World War II - The Vanguard Issue #4 - The Battle Of Britain!

Feeling more power than he thought possible, Anyman teleported into the Nazis' ship. Drunk on the power, he decided to see if he could take over the ship. He decided to increase his Armor ability as high as he could go [G3]. First stop, the bridge. Next stop, the engine room. Then he would see what he needed to do after that.


actions: Up armor to grade 3, teleport to the bridge then the engine room. Think I only need to be in each area for one action and let the radiation take care of things for me. Maintain Energy Immunity and Teleportation for those two rounds. Energy Immunity being the last power I will drop. Once I TP to both the Bridge and Engine Room, I will drop the TP. Any odd points left over would go to healing myself so I don't knock myself out while TPing.

Teleporting to the ships Bridge, then the engine room, Anyman didn't need to attack the Nazis he found there. The radiation simply bathed the place in a deathly light, and all living organisms, and anything organic that had once been alive, warped and morphed beyond recognition. Allard saw that there were Nazi metahumans on the bridge. Three men and two women.

They died horrible deaths as their internal organs turned to gas, or glue, or liquid, or any manner of other material as the lunarium worked its way through them, bathing them in its deadly scarlet embrace. The hapless Skralls were not spared, and the diminutive technicians' bodies boiled away, burst into flames or simply exploded, leaving cybernetic implants clattering to the deck!

OOC You can buy the powers again if you see fit (seeing as you have so many points to burn) and maintain the powers for a further two rounds each time you pay the Dark Power costs. That said, TP doesn't need maintaining as you simply have to expose the bridge for a moment, then move to the engine room where...

Skralls died at their posts, the Lunarium scything through them like a knife through butter!

The ship continued to thrum away, keeping it's place in the air, though without a hand to guide it, it wasn't much use.

The red glow of the huge lunarium stone bathed Allard in its ghastly light, grim visage looking on at the destruction he had wrought.

Looking about, he saw several empty containment chambers in the engine room, with only one in use, and that containing a mere fist sized lump of the rock he carried. It was enough to power this ship for months, years even. And yet the piece he carried dwarfed it! This ship would be able to operate at full power indefinitely with the piece he had!

OOC Will you squeeze the rock into a Lunarium containment chamber? It'll allow you to drop the Immunity and if the chamber is activated, it'll power it's systems from the rock. Even if the ship were 'overclocked' to 150% of its capabilities, the Lunarium would not run out.

There would be other Skralls on the ship, and possibly other Nazis, especially in the hold. He could use the deadly rock to dispose of them, or his own power...

OOC Or he can use whatever points are left to restore his HTC. What does Anyman intend to do next? He's no pilot - at least of spacecraft. Boadicea is though. Will he go through the ship, killing the rest of the Nazis? He has nothing to worry about from the Skralls. They will simply serve the ships needs, regardless of who's on it.

"This is Anyman to V-Ship," Allard radios as he places the huge hunk of rock into the containment pod. "I've taken out the Bridge and Engineering of the Nazi ship. Can you get a bridge crew over here soonest to pilot this thing? I'm going to head down to the hold area and take out any Nazis I find. THis ship is NOT, repeat, NOT secure but the Bridge and Engineering are empty at the moment. So get a boarding crew over here soonest! And whatever we can scrounge up as a security force."


ooc: Dropping all dark powers, using what points are left for healing. If any are still left over, will use them to upgrade his Armor to G2. Then start making his way through the crew quarters, messhalls and holds and wherever else he thinks people might gather on the ship and start taking them out. Taking the ship of the flying Nazi we took out with the radiation back in the camp as I go through the ship. Will try to get prisoners this time instead of killing everyone but not going to slow down to make sure I onlly knock them out or cripple them. Might be other supers on board and have to take out all resistance as fast as possible.

Didn't expect to get another ship. That's two I've gotten for us. Going to have to look up a picture of Sir Francis Drake and start shifting into his shape when I board my third ship.

Boadicea squawked "Skrrzzz... believe it! You are crazy, Anyman! Effective, but crazy! Well done..."

Spartan also added his thoughts "...picking up a Skrall ship near the base. We're on our way to collect the others. Is that one you Commander?" he chuckled, then added "There should be Skralls enough for you to operate the ship, though you'll have to give them orders from the bridge. I'm sending you a code. When you get to the bridge type in the password. It's three triangle-like symbols followed by the square that has a horizontal squiggle through it. That will grant me access to the bridge and navigation systems. We can tie up the ships in tandem and head back to Britain, though we have these P'utinarians to drop off. I don't suppose you got enough Lunarium out of that place that we might be able to fly these aliens to their mother ship did you?"

Anyman replied in the affirmative. "You're unbelievable." chuckled Spartan. "No wonder those goose stepping Nazi goons hate you! Another half dozen like you and the rest of us could retire whilst you win the war! I... ah nuts. Long range scan. Three more Skrall vessels coming in from high orbit. The moon. Looks like they're bringing out the cavalry. We'll get a move on. There in 60 seconds. Spartan out."

Anyman moved through the corridors of the ship. By now he was familiar with the layout and ignored the Skrall technicians. He entered one large room and flicked on the lights to see a line of Skrall Cyborg warriors 'plugged in'. There were about a dozen, then he realised they were on a rotating rack, and that the floor slid away to jettison/dispatch them. That made this ship somewhat different from the previous ships he'd been on. This had clearly been earmarked as a fast response vessel - to trap him and his friends.

The Cyborgs looked to be deactivated. Allard was willing to bet his last shilling that Frostbites' 'pet robot' might be able to bring them around to their way of thinking.

He walked down the corridor again, checking in every room and feeling the Dark Powers wear off. It rather felt like he was a full jug at the minute. The power he'd called on was incredible, but there! There was that tingling again, in his fingers! With a frown he rubbed his hands, then groaned as what felt like heartburn started to come on. Well, he WAS hungry, he supposed, but this was something else.

He carried on, checking rooms, finding a few frightened Nazi scientists who surrendered without incident. The pain in his chest was growing.

Just then he felt, rather than heard, someone behind him - in the way that you always got that strange idea you were being watched. He shoved the scientists into a cell and sealed the door, then turned...



The Nazi agent was coming up like a ghost through the floor. He saw he'd been spotted, so forgot any attempt at Stealth. "You are everything they say - and more besides. A formidable foe, Herr Anyman. Tell me, when I reach into your chest and squeeze your heart, what will be your last thoughts as you die in agony?"

OOC initiative.... 1d10=10 Anyman, 1d10=9 Nazi Ghost. 1 frame to you. You're on full health but the Dark Power points have worn off. The Nazi is but 3m away. No need for a move frame to get to him for melee combat.

Silly as it sounds, Anyman turns and runs away!!! He has to get to the Bridge and activate the controls so the other ship can take it over before those other ships get here.

After that, he can fight Herr Ghost!

"Now! Prepare to... wait! What are... Hey! Come back! COWAAARRRD!" screamed the Nazi Ghost.

Anyman sped along the corridor back towards the bridge. Sliding into the elevator he pressed the button. A moment later a head popped through the floor. "Now I ha..." Then the lift started moving and the head was left behind. Impatiently tapping his foot - and wondering why the Nazis had installed 'elevator music', bland dreary tunes that played incessantly - he stepped out onto the bridge to find Skrall technicians already scraping the remains of the bridge crew and superhuman agents off the floor. The smell was terrible, but Anyman resisted long enough to get to one of the consoles in front of the main viewer. Punching in the code he turned to face the Nazi Ghost who had appeared through the floor and was now advancing on Anyman. How on earth would he fight someone who had a power similar - or superior to - his team mate Frostbite?

Just then the ship lurched and a voice squawked out over the comms. "Sorry about that." said Spartan, "not exactly the smoothest way to get you over here. One of the ladies will be better at it than I!"

Anyman frowned. One second the Nazi Ghost had been coming up through the floor, the next he was gone! Turning to the panel he flicked a switch, frowned, then pressed a button. Turning a dial he looked on the main screen as he'd seen Spartan and the other PSI Agents do dozens of times. The receding view of Nazi Ghost floating in the air over the forest shrank until he was a dot! Anyman guessed that unless the man somehow 'anchored' himself - however his power worked - he would be left behind as the ships speed was greater than his own, and without being 'tethered' to it, the resulting forward motion of the ship left the Nazi floundering!

Easing back to rest against a panel, Anyman rubbed his chest. He was in perfect physical health, so why was he feeling unwell? He felt the ship start to slow, then stop, hovering. A Skrall technician stepped up "Scans indicate incoming hostile vessels. Rail gun defences are active. That is all." He heard the BURRRR!!!! of the guns as they opened fire on enemy planes. A quick look on the screen showed his new ship was parked - hovering - next to the other now battered looking ship. They were gathering quite a fleet!

"Boadicea to Anyman, I'll come aboard that ship to help run it. I don't know how you did it Allard, but you're a miracle worker."

Anyman was about to answer, but found he was too busy throwing up on the floor...

Anyman was glad he wouldn't have to call on the Dark Powers ... again, so soon after he had done before, and find out if two intangible beings could fight each other. But he felt terrible!

"Help," he managed to get out between heaves as he collapsed. As he collapsed, his body lost its form and then began to ooze into a puddle. That puddle began to harden a bit after a minute or so and became an elongated lump that hardened even more, looking more and more like some kind of cocoon. And there it lay in the middle of the bridge.





ooc: Heck, if my powers or appearance is about to go wonky due to excess radiation, might as well go all the way.

OOC yup, might as well

He felt hands gently taking hold of him, and bright lights flashed overhead as he was carried to the sickbay. Ears no longer functioning in the current form failed to translate reassuring words, but he saw a familiar face as Boadicea, with the help of several P'utinarians, got him into sickbay.

Then everything went dark.

=========

Anyman woke with a splitting headache and tubes running into his nose and arm...

He was in bed in the sickbay of the new ship he'd captured single handed, and the lights had been turned down somewhat in sickbay. He groaned, and a voice said "At last! Wondered when you'd wake!". Though Bodicea sounded cheerful an edge to her voice suggested something was wrong. Blinking against the dimmed light Anyman looked down the length of the bed. Boadicea monitored panels running along the walls of the all white sickbay, and Skrall Technicians dressed in white instead of the usual grey scurried about, face masks on to prevent any germs from spreading. Wearing a white jumpsuit herself, Boadicea perched on the end of the bed and held up a clipboard. "Commander, there's no easy way to say this. Your exposure to the rock was enough to kill several superhumans, though thankfully you somehow avoided the worst of it, and you're still alive. That's the good news. The bad news is that your internal organs are in flux. You are developing cancers at a frightening rate, only for your body to cut them free of itself and purge them." she pointed to a glass flask at the side of the bed, several tubes running into it. There was a dark mucus dripping slowly from the tubes. "The Cancers are being defeated by your body but are still eating away at you. You are, for want of a better word, eating yourself. That sounds strange I know, but the unique mixture of powers and abilities you have saved your life and continue to save your life. Your bodys ability to heal has been compromised. If I were to cut you with this scalpel, your skin would close up but the wound would remain - you have lost the ability to heal naturally whilst your body battles against the Cancers in your body."

The words cut deep into Allard - the Nazis couldn't kill him, but this irradiated body just might! He sighed. "Where are we?"

Boadicea stood, checking tubes and readings. "Heading for the edge of the solar system. Spartan took the other ship back to Bletchley. It's mostly bashed up but still functional. We've secured this one - there were a number of other Nazis on board - and are en route to the edge of the solar system where the P'utinarian mother ship awaits. We'll drop off those Aliens and hopefully make some sort of official Alliance with their people. We know how effective you are as a spy and an agent. An army of shape changers will be so useful it's untrue. The Nazis wasted their opportunity thanks to their Xenophobia. Thanks to you, we've stepped in to take advantage. There is another thing..."

She frowned, and checked an overhead screen. The technology on show was amazing. Thin panelled colour screens with a clarity and vibrancy that made real life seem dull in comparison were everywhere to be seen. All of that seemed to matter not at all though.

Anyman was, slowly but surely, dying.

"The radiation is trying its best to kill you. It should have done already, truth be told, but it has instead mutated you. I wouldn't recommend this as a way of gaining power and ability, certainly not the way the Nazis do it. From every reading I've taken on you my best hypothesis is that the Nazi Lunarium empowered superhumans have a lifespan measured in months. The most powerful might live weeks. Obviously, they don't tell their people because the soldiers wouldn't volunteer. The Nazis may be evil, but they aren't stupid. I can't tell how long you have, but I can tell you this - the radiation you soaked up has changed your body dramatically! It has lost the ability to naturally heal itself meaning you'll have to call on that frightening ability you and the others share, or come back to sick bay for treatment. The radiation has enhanced you in turn though I'm not sure I'd prefer that trade..."

OOC Your body no longer heals naturally - it's dark power or medical aid whilst it fights off the radiation in his body. To a geiger counter he'd light up like a Christmas tree. On the flip side choose a physical type power or effect (so gaining flight would be the ability to manifest wings, wall crawling would be the ability to manifest suckers on your hands and feet, and so on) that Anyman gains as a result of the Lunarium radiation OR increase an existing physical power. The one exception is you can't increase/gain vigour because of your illness. So an extra grade (+12) strength? Stretching +1 grade? Tough Skin +1? Agility? Speed? Your call. Once you've decided, I'll change the character sheet and we'll sort out the P'utinarians.

OOC Your body no longer heals naturally - it's dark power or medical aid whilst it fights off the radiation in his body. To a geiger counter he'd light up like a Christmas tree. On the flip side choose a physical type power or effect (so gaining flight would be the ability to manifest wings, wall crawling would be the ability to manifest suckers on your hands and feet, and so on) that Anyman gains as a result of the Lunarium radiation OR increase an existing physical power. The one exception is you can't increase/gain vigour because of your illness. So an extra grade (+12) strength? Stretching +1 grade? Tough Skin +1? Agility? Speed? Your call. Once you've decided, I'll change the character sheet and we'll sort out the P'utinarians.

Time to go for Grade Two stretching. I really need that extra reach more than anything else right now, what with flyers and such coming after me..





Lance Allard kept his mouth shut at the news. He always thought of himself as a hard luck hero. First, his face is disfigured in the accident on the stage when he went into the coma that gave him his powers. Then he discovers he can get his face back by thinking of it. Given great responsibily, he believes he loses more subordinates than any of the others, believing himself to be the leader of the Death Patrol. Now he finds out that he has a very limited lifespan and will probably die a very painful death.

There went all his vague dreams of one day settling down with Emma Steed and raising a bunch of shiapechanging, stretchy kids after the war.



He sighed.



"Easy come, easy go," he says finally. "Do we know what is happening with the others? And how is the General taking the news of us not returning in time for the mission he originally had planned for us?"

"Wynn knows about your condition. He cut me off mid-sentence. Seems you lot are linked. He looks terrible himself. Every dead or injured super agent he empowered seems to take something out of him. I swear he looked like he'd aged 20 years when I saw him last." said Boadicea with a sigh. "He does say that the RAF are making a good fist of repelling the Luftwaffe. For all their advanced weaponry and technology, they are still hindered by the fact they are bolting it to planes that are effectively antiques. One pilot reports he was chasing a bomber which sped up - the jet pods flared into life. The next moment the main body of the plane was tumbling to the ground whilst the wings span off in different directions, torn free of the fuselage. The Nazis have the upper hand, but until they get their act together with a manufacturing centre building advanced warplanes from the ground up, they will continue to struggle." She paused for thought. "But they will still continue to Bomb England and kill pilots. Time is not on our side."

Anyman didn't respond to that. He had enough gloomy thoughts of his own.

=========

Even at maximum speed it took hours to reach the edge of the solar system...

But than in itself was astounding - millions of miles, covered in hours? Anyman shook his head in wonder. He was up and about, walking gingerly and with some discomfort, but testing his powers out to ensure they worked. One of them in particular - his ability to stretch - appeared to have improved. It was nowhere near as painful and he could stretch much further than before.

The ship had docked with the enormous P'utinarian 'worldship' after P'ertaria had spoken to the ruling council. Their anger at her and the others having stolen a shuttle to rescue the others was dampened by their joy at seeing their people again.

And so it was, after some congratulations and outlining of agreements that the council reconvened and summoned Anyman with his remaining team members.

"We had sought to stay out of your wars but out own naivety caused us to go astray and risk the death of hundreds of our people. There are still hundreds down there in hiding, but you have done us a great service this day, Human. We know of you and your friends. You are a ... a power we do not understand, and in truth fear. That said, all you have ever done for us is help us, and we in turn have done nothing. Now, that will change. We will send a volunteer force to your England. One hundred of our people who will learn your ways, integrate and become agents serving against the Nazi cause. We shall make available 25 shuttles. As you know, these vessels are reasonably capable against the primitive Earth technology and can be used to form both a transportation and communications network. They are yours to do with as you will. We will commit more people in time. I have one last favour to ask of you before we join your war. The Lunarium. It is a large fragment, still in its raw unrefined state, but it could power this vessel for decades in your time. We could finally leave this solar system, when we have helped you complete your own task. I ask you, on behalf of a dying people for that stone. Nay..." he bowed his head and took a deep breath. "I beg of you. Give us the power to restart our birthing matrices and repopulate this vast, empty ship. The cost to you would be repaid tenfold as we grow thousands of shape changing warriors to commit to your cause. Think on this and we will..."

He paused as a P'utinarian dashed in, remembered himself and bowed his head. "Great ones. Esteemed guests. Long Range scan indicates a Qrii warfleet en route to this solar system!" There were collective gasps. "That's not all. A Skrall warfleet approaches from the other direction!"

Anyman resisted the urge to slap his face with his palm.

It never rained, but it poured...

He paused as a P'utinarian dashed in, remembered himself and bowed his head. "Great ones. Esteemed guests. Long Range scan indicates a Qrii warfleet en route to this solar system!" There were collective gasps. "That's not all. A Skrall warfleet approaches from the other direction!"

Anyman resisted the urge to slap his face with his palm.

It never rained, but it poured...

"The rock is yours," Anyman replies, having mixed feelings about the thing that was going to kill him. "War Fleets you say? How big and how tough compared to what you guys are giving us?"

The P'utinarians tempered their joy at getting hold of the rock when it became clear they would become embroiled in a war!

OOC The P'utinarians ship is massive. I need to dig out the specs but from memory it was a mile or more long, probably bigger.

The Council looked at each other, spoke quietly then the spokesman turned. "With the lunarium we will be able to use the quantum discharger. It was an experimental weapon we used to break a blockade by the K'atinarians but the energy requirements are enormous. Simply put it creates a singularity field that transports everything within the field into the nearest gravity well, which would be this solar systems sun. The energy requirements will mean that we are effectively defenceless for a time afterwards, as our shuttles are no match for a Qrii or Skrall battleship. The fact that we may be able to destroy a good portion of their fleet with one hit may discourage them, however."

Boadicea shifted uncomfortably. "I don't like the sound of this Anyman. We may be talking about the deaths of millions. For sure they are invading, but wiping out millions of beings in one go? That makes me feel somewhat... uncomfortable."

'The woman is weak! Wipe out your enemies then let me feast! If you truly wish to protect your Earth you will heed my advice, mortal! Unleash me! When I am sated, and your enemies are as dust, you can have your body back.' rasped the Dark Power.

Much as Anyman hated to admit it, it was an option. If the P'utinarians could wipe out a section of one fleet, and he - or rather the dark power - could smash the other, it would send a clear message to these races and any others who fancied taking on the Earth!

"Time to let the bosses know what's going on," Anyman said. "I wonder if I can still communicate with them on Earth?"



"Anybody receiving me," he thinks loudly, hoping the mental link isn't lost over such vast distances.

'Allard?' queried a voice in Anymans' head - it was General Wynn! His voice sounded tired, strained though. 'I knew you were alright. We seem to be linked, but there's something wrong, I can tell.' He sighed 'mentally'. 'As there is with me. My body is wearing out Lance. I don't know how much longer I have.'

Though the words weren't exactly a surprise, Anyman was still saddened. General Wynn seemed to have been tough as old boots until he started with the soldier enhancement program, and it seemed every fatality or serious injury took that bit more out of him. And still Forbes and Dawson pushed him to create more superhumans - there was no other choice!

'I swear you lot will be the death of me - or at least the court martial, at any rate! The good thing is, at the moment, our fighters are holding their own. The Nazis are finding that jets bolted to wood and light metal generally don't make things faster for long because they break and crash. They'll long remember this day, and I suspect Herr Goering will have to rethink his strategy! That said, an airbase in Cornwall was hit today by a squadron of Nazi jetpackers and several supers. We had to outnumber them four to one to finish them off, and the Superhumans escaped into a waiting sub. At that rate of attrition we'll not be able to last long. Another thing - you feel... far away. Frostbite and Silver Sentinel feel... nearer, but somehow removed. They've not answered my calls but I'm hoping that it's just a matter of 'getting through' to Albion.'

Albion!

The word conjured memories for Anyman - of a creature out of control, of fire, brimstone and hell come to earth! Maniacal laughter drowning out the screams of thousands, and the wholesale destruction of a vast area of land without thought for consequence or loss of life! That had been him or at least, some part of him, though the memory was vague, like a dream slipping away.

'A warning' said an inner voice. 'The Dark Power himself cannot fully control the fury and negative energy it can call upon. Best beware, lest you become the thing you seek to conquer!'

'Anyway.' Said Wynn. 'Do what you need to and get your arse back here lad.'

Anyman explained about the alliance with the P'utinarians, the Lunarium, and the incoming invasion fleets.

'Good news and bad. You're a mine of information today Lance. As usual, the word on the wire is that you wiped out a bunch of prisoners and slaughtered helpless scientists in Poland. I'm thinking of sending you into Germany. With any luck the mere sight of you will cause them all to surrender! I... ah... I mean, that the mere mention of your name not... not the... oh blast it! Ignore me, I'm a spluttering old fool. What can I do you for? If there's any way of helping, I'm here for you.' added Wynn.

"Even with all that's gone on..." said Wynn "Do you think the World Leaders would believe us? The World is caught in the grip of war safe for the United States and countries in its regions. They would laugh us out of the meeting room, and no one has seen Hitler since Berlin was smashed. He's around, but he's not talking to anyone. The German people seem to be well motivated though. Perhaps they're putting something into the water... At any rate, I suppose it's our lot to save the world and everyone on it. Best bet is to make contact with these alien races and see what they want. Is it the Earth? Is it each other? Or is it that blasted rock? That would definitely make it the Nazis' problem. They are based on the moon mining the stuff. Normally I'd say 'they made their bead, let them lie in it' but should one of these Alien races take control of the moon base and be free to mine this stuff out, it won't be the end of it. We'll see an invasion fleet down here - you can bet your life on that. Some kind of base, colony..."

There was a pause.

"Perhaps complete extermination so the planet can be wiped for resettlement. The point is, we don't know. I hate to ask you to go into the lions den, but as a shapechanger you can go anywhere, be anyone. You can find out their plans and even sew dissension in their ranks. Hell, perhaps you can even get them fighting one another first because if they come to an agreement and divide things up? Well, then we're properly up the creek. I'd say first call of business is to get aboard a ship of their fleet. Use the Dark Power to help you, an escape shuttle with a plausible story whilst wearing the form of an Alien, use those acting skills and remarkable powers. There is a problem - the Dark Power seems to feed on negative emotions. You might have to stir up some bother before you can effectively call on its full might! Still, causing bother never seemed to be much of an obstacle for you Lance! Oops, Slobothams here. Another blasted meeting. I'll be available 24/7. No time for sleep or rest, but my old ticker won't last out much longer. Best to make use of what time I have. Good luck Lance! I'm thinking of digging out someone to help you, but it's going to take a good portion of whatever power and health I have left."

I'm wighing a couple or three different options. Probably take another day or so before I decide which way to go.

"What can anyone tell me about these two races," Anyman asks the people around him. "General personality. Avid dislikes. Would shifting into any particular form bring more respect if we did communicate with them? Anything like that."

P'ertaria accessed one of the computers on the wall. "The Qrii are a race of insect like humanoids. They come in all shapes and sizes. Many of them are drones. Fearless, follow orders and have no shred of intelligence. If told to attack a place they will do so until the place falls or they are all dead. The worst part is that the Qrii spread like..." she frowned. A few more clicks on the panel and grasshopper like creature popped up. "Locusts you call them. From world to world they move, set up a hive and multiply before spilling out and devouring all in their path. The only limitations thus far have been running out of food, and they devour their own young if they need to. There is a strict hierarchy to their society, with the leaders being the most intelligent. No one knows where they gained spacefaring technology but they now grow vast motherships, living spacecraft that spew out thousands upon thousands of drone warriors. They have come to Earth for the Lunarium. There is nothing else they require though they will probably strip your planet clean. They use the Lunarium to power the engines that are attached to the huge mother ship drones to traverse the galaxy and look for new places to devour. They are merciless, but the leaders are not suicidal. The Queens can be reasoned with if you present a big enough threat to them and therefore the hive."

"The Skrall are a similar species in mannerisms, but are a lizard like creature. You have encountered them already. The smaller Skralls are genetically modified and adapted with cybernetic implants to to be subservient. The larger Skralls - anything from 2m to the leviathan space dragons of 1000m or more long - do all the fighting. Skralls are cunning, intelligent and numerous. Several times galactic empires have banded together to crush their incursions, but you have no such means to form such an alliance here. The Universe will look to see what happens here then take action afterwards, for it the Lunarium falls into the Skralls hands, they can fashion it to make great and deadly weapons - enough to destroy a planet! The Skralls will know of you - their cybernetic bodies transmit all they see and experience to the central core. The plan will be to establish a mine on the moon and extract the lunarium there. We have no idea why as yet, but your moon appears to have the most concentrated stores of Lunarium in the known universe. In certain Galactic markets the price is as high as 10,000,000 Quarks per standard Quantrum."

She looked at Anymans blank expression then furrowed her brow.

"This much" she said, pinching her fingers tightly together "Is worth ... a room full of the element you call Gold. Or is it lead that is so valuable? I forget."

Anyman glanced around. He was in a BIG room.

She saw him look then had a rethink. "No, I got that wrong. It is perhaps worth ten times that. The Lunarium on your moon will draw a stream of Empires to it. With it any one of them could rise, triumphant, the rest falling under their heel. What is even more remarkable is that the Lunarium requires much refining to be useful normally. Not only does the Red Lunarium on your moon require minimal treatment, the power output will be many hundreds of times greater than standard Lunarium found elsewhere in the Galaxy. My father and the council did not say it, but the rock you donated will power this ship indefinitely. By that I mean thousands of years. In fact we will have to adapt our technology to make best use of it - our current technology levels are not geared to cope with such fine..."

"Enough!" said one of the Councillors, though he/it was clearly embarrassed. Unperturbed, P'ertaria continued. "We owe you a debt that will be impossible to repay." She looked about. "If Earth loses this war - and it is likely - I suspect we will leave this place with the rock you gave us and live out our lives in peace. Honour binds us to ally alongside you though. I for one will honour that debt and lay down my life to help you."

She gave a meaningful look towards her father and the council. The leader of the P'utinarians stood and sighed. "So say we all."

P'ertaria nodded, then turned to Anyman. "Your orders, Commander?"

ooc: Don't expect this to get to Frostbite but since he doesn't know where he is, Anyman will try anyway. But then again ... since we don't seem to have selective TP messaging, everyone will get it who is on the "party line" as they used to call it in the old days when multiple homes were connected to the same phone line and had to share.


"Hang on, let me see if I can contact Frostbite," he tells the others. "He could probably take ou the Skrall with that mechanical brain thing power of his while we concentrate on the Qrii."

"Frostbite, can you hear me? THis is Anyman. I need you to come take out an invasion fleet for me while I take out the other one," he mentally sends. "I need to take out the Qrii and you seem the best man for the job to take out the Skrall."

ooc; Now, if that doesn't reek of overconfidence, I don't know what will but I have a cunning plan ..... Bwah-Ha-Ha-Ha-Hah!!!!!!!

OOC reply in the telepathy thread.

There came crackle over the comms, and Boadicea frowned, moving to a console in the great meeting room. It was Spartans' voice, coming through a secure channel. "...orders to meet up with you and transfer a passenger. No problem, but we need to make repairs first... of a day. Will contact nearer... skrrrzzzz" Boadicea shrugged. "Signals lost. The Nazis will have gotten that, but it will take time to decode and they have the same problem we have. The moon is about to become a bone that two ravenous dogs will fight over!"

P'ertaria moved closer to Anyman. "Are you serious? You honestly believe you can take out an entire fleet of thousands of ships by yourself?" The P'utinarians looked uncomfortable at this. What had they aligned themselves to?

=========

He watched from the shadows...

Safely away from the meeting chamber, the 'P'utinarian' made sure no one was around and sent a mental message to his master.

=========

The great Mojave Desert, California, Earth...

The crater was blackened and smouldering. The farmer approached with fear. He'd seen the meteor strike and throw up a ball of fire, but curiosity made him investigate. Now he wondered what he'd stumbled into. A sphere of black rock lie steaming in the centre, still glowing...

Suddenly it cracked, and a section broke away. A red liquid oozed from it, dripping down the side. It sizzled as the heat from the crater affected it. The farmer gasped as the liquid seemed to pull itself away from the hot parts of the meteor! "Madre de dios!" he spluttered. Was the meteor bleeding? He prodded it with a stick. Nothing...

Then the red liquid lunged out, a thin stream engulfing the hapless farmers face and stifling his screams! It flowed down his throat and left the meteor empty! The farmer twisted, bucking this way and that... then he exploded! In his wake the Dark Empowered K'atinarian the Vanguard had battled stood, steaming and badly injured. It tested its new form, felt its weakness. It would need sustenance. It turned its head slowly and saw the lights of a distant town, then started walking... as it walked, it heard the thoughts of a distant servant, and sent an order back...

=========

On the P'utinarian world ship...

The traitor nodded "As you will it sire. They shall all die!"

OOC How is Anyman going to set about tackling the alien fleets? He'll have to head back to earth to pick up Frostbot then somehow get close enough to deliver his mechanical friend so he can interface with the alien fleet (presumably the Skralls as it has had success with them). That'll take time - doing anything in the meantime?

"First thing I'm going to do," Anyman said "is contact each fleet and warn them off. Let them know we have that killer weapon of yours. See if that can buy us some time. That's why I asked what they might respect or fear, so I can take that shape when talking to them. And if the rest of you shift into those versions too will help a lot."

"Then I will try to play each fleet against the other. Maybe they will wipe each other out. That's my dream but I will take them halting and facing down each other. Two big dogs fighting over a bone usually misses the little dog sneaking in and taking it. Old Earth Saying."

"Meanwhile, we get Frostbot. He tries to reprogram the Skrall fleet; one by one if neccesary and get them on our side. I will enter the other fleet and blow up their engine cores; one by one. Somebody is going to have to show me how to do that. I will teleport between ships in order to accomplish that. We just need to get me close enough to be able to teleport to the first ship. Unless someone can think of a better plan?"

ooc: OK, that's his brilliant plan. Lots of Dark Power going to be thrown around so he can teleport those distances and survive in space.
And that oozing red goo from a meteor reminds me of a Stephen King novel/movie

OOC That was the Dark Empowered K'atinarian you guys faced on one of the ships when you freed P'ertaria. It disappeared and that was the last you saw of it... for now.

Another P'utinarian came up to the council chamber to report after Anyman stated his plan. "The gravity cannon is charging, as you ordered. It will be one earth hour before it is ready."

One of the Council members stood to explain. "The gravity cannon was not intended as a weapon. Rather, it was a means of creating a planetoid. What it does is creates a gravity well where the shot explodes, and draws in matter from the surrounding space, compacting it and crushing it with the force that is similar to a black hole. It's original remit was to be fired into an asteroid belt once certain elements - like water, metals and chemicals of various kinds, were detected. It would then compact the asteroids into a sphere, and from there would steadily create an atmosphere."

"A planet maker, if you like. Your solar system has an asteroid belt that is suitable for our needs, but we never had the raw Lunarium required to power the cannon. When we discovered there was Lunarium here as well, we could not believe our good fortune, but alas this grand old ship had used up her last reserves of power to get us here. So close... yet so far. And now? This solar system is too dangerous to stay in. Were it up to me, we would thank you for your generous gift and leave. We have a debt to pay, however, and sadly must remain to honour it. That we shall do. If we fired the gravity cannon into the midst of an enemy fleet the ships would be pulled into the centre, creating a sphere of metal and drawing their atmospheres to it as well." The alien gave a shrug of sorts. "Perhaps that also would create an artificial moon. Those onboard the ships would not survive, however."

Several of the council led the way through the ship towards a communications room. Anyman took in the scale of the thing - every room was like a cathedral, so big, empty and devoid of life, but lights and power were steadily being reintroduced. The great old beast was being awakened!

Into the comms room, P'ertaria activated the systems herself as P'utinarians stepped aside for her. She frowned. "The Nazis have sent a number of threatening messages. They say they know we are in league with the Anyman and that all P'utinarians on Earth will be slaughtered without trial unless we hand you over." She shook her head sadly, then turned to Anyman.

"The alien fleets will hear the message, or you can send it to just one fleet. What would you like to say?"