[Log] The Fall of Shadow, Part 1
WHO: Chris Lightfellow, Benjamin Sisko, the DS9 Crew (NPCed by Sisko), Kai Ozu, Lenneth Valkyrie, Shadow, Haman Karn, Vincent Thompson, Pixy Misa, Shizuru Fujino
WHEN: Sunday, October 16, 2006
WHERE: Mordred's Camelot
WHAT: The IPA has found one of Shadow's safe houses, and makes their strike.
WATCH FOR: The terrible truth of Shadow's power.
Last night, the IPA got information it couldn't refuse. The source was only known to a few of their intelligence officers; however, it meant fast action was necessary. Shadow, the Syndicate Don, maintained several safe houses across planes. One of them had been identified, and a spy in the local plane had confirmed seeing him move two hours later. Action was necessary.
Chris Lightfellow is one of those here, to take that action. The woman looks dead serious as she remains in the forests outside of Camelot. This is not the one most know; the walls of this fortress city are dreary, and the towers stark. The black flag of Mordred flies here, and the Interplanar Peacekeeping Agency has no stake in these grim lands. It makes the knight frown.
She looks over her shoulder, at the lances of Zexen Knights following her. Someone would be needed to fight Mordred's men. But more people are here than that - soldiers, cops, and heroes from numerous planes. She gives them a nod, before she looks to the Chief himself. "Superman, my friends are ready. We'll need to make certain we get through the gate of the city. Then, we can grab him."
Normally, punching villains is a job for the Defiant - but when it comes to covert operations, that's when Benjamin Lafayette Sisko hoofs it.
Having left Kira in command of Deep Space Nine, the big Captain hunkers down in the woods among the force of Zexen Knights and miscellaneous cops. With him is an away force composed of a couple dozen gold-turtlenecked Starfleet Security officers, all armed with type-IIIb phaser rifles. He can't in good conscience deploy Bajoran troops here - not until they've committed fully to Federation membership, and certainly not in a setting that could lead to attacks on the world he's come to love. His second-in-command is, today, a man almost as dark as he, sporting a heavy forehead ridge and a mane of thick black hair.
The huge Klingon peers out through the trees at the nearby castle, letting out a hot breath through his nose. "It will be difficult to pass through the city gates," he rumbles to his commanding officer.
"Nothing worthwhile is ever easy, Mr. Worf," Sisko returns with a faint smile, securing the energy cell of his rifle. "Especially not stinging the Syndicate leadership where it counts."
He then takes a step back, turning a cool gaze in the direction of Ms. Lightfellow and the man from Krypton. "We're ready over here."
"K'so! Lost the scent!" MagiRed is actually -not- here as part of the IPA force backing Chris up -- for the past several days he'd been tracking down a certain individual, although the trail he's been folllowing tends to get broken up after going through different Gates. As such, the Magician of the Red is currently making a quick circuit of this Gate's domain as he flies atop some sort of elabroate skycycle, leaning down as he peers this way and that... but pauses as his MagiPhone gives a signal beep. o 0 (IPA frequency -- ?) Releasing one hand from the throttle to snap it open, raising up to listen...
Indeed. The IPA has no power here, which is why it's a perfect location for a relay point and safe house.
Shadow has been doing quite a bit of wheeling and dealing lately, and he's decided to take just a couple minutes to himself. The Syndicate Don is still in his Shadow garb, lying down on a cot in the safety of Mordred's Camelot - that Arthur guy's a real punk, Shadow muses, but Mordred has a little more...style. He grins to himself, closes his eyes, and--
DANGER
Shadow bolts upright. The Gate of Foresight whirls in his eyes. Something's wrong, the future says -- but what? He senses...pain? Screaming, agony...No death, but...he rolls out of his bed and fetches his sunglasses. Just to be safe.
A man dressed in the simple brown robes common to traveling priests and monks of the era is standing beside Lightfellow, his arms crossed underneith the robes, and a heavy hood masking most of his face. When addressed, the monk nods-revealing his true identity to his subordinates. He's been goofing around a few of the outside villaiges before the sting, and didn't want to give himself away. Plus, robes are cool. "Glad to hear it, Chris, Benjamin. Allright, then..."
But now that the IPA assault teams are set up, the monk can dispense with the sublty. Thank God, he was starting to feel like Bruce. The robe goes flying off, revealing nothing less than the caped figure of the Last Son of Krypton...
SUPERMAN! (Dun dun duh NAH nuh!)
"...guess I'll go knock. Get ready!" Clark sends a wink at the two commanders, stakes a step forward, and leaps from the IPA base camp to the castle's outer gates in a single bound! As Superman begins a descending arc, the Man of Steel pumps his arms forward, causing him to stop mid-fall, and looks up at said gates.
"Knock..." Clark pulls his arm back, and SLAMS a right hook at the imposing portaculuses! "...knock..." Superman pulls his right arm back, and instantly follows the attack with a southpaw body-blow! "...KNOCK!" Finally, Superman pulls both his arms back, clasping his hands together and spinning around in a full circle to build up speed and power, before sending what Superman hopes is the final knock in the form of a double-fisted hammerblow!
High above Camelot, safely positioned in geo-synchronous orbit is the newly commisioned Divine Crusaders Space Battleship Legendra. This red on black space fortress is merely here on a routine patrol of Syndicate friendly space and has clear orders from her Commander, Haman Karn to keep off this planet unless called for. The commander herself sits on the bridge, in the very center of things, troops wearing Zeon uniforms but bearing the special golden star on a chevron of red patch marking them as members of the DC, sits at the other command posts. A young woman called Lt. Sophie Hendricks mans the communications panel.
Haman yawns a bit, a slight sign to her troops that even a Newtype can get bored of inaction. Pressing a button on her command chair, she calls down to the Mobile Suit hangar to inquire about the condition of her latest experimental unit. The report states that all is ready and she grins softly to herself. Now, she wonders, where are her other DC members, the ones -not- attached directly to the Legendra?
Somewhere outside the Jaialai School for Developing Minds...
Misao Amano sighs as she sets her books down, returning home after her afternoon piano lessons. She was hoping Sasami would be here to walk home with her today, but it seems Sasami is mysteriously 'busy' again for some reason. Due to the magic nature of magical girls, it never occurs to her to wonder if Sasami's tardiness has to do with the battle Pretty Sammy is waging on the other side of the multiverse against Queen Beryl's minions. She decides she'll just try to call Sasami later, and maybe they can go to the new Victorian tea house together and get all dressed up. That would cheer her up.
As she walks down the street, she sees a familiar flash of green feathers. "Oh...pretty bird?" The elementary student smiles a little, following the bird into an alley, until Rumiya turns around and stares into Misao's eyes again. And suddenly she feels very, very sleepy...
Somewhere beyond the castle of Mordred on the other end, a massive 'thing' approaches, slithering across the ground, leveling trees in its wake. From a distance, it looks like a massive purple six-headed hydra. Two people stand on the top most head side by side, both wearing masks. The smaller and more feminine person cradles a red halberd in her arms while her companion has his off hand on the hilt of a katana tucked against some cybernetic bastardization of the traditional Japanese Samurai armor.
Surveying the castle, Shizuru puts her hands up and the hydra slows to a halt still some distance away from the castle, close enough to see the ensuing battle but far enough to hopefully indicate that she is not going to get involved. Hidden eyes flicker down towards the Man of Steel forcing an entrance and she chuckles, "Ara. Looks like the party has begun with out us wouldn't you say, 'Anchin'?"
"That would be our cue," Chris says with a small smile. The woman reaches down to her side, pulling away Stendich; the long blade glints once as light hits it, and she looks back to her men. "Captain Sisko, let's cover our flanks. We'll doubtlessly be getting a good deal of interference here," she says. She frowns, before she swings her sword down.
"All knights, move out! Lighter officers, keep behind them!" she shouts. The armored knights start their advance, unsheathing blades and bringing out spears and axes here and there. Chris quickly marches to the forefront. Afterward, uniformed cops in SWAT gear start jogging after - clutching assault rifles and shotguns alike.
Chris takes a deep breath. Somewhere, Shadow is here. She aims to find him.
Yes...well...Not EVERYONE can be so amazingly cool as to be able to drop into places from orbit. Or whatnot. I mean, SOME people need specialized orbital dropships to be able to get from Space to Not Space. Which is why the Fancy New Divine Crusader Battleship has a much less fancy, much less new dropship attached to it. That's right. It's the Oberon Mercenary Dropship Jolly Roger. Well, that's what the IFF reads this week on the Overlord Class. The large teardrop is simply docked with the Legendra, while the members of Vincent's Vanguards go about doing their thing. Basic maintenance, servicing battlemechs, idly indulging in BS sessions. You know. That sort of thing.
As for Vincent himself, he's simply sitting in a chair on the bridge, reading an old 'antique' paperback book he got his hands on the other day. Hey, he might be a dirty pirate, but he'll be a well-read pirate, thank you. Yep. nice, boring patrol. Nothing wrong with boring patrols, no sir! Easy money, after all.
Castles always have handy cemetaries and mausoleums, and those are prime material harvesting locations for necromancers. And it just so happens that someone happens to be poking around in a crypt right now, looking over a skeleton. A thighbone is picked u and examined intently. "Hmmm. Average density. No fractures. It appears to have been picked clean by..." He squints closely. "Insects... This will do." He tosses the bone over his shoulder, to land in a bag held by a large green hulking homunculous behind him. If someone put a pair of tights on him, maybe Bellion could pass for Bizzarro, but Lezard doesn't care about such things right now.
The noise of an incoming assault force gets his attention. "What, did the guards notice the door was open?" Lezard adjusts his glasses. "Ah well, let's go see what we have to deal with... Come, Bellion!" The homunculous grunts, "YES, MASTER." and follows after the UltraCreepyStalkerNerd.
Worf's eyes light up at the sight of the Man of Steel dispensing punch power upon the door. "THAT," he declares in a low, awed tone, "is a WARRIOR'S approach."
Sisko grins a little before nodding briskly at Chris. "Indeed." And with that the big Louisianan gestures with his free hand. "Move out!" he shouts.
Breaking free of the treeline, Sisko and Worf lead the Starfleet Security forces just behind Chris' army of spearmen, fanned out to cover the left and right flanks fairly evenly. With their powerful long-range weapons they're ideal for smashing any foes who'd dare come at them from just about any side, and positioned in the wings as they are, firing through the ranks of fellow good guys is not an issue. On one flank Worf leads one group of men, rushing forward with a Klingon battle roar.
Sisko, of course, is quieter. The calm before the storm.
Looks like they're starting something down there.... MagiRed hesitates for a moment as he considers helping out. But only for a moment -- the trail is more or less lost, and it sounds like whatever's going on down there will need some support. And so --
"Che. Just you wait! I'll find you yet!" And he hauls on the vane of the Sky Houki, veering it to the side as before speeding across the sky towards Camelot, following the MagiPhone's signal...
Spiritual Concentration, the best way to figure out when something of import is about to go down.
'Captain Sisko, let's cover our flanks.'
'Oh...pretty bird?'
'Knock...knock...KNOCK!'
'THAT....is a WARRIOR'S approach.'
'It appears to have been picked clean by... Insects...'
Lenneth frowns. Once again, Lezard... and she recognized Superman's voice. She is near the zone already so she travels towards it, intending to drop in on the stalker and possibly hit him while he's still wearing his glasses. Perhaps he's like some sort of Evil Velma.
The Gate is driving him mad. Something...horrible...something...painful? Agony incomprehensible, nothing he's ever felt before, WHY CAN'T HE MAKE THE PROPHECY STOP.
'KNOCK! KNOCK! /KNOCK!/'
Shadow looks out the window. "...they're here," he hisses.
The doors to Camelot shatter under the force of Superman's stupendous strength, fragments of wood and metal lodging themselves in wall like bullets. The Camelot Guards begin to swarm outward, moving to intervene.
Shadow steps out as well, scowling darkly. The Black Gate swirls in his eyes.
"IPA...alright, then. GET THEM!" he roars. "ALL FORCES IN THE AREA, DESTROY SUPERMAN AND ANYONE WHO OPPOSES YOU!!"
Shadow isn't happy.
Superman hovers over the city, arms crossed, jaw set in a scowl, eyes glowing a bloody shade of red. Clark doesn't /like/ playing the conquering overman, but intimidating the local forces might mean that they'll surrender rather than fight to the death, and a little discomfort is nothing compared to the oppertunity to save lives. The Man of Steel waits for the noise of the collapsing gates and the stomping knights to quiet, a little, before using his Outside Voice.
"Syndicate Forces!" Superman shouts as loudly as he can while still sounding like an authority figure, "You are all hereby bound by the law of the Interstellar League, through the authority of the Interstellar Peacekeeping Agency! You will be processed by the laws of the League, and fairly punsihed for your crimes! Put your knives, swords, axes, guns, missles, energy blasts, spells, summoned monsters, hordes, zombies, robots, and summoned hordes of robot zombies, DOWN, put your hands, tentacles, extra heads, living cloaks, familiars, body doubles, and second, third, fourth, or any other extra skins UP, and surrender before we have to do it for you!"
The Man of Steel waits a beat, as if to let the point sink home, and takes this time to slip Worf a thumbs up. Because, yeah, that was a pretty sweet entrance. A second later, Clark's all busniess again, and motions forward. "IPA! Secure the city!"
The glow of an activated Gate.
A smallish form in dark purple, black and blonde dashes out, and into a group of trees next to the castle. There are noises of grunting and muttering as she attempts to climb through the tree, all the way through the branches, before balancing herself so that from the top of the tree emerges, proud and smirking and covered in leaves, that infamous little blonde girl with a feather fan and red eyes.
"Huhuhuhu~! /STOP!/ You're very brave to show up like this, silly cop people! But now you're all doomed, because the beautiful and powerful Pixy Misa is here to defeat all of you. Don't worry, my fellow Syndicate fellows, you've nothing to fear with me he-YAAAH!"
After a whole lot more noise of a girl falling through a tree, Misa lands on the ground, rubbing her bottom and muttering. "I'll get YOU, tree! Think you're so funny...hmph!" She takes a few steps back, and raises her fan, magic swirling around the tall pine tree until it transforms into a lady-in-waiting tree with a pointed hat, a big fir gown, and dainty branch-hands.
"Go, REN GIRL!"
"You heard him!" Chris shouts, as she leads the charge down the hills and out of the forest. The knights go charging, descending towards the walls. She grits her teeth, looking at the gate - and then hears the first arrows from Mordred's soldiers being loosed. "KNIGHTS! RUNES! NOW!"
Bolts of lightning descend from the heavens, slamming into stone and person alike with explosions of sparks. Flame bursts shoot along the wall, and even a few ice shards fly out towards the unfortunate soldiers there. Chris doesn't join in, though - she needs to save her magic. "Come on, come on..."
As she nears the gateway, she rushes through - and a surprised guard there suddenly has a foot and a half of steel shoved clean through his chest in one fell swoop of her blade. She rips it out a moment later, and then keeps rushing in. Where /is/ he?
Aboard the Legendra, high in orbit, Lt. Hendricks turns, holding the comms unit to her ear. "Commander Karn, we're receiving an emergency message from the planet below. Don Shadow is requesting all Syndicate forces to attack and destroy Superman..." she pauses nervously as she says this, "And anyone there who opposes us."
Haman Karn springs from her seat, floating into the air thanks to the lack of gravity. "Tell the hangar to prep my Mobile Suit and a drop pod, I'll be going pesonally. It's time the IPA learns that they cannot enforce their will across all the planes without casualties."
As she heads for the Mobile Suit hangar, Haman sends a message to all DC units to descend on the planet below. When she reaches the MS Deck, she grints widely at the deep, purple MS being loaded into one of the Atmospheric Descent Pods. Slipping through an access hatch, she sets the pod to open at 10,000 feet above the target area. Securing her helmet and her restraints inside the modified cockpit of her latest MS, she grins. "Time to show these fools the true power they trifle with! Haman Karn in the Zak-Q LAUNCHING!" And she braces as the MS inside the Olive-Drab pod shoots forth before entering the atmosphere. It will be only moments until she clears the atmosphere and is able to engage the enemy.
"You heard the man!" Sisko shouts over the sound of battle, giving his compin a slap. "All units, fire at will!"
While the Starfleet officers are relatively unarmoured in comparison to Chris' knights and (obviously) Superman, they have the advantage of excessively powerful ranged weaponry - because a phaser is totally a shotgun on speed. As the Camelot Guards rush out to intercept the IPA forces, the Starfleet officers make their presence felt. Stopping in his charge, Worf hefts his phaser and takes aim partially on intuition and partially through the weapon's sight, firing a sizzling beam of orange-white energy towards the Syndicate troops. A moment later Sisko follows suit, as do the various Starfleet goldshirts, raining beams of phased nadion energy into the criminal horde.
Starfleet, fortunately, is a humane organization; the phasers are set to heavy stun, geared to incapacitate the crooks rather than kill them. Killing, after all, solves very little - and there's no point in trying to rehabilitate a corpse.
Sigh. FIgures. Here he was, just getting to the good part of his book, and then some jerkball has to go and make him /WORK/. On the plus side, at least it's less boring than a patrol. ON the downside, there's the whole 'peril to his life' thing. Bah. Whatever! Vincent's casually making his way down to the mechbay, idly nodding at the other pilots suiting up in there as the Vanguards do some last minute packin'. Don't want things bouncing around on an orbital hot-drop. Like, y'know, missiles. Yeesh.
ANYWAYS! The Jolly Roger seperates from the Legendra, the large dropship orienting itself properly and burning down into the atmosphere. Pretty visible, mind you, once it starts heating up from re-entry burn, Vincent finishing off a cup of coffee and then strapping himself into the jumpset of his eighty-five ton Marauder, idly checking comms and all those other fun things.
"Alright, Vanguards. Time to earn some pay. I'll play the hero, Vultures One and Two will back up from long range. Ullers, you've got Dee. Hot-Drop in five."
Yep. That big glowing orange thing? Yeah. It's a black dropship, nice IPA peoples! And, hey, look! It's gettin closer! And is that a smaller black figure detaching itself mid-air while the dropship goes off to ground elsewhere?
Yes, yes it is. Vincent's not there yet, but the Mechjock and his eighty-five tons of pure mechanical mayhem will be grounding momentarily. Hooooooyah!
The Purple Hydra remains perfectly still, well beyond the line of attack at the castle. Shizuru chuckles softly as the one she called 'Anchin' looks at her after recieving the messages over the radio, "It seems like the two sides are evenly matched. We may not have to interfere after all Kiyohime."
"I know, but still it is rather entertaining is it not? Let us see how our illustrious Don handles his forces." Shizuru is such a traitor, but this is a good time to gauge both the IPA forces and what resources the Syndicate has on hand as well as how not to turn into a Crazy Megalomaniac.
"Hold it right there!!" The action is already well underway by the time the Sky Houki roars into sight overhead, and MagiRed quickly zeroes in on a threat he can recognize -- namely, Pizy Misa and Ren Girl. Granted it's not THE most intimidating threat in the midst of explosions and phaser fire, but it's the one the young magician can identify best with (there have been some pretty silly-looking Hades Beasts in his time, after all).
And so, the figure in the red helm, bodysuit and cape flies down off his cycle, dropping sharply to land several meters in front of Misa and Ren -- and whirls to his feet, cloak flaring before he throws it aside, a little trail of flame following the path of his hand. "The Burning Flame Elemental!" Forming a seal with his fingers and gesturing with it before throwing his hands out. "The Magician of the Red -- MagiRed!" Looks like Misa's got a competitor for Magical Showtime!
[Fac-IPA] Thraskar Davidson hmm-hmm.
[Fac-IPA] Thraskar Davidson says, "Ishida?"
[Fac-IPA] Superman says, "Two heavy mecha incoming. They'll probably have reinforcements, too."
[Fac-IPA] Chris Lightfellow says, "Damn..."
[Fac-IPA] Benjamin Sisko chirrup. "Sisko to Major Kira. Deploy the runabout Ganges to my location."
[Fac-IPA] Superman says, "I'll deal with the artillery."
[Fac-IPA] Chris Lightfellow says, "You can take care of one, Captain Sisko?"
Lezard emerges into the cool air, surveying the invasion force with a distasteful grin. "It's almost like an unruly, drunken mob of Einjerhiar." The Necromancer's caper billows, and he holds out his hands, a magical circle forming around him as he begins to intone. Dark magics spread through the graveyard, and the earth begins to groan as the forbidden black magics seep deep into the earth. His voice resonates weirdly through the air as his magic is forged.
"HARKEN, GATES OF NIFLHEIM! THROW OPEN THY DOORS AND LOOSE THE SPIRITS OF THE DAMNED! BY MY NAME DO I CALL THEE, LEZARD VALETH!"
The circle explodes outwards in tendrils of black energy... And the graves rock and buckle, earth turning as skeletal hands begin to force their way upwards, undead winning free of their cheap internment by the command of Lezard's foul and unholy rites as Lezard laughs madly. "AAAahahahahahahahahahahahaha!"
[Fac-IPA] Benjamin Sisko says, "I should be able to handle it. Runabouts aren't quite as tough as the Defiant, but they'll do."
[Fac-IPA] Benjamin Sisko says, "Commander Worf will remain with the Starfleet forces on the ground."
[Fac-IPA] Rei Ayanami says, "I will prepare if it is needed."
Chris runs into the castle, as the battle begins in earnest. The castle is large - the mighty home of England's greatest king was once every inch as majestic as Arthur's mighty legacy.
Now it is broken, and battered by the reign of Mordred...and that of Shadow. The Dark Gatekeeper feels it - one come to take vengeance on him for his deeds. Hmmm. Maybe one of the few people who actually deserve to exist, he thinks.
"Well, well, Miss Lightfellow," Shadow says, emerging from a hallway behind her. "We meet again. So what do you want? Come for blood?"
Superman has, perhaps predictably, been using his super-senses to try and get a handle on the situation. He can hear the giant robots being ejected from their respective dropships, but since they haven't actually arrived this round, not much he can do. Clark can probably see the hydra, though he's not really paying attention to it since it seems to just be observing for now. Big, purple, will be big and purple if and when it moves, Superman can successfuly back burner it.
The Man of Steel instead swoops down to grab one of the fallen gates, straightening the enormous door out roughly with the help of a flying kick! Not pausing to breathe, Superman grabs the far end of the door, and swoops back into the air, slowly spinning the armored portal around and around, as if it this was "Track and Field For Zentraedi" or something! After a few twirls, Clark grunts...
And /launches/ the door forward, aiming at where, roughly, he's calculated the first of what Superman's assuming are artillery support weapons, as they're falling from a dropship and aimed /away/ from the city. Taking a second to catch his breath, Clark pours on the speed, sending another flying kick at the /second/ door, aiming to begin the process again!
Having their home invaded, the very gates of their castle destroyed by these IPA invaders, Mordred's knights begins scrambling around. Every available page, squire and servant are running around getting the knights geared up while the on duty guards prepare for their charge. Superman's dramatic entrance plus laser firing offworlders protecting a swarm of knights causes them to pause for a moment, enough time for Superman to deliver his speech. A few run screaming and away from the fighting but the vast majority leap forward, swords held high and let out a collective shout as they rush in mass through every guard post to clash with the IPA forces, "FOR CAMELOT! FOR KING MORDRED!" The Knights are still getting ready.
Ren Girl takes a moment to lift her dainty feet out of the dirt, and then stares at MagiRed with dainty shock and a dainty half-swoon. "Oh, no! 'Tis a terrible knave here to kidnap me and, uh," she glances at a script which appears out of nowhere. "Kidnap me and feedeth me to his terrible fire dragon! What ever shall I do?"
Pixy Misa stares up at her monster for a second. "YOU BEAT HIM UP!"
"But tis the Flame Elemental! I am afraideth of fire! Eth!"
Pixy Misa mumbles, and then gets an idea. "Okay, Ren Girl! You're going to the ball, so we'll put you in your finest winter garments!" She waves her fan again, and Ren Girl is suddenly garbed in a blanket snow "gown," with little icicles hanging down. "That should at least help you a little, right? NOW GO FIGHT HIM."
The terribly feminine tree-monster nods, timidly, and then throws a boulder-sized snowball at MagiRed, with little ice chunks sticking out. "Shooeth! Shooeth!"
"You," Chris practically seethes. She turns on a foot and raises her sword up. The length of Stendich is pointed out at the Don's form, held securely in her hand - no trembling, no sign of fear. "Did you really think I wouldn't come, eventually? You manipulated my emotions, you imitated someone dearer to me than a thing such as yourself could imagine..."
She spits, once, trying to keep her voice from raising into a shriek. "/And/ you didn't even have the courage to fight me face-to-face after all was said and done! Blood? You think I came here for /blood/?"
She glares, raising her chin. Her expression becomes neutral, her violet eyes become cold. "Your blood isn't worth a penny to me, Shadow. But I will take what I can get."
Somewhere in the upper atmosphere, a flicker is visible, plunging rapidly towards the surface. As it enters visual range its identity becomes evident: It's a Starfleet runabout, the USS Ganges. As the ship swoops through the sky, something happens on the ground: Captain Sisko breaks down into blue light and vanishes.
He rematerializes aboard the runabout and immediately makes for the cockpit, only to smile as he spots who's at the controls. "Thanks, Chief."
"My pleasure, sir," answers the ruddy Irishman with a grin, relinquishing the main control board to the captain. "Let's give the bastards 'ell."
"Agreed. Come about; charge the shields and arm phasers and torpedo launchers."
As the Captain and the Chief prepare to dispense punishment on the Syndicate's heavy weapons, the Ganges banks and begins to swoop around, its impulse engines flaring. In the atmosphere they produce a roar like a jet's, but deeper and throatier.
On the ground, Lieutenant Commander Worf has been left in command of the away team. The sight of the emerging undead evokes a snarl from him, his eyes widening dramatically - not in fear, but in fury, the hot blood of the Klingon beginning to burn more intensely in his veins. He fires at a couple of enemy troopers before finding himself too close for that. Thus does he eagerly brandish a large, curved, tri-gripped blade - a bat'leth.
"Heghlu'meH QaQ jajvam!" he roars as he hurls himself into battle, hacking at all who oppose him.
The other Starfleet officers, being a bit further back, keep firing their phasers into the Legions of Gumby. The undead will likely force them to use their kill setting, but they're trying to avoid it.
Yes, well, Vincent grounds with a nice loud 'KA-THWUMP'. Big Robot makes for a bit of earth-shaking, after all. Annnnd then he has time to see a piece of gate go flying towards where his support lance was landing. VIncent blinks, scanners already locking onto the Flying Boyscout even as his radio crackles.
"Vanguards, Incoming. Scatter!"
See, that's the joy of mounting artillery in mechs. They're, y'know, mobile. Not as mobile as he'd like...but more mobile than one might expect! Which is why the flying pieces of masonry don't do too much. Well, okay, let's be honest. Eveyr unit has one. Y'know. THe guy with bad luck? Yeah. Vincent's unit is no different. One of his poor pilots is kinda stuck. He can't go left. The Vultures are in the way. He can't go right. The other Ullers are just starting to move. Going forwards won't work, that way leads to the first piece of masonry as it's, y'yknow, coming in from that direction, and going backwards is slow...
And that's how Oberon Mercenary John O'Malley ends up with a light mech flattened under a pair of large doors, the pilot blinking and looking up.
"...Guys? a little help? I'm stuck!"
Vincent just frowns, and opens fire on the flying pest at that point with a hail of small laser fire. That'll take care of 'em, right? Right. Vincent isn't hopelessly optimistic at all. Fweem!
As the Zeonic Drop pod burns it's way through the Sorrowful Skies of Battle, Haman Karn runs a final check on all systems. The improved powerplant is online, the psycommu system seems to be working correctly and the wrist-mounded beam launchers are charged and ready. It's only a matter of time now.
20,000 Feet.
15,000 Feet.
At 10,000 Feet the pod opens and the distinctively odd shape of Haman's heavily modified Zaku fires the massive thrusters on it's back, it's feet and it's hips as it launches into the air. This is no oridinary Zaku, far from it. It's a deep purple in color, with huge plates of spiked shoulder armor bolted to the binders and studded with a dozen small studs on each plate. The legs are heavily modified, providing more thrust, as does the massive backpack and the thruster units on the hips. It seem to carry no obvious weapons as it plummets through the sky, firing it's thrusters one more time before landing in a crouch in the middle of a small clearing. Rising to it's full height, the monoeye in the center of the head flares to life. Haman Karn has entered the battlefield.
Lenneth appears as they say right in the nick of time, in midair and just over the pit Lezard crafted to summon his terrible undead hordes.
She draws out her blade and points it at Lezard Valeth, "I see thou hast decided to side with others of your ilk," She is being formal it seems today, "Ye shall not assist the Sydnicate, Lezard Valeth!" Lenneth narrows her eyes as she allows herself to fall, aiming to land right on those very skeletal hands trying to pull out of the squad.
She turns her head and looks towards Chris Lightfellow as she charges in and gives a small nod before stabbing her blade for the skeleton's wrist. "I know how you enjoy playing with the lives of the undead...you have asked for me so much, today you shalt have me!"
"Oh, my beloved!" Lezard brings his arms up trumphantly, expression ecstatic as Lenneth appears. "I do so love it when you are formal. Such grace! Such /elegance/... Ah, truly a Lady among ladies." The Creepy Necromancer sighs. "But I simply must protest, my love. Shadow had been SUCH a help, and it would be poor of me to not return the favor! Please, do stay a while!" The hands scrabble up, the undead emerging and beginning to gather before Lezard, effectively forming a shield of bone around him. The arm of skeleton she tried to stab falls off... But it bends over and reattatches it before leaping and clawing at the goddess.
The last time Kai ran across one of Misa's creations, he hadn't seen the genius lovely criminal mastermind (*cough*) behind it -- and so, he makes no connection between Red Girl and that other one. But that leaves him no less puzzled as he gets a rather... timid response from the odd looking creature. "Uhh.... wait a minute... " Kidnap? Fire dragon? " .... I think you're a little confused -- "
The rest of whatever MagiRed is about to say is lost in a yelp as Misa dresses Ren up for a winter ball -- and then starts having 'winter balls' -thrown- at him, causing him to yelp and throw himself to the side. "Oi!!!" Tucking and rolling as the boulder goes crashing past him, coming up to his feet. "What do you think you're doing?!"
"Lenneth, hi!" Superman calls out, waving a little as he balances the second door over his head like a giant pizza box. There was a reason he mentioned the zombies, after all. The Man of Steel then shoots Lezard a little glare, saying, "You're a little creepy, guy." because Clark's sure that's on everyone's mind. Its a little tricky trying to keep track of so much going on...
...Superman pauses, mid thought, to whirl around and hold the door in front of him, plowing through the light battery of laser fire and seeming to charge at the Marauder...only to suddenly pull up, twirling at Yes speeds and, again, /launching/ one of the massive castle doors. This time, its at a Vulture, because Clark does not want the Syndicate to blow the damn city up. Superman twists, mid-air, and sends a weak blast of Heat Vision at the Marauder itself, so as to keep the aggro trained on him...
...but, fortunately, that's why they call them /super/ senses. Superman makes a note to keep an eye on Chris, since her vengence-on for Shadow's going to severly weaken the attention she's paying to the field, another note to thank Sisko for bringing Worf, who's leading the ground troops admiraly, and take a very special second to shake a fist at Haman Karn and her flying machine, because everyone hates Haman Karn.
....Well, erm...crap. He's pretty accurate with those damn doors. Vincent's got a moment to radio a second warning at his men...and then, well, crap. Flying Door. Vincent winces as he spares a glance at his HUD, as well as listening to the pilot of Vulture One screaming in panic and surprise as a door catches his mech by the shoulder, sending it spinning to the ground and damaging some servos. And severely rattling the pilot as he tries to lever his mech back on its feet. Dammit. Okay, well, time to see if he can draw Mister Speedy's Aggro, and that's wh-OH GOD THE LASERS!
Vincent stares as the Super Man eye-beams him, and frowns. That had the same punch as a medium laser...in his EYES. Hell with restraint or anti-infantry weapons. Vincent growls, setting his mech back and opening fire with a hail of pulse laser fire, tryin' to bracket Superman...and then, well, there's a loud KA-THWOOM, as the Gauss Rifle on the top of the Marauder shoots a slug downrange at Supes.
Mordred's guards clash with the Zexan knights and the Starfleet officers. Lasers > Leather, so a number of them get cut down before they even get close, but they just keep coming. This is their home after all. It is not much longer before the gates to the inner keep opens and a mess of knights appear rank in file upon horse back all charging out to clash with those on foot. These knights are better armored than their foot soldier brethrens and much more skilled as well.
[Fac-IPA] Chris Lightfellow says, "I've found Shadow."
[Fac-IPA] Chris Lightfellow says, "I will do my best to bring him in."
"Thour't a knave! A terrible, mean wizard! Thour't going to turn me into a toad," Ren Girl weeps as she hides her cartoonish-looking face between her branch-hands. Her dress jingles with icicles as she turns to look away. "Shooeth! Shooeth!"
Pixy Misa rolls her eyes. Why can't she make a normal monster, for once? "You can't be a coward, Ren Girl!"
"But I needeth a knight!"
"Well, trees don't get knights! Now go and stop the mean wizard so you can find a knight to sweep you off your feet. Erm, roots."
"But I frighten so easily," the rather annoying Ren Girl insists as she starts weeping, shedding down a rain of icicle tears and frozen pinecones down at MagiRed.
Aboard the Ganges, Sisko's control board blips at him, signalling the arrival of the modified Zaku upon the field. Quickly he keys to a scan, narrowing his eyes a little. "Seems we've got ourselves a target, Chief," he says to O'Brien, keying the console and locking the runabout's phasers onto Karn's mobile suit. While he'd prefer to have the Defiant on hand for ship-to-ship combat... he'll have to make do. "Target engines and weapons systems only."
"Aye, sir. Laying in attack pattern Maxwell theta."
Banking hard on one of its stocky nacelles, the runabout angles in towards the Syndicate mobile suit and blasts straight towards it, only to shoot upwards and to port as it nears. A pair of firing ports at the bases of its nacelle struts glow white-orange, disgorging a double lance of beam fire towards Haman's Zaku. Not a very powerful shot, but a shot nonetheless.
MEANWHILE, ON THE SURFACE...
Fighting undead is nothing new for Worf - it's the basis of every Klingon calisthenetics program!
Pausing in his all-imporant task of SMITING DO-BADDERS, Worf barks out orders to the Starfleet officers. "Fan out and provide cover fire for the close-range units! Stun when possible!" He then snarls, cradles the bat'leth along the inside of one arm, then pounces forward and pivots dramatically, slicing a conveniently-placed gumby across the chest - not a mortal wound, but a disabling one.
Ninja'd.
The away team drops back a little and continues shooting villainous gumbies, but a couple of them have suffered: One goes down full of sword wounds, taken down by a Camelot guard, while another is run through by another soldier, gurgling and collapsing to the ground. A second Starfleet officer stuns the offending trooper into submission, then picks up the phaser.
And who is that heroic Starfleet officer?
Ensign Nog hoists his pair of phaser rifles and grins a piranha-like grin. "Double the phasers, double the profits!"
He then proceeds to start stunning guards with both phasers, Rambo-style.
[Fac-IPA] Superman says, "I trust that you'll do what you have to, Chris. Good luck."
[Fac-IPA] Benjamin Sisko> Worf, breathing hard, "Qapla'!"
[Fac-IPA] Chris Lightfellow says, "Thank you, sir."
Shadow smiles a crazed smile, wire thin and razor sharp, at Chris' outburst. "Hahaha..." he says. "You /care/ about that old retard?" he continues, gesturing expansively. "Don't think I don't know EXACTLY what you've gone through, 'Lady' Chris Lightfellow. My own father was a useless sack of crap, too. Abandoned me in spirit, if not in body...hahaha..." He turns back to Chris, and behind his glasses, crimson eyes burn with hate. "A useless family of nothing but corruption and sin! The pathetic 'love' of a family is nothing more than a lie! I have seen the truth!!"
GATE......OPEN!!!
The twin gates of Darkness and Foresight yawn wide in Shadow's hands, and the Dark Gatekeeper points the Black Gate at Chris. "And I will show you what the future holds for you...ONLY DARKNESS! SHADOW EDGE!!"
Shadow switches armor modes to Dual Gate.
Lenneth leaps away from the clawing arm, parrying the strike with her sword. "Nggh!" She grunts, stepping back and eyeballing the bone cage protecting the Necromancer.
"Superman!" She shouts, "Hello, and thank you once again! I will hold Lezard Valeth's minions off, if this 'Shadow' assists Lezard Valeth--then he too must be stopped!" She closes her eyes for a moment as white wings of light burst from her back. Lenneth floats through the air for a moment and listens to the thoughts of her Einherjar.
'Let me at him, still pissed at him messing up our chance with Brahms!'
'I want to help Arngrim!'
'For the sake of law and justice, we must help the IPA!'
Jelanda--the young sorceress, Arngrim--the Heavy Swordsman, and Lawfer the Spearman form a three person squad behind Lenneth and she gives a small nod.
"Detain me if you wish, it matters not. I am here to detain thee." She charges forward, slashing at the frontal undead as the other Einherjar take up position in a semi circle around Lezard Valeth.
Haman Karn grits her teeth as the phasers hit home, knocking out the modified backpack and rendering those particular thrusters useless. Oh well, looks like she won't be taking to the air to fight. But that's ok, she doesn't have to. Grinning wickedly, she ejects the backpack and concentrates, her consciousness connecting with the psycommu system. The spikes on the shoulder armor suddenly explode outward from their moorings, taking to the air like a swarm of angry bees. Each of them responds to her merest whim, darting and weaving, making them very hard to lock onto. And all of them, en masse, home in on the Ganges, returning the favor of aiming only for weapons and engines, firing a dozen or so carefully targeted particle beam blasts at the Starfleet vessel.
Chris' eyes widen, as the Black Gate opens. When the bolt of shadowy light comes flying at her, she quickly jumps to the side and rolls; the woman hits the ground and comes back up with a snort, kneeling and looking at the Dark Gatekeeper for a moment. "Silence!" she barks at him. It seems he touched a nerve with her. "My father was a good man! You know nothing of what he was really like!"
She goes running forward, her mouth forming into a hard line. As she closes in on him, she throws out her foot. This causes her to skid into a controlled pivot, and a quick movement of her elbow sends her sword out in a controlled slash aimed right for Shadow's midsection.
"Don't presume to know anything about him--or me!" she snaps, angrily.
WHEN: Sunday, October 16, 2006
WHERE: Mordred's Camelot
WHAT: The IPA has found one of Shadow's safe houses, and makes their strike.
WATCH FOR: The terrible truth of Shadow's power.
Last night, the IPA got information it couldn't refuse. The source was only known to a few of their intelligence officers; however, it meant fast action was necessary. Shadow, the Syndicate Don, maintained several safe houses across planes. One of them had been identified, and a spy in the local plane had confirmed seeing him move two hours later. Action was necessary.
Chris Lightfellow is one of those here, to take that action. The woman looks dead serious as she remains in the forests outside of Camelot. This is not the one most know; the walls of this fortress city are dreary, and the towers stark. The black flag of Mordred flies here, and the Interplanar Peacekeeping Agency has no stake in these grim lands. It makes the knight frown.
She looks over her shoulder, at the lances of Zexen Knights following her. Someone would be needed to fight Mordred's men. But more people are here than that - soldiers, cops, and heroes from numerous planes. She gives them a nod, before she looks to the Chief himself. "Superman, my friends are ready. We'll need to make certain we get through the gate of the city. Then, we can grab him."
Normally, punching villains is a job for the Defiant - but when it comes to covert operations, that's when Benjamin Lafayette Sisko hoofs it.
Having left Kira in command of Deep Space Nine, the big Captain hunkers down in the woods among the force of Zexen Knights and miscellaneous cops. With him is an away force composed of a couple dozen gold-turtlenecked Starfleet Security officers, all armed with type-IIIb phaser rifles. He can't in good conscience deploy Bajoran troops here - not until they've committed fully to Federation membership, and certainly not in a setting that could lead to attacks on the world he's come to love. His second-in-command is, today, a man almost as dark as he, sporting a heavy forehead ridge and a mane of thick black hair.
The huge Klingon peers out through the trees at the nearby castle, letting out a hot breath through his nose. "It will be difficult to pass through the city gates," he rumbles to his commanding officer.
"Nothing worthwhile is ever easy, Mr. Worf," Sisko returns with a faint smile, securing the energy cell of his rifle. "Especially not stinging the Syndicate leadership where it counts."
He then takes a step back, turning a cool gaze in the direction of Ms. Lightfellow and the man from Krypton. "We're ready over here."
"K'so! Lost the scent!" MagiRed is actually -not- here as part of the IPA force backing Chris up -- for the past several days he'd been tracking down a certain individual, although the trail he's been folllowing tends to get broken up after going through different Gates. As such, the Magician of the Red is currently making a quick circuit of this Gate's domain as he flies atop some sort of elabroate skycycle, leaning down as he peers this way and that... but pauses as his MagiPhone gives a signal beep. o 0 (IPA frequency -- ?) Releasing one hand from the throttle to snap it open, raising up to listen...
Indeed. The IPA has no power here, which is why it's a perfect location for a relay point and safe house.
Shadow has been doing quite a bit of wheeling and dealing lately, and he's decided to take just a couple minutes to himself. The Syndicate Don is still in his Shadow garb, lying down on a cot in the safety of Mordred's Camelot - that Arthur guy's a real punk, Shadow muses, but Mordred has a little more...style. He grins to himself, closes his eyes, and--
DANGER
Shadow bolts upright. The Gate of Foresight whirls in his eyes. Something's wrong, the future says -- but what? He senses...pain? Screaming, agony...No death, but...he rolls out of his bed and fetches his sunglasses. Just to be safe.
A man dressed in the simple brown robes common to traveling priests and monks of the era is standing beside Lightfellow, his arms crossed underneith the robes, and a heavy hood masking most of his face. When addressed, the monk nods-revealing his true identity to his subordinates. He's been goofing around a few of the outside villaiges before the sting, and didn't want to give himself away. Plus, robes are cool. "Glad to hear it, Chris, Benjamin. Allright, then..."
But now that the IPA assault teams are set up, the monk can dispense with the sublty. Thank God, he was starting to feel like Bruce. The robe goes flying off, revealing nothing less than the caped figure of the Last Son of Krypton...
SUPERMAN! (Dun dun duh NAH nuh!)
"...guess I'll go knock. Get ready!" Clark sends a wink at the two commanders, stakes a step forward, and leaps from the IPA base camp to the castle's outer gates in a single bound! As Superman begins a descending arc, the Man of Steel pumps his arms forward, causing him to stop mid-fall, and looks up at said gates.
"Knock..." Clark pulls his arm back, and SLAMS a right hook at the imposing portaculuses! "...knock..." Superman pulls his right arm back, and instantly follows the attack with a southpaw body-blow! "...KNOCK!" Finally, Superman pulls both his arms back, clasping his hands together and spinning around in a full circle to build up speed and power, before sending what Superman hopes is the final knock in the form of a double-fisted hammerblow!
High above Camelot, safely positioned in geo-synchronous orbit is the newly commisioned Divine Crusaders Space Battleship Legendra. This red on black space fortress is merely here on a routine patrol of Syndicate friendly space and has clear orders from her Commander, Haman Karn to keep off this planet unless called for. The commander herself sits on the bridge, in the very center of things, troops wearing Zeon uniforms but bearing the special golden star on a chevron of red patch marking them as members of the DC, sits at the other command posts. A young woman called Lt. Sophie Hendricks mans the communications panel.
Haman yawns a bit, a slight sign to her troops that even a Newtype can get bored of inaction. Pressing a button on her command chair, she calls down to the Mobile Suit hangar to inquire about the condition of her latest experimental unit. The report states that all is ready and she grins softly to herself. Now, she wonders, where are her other DC members, the ones -not- attached directly to the Legendra?
Somewhere outside the Jaialai School for Developing Minds...
Misao Amano sighs as she sets her books down, returning home after her afternoon piano lessons. She was hoping Sasami would be here to walk home with her today, but it seems Sasami is mysteriously 'busy' again for some reason. Due to the magic nature of magical girls, it never occurs to her to wonder if Sasami's tardiness has to do with the battle Pretty Sammy is waging on the other side of the multiverse against Queen Beryl's minions. She decides she'll just try to call Sasami later, and maybe they can go to the new Victorian tea house together and get all dressed up. That would cheer her up.
As she walks down the street, she sees a familiar flash of green feathers. "Oh...pretty bird?" The elementary student smiles a little, following the bird into an alley, until Rumiya turns around and stares into Misao's eyes again. And suddenly she feels very, very sleepy...
Somewhere beyond the castle of Mordred on the other end, a massive 'thing' approaches, slithering across the ground, leveling trees in its wake. From a distance, it looks like a massive purple six-headed hydra. Two people stand on the top most head side by side, both wearing masks. The smaller and more feminine person cradles a red halberd in her arms while her companion has his off hand on the hilt of a katana tucked against some cybernetic bastardization of the traditional Japanese Samurai armor.
Surveying the castle, Shizuru puts her hands up and the hydra slows to a halt still some distance away from the castle, close enough to see the ensuing battle but far enough to hopefully indicate that she is not going to get involved. Hidden eyes flicker down towards the Man of Steel forcing an entrance and she chuckles, "Ara. Looks like the party has begun with out us wouldn't you say, 'Anchin'?"
"That would be our cue," Chris says with a small smile. The woman reaches down to her side, pulling away Stendich; the long blade glints once as light hits it, and she looks back to her men. "Captain Sisko, let's cover our flanks. We'll doubtlessly be getting a good deal of interference here," she says. She frowns, before she swings her sword down.
"All knights, move out! Lighter officers, keep behind them!" she shouts. The armored knights start their advance, unsheathing blades and bringing out spears and axes here and there. Chris quickly marches to the forefront. Afterward, uniformed cops in SWAT gear start jogging after - clutching assault rifles and shotguns alike.
Chris takes a deep breath. Somewhere, Shadow is here. She aims to find him.
Yes...well...Not EVERYONE can be so amazingly cool as to be able to drop into places from orbit. Or whatnot. I mean, SOME people need specialized orbital dropships to be able to get from Space to Not Space. Which is why the Fancy New Divine Crusader Battleship has a much less fancy, much less new dropship attached to it. That's right. It's the Oberon Mercenary Dropship Jolly Roger. Well, that's what the IFF reads this week on the Overlord Class. The large teardrop is simply docked with the Legendra, while the members of Vincent's Vanguards go about doing their thing. Basic maintenance, servicing battlemechs, idly indulging in BS sessions. You know. That sort of thing.
As for Vincent himself, he's simply sitting in a chair on the bridge, reading an old 'antique' paperback book he got his hands on the other day. Hey, he might be a dirty pirate, but he'll be a well-read pirate, thank you. Yep. nice, boring patrol. Nothing wrong with boring patrols, no sir! Easy money, after all.
Castles always have handy cemetaries and mausoleums, and those are prime material harvesting locations for necromancers. And it just so happens that someone happens to be poking around in a crypt right now, looking over a skeleton. A thighbone is picked u and examined intently. "Hmmm. Average density. No fractures. It appears to have been picked clean by..." He squints closely. "Insects... This will do." He tosses the bone over his shoulder, to land in a bag held by a large green hulking homunculous behind him. If someone put a pair of tights on him, maybe Bellion could pass for Bizzarro, but Lezard doesn't care about such things right now.
The noise of an incoming assault force gets his attention. "What, did the guards notice the door was open?" Lezard adjusts his glasses. "Ah well, let's go see what we have to deal with... Come, Bellion!" The homunculous grunts, "YES, MASTER." and follows after the UltraCreepyStalkerNerd.
Worf's eyes light up at the sight of the Man of Steel dispensing punch power upon the door. "THAT," he declares in a low, awed tone, "is a WARRIOR'S approach."
Sisko grins a little before nodding briskly at Chris. "Indeed." And with that the big Louisianan gestures with his free hand. "Move out!" he shouts.
Breaking free of the treeline, Sisko and Worf lead the Starfleet Security forces just behind Chris' army of spearmen, fanned out to cover the left and right flanks fairly evenly. With their powerful long-range weapons they're ideal for smashing any foes who'd dare come at them from just about any side, and positioned in the wings as they are, firing through the ranks of fellow good guys is not an issue. On one flank Worf leads one group of men, rushing forward with a Klingon battle roar.
Sisko, of course, is quieter. The calm before the storm.
Looks like they're starting something down there.... MagiRed hesitates for a moment as he considers helping out. But only for a moment -- the trail is more or less lost, and it sounds like whatever's going on down there will need some support. And so --
"Che. Just you wait! I'll find you yet!" And he hauls on the vane of the Sky Houki, veering it to the side as before speeding across the sky towards Camelot, following the MagiPhone's signal...
Spiritual Concentration, the best way to figure out when something of import is about to go down.
'Captain Sisko, let's cover our flanks.'
'Oh...pretty bird?'
'Knock...knock...KNOCK!'
'THAT....is a WARRIOR'S approach.'
'It appears to have been picked clean by... Insects...'
Lenneth frowns. Once again, Lezard... and she recognized Superman's voice. She is near the zone already so she travels towards it, intending to drop in on the stalker and possibly hit him while he's still wearing his glasses. Perhaps he's like some sort of Evil Velma.
The Gate is driving him mad. Something...horrible...something...painful? Agony incomprehensible, nothing he's ever felt before, WHY CAN'T HE MAKE THE PROPHECY STOP.
'KNOCK! KNOCK! /KNOCK!/'
Shadow looks out the window. "...they're here," he hisses.
The doors to Camelot shatter under the force of Superman's stupendous strength, fragments of wood and metal lodging themselves in wall like bullets. The Camelot Guards begin to swarm outward, moving to intervene.
Shadow steps out as well, scowling darkly. The Black Gate swirls in his eyes.
"IPA...alright, then. GET THEM!" he roars. "ALL FORCES IN THE AREA, DESTROY SUPERMAN AND ANYONE WHO OPPOSES YOU!!"
Shadow isn't happy.
Superman hovers over the city, arms crossed, jaw set in a scowl, eyes glowing a bloody shade of red. Clark doesn't /like/ playing the conquering overman, but intimidating the local forces might mean that they'll surrender rather than fight to the death, and a little discomfort is nothing compared to the oppertunity to save lives. The Man of Steel waits for the noise of the collapsing gates and the stomping knights to quiet, a little, before using his Outside Voice.
"Syndicate Forces!" Superman shouts as loudly as he can while still sounding like an authority figure, "You are all hereby bound by the law of the Interstellar League, through the authority of the Interstellar Peacekeeping Agency! You will be processed by the laws of the League, and fairly punsihed for your crimes! Put your knives, swords, axes, guns, missles, energy blasts, spells, summoned monsters, hordes, zombies, robots, and summoned hordes of robot zombies, DOWN, put your hands, tentacles, extra heads, living cloaks, familiars, body doubles, and second, third, fourth, or any other extra skins UP, and surrender before we have to do it for you!"
The Man of Steel waits a beat, as if to let the point sink home, and takes this time to slip Worf a thumbs up. Because, yeah, that was a pretty sweet entrance. A second later, Clark's all busniess again, and motions forward. "IPA! Secure the city!"
The glow of an activated Gate.
A smallish form in dark purple, black and blonde dashes out, and into a group of trees next to the castle. There are noises of grunting and muttering as she attempts to climb through the tree, all the way through the branches, before balancing herself so that from the top of the tree emerges, proud and smirking and covered in leaves, that infamous little blonde girl with a feather fan and red eyes.
"Huhuhuhu~! /STOP!/ You're very brave to show up like this, silly cop people! But now you're all doomed, because the beautiful and powerful Pixy Misa is here to defeat all of you. Don't worry, my fellow Syndicate fellows, you've nothing to fear with me he-YAAAH!"
After a whole lot more noise of a girl falling through a tree, Misa lands on the ground, rubbing her bottom and muttering. "I'll get YOU, tree! Think you're so funny...hmph!" She takes a few steps back, and raises her fan, magic swirling around the tall pine tree until it transforms into a lady-in-waiting tree with a pointed hat, a big fir gown, and dainty branch-hands.
"Go, REN GIRL!"
"You heard him!" Chris shouts, as she leads the charge down the hills and out of the forest. The knights go charging, descending towards the walls. She grits her teeth, looking at the gate - and then hears the first arrows from Mordred's soldiers being loosed. "KNIGHTS! RUNES! NOW!"
Bolts of lightning descend from the heavens, slamming into stone and person alike with explosions of sparks. Flame bursts shoot along the wall, and even a few ice shards fly out towards the unfortunate soldiers there. Chris doesn't join in, though - she needs to save her magic. "Come on, come on..."
As she nears the gateway, she rushes through - and a surprised guard there suddenly has a foot and a half of steel shoved clean through his chest in one fell swoop of her blade. She rips it out a moment later, and then keeps rushing in. Where /is/ he?
Aboard the Legendra, high in orbit, Lt. Hendricks turns, holding the comms unit to her ear. "Commander Karn, we're receiving an emergency message from the planet below. Don Shadow is requesting all Syndicate forces to attack and destroy Superman..." she pauses nervously as she says this, "And anyone there who opposes us."
Haman Karn springs from her seat, floating into the air thanks to the lack of gravity. "Tell the hangar to prep my Mobile Suit and a drop pod, I'll be going pesonally. It's time the IPA learns that they cannot enforce their will across all the planes without casualties."
As she heads for the Mobile Suit hangar, Haman sends a message to all DC units to descend on the planet below. When she reaches the MS Deck, she grints widely at the deep, purple MS being loaded into one of the Atmospheric Descent Pods. Slipping through an access hatch, she sets the pod to open at 10,000 feet above the target area. Securing her helmet and her restraints inside the modified cockpit of her latest MS, she grins. "Time to show these fools the true power they trifle with! Haman Karn in the Zak-Q LAUNCHING!" And she braces as the MS inside the Olive-Drab pod shoots forth before entering the atmosphere. It will be only moments until she clears the atmosphere and is able to engage the enemy.
"You heard the man!" Sisko shouts over the sound of battle, giving his compin a slap. "All units, fire at will!"
While the Starfleet officers are relatively unarmoured in comparison to Chris' knights and (obviously) Superman, they have the advantage of excessively powerful ranged weaponry - because a phaser is totally a shotgun on speed. As the Camelot Guards rush out to intercept the IPA forces, the Starfleet officers make their presence felt. Stopping in his charge, Worf hefts his phaser and takes aim partially on intuition and partially through the weapon's sight, firing a sizzling beam of orange-white energy towards the Syndicate troops. A moment later Sisko follows suit, as do the various Starfleet goldshirts, raining beams of phased nadion energy into the criminal horde.
Starfleet, fortunately, is a humane organization; the phasers are set to heavy stun, geared to incapacitate the crooks rather than kill them. Killing, after all, solves very little - and there's no point in trying to rehabilitate a corpse.
Sigh. FIgures. Here he was, just getting to the good part of his book, and then some jerkball has to go and make him /WORK/. On the plus side, at least it's less boring than a patrol. ON the downside, there's the whole 'peril to his life' thing. Bah. Whatever! Vincent's casually making his way down to the mechbay, idly nodding at the other pilots suiting up in there as the Vanguards do some last minute packin'. Don't want things bouncing around on an orbital hot-drop. Like, y'know, missiles. Yeesh.
ANYWAYS! The Jolly Roger seperates from the Legendra, the large dropship orienting itself properly and burning down into the atmosphere. Pretty visible, mind you, once it starts heating up from re-entry burn, Vincent finishing off a cup of coffee and then strapping himself into the jumpset of his eighty-five ton Marauder, idly checking comms and all those other fun things.
"Alright, Vanguards. Time to earn some pay. I'll play the hero, Vultures One and Two will back up from long range. Ullers, you've got Dee. Hot-Drop in five."
Yep. That big glowing orange thing? Yeah. It's a black dropship, nice IPA peoples! And, hey, look! It's gettin closer! And is that a smaller black figure detaching itself mid-air while the dropship goes off to ground elsewhere?
Yes, yes it is. Vincent's not there yet, but the Mechjock and his eighty-five tons of pure mechanical mayhem will be grounding momentarily. Hooooooyah!
The Purple Hydra remains perfectly still, well beyond the line of attack at the castle. Shizuru chuckles softly as the one she called 'Anchin' looks at her after recieving the messages over the radio, "It seems like the two sides are evenly matched. We may not have to interfere after all Kiyohime."
"I know, but still it is rather entertaining is it not? Let us see how our illustrious Don handles his forces." Shizuru is such a traitor, but this is a good time to gauge both the IPA forces and what resources the Syndicate has on hand as well as how not to turn into a Crazy Megalomaniac.
"Hold it right there!!" The action is already well underway by the time the Sky Houki roars into sight overhead, and MagiRed quickly zeroes in on a threat he can recognize -- namely, Pizy Misa and Ren Girl. Granted it's not THE most intimidating threat in the midst of explosions and phaser fire, but it's the one the young magician can identify best with (there have been some pretty silly-looking Hades Beasts in his time, after all).
And so, the figure in the red helm, bodysuit and cape flies down off his cycle, dropping sharply to land several meters in front of Misa and Ren -- and whirls to his feet, cloak flaring before he throws it aside, a little trail of flame following the path of his hand. "The Burning Flame Elemental!" Forming a seal with his fingers and gesturing with it before throwing his hands out. "The Magician of the Red -- MagiRed!" Looks like Misa's got a competitor for Magical Showtime!
[Fac-IPA] Thraskar Davidson hmm-hmm.
[Fac-IPA] Thraskar Davidson says, "Ishida?"
[Fac-IPA] Superman says, "Two heavy mecha incoming. They'll probably have reinforcements, too."
[Fac-IPA] Chris Lightfellow says, "Damn..."
[Fac-IPA] Benjamin Sisko chirrup. "Sisko to Major Kira. Deploy the runabout Ganges to my location."
[Fac-IPA] Superman says, "I'll deal with the artillery."
[Fac-IPA] Chris Lightfellow says, "You can take care of one, Captain Sisko?"
Lezard emerges into the cool air, surveying the invasion force with a distasteful grin. "It's almost like an unruly, drunken mob of Einjerhiar." The Necromancer's caper billows, and he holds out his hands, a magical circle forming around him as he begins to intone. Dark magics spread through the graveyard, and the earth begins to groan as the forbidden black magics seep deep into the earth. His voice resonates weirdly through the air as his magic is forged.
"HARKEN, GATES OF NIFLHEIM! THROW OPEN THY DOORS AND LOOSE THE SPIRITS OF THE DAMNED! BY MY NAME DO I CALL THEE, LEZARD VALETH!"
The circle explodes outwards in tendrils of black energy... And the graves rock and buckle, earth turning as skeletal hands begin to force their way upwards, undead winning free of their cheap internment by the command of Lezard's foul and unholy rites as Lezard laughs madly. "AAAahahahahahahahahahahahaha!"
[Fac-IPA] Benjamin Sisko says, "I should be able to handle it. Runabouts aren't quite as tough as the Defiant, but they'll do."
[Fac-IPA] Benjamin Sisko says, "Commander Worf will remain with the Starfleet forces on the ground."
[Fac-IPA] Rei Ayanami says, "I will prepare if it is needed."
Chris runs into the castle, as the battle begins in earnest. The castle is large - the mighty home of England's greatest king was once every inch as majestic as Arthur's mighty legacy.
Now it is broken, and battered by the reign of Mordred...and that of Shadow. The Dark Gatekeeper feels it - one come to take vengeance on him for his deeds. Hmmm. Maybe one of the few people who actually deserve to exist, he thinks.
"Well, well, Miss Lightfellow," Shadow says, emerging from a hallway behind her. "We meet again. So what do you want? Come for blood?"
Superman has, perhaps predictably, been using his super-senses to try and get a handle on the situation. He can hear the giant robots being ejected from their respective dropships, but since they haven't actually arrived this round, not much he can do. Clark can probably see the hydra, though he's not really paying attention to it since it seems to just be observing for now. Big, purple, will be big and purple if and when it moves, Superman can successfuly back burner it.
The Man of Steel instead swoops down to grab one of the fallen gates, straightening the enormous door out roughly with the help of a flying kick! Not pausing to breathe, Superman grabs the far end of the door, and swoops back into the air, slowly spinning the armored portal around and around, as if it this was "Track and Field For Zentraedi" or something! After a few twirls, Clark grunts...
And /launches/ the door forward, aiming at where, roughly, he's calculated the first of what Superman's assuming are artillery support weapons, as they're falling from a dropship and aimed /away/ from the city. Taking a second to catch his breath, Clark pours on the speed, sending another flying kick at the /second/ door, aiming to begin the process again!
Having their home invaded, the very gates of their castle destroyed by these IPA invaders, Mordred's knights begins scrambling around. Every available page, squire and servant are running around getting the knights geared up while the on duty guards prepare for their charge. Superman's dramatic entrance plus laser firing offworlders protecting a swarm of knights causes them to pause for a moment, enough time for Superman to deliver his speech. A few run screaming and away from the fighting but the vast majority leap forward, swords held high and let out a collective shout as they rush in mass through every guard post to clash with the IPA forces, "FOR CAMELOT! FOR KING MORDRED!" The Knights are still getting ready.
Ren Girl takes a moment to lift her dainty feet out of the dirt, and then stares at MagiRed with dainty shock and a dainty half-swoon. "Oh, no! 'Tis a terrible knave here to kidnap me and, uh," she glances at a script which appears out of nowhere. "Kidnap me and feedeth me to his terrible fire dragon! What ever shall I do?"
Pixy Misa stares up at her monster for a second. "YOU BEAT HIM UP!"
"But tis the Flame Elemental! I am afraideth of fire! Eth!"
Pixy Misa mumbles, and then gets an idea. "Okay, Ren Girl! You're going to the ball, so we'll put you in your finest winter garments!" She waves her fan again, and Ren Girl is suddenly garbed in a blanket snow "gown," with little icicles hanging down. "That should at least help you a little, right? NOW GO FIGHT HIM."
The terribly feminine tree-monster nods, timidly, and then throws a boulder-sized snowball at MagiRed, with little ice chunks sticking out. "Shooeth! Shooeth!"
"You," Chris practically seethes. She turns on a foot and raises her sword up. The length of Stendich is pointed out at the Don's form, held securely in her hand - no trembling, no sign of fear. "Did you really think I wouldn't come, eventually? You manipulated my emotions, you imitated someone dearer to me than a thing such as yourself could imagine..."
She spits, once, trying to keep her voice from raising into a shriek. "/And/ you didn't even have the courage to fight me face-to-face after all was said and done! Blood? You think I came here for /blood/?"
She glares, raising her chin. Her expression becomes neutral, her violet eyes become cold. "Your blood isn't worth a penny to me, Shadow. But I will take what I can get."
Somewhere in the upper atmosphere, a flicker is visible, plunging rapidly towards the surface. As it enters visual range its identity becomes evident: It's a Starfleet runabout, the USS Ganges. As the ship swoops through the sky, something happens on the ground: Captain Sisko breaks down into blue light and vanishes.
He rematerializes aboard the runabout and immediately makes for the cockpit, only to smile as he spots who's at the controls. "Thanks, Chief."
"My pleasure, sir," answers the ruddy Irishman with a grin, relinquishing the main control board to the captain. "Let's give the bastards 'ell."
"Agreed. Come about; charge the shields and arm phasers and torpedo launchers."
As the Captain and the Chief prepare to dispense punishment on the Syndicate's heavy weapons, the Ganges banks and begins to swoop around, its impulse engines flaring. In the atmosphere they produce a roar like a jet's, but deeper and throatier.
On the ground, Lieutenant Commander Worf has been left in command of the away team. The sight of the emerging undead evokes a snarl from him, his eyes widening dramatically - not in fear, but in fury, the hot blood of the Klingon beginning to burn more intensely in his veins. He fires at a couple of enemy troopers before finding himself too close for that. Thus does he eagerly brandish a large, curved, tri-gripped blade - a bat'leth.
"Heghlu'meH QaQ jajvam!" he roars as he hurls himself into battle, hacking at all who oppose him.
The other Starfleet officers, being a bit further back, keep firing their phasers into the Legions of Gumby. The undead will likely force them to use their kill setting, but they're trying to avoid it.
Yes, well, Vincent grounds with a nice loud 'KA-THWUMP'. Big Robot makes for a bit of earth-shaking, after all. Annnnd then he has time to see a piece of gate go flying towards where his support lance was landing. VIncent blinks, scanners already locking onto the Flying Boyscout even as his radio crackles.
"Vanguards, Incoming. Scatter!"
See, that's the joy of mounting artillery in mechs. They're, y'know, mobile. Not as mobile as he'd like...but more mobile than one might expect! Which is why the flying pieces of masonry don't do too much. Well, okay, let's be honest. Eveyr unit has one. Y'know. THe guy with bad luck? Yeah. Vincent's unit is no different. One of his poor pilots is kinda stuck. He can't go left. The Vultures are in the way. He can't go right. The other Ullers are just starting to move. Going forwards won't work, that way leads to the first piece of masonry as it's, y'yknow, coming in from that direction, and going backwards is slow...
And that's how Oberon Mercenary John O'Malley ends up with a light mech flattened under a pair of large doors, the pilot blinking and looking up.
"...Guys? a little help? I'm stuck!"
Vincent just frowns, and opens fire on the flying pest at that point with a hail of small laser fire. That'll take care of 'em, right? Right. Vincent isn't hopelessly optimistic at all. Fweem!
As the Zeonic Drop pod burns it's way through the Sorrowful Skies of Battle, Haman Karn runs a final check on all systems. The improved powerplant is online, the psycommu system seems to be working correctly and the wrist-mounded beam launchers are charged and ready. It's only a matter of time now.
20,000 Feet.
15,000 Feet.
At 10,000 Feet the pod opens and the distinctively odd shape of Haman's heavily modified Zaku fires the massive thrusters on it's back, it's feet and it's hips as it launches into the air. This is no oridinary Zaku, far from it. It's a deep purple in color, with huge plates of spiked shoulder armor bolted to the binders and studded with a dozen small studs on each plate. The legs are heavily modified, providing more thrust, as does the massive backpack and the thruster units on the hips. It seem to carry no obvious weapons as it plummets through the sky, firing it's thrusters one more time before landing in a crouch in the middle of a small clearing. Rising to it's full height, the monoeye in the center of the head flares to life. Haman Karn has entered the battlefield.
Lenneth appears as they say right in the nick of time, in midair and just over the pit Lezard crafted to summon his terrible undead hordes.
She draws out her blade and points it at Lezard Valeth, "I see thou hast decided to side with others of your ilk," She is being formal it seems today, "Ye shall not assist the Sydnicate, Lezard Valeth!" Lenneth narrows her eyes as she allows herself to fall, aiming to land right on those very skeletal hands trying to pull out of the squad.
She turns her head and looks towards Chris Lightfellow as she charges in and gives a small nod before stabbing her blade for the skeleton's wrist. "I know how you enjoy playing with the lives of the undead...you have asked for me so much, today you shalt have me!"
"Oh, my beloved!" Lezard brings his arms up trumphantly, expression ecstatic as Lenneth appears. "I do so love it when you are formal. Such grace! Such /elegance/... Ah, truly a Lady among ladies." The Creepy Necromancer sighs. "But I simply must protest, my love. Shadow had been SUCH a help, and it would be poor of me to not return the favor! Please, do stay a while!" The hands scrabble up, the undead emerging and beginning to gather before Lezard, effectively forming a shield of bone around him. The arm of skeleton she tried to stab falls off... But it bends over and reattatches it before leaping and clawing at the goddess.
The last time Kai ran across one of Misa's creations, he hadn't seen the genius lovely criminal mastermind (*cough*) behind it -- and so, he makes no connection between Red Girl and that other one. But that leaves him no less puzzled as he gets a rather... timid response from the odd looking creature. "Uhh.... wait a minute... " Kidnap? Fire dragon? " .... I think you're a little confused -- "
The rest of whatever MagiRed is about to say is lost in a yelp as Misa dresses Ren up for a winter ball -- and then starts having 'winter balls' -thrown- at him, causing him to yelp and throw himself to the side. "Oi!!!" Tucking and rolling as the boulder goes crashing past him, coming up to his feet. "What do you think you're doing?!"
"Lenneth, hi!" Superman calls out, waving a little as he balances the second door over his head like a giant pizza box. There was a reason he mentioned the zombies, after all. The Man of Steel then shoots Lezard a little glare, saying, "You're a little creepy, guy." because Clark's sure that's on everyone's mind. Its a little tricky trying to keep track of so much going on...
...Superman pauses, mid thought, to whirl around and hold the door in front of him, plowing through the light battery of laser fire and seeming to charge at the Marauder...only to suddenly pull up, twirling at Yes speeds and, again, /launching/ one of the massive castle doors. This time, its at a Vulture, because Clark does not want the Syndicate to blow the damn city up. Superman twists, mid-air, and sends a weak blast of Heat Vision at the Marauder itself, so as to keep the aggro trained on him...
...but, fortunately, that's why they call them /super/ senses. Superman makes a note to keep an eye on Chris, since her vengence-on for Shadow's going to severly weaken the attention she's paying to the field, another note to thank Sisko for bringing Worf, who's leading the ground troops admiraly, and take a very special second to shake a fist at Haman Karn and her flying machine, because everyone hates Haman Karn.
....Well, erm...crap. He's pretty accurate with those damn doors. Vincent's got a moment to radio a second warning at his men...and then, well, crap. Flying Door. Vincent winces as he spares a glance at his HUD, as well as listening to the pilot of Vulture One screaming in panic and surprise as a door catches his mech by the shoulder, sending it spinning to the ground and damaging some servos. And severely rattling the pilot as he tries to lever his mech back on its feet. Dammit. Okay, well, time to see if he can draw Mister Speedy's Aggro, and that's wh-OH GOD THE LASERS!
Vincent stares as the Super Man eye-beams him, and frowns. That had the same punch as a medium laser...in his EYES. Hell with restraint or anti-infantry weapons. Vincent growls, setting his mech back and opening fire with a hail of pulse laser fire, tryin' to bracket Superman...and then, well, there's a loud KA-THWOOM, as the Gauss Rifle on the top of the Marauder shoots a slug downrange at Supes.
Mordred's guards clash with the Zexan knights and the Starfleet officers. Lasers > Leather, so a number of them get cut down before they even get close, but they just keep coming. This is their home after all. It is not much longer before the gates to the inner keep opens and a mess of knights appear rank in file upon horse back all charging out to clash with those on foot. These knights are better armored than their foot soldier brethrens and much more skilled as well.
[Fac-IPA] Chris Lightfellow says, "I've found Shadow."
[Fac-IPA] Chris Lightfellow says, "I will do my best to bring him in."
"Thour't a knave! A terrible, mean wizard! Thour't going to turn me into a toad," Ren Girl weeps as she hides her cartoonish-looking face between her branch-hands. Her dress jingles with icicles as she turns to look away. "Shooeth! Shooeth!"
Pixy Misa rolls her eyes. Why can't she make a normal monster, for once? "You can't be a coward, Ren Girl!"
"But I needeth a knight!"
"Well, trees don't get knights! Now go and stop the mean wizard so you can find a knight to sweep you off your feet. Erm, roots."
"But I frighten so easily," the rather annoying Ren Girl insists as she starts weeping, shedding down a rain of icicle tears and frozen pinecones down at MagiRed.
Aboard the Ganges, Sisko's control board blips at him, signalling the arrival of the modified Zaku upon the field. Quickly he keys to a scan, narrowing his eyes a little. "Seems we've got ourselves a target, Chief," he says to O'Brien, keying the console and locking the runabout's phasers onto Karn's mobile suit. While he'd prefer to have the Defiant on hand for ship-to-ship combat... he'll have to make do. "Target engines and weapons systems only."
"Aye, sir. Laying in attack pattern Maxwell theta."
Banking hard on one of its stocky nacelles, the runabout angles in towards the Syndicate mobile suit and blasts straight towards it, only to shoot upwards and to port as it nears. A pair of firing ports at the bases of its nacelle struts glow white-orange, disgorging a double lance of beam fire towards Haman's Zaku. Not a very powerful shot, but a shot nonetheless.
MEANWHILE, ON THE SURFACE...
Fighting undead is nothing new for Worf - it's the basis of every Klingon calisthenetics program!
Pausing in his all-imporant task of SMITING DO-BADDERS, Worf barks out orders to the Starfleet officers. "Fan out and provide cover fire for the close-range units! Stun when possible!" He then snarls, cradles the bat'leth along the inside of one arm, then pounces forward and pivots dramatically, slicing a conveniently-placed gumby across the chest - not a mortal wound, but a disabling one.
Ninja'd.
The away team drops back a little and continues shooting villainous gumbies, but a couple of them have suffered: One goes down full of sword wounds, taken down by a Camelot guard, while another is run through by another soldier, gurgling and collapsing to the ground. A second Starfleet officer stuns the offending trooper into submission, then picks up the phaser.
And who is that heroic Starfleet officer?
Ensign Nog hoists his pair of phaser rifles and grins a piranha-like grin. "Double the phasers, double the profits!"
He then proceeds to start stunning guards with both phasers, Rambo-style.
[Fac-IPA] Superman says, "I trust that you'll do what you have to, Chris. Good luck."
[Fac-IPA] Benjamin Sisko> Worf, breathing hard, "Qapla'!"
[Fac-IPA] Chris Lightfellow says, "Thank you, sir."
Shadow smiles a crazed smile, wire thin and razor sharp, at Chris' outburst. "Hahaha..." he says. "You /care/ about that old retard?" he continues, gesturing expansively. "Don't think I don't know EXACTLY what you've gone through, 'Lady' Chris Lightfellow. My own father was a useless sack of crap, too. Abandoned me in spirit, if not in body...hahaha..." He turns back to Chris, and behind his glasses, crimson eyes burn with hate. "A useless family of nothing but corruption and sin! The pathetic 'love' of a family is nothing more than a lie! I have seen the truth!!"
GATE......OPEN!!!
The twin gates of Darkness and Foresight yawn wide in Shadow's hands, and the Dark Gatekeeper points the Black Gate at Chris. "And I will show you what the future holds for you...ONLY DARKNESS! SHADOW EDGE!!"
Shadow switches armor modes to Dual Gate.
Lenneth leaps away from the clawing arm, parrying the strike with her sword. "Nggh!" She grunts, stepping back and eyeballing the bone cage protecting the Necromancer.
"Superman!" She shouts, "Hello, and thank you once again! I will hold Lezard Valeth's minions off, if this 'Shadow' assists Lezard Valeth--then he too must be stopped!" She closes her eyes for a moment as white wings of light burst from her back. Lenneth floats through the air for a moment and listens to the thoughts of her Einherjar.
'Let me at him, still pissed at him messing up our chance with Brahms!'
'I want to help Arngrim!'
'For the sake of law and justice, we must help the IPA!'
Jelanda--the young sorceress, Arngrim--the Heavy Swordsman, and Lawfer the Spearman form a three person squad behind Lenneth and she gives a small nod.
"Detain me if you wish, it matters not. I am here to detain thee." She charges forward, slashing at the frontal undead as the other Einherjar take up position in a semi circle around Lezard Valeth.
Haman Karn grits her teeth as the phasers hit home, knocking out the modified backpack and rendering those particular thrusters useless. Oh well, looks like she won't be taking to the air to fight. But that's ok, she doesn't have to. Grinning wickedly, she ejects the backpack and concentrates, her consciousness connecting with the psycommu system. The spikes on the shoulder armor suddenly explode outward from their moorings, taking to the air like a swarm of angry bees. Each of them responds to her merest whim, darting and weaving, making them very hard to lock onto. And all of them, en masse, home in on the Ganges, returning the favor of aiming only for weapons and engines, firing a dozen or so carefully targeted particle beam blasts at the Starfleet vessel.
Chris' eyes widen, as the Black Gate opens. When the bolt of shadowy light comes flying at her, she quickly jumps to the side and rolls; the woman hits the ground and comes back up with a snort, kneeling and looking at the Dark Gatekeeper for a moment. "Silence!" she barks at him. It seems he touched a nerve with her. "My father was a good man! You know nothing of what he was really like!"
She goes running forward, her mouth forming into a hard line. As she closes in on him, she throws out her foot. This causes her to skid into a controlled pivot, and a quick movement of her elbow sends her sword out in a controlled slash aimed right for Shadow's midsection.
"Don't presume to know anything about him--or me!" she snaps, angrily.