beth Carter. At the moment, she was a transparent glowing female form, just about respectably clad and sparkling with motes of energy about her body. She moved to a console, took a look then pressed several buttons. The main screen flicked from a view of the creature turning tail and transformed into a 3D view of the landscape, which was basically a sea of trees as far as the eye could see, broken up in the distance by mountains (also tree covered) and a vast inland lake. The scans showed the place was basically teaming with life, and suggested that the denizens of this world must be tough indeed to adapt so well to an environment hostile to humans.

A light winked on the screen at a point near the base of a mountain. "The beacon" offered Sunburst. "head for it or take a look around first? After all, the beacon might be a trap? Also..." she checked the scanners "Nothing on them to show that Dark Being that tracked us through space. It might still be up there, hard to say."

She leaned against the console "There may be quite a few repairs to make to the ship. I'm curious though. Doesn't anyone else think it a coincidence that we dropped out of faster than light travel near a system with what appears to be sentient life on it? I know we humans as a race are only just discovering that there are forces and powers beyond our control in the darkness of outer space, but even so... Most of the universe has to be dead, empty. And yet we dropped on a planet teeming with life, without even trying? Huh."

Klaatu considered, then added "The odds of finding such a place are... trillions to one."

"I have to admit i was thinking the same and as i don't believe in Destiny there most be a higher force at work here but are we all just being paranoid? There's only one way to find out for sure..."

"You're not actually suggesting that..." interrupted sunburst

"Oh yeah" sentinel quickly added rubbing his hands at another chance of adventure especially on a exotic planet such as this one.
"Klaatu, estimated time of repair?"

"Well sir taking in consideration the extent of the thermo windings and the ...."

"So quite some time then? Excellent. Beth? You know you want to and you are the best person for the job after all. Its not like we are going anywhere for a while...... good its settled then sunburst and myself (OOC: And any red shirts you want me to throw in harms way) will grab a few supplies (OOC: Breathing apparatus) then heading for the beacon, any problems and you can reach us on the wireless". Sentinel said beaming from ear to ear as he then waved Beth forward
"Ladies first".

A half dozen robots unfurled from panels set in the walls and assumed a humanoid shape. They armed themselves with magnetic rifles that fired propelled slivers of metal at high speed, struck targets at high velocity and punched clean through them. Effective, save that they seemed somewhat small and ineffectual against the types of creatures that appeared to be ten times or more larger than anything found on Earth!

Beth smiled, then transformed into a shapeless light cloud, a will o the wisp that flitted from the airlock into the less than ideal air of the alien world. The bright main sun and its much dimmer, smaller twin provided a glare that was difficult to adjust to. The adapted helmet that Sentinel wore provided both air and polarised to reduce the glare. He grinned. "Keep up, 'bots!" he shouted as he took to the air, soaring down towards the see of vibrant bright green that covered the world in a vast jungle. The Robots responded by transforming their legs into jet stumps and taking off after him.

Faster by far, Sunburst soared ahead, then paused. Sentinel heard her voice in his helmet. "There's a strange electromagnetic pulse coming from the stars in the solar system. I can't travel too fast or I'll disperse! It feels as if I am needing every iota of concentration to hold myself together!"

Sentinel nodded, then caught up with her. The pair, with robots following, swooped low over the trees. Sentinel marvelled at the range and types of birds that flitted from the tops of trees. Four winged, lizard like, vibrant colours, they looked to the skies to be wary of predators and shrieked in alarm when the group passed near, dropping under the leaf cover.

"These trees must be nearly half a mile high!" gasped Sunburst. "There must be... countless creatures living in a forest such as this! This whole planet is alive!"

They'd been travelling for over an hour and hardly made any progress towards the mountains, seemingly, when a robot announced. "A number of creatures are tracking us below the canopy. Their speed and agility suggests a level which is beyond any Earth creature. Suggestion: Caution."

Sentinel shrugged. They could simply fly higher. There'd be no...

A shadow passed over them, and a Dragon, like the last one, appeared in his vision... No, not like the last one. This one had a face full of writhing tentacles, too many to count, and its legs ended in yet more tentacles, like a tank full of Octopi!

Frying pan... or fire?

OOC Any plan as to how to deal with this? It's hard to tell the size of this thing in the air, but it'd be fair to say it's at least the size of a Blue whale... and below the leaf canopy, something moving with speed and agility beyond anything known on Earth... Something hungry...

OOC: And the only metal about is the bots

IC: "We gotta keep moving, how far till the beacon" sentinel asked the same robot as they tried to quicken there pace over the countless roots and vines. Steve only hoped that the canopy gave them partial concealment from the octi dragon but with out any source of metal and whatever was closing on them was narrowing the gap they couldn't possibly hope to set any traps.

OOC: Im hoping that the things on foot aren't after us or can be reasoned with

Dropping through the canopy Sentinel called out to the robot to find out the distance to the beacon. "Still several miles. We are heading in the right direction"

Silver Sentinel and Sunburst (in energy cloud form) looked about.



The heroes saw what looked like giant cucumbers with thick writhing leaves for limbs which were being used as arms and legs - and with some strength and speed! The creatures moved faster through the trees than Sentinel thought possible! It accounted for their ease in keeping up with the heroes, and now they were below the canopy themselves they had to slow to steer around trees...

The robots, clumsy and clattering from branches and trunks looked fumbling and slow as the creatures moved with blurring speed to surround the aliens!

\\Metal invaders destroy!// 'heard' Sentinel in his head! Had the creatures said that? He glanced at Sunburst who'd reformed into a humanoid shape in order to use her energy blast if required. A robot called out "On your command we will open fire!"

Neither the robots nor Sunburst gave any indication they had heard the voice...

Sentinel dived between the ships robots and the biggest of the giant cucumbers with his hands up and palms facing forward as hopefully universal sign of 'we come in piece' (OOC: also conveniently that's were his blasters are) not knowing if he imaged the voice inside his head or if they could understand him.

The strange beings halted for a second, Steve quickly looked over to Beth who looked ready for when it turned bad which looked as if that was any second. A terrifying thundering bellow struck out from above as the octi dragon swooped by trying to lock on to its prey that he sensed was still close by.

OOC: What is the reaction of the veg to the dragon? Are they on the same side. If they wana fight bring it on....the robot might be more use to sentinel as scrap