Post by markymark261 on Mar 24, 2010 18:11:29 GMT -5
Titans Resistance
Issue #37: “Aliens and Alienation, Part Two”
Written by Jay McIntyre
Cover by Ryan Alcock
Edited by Mark Bowers
Issue #37: “Aliens and Alienation, Part Two”
Written by Jay McIntyre
Cover by Ryan Alcock
Edited by Mark Bowers
“The question to ask is whether the risk of traveling to space is worth the benefit. The answer is an unequivocal yes, but not only for the reasons that are usually touted by the space community: the need to explore, the scientific return, and the possibility of commercial profit. The most compelling reason, a very long-term one, is the necessity of using space to protect Earth and guarantee the survival of humanity.”
William E. Burrows, The Wall Street Journal, 2003
“There are so many benefits to be derived from space exploration and exploitation; why not take what seems to me the only chance of escaping what is otherwise the sure destruction of all that humanity has struggled to achieve for 50,000 years?”
Isaac Asimov, speech at Rutgers University
-1-
Supergirl moved to the fore. “I’m a Kryptonian,” she said. “What species are you?”
“Looks like a Tamaranean,” Green Lantern muttered.
“From the Ravolox system?” Supergirl frowned. “But they were overrun by-”
“The Gordanians,” Koriand’r cut in. “Yes. My people have lost many worlds to them, including Tamaran. They have repulsed four of our strongest colonies. We have sought allies,” and here she shot an angry emerald glare at Green Lantern, “including the Green Lantern corps--”
“You know our code,” Lantern responded, in what sounded to the others like a well-worn discussion. “We’re police, not an army. I was at Eden Prime and Illium. I saw what happened there. We saved as many as we could.”
Koriand’r nodded, but was clearly unsatisfied with that answer. “I was sent to seek allies for our cause. My craft was shot down over this world. Your world, Lantern? You look like a native, from what I’ve seen.”
Lantern nodded unhappily. “Earth has been locked in ongoing war for decades. As above, so below.”
She widened her eyes in astonishment. “Yet the Corps will not send their members to help you?”
“I am just as limited here as I am with your situation. I can act personally, but even there I am limited An older Human Lantern compensated by setting up a proxy organization to fight for him. But even that has had only moderate success.”
Then the Corps’ foolish regulations apply even to worlds their agents are from,” she marveled sadly. “How foolish.”
“Blame the Guardians. You know what they’re like. There have been Tamaranean Lanterns, or so I understand.”
“Not for many centuries. But their tales of the Guardians are well known. And their...lack of motivation.”
“Er,” Anarky coughed, “I hate to break this up, but....”
“Yes, you’re right,” Supergirl said.
“We came to get you out of here,” Terra said. “And if possible, to sabotage the Markovian rocket launch.”
“It would be nice to save my craft as well, but I fear they have already destroyed it. Free me from this power-dampening cage, and I shall gladly assist you in striking back against my captors!”
“We can probably get you off-planet in my ship,” Supergirl said, as she knelt before the cell’s computerized lock and examined it. “But if you truly seek allies, perhaps you could stay a short time and assist us with those that imprisoned you and threaten this world?”
“I need some measure of vengeance against them, that is certain,” Koriand’r said uncertainly. “How long I can stay on this world is another question. We shall see.”
Normally Robin or Anarky could have puzzled out the lock, or for that matter Lantern could have simply overwhelmed it with his ring, but Supergirl seemed personally determined to do this, and besides, Earth technology was relatively simple for her.
It took her three minutes to shut the power field down and let Koriand’r out. She stepped out with elegant-yet-feral grace, looking at them with her unfathomable green eyes. The other party members had often noticed or remarked on Supergirl’s alien nature; next to Koriand’r, Supegirl was from the planet next door. The sheer power and ferocity that emanated out of her affected them all.
But their attention was distracted; in the distance, a faint wailing was heard.
“They know we’ve set you loose,” Robin said.
Ravager cursed. “Every door in the building will be locked down.”
“So much for subtlety,” Lantern said, powering up until the entire room was bathed in emerald light.
“How’s your power?” Supergirl asked Koriand’r.
“Returning slowly. But I will not show weakness, I promise you that!” Koriand’r clenched her fist, and it glowed a brighter, more acidic green than Lantern’s ring.
“Starbolts,” Lantern nodded approvingly. “One of the ruling class, then.”
“That would be why she had the authority to seek allies,” Supergirl said.
“Yes. But enough talk! Surely they will come!” Koriand’r turned and dashed for the elevator, which not surprisingly had electronically locked and sealed behind them. Her power was currently weak, but none of them were surprised when she blew the doors off (though Terra, Robin and Anarky were all impressed; none of them had a chance to strike).
The elevator shaft was empty at their floor; the elevator itself above, probably with troops pouring in.
-2-
Brion wasn’t surprised at the alarm really. And he knew what the Empress would expect of him.
He pressed an intercom button. “Activate the power-dampening field.”
A golden field snapped into existence over the entire Space Research Center, launch site included. It was the same dampening field that had been applied to the prisoner’s cell; only applied to the entire area. The problem was the power drain; the field couldn’t be maintained forever. His own powers were also temporarily neutralized by it.
But none of that mattered; with the Titans helpless, the regular troops--armed with less-than-regular weapons--would be able to beat them easily. Some of the Titans would be killed, some would be taken alive. Their pet alien, Supergirl, would join their prisoner in future experiments; that was part of the plan.
-3-
What Brion failed to take into account was the unpowered physical skill of Robin, Anarky and Ravager; and none of the others were exactly weaklings. Deriven was perhaps the most unsettled; he lived and breathed magic, for him it was rather like losing an arm. But this only made him angry.
They all understood well enough what was happening, having just freed Koriand’r from a cell based on the same principle. She shrieked in rage and without discussion began to clamber into the empty elevator shaft and climb up it.
Robin and Anarky exchanged a glance; then shot their zip-lines up into the elevator shaft, where they embedded in the wall.
“We can’t take you all at once,” Robin said.
“I’ve got climbing spikes,” Ravager volunteered.
Koriand’r barely noticed; she was still climbing up the shaft with arboreal skill, still shrieking vitriol at her captors.
“Wow,” Lantern muttered.
Supergirl shook her head; this sudden lack of power was giving her a headache.
It was at that moment when the elevator, so far above, no doubt filled with troops, clattered into action and began to lower down the shaft.
Robin and Anarky zipped up to the other side of the elevator shaft, whilst Rose clambered up after Koriand’r, but at nowhere near her speed.
There was some concern that the elevator would come down and crush them. Anarky was considering hurling an explosive to open the bottom--and possibly killing some Markovian troops into the bargain--when Koriand’r rendered the point moot by grabbing onto the bottom of the elevator and tearing at it with her long fingernails, screaming in hate.
Even though she had no powers, she was still trained enough and agile enough to wreak havoc; even now she was tearing open the bottom of the elevator.
Anarky joined her there seconds later, Robin just behind. They took out cutting tools and worked at the bottom of the elevator as it descended. Between them and Koriandr’s clawlike fingernails, they ripped open the bottom in less than a minute.
Four Markovian soldiers fell screaming through the bottom. Two managed to hold on to the ragged edges, but a shrieking Koriand’r kicked one off. Robin groin-kicked the other, and down he went.
But inside the elevator was a robotic Rocket-Man; technology was not impaired by the dampening field. Rocket boosters firing, it hovered, blasting away at them with a plasma rifle. The Markovians had indeed been ready for them.
Koriand’r responded by leaping upwards with more of that feral grace, and grabbing the Rocket-Man by its booted feet. She continued screaming in her alien language, but, without his ring’s power, Lantern couldn’t translate what she was saying, and Supergirl’s knowledge of Tamaranean was spotty at best; but there was no mistaking the tone of voice.
Lantern was somewhat troubled, actually; technically, his ring was a high-powered piece of alien technology. Why was it affected, and the soldiers’ weapons and the Rocket-Man not? Perhaps because it was alien. But then, shouldn’t Koriandr’s innate strength and agility be affected too? He shook his head; no way to know unless he studied whatever was dampening the field, and he’d rather destroy it than study it. There were more pressing matters that demanded their attention.
But in any case, Koriand’r was clambering up the mechanized Rocket-Man with yet more of that arboreal skill; it couldn’t shoot a gun at her, and it couldn’t punch her either. By the time its AI had figured out to try to bear hug her, she had torn its head off.
As its systems failed, she began to plummet, and with the power-dampening field in place she could not fly......but Anarky and Robin grabbed her arms on the way down.
Without need for discussion, Ravager used her climbing spikes to clamber up into the elevator, and punched the top floor button. As the elevator lurched upwards and Koriand’r clambered into the elevator, Robin and Anarky fired their zip-lines down to the open elevator doorway so that the others could climb up. All of them save Deriven were relatively fit, and even he managed, grunting and sweating, more human than anyone had ever seen him.
Everyone understood that the vigilantes and the pirate queen would have to be the ones to deal with this, at least until the field generator was found. That was unsettling for all the de-powered Titans, but each to varying degrees realized that if Koriand’r could make do without her powers, then so could they.
-4-
There was another small group of soldiers on the first floor of the Space Exploration Center. Koriand’r screamed and lunged at them, ignoring their laser blasts; Ravager was right behind, clearly enjoying the alien’s feisty spirit, while she spun her own deadly blades.
Robin and Anarky were only a little bit behind, attacking with their staff weapons. By the time Lantern had climbed up the shaft via their zip-lines, the soldiers were already down.
But there was no cause for celebration; even though they had defeated all visible soldiers, there was still much more to be done.
“There should be more waiting for us,” Robin said. “I don’t like it.”
“We must find the power dampener,” Terra said. Someone is waiting for us there; more troops perhaps. Possibly even Brion.”
“All well and good,” Anarky put in, “but I still want to sabotage that rocket.”
“Good idea,” Robin said, surprising his sometime rival. “Take one of the others with you; the rest of us will find and destroy the power dampener.”
“Then my starbolts shall be restored,” Koriand’r said, “and I shall have my revenge!”
Terra looked worriedly at their newfound ally. The thought occured to her that, if Geo-Force was there, Koriand’r might find it justifiable to kill him, and, if she tried to stop her, Koriand’r might find that justifiable grounds to kill her. And then the others would....
She shook her head and sighed. One thing at a time. She’d made her choice what seemed a lifetime ago now, when she’d left the castle and became an exile.
-5-
Geo-Force was, in fact, within the dampening field, by the controls. But he was far from stupid, and had made preparations.
A similar energy projection covered his body as a form of defense, and he had a plasma bolt cannon, a more powerful cousin to the weapons the AI-controlled Rocket-Men used.
He had not forgotten that Terra--Tara--had spared his life in Rome. But he doubted that her squad mates would feel the same. Especially if they had liberated the alien.
He sighed and squared his shoulders. He had considered hiding in the shadows and waiting, but such was not really his nature. He was not foolish enough to consider such tactics ‘dishonorable,’ but nevertheless they were not for him.
All he could do was wait. He’d have thought his training as a bureaucrat would have prepared him for such; perhaps not surprisingly, he was wrong.
-6-
Given the choice, Anarky would have normally taken Ravager with him, and not just because they were lovers. Her skill with the blade was a perfect counterpart to his sabotage skills, something he rarely got to use on the team.
But with the power-dampening field in effect, he knew she was needed on the frontline. His next choice would probably have been Supergirl, whose technical knowledge was, by her very nature, superior. But she was personally motivated to help Koriand’r.
He had then considered Lantern; but that one’s skills were in willpower, not technology. Deriven was discounted for similar reasons. He finally settled on Argent; she was quiet and, having suffered what she had before gaining her powers, had at least some knowledge of subterfuge and resisting pain, should they meet any opposition.
It had begun to rain softly as the two of them scuttled from shadow to shadow towards the rocket. There were a few troops here, but only a few; Anarky guessed most of them were with the power-dampening generator. It was therefore possible to take these few guards down, one by one, quietly. Stealth was not Anarky’s first inclination, but surprise attacks were. It was something he was at least capable of.
So they slipped from shadow to shadow, building to building, getting ever closer to the rocket platform. Twice Anarky broke guards’ necks; once Argent smashed a man’s face into a wall before he could cry out.
But now came the hard part, getting across the vast empty (and now slightly muddy) ground to the rocket without drawing any attention.
They hoped the others reached the field generator soon.
-7-
Four more mechanized Rocket-Men led a squad of over twenty soldiers against the rest of the Titans as they headed towards the main offices of the Space Research Center down shiny, slippery metallic corridors. Even without their powers, Terra was tempted to think that they were getting off easy.....until it turned out that two of the soldiers, and one of the Rocket-Men, had grenade launchers.
Rocket-Men--at least the human Rocket-Men they had faced before--were equipped with all kinds of weapons, missiles mostly. But the team were surprised that they would use grenade launchers, especially in such an enclosed space. Perhaps they were willing to risk their infrastructure if it meant the depowered Titans were taken out.
Koriand’r didn’t wonder about it. She just threw herself at them. More than once, Terra and Robin wondered if she would survive long enough to finish this. But her agility and luck held, and she was a fine replacement for Anarky on the battlefield. The Tamaranean took point, Robin close behind, as they battled the soldiers and Rocket-Men.
The various depowered Titans were holding up relatively well, considering. Deriven was a little itchy in the fingers, and wished he had time to scrounge up some spell components; even without his innate spellcraft, his years of experience would enable him to put enough things together found lying around--even in such a technocrat base as this--to cause some sort of chemical reaction. But he had no time. If he’d gone with Anarky, perhaps then.
As it was, though, he could wield his staff with some skill. He was not physically helpless, and combat had been part of his training. The main problem, for him and the others, was to avoid getting hit. They had relied on magic, or power rings, or physical invulnerability, to protect them. Now they had to duck, and dive, and dodge, to avoid getting shot, or stabbed.
Most of all, they had to rely on Robin, Ravager, and Koriand’r.
So, counting their blessings, they hung back and helped out where they could.
The real problem was the grenade launchers, and the collateral damage they could cause, possibly to the point of bringing the ceiling down on top of them all. If Terra had her powers, that would be no problem....but of course, if she had her powers, they wouldn’t need to do it this way to begin with.
Ravager took down the human grenade launcher; Robin took down the Rocket-Man who wielded that weapon. Koriand’r tore through the three remaining Rocket-Men with ease.
Twice bullets bounced off Ravager’s armor, and Robin’s cape absorbed a bullet. Bullets ricocheted around dangerously; Deriven was grazed twice, and Terra had one that scored across the top of her uniform jacket and it would have at least grazed her had it not been there. Finally, Lantern took one in the knee and went down. He was in pain, but not that bad; he was just trying to stay out of the way of any more bullets. Once his powers were restored, he could remove the bullet and provide at least some healing.
If, that was, they survived.
The others did not stop to check on him, other than a cursory glance to make sure he was alive. Without their powers, there was nothing they could do for him.
Ravager whirled and leaped, and the last Markovian soldier went down, beheaded.
-8-
Anarky and Argent raced across the plain towards the rocket.
Twice, Anarky almost sprained an ankle in the slowly-saturating plain; after that, he paid attention to the quick-yet-mincing steps that Argent was doing, and emulated them.
They were not challenged further. While Argent sadly confirmed that her powers had not yet returned, it was a safe bet that the others were on the attack by now, and that all the remaining guards had been called away to deal with them.
So Anarky and Argent were able to reach the rocket unchallenged. The thrusters were cold; they were, Anarky estimated, weeks away from launch.
Anarky always carried a number of small C-4 explosives with him. C-4 was stable; it only blew up when you told it to. Especially important for someone who spent a lot of time in combat.
He took four of the small packs, gave two to Argent. “One on each thruster nozzle,” he told her. “Then we’ll run fast, before I detonate them by remote.”
“Is it enough to knock the rocket over?” Argent asked frowning, even as they began to move away.
“No, but it is enough to ignite the fuel inside.”
Argent stared. “You.....you don’t know what kind of fuel is inside.”
She couldn’t see Anarky’s smile behind his mask, but she could hear it in his voice. “I know it’s flammable. RUN!”
They ran.
Anarky waited as long as he dared, then pressed the remote control.
It was not as massive an explosion as he had hoped (or Argent feared); the bottom quarter of the rocket vanished in a golden flash that knocked them both flat as waves of heat (but thankfully no flame) washed over them.
The top three quarters lifted into the air by about three hundred feet, as well as moving perhaps twenty feet west...then fell back down on its side with a dull crump that shook the lands.
They got up, badly shaken but otherwise unhurt, and began stumbling back towards the Space Research Center.
Argent had a few choice words for him as they went.
-9-
Geo-Force heard it too. He winced.
He reached for the phone by his side, but it was already ringing.
“Yes, I heard,” the Empress said without preamble. “I assume they split their team?”
“The anarchist and the silver-skinned girl are missing,” Geo-Force said, watching the live security camera footage as he had done all along. “The Anarchist was a logical choice for a sabotage run. The others are here, and the alien is with them.”
“Without their powers? How many of them have fallen? Tell me at least one has been slain?!”
“The ring-wielder has fallen, but I judge the wound to be survivable. Unless they fail to undo the dampening shield, of course. None of the others have suffered debilitating injuries, yet.”
There was a pause. “And I assume that you only have a small force with you?”
“Four of the new Rocket-Men prototypes, and I myself am armed with the other energy shield we have devised, and a plasma bolt launcher.”
“It will not be enough.”
“Probably not,” he agreed.
“And the alien will likely take your life, even if the traitor would spare you again. Not to mention the others of the team. And the rocket is lost.”
“Yes,” he admitted.
Another long pause; Geo-Force started to hear the sounds of battle down the hall.
Finally, she let fly a hissing sigh. “Leave the Rocket-Men in defense of the field generator, but you personally retreat. Do not argue. From this point on, all other projects are on hold until we have invaded America and conquered it. You will report to the armed forces and, once you get there, follow my instructions exactly. Now go.”
Geo-Force did not argue; not simply to save his own life but for a number of other reasons, not least of which was that he was glad not to fight his sister again. Dropping the plasma cannon as it would only slow him down, he fled. The Titans were still some two to three minutes away from the room.
He continued outside, running without pause, until he was free of the dampening field’s range; then he launched himself upon an arc of plasma, away towards the main concentration of their invasion force’s rallying area, as mother had instructed him.
He had the sinking feeling he had only bought himself some time.
-10-
The Titans and Koriand’r reached the room shortly after Geo-Force was able to use his powers to flee. The battle with the mechanized Rocket-Men was rough and dangerous; Robin was knocked off his feet, though his body armor held; and Ravager had one of her prize blades broken; but in the end it was done.
There was nothing so simple and obvious as an “off” button on the power-dampening machine. It was large and square and dark, and had all sorts of tubes and wires plugged into it in strange places. The whole thing gave off an unpleasant yellow glow. Ravager hefted her remaining sword, considering running it through the machine and possibly losing that blade as well. Koriand’r had finally faltered in her bloodlust, partially because there were no enemies left to fight, and partially because she was confused by this machine. “I don’t recognize the technology,” she said finally. “I could just destroy it but-”
“Let me,” Supergirl said. Quickly she unplugged three tubes, and pressed two buttons. The machine flared brighter for a moment, then there was a nasty spark, and it shut down.
Their powers began to return, slowly but surely. Almost immediately, Koriand’r began floating into the air and shouting for joy.
Lantern and Supergirl looked at each other,
“Perhaps we should go?” Lantern suggested.
Anarky and Argent arrived at that moment. Argent had felt her powers return, of course; but they weren’t up to full strength yet, so she’d been unable to give herself a ride, much less Anarky. Not that she was in the mood to, after all that.
-11-
Later, on the Sweet Lilli.
“I forgot to say, good work on the rocket,” Robin said to Anarky.
Anarky snorted amusement behind his mask. “Argent doesn’t think so, but thanks.”
“So will you stay with us?” Terra asked Koriand’r.
“For now,” the Tameranean agreed. “But I want your help in turn.”
“You’ll have it,” Lantern promised. “Mine at least.”
“And mine,” Supergirl added.
“What should we call you?” Robin wondered.
“Is my name not enough?” Koriand’r frowned.
“What does your name mean?” Supergirl put in, before things got awkward.
“It means ‘the fire of the stars’,” Koriand’r translated.
“Then we shall call you Starfire,” Terra said.
Starfire nodded and floated upwards, hands glowing with power. “For victory!”
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