Earth-717: Fantastic Four Vol 2
Chapter 1: The Adventure Begins
Scratching the back of his head for a moment, Reed then picked up his welding tool. Stretching around to the far side of his equipment table, he placed the last piece of exterior metal into its socket before using the tool to fuse it to the rest of the device. Once it was finished, he put the welding tool down and pulled off his safety goggles.
On the equipment table was a newly finished warp core, which was a special device required to achieve faster than light travel. It was a translucent blue sphere, with much of the internal wiring and circuitry partially visible through the exterior shell. It was a scientific achievement that would change human history, because Reed had finally made space travel a feasible goal.
Reaching out with both hands, he picked up the warp core and stretched over to one of his side counters, where he had a handful of carbonadium storage containers to protect his most precious inventions. Opening one of the empty containers, he placed the warp core inside. Sealing the top of the container, he then typed in a digital label on his wrist device, which then appeared as a hologram that flickered on in front of the container.
-WARP CORE 2-
The container to the left was holding the first warp core that he had constructed, which was to be used for his own personal ship. The newly finished warp core had been commissioned by the Air Force's Special Projects Division, as part of a joint effort with SHIELD to create a starfighter with similar capabilities to his own exploration vessel.
Retracting his body so that he was back to his normal shape, he then walked past a group of small, orb-shaped robots that were using small appendages to fix a hole in the wall of the lab that was created by a recent battle between the Fantastic Four and the Gamma Corps. They were a group of female commandos who were trying to capture Bruce Banner, who had sought refuge and a possible cure at the Baxter Building.
The entire fiasco had caused a great deal of damage to the building, but luckily it did not create any major setbacks for Reed's work. A day later, he had received a phone call from Nick Fury, who explained the entire situation: how SHIELD was not responsible for the actions of the Gamma Corps, and how Bruce Banner and Betty Ross had been granted asylum by the organization.
The small robots that were fixing the wall were Herbie's Repair-Bots, a team of automated drones that Herbie directly controlled, mostly used for construction and repair jobs, as well as assisting Reed with small tasks. Herbie's main body was floating next to a table that had a simulated map of the galaxy on it, with various hard-light hologram images of planets and stars.
"Data collection complete, Doctor Richards!"
Reed sidled up to Herbie, who handed him a datapad. He quickly scanned his eyes over the information before looking up at the hologram image of a planet in another part of the galaxy.
"A planet similar to Earth in many ways," said Herbie. "So exciting! An excellent choice for our first interstellar excursion, Doctor Richards!"
Reed let a smile slowly form on his face as he considered Herbie's words.
First interstellar excursion.
He thought back to everything that had led up to this moment. For an entire decade, he had worked on a compact spacecraft that would be capable of interstellar travel. He had to revolutionize contemporary knowledge of physics and engineering in order to do so. Then, one year ago, he finally took a team of four into space, and their lives were changed forever.
But now, with the warp core completed, he was ready to make the journey he had been dreaming of for most of his life. It had all been leading up to this moment.
In two week's time, when the newest version of his ship was complete, he was going to take his family back into space. They were going to travel to that planet as the interstellar explorers they were always meant to be. As Reed thought about what incredible adventure could be waiting for them, he tried to imagine what that planet could really be like, and what he might name it when he got there.
What Reed did not know was that planet already had a name.
Rigellia.
A large, three hundred metre long golden starship hovered in orbit around Rigellia, flanked by several frigates and fighter squadron patrols. The ship was the Victory, a heavy cruiser belonging to the Nova Corps, an interstellar police force that maintained the security of all planets and systems under the control of the Galactic Senate. It was the core ship in a Nova defensive fleet, which was stationed around Rigellia at all times because of its importance as a Senate homeworld.
On the Victory's bridge, a man with pink skin sat on the central chair. This was Centurion Torthar, a Krylorian member of the Nova Corps. The rest of the bridge was filled with crew members of various races, like all Nova vessels. There were Xandarians, Krylorians, Rigellians and Shi'ar, representing the four races of the Galactic Senate.
Xandarians and Krylorians were humanoids that were extremely similar aside from skin tone; Xandarians had a variety of skin pigmentations from white, to brown, to black, while Krylorians were exclusively pink. The Rigellians were tall, thin and had yellow-green skin, while the Shi'ar were fair-skinned beings with avian physiological features.
One of the Xandarian crew members was sitting at his station, looking at a video screen that showed a Krylorian woman holding a young Krylorian girl, just over a year old. The man smiled and waved at the young girl, who giggled in return.
"Hey, pretty girl," he said. "How you doing?"
The girl squealed and held out her arms at the camera. The woman bounced her up and down.
"She wants her daddy to come home," said the woman.
The man sighed and rolled his shoulders. The woman shook her head.
"Rhomann . . . ."
"Soon, Camaria, soon, I promise."
"You said that last month. They don't have anyone else to defend Rigellia?"
"I know. I know . . . ."
Rhomann looked over his shoulder for a moment before turning back to the video screen.
"We've just been getting a lot of bad reports out here," he said. "There's a lot of instability on the borders. I can't tell you all the details, but they need me out here. I'm doing my job . . . . keeping you safe."
Camaria frowned and looked down.
"And keeping us safe is your job," she said, in a tone that indicated it was a recitation. "We know."
"I wish I could do more."
Camaria smiled.
"You already do."
Camaria then bounced her daughter one last time as she looked at her.
"I have some errands to run, so we gotta get going," she said. "Say goodbye to daddy, Duranna!"
Duranna giggled again, holding her arms up in the air. Rhomann chuckled under his breath and waved at his daughter before Camaria ended the video call. As his display screen reverted to its default state, Rhomann sighed and opened up his data monitoring application. He yawned and leaned his head against his right hand as he clicked through the data streams.
After a couple minutes, he then saw something that caused him to blink and look over it again. He then stood up and turned to the command chair.
"Centurion Torthar, sir!"
Torthar turned to look at him.
"What is it, Denarian Dey?"
"Sir, I just saw a dark energy spike on the long range scanners that doesn't make sense. It's way too . . . ."
Rhomann was interrupted by the sudden appearance of a dark energy field in visual range of the bridge. Everyone turned to look at it, and within a second, a gargantuan war machine materialized before them. Its design was unlike that of any ship they had ever seen, and was eight hundred metres in length. The main section, which was curved upright, split open to reveal a huge central laser cannon.
". . . . big," said Rhomann.
"Contact!" yelled one of the bridge personnel.
"What is that?" asked another.
The ship also had four unfurling appendages that looked like legs, but they were curled up under the ship's main section. After a few seconds, the legs emerged from beneath the ship, giving it an insectoid appearance. It hovered in place, with the central laser cannon pointed directly at the Victory.
Rhomann then saw an indicator light flash on his console.
"We're being hailed."
"Put it through," said Torthar.
Rhomann tapped a button on his console, and a large holographic video display appeared over the bridge window. On the other end was a Skrull sitting on a command chair. Unlike with other Skrulls, this one had a metallic plate that covered the bottom and right parts of his face, creating a right angle triangle that cut his face diagonally in half.
Metallic parts were extended over his neck, with a serrated tube that pumped oxygen directly into his throat. The plate also covered his right eye, which had been replaced with an ocular lens. A series of clicking noises were heard, and he lifted up his right hand to reveal that it was a completely metallic limb, complete with a six-fingered hand. The clicking noise was made by him rhythmically tapping the pointed tips of his fingers against his metal palm.
The Skrull did not have a mouth, given that the metal plate covered where it would have been. Still, he spoke, with a set of lights on his throat flashing cyan as he did, his highly-synthesized voice created by a modulator in his esophagus.
"Centurion Torthar."
Rhomann felt a drip of sweat fall down his right temple. Several of the crew members on the bridge cringed as they looked at the Skrull, clearly disgusted by his cybernetic appearance. For his part, Torthar did not give an indication of being alarmed in any way.
"That is my name," said Torthar. "To whom am I speaking?"
The Skrull clicked all of his fingers against his palm again as he glared at Torthar with his one biological eye.
"I'm insulted, Centurion. I know it has been some time since last we met in combat, but I was hoping that you would at the very least remember me. Or do you not recall when you destroyed my ship during your campaign against the planet Klarr?"
Torthar sat back in his chair as the realization hit him.
"Commander Morrat?"
"That's General Morrat to you, Centurion."
"Your ship was blown to pieces by my fleet. You survived?!"
"Barely, as you can see. I was rescued by a Mekkan cruiser mere moments before my escape pod ran out of life support."
Morrat looked down at his robotic hand for a moment, turning it over multiple times so as to fully inspect it.
"It took some time, but via the incorporation of Mekkan cybernetics, I was . . . . repaired. I must say, I was most impressed with your strategic skill on the battlefield, Centurion. You were quite the worthy foe, and I hoped to meet you yet again in battle. Unfortunately for you, this time your ship is the one that will fall."
"That remains to be seen," replied Torthar. "I'm surprised, Morrat. You were reckless before, but attacking a Senate homeworld? I wonder what Veranke has to say about this."
Morrat cackled, his synthetic laugh disturbing Rhomann to his core.
"She ordered it."
Torthar pressed his lips together as Morrat clicked his fingers again.
"Now that our new vessels, the Pariahs, are complete, our forces are finally ready to deliver this galaxy to destiny's Queen. Rigellia will be the first. This world, as with all worlds, will belong to the Skrull Empire. I would ask you if you wish to surrender. After all, it is the courteous action to take . . . . but I would much rather just crush you myself."
Rhomann gulped as he saw the Pariah's laser cannon starting to glow brighter.
"Safe travels, Torthar," said Morrat.
The video screen dissipated, and, seeing the energy forming inside the laser cannon, Torthar immediately turned to one of the technicians on his right.
"FULL SHIELDS!"
A golden energy barrier formed around the Victory as the Pariah fired a massive beam. The beam seared its way across the barrier, and the entire ship was jostled by the attack. A surge wave of electric energy then rippled across the outer hull as the barrier powered down. Several of the crew members looked around in dismay as the barrier faded.
"What happened?!"
"Barrier is down, sir! That laser, it just . . . . just shredded it!"
"All cannons, open fire! Deploy all fighter squadrons and support frigates into battle positions, and someone get a message to Nova Command!"
Rhomann rushed back to his station, opening up his communication panel. He activated the emergency channel and began feverishly typing a message that would be sent directly to the Nova Corps' Headquarters on Xandar. A Rigellian officer who was sitting next to him turned around to look at Torthar.
"Frigates and fighter squadrons in position to engage, Centurion."
The Victory's cannons, which were placed all over the ship's hull, started firing orange energy blasts at the Pariah. Six support ships and over fifty fighters all flew past the Victory, preparing to attack. Each support ship was equipped with a polarized ion cannon, firing a sustained white beam with ripples of purple energy.
All six beams struck the front end of the Pariah, burning sections of the front hull. The armour plating, which was supported by an interlocking grid of kinetic barriers, was far too strong for the beams to actually penetrate. The fighters then moved in, ready to engage the ship at point blank range.
"Moving in for attack run," said one of the Nova pilots.
"Size of this thing, we might as well be bombing a goddamn moon!" said another.
The fighters closed in and started launching missiles and bombs along the main section, with some trying to land direct hits to the central cannon. Inside the command centre, Morrat looked up as he heard the explosions from the fighter attacks. He then turned to look at a Mekkan officer who was standing in front of a control console.
"General," said the Mekkan. "Hull and interweaving kinetic barriers are holding steady against the Nova attacks. Our defensive measures are performing admirably."
Morrat clicked his metal fingers a couple times before responding.
"Of course they are. Now, let's see how admirably Centurion Torthar performs."
The Pariah finally broke out of its hovering state and flew towards the Victory. Firing its laser again, it swiped horizontally along the defensive line, destroying three of the frigates. Opening its legs wider, the Pariah tilted itself backwards, giving its cannon more room to aim a precision shot. Despite being fired at by dozens of lasers from the Victory,nothing seemed capable of stopping it.
The Pariah then fired its laser again, sweeping downward across the Victory before disintegrating two more of the frigates.
"Evacuate the ship!" yelled Torthar. "All of you! Now!"
Multiple explosions rocked the Victory's interior from the damage caused by the laser. Rhomann scrambled out of his chair and ran off the bridge alongside the rest of the crew. As they rushed for the escape pods, another explosion broke apart pieces of the ceiling, which caved in. A support beam fell downwards, crushing the Rigellian crew member who had been sitting next to Rhomann and splattering his blood all over the floor.
Rhomann watched as many of the crew members from the bridge deck strapped themselves into escape pods and launched outwards, intending to head for the planet's surface. Stopping himself, he then took in a deep breath before turning around and running back to the bridge. Torthar was there by himself, watching as the Pariah's legs clamped down on the Victory's hull as it prepared to strike the killing blow.
"Centurion!"
Torthar looked over his shoulder at Rhomann.
"I ordered you to evacuate, Denarian!"
"Let's go, sir! There's no sense just waiting here to be slaughtered! Come on!"
Torthar closed his eyes and exhaled as he turned his face downward. Reluctantly nodding, Torthar stood up and followed Rhomann into the hallway. Running past the downed support beam, the two made it to the last escape pod. Rhomann stepped in first, but just as Torthar was about to join him, another explosion sent him toppling backwards, landing on his back on the other end of the hallway.
"Torthar!"
Coughing and looking to the side, Torthar saw the Pariah's laser charging. Frowning and shaking his head, he then looked up at Rhomann.
"Consider yourself promoted, Rhomann."
The colour flushed from Rhomann's face as Torthar jammed the side of his fist against the eject button on the wall next to him. Rhomann's pod shut and was launched from the Victory at the same moment the Pariah fired, blasting the entire vessel apart. Rhomann could only watch and shout in horror as his pod plummeted to the planet below.
