This World is Ours.

[raptorman]

[We are waiting on Terethin and Veros. Please either indicate your continued interest or disinterest. Thank you]

[raptorman]

*Scout Ship*

The Inquisitor was not amused. He had been given overall command of the scout force and things were not going so well. His second in command had been killed in las vegas along with one of the heavier bases on the planet. Quickly he counted the remaining bases that showed up on the screen. There were still 20 of the 50 landing sites remaining. The situation was still viable. It simply required better management. He had not been given command for nothing. He was by far the most skilled of the inquisitors who had been sent on this particular mission and if he had to hunt these planet bound down himself to kill them so be it. At least the girl was gone.

"Prime the City destroyers. At the moment the next base ceases to communicate, fire directly at it. That should take out whatever is causing the issues." The Inquisitor looked down at the planet below him. He was going to enjoy it when aloraster consumed all life on the world. It was a world he was rapidly coming to hate. "Also prepare the shock troops. We are hitting them with a bit of their own medicine." He only had to hold on for another 2 days and even if he were to fail he would still have developed the planet bounds positions.

"Inquisitor" another one of the data officers also spoke up. "Sensors are again detecting energy traces of the girl, but incredibly faint. What are your orders?"

The Captain laughed loudly when he heard what the data officer said, and then regretted it as his already swollen face stretched. "I told you do not underestimate. I directly fought her, you should have listened. Now we have to take more efforts to destroy this one planet bound." He regretted it more moments later when a grip stronger than steel suddenly closed around his throat.

"You know Captain, if you had half a brain you would realize that you were a fool, but since we have so few men for the moment we are making changes. You will lead the shock troopers. Kill the girl and bring back her head, and kill any who are with her as well."

The captain sighed and then snapped off a salute that looked pained before walking towards the launch bay. He was joined by several founders wearing something that none of the humans or otherwise would have seen on them before. These founders wore thick seeming red body armor that covered them head to toe including the eyes, which were covered by black visors. The founder shock troops also seemed to be equipped with far more formidable shields and weapons than the normal founders.

There were two groups of the shock troopers. The first along with the captain would be sent to deal with the girl who had resurfaced against all odds, and the second would be sent to deal with the attacker who had destroyed the las vegas encampment.

*Las Vegas*

Rebecca halted in her tirade after hearing Master Zero's response. She seemed a little taken aback and a bit flustered as she realized that there had been a sensible plan going on with Master Zero's actions. "Oh" a simple one word exclamation. "I stand corrected, but you still should exercise some restraint. One mistake is all it takes to be defeated."

Simon added in his own two cents. "You might want to since you are capable of communicating with all the involved parties so well, tell them all to gather at Salt Lake City. We must discuss the battle plan. Unlike my wife I actually possess strategic thinking." Rebecca glared at him for a moment as he said that.

[Ninmast]

*Las Vegas*

"I can't contact all of them," Master Zero corrected. "I just contacted Eden."

[raptorman]

*Star's location*

The captains shuttle launched from the scout ship and honed in on the signal from star's powers. It was traveling rapidly towards her location. The shuttle smashed into the ground near the place where Star, Raiden, and Damien were located. 10 of the Shocktroopers emerged from the landing craft. These founders were larger than the ones seen before and their armor looked far heavier. They also seemed to be wielding more powerful weapons than those before them. The Captain stepped out behind them and his face completely red and swollen from his wounds twinged in pain.

*Las Vegas*
The other shuttle angled down towards las vegas and would arrive just as master zero had finished speaking. 5 red heavily armored and armed founders emerged from the lander. Several of them pulled out guns that looked rather powerful even by Master Zero's standards, and the others pulled out blades made of some sort of plasma. They advanced on master zero in formation.

[Ninmast]

*Star*

Star set up quickly as the craft smashed down, and the twins turned to face these newcomers. The soldiers filed out and the pink-haired girl recognized the Captain behind them. She could feel his low energy and could see the pain he was in and she frowned sympathetically.

Both the brothers glanced to her. Both of them scowled. "Go," Darien told her. "We'll take care of these weaklings."

Star nodded and promptly vanished as the Brooks Brothers placed themselves in the way of the shock troopers, their opposite hands glowing in prepared energy. Darien's glowed white below his stoic expression, while black energy accompanied his brother's Cheshire grin.

Behind the troopers, Star appeared next to the Captain in silence. She set a hand on his shoulder and the two of them vanished again, reappearing among the trees further out where the soldiers wouldn't see them.

Once they had reappeared, Star came around in front of him and held up her finger for him to be silent. "[What are you doing here?]" she asked scoldingly in a whisper as she switched back to his language. "[You aren't in any shape to be taking a part in any sort of combat! Look at you! It's a miracle with your energy levels as low as they are that you're even out of bed!]"

*Las Vegas*

Master Zero simply smirked as he drew his saber once more, stepping forward to put the Lord and Lady safely behind him. "So you boys thought you'd step it up, did you?" he asked cockily. "Too bad shiny new toys doesn't equate to better brains, huh? Then you might actually stand half a chance against me. I'll give you the same offer I gave the group I just massacred. Get back in your ship and leave and I won't kill you all."

Off away from the others, crystal blue eyes watched the scenario play out from an unseen vantage point and a pair of luscious lips curled up into a smirk. "Some things never change, do they, Zee?" the figure spoke to herself as if the man below could hear her.

[raptorman]

*Star*

The Shock Troopers began to advance slowly upon the twins. And the first rank pulled out the same plasmoid blades that had been pulled on Master Zero. Their movements clearly showed a large degree of mastery with their weapons and it seemed that from behind the thick armor the founders were smiling at the two planet bound who attempted to impede their progress. The others pulled heavy weapons from their backs and proceeded to fire at the two planetbound. As they fired the other five founders with the blades charged as well.

The captain looked at the girl, ["I am here because I was ordered to be here, and I offer my surrender."] A flick of his wrists and the blades he had used before were in his hands and he extended them out in a gesture of yielding. ["I can see the signs. Aloraster will fail here, there are so many with power even he may be unable to prevail, and given the fact that my own comrades seem eager to sacrifice me there is no reason to fight for them."] He paused for a second. ["though given the fact that we have already tried to kill each other somehow I doubt surrender will be accepted]"


*Las Vegas*

The Shock troopers laughed at Master Zero's statements and they simply drew their blades and charged. Despite the armor they moved quickly and they showed skill in how they moved with their blades. They aimed to surround Master Zero and wear away at his ability to fight.

[Ninmast]

*Twins*

Raiden's grin only widened and even Darien allowed himself one. Suddenly, all motion in the clearing stopped. All movement froze. And even electronics ceased the movement of electricity along their circuits, frozen in the precise location they were in. Outgoing communication also ceased as a result and the ship would suddenly receive another notice, but were they to fire the lasers, they would crash against an invisible force long before they reached, where level at the very molecular level was halted, unable to move, unable to respond.

It was not a barrier that the lasers crashed against without effect, but simple air held still.

And in the complete stillness, the Brooks Brothers took their time walking forward, no sound moving through the still air as they came up beside the soldiers with the large guns who were just pulling the triggers. Each moved their hands against the barrels, then nodded to each other.

As they released their hold on the molecular structure of the environment, they pushed the barrels to adjust their aim while the soldiers were still thinking they were firing at where the twins had been, and instead shot their own allies in the back.

*Star*

Star stared at him for a moment. "[You haven't fought many good guys, have you?]" she asked. "[The whole reason I brought you over here was because I didn't want you getting hurt further. Like I said, you're in no shape for this. Just stay put and when those soldiers are all gone, we'll blow up the dropship. Mr. Loudmouth will think you were killed, too."

*Las Vegas*

Master Zero's grin plainly portrayed his thoughts. Battle! Glorious battle, meaning of life! The shock troopers may have been quick for their armor, but as a Purifier, Master Zero was designed with his armor in mind. Theirs impeded them little, but his impeded him not at all. He charged in, swinging his sword up to parry one as he jumped up and kicked another in the chest.

One thought he had an open shot from behind and brought his sword up to strike at the Edenite, but suddenly froze in the motion. He swayed for a moment, then crashed down to the side, a small selection of plasma kunai jutting out of the back and side of his neck.

This caused a brief pause in the battle as they all looked to see the source, and for a moment, if they had been briefed on the pink-haired menace the first group was hunting, they might momentarily register her, but then the figure stepped out of the shadow and it was plainly not her. The gratuitously full-figured woman was blonde with blue eyes and was barely clad in white armor. Like the Edenite they were fighting, she also gave off no energy.

She shook her finger scoldingly at them as she slowly walked forward on her stilettoed greaves. "Now, now ... Zee's certainly tough enough to handle all you rowdy boys," she lectured them coolly, "but it's just plain rude to make a girl sit on the sidelines when there's fun to be had."

[raptorman]

*Twins*

The shock troopers were surprised when they shot at each other, though it was fortunate that the front rank of soldiers' shields were strong enough to stop them from injuring each other. Though they were thrown forward by the impact. They stood up from where they had been knocked sprawling on the ground and whirled to face the twins. The soldiers with the guns put them away and pulled out their plasma swords themselves. Then they advanced all in a group to prevent what had happened from happening again.

*Star*

"[Well then I am in your debt planet bound]" He inclined his head ""

*Las Vegas*

The Founder who fell from the blades in the back of his head did not get up. It was clear that one was never going to get back up. The Shocktrooper who had been kicked withstood the hit and was sent flying back into a rock, before staggering back up to his feet. He and the other three Shocktroopers stopped as well and looked at the girl who had spoken. "[Another girl, another planetbound how many stupid planetbound females do we have to deal with?"] One of them asked the others.

The Four of them formed a wedge and attempted presented the heaviest part of their armor to their foe as they moved forward in an ordered attack.

Simon and Rebecca were admittedly surprised at all the things occurring. They looked at each other for a moment and then moved back a few steps away from the conflict. They communicated mentally between each other.
"We should help them."
"We can't. It will give us away to aloraster if we kill his men. We have to remain hidden until he arrives"
"True, but it isn't right to let the others risk getting injured because of our needs in fighting."
"We have to do what we have to do."
"Alright, but if it gets out of hand we have to help"

[Ninmast]

*Twins*

"They think they've got it all figured out, Darien," Raiden observed as the twins allowed the troopers to surround them.

"That's because they're fools, Ray," his brother explained.

When the troops were close enough, the twins both fell into a crouch as they slammed their hands against the ground.

The force of the blow caused a shockwave of kinetic energy and an earthquake of jutting stone to explode out from around them, which would connect with all of the troopers at once and send them all flying.

But before they could fly very far, their motion again froze, and the twins walked about behind each of them, charging their energy into orbs that would explode on impact and placing them in the path of the free-flying soldiers. Each orb was significantly more powerful than the blasts from the cannons. With each of them administered, the twins returned to the middle as if they had never removed, covered their ears to protect them from the noise of the resulting explosions and released their hold.

*Star*

"[Eh, in case you hadn't guessed, we're used to that around here,]" Star assured him as she waved the worry off. "[We get unbelievably powerful antagonists on this planet with an actually rather disturbing frequency. Let's go see how the battle's going.]"

She moved to step back toward the clearing, but even though they'd only been talking for a moment or two, the soldiers were already coming down on the orbs and the resulting blast, even at their distance, caused her to have to plant her feet to keep from getting thrown as her hair billowed behind her and she covered her face to protect it from the wind and light.

*Las Vegas*

Both Edenites chuckled at the comment, but it was the young woman who voiced their thoughts. "Oh, honey," she addressed him as if he had just made a sad mistake that required coddling, "I'm no planetbound, and you'll find me far more woman than any Carbon."

As the soldiers rushed them, Master Zero reared back and lanced his blade forward, plasma surging into the blade and causing it to shoot out in an armor-piercing lance.

At the same time, the young woman, moving so fast she seemed to vanish from sight, dashed about behind them and reappeared with a disrupting cry of, "CIRCLE KICK!" as she jumped up and brought her foot around at the back of their ranks and sent all that speed into the force of a kick across their numbers.

[raptorman]

*Las Vegas*

The Shock troopers were caught off guard by the storm of attacks and while they were able to counter Master Zero's attacks, Quicksilver's attack from behind knocked them off balance one of them succeeded in bringing his sword down into his own leg and severing it. A loud scream came from the dying founder and the other three attempted to whirl and strike at Quicksilver. They were beginning to lose their edge as they were being killed without what seemed to be an overlarge amount of difficulty.

*Twins*

The other shock troopers were surprised as they were sent flying into the air. They had taken damage which was anticipated. What they hadn't expected was to land on the energy bombs that possessed enough power to shatter their shields and armor into several pieces. The founder soldiers were all killed by the strike. The Inquisitors plans were failing, despite their apparent brilliance.

The Captain followed star back towards the scene of what had been a very one-sided battle.

[Ninmast]

*Las Vegas*

And as they turned to see Quicksilver blowing a raspberry at them, they left themselves wide open to Master Zero's Zeta Saber, which sliced all the way along their defenseless backsides like a hot knife through butter.

*Twins*

Star was still squinting against the light that still dotted her vision in the wake of the attack as she stepped out. "So I guess all those lessons about overkill were just words?"

Darien's expression was stone once more, completely unemotional, and his answer was deadpan. "That wasn't overkill."

"Yeah," Raiden agreed. "Overkill would've been an Omega Lancer while spinning. It also would've just been showing off."

[raptorman]

*Las Vegas*

Master Zero's sword successfully cut through all but one of the shock troopers. The last of them somehow reacted with more speed than should have been possible by any means. That soldiers plasma sword came up to block Master Zero's strike and then continued onward sending Master Zero's sword back towards his own body. The Shock troopers eyes and features could not be seen through the armor but it was likely pretty clear what was happening. The blow threw Master Zero off ballance long enough for another of the impossibly quick strikes to begin.

But as quickly as the attack started and the sword flicked out, it suddenly halted. The Founder began to scream, in pain and rage. There was a sense of something gathering beyond the founder standing there, something ancient, powerful, and something that now could see the interference of things it thought long dead.

Then the Founder turned the sword upon itself and thrust it up into it's own chest. The plasma swords flared the and the body was incinerated.

The Lord and Lady lowered the hands they had raised in a channeling aid for their strike. They spoke in unison as they often did when using their powers "You two are most impressive, but overconfident. A single mistake could have crippled one of you and nearly did. Aloraster now knows we still exist, which is less than ideal, but on the positive of that we can now act to draw all the others to our location."

*Twins/Star*

The Captain looked at the carnage as well, it was rather impressive. "That was a rather impressive display all the same, though I am not sure as to what my status here is now, I have surrendered but what that means here I do not know."

As the captain was speaking a faint voice managed to whisper into Star's mind, it had managed to bypass the psionic jammer through some form or another of subtlety. It was a voice completely different from the sort of feeling that Aloraster's voice brought. A feeling of warmth "If you desire to be able to put an end to Aloraster come to Las Vegas"

[Ninmast]

*Las Vegas*

Perhaps it had been the intention of the figure, but Master Zero was no amateur sworsman, and the position of the swing, at the very end, lent him the most leverage. Planting both hands on the hilt of the Zeta Saber countered the sudden surprise increase in force, and while he had the shock trooper thusly occupied, Quicksilver was rearing back to finish him when the Lord and Lady intervened.

After the actions, Master Zero met their lecture with another scowl. "It is little wonder you fools lost before. You have no self-control, no foresight, no concept of events outside your own limitations and you make the deadly mistake of jumping to conclusions. Eden cares nothing for your fate, and it is your own foolishness that leads to it if it is to happen."

*Twins/Star*

"So long as you stay out of trouble," Star answered the captain, "it means whatever you want. I know a reality manipulator that can fix it so you can appear human and blend in here and start a new life if that's what you want, or you can be teleported to wherever in the galaxy you'd like. Either way you want it once this little conflict is over."

It is fortunate that Darien had turned the device off when he retrieved Star, as it would have blocked all telepathic communications, hateful or benign, and the comment would have never gotten through no matter how subtle. She tilted her head to the side as she heard it. "Huh ... seems somebody thinks to put together a party for Aloraster."

"You go," Darien ordered her. "We'll finish cleaning up this continent."

[raptorman]

[feel free to have star show up in Vegas at any time]

*Las Vegas*

The Lord and Lady fell silent for a moment as if considering what Master Zero had said. "No we do know what we are talking about. When you face him face to face you will know. But that is of no matter. We have contacted Star and several others."

As the lady spoke the last part of that Simon looked at her. "You sent a message to him too? Why did you send a message to that one? He is weak and his presence won't do much more than incite violence between allies."

"I sent him a message because if there is one thing he can do it is act all powerful, and put on a show, besides everyone who can help is useful, even a clueless sealed off relic."

"True, though I still say it was a mistake, not that there is any changing it now."

They finished their little exchange. It would seem such things were common between the too of them, little arguments. "That is beside the point though, we have sent summons to several individuals who we hope to gather to confront aloraster. We will be such a tempting target he can't resist coming after us himself.

[Ninmast]

*Las Vegas*

Master Zero cupped his hand against his forehead for a moment before shouting, "Will you two shut up?"

Quicksilver glanced back as a new arrival came onto the scene. Her full lips turned into a smirk. "Well, if it isn't my inadequate Carbon counterpart."

"Quicksilver," Star greeted with equal venom. "Last time I saw you, you were in ..." She made an extended pause as if she was thinking. "How many pieces?"