[05.45: As though we were smugglers, not poor honest men?]
[Callum the Barbarian in the Martian Princess!]
Thinking Paula made a god orc was coming back to haunt me in a painful way it seemed to me as I stumbled back from another blow, anger building as muscles ached and pain as they strained with every movement and block. Also cuts from sharp female orc claws as blood flowed down my cheek from a slash as I'd dodged a thrown axe, but not the follow up hand slap of sharp slashing-ness. My old armour had taken more a beating of course, but I couldn't feel pained by that…as it was doing its job of keeping me not too badly injured from crazy attacking orc not-Paula.
So, I moved, blocked, and parred…matching blows with magic and weapon as I shoved aside the pain and rose up the fury, focused on little but overwhelming the foe before me. I accepted that battle lust into my soul, fused it to myself, made it a part of my power, and blood splashed, and blades clashed as we exchanged ferocious blows. Magic was mine to wield, but this brutal close combat and there was little time to stand back and conduct fancy movements here and now, so there was simple, crude, spells amidst the blows. Slams, flames…which were weaker than I'd like…mixed with sword slashes and shield bashes as I snarled at her roar of challenge, pushing her back…
Twist. Roll. Parry. Slash. Parry. Stab.
That became the moment, an eternity as things were made….simple. Or simpler at least as dirty tricks and combat expertise required awareness of the situation, a hyper-focus on the now as my adrenaline flowed and I matched the enemy blow for blow. I was no berserker, but cold, hard, battle rage drove me forward now in a mercilessly methodical destruction of their attacks as the Lord said. Mercilessly advanced up her, dismantled defences as I'd broken her attack rhythm and focus…
Now I could invoke my magic as the fight turned in my favour, creating distance and exploding out power with a gesture and light. Hold Person was dodged, but the explosive fireball focused on myself was not, and I surged out of it, blade meeting axe head, and then slamming my head into her face after enhancing it with stoneskin, shattered a nose and staggering my challenger. My sword morphed into a staff, and I slammed it into her chest to send her flying into the walls behind me….then sending a blast of lightening into the staggered form and defeating her finally. Watched the world blur around me as I stumbled, nearly falling as I rested on my staff, blood flowing from cuts as I leaned forward, the world blurring around me…
Shifted. Twisted. Shattered. Reformed.
…but not particularly relevant to me as my simulated self slid down the staff to my knees, barely noticing as the tribal stronghold area became a city. Closing my eyes and falling into darkness as the world rippled around me…
"Umm…John…" a voice asked me as I lay on my back on something warm and comfortable, a hand pushing at my shoulder "…Hello Megan! His mindscape, he's not asleep, just…"
"I'm awake" I said hoarsely as I forced my eyes to open, cracking them open slowly to a sunlight illuminated room of vaguely familiar design, finding myself lying on a bed "I think"
M'gann was kneeling on the bed beside me….well, she was in 'human' form now, albeit her 'fake human' green martian cosplay human-form…
Oh, well, she was chained to the bed, up at the top from, and looking at me in a mixture of relief, delight, and fear. The bright side was she was wearing clothes, her 'normal' Miss Martian 'uniform' as I remembered it…
As I remembered it. Huh.
"Your…using….my memories I think?"
She let out a relieved breath, hugging me as I tried to get up "Your mind is scary"
"And inclined to test me" I managed to gasp out, finding my wounds healed and exhaustion gone from as I got a glimpse of the brightly lit room, vaguely Illuskan in design, and empty beyond me and her…though now I was naked I realised, suddenly conscious of hugging martian girl glomping me in desperation "Ah…M'gann…could you….let go…"
"No!" she answered ignoring me, clamping unto me "You might…disappear, or…something!"
"I'm not going to anything like that!" I protested as she buried her head in my chest, not sure if she was starting to cry like it felt like "But, uh, I need to get…dressed"
"I'm…we're not real…are we?"
I didn't hesitate as she whispered the words as the golden chain vanished from M'gann's neck, apparently a creation of her own imagination as much as mine. Too many movies from the past and lack of Martian cultural references I imagined idly as I hugged, laying back and starring at the ceiling "We are plenty real M'gann. We are having a conversation you'll notice"
"You're…you're an evil clone…and I'm…I'm…" she sobbed as she nearly crushed me in her embrace, and I hugged her back "I'm…I've no body. I'm not even…reallll! I'm…I'm…an evil dream!"
"No" I answered after a moment "Don't say that! You're just currently…spiritually focused"
Silence, beyond sniffling and hugging as I hugged back, but the harsh grip eased at least, followed by a sniffle and a "Wha…"
"Spiritually focused. Corporeally disadvantaged" I whispered "It's a wizard thing. Congratulations! You're now a wizard M'gann!"
Sniffle-gasp, or maybe a choked sob-giggle "That's…not funny"
"Maybe not, but you are real, and I prefer not to see myself as Evil. Though, yes" I admitted managing to bring a hand up and rub her hair, calming her hopefully "Clone. We're…well, not the ones on the home dimension side of the equation. Why? Do you feel evil?"
"No" she sniffled, face refusing to move from tearing up on the chest "But…but, you…this place isn't….well…"
"Oh, the mind is very similar, sorry to say. Human minds. Half-orc minds anyway. All sex, violence, and random trivia"
"I…" she started to say something, before sobbing for a few uncomfortable moments "Nnn….I'm a memory John, a bad memory…"
"I'm Callum now" I said, trying to sound kindly "And you're a spirit, a temporarily trapped one. We can fix this. I know we can"
There were methods for such things after all, though it usually driving out such invading spirits. But there were quasi-Clone spell variations to separate souls and the like…
"You're…thinking of ways to do that" she murmured suddenly, sounding confused and relieved, pulling her pained and tear streaked face up a bit "I…think. But…but…."
"You are reasoning, separate to my thought processes" I said trying to keep her calm, to keep myself calm "You got…copied I'm sorry. That fight with…"
"I know" she whispered after meeting my eyes…and then immediately retreating to faceplanting my chest after I saw and felt the pain and terror there "I know. I wasn't…I thought…I remember it, see some of what happened after. I just…I just…want to go home, and I know I can't! I can't even *think* about trying!"
"I know" sharing the feeling, the bleed through being allowed between both of us as we'd 'shared' that particular Geas "I won't lie. This…isn't what was before. We can't. But…it's…a life. I did it. You can do it too. I'll be with you. We just have to…get you a body. Sometime after I pull myself together"
Silence was the response to that, and I lay there, rubbing her hair and ignoring her combination of snugging against me and gripping unto me like a human liferaft. Listened to her sniffling and occasional squeeze of a fearful hug, or teary outburst as the environment shifted and changed…to Mars apparently if I had to guess from the alien designs of empty buildings, and the night sky being different to Earth's. She was trying to draw comfort from these memories, even as they 'restored' themselves in the same manner within my mind by the power and will of the Boss Orc. I 'shared' memory, sending encouragement and support as had a calm eternity in that few seconds as concepts were exchanged in a manner so desperately desired by her.
As she got so limited understanding of my memories, I saw hers, understood how to do these psionics instinctively despite not being a Martian. Here though, within my mindscape things were real when thoughts were…
So I lay beneath a Martian sky, 'on the beach' despite their being no sea, and preparing for the last hurdle in my vision of sorts, and then helping my friend. A Test in of itself. Because that would weaken me, drawing her forth and aiding her…but that was a price worth paying. Not everything was about power. And we were alone in this fate…
But. First. The Excess of Order had to be faced…
--
[05.46: As though we were smugglers, not poor honest men?]
[Order and Chaos]
Calming M'gann, or, well, talking her into the viewpoint that things might be okay took time, even if time here was…vague at best. We lay on some blankets beneath a Martian night sky…though memory land allowed me to breath it with trouble, and not freeze or whatever with skin again night, even if I did feel the chill a little. Or maybe memories of such bleeding over from M'gann's as she sat beside me, gazing up at the stars in her 'true' Martian form, hugging her knees to her chest. An amusing look with her not in even a human form…a half-orc and another 'monster' by human eyes perhaps, even if I didn't see it, reaching out and rubbing her lower back in a gesture of support.
It was the least I could do. We'd settled here a time, though in part I was 'recuperating' after the various beatings on the way here had 'stripped away' certain masks and illusions of self. The wounds had healed, and I felt…stronger now, less self-conscious and surer of my place in my own mind and in the universe as I looked at an object that was likely Earth up in that sky. I could feel her 'feelings' of longing, and various other muted emotions linked to that sight after all. Psionics weren't really my *thing* but my Patron Deity did understand it, and I could *feel* and *see* the muted nature of the mindscape turning clear and colourful and *real* even in the time here.
"Your green now"
I gave an amused snort at M'gann's words "You're only noticing that now?"
Embarrassment. Amusement. It was weird being able to 'feel' the emotions as she shifted back into a 'human' Miss Martian form, though staying chalk white rather than Martian green this time…while also keeping the red hair "Umm…."
"Half-orc, half-human, saved by the grace of my God. Also means I'm green now and have these small tusks in my mouth" I replied as she ran a hand over my chest, inspecting, and then reaching up to touch my mouth as I showed her the changes "See, orc-body-mind now…and hence the whole barbarian act. My soul is saved, but fun train never ends"
"I…we won't see them again…will we?"
I knew who she meant, same as I'd pushed aside memories of Artemis. So, I gave a sad smile, pushing myself up to sit, putting an arm around her shoulders "No. Probably not. Banned from that dimension, or even considering going there. But that doesn't there isn't hope, or a future"
"Connor"
"I know" I murmured back to her sad moan, holding her human form in silence and starring at the night sky as the stars shimmered more brightly than before. Memories didn't always bring comfort after all. Not when another you lived that life "I know"
She stayed calm, emotions bubbling as we looked at the stars, and she nodded, standing up "Okay Megan! Ready!"
I stood as well, turning with her to the figure standing with robes of shrouded shadows and a black staff that burned like in smoke, that mental link showing/feeling/understanding M'gann knew what was coming as she nodded "Can…can you help me?"
The Boss help up a hand as I made to speak "This is Her choice. Be silent"
I nodded obediently as M'gann fidgeted awkwardly, fingers locking and interlocking "Umm…"
"It's okay child…" the Boss orc offered a hand to my friend "…there are hard roads to walk, but you're strong enough to walk them. Let me help you choose. You'll come out the other end just your friend here"'
"I…" she murmured looking at me, and I smiled back encouragingly, patting her on the back.
"Go, get a body and see you the other side"
She nodded…then frowned "Aren't you supposed to smack me on the bottom to encourage me?"
I snorted in amusement as looked at me curiously "M'gann, eighties school shows, and movies, aren't the best to get such social etiquette remember. Now. Go. Be safe"
The unspoken knowledge was I had my own task to face…even if she'd have her own battle to face, I wasn't to be there for it looked like to me. At least now as the world shimmered and shuddered around, Mars melting away like a painting caught in a downpour, as M'gann and the Boss walked away into a shimmering veil of light and shadows. I myself willed new clothing over myself, my familiar white suit with faint gold trim, and then the hat and walking cane into hand as I gazed out at the newly formed city before…a towering series of walls and dark golden brick and dark steel. A fortress city of the mind, with a vast, intimidating, gate towering over me as I stood before it.
Raising a gloved hand, I pushed open the threatening looking gate towering over me with ease, a measure of my will…
Ah.
Because Nabu hadn't intended to *fight* me or offer some challenge. This was merely how a Lord of Order, such as Doctor Fate, healed such things as a damaged soul. The streets of the mindscape were perfectly orderly, perfectly measured and structed…
Perfectly void of imagination and dull. Safe. Orderly.
I walked through silent streets. Memories locked behind doors of order and stability. Too much. Even for a Shard of a Deity that favoured the element. A band aid over wounds that had healed. One that needed to be ripped off and reworked here and now as I walked through the empty and dull streets towards the fortress at its heart, mists flowing in as the sun began to crack through the gloomy skies above. My footsteps shivered the world as I ascended and descended into the depths and heights of what was mine, spells, and reality, weaving together as barriers and defences reforged themselves in my soul.
It was a nice change from getting beaten up constantly even if the pressure and strain was somehow worse here as I came to the 'city square' and the citadel there. As before it's gates opened before me, the barriers falling away…and then reforming as I stepped within…
And the world rippled out in a shockwave, an earthquake as it was reforged and reformed to my will, the choices made and made again as decaying distracts shivered and gave way to new. Houses of memories turned new and colourful, fortress walls strengthening as I condensed the Order to allow Chaos to flow on structured 'streets' within the mind. There were many ways to handle an overabundance of Order, and I opted to focus it, to take in the power and match it with granted power from my God. I could easily be mistaken for an Aasimaar, or some other inheritor of such powers as I concentrated Law into the core of my being, but weaving it in thick, neigh unbreakable strands that of Pure Order were coated with shimmering chaos energies and mortal energies.
John Constantine….well, I'd learned things, along with the inheritance of others from my Deity and now these darker depths of knowledge were mine to wield once more. And use that knowledge I did I formed new defences and illusions to the heart as I filled the libraries with select knowledge, restoring anything damaged, or replacing it with another bit of knowledge. Beyond the dreary and darkly lit city slowly changed, libraries and markets in place of barracks and barriers against my own self. Merchant. Deal Maker.
That was my purpose now. My choice. And that I did, drawing from my Patron the Shrouded Lord the needed power as I took on the Power to Make/Enforce Deals when needed. Drew within that Divine Power as I let go of other energies, forging myself into an Elementalist of Water where once I'd favoured Fire…and Water must flow. I'd be weaker, technically, for a time, but so much more knowledge to draw upon as I merged it all, catalogued it as the sun turned to shimmering slivery Moon in the sky above, and streets filled with ghostly figures in trade and revelry. Guards upon the walls. Creatures in the silver-black sky of a fortress city bathed in moonlight.
Within…the knowledge basis, gifted by the Gnomish Deity, of analysis of the Green Lantern ring within my possession, along with potential developments that could arise if desired. I did not *need* the Ring for pure power, but there were options there, ones I would consider now I *understood* certain aspects. But I stood upon the battlements of the Citadel, at peace. Closed my eyes and felt…myself, the excess burned away and gifted with potentials.
Opened my eyes.
…and was standing back in that ruined old city, at the bottom of that step not-pyramid with its two pillars at the top on either side. Mists covered everything, and M'gann stood beside me, standing on wobbly legs, clad in a white robe down to her ankles. I caught her as she stumbled, or maybe lost her balance, and she leaned against…or almost grabbed me, like someone starting to fear drowning at sea "Woah, woah, easy there, easy there…"
"Uhhhh….this feels strange" she admitted wobbling in place, leaning on me to keep her balance…and then hopping her feet.
"Cold! Cold!"
Bare feet apparently as I helped her over to sit on a rock. Noticed she had the same green Miss Martian appearance….
Save small, barely noticeable, little tusks, and her flame red hair…well, had a feel of 'reality' versus the arcane feeling I'd…well, Sean…had off her at times. I'd forgotten after all, hadn't I?
The Shrouded Lord was a racial God of Orcs, and Humans to a lesser degree through half-orcs. It seemed M'gann's clone body was half-orc at least. I resisted a sigh as she brought her feet off the ground, as I had to hold her, as her sense of balance…was off to say the least. Oh, this was going to be *such fun* to explain to Kara and everyone…
--
[05.47: As though we were smugglers, not poor honest men?]
[Here a clone, there a clone, everywhere a….]
Kara Zor-El sighed loudly, in an exaggerated manner, as she flopped unto the bed beside her lover, mock punching "Really? Martian clone girl in your dreams?"
"I….I…" Callum protested before groaning and staring up at the ceiling "Yeah. I got nothing. This is high on the weirdness meter I agree"
Kara gave a little snort at that as she let out a breath, curling up against him and wrapping an arm around his waist "No, plenty weirder. She's very nice. Better than my evil clone. Why is everyone else's evil clone nicer than mine!"
"You've a super-secret dark side and your clone got that?" she got teased back, and huffed in annoyance as she closed her eyes, pouting.
"Hnnn"
"Oh, don't be like that. But, yeah, M'gann's nice. Or, whatever she calls herself now. It's a headache in itself"
Kara resisted rolling her eyes "Ah, yes, because she's seen us have sex!"
"I…sort of meant the stress of being cloned and now suddenly being a half-orc" he muttered back and Kara grunted in agreement feeling embarrassed at the response "But…hey, she's got hazy memories of…that, so let's go with that being priority"
"You know what I mean Callum"
She felt his chest move up and down as he sighed "Yeah, I do, and its brought up a whole host of memories…and concerns. She's not afraid of fire for one"
Kara yawned, propping herself up, chin on hand and looking at his green skinned face "Wha…whys that matter?"
"Martians are instinctively afraid of fire for…reasons" he offered head on the pillow, eyes closed, exhausted looking, but also somehow far better than in recent months as well "She's half-orc now…as well as…honestly she's weak now, but she's got her abilities if a bit harder and I…she's not from your Mars"
"My Mars? I've never been to Mars Callum. It's…"
"Dead" he murmured, sighing again "But her's wasn't, and she was….downtrodden racial minority, and now no family. It's hard to…well lose that"
She gave him a squeeze as he went silent, wrapping herself around him and kissing his neck "S'okay, we'll make it work. Babs will take care of her for now, even if she's supposed to sleep for a day at least according to Asa"
"I agree with Doctor Nightmare Nurse in that" he murmured "And hope so too. I need the rest after…everything"
"Goes with the job…"
He snorted "That's superheroing. We're traders"
"Apparently for priests and dimensional traders too" she teased back with a smirk "Holy green man summons green girl. I'm getting worried"
"Hnnn" he grumbled, and Kara smiled as he continued "Hnnn"
"Oh shush buster! Quinn wasn't even on planet for this!" she told him jokingly "And Luthor isn't even in this dimension either, so can't blame him neither. I'm not sure how we'll explain this back home to, well…"
"I'll worry about clone M'gann's not-uncle at a later date" Callum murmured "Just like the hold full of refugees and the nightmares of doom skull planet. Nope. We are going home and have a nice, long, vacation. Yes. All the vacationing and doing nothing. That sounds the best"
"It does" she admitted, flopping down against him. The last few weeks had been incredibly stressful, and there was so much evil punching would not solve "It really does"
"Sun or snow?"
"Sun. Nice and sunny" she replied instantly "With beaches and no zombies or other monsters. Not Skyrim. Vacation does not mean study time, anyway that place is freezing"
He snorted in amusement "Yeah, not the place to try go sunbathing or skinny-dipping I'll admit, so we shall do that. Ideas in the idea box"
"Heh heh heh, we've an idea box?"
"We probably should, but whatever you want we'll try work around to do"
She closed her eyes, thinking on that a moment along with the opportunity to snuggle "Are you…okay?"
Callum chuckled softly "Better than okay, all things aside. The lingering magical issues are…fixed for lack of a better word. The joys having God on call in this time and place. I'll likely be a bit…weaker, maybe, in the short term, but that's better for long term. Or maybe it'll just take me time to get used to…everything, or relearn things…"
Kara poked at him "And no Martian girl in your head…."
"Yes, she saw your…"
"Shut up" she joked back letting out a tired sigh. Babs could handle things for now, and she knew both Kara and Callum needed so rest while Kara's friend herded Quinn along in a constructive direction in the meantime. They were heading home, money earned, and she doubted anyone on the crew were opposed to that idea – either on the ship or on the Thunderchild. Recent events had been…stressful for everyone, and this current bout of madness merely felt like time at home for her, Babs, Zatanna, and the others. It was still better than Gala-fucking-thea's appearance had been, and at least this 'Mgann' was trying to punch Kara in the face while wearing her face. She sighed.
"End of this adventure, isn't it? Crew'll break up when we get home"
"Yeah, we all wealthy folk now, and I've promised to help Azula and Zuko and their Uncle…and there'll be politics, lots of politics. Because we're rich now. Everyone will do their own thing, and after A…the thing, well, I'm sure some won't want to travel again" Callum replied with a yawn, arm around her and rubbing her shoulders "But home boys home, home, home I wanna be, home for a time…"
"Don't start singing, you're not great at it"
"Boo. I've a great voice"
Kara chuckled "Oh, sure you do, you big baby you. There's no other secret surprises to spring on us, hmm?"
"Not that I know of love but let's hope not since they've been big surprises for me" he admitted as he opened his eyes in response to her movements, blinking as she smirked at him "I didn't exactly expect all this recent craziness after all!"
"Yes, a likely story as always" she teased back as she knelt over him now with an easy roll, hands balancing on his chest "I'm surrounded by craziness!"
"Sorry, wrong ship to sign on if you didn't like that" he joked back with an amused smile "Anyway, you do know dressing up in tights and cape to punch bad guys isn't exactly not-crazy?"
"Oh, we can debate that later. We're on R now buster! Now relax!"
--
[05.48: As though we were smugglers, not poor honest men?]
[Sailing home across the ocean blue…]
--
[Trader's Journal: Day 1561]
[Current Dimension]
Spelljammer
[Current Location]
The Phlogiston
[Trading Report]
N/A – barring the addition of M'gann to the crew. I think she could change her name, but she wants to keep it, so that's that.
[Diary Entry]
It's been a year at sea, the ships upgraded, a nightmare zombie moon, and a Martian girl taken out of my head and given a half-orc, half-Martian, body – time to go home. Or what counts at home for me. Base of operations maybe?
Whatever, I'm sort of planning on making it my home now, maybe. It seems vacation time might be politics time either way, so I could be slumming it on Azula's world as she wants to do politics and world peace and all that jazz. They apparently have very nice beaches too, so Kara's all for that idea, along with a few of the crew who like the vacation idea before going home. It has been a year now after all, and everyone is eager to get back to their home dimensions and various loved ones after the recent horror show. Or even down to getting the Thunderchild back over the skies of the various Earth's on our 'side' so they can be defended against the various threats out there. From traitorous future Americans to the eye eating cavemen and all the worse things lurking out there in the void.
Clear sailing all the way home, yessiree, that's the plan. One I've discussed in depth with our Pathfinder Ruffio and plotted on our systems. We'll have to jump back into that messed up dimensional time fuckery, but I don't care this time. Or at least not till we get there. Our holds are sufficiently full, we've a ton of refugee gnomes, a big pile of wealth, and another pile of magical swag and knowledge to sort – Good Trip, successful. No point in pressing our luck even if we'll have to spend weeks at 'sea' so to speak rather than stops along the way and general mingling and trading. Well, outside of refuelling stops in uninhabited systems perhaps, or stopping somewhere with an energy supply like the Bleed to top up the dimensional breach drives or whatever. All situation dependent really.
Me, personally? Well, physically and spiritually?
Better than ever to be honest. Hale and hearty and refreshed after a long sleep. Which was good, considering coming back to the madness of M'gann from my mind to physical reality and then having to explain that to the crew with multiple views of me being just like Quinn, save with magic. I'm not a Mad Scientist! And, Yes, I have mastered the Clone spell thank you very much. Zatanna seems particular annoyed by it and blames Constantine for some unknown reason. I'd like to blame him as well of course, but this is all me - and the Boss orcs above me.
M'gann's handling the first few days relative well. Partly because she didn't have to fight and then negotiate with her other self who really wanted to her in for the Greater Good. Maybe. Though it could be the fact she's getting used to having a new body, albeit in the shape of her old, favoured, form in Miss Martian, but it's not like before either. Her powers are, deliberately I expect, in an 'infancy' stage so that she grows back into them rather tried to handle sensory overload off the bat. Or us having to deal with her flailing about, just now with psionic powers. After all she's already had to deal with what should be simple things, like actual clothes and wearing them.
Yes, because she bio-clothes before, and Martians were used to shapeshifting them. Or at least she was, and that's why the girls are helping her get used to physical reality right now rather than me. Oh, she can still shapeshift, it'll just be harder, and set to comeback in time, just like her psionics. I expect so that her new body can settle into a true form without risking her harming herself like yours truly was doing. That and she's got a spark of divine energy within her too, so half-orc, half-Martian, aasimaar. The Boss taking things carefully – me very glad, yep. Glad is me.
So, yes, a divine blooded psionic sorceress, whose now not afraid of fire even with 'reduced' shapeshifting…
Yeah. This'll be fun to train, even more fun than handling being cut off from home, and the main 'DC' Earth having a dead Mars, and us not supposed to seek out other Mars/Earths in that local multiverse. She's aware of that of course but being 'aware' is not the same as 'living' it over time as Kara will tell you, which is maybe why she's taking such an effort with M'gann. Super-besties or whatever it was Barbara called their new little friend group. I'm glad, it's something she'll need to be honest.
Now. Work. Since we're not planning on any stops, unless we have too, scheduling shifts is the name of the game, along with allocating research and training time. We've all these artifacts to study, tomes to ensure are safe, and a host of other, interesting, tasks before we get back to Home Base and everyone gets to decide what they do next. Of course, what we do depends on what's happened back there as it's been a whole year away, and communications across extended multiverse clusters isn't really a thing between time and spatial warping effects in between. I'm hoping the dimensional barrier system is built, and we aren't returning to a hellhole due to the Kromaggs or internal problems. Funny how that only gets thought much about on the voyage home?
On the assumption that things are *not* gone to shit we'll be head for the Bleed, or, to be exact, for Freeport-in-the-Bleed as our intended port of call. In part to shield the home dimensions from anyone following us as Freeport is sort of intended (or was when we left) as a, well, free port for outside dimension trade in the future so spelljammers and planeswalkers aren't entering various 'inner' Earths. Though, honestly, I agree with Pathfinder Ruffio that the end result could be anything as we work with a nascent multiversal society, and while I don't have his negativity, I do know what the end result is will be up to variety of factors with all the various dimensions we've interacted with. Azula, Zuko, Iroh for one and their talking to 'League' members and intent to make 'formal contact' and such.
How the College of Winterhold decided in the meantime is another thing, especially with a secret as big as this…
Yeah. Lots to consider, and most beyond my influence, let alone control. So, my own personal projects will involve working on my 'Ring' along with stuff like the staff of the Magi, and properly establishing a location to set down the ship (safely) and try have a few months of normal life, at a beach somewhere. That is the plan and I am making it happen now that I'm rich. Yes, and that will be put to use, even down to time to train and study in a nice, pleasant, environment. Also maybe help Azula overthrow her father and take over her nation. Ya'know, relaxing things like that.
On a more serious note it's also going to be time to integrate our refugees somewhere, along with hiring new staff for any future voyages. We're quite pressed for staff with refugees after all, and trouble has shown we could do with more trained crew, with a slightly more formal bent. Many are going to return home after this, though a few are intent on long term service, so the objective is to establish the company on Home Base Earth as well. Before our next voyage anyway, as I want to keep work on the castle and the barebones infrastructure we left behind.
My main focus in that regards has to be the University, or 'Planeswalking R Place' in truth, as Science, Magic, whatever, is the goal to ensure we've a support for future ships. Right now we're back in the Age of Sail, and dependent on external powers to help us build and maintain our shipping and weapons – which isn't a good thing. Long-term at least. I'd like support should we ever get into trouble, especially as we start to push out journeys as the Zombie Moon did hammer home the dangers out there, which should have been apparent after seeing what happened to the Androsynth and various other apocalypses like the Mechanists home Earth. Or even where our ship came from.
Funny, in a sad way, as they'll be the main source of things we use in the ruins of dead civilizations recently, and likely set to stay so for years to come. Everyone has ideas on how to work that, such as more suits of power armour and medical supplies, but even down to having to replace all our land vehicles. Because we nuked the ones we left behind on the planet of the gnome zombies and now have none to use – and we sort of need such things for future exploration. I'm thinking to agree with Quinn's plan to custom build our own when we get back to Earth.
Crew meetings and question time basically, starting with department heads on what'd make their lives better and safer while on and off the job. After all what this year has taught is that what we do in our 'off' hours is just as important as our 'on the clock' ones. Also maybe diversity training. Having people who believe in slavery and 'fight and freedom' societies with those from more abolitionist and heroic backgrounds is problematic, and we need to make sure people are tolerant of potential future groups were likely to hate on a societal level. Some places were touch and go even with Kara and Barbara, and I dread some dangerously ideological hero trying to 'right wrongs' and all that saviour complex kicking in.
Anyway, lots to think on but we've time to think on it. Then business and holidays back home. Let the Thunder Child get all militarised and a long stay in the docks for Fortune's Chance. Yep. Now it's time to train Azula and afterwards chat to Kara and M'gann before Captaining. So, Slán for now.
--
End: Chapter 05 - As though we were smugglers, not poor honest men?
Next: Chapter 06 – Bargained well and done.
--
[Interlude – Toph Beifong]
[Eleven months after the return of The Fortune's Chance to League space…]
Toph lay on her belly on the overly large bed, resting her chin on arms as fingers moved over her back, pressing at muscles and pressure points. Losing the 'final battle' at the Battle of Ba Sing Se to the Fire Nation had not turned out exactly as she had thought it would have. It still stunned her now, three months later, as she found herself in the heart of the Fire Nation, technically a war bride, what had ended up happening when Crazy Blue Fire had returned with Uncle and Sparky at her side. Hoo-boy had Twinkletoes been surprised at that, though probably not as much as Crazy Blue Fire's and Sparky's dad, Firelord Dickhead, must h ave been.
Ba Sing Se had fallen. Toph had lost her fight, as had everyone else, including Twinkletoes, but they hadn't died or been crippled. Turned out Crazy Blue Fire was smart and sneaky when she wanted to be, and apparently certain people like her more than the people who'd been leading the Earth Kingdom, even if she was clearly batshit insane. But, apparently, the Dai Li and a chunk of the Earth Kingdom army preferred the crazy girl over the useless guy and his bear that were Earth King. Then the perky, overly cheerful, girl currently massaging Toph's back and shoulders, had arrived and her bending had temporarily gone away mid fight with said traitorous earthbending guards. Then Crazy Blue Fire had declared…
"People of the Earth Kingdom! I, Firelord Azula, have seen your nation, I have come to your great city, and I have conquered it! Now the time for peace has come! I claim it by right of conquest just as I now claim Avatar Aang and the Princess of the Water Tribe as my husband and second wife respectively. In memory of this happy occasion, I declare the oppressive taxes of the previous Earth King are now halved! Marriages will continue until world peace occurs…"
…and boy had Twinkletoes and Sugar Queen been freaked out about that. Or at least Twinkletoes had been, till Katara released she *also* be marrying Aang, and her objections had immediately shut up, and instead started supporting 'World Peace', Fire Nation style…
'Nope to that' was Toph's viewpoint when the potential of *herself* becoming 'Earth Nation Wife Representative' to whatever crazy Bedroom of Avatar Advisors Firelord Crazy Lady had proposed to her that night. Marry Aang?
That was a nightmare all in one. Marrying Twinkletoes while also having Crazy Blue Fire and Sugar Queen as co-wives…
Nope. Nope. Nope. Nope. Nope.
…and Sokka had the FUCKING MOON after him, and loved Suki with her big tits and stupid face….
Toph couldn't stand that either. Loving but not being loved. Best of bad choices then as she'd spoken to Gloomy Knives at the Sparky option…
And now here she was, listening as Azula was shouting out in the training yard as she 'trained' Twinkletoes in the ways of Firebending 'He isn't crying or running away this time…so that's good?'
"NO NO NO HOT HOT…WAIT!"
"Spoke too soon" she muttered as she heard Aang panicking loudly, Ty Lee giggling behind her "Spoke what to soon?"
"Twinkletoes"
"Oh, Azula's being super nice today!" the 'concubine' of Zuko told her cheerful, though real term was 'deadly royal guard' in fact "She's only chasing him around the yard with red flames! She's warming up to him!"
Paused "Or warming him up? I dunno"
"Who's warming up?" Sparky asked coming out of the baths, sounding exhausted after their sparring, and then getting all the dirt off himself. Toph could feel Gloomy smirking nearby, or perhaps ogling her husband in his towel. Toph didn't quite get all that, since her Earth sense 'saw' him and his boy parts anyway, but then again he…well she…was off limits till they were older she'd discussed. Toph was glad of that, even if not for the reasons they put forward, as she quite liked being spoiled right now, and Gloomy Knives really needed the 'lovin' as the crazy dragon monster put it.
"Azula's sparring with the Avatar. He's started crying again" she heard Gloomy Knives, Mai, say without looking up from the book she was reading "You can hear her shouting at him from here"
Toph felt Zuko wince as he sat on the bed beside her and Perky Tits "Yeah…there she is. Well, that's what you get for training with Azula"
"Does he have a choice?"
Sparky gave a snort of annoyance "Does anyone when Azula's involved Ty Lee?"
"No" Toph answered tiredly, utterly exhausted. One of the strangest things of the defeat?
She got to be herself. Training and earthbending as much as she like, rumble fights as much as she liked…
And she even made herself wear the ugly, nasty, 'princess' dresses that her parents loved so…
But only in public, occasionally, when she wanted to embarrass Zuko by playing at the shy, demure, and hopelessly in love Earth Kingdom 'flower' that had Prince Zuko had 'defeated' and made 'submit' to be his second wife. Considering she got to publicly beat the hells out of all challengers, publicly, the more 'little flower' she acted when in public with Sparkly…it hilariously embarrassed him considering she was still beating him regularly in private, like a little while ago. The Fire Nation public apparently saw her as some violent Earth Kingdom ultimate warrior in training that their Fire Prince had ensnared…
Not only did she and Mai find it hilarious, but bit had also let Toph mend some fences with her idiot parents…
"But isn't she leaving for a while soon?" she asked, distracting herself from other talks as she kicked Ty Lee off, gesturing at the Prince to get to work "And, You, get to work mister! Those muscles wouldn't massage themselves!"
Sparky huffed in annoyance at her, Mai rolling her eyes as Ty Lee stood up, then backflipped off the bed, before going into a tumble. Stone in the bed was a nice touch by her 'family' of sorts, and he muttered in that whiny way of his as his hands went to her back "Yes, yes…fine, but, yeah, Uncle has…well, there have been lots of negotiations and Azula is going to sign up to some big important mission to prove…you'know, that we are worthy of protection from the nightmare monsters beyond"
…and wasn't that the truth?
Not everyone believed them Toph knew, but Sparky and Uncle weren't lying, and that was…scary. So scary it had led Firelord Crazy Blue Fire to defeat the Earth Kingdom…and then withdraw, slowly, back to the Fire Nation Colonies after numerous treaties. Even to overthrow her father, make peace with the Northern Water Tribe, and decide to fund the rebuilding of the Southern Water Tribe. Plus, the crazy-crazy eighteen scroll plan to restore the Air Tribe;- by finding any Air Nation survivor descendants, and most by making Twinkletoe's single-handedly sire that generation if they couldn't find any…
"Are we going?" she continued "I'd really like to…see…"
"Says the blind girl?" Perky asked curiously "Really?"
"Fine. Feel then Ty Lee" Toph corrected resisting the urge to fall asleep as her muscles relaxed "And I want more of those chocolates they have"
"That's all the Great Beifong Trading Company wants, hmm?"
"No, but that is what your beloved second wife wants!" she replied to him, Mai humming and looking up from her book.
"Yes Zuko, and some dresses and jewellery wouldn't go amiss"
"Everyone's conspiring against me" Sparky whined "This is important! Monsters out there, treaties…"
"Oh stop whining! Keep up the rubbing Sparky instead" she huffed back, stretching out a bit "Treaties later, relaxing now…"
--
[Interlude – Lois Lane]
[Twelve months after the return of the Fortune's Chance to League space]
Hotels were very much the same despite this being a different Earth…world?...dimension?...
Lois Lane paused and considered what word to put in the article later as she finished dressing. Or what word would be allowed to be put in due to 'national security' and other nonsense. Oh, there were valid reasons too, but the attempt to hide all the information that these people had on their…Earth?...was a bit silly in Lois's opinion, even if Clark was intent on that plan. Personally, she blamed Bruce for that, and, yes, the identities were important…but the cat was going to get out of the bag eventually in her opinion. It was why Clark wasn't here with her, on this other Earth, and why Jimmy had to brief, in detail, by them before they left. That and Clark telling him not to look up any porn. Not a bit…
'Which is like waving a red flag to a bull, or putting up a don't walk on the grass sign' Lois thought to herself leaning to one side and posing, then straightening into another pose. Professional but attractive she decided after a moment with a nod to the mirror after buttoning up the suit. Clark was so…Clark at times, even when he was Superman, and it was sweet and all that he didn't want anyone oogling her naked body, or some comics showing her naked body…
'As if some of the creepier weirdos don't do that already at home' Lois thought as she resisted muttering with a roll of her eyes. In fact, she'd looked up the, rather impressively large, amount about her available on this Earth's version of the internet…it make a girl feel a bit concerned really, as well as both flattered and horrified on it all. Though she had seen close back home in some of the police reports. Superman saving you all the time led to much creepy fanfiction and villain fantasying unfortunately. Thankfully her fame didn't just extend to 'that porn reporter girl', but instead got her seen as the premier report on her Earth – and a definite invite to all this fancy treaty signing on another Earth.
It was history in the making…
Even if the Justice League and much of the world seemed to want nothing to do with it. That it was 'dangerous' and they had their own concerns…and it was totally irrelevant to Lois as this was a scoop, and even with 'restrictions' it was going to be her story. So, Lois checked her watch, checked her bag had it's laptop and notepad ready, and stomped over to the door between her and Jimmy's rooms, knocking on it aggressively and raising her voice "Jimmy you ready yet?"
No answer. She knocked again. Growled softly when he didn't answer again, and gripped the knob, twisted, and stepped inside to stride forward into the room…
"Hey!" she huffed at him as she discovered him in bed, asleep, alarm not gone off despite it being seven am already. Lois smacked his right bare foot with her hand "Jimmy! Up! What are doing still sleeping!"
"Uhhh?" he protested uselessly blinking at her, and Lois grabbed his ankle, dragging him off the bed and pointing at him, and then the shower.
"Up. Now. We are having a working breakfast. You promised, remember" she growled at him as he awkwardly sat up in bed after she'd half-dragged him off, and then stumbled off it, blanket clutched against his front as Lois hustled him forward to the bathroom "Quick march, quick march soldier! Work to be done"
"This is why Clark didn't come!" he whined back at her, and Lois simply kept shoving him to the bathroom, grabbed the blanket and shoved him before closing the door, and telling him to hurry. Bringing up her watch she looked at the time, and gave him six minutes as she lay back against doorframe.
"Clark's hiding, but you're here, so chop chop! Work to do, stories to discover!" she instructed through the partly open door, clapping her hands, till she heard the shower start up and he actually start to get ready. As usual once he got into motion he was all quick and proper, and she threw him in the clothes for the day as he finished up making himself presentable. Glancing at the watch as he came out, brushing his hair as he mumbled excuses, she was happy to see he'd done it within the time laid out.
"I don't see what the rush is!"
"We are going down to the official breakfast and mingling, and that means photos and interviews. So, grab your stuff and let's go" she instructed grabbing her own bag and straightening out the skirt of her suit "Anyway, the suits makes you look professional, and no supervillains are tying us to train tracks or carrying us to the top of tall buildings"
"Don't jinx it Lois, please?" Jimmy muttered to her "You always jinx it"
"No, I don't" she replied with a shrug as she opened the door "Look, it'll be a long day, but we'll rest and relax tonight"
"Uncle Sam is paying?"
"Yes, because the Planet usually doesn't!" she finished the little in-joke of theirs as they exited through his door, and she took the keys, locking it, and then making sure her's to the right was also locked with the hard lock and electronic key. The hotel was high security, with armed soldiers hidden out in the grounds, but she and the others had learned to be as careful as you could be…especially when Clark wouldn't be around to play Superman to the Rescue here. There was a security door with cameras at the end of the hall, and it ping open to her card, though no one else was about as they went to the lift, and then descended four floors to the lobby…which was filled with people despite the early hour.
There were Japanese Navy Officers, in fancy looking clothes, from am Earth where America had never existed, talking to a woman in a business suit and skirt a bit like her own that had a strong…Mexican?...accent, with a pin that looked like a Californian bear on it. She'd hadn't talked to them yet, but they were supposed to be big drivers of this odd private army of this odd not-alliance, not-anything, but something called the League of Aquitaine. Getting an interview with everyone….well, there were so many stories here, and getting time with everyone was just impossible, and she and Jimmy were going at rather blind….
'Oh, now that's an idea that's Clark's not here to drag us away' she thought seeing a…familiar?...face, or two familiar faces entering the lobby and moving towards the same direction as she. Luthor, and his bimbo death machine, were recognisable, even when they looked like they'd stepped out of a Victorian play or period piece, down to the walking cane tapping off the floor. She grabbed the reticent Jimmy, and approached the man and his bodyguard…Jimmy being afraid of her, even if she didn't look like their Mercy Graves. After their Mercy had kneed him in the balls for taking pictures of her Lois wasn't surprised.
"Ah, Miss Lane…"
'God, he sounds almost British' were her first thoughts as the Luthor allowed here spoke, eyes moving over her, and then Jimmy "…and Mister Olsen. Quite a more pleasant sight indeed that your counterparts from this humble businessman's home dimension"
Lois resisted a wince, but it probably came through to her voice "We've…met, yes. I hope they haven't soured you to perhaps discussing these important events over breakfast?"
Lois and Jimmy's duplicates were here…and God in heaven were they annoying. Jimmy apparently was the 'leader' of the 'dynamic duo', and they spoke and acted like the worst kind of yellow journalism from the late nineteenth century, while talking like they'd stepped out of a noir detective thriller. Her own self…pissed her off for some reason as she combined the worst combination of pretend floosy and nosey reporting bully all in an amazingly somehow-sexist package. Never had Lois Lane wanted to punch herself in the face so much till that introduction a day ago.
"Sir…" and Mercy sounded like she was a working class yob from that era too, but standing with her hands behind her back, dressed in a stylish black and silver not-chauffer-maid outfit, with funny black hat on her head as she nodded "…should I?"
"Not at all, Mercy dear, these ones seem the civilized sort" Luthor with moustache and top hat replied pulling out an old timey pocketwatch, clicking it open to check the time "And our own duplicates have been quite the troublesome sorts indeed "Come then Miss Lane, Mister Olsen, we shall dicker and wax philosophical on the differences between our worlds…and on the trade we are involve ourselves in"
Lois smiled at that, grabbing Jimmy's sleeve and dragging him along as he shied away from the imperious look of Not-Mercy as she looked him up and down. There were big things going on, from something about a Helm and a Death Legion or Grey something nobody was talking about officially, to talks with the teenager that somehow had taken over her world supposedly and now was part of this League of Aquitaine…whatever that was, because it wasn't like the Justice League for sure….
--
[Interlude – Shunroku Hata]
[Twelve months after the return of the Fortune's Chance to League space]
Vice Admiral Shunroku Hata read through the summary material in silence as the room filled with various other screened military officers and civilian officials of a number of worlds. Near all were human, though the disturbing looking 'Rachni' creature was also here, with uncanny 'green woman' as translator, along with a red skinned Oni-like being called an 'Orc' in armour-like clothing. It was not a situation he would never have imagined mere months ago - but then he had been let into the great secrets revealed to the Co-Prosperity Sphere from Alta California and the world's logic had ceased to make sense. Aliens, Youkai, and all sorts of other matters of non-belief now turning out to be, very frighteningly, real.
For just because you did not believe in it, did not mean it was not lurking out there, waiting to devour your world entire…
Which was why he was sat upon an Earth, technicially in the past, and a monument of sorts of the sheer levels of danger of such things out there. For they called this 'Empty Earth' at times he had noted, for while it was no longer 'empty' as people returned…it had been swept clean of humanity in one moment, by one accident, of one man. Truly a terrifying thought, even more than the fact a hidden force of gaijin had infiltrated his home earth so thoroughly as not to be notice, yet able to shatter research and caused geopolitical chaos. And that barely touched upon the nightmares mention in reports;- of worlds conquered by dimension travelling monsters, of moons that ate planets, and of entire advanced species disappearing because they 'knew too much'.
'Which is why we all cower here, fearfully clinging to what sanity we can' he speculated in his mind bringing his hands together on the documents. Before him were what was called the League of Aquitaine, though that was a meaningless name for something that did not exist…yet also a vital name for something that did also exist while not existing. It was, quite simply, a name put upon itself by the desperate, shattered nations of a world on the other side of this 'Empty Earth' as a banner to both rally support, as well as hide the truth, and their home, from the fearful predators that lurked out there. Now the servants of the Chrysanthemum Throne and it's allies would have to do the same, adding to the polite fiction so as not to be swallowed by greater foes.
It was disturbingly interesting in some manner to consider the whys and the how's;-
The child Empress and her uncle, the General, from a backwards world on the verge of an industrial revolution, but one where many wielded such powers of the elements. Desperately seeking as to do as an Emperor had done long ago when British and Russian warships had arrived on the shores of Nippon. Seeking to jump start their world's development and seeking military alliance, lest they be devoured by some lurking power yet unknown.
The military and government officials of this earth, officially, and those who had warned them of the dangers lurking out there. Superficially they held many cards from their alliance with the explorers and magicians in the way of first move advantage, and having databases from other universes. But they were desperate too he knew, just as desperate as Shunroku's superiors in that they lay in the path of an inhuman empire that would, literally, devour them if allowed the chance. Or faced beings with powers beyond the human on the other side….
Who were the most curious present, for their world would have no part in this organisation…or loosely defined coalition one might see it as. Nor even with each other of their worlds, despite knowing of each other as best he understood from talks. They were fearful to consider, that a man could destroy battleships with his fists, yet they were concerningly parochial in refusing to even consider leaving their place, or seeking out technology. Only a few seemed willing to do so, from the military officers' present to offer as mercenaries as their government opposed the concept of conflict, or alliance.
Then there were the aliens, these insect folk granted the lands of Australia on this 'Empty Earth'. Driven to extinction on distant shores, and now hiding away from such foes on a backwards world from what must their point of view. So alien, but also one of the few they could reach out to who had practical knowledge of space travel. It was much like the 'magicians' and various youkai of no particular nation, or belonging to small organisations, that had gravitated to the traders and explorers of dimensions…
'Yes, it all more an interdimensional zaibatsu with military forces and alliances than an international organisation' Shunroku estimated eying the 'wizard-trader', as well as the other businessmen from differing dimensions that were to help in funding, or supplying skills, to this endeavour. His report to his superiors would be quite scathing on the refusal of several of their own zaibatsu to seek to do so, or to provide any aid to a market outside their control. It weakened their hands here and now as important matters were to be discussed, and all traded and jockeyed for influence within an organisation that was starting to turn from illusion to a firm reality. One of the military officers of this world, a Frenchman, stood up as they all indicated their readiness, the lights dimming slightly as the screen before them illuminated.
"Good morning. I am General Lavel of the French Sixth Republic, of what are calling Earh-89-Beta for the moment, at least till we establish mutually acceptable classifications" the man began in French, but there was translation 'magic' in the room that allowed Shunroku to understand the talk as if in his native tongue "As you have all been briefed yesterday on the underline nature of this operation I shall keep this introduction brief"
Images of giant mechs, covered in foliage and dirt "Since the discovery fifteen months ago on Earth-Alpha-Three of the transport route between this Earth and that of the delegations from the Republic of Alta California and Empire of Japan…" a nod towards himself and the woman from California that Shunroku returned with one swift nod of his own "...we have explored the wreckage of what is a Star League Defence Forces Experimental Energies Research Location, believed to have been lost during the Amaris rebellion covered in the briefing documentation on the target dimension"
"In recent months the forces listed before you…" which included several hundred specialists from the Empire's allies in Alta California for now, as well as forces drawn from this Earth's neighbour "…have secured the facility, on both sides of a dimensional breach we believed initiated by the researchers of the facility. Exact timing of this breach is, as yet, unknown, but we believe it was just prior to the mutual destruction of the base garrison and research staff by Amaris Empire forces garrisoned there shortly beforehand. Which would indicate just prior to the fall of the Star League of this dimension"
More images and data analysis "As noted we have recovered a number of heavily damaged humanoid mech-combat units, and evidence of heavy use of chemical weapons. What slowed the exploration and securing of the facility, apart from its sheer size as an underground fortress, has been clearing potential pockets of these biological and chemical contaminants. Now that this has been achieved, and the security systems brought under control, we are confident enough of the current timeline of that dimension, as well as considering the feasibility of seeking out certain resources prior to what will become known as the Clan Invasions. We will now begin debating the feasibility of this action, as well as the formation of a joint military and civilian command structure to achieve these goals. Thank you. Mister Outis, if you would?"
"Thank you General" the young 'wizard-trader' replied standing up "As representative of Outis Import/Export I am of course putting the Fortune's Chance at the services of the League in this endeavour. While we have a number of potential salvage options available to us, and a very large number of risks, the first matter to consider…"
A gloved hand pointed at a series of book pages, along with what appeared to be star charts "Is the so-called Helm Cache, or to be to put it as what it is – a Star League Memory Core. This contains a full library of military and civilian technical data and documentation on a vast array of technology of the, now defunct, Star League of the battletech dimension. Between the data already gathered from the Systems Alliance, and from Androsynth data-stores, we believe this Data Core provides us with the best chance to develop technologies, or at least restore systems from this dimension, to enable your worlds to defend against a range of threats…"
--
[Interlude – Monitor Nix Uotan]
[Thirteen months after the return of the Fortune's Chance to League space]
It was good to see the progress made in such a short time on so-called Freeport-in-the-Bleed, as well as the vital dataset that trade of information and goods into the multiverse was now regulated. Uncontrolled contamination was unacceptable for it risked accessing dangerous factors within the local multiverse cluster and therefore destabilising the Core verses…or it could attract far more dangerous forces from the Beyond. It still made him uncomfortable despite all those valid reasons to see so many Outsiders accessing systems, or perhaps the fact they were needed was the part that made him uncomfortable.
People, in numbers, were not something that was *normal* within a Monitor facility…but, now he was alone, all that remained…
There was only the best of bad options as one his human allies had put it. And perhaps it was for the best, as he regained the ability to restore shiftships to functionality now, given time. That he had to allow some of them to pass into the hands of Outsiders was disturbing, but it was a minor price to pay in the face of his still hidden foe's movements. This facility, and Nil, were now defended with repaired shiftships, immunised against the previous hacking attempts…albeit only a handful Explorer and Hunter class vessels. The larger Carriers and Destroyers remained on automated defence opposite the 'darker' verses thanfully…
"Construct" he asked, taking his mind from such things "Status of Hunter Unit-661/H/R?"
"Status: Green. Departure: Currently on time with twenty-six standard hours Monitor" the hologram of the artificial intelligence "Estimate performance after repair and retrofit from Outside materials and designs at 83.6732 percent of standard operating levels on Hunter-class shiftship"
"Good, continue monitoring Construct and alert if there should be any difficulties" he instructed bringing up the hologram of the unit, as well as view feeds from that element of the dockyards. The third of such vessels 'sold' to the Outsiders under the banner of the League of Aquitaine…mostly because they were the largest force available to help restore vessels without resorting to corrupting the Core timelines further. That would be unacceptable, and there were other valid reasons to resort to such trades. Most prominently that such a grouping of Outsiders served as an adequate barrier between the Core multiverse under his protection, and what was were more aggressive and threatening Outsider clusters beyond.
With the multiverse in it's weakened state…even exposure to such forces as this 'Kromagg Imperium' would be deeply problematic as while they were not an existential threat, they could be very damaging. The data received from several of the other entities encountered by the two refitted Hunter vessels supplied to the quasi-Outsider Outis and his allies…
'Indeed, this may be the most efficient option for creating adequate barriers beyond what is available to secure the fifty-two' he considered watching the mass of engineers working upon the third such vessel, this one also an armed merchant vessel by intention. And an auxiliary warship too most likely in the face of the 'near' threats as discussed by this League alliance, such as the Kromagg Imperium, and this rival, more aggressive, dimensional trading alliance. Supply of a number of such vessels should be sufficient to enable Outsider allies/auxiliaries to at least avoid destruction, and perhaps secure a firm border on the other side of the breaches. Perhaps even for aiding patrol, and salvage operations, in the Abandoned Multiverse that surrounded the fifty-two, or bordering the Dark Multiverse.
Surveying the rest of the station, now beginning to be restored to functionality…
Or to activity, as there had been no 'shops' here during it's time as a Monitor facility, nor had there been so when the Monarch had occupied it. A security force yes, but not shops or restaurants, which were still very surreal to view even on the monitoring systems. Not the attempts at human aesthetics in several of the restored zones…
"Monitor" Construct stated "The aberrant variant Captain Outis has arrived, along with the Supergirl variant and the Outsider Mallory, have arrived"
"Thank you Construct. Inform the Outis of affirmative of meeting, and have the data prepared for the Supergirl and the Mallory at the vessel. I do not wish to meet all three at one. There is much to be done, and it would inefficient when they all have their tasks, and an urgency"
"As you command Monitor" she replied, image bowing and then blinking out for a moment. It was unnecessary of course but was designed to work to his mentality and her vanishing 'felt' as if she was moving between locations as he walked to the teleporter. Getting these operational again had been a goal of his, as the space station was very large…when it was filled with people and no longer automated. Having some method of rapid site to site transportation as such had been a priority, even if the Outsiders were very wary of it in certain instances.
The white clad quasi-outsider was already waiting as Nix Uotan stepped through the teleporter, and then through the security doors on the other side. The variant elseworlds were strictly speaking beyond his influence, like much since the…disaster…but the aberration known as Kalum Outis was preferrable to deal with rather than the Supergirl variant, or the outright Outsider such as the Mallory. Between that one, and Luthor from the 'Gaslight' or 'Steampunk' dimension as some, unfortunately, put it, it was frustrating dealing with such with his current form, and lack of 'Brothers' for support. Luthors, and Mallory was close to an Outsider variant, as a rule were dangerous…most especially the well-meaning and good natured ones; - for they did terrible for the good of their worlds.
"Monitor" the captain of the first of the 'purchased' shiftships greeted, holding out a data-pad "Summaries and details of the dimensional readings for the 'Battletech' universe as promised, as well as all data gathered on the Breach, and from the SLDF computers that survived. Of course, these are only initial sensor surveys at planetary level in preparation for spelljammer transition rather than in-dimension ship sensor scans"
Nix Uotan took the primitive, but concerningly well secured by said technology and magic, device and quickly scanned and absorbed the data within "Sufficient. You are ready to depart with the modified Hunter vessel?"
In truth he was less interested in the universe data and the technology of this new Outsider universe, beyond academic interest, but the dimensional breaching technology was of vital concern. Certainly, worth the trade of this trade of a few salvaged that needed the Outsiders to help restore in exchange for the data that would allow him to prevent such breaches into dimensions under his protection. Perhaps more data would allow him greater ability to catch the forces working against those lands?
"Well, yes, we're on schedule so far, and I intend to keep it that way" the half-human replied with a nod "I intend to sail the ship myself to Home Base, then to the Toulon Arsenal there for final workup alongside the Fortune's Chance. Kara and Quinn are going to be doing the final technical checks now. Once everyone is given one final screening for any health or other concerns, we'll do final boarding and depart into the Bleed. Assuming there are no problems or objections?"
"Negative objections, all systems are functional, dimensional contagion is not present, and the estimated timeline is approved" he replied to the half-human "Your replacement for oversight of the following vessel has been brief?"
The half-human in human disguise nodded "Yes, though that is technically a League vessel, and military, while this project is part of our trading groups flag"
"An awareness of such difference are noted, but of similar enough nature considering the deployment of your merchant vessels as part of a multi-dimensional military operation"
The half-human shrugged "Yeah, I can see that, but it both pays the bills and works towards defending the place I plan on living from dimensional invaders that are concerningly close on several levels. Honestly, I'll admit it's a lot more military heavy than I'd like, but such is the nature of the dimension we're visiting. Secrecy will unfortunately mean having sufficient forces to dissuade certain attention, and simply to deal with physical activities of entering the proposed facility and potentially wreckage…"
--
[Interlude – Francois Augereau]
[Beginning of Operation Épervier]
"Fifteen minutes to transition" the voice of the young Lieutenant called out in the command bunker, over the intercom system that covered the great tomb like facility that General Francois Augereau found himself in command of "All stations report your current status"
…and in the end it felt like a tomb because it was still a tomb in large sections. The cavernous command bunker, with it's strange, yet also familiar, looking computers and machinery, had been the home of the dead only a little over a year and a half ago. Impacts of bullets and other things were still present in some of the original equipment even if the skeletons and other markers of the conflict that torn the place apart before Francois had even been born. What little they had been able to piece together from the systems, and vague 'knowledge' of the dimension, had been that the 'allied' Rim World Republic troops had attempted to take over the facility. Had then failed in the task as everything fell apart on two sides of the 'portal'….before someone dropped chemical weapons and killed everyone on both sides.
'Now we live in their tomb, and their wear their skins like the barbarians amidst the ruins of Rome' he thought as the screens updated, at the men and women technically under his control, all clad in the uniforms of the long since defunct Star League's military branches. It made him uncomfortable, even if there were several valid reasons for it…and that was why his government had put him charge he suspect. That despite any misgiving he would do his duty, regardless of the costs involved as he shown in the dark, dark, days of the first few months of the 'Doubling' that had shattered his world. Only the true fear had come later for everyone in the battered militaries of those nations, like his own, that had survived the civil and military chaos as the world doubled; - the extent of the multiverse, and the terrors that lurked beyond.
Now he sat in the ruined military base, an R one at that, with screens showing the overview of the skies of worlds in two dimensions, with men and women from even stranger ones. All while using technology they barely understood, alongside people from worlds that had still being used catapults on their ironclad warships before they'd come here with him. Yet now they stood with more concentrated military power than any other human in the history of his own Earth despite it's 'meagre numbers', with enough nuclear weapons to reduce nations to glowing carparks, and starships that could do even more damage than that. But….only technically he controlled such.
For the three 'starships' two were two of a trader, armed merchantmen, and, like much of this operation, what would be considered mercenaries or civilian contractors of an allied nation. He 'controlled' the military forces under his chain of command more like a general of ancient times leading an alliance of city states than a so-called joined military operation. Or unified military that it claimed to be to the outside, as they all wore the cleansed and thoroughly checked uniforms of the people who'd once manned this base…because they had left ridiculous levels of such things within, and the League of Aquitaine was seemingly a collation of scavengers banded together for mutual self-defence…
"So, it begins" the voice of one of other nominal subordinates announced quietly, but in a jovial tone, as the 'magic translator' installed in the command centre handled 'General Iroh's' words. A not so retired military officer, and Francois would not make the mistake of underestimating the man from a world that had only just entered its industrial era. Now, mere months later, here he stood in the same uniform as Francois, fully able to use computers and other technology better than some officers Francois had served with. With that in mind, Francois nodded, eyes on the screen.
"Indeed, if the breach goes well, we'll finally get a look at this world beyond these frozen mountains and those likely ruins in the distance"
Some of his countrymen…and fellow denizens of his home Earth thought that food was the most important matter right now. It was not, for they were secure enough now in those areas that had remained 'organised' during the Chaos. No, the most immediate danger was being unable to have anyway to maintain the dimensional trade needed to resolve the food situation, as well as the means to defend it. For right they could not risk even the most minimal of exposure, to even investigate other nearby earths on Francois's 'timeline' for knowledge or allies, for fear of alert the people eating cavemen with the rape camps. No, they needed to salvage these bizarre, almost ridiculous, war-machines and space vessels of this dimensions and find the ability to actually make them function. Otherwise it would be the Aztecs against the Conquistadors, except this time the Conquistadors would have battle tanks against their spears.
"A truth indeed. You do not believe we will find any other people here"
Francois shrugged "It would be ideal if we did not, I admit to such, but there is little sign so far…no signals in the air, and this world seems cold all year round. Not to mention the faint signs of radioactivity in the air. We shall see soon enough, and then to be able to decide upon which contingency to implement"
Then it was silence between them, even if the command centre with it's dozens of men and women remained a focused bastion of faint noise as the seconds ticked down. Beacons placed on this world were monitored, as were those on the earth on the other side of the Breach 'Gate' deep down in the bunker. Their only way home should anything happen to the ships waiting to enter this dimension. An earth that wasn't even his or the 'Fire Nation' man's beside him, or anyone's really as humanity didn't seem to be present on that world that lay on the 'trade route' of 'portals' between Francois's home and an Earth where the United States of America had never existed.
"Transition in progress…" the young Japanese soldier called out again as the screens flickered…
And then two ships were there…followed by a third a minute later "Transition complete. Admiral Hata reports all systems in the clear. Confirming beacons…..we have signal. Data packet received"
"Respond with agreed upon codes from all beacons. Confirm receipt and decode on all beacon receivers" he instructed watching the screen with the three starships, one of which was the warship that would guard operations here. Crewed mostly by men and women from his dimension but under the Japanese man from the 'future', much like the base here was under his control but there was a higher level of personnel from the Admiral's earth in several sections. Moments later the Imperial Japanese Naval Officer was on the screen, standing on the bridge of the LANV Thunderchild, followed moments later by that of the two captains of Outis Import-Export, the man himself and the woman Zatanna.
"Admiral we are receiving your signals strong and clear, along with both of you Captains. Are we ready to proceed with laying of satellites and planetary survey?"
The ships would finally allow them to expand from the still only half-cleared despite a year here, 'Castle Brian' and establish a proper security perimeter. As well as hopefully using the ships to clear the frozen over 'sally-ports' that would allow them to enter-exit the facility. Satellites and drones would be his eyes and ears in the event of outside trouble, and then they could hopefully do something more that lock the gates and hope the enemy went away, or simply retreat and block everything up if that failed. Considering the salvage of massive bipedal war-machines that lay within this tomb, as well as other material that would be needed to defend his home…that was unacceptable.
Admiral Hata nodded, hands behind his back and posture straight, almost as if was made of stone when the brief nod ended "Yes. We shall deploy and confirm secure link with your system General, and then we shall enter the space above and prepare for Captain Outis here to begin his journey and confirm that it is thirty-twenty-four in the local calendar. Operation Sparrow is now underway"
--
[06.01: Bargained well and done]
[Now we're a telecommunications company!]
--
[Trader's Journal: Day 1952]
[Current Dimension]
The Ruins of the Star League (Battletech). Current year 3024 by surviving SLDF systems.
[Current Location]
Over a formerly abandoned planet, now we're calling the world Cailleach, and the Castle Brian now our forward operating base Fort Yuki-Onna. What names this lot keep coming up with!
[Trading Report]
We're mercenaries now! Under contract, and a well paying one at that. Some stores of gold and silver to establish C-Bill accounts with the locals. Otherwise, the holds are full of tanks, apcs, soldiers, and various engineering equipment instead of other bulk goods. Both my Fortune's Chance and Zatanna over on the now operational Enchanting Zephyr.
[Diary Entry]
Well, here we are, Operation Sparrow is a go, and I am calling it Sparrow despite the French we have everything in French. Because it's French for fucking Sparrow, so it's Operation Sparrow. Sorry, just frustrated dealing with the more civilian side of the logistics back in Toulon. It's like everyone's trying to be their own little king of the logistical molehill despite the words 'Unlimited Access to Necessary Supplies' granted to little old me to make this operation work!
Long story made short, we are here, and the transition went off without too much trouble, beyond a much higher energy requirement than expected. We've spent the past day deploying satellites and various relays, along with mapping the planet and system, and I'm just waiting for Kara to finish up a spar with Barbara before heading to bed. Judging from the 'star maps' from various games books matched against what we've pulled from the SLDF computers below, or, well, our allies/employers pulled to be honest – we are in the Periphery. Middle of nowhere really, but also near Taurian and Fed Suns space, well away from the future Clan Invasion route in twenty odd years.
This system is, to Quinn's and Isabella's terminology – weird. There are energy distortions from the sun, and some space rocks. Dimensional stable, but high energy space clouds? I'm not sure, I think that's what the SLDF were studying here, as well as the fact the system is hard to deal with between that oddness and gravity wells in equally weird parts on the sensors. Dimensional bleed through maybe?
It was certainly enough for the poor bastards here to figure out how to create a dimensional breach to another planet and dimension before they all died. And I mean everyone died. This was clearly a black site planet, three small cities on it aside, as I'm fairly sure they only existed to service the secret underground fortress and even more secret labs within. Whatever the case;- everyone is now dead Dave, from the Castle Brain, to their Base Camp on empty Earth, all the way through to the three dead cities and shattered wrecks in orbit that were once ships. Quinn thinks two of them might be Caspar drones, but, again, they really went at each other – we'll try salvage something from them later in the Operation, upon our return.
Good news: - system is empty of any recent settlement or signs of exploration, or just general activity. Lots of wreckage, relatively speaking, natural sensor dampening, and somewhat of a natural transition point from a likely normally hard to Breach dimension.
Bad news: - moderately low magic plane apparently, and while Kara and others are still super tough, no flight for her. Megan is very grumpy about that too. What can I say? I can do fireballs at a stretch, but the higher-level stuff is not there either. That's how multi-dimensional travel is. Sometimes you get the harder reality settings.
Mimic Drive is still adjusting for local space-time and faster-than-light, bit more restrictive than the 'Mass Effect' and 'Star Wars' planes were, but, hey, we're back travelling again! It is good to be doing more than playing taxicab for the military, or dealing with all the paperwork and general business deals of getting our business to 'corporation level'. We've corporate offices and managers and all that jazz now – all so we can recruit and train people to go the travels with us. Trained crews are the biggest goddamn headache as people return to their normal lives, even if Azula is 'taking a holiday' to come here with us, with the waterbender wife she is co-wives with. Or to try get access to a Battlemech maybe, you never know with our ferocious 'zula!
Zee's handling the Enchanting Zephyr pretty well so far, even if the excitement is fading now she gets to deal with all the hassle of being a Kaptain so to speak. This is kind of 'dull' dimension for her after all, as well this mission not being her style – but it's utterly vital, and if she wants to build herself a spelljammer based around magic and learning in trade, then she needs to learn the boring stuff too. She hates the uniform as well, not that I'm fond of either, but I do accept the use for them as a secondary level of disguise. That and it adds a level of professionalism that's sort of useful to have in the current mission.
We are a Deep Periphery bunch of neo-barbarians, out to trade and such with our Inner Sphere betters.
Once we find some pirates and rob their jumpship that is. See, in other universes our big ass cargo ships require the whole illusions and dimensional space shrinking Tardis nonsense. Here, their really small versus what you'd expect a proper sized FTL vessel to be. So we're going to find one, and take it, even if it's an empty shell that doesn't work due to damage getting it. See we can easily illusion things to make it look normal. Anyway, part of the Operation is getting a dropship/warship/jumpship/any-kind-of-spaceship after all. So, first stop – somewhere near Tortuga I imagine!
Even the heroes on my team don't feel bad take stuff from pirates after all! It's doing a public service stealing their ill-gotten loot and making it our own. It's just another form of salvage and reclamation I say!
That's why we've got all these all these dudes with guns and tanks bunking down in the holds instead of actual cargo to trade. Also nukes, because fuck this places Ares conventions. We're leaving no evidence of our presence, and anyone who doesn't become a prisoner and sent back 'home' gets turned to ashes while the ground glows in the dark. That's why it'll be done out 'in the wild' where all the pirates and other scum lurk like nice big bundles of XP and loot!
It's the only other thing the Thunderchild has do beyond guard this system and generally be ready to head back to Earth in case of Kromagg attack/invasion.
Then once we've confirmed when we are, now that we know where we are, we'll head off in secret to Helm and begin deploying to find and then access the SLDF facility. BT computers are weirdly primitive, and also bizarrely advanced on said primitive systems – thankfully the Californian and Japanese electronics can crack codes faster than the local machines in the base we found. In a perfect universe we'll secret infiltrate, take the full copies of the Core, and then leave no one the wiser – then we can hit New Dallas and try and do the same there. That's the priority.
Secondly is to establish a presence in the dimension for later operations and trade - without giving away Cailleach's location or existence. We need access to Mechwarrior training, all the various educational systems, and all that jazz. Basically, playing up what we are pretending to be at a glance, and if anyone looks past that as a SLDF former world, or bunch of mercs or pirates that found an SLDF cache. Comstar and the Great Houses are a massive, massive, threat should they ever get dimension tech, let alone the nutjobs that call themselves the Clans. But that's for other times and other people to worry on.
Now my lovely and beaten up looking girlfriend has return, so time to comfort her after she got beaten up Barbara it looks like. Slan.
--
