Arrival Arrival
The Northern Paladin
Aboard the Phoenix...
"Sir, we are within range of our destination system.."
NP: "Take us out of warp and engage cloak. What are our sensors telling us?"
crew: "There only seems to be one concentration of lifeforms on that planet, sir...right here" pointing to the location.
NP: "Ok, we'll beam our troops down here, here, and here....sound red alert."
NP: "Helm, take us in..."
Helm: "Entering geosynchronous orbit now...."
NP: "Power up the resonance generator and sonic disruptor. And arm quantum torpedoes."
"Weapons armed and ready, sir!"
NP: "Drop cloak, and fire torpedoes!"
The Phoenix ripples into existence, as 2 blue-white bolts tear out of her torpedo tubes towards the forces arrayed against them on the planet. As they impact the planet, the enemy forces scatter away from the blast...
NP: 'That should cause some confusion.....energize transporters and activate the resonance generator! And someone scan for those Materia!"
Sciences: "I have them sir..feeding co-ordinates into the disruptor now..."
NP: 'Fire at will..."
Meanwhile, on the planet....
Troop 1: "Look at 'em!"
Troop 2: "I'd rather not, thank you...I just wanna kill 'em!"
Troop 1: "No! Their magic isn't working! That new thingy must work!"
Troop 2: "Boss'll be happy to hear that!"
Troop 1: "Yeah...too bad he fired us from R&D...just 'cuz we forgot to do that translator thingy, too...."
Troop 2: "Mabye, but this is more fun! We get to kill things!"
Suddenly, a moogle bites him in the ankle...
Troop 2 "Ow! You little putz!"
He beats him in the head with the stock of his phaser rifle. The moogle then proceeds to try to cast a spell....and when he fails, Troop 2 grins and fries him...
Troop 1: "Just like shooting fish in a barrel!"
Troop 2: "Yeah!"
Meanwhile, back aboard the Phoenix..
Comms: "Sir! Our forces report their magic appears to be neutralized in that area!"
NP: "YES! Have they reached the materia location yet?"
Comms: "One second, sir.....sir, it appears that they set up a dummy trace!"
NP: "WHAT?!? Damn....filter it out and give me the next largest concentration..."
Science: "I have it sir...it appears to be in motion...heading straight up!"
NP: "Helm! Move to intercept!"
Helm: "Aye, sir!"
Jerad: "We can't allow them to get away! If they reach Crystal Peak on Earth, they could drain the Materia from there!"
NP: "I'm not planning on letting them get that far!"
Science: "I have three contacts...moving fast! Small...look like light fighters. They've got some kind of sensor scrambler..I can't determine which one is carrying the orbs...."
NP: "Move to block them...are they in any kind of escort formation?"
Helm: "No, sir....the orbs could be on any one of the ships...."
NP: "Tactical! Stop them as best you can..."
Tac: "Yes sir! Firing..."
Phaser beams lance out and strike 2 of the ships, disabling them...but the third loops around and strikes at Phoenixes aft section..
NP: "Damage report!"
Comms: "Minor damage to shields...aft sensors appear to have been overloaded...recalibrating sensors in other quadrants to compensate..."
NP: "Make it quick....scan those other two ships..."
Science: "No materia traces, sir..."
NP: "Damn! They must have been-"
Suddenly, Phoenix shakes as if struck with a hammer! Smoke starts billowing from a blown aft console...
NP: "What was THAT!?!"
Tac: "It came from aft, sir...sensors are still fuzzy in that area...but it looks HUGE!"
NP: "Come about, 180 mark 11! Get me a visual! And get every sensor we can on it!"
Comms: "Damage reports coming in sir....Thrusters offline.....minor damage to EPS conduits in Delta section...aft torpedo tube Bravo damaged....hull integrity down 15%....aft shields down 90%...warp core is off-line."
NP: "Lock on to them and fi-"
Suddenly, the monster of a ship vanishes in a flash of light...
NP: "Damn! Get me a heading! Engineering! I need an estimate on the warp core!"
Engineering: : "2 hours..minimum sir!"
NP: "Stand down from red alert....helm, get us back into orbit. All non-essential personnel report for damage control. Priority to warp core and shields...."
Jerad: "They'll head for the peak....with a 2 hour head start. Can we catch them?"
NP: "It depends on what her maximum speed is...my guess is yes...but it'll be close. A ship that size couldn't exceed warp 6 without being 90% engine..."
Jerad: "Every second counts...."
NP: "I know....Well, as long as were just orbiting, I'm gonna go down and have a look at that base...we might find something that'll help us. Care to join me?"
Jerad: "No, I think I'd better rest...conserve my strength for when we get to the peak."
NP: "Smart man.."When", not "If". Keep thinking that way!"
Jerad: "I try to..."
NP: "XO, you have the conn...."
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On the planet.........
NP: 'Well, we really did a number down here.....what's this?
He kneels and digs a glowing white orb from the ground...
NP: "This is an Ultimate White Materia...? But that ship carried 5....."
Crew: "Sir?"
NP: 'Just thinking.....wait a sec...Tojo once mentioned that there were mirror versions of the Ultimate materia...called them Underground Materia, I think.....but he said they'd all been destroyed. Hmmmm.....well, maybe he was wrong."
Activates communicator: "Phoenix, one to transport."
==========================================
Science: "Confirmed sir...if it's not an Ultimate White Materia, then I'm a Moogle...."
NP: "I'll take your word for that...;)"
Science: "I've been checking our records...apparently, all of these Underground Materia were destroyed in the 3 rd Mage War...except for this one. According to legend, it was cast out into a magical portal...and had never been seen again."
NP: "Well, it's been seen now.....don't tell anyone about this...gimee."
NP takes the sphere and heads for the turbolift.
NP: "Holodeck 2."
The door slides shut as repairs continue......
Chaos28
Jerad walks around his quarters, his feet clunking on the metal floor, when a voice rings inside of his head.
"It's almost time." it Says.
"Ku-Sam?" Jerad says, in mid-air.
"Jerad! How nice to have found you!"
An apparition of Ku-Sam appears before Jerad.
"Ku-Sam!" Yells Jerad, running up to him. "What has been happening?"
"Well," starts Ku-Sam, "the Dark Lord is dead. We gave lost one of the great warriors, but Azala has taken his place."
"Excellent." Replied Jerad. "I hope Azala stays. He's probably the Lizard Man in the legend. Of the others?"
"Well, Lady Paladin and Bacca have fallen in love. They must be the lovers in the legend, as Jaana and Sephiroth are about to be split up. Bacca and Jaana may not last long in this, if the prophecy is right there. It would be a shame if that happened. They are made for each other. And Lorinan has shown his abilities will be a great asset.
"Spacecat has also begun his vital part of the journey, and has met with the Mystics from what I've heard. But the best part? Another of the Materia Warriors is still alive. I don't know who. Maybe even two of the original nine. But one is on Earth, looking for us."
"Yes." replied Jerad. "One is near me too. Any idea who it could by? Possibly Stryker?"
"No. It's not Stryker, although I miss him. I have a feeling Kaitlin is one too. The ninth that we never did find. But I haven't fortified that suspicion yet. I hope so, we need as many as we can to battle the Dark Moogle."
"So how many do we have alive?" asked Jerad.
"Well, 5, possibly 6. From what I can tell. You, me, Dark Moogle, the other near you, the one near me, and possibly Kaitlin. I hope so."
"Me too."
Suddenly the phoenix shook madly, and Ku-Sam disappeared, gasping.
"Red Alert!" the first mate yelled. "We're being invaded!"
Jerad stepped into the hallway, to see three crew members fly back into the wall near him, their bones breaking. 10 heavily armored troops, donning full space gear, clanked down the hall, standing 7 feet tall, leaving a path of utter destruction. They stopped, looking at Jerad.
"You'll have to come with us." the biggest one said, looking slightly different than the others.
"You! You're.... you're..."
"That's right," the evil troop answered.
"I won't let you take the Materia!"
He pulled out the Yellow Materia, and attempted to erupt a strong beam of light. The light hit the main invader, barely scratching him as he laughed.
"Pathetic," said the leader, his voice coded. He pulled out the Red Materia and the Green Materia. "Did you think you could stop me?" He swung his giant mechanical hand, knocking Jerad out. "No, let's go." Blasting a whole in the wall, and putting a mystic bubble around Jerad's head, the 10 troops flew out into space, disappearing in a flash of light.
....
The scene was grim...
NP: "Damage report..."
Security officer: "Decks 9, 10, and 11 have been completely wiped out, with decks 9 and 11 having big gaping holes into space. 23 officers dead, 4 missing. One is Jerad."
NP: "Damn... we lost him."
"Maybe not!" yelled another officer running up to him. "A shuttle pod coming from one of the nearby planets said they saw 10 heavenly armored men put a body into a ditch!"
NP: "Let's go!"
Later...
"Jerad!" yelled NP running up to the ditch where Jerad's beaten body lay.
"Un..." Jerad moaned. "The... materia..."
"What about it?!? Don't say..."
"They got it. They got the Materia. We have to go to Crystal Peak. Soon. Or it will all be over."
NP: "Officer! How are the repairs on the ship?"
Officer: "According to the laser survey, about an hour ago, repairs were almost complete. We have Warp 8.7 capability. And the rest can be done while in Warp if need be."
NP: "Good. We're leaving. Now."