Legion World Forums LEGION OUTPOST Bits o' Legionnaire Business Re: Legion Worlds Seven (finished 27 July 21)

Thanks IB, always grateful for your reviews.

We'll be seeing some more magic soon... and the Legionnaires have not encountered anything like it before.

I think 13 was testing Tel's focus, as he said you need to be able to focus on the here and now that's right in front of you, not be distracted and I imagine Tel was very distracted, haha. I've a longer term plan for Tel that'll start in LW8.

Ivy will reappear very soon too as I've big plans for her. Poor girl

The mystery of the interns will be cleared up at the end of this arc. Some might progress onto the two Legion teams , but not them all.

Coming up soon, Tinya has a very bad start to the day that will lead to the return - kind of - of one of my favourite villains, Gahaji and Zoe make plans, and the return of a few former colleagues that will change the team forever!

Yeah, Dann knows what he's doing for sure Looking forward to seeing where you take Tel!

Oh, doesn't sound pleasant for Ivy lol!

yeah, I figured not all the interns will become Legionnaires... so curious to see who does what!

former colleagues! oh, I am so intrigued! cannot wait for the next bits!

Hi Harbi, have just caught up - lots of fun stuff in here!

- Black Street Boys!

- Starkling is such an awesome and unique creation...I loved the idea of it mimicking space debris, and the excellent visual of it slamming into the docking bay doors

- Having recently binged Doom Patrol, I also really liked the description of Non zipping about and blowing stuff up

- Mon-El was great in these instalments, I feel like his character really shone through his impromptu pep talk to Impact and him having a rare moment of just having fun with those goons who were no threat to him. I was initially surprised that he would see the formation of the Legion as RJ stroking his ego, but it does make sense that someone a thousand years old wouldn't have the naive reverence for Brande that a lot of the other Legionnaires do

- the image of Dawny booting a naked dude through a space warp made me chuckle, but I did quite like her teamwork with Atomsmasher there too

- I am glad Sa Lok escaped, it looks like the Legion are gonna find this guy much harder to deal with than they had assumed and I am looking forward to seeing this escalate!

- and my favourite part...Ivy! Making her a Dominator is a stroke of genius with all their plant tech, I am also really looking forward to seeing where you go with her!

(also, special mention to the bit with Babbage and Danielle....it's nice seeing him qualify the difference in their similar abilities!)

Gahaji and Zoe were lying on a daybed together in his apartment on First Base listening to soft Aarokian dance-jazz and enjoying their moment together.

They were both due for monitor duty in an hour so wanted to make the most of their free time until then. Zoe was lying on her back with her arms in the air, her hands making rhythmic movements in time with the beat.

"Stop laughing, this was all the rage just a couple of years ago!" She didn't sound too convinced herself but kept up the defensive front.

"Hand dancing? Really? Oh Zoe, honey, with a bod like yours you shouldn't limit yourself to that..."

"Wa... was that a compliment? A compliment for little me?" She sat up and turned to face the tracker who was curled on one side watching her. There was a teasing smile on her face as she looked down her nose at him.

"Yeah, deffo's Zoe. You know you're beautiful... Anyway, I've been thinking..."

"Wow, two miracles in one conversation." Zoe laighed.

"Oh, haha..." Even though Gahaji smiled it was obvious his mind was elsewhere, "We have seventy-two hours off rota after our monitor board duties and... well, do you fancy meeting my grandfather? I really want to visit him."

"Oh. My. Stars! Are we finally a proper couple that you want to introduce me to your family? Like, for real?" Her teasing mockery was not lost on him.

Gahaji laughed - genuinely, this time - and turned away from her and rolled onto the edge of the day bed, sitting up and placing his feet on the floor. He spoke over his shoulder.

"Zoe, if you want to come that'd be really appreciated. Meet Cassanda properly this time, and my grandfather is a character, you'll like him. And now that the bounty's been called off, we won't need to take a big team, we can just go chill out on their farm for a couple of days."

Bouncing across the daybed, Zoe wrapped her arms around his broad shoulders and happily agreed.

It was not the way Tinya Wazzo would have chosen to start her day... or any day, in fact.

The team had been focusing on finding and rescuing Tuk Shir for the last two days without much luck. The night before, right after spending two glorious hours with Tasmia, Reep had come to her quarters asking to speak. The Durlan had an idea how they could use the captured planetoid from Rimbor that had led to the two old friends almost arguing, something that they had rarely done in all the years that they had worked together. He wanted to take charge of the small world to have it as a full-time base for espionage missions. Tinya disagreed, there were more important things they could be doing with the resources they had at hand right now. When the team went on their little 'quiet vacations', as Jo liked to call it when Tinya left on such low-key missions for the espionage squad, they used the members available and to take those teammates out of standard commission would be a mistake as often their skills became useful on the everyday missions they ran. Reep disagreed and the two of them had spoken for close to three hours before he left her quarters. Tinya had a headache by the time he had gone and so had quickly checked in with the monitor board to ensure there were no disasters enfolding before retiring for the night.

It was 0645 standard time when the holo of Science Police Chief G'Randarohll from Takron-Galtos appeared before Phantom Girl as she sat in her private quarters enjoying a light breakfast. With no preamble the gruff looking chief started his report:

"Miss Wazzo, at 0436 Sol standard this morning a convoy of Science Police crafts that were carrying prisoners to a Takron-Galtos psych re-evaluation Unit were attacked. The convoy had powerful defensive capabilities, up-to-date stealth technology and followed a randomly generated flight path. In theory there was very little chance of almost anyone knowing where they were, let along managing to overpower them."

He looked away for a second before continuing.

"None of the security systems recorded who or what attacked them and none of the twenty-three personnel aboard survived. Seven prisoners escaped and their whereabouts are currently unknown."

"We'll get onto it immediately Chief. We're... we're really sorry to hear of your losses, this is terrible news. Please extend our condolences to their families and reassure them that the Legion will help bring whoever did this in for you to ensure justice is served."

"Thank you, ma'am. I... We're very grateful. I've sent the co-ordinates and prisoner?s details to you." With that the Chief from the prison world cut the holo-transmission leaving behind a hard-light construct floating in the air with the data Tinya would need.

Phantom Girl knew there was a Science Police meta-team based on T-G that would be involved, several former academy students were part of that team so she hoped they could work together with the Legion and help catch whomever was responsible and the escaped villains before anyone else was killed.

As the list came through Tinya shook her head. She knew an urgent internal audit would need to be held to examine why these particular characters had been put in one transporter together and who had authorised it. The list did not make easy reading - Lightning Lord, Esper Lass, Titania, Silver Slasher, and some of the meta-villains the team had only recently sent to the prison facility: the mystical assassin known as the War Wolf, and the two Khund cyborgs that could turn invisible.

It was too much of a coincidence that these villains were all being moved together and had somehow been freed... Tinya considered the situation and realised that it looked to her as if someone was planning on rebuilding some version of the LSV. Tinya took a deep breath before contacting Thunder and Tyroc. Within fifteen minutes she had assembled a dozen Legionnaires and had warped a cruiser to the site of the attack. Dawnstar led the way with SPO Nel Duwi and Dkyun Mu, the Green Lantern close behind.

They had warped teams from both bases and the cruisers to the site of the attacked ship. Dawnstar and Nel Duwi had examined the surroundings with their hyper-senses before the Starhavenite exclaimed she had a trail and flew off due Galactic South.

The rest of the team were in a cruiser trailing them. The winged tracker was following the trail of the escaped meta-terrorists with her usual concentration. Tinya knew better than to ask Dawnstar how she was doing, despite the gnawing feeling in her gut that this mission was not going as well as it should....

<Officer Duwi and the Green Lantern could move a world by themselves if they wanted to, so don't worry Tinya. There are enough of us to deal with Mekt and his toxic friends> Element Lad sent through on a private bandwidth to the team leader on the other cruiser.

<That obvious I'm anxious, is it Jan?> The team leader replied.

<Not at all, but I would be if I were in your position> He gave Tinya a supportive smile.

Dawnstar interrupted with a message through the telepathic grid <The trail has gone cold... it is most frustrating!>

Surprisingly, Glorith added to the conversation. <I believe magicks were involved as the area rings out with forbidden energies... Thirl's Song of Warp... a necromantic spell>

<They were taken like Tuk Shir?> Tinya asked. She had a sudden chill race down her spine at the thought.

<No, no I recognise the magical signature this time and it is not pleasant news to share. This transportation spell was cast by the Shadowmancer. He used the fresh blood of a child murdered by his own hand to cast it.>

<Can you follow it Glorith? Can you take us to him...?>

There were a few seconds silence that followed though none of the team interrupted the mystic as she concentrated. The lines on the young sorceresses' face glowed ominously as she focussed eldritch energies onto the task.

<I am sorry. I will be able to sense it again if we come close though this way has been warded closed before me> Glorith bowed her head as she finished, ashamed that she could not do any more to help.

<don't worry, you've given us a good start here. We'll be on the lookout for Mekt and his bunch of crazies now. They won't stay free for long> Tinya sent across the telepathic matrix, careful to mask her doubts and worries from the team.

Little Loki - Magnus Laviksen of Nordhelm, illusion casting, strength
Thunderbolt - Ness Strakinos of Gardenhome, assume electrical energy form
Neutron Boy - Noor R'manali from the Hopper Colonies of the Alanorian Protoplanetary Accretion Disc, energy absorption and release, agility, hyper-acute senses


Magnus rather liked the name his fellow students had given him - Little Loki!

He knew better than most of the students or tutors here that Loki was far more than some fey godling that got his jollies by pulling pranks on the Aesir. Having been brought up on a world that revered the Viking way of life he knew that Loki was one of the most overlooked gods. For one thing, he was renowned amongst those that knew their history as often taking the time to work out solutions that the other gods, in their arrogance, had failed to find as they tried to bulldoze their way through any issue that arose.

Magnus Laviksen of Nordhelm had been a bit reserved when he had first attended the academy, he was after all brought up as a little more than a serf. Also, being shorter than most of the other humanoids on board the Home Base planetoid meant they tended to overlook him or treat him as if he were a child. He initially resented it, but had also quickly learned how to use this to his own advantage when needed. The solutions were there if he took the time to look for them... just like Loki.

It had taken a month but Magnus had come to realise that every student felt at least as overwhelmed as he had. Every world was different with their own customs and culture, and every student would have a unique perspective on what would be the societal-norm. Once he accepted this simple truth Magnus felt a lot more confident in his place here at the Home Base Academy.

His friend Shardwurd had encouraged him to go out more, meet more people and experience everything his new life situation had to offer. Magnus had tried and the young man from the high gravity Viking's world was finally beginning to show his true character in front of strangers as well as friends. If nothing else, he couldn't be accused of lacking in determination as he made a point of talking to at least one stranger a day.

But right at this moment, none of this mattered as he completed his daily training under simulated double standard-G's in a bid to maintain his muscle tone. One of the first holo's Night Girl had shown him when he arrived here was the effects of living in a lower gravity than where one had been brought up. Basically, he had to train hard or he would get really fat, really quick. As there were quite a few young ladies that had caught his eye he planned on keeping his rather impressive muscles for as long as he could.

One of those ladies was a relatively new student who called herself Thunderbolt and, like him, she seemed to spent a lot of time during the early mornings at the gym. Unfortunately for Magnus, she also spent a lot of that time with her classmates. Today he was glad to see she was with only one of them. The one that had joined her was tall, real skinny with a white banded prehensile tail. Magnus wasn't entirely sure what their relationship was but he really wanted to find out. Putting on a big smile the young illusion caster switched off the G-Sim weights before he sauntered across the gym towards his fellow students.

"Hey there, how are you today?" The stocky young man said loudly, waving a hand towards the two newer students as he got closer to them. Both waved back and smiled.

"Hi there," the pretty girl said with a brilliant smile.

"Hey, how are you?" Her tall classmate added.

"You use the G-Sim weights, don't you?" Thunderbolt asked.

"Ah, yeah, I'm from Nordhelm, so grew up in 1.85 G's... it's too light for me here. I don't want to get fat..." Magnus felt a little surprised at how much he had just opened up but continued to smile.

"Could you show Noor how to operate them?" She indicated her class mate and the weights before beaming Magnus a magnificent smile.

"I'm from a Hopper Colony..." Noor smiled, looking embarrassed, "anything above half a standard G for any length of time's tough on me so I need to build up muscle mass... Lydda suggested I try this." The tall thin young man said.

"It would be my pleasure." As Magnus said it Thunderbolt walked over to him and placed a hand lightly on his shoulder and thanked him. She stated they really did appreciate his assistance and also how she hoped he didn't get fat either as he had really good muscle definition... She casually slipped in that she had noticed them from the other side of the room.

At that point, Magnus knew it was going to be a good day.

Xanthu system:


Dream Girl understood that once her visitor had arrived, she would have only thirty-six hours left in this idyllic self-imposed exile in the Xanthu system before hers, Thom's and Mathilda's lives would change forever.

And as she had sent the invite herself a few hours earlier that day asking their visitor to join her, the platinum blond precognitive also knew the clock was ticking down.

For the last few days, she had been packing for the move. Thom, being Thom, wasn't exactly thrilled at the idea but that had never stopped him from joining her before and she knew damn well his pessimistic defences certainly wouldn't stop them now. They had work to do and according to the news feeds they had seen, the event that would ensure her visions would come to pass had happened five hours before. They were now on a countdown...

Nura had been having the same recurring dream for over a month now. Thom had complained bitterly for three solid days after she had first told him what had been foreseen. He had argued and presented her with a dozen different scenarios that could explain it away without their needing to leave their satellite home. She had initially been patient with him but on the third day of his sniping Nura snapped and told him in no uncertain terms that he should do what he was told. And after that Thom Kallor did exactly what he was told.

The screen before Nura pinged as it registered an approaching craft. Their visitor was about to arrive.

"I'll go let her in." Thom said from behind, their daughter was cradled in his strong arms with her head pressed into the nape of his neck, soundly asleep.

"Don't go, you'll wake Matty up darling, I'll do it. She's here because I invited her anyway."

Nura Nal made her way to their satellite home's small docking bay and waited for the shuttle to connect its airlock onto the satellite. It took a couple of minutes for the automated systems to complete their necessary functions ensuring the craft was secure and the atmosphere inside the docking strip was breathable before their guest strode confidently along the corridor.

"Professor Li, I'm so grateful you agreed to come. How was your journey? I hope you found us out here without too much bother." Nura felt unexpectedly nervous as she asked. Her dreams had made it clear that she needed her former teammates assistance going forward.

"Nura," the ancient elemental replied with a small smile, "...please call me Harmonia. The co-ordinates you kindly sent were perfect so it was no trouble finding your home. Though could I trouble you for a Green tea? Those Vikken shuttles have atrocious air conditioning systems, I find they dry my throat out something terrible."

Nura smiled. She knew that with Professor Harmonia Li on her side, they would be able to fulfil her prophecy - The two women would soon lead a Legion of their own and in doing so would save many, many lives and perhaps even reality itself...

Thanks for your kind reviews IB and Raz, they are appreciated!

I only have half an hour to myself today so I've posted this, though tomorrow and Thursday should give me more time so I can review Omni's, Raz's and GL's fics - I'm looking forward to them!

More, more, more soon as Zoe and Gahaji go on holiday but it goes wrong before they even leave the base... and then some interpersonal moments that I've been sitting on for a while and we'll learn why the Shadowmancer took those (non-unique) villains. Oh, and we'll get to Nura's plans, though not everyone will be happy with them.

Thanks again,

C

hahaha love the banter between Zoe and Gahaji. So cute!

2-3 hours debate between Tinya and Cham, wow! No wonder she's in such a bad mood. I myself agree with Tinya, many of the Espionage Squad members have abilities useful on other types of missions... Cham is one of the best examples of that

23 deaths! gosh... ooh former Academy students though,would be nice to check in on some of them. Interesting set of villains too... uh oh.... is someone forming an LSV, or a meta army? is Sa Lok also behind this? oh ok, Shadowmancer, hmm!

Jan's support for Tinya is touching. And he would know, nice reference to his being a former leader

Magnus re Loki, I like it. Fits in well with an illusion caster too, to be wily beyond just relying on illusions

nice point about moving from a high-g world to a low-g one... and nice acknowledgement that men can also be vain, heh. Noor's reaction also shows that. "I'm too skinny!"

Ooh Thunderbolt is also smooth...

hahaha I can just imagine Nura snapping at Thom, like "I'm the precog here, do as you're told!" Love that it came after 3 days of bitter complaining. I do get Thom's reluctance to leave their little home though
... but we all know Nura's visions always come true...

Harmonia!

And... to lead a Legion of their own!!?!?! Gasp!

colour me intrigued... and of course, cannot wait for more more more!

Can't wait to see what Mekt and the others are up to!

Poor Thom, he puts up with so much from Dreamy....I am intrigued about Nura and Harmonia leading their own Legion though!

This is so cool, Harbi. I'm in awe at how you can crank this out and have it be just a smooth read.

I really liked how Magnus' scene was written in such a way as to be in his head, but not a first person narrative. And having just finished New 52 Legion, I really enjoyed reading Nura and Thom with Harmonia.

Second Base

Lexikon - Princess Daheenisha of Tamaran iv, enhanced speed, strength, durability, flight, omni-linguist


The Tamaranean princess lay on her bed.

She had been in her quarters for over twenty-four hours, alone with her thoughts.

The Sphere had approached her several times but she had waved it away. She had no need of it right now and was not ready to speak to her family either... the golden skinned warrior needed time to think. It had been over a Tamaranean year since she had seen or spoken to her betrothed, Sky Lieutenant Annach'ha.

The agreement she had made with her aunts and the Queen meant she was overdue spending time with him.

The Tamaranean Legionnaire knew that it would not be accepted if she were to formally remind her family of their agreement and request their meeting. She knew her role was to serve. Her family owed so much to the crown that her duty was clear - her place was to do as requested and be grateful of the role. but still, the golden skinned warrior felt disappointed...

Being a member of the Legion had certainly distracted her; her teammates were an incredible mix of beings with a wide range of personalities that kept her fascinated. She had learned that the compassion the team were known for was certainly true, and she estimated that they were more deserving than even the most loyal media follower would give them credit for, for all their achievements and successes. They also squabbled as young children and siblings might, which she generally found amusing. It reminded her of her childhood with her sisters on the Okaaran plantations. That was before they had been given their life-duties, after that there was very little time for pettiness. The three Tamaranean princesses that had once played in the expansive gardens of their mother's estate were rarely together in one place again after that. Princess Daheenisha rarely thought of her sisters these days, though knew that they were out there in the wider universe doing as she was, their duty.

The Vegan Empire had only opened its borders within the last couple of years and trade between the United Planets and Khunds was tolerated though still not fully accepted. Her people had closed themselves off from the wider galaxy almost a millennia before with a ruthless strictness and overcoming the centuries of mind-set would take time. Her duty was to give the ruling houses information to affect the choices they made as the borders slowly came down, and Daheenisha hoped she had shown them that the United Planets may be worthy as trading partners in the years to come.

For as much as her duty and responsibilities took precedent, Sky Lieutenant Annach'ha still filled the princess's thoughts. He had been charged with process mapping their militaries response rates and capabilities, in case the opening of their borders did not go as peacefully as the Prime Psion had hoped.

They had last seen each other on a rain bleary sky-pad as his armoured cruiser completed its check-list before taking him away to visit the new military positions being set up within their home stars Oort cloud... And with this thought the Tamaranean princess decided that enough was enough, she could only mope for so long before she needed to break things. It was time to volunteer for whatever missions were away to take place. And she really hoped her physical prowess would be challenged as the adrenaline rush would help move her mind off how dreadfully lonely she felt right now.

Kinetix - Zoe Saugin of Aleph, telekinetic animation
M?Windaji - Gahaji of Kiringyaga, super tracker, carries the Ruby of Life allowing tactile transformative magic
Backlash - Mrruaw M?Nau of Simballi, enhanced strength, speed, senses, absorbs kinetic energy to boost own size and mass
Spoiler ii - Gord Eno of Naltor, precognition, specialising in short range visions for combat situation


Gahaji had moaned when Cece told them that they were only allowed 24 hours leave on Kiringyaga.

Tinya planned on holding a team meeting the next day and they all had to attend. At least Cece had the empathy to look sad as she broke the news over the holo. After they had broken the comm-call Zoe had smiled sweetly and told him to just shut up and make the most of it. They weren't going alone though, Thunder had also said they must take two of their colleagues, just in case... they had made sure the media broadcast that the bounty was called off but just in case anyone thought they would try to kill a Legionnaire they needed to be in a team of at least four.

Zoe immediately called up one of her friends - Mrruaw M?Nau. The tigerram had not initially been too keen but Zoe asked him along as she knew he was wary of Gahaji and hoped they could somehow make the peace between them. Gahaji, in a fit of petulance had asked who else they would take; he was already miffed that Backlash would be coming along on what he hoped would be a romantic break for him and Zoe. Zoe secretly hoped it would be Laurel or Jazmin but as she had already asked one friend, they decided to let someone else choose for them. They called up to the monitor board where Reep was on duty. He double-checked the roster and suggested Spoiler, the Naltoran former Pre-Commando. A quick call and he joined them minutes later in Henry's warp control room. Gord looked slightly baffled at his mission to join two colleagues he barely knew as they visited their relatives he definitely didn't know; on a world he had never heard of. Still, he thought, it would give him a chance to work on his inter-personal skills, learn something of the culture they were visiting, and perhaps if he was lucky, he would work on his tan... and as missions went it was pretty easy really!

Before they left Gahaji was careful to give the group a bit of insight into where they were going: Kiringyaga had some strict laws by UP standards and they had to remember they were guests, he didn't want any of them to accidentally offend his grandfather or...

"Your wife?" Backlash casually interjected. The broad feline face split into a wide grin.

Gahaji took a deep breath, thanked the tigerram for reminding him of his relationship to Cassanda, and continued. Women did not have the same rights as men, disrespectful language would always be severely disapproved of, they couldn't get too flashy with their technology... Backlash sat down, licked a paw before wiping behind his ears and purring loudly, clearly bored. Zoe tried not to giggle as Gord looked away, desperate to not make eye contact in case he started to laugh as well.

"Okay, just remember, we're going to relax and eat good food. We're not there to be Legionnaires... okay?" Gahaji sounded exasperated but gave a quick smile. "Henry, can we have a warp now please?"

The honey and violet warp spun in the air before them and the four Legionnaires stepped through.

Encyclopaedia Galactica - Kiringyaga was settled in 2613 by West Africans from Earth. This planetary population still use the settler's traditional language, in this case Swahili, as their first language over Interlac in most day-to-day conversations. The planetary government is called the Congregation of Fathers and they observe a strict rule that no women are allowed to attend their meetings. The society has strong patriarchal views, that include unmarried women not being allowed to own land, keep staff or be educated formally beyond a certain point. This has caused tensions between the United Planets and Kiringyaga as female ambassadors from the UP have been denied access to any governmental assistance. The Congregation of Fathers have also banned all technology that was not included in the bubble arc crafts that brought the first settlers to this distant world - "the Time of the Last Flight". This can leave unwary travellers caught short when their possessions are removed and destroyed before they can set foot on the world. Despite these seeming cultural limitations the world has solid trade arrangements with nearby worlds, a healthy population and an incredibly low crime rate. The Legionnaire known as M'Windaji ('Hunter' in his native Swahili) was born and raised here.


Cassanda and Ruhandi waited for them.

They looked blissfully happy to see Gahaji and warmly welcomed the team with him. Ruhandi walked with a stick, his frame still showed how broad he had once been, though the disease that had almost killed him previously - that his grandson had broken planetary laws to have healed - had obviously taken its toll. The old man walked slowly and carefully along the path towards the farmhouse. Gahaji automatically walked beside his grandfather, respectfully close in case the old man needed any assistance, but not actually holding him. Zoe walked on the other side of Ruhandi and chatted amiably with him, complimenting the old man on how beautiful his home and gardens were.

Backlash walked alongside Cassanda. The tigerram had met her before and allowed her to stroke between his ears. His tail pointed straight up, its tip vibrating with pleasure. Spoiler walked at the other side of the great horned cat. The Naltoran felt a bit out of his depth but thankfully found the older woman easy to chat with. The expansive gardens around the farmhouse were a mixture of areas full of fruit and vegetables, and delightful spots with arbours and seating areas amid a blaze of decorative flowering plants. Gord knew that there must be places like this on his homeworld but having been brought up in one of Naltor's infamous Block Estates he had rarely visited anywhere so open or expansive. He certainly had never smelled air so clean and fresh before. Without thinking, a grin spread across his face as he walked up the path.

On the expansive veranda stood Larissa and Josti, the farm's staff and also surrogate parents to Gahaji for much of his life. Both hugged the young tracker as he stepped up to join them. After quick introductions the Legionnaires were shown to their rooms, Cassanda insisted that while they were here Gahaji and Zoe slept in sperate rooms. Zoe giggled but didn't complain as she was led to a big room in the attic with a dormer window that overlooked the lake at the rear of the ranch. She stood looking out of the wide window for several minutes after Larissa had left, drinking in the gorgeous views. The horizon looked much further away than she expected and the vista was green, lush and alluring. While Gahaji had told her that he was lucky to have family here as it was one of the most fertile plateaus on this world, he had utterly failed to tell her just how gorgeous it was. After a childhood of being dragged around dusty old archaeology sites and university campuses, Zoe found the view to be quite stunning!

"Don't let the views fool you Zoe," Gahaji's deep voice from behind her, "This place is pretty but the politics can be harsh."

"Pretty is an understatement, this is the most beautiful thing I think I've ever seen..." Zoe continued to stare out of the window as she spoke.

"He's right of course. It's not the best of worlds, not if you've two x chromosomes." Cassanda stood in the doorway, a small smile on her face. "I wondered where the boy had sneaked off to, didn't have to guess too hard though... Zoe, can we talk please? Without you Gahaji... we'll be perfectly fine, don't worry, I'm not going to break out the baby-holos. Not yet anyway, I was thinking of saving them for after dinner." Her smile had grown and Gahaji smiled back as he bowed his head and quickly left the room.

"Our world is so, so beautiful when you look at it from a safe vantage point." The old woman spoke as she strode over to stand beside the red headed Legionnaire. "Don't get too close though... there's always a predator waiting to pounce, at least that's what the local proverb says. When my ancestors settled here, they terraformed two of the three largest continents to perfectly match the environments they had left behind and had taken a wide sample of the native flora and fauna to help populate this world..."

"It really is stunning Cassanda, I've never imagined as rich a vista like this exists in real life."

"Yes, but as Gahaji warned you, it looks pretty but there are dangers. You know that Gahaji married me so he could get permission to leave our world to join your Legion, and I'm so proud of him for succeeding. But there are those that are not, this is not a harmonious place; you need to understand that."

"Gahaji said that..." Zoe started to speak but Cassanda continued.

"Officially I am Gahaji's wife so if you two are seen to be anything other than work friends it will bring immense shame upon this house and affect his grandfather and their guild. Gahaji's honour would be seen to be tarnished and all our Hunters would face punitive damages. They are a small group like Gahaji and Ruhandi with the skill of tracking. The planetary laws say they must serve this world and the only way out of this is to show you are providing for your own family. Few Hunters are married young enough to have this route out. Gahaji was lucky."

"He always said I wouldn't understand what he had to go through to get to the Academy..."

"I dont believe for a second you wouldn't understand Zoe, you're clearly a smart lass. To be frank," Cassanda smiled, "...you really must be quite extraordinary if you can put up with him for any length of time..." Zoe gave a chuckle as Cassanda smiled. "There is a lightness about him that we've not seen before, and we reckon you're responsible. I'm so happy that he's found a strong woman that can show him how to open up his heart... but be aware, we are a stubborn people when it comes to what we see as right and wrong, and he has not had the easiest of life. Be kind as well as honest and I'm sure it will work out well for you... for both of you."

Before Zoe could answer a bell rang from downstairs; dinner was being served.

Unkown location:

Mekt Ranzz rubbed his eyes.

The being standing before him appeared as if they had been made entirely of the blind spots one got from looking at the sun. It was a very uncomfortable feeling watching something that did not have a set form as these painful blotches that seemed to compose its body shifted and morphed, and the Winathian was secretly pleased to notice that the other six villains taken from the T-G had been wiping their eyes as well or even actively looking away.

The assassin in the dark robe that had materialised and then multiplied inside the shuttle that had been carrying the villains, who went on to murder each of the guards and freed the inmates, stood at the strange being's side. Much like a well-trained dog, Mekt thought. At the other side was a Gil-Dishpan in a methane filled globe that had opened the warp here, and three others that Lightning Lord didn't recognise. The seven escaped villains were all playing it cool while they figured out what was going on. Slasher had muttered that if this was an SP trick, she would eviscerate those responsible, which brought a smile to the majority of the groups faces.

"Miasma, my trusted servant has brought you all here as I have a proposal for you." Its voice was deep and resonated around the ancient stone building they stood in. "Come work for me and I'll grant you your heart's desires."

<Mekt> Esper Lass sent <We can use this situation. Even if that weirdo doesn't do what he says...>

< Of course he won't. How many times have we heard this crock before?> Mekt replied without looking round towards her. He crossed his arms and tutted.

War Wolf had been turning pale as the being spoke.

"You're ... you're the Shadowmancer... I thought you were a legend." The mystic assassin said, obvious awe in his tone. His eyes were wide and it was clear that the usually unflappable mystic was scared.

"You are right, and if you accept my proposal, you and your colleagues will be part of my ...my Devil's Dozen. I will ensure you get everything in your hearts. All you need to do in is bring me enough unique beings of power to satisfy my hunger."

"My lord," War Wolf said as he took to his knees, "We will gladly serve you."

Hey folks, thanks for your very kind feedback, it is appreciated!

I just realised this weekend and next weekI'm totally booked out so it'll be a couple of weeks until I'll have time to post again so thought I'd drop these in to push things forward a bit, hope you enjoy!

Thanks again,

C

more awesome stuff C,

Lexikon and her family's attitude towards their royal position, as being one of service and sacrifice if need be. I like that. Poor lonely princess... nice glimpse into the world of Tamaran!

Having 4 always go together is wise, even if the bounty has been called off maybe not everyone knows...

Kiringyaga is so fascinating. Can see roots of... well... some modern day thinking there. Lovely convo between Zoe and Cassandra. It tugs at my heartstrings, echoes of the sacrifices people today also have to make for life: stay in a place with values against yours, or leave things behind to get off, like Gahaji did. and the arrangement: legally, Cassandra and Gahaji have to remain married, but everyone accept that Zoe has his heart.


Mekt seems to be the leader of this group, as Esper Lass only spoke to him. I like that Mekt is suspicious, and Esper Lass being canny... Slasher's violent streak too. you write them so well and so in line with their canon portrayals.

ooh, a new Devil's Dozen! so interested to see where this goes!

Hi Harbinger,

I've finally got a moment to catch up.

Things keep moving on. I'm glad Tinya didn't dwell to much. But not that she's going to get much of a moment to it seems.
Glad those warrants were fast tracked. I hope Tinya's right about this mission and that it will help bring the team back.

Makes sense that Dirk would still have a place to stay to get way from the Legion once and a while.
I'm glad he took a night off and didn't go out and party instantly as i could see that going pretty bad.
The whole scene at Drik's place was done really well. The bit where he set the couch on fire by accident was super funny.

You make a great point about the Legionnaires and how it is hard for them to find lives outside of the Legion and for some to really leave it behind. Even Brek who left came back because its hard to leave the life. Leave those you care about, the thrill of being a hero, the support system. So many aspects affect just who they are as people. Maybe that's something that has to be stressed at the academy from now on. life outside of the hero life sounds like a good course.

the exchange between Dirk and Thunder was really well done. They both presented each side and i agree with Thunder to a degree and that the team needs to meet to change things, because there are times the team comes across as ...well bullies. But i do fear without him there it will be hard, as it seems no one else has his view. But i still side with Dirk more than anything.
I know he's also pissed about that weak comment from Thunder and she should have thought a bit more about the wording because after everything he's been through he is definitely not weak. I hope they can work it out and salvage their friendship. But after the way he asked her to leave it might not be for a while...

Loved the missions to Rimbor to take down the labs. I loved that you had Henry warp the whole facilities, sublevels and all. I feel for the cadets who basically had nothing to do, Kid Quantum is such a power house.
the cleaver use of Gear's nannites to do the recon first was a good idea.
Tinya letting the team know there would still be things to hit was a funny moment.
It was cool seeing how easy the team took down the shops and really showed how affective the team can be. The missions with the team above ground taking out the opposition first was well done too.
Otaki was used really well and i liked that she didn't have to be in the thick of the crowd to be useful. the limitations with a lot of Psychics can make them hard to write.
these small teams worked well.
Nice acting chops on Solar Gorilla and using the confusion, fear, and anger of the crowd against the guards was a good idea.

XS and Cosmic Kid, quick and efficient. Loved it. This one would have been a great PR mission for the team. No one's hurt and the team looks great. But will say i'm slightly surprised when Science Poilice stand by and clap for them.
Damn Titan... real quick take down.
Nice use of Friction's powers and i like that Reep was willing to possibly take over her mentorship from Drik.

Really Jazmin? "character building"...that was kind of jerkish considering she was a cadet not that long ago and I'm sure she'd feel the same way they did.

I didn't realize Rimbor started off as a penal colony. But i guess it makes sense how their world became so corrupt.
I got a chuckle out of the gang name you chose. "the Black street Boys." haha. Sounds like a lame boy band.

A magic detector? Not something Dragonmage or Glorith offer considering how much concentration their powers take.
But i liked that she was able to handle herself without help even if it was too late to keep her from being noticed by the other guards. Her sounding insulted by Tyroc's worry was funny.

Tyroc and Glorith seem to have a bit of sniping going on. I wonder why that is. &#8203;
Triple Nova, good thinking firing on the ground when the blinding thing didn't work.
I'm with Tyroc this mission could have derailed everything had they gone first. but at least there were no casualties...
I have to say its interesting that this team didn't do much to protect those citizens. I know they're gang people and live on a corrupt world. But outside of Glorith's sigils the team didn't protect anyone. Tyroc's attack was pretty wide, did a lot of damage. The team has been working hard on their accountability and image, that it makes me wonder when they do things like this. I know there is going to be collateral damage. But at least this small team seems less concerned with that... &#8203;

Ort cloud mission:
Loved that Starkling is back in action. I know it had a really hard time after the Blight/Talok IV mission.
Atomsmasher confirming was well done.
I like when your team is able to compensate for each others weakness like with Mon-el and the lead stopping him.
I like that Southern Light's knows his limits about his powers/spells.
Green Lantern's attack sounded really cool and i liked how they took the debris from the wave of destruction it created to keep the bad guys from launching more attacks.
loved Non's attack taking out the bases energy.
Atomsmasher - stroked it gently both funny and action packed.
Go Dawnstar! i don't say that much. But she was really good here. Loved that she led it to Atomsmasher, who was ready for it!
Impact seems cool and i like that she and the other interns get together to chat.

I honestly love all the little groups you have going within the Legion. Your's is so large now that it makes sense to have all these little pockets. Because then when they get together with the other ones its always interesting to see their interactions.

Smart thinking Poltergeists.
I like seeing Mon-el joking in battle. he's often so serious or as you've had him in recent posts feeling like he was over this life, its nice to see him enjoying it again.
loved Mon-el's looking back on the team and its true your team has become super effective in a lot of ways. I like that he admits it was about egos including his own. That's hard for anyone to admit.

lol loved having Danielle show up. her smile after Mon-el's line was funny.
I love that even Babbage is in awe of Danielle and her skills.
Of course its a trap if the Dominators are involved.

Power Lass, Capt. Phantom, and Poltergeists banter was funny.
Good question, Sa Lok the master mind or the puppet...?
Dr. Kaboo is back! i hope this gives him the excitement he was looking for. Him strolling in with that apple.
The Dominator's chlor-tech is wow. They are super- evil to do that to their own people as a means of control. But a whole cast of chlor-tech sentients? that could mean even more planetoids for the legion to fight...
Damn! huge tally for captures. This is a big win for the team for sure.

Stopping just before Thunder's mission.

that's all the time i have for now. Can't wait to read more.

Otaki - Bina Nawoti of Earth, mindsense
Timber Wolf - Brin Londo of Zuun, enhanced strength, speed, agility, reflexes and senses
Shield - Laurel Kent of Earth, physical invulnerability, tactile psychometry

Power Lass - Science Police Officer Nel Duwi of Daxam, incredible strength, speed, stamina, senses, laser vision, space flight, invulnerability



Otaki had a day off rota and had popped over to join in Thirteen's Naltoran meditation class on second Base. After it had finished, she had gone to the rec room for a hot cup of tea and a moment to herself as she always found these sessions to leave her feeling a little bit spaced out. The young psychic had only just sat down when SPO Nel Duwi had come in and politely asked if she could join her.

They chatted about recent missions though Otaki could sense the discomfort her colleague from the Science Police felt. Bina knew that Nel Duwi had a crush on her and while she was very flattered and definitely interested, she was also quite literally scared of getting crushed... the Daxamite was a powerful figure! And yet Bina didn't feel intimidated by SPO Duwi, instead the young psychic felt entirely comfortable in her company. Officer Duwi was someone Bina's grandmother would have called a 'kind soul', and Bina knew how truly rare people with that much compassion and generosity were, especially in the business they were in where it was all too easy to get jaded and cynical. Bina was aware that her own worries needed shoved aside; Nel Duwi was simply too good a catch to let slip without seeing where it went... surely the risk would be worth the effort?

The two young women had been chatting for twenty minutes and the conversation was beginning to stall before Bina said what was on her mind.

"I heard Shakes is having a Classic 2D movie night tonight, fancy joining me? I think it starts at 2000... so, if you'd like to join me, I'd love some company."

"Uh, yeah... yes, definitely! Thanks that would be great." Bina could sense the relief emanating from the Daxamite. SPO Nel Duwi had obviously been worrying about how to ask her for a date and Bina had done it instead. Nel gave a nervous grin and asked if they had announced which film they would be showing. Before Bina could answer Timber Wolf and Shield walked over and pulled up seats at their table.

"Hey girls, mind if we join? It's really quiet in here, isn't it?" Brin said.

"Hey Nel, what happened with that T-G transport earlier? Is it true that seven of those psychos escaped?" Laurel asked.

"I reckon is it's the LSV reforming." Brin said in a low voice, obviously not relishing the idea of a co-ordinated group of villains squaring for a fight.

"Ummm, yeah, so, I gotta go, sorry, I've... ah, got a report to finish writing up. See you later, eh?." Nel stood up and gave a small smile to Bina, the Daxamite's eyes imploring the Legionnaire to forgive her for leaving like this.

Bina could sense that Nel was not a fan of Brin or Laurel's - the psychic guessed that their rather lax approach to rules and protocols went against the Daxamite strict professionalism that she believed in. For a split-second Otaki wanted to take her hand and reassure her that Brin and Laurel were as big-hearted as she was but instead, she gave a wide grin and said they'd catch up with each other that evening. As SPO Duwi left the rec room Laurel looked across to her psychic friend and mimed putting a gun to her head before whispering "Sorry, so sorry Bina, we interrupted you, didn't we? Go after her girl, go on!"

Otaki smiled, "It's okay Laurel, I think we were reaching the edges of her comfort zone anyway... she's a Daxamite and you know what they're like, and anyway, this way she'll be extra nice when we meet up tonight." Bina smiled coyly and flicked her hair flirtatiously. Laurel let out a loud barking laugh before asking her friend what she would be wearing for the date.

"I'll never understand women." Brin muttered to himself as he looked away from the two young women as they chuckled and planned the evening together.

Kinetix - Zoe Saugin of Aleph, telekinetic animation
M'Windaji - Gahaji of Kiringyaga, super tracker, carries the Ruby of Life allowing tactile transformative magic
Backlash - Mrruaw M'Nau of Simballi, enhanced strength, speed, senses, absorbs kinetic energy to boost own size and mass
Spoiler ii - Gord Eno of Naltor, precognition, specialising in short range visions for combat situation


Kiringyaga


The meal was laid out on the table by the time Zoe and Cassanda made it to the dining area.

Gord had helped lay the table as Larissa and Josti had brought out the salad and platters of freshly cooked vegetables and what appeared to be a huge roasted bird. Backlash had lain by the open veranda doors sniffing the late afternoon air, his tail twitching from time to time as an interesting scent would catch his attention. There was a chaise-lounge at the end of the table set for him so, while the great feline didn't use a knife or fork, at least he could join his colleagues at the table to eat. Mrruaw stood up and thanked Josti but declined, stating he wished to run across the grounds and perhaps catch himself a meal. It had been too long since he had enjoyed fresh unprocessed meat...

"Ugh, gross..." Zoe said, with a disgusted expression. Gahaji and Gord both laughed at her reaction.

"Have fun," Cassanda said, "Though please don't take anything with a tag in its ear, they domesticated ...and ours. And be careful not to go beyond the fences at the far end by the lake, that's common land down there so anyone might be there and there could be hunters about... you would be seen as a great prize with your magnificent horns." Backlash gave a rumbling thank you and turned and strode out into the park-like estate that surrounded the farmstead.

After he left Cassanda spoke to Zoe about the rhythms of nature and how predators and prey were all part of the great cycle. Zoe became quite uncomfortable and changed the subject to the colourful decorations that adorned the dining area back wall. Ruhandi explained how each of the dozens of bright discs that were hung in a symmetrical fashion represented a successful hunt. Gahaji was clearly finding this subject awkward so interrupted to raise a toast to Josti and Larissa for the tremendous meal. It was an obvious attempt to steer the conversation away from the more visceral nature of Kiringyaga's culture. Gord remained quiet and watched the scene before him - in his own family's home this would have gotten loud and personal by now, but here, despite the uncomfortableness that both Zoe and Gahaji had clearly felt during dinner they all remained perfectly amiable with each other.

"Gord, are you okay? You're very quiet there..." Cassanda said across the table to the Naltoran.

"Just enjoying the meal. The sauce on these vegetables is ...bliss!" He smacked his lips and smiled. Josti and Larissa looked shocked, their happy expression falling suddenly from their faces.

"Umm, that..." Gahaji mimicked Gord smacking his lips, "it's seen as really rude Gord. I know you meant well but it means something very different here..."

"Oh Cassandra!" Spoiler said, "I'm so sorry, really... I didn't know. On Naltor it means, um, like, that means 'very tasty'..." He blushed furiously.

Cassanda laughed, breaking the tension. "You're alright there, we guessed... though you best know that here on KJiringyaga it means to kiss another person's behind." The rest of the table began to laugh, apart from Zoe who looked confused. Gord shrugged with a grin on his face before laughing along with them.

It was three hours later, after the food had been finished and a large cafetiere filled with freshly roasted and ground locally grown coffee beans was brought to the table that Gord asked where Backlash could be...

The table fell silent for a few seconds.

"Your friend is not on the estate... " Ruhandi said, the old man's tracking skills obviously were still strong.

"He's moving away from us." Gahaji jumped up from the table, Zoe and Gord followed as the tracker led the way out of the dining area onto the veranda overlooking the estate.

"We'll be back soon grandfather," Gahaji said, bowing his head to the old man before taking flight.

"ZOE!" Cassanda shouted as Kinetix took to the air. As M'Windaji and Spoiler took off she remained hovering waiting for the older woman.

"You cannot get separated from the men... a woman by herself will attract trouble." Cassanda said with some concern. Zoe kept eye contact for an awkward two seconds before replying.

"I'm a Legionnaire. Trouble is what I do." Zoe said bluntly before flying after her colleagues as fast as her flight ring could take her.

Duplicate Girl - Senior Team member, Luornu Durgo of Carggg, creation of multiple identical duplicates of herself
Dragonwing - Marya Pai of Earth, breathes dragon fire and acid
Monica Sade of Rimbor - strength, reflexes, line of sight teleportation
Lexikon - Princess Daheenisha of Tamaran iv, enhanced speed, strength, durability, flight, omni-linguist
Retro - Deen Toro of Ventura, limited reversal of personal timeline
Southern Lights of Starhaven - spaceflight, magic user

Intern:
Tectonik - Hardal of Granite Falls from Mondriak iv - geokinesis

Encyclopedia Galactica, Fringe Worlds edition - Sind-Ar-Shur was discovered in 2813 in the small system of Sindrux Minor and an automated terraforming unit was set up there fifty years later. Colonists finally arrived in 2942 and have reported a thriving agricultural ecosystem on the main continent's central plateau that measures roughly 33,000 klicks square. This is where the main settlement of Shikan is based. The population is reported to be still well under half a million though visas are being granted for those with a desire to relocate from the faster paced worlds of the United Planets out to the Fringe Worlds. Agri-engineers, medical staff and those with serious construction experience are likely to have their applications fast-tracked.


The alert had been broadcast through a Fringe World news channel - a serious disturbance was being reported on the small settlement on Sind-Ar-Shur and there were reports of an explosion and blasters being used. According to the news reports half a dozen beings had caused chaos in the centre of Shikan, the main township, and blown up a municipal building that acted as court house and centre for local government.

Luornu called for a team to join her and, within three minutes, they were flying through a warp into the twilit sky at the edge of the township of Shikan.

The town had obviously been created by cannibalising one of the terraforming stations that had converted the planets previous atmosphere and pumped oxygen for the humans who came to colonise. All the buildings appeared to be composed of metallic shells with mis-matched materials making their roofs. There were acres of crop fields all around that led to the horizon of the plain at one side and the edges of high cliffs half a kilck away in the opposite direction. The settling sun was in the process of turning these cliffs a soft pink with its fading light. In amongst this natural beauty though was a pillar of greasy looking smoke burning a sickening column of filth into the still air above from the centre of the township. They could see a small crowd and could hear shout and screams.

Luornu sent, <Lexikon and Southern Lights, you're the quickest, get down there and make sure everyone's safe. We can deal with the fire once we get the people clear. The rest of you keep your eyes open in case they miss anything>

The winged mystic and the golden princess sped ahead of their teammates and reached the crowd within seconds. They could see the large number of colonists rallying behind quickly erected barriers as several beings fired upon them from the steps of the burning building.

<They're mine> Lexikon sent before diving like a missile towards the group of armed warriors that appeared to be behind this chaos. Southern Lights had no doubt that the Tamaranean would take care of them, or at least distract them sufficiently until their teammates arrived, which would allow him time to check on the colonists.

Princess Daheenisha blew the first of the gunmen off their feet with a single punch and swooping around towards the second. They had barely registered that their colleague had been attacked before she pounced. The second gunman was bigger than the first and appeared to be of a reptilian species with a thick tail, and despite the powerful punch the Legionnaire landed on their chest they remained upright after staggering from the blow. Lexikon rained three punches in quick succession on their helmeted head that sent them crashing to the floor. While she had fought with this gunman the other four had turned towards her, weapons raised. The Tamaranean smiled viciously towards them, clearly enjoying the challenge.

Southern Lights flew down to the crowd, picking out a particular group that appeared to be huddled around several injured people. One of them pointed a handgun at him, while others crouched over their injured townsfolk to physically protect them from the strange blue-skinned winged man.

"We're from the Legion, we're here to help. Let me assist you." He said loudly, using a minor enchantment so that all that heard his voice would believe it... He didn't have time to argue, there were several seriously wounded people that would need his immediate assistance. The crowd moved aside to give Southern Lights room to land and he quickly assessed the wounded; there were four, all with serious blaster fire marks, there were another three that were already dead. He said a quick prayer for their spirits journey as he examined them. He could hear the distinctive 'pop' of Sade's teleportation followed quickly by a crash and the sound of Dragonwing's flames - his colleagues had arrived to assist Lexikon.

The young mystic from Starhaven murmured a spell that would tap into this world's bio-sphere, transferring a miniscule amount of life energy into the wounded. He would not be able to hold the spell for too long or it might affect the colonist's ability to ever leave this world but for the short term it was the quickest way he could think to keep them from bleeding out.

<Southern Lights, is everyone okay there?> Luornu's telepathic voice asked.

<No, I've stabilised a few with a spell that'll hold until they get proper treatment but several more are dead> he replied, finding it hard to keep his sadness from showing.

<We'll avenge them> and with that the link was broken.

While Sothern Lights tended to the injured in the crowd, Lexikon had dodged blaster fire from the five remaining gunmen.

As the gunmen focussed on catching the flying Legionnaire, Monica Sade had teleported behind them. The one nearest to her was easily over two metres tall and broad shouldered. She smiled as she jumped up to punch the back of his head, sending him spinning to the ground. Before he had landed, she had teleported to the next and similarly punched him on the head before 'pop' and she was back at the first, slapping an incapacity cuff on his arm. The second had not been as stunned as the Legionnaire thought and as Sade bent over to cuff the first gunman the second pointed his blaster at her back. As he started to aim his weapon, he was aware that there was someone at his side. He didn't have time to react as Dragonwing's flaming breath blasted him off his feet and down the broad stone steps.

Retro showed just what an accomplished hand-to-hand combatant he was as he easily dodged blaster fire by judicious use of his time-reversing abilities, and landed a high kick on his opponent's chin knocking them over onto the hard steps before jumping down to slap incapacity cuffs on their arm. Once he had done this Deen quickly scanned the crowd to make sure no-one had been struck by a stray shot; thankfully, none had.

Lexikon wrestled with a four-armed being that had electricity generating knuckledusters on two of their hands. The Legionnaire had taken one punch to the face and quickly returned a serious blow to her opponent.

"You are strong woman, but we own this world's stock, not you." It hissed as it wiped a hand across it's bloody face. Lexikon flew back into the air, several metres out of reach of the electric knuckledusters.

"You own shit!" Marya said as she released blast of dragon fire from behind the four-armed being. As they fell forward Lexikon swooped in and delivered a booming blow to their chin that sent them flying into the air before landing with a crash! Dragonwing casually sauntered to them and slapped a set of cuffs on their arm.

One of the gunmen was left, a short muscular man in a green robe with two enormous blasters. It wasn't enough to protect him though as a swarm of Duplicate Girls descended upon him and threw him around like a toy before knocking him unconscious. Multiple Lu's checked each of the unconscious gunmen to ensure they'd been cuffed as the rest of the team walked down the steps towards the now cheering crowd.

While the Legionnaires were taking care of the gunmen, the intern Tectonik had been using his abilities behind the burning building - out of sight of the fight - to smother the flames with sand he created by breaking down the hard natural rock that the township was built upon. He wasn't very pleased with this role though admitted to himself that of all the team present his powers were best suited to fire extinguishing. Hardal knew his fellow interns would tease him about it when the mission report was filed.

It took forty minutes before the wounded were settled into the colony's limited medical facilities and the crowd dispersed. One of Lu's selves and Retro sat with the town council in backroom of a local trader's shop. The rest of the team were outside helping fix damaged properties and calm the colonists.

"They've come here for the last four seasons, taking three quarters of all our produce. They leave us with just enough to feed our own people then take off in their gunship. They say they are protecting us but the only trouble we get is from them. This time several households refused them and so they blew up our Townhouse and shot some of those that had said no to them..." The middle-aged woman with short hair and a prominent nose who ran the council said. Her voice did not shake though it was obvious she had been frightened as she spoke quickly and didn't breathe for the whole time.

"Protection rackets are as old as civilisation. Idiots with weapons think it's okay to take advantage of other folk that don't have any." Retro said calmly. He knew he was stating the obvious but hoped by saying it that it might help her accept what her colony had gone through.

"I doubt they'll be back as word will reach the rest of them that the Legion were here, and if they are stupid enough to try it, you'll have a surprise for them." Luornu reached into a pouch on her belt and brought out a small disc with the team's insignia on it. "Just keep this somewhere close at hand so if you get any trouble press it. We can warp here in a minute. Next time we'll bring some trackers and take the fight to their base." The Cargggite Legionnaire saw the council woman's eyes widen as she took the small disc.

"Thank you... this means the world to us, we're farmers not fighters. We only had a few handguns to fight them off but... thank you, thank you so much."

"Oh, Lexi said she saw their gunship up on the cliffs, so, do you want it? We'll check it out and it could be your world's first armed response unit?" Retro smiled as he asked.

<We can have Gear get his nannites in it, that'll help, won't it?> Lu smiled as Deen sent this suggestion through the telepathic matrix.

<Good idea, they'll fix it up and keep an eye on the colonists. And it'll give the townsfolk something to fight back with if those thugs try it again, that should help rebuild their confidence as they get over this>

The Legionnaires remained for a little over three more hours. Element Lad and Dr Shakespeare led a group of interns and students through a warp to help out and by the time they all left the medical surgery was fully stocked and, other than a bare foundation where the council building had once stood, there was no sign of the destruction the racketeers had inflicted on this colony on the edges of space. No-one mentioned that there were several new graves needing to be dug.

The team were never to find out, but in the decade that followed many children on Sind-Ar-Shur were given the name 'Legionnaire' or 'Hero', and all were taught from a very early age how to defend themselves and their properties.

The mob running the protection racket never returned.

Hi Omni, thanks for your kind words, am glad you're still enjoying these stories. I really enjoy your reviews.

Next up, Gahaji tracks Backlash and has to face something he really doesn't want to, Zoe gets to cut loose, and we'll have a side trip[ to Lallor. After that we'll see some advancement for a few of the interns, Dreamy, et al, return and the the team will never be the same again, and then a cliffhanger that'll bring us to the end of LW7 and set up the big bads for LW8.

More, more, more soon

C

hi Harbi, more awesome stuff!

(also quoting my earlier points, in case you missed them :-) such a big fan of your work, and I want you to know that!)



Otaki and Nel, how cute! I think they would make a lovely couple... and good points highlighting the practical pains a Daxamite would face dating someone without their powers! What I liked most though, was that Bina took the risk because of Nel's kindness and compassion too many people focus on the outside first... also super funny about Nel not liking the less strict ones like Brin and Laurel. Otaki is really insightful, and I think it's more than just her mind-sense. You've taken a bit, minor character from canon and really fleshed her out, well done. also cool that Laurel was perceptive enough to figure things out. I am a bit interested in what Daxamites are like, though indeed I could see Mon-El acting in some ways like Nel did! and poor Brin, out of his depth, he's really a loner and I guess a lot of this went over his head eh?

Backlash as a hunter. I wonder how happy he must be to be back in his element so to speak; and also good point that locals might not realize he is sentient!

Love the lens on the cutlural differences here. makes sense Zoe would not be used to things like hunting... also a funny situation re cultural differences. Poor Gord, but that's a situation so many of us have been in!

Yup, figures also that Zoe would NOT let something like cultural norms re females stop her! I really love how you write her.

Southern Lights is very practical - can I also have that believability spell? And love seeing Lexikon enjoying the battle. You also write Retro and his time-rewinding better than I ever could...! Every line Dragonwing utters is gold as well

What a lovely done-in-one on Sind-Ar-Shur, really heartwarming how the Legion not only stopped violence that day, but also ensured the future of this little colony! Well done, well done, and also good job having so much happen in such a relatively short post - such a gift you have!

Harbi, I'm really enjoying how you flesh out these cultures and make them pop.

Your Zoe is great - NO ONE PUTS ZOE IN THE CORNER!

And I'm looking forward to see the new Devil's Dozen! THere will be twelve right? (I joke when I say that as I recently re-read the original Evillo story and laughed that he had like five guys on his team or something like that...)

Hi Harbinger,

here's my second half of my review and it looks like I've got even more to read!
a two pronged assault makes sense.

Henry is really sassy with certain members. I like it but it makes me wonder why. like why not just tell Thunder no? lol

Its nice to see Element Lad back in action too. i know he's been back for a bit. But when he revels in the missions its super nice to see he can still be the hero we know and love.
I feel this way honestly about any of the old crew as i realize Mon-el has a similar reaction that i really liked.

hmmm a low tech bunker...I'm with Cap. Heavyweight. This seems to good to be true.
Thunder and Strobe were super lucky. Although, i find it odd that Gear's nannites nor Thunder for that matter thought to check for any kind of defense like a bomb. Like fail safes, because even if they caught Sa lok he would still want to destroy evidence which might be there on the compound or even use it as a means to escape.

Cap. Heavyweight vanished???
I loved this bit with his wife, Anje Falkner and that she can't sense him any more. Very Jean Grey. lol.
I'm guessing since they've married/ bonded she's never felt this disconnect before.

I liked this line because its not often we get a sense of what its like to teleport. Each variation of it must feel different. maybe something to explore.

Ahh i had forgotten Sa Lok had a seer with him now.
Damn he's cold. lowest rung? not a big deal? that loss sounds huge. So this has been the plan for a while. was this just the next phase of Psyche's plan to help combat the legion if her initial plans didn't work out?
Please tell me someone thought to freeze all of his assets so he can't build a new planetoid.
Heavy metals...could part of what their using to manipulate the meta-gene is Nth metal? which if i understand my current DCU, Nth metal is present in all those who have a Meta-gene as that designation is short hand for Metal-gene?? Could they have found a supply of it? or could a bigger bad be on the horizon???

So magic can block both Dawnstar and M'Windaji's abilities??
I love that you have all these members whose gifts could possibly help. But still somehow don't.
It's easy to forget how young Dragonmage and Glorith are because of how powerful they can be.
How many branches of magic are there? My curiosity is very peeked with that.
Southern Lights is such a sweet heart.

Ahhhh the Comets. its like watch a sitcom with these two. The one no one understands and the one who has no filter. lol.
Tel and Thirteen's moment was well done. I'm glad Tel is learning to not only laugh but laugh at himself. Seeing Tel literally learn the differences between interactions is both funny and cringe at the same time.

Hahaha another Legion planetoid? Harbi idk how many more you've got coming but this might end up being a bigger problem than a boon for the team.
Not surprised that Cham would want one for the espionage squad.
Ivy is her name? nice. I like it. cool take on the baby super hero motif. But i hope this doesn't mean that as the plane and the chlor-tech grows that she...well dies. It be interesting to have a Dominator as a member of their ranks. I know some of the team would take issue. But if the Khunds can be turned into potential allies anything is possible.

Dragon Lass and Glory, super sweet idea. But always remember do research to make sure!
this is a really fun group of interns and its clear they are becoming friends more so than just teammates.

This line kind of made me sad. I hate that they have to hide this kind of excitement about their work. I get it though. many of the Legionnaires wouldn't be to thrilled with seeing it. Sometimes i wish there was like a swap that could happen and the older team members could know what it was like to be young again and have that excitement while letting the new guys take over and see just what their getting into without it being a major problem (i.e some bad guy up to shenanigan's.)

Man you are really putting Tinya through the wringer emotionally as team leader. But i lobed seeing her and Tasmia spar and highlighting their friendship.
Thank heaves for Theena. otherwise that bounty could cause some serious trouble.
good point about Lady Memory and who knows she could be willing to teach more after she gets a taste for it. look at Chameleon Girl.


Hahah loved this line.

Gahaji and Zoe are cute and i'm glad they've kind of sorted out their issues.
Hand dancing? all the rage. haha. i can see her doing it but i can't not laugh at it. makes me think of like a 60's go-go dancer whose to cool to actually dance.
ooo meeting the family is big!!!

I'm kind of with Tinya on this one. As much as a new planetoid for espionage only, would be nice, it takes away from the rest of the team. although, i'm surpirsed we just don't have a team that is 100% stealth at this point. so stealth that half the team thinks their an ubran legend. kind of like in the Threeboot with atom girl. lol ;P
"quiet vacations." ah Jo. he is missed.

This small but effective list of villains is not going to make things easier on anyone. But if it wasn't Cap. Heavyweight who freed them then who...?

Did Jan read it from her expression or did Tinya let some of her anxious thoughts slip on to the communal telepathic-grid?

wow Shadowmancer is back? I'm sure Sister Eclipse will have something to say about this...

The return of Magnus and you've named him little Loki. haha love it. i love when you dive into a worlds mythology. That's right Magnus the legion isn't just about punching and zapping things.
its very easy to get wrapped up in ones own mind and not see that others share the same and/or similar issues/burdens.
Makes total sense that different team members from various world would have different requirements when working out when it comes to gravity.
love the idea that he has to go out an meet new people/at least one stranger everyday. Something so many of us in the real world should probably do to keep ourselves open to the possibilities that may bring. But its so much easier to write that than to live it. (speaking from personal experience there as a homebody lol)


i couldn't help but chuckle a bit at this line and section.

Hold up! Dreamer had a vision about saving lots of people and didn't go to the Legion? Please share the vision she had cause now i gotta know what she saw if she's calling in Harmonia.
of course Thom argued. I don't know if he just hasn't gotten it by now or he's an optimist, heck maybe even a masochists, but when Dreamer has a vision you follow!
I hope they can save their home.

it has been a while since we've heard form Lexicon. I'm glad she's still around. She'd engaged? did not see that coming.
awww hearing how lonley she is really made me sad. but come to think of it i don't recall her socializing much with the other Legionnaires...
I'm glad she is learning from the team thought even if its not on a personal level to help her star system.
its kind of sad that her leaders think like that about the U.P. but makes sense. better to be prepared than unprepared.

I'd hate it too if my weekend got cancelled.
Good on Thunder to make sure they are all safe. Teams of four works well.
Backlash is very protective. He clearly has issues with Gahaji. But at least he's open about it. i just hope it doesn't cause issues on mission.
Spoiler II is along for the ride? I like how you had it in story as to why the random person selected was there. I know sometimes when i try to change it up and have differert characters interact it doesn't always make sense. so this was nice to read. Plus, and i'm sure it was Zoe's idea that was really nice of her.
I wonder why Gahaji didn't suggest one of his friends. or does he not really have any of his own within the team?
why do i have the feeling that them not listening to Gahaji about his culture is going to bring up problems?
Man, the more we hear about his world the more i'm not impressed. No new tech? women taking the backseat in everything? sorry a world not for me.
Although its nice that Gahaji doesn't hold the same attitudes towards women. i could see that causing many issues with many of his female teammates.
loved Spoiler and Zoe's reaction to Gahaji's home world. I understand how he feels in a sense, after living in a city for the last decade i find myself looking for wide open places that are easy to walk and explore.
Cassandra's blessing/warning was well done. Damn poor Gahaji, that's tough spot to be in.


Loved this exchange because its so true. how many times have they heard that. even from themselves to other villains.
A Devil's Dozen huh? making deals with devils never ends well for anyone.

Bina and Nel's moment was super cute before Brin and Shield came over and loved that Brin ended up being the uncomfortable one.
I guess i can see Nel's POV on both Timber Wold and Shield.

learning that smacking of the lips means to kiss someone's behind was priceless. lol
Damn it Backlash...i hope its just a mistake and not him being captured. Zoe...i don't know if that was the right response. but love the gumption!

i loved the mission to Sind-Ar-Shur! very simple and one and done. But what i loved was what came out of it. how the culture changed, and how the team made sure they were set up with what they needed. so few times do we get to see that in these stories. But it was also cool that it wasn't a specific team members the culture attached to but the idea of hero/legionnaire as a whole.

Can't wait for more!!!