Chapter Five

We had arrived at an asteroid occupied complex originally founded by the Authorian Empire known more commonly as Venue. A place that had once been home to a resistance of sorts against the Thorans that did not shall we say far that well in the war against them. It was of course rebuild years later by the Authorian’s who for the most part run it as a place of harbor for rebels against the shall we say Isolationist Republic.

Moving on once on Venue we were informed we had priority status and our own private landing bay as well as an appointed Authorian concierge. It proved to be relatively simple to drop off the Omni Circuit Judge and his entire family as well as acquire Omni Protection and freelance retainer with Omni at the same time. We were then left with deciding our next course of action which bloomed into a slightly more complex endeavor than I would have originally thought.

Now the arrival on Venue I shall say was indeed quite smooth and as young children aboard Moya the name of Purple Puma’s space vessel I had dressed in my khakis. Now while I normally like to go barefoot in that outfit I had chose a pair of moccasins to complete the ensemble. We were met by our Authorian concierge who was named Colonel Parstard wore bore a large red splotch upon his head. He would prove to be most convenient and helpful. It seemed that the There corporation was fronting the bill for previous work performed by the group known as Star Phoenix and I figured might as well take advantage of it.

Dropping off the Judge and his family at the Omni Corporate offices was taken care of fairly easily. We met a new Authorian contact who had informed us that our kind of help could prove useful to other missing Judge’s in their employ. I of course offered the groups aid in assisting them with their situation if they would extend us Omni Protection on a freelance basis. Not really what one might think since from our Authorian contact they had Judges in danger on nearly every world where that they had Judges presiding over courts. I and Purple Puma left trackers for them so we could keep in contact with them. So in other words it pays to have insurance or in our case to not have to pay for it.

I should note that the presence of the Authorian had the Judges family on edge and I did my best to assure them that they were in safe hands. I also took the liberty of giving the Judge one of my modified tracking beacons. I informed him while we had found him I would be keeping an eye on him and to inform his wife so that she might rest easier. Honestly I had not sensed them to be in any danger but one rarely knew what the future held as it was often fluid as I could attest. I am also pretty sure George found a way to slip them twenty gold or four thousand and four hundred credits at some point since I had overheard him talking with the Colonel about conversion rates.

The others had wanted to meet another Authorian with whom they had met on a ship leaving Darkness who I did not really trust. The issues before us which Purple Puma seemed to be working on acquiring the particulars from Nialla had to do with which of the two missions before us held the most value. The Authorian had a deed from his fiancé which he was willing to hand over to Star Phoenix if we cleared the place of the infestation that had claimed the lives of all that had stepped foot on the land. The second dealt with a mine and some mysterious creature that was preying on any living creature that ventured near the mine.

Purple Puma upon hearing that lives were even at that very moment people were dying on a planet called Verges or option became clear. Purple Puma although felt that since we were on Venue and so was the Authorian they wished to meet so a lunchtime meeting was scheduled. As it had been morning when we arrived we still had plenty of time to discuss the world situation with our concierge or Colonel as well as visit our benefactors at the There corporation. Of course as we had also been leased an entire building of suites and were going to have lunch there was no way I was going to miss out on all of the culinary delights that Venue had to offer. Suffice to say for our lunch and meeting which I really could care less about I ordered everything and when I say everything I mean everything imported, exported it mattered not if it was on the planet and it was edible I wanted it there and to spare no expense not that we were paying anyway.

Our arrival via our private shuttle which to be honest I had hardly even noticed let us off at the offices of the There corporation. Now for the record I of course notice just about everything but just because I do that in no way means that it really matters to me. I mean sure I am intensely logical by nature but really unless I derive some kind of pleasure from something I tend to just let my mind record the information it receives for later review unless it is dangerous of course and then it’s a whole different matter entirely. Now I had of course had a private mind to mind conversation with our Colonel and found out that he was aware of a person on the asteroid who might very well know something about the operations of the Red Menace.

So I had actually been using my heightened awareness when it was safe to do so to search for this woman who the Colonel believed resided underground. Of course once inside the offices of There we were met my nobodies who knew nothing useful who informed us that was how the corporation wanted it until they had something of value to share with us. It made sense to me for I knew the story. I mean really everyone who had worked for the company that Nialla had met who was anybody was dead now. Sure they had recovered their expensive spaceship but I am also sure the valued their lives a little bit more actually quite smart of them if someone were to ask me. Honestly I was not even offended I mean after all they were showing their consideration by fronting our entire bill on Venue. That of course reminded me that Nialla and I had to do a little shopping.

It seemed that George must have not been the only one shopping for Nialla it seemed had an apartment of sorts on Venue which she wanted Milton to clear out. George it seemed had been ordering magical energy storing devices. I on the other hand had felt the need to order some supplies for Moya so that while we were on the ship we would be able to relax with a little more shall we say comfort. For like anyone who really knows me will tell you Starchilde loves to get her party on. Alright so I needed a few Responsive Beds (a bed that can go from soft to hard on command you got to love it), a cute little Auto-Kitchen and Foodfac (take any biological substance and turn it into vitamin and nutrient enriched gourmet food or alcohol nuff said right) a combination I had been looking over, and last but not least of course plenty of cloths of every size and description. Seriously I had even considered picking up a Super Holoprojector but I felt that might be pushing it perhaps next time.

Nialla still in her enhanced form had even been discussing with Purple Puma the nature of certain poisons which Maiyar had claimed to require. Perhaps I should more rightly refer to it in it’s now named Gandian form Jeepers Creepers who possessed some fascination Peepers. So perhaps I was reaching with the Creepers and the Peepers but honestly Purple Puma thought we should call him Meepers to go with the whole M in name theme. For what it was worth I had actually had a talk with Jeepers and not about the use of poison but that I knew would also be a conversation we would need to have sooner or later. We actually instead discussed the nature of its current named forms that being the male Morgan who he called an Elf and merchant, Maiyar who it seemed was passing as a female humanoid Collubian and assassin, and finally now Jeepers Meepers Creepers with the cute peepers the Gandian bodyguard of Nialla.

Basically it seemed that Jeepers was trying to relay to me that in each form he was portraying a role which in one way as a little disconcerting and another perhaps slightly profound. For looking back I realized that if each form was an act then the real being inside the one who had appeared grey and sexless a truly sad state I must say was perhaps of a different mindset that had so far been revealed to us. I would like to hope it was the real soul of Jeeper’s that had been inclined to help the family of the Judge when in truth all that Maiyar had been speaking of were blood and death. I was an interesting turn of events that gave me an insight into the inner workings of a fellow shape-shifter and allowed me to see how Nialla could have fallen in love with it.

On our way back to our leased what could only be called estate I finally located the female who looked similar to what I realized was an Elf in the region known as the Under in the company of a few Gandians. I made the others aware of the situation as we arrived at our banquet. Star Phoenix’s guest Yuma the Authorian arrived with his fiancé and they were accompanied by her female attendant and it seemed like two Gandian bodyguards. Nialla and Purple Puma took Yuma aside and began to discuss their concerns about the estate and the deed on the planetoid called Stormhaven. Meanwhile George, the ladies, bodyguards and I with the ladies as my guide began to sample the culinary fare of Venue which stretched the length of an entire arena floor and I was in paradise. Suffice to say it was time to be getting my feast on and I loved every single morsel and drink that I sensed was safe of course.

Between a little bout of unexpected almost drunkenness I also paid attention to the situation on Stormhaven. Basically it was a planet that had been scouted by the Authorian’s and recently settled. Oddly there was a dangerous native population that had slain everyone who had landed on the planet including a number of Authorian’s. They had set up some kind of protective barrier a mile around the estate but in had in the end not held. It had also been mentioned that they were shadowy creatures who had been spotted and Purple Puma in an odd choice of words had briefly discussed destroying the entire planetoid. I made me realize that perhaps he had some issues with the Shadows a group of aliens I had heard of who on a number of worlds had portrayed themselves as divine like figures. Now here is the point worth noting I only know of the Shadows and not much about any of their enemies as I often related due to my former obsession with Darkness and Shadow. The Shadows kind of remind me of Destiny and I would not be surprised if I were to find out they operated in the same circles. So yeah Shadow was a part of me but I was in no way on good terms with the race known as the Shadows or the entity known as Destiny. Now sadly the Destiny part might one day be a problem but I would face that difficult obstacle when and if the time came.

I could of course been entirely wrong actually and even thought Purple Puma had seemed to be on good terms with Destiny and was even waiting for information from him I was left for few logical reasons behind his actions. I had decided let it go for the time for I was not one to judge and I did not choose to believe that Purple Puma someone who I so far seen exemplify the morals of a good becoming capable of genocide on a global scale simply from a few words. Instead we let rest of the day pass in enjoyable feasting, music and dancing. Well at least I was dancing as the banquet we were served was wonderful and I also knew what we had left over would eventually end up be flushed down to the Under of Venue which is where we intended to party that very night to locate a certain enemy of the Red Menace.

Sure Nialla and I had wanted to throw an even bigger party down below as it were but Purple Puma talked us out of it saying it was perhaps better to go undercover and therefore not risk blowing the cover of the person who we sought. I realize I can let myself get a little carried away but the truth is I rarely get the time to often enjoy myself. Also I felt my companions were all just a little uptight well with the exception of Nialla and could use a full blown party to loosen them up a little. I mean really just the day before they had all been potentially in a battle with meta-powered opponents who had altered time itself. Granted it had all worked out to an extent but Nialla was now a know magical or cosmic presence take your pick and times like the ones I was trying to get my companions to share might come few and far in-between.

For instance poor Jeepers had been delegated to lowly guard duty mind you having the honor of guarding someone as beautiful as Nialla was I am sure not a bore. He did not even get to enjoy the feast I had ordered until after the others had left and the party was over. On a side note I did not try the little puppy like creatures that were eaten by bashing them in the head chopping it off and then eating them raw which I was told was a Gandian delicacy. The fact that Jeepers did not partake in them either put him another step in my book. I would have made a pets of a few of them but George checked for me and found they were of less intellect then most fish on Earth so I had let it go. I had been looking for a few pets for Moya to keep her company when we were not on board but alas I would have to wait for another port.

Back at the dive we had found ourselves and all in disguise I might add the Colonel had escorted us down to a lift where we could descend and told us he would be awaiting our signal. It would not talk long for our food to arrive from above which was my signal to reveal our Priestess of the Moon to Nialla. The frantic activity of bodies reaching for food the quality of which they rarely ever saw was a wonder to behold. Nialla made her telepathic move and I am sure a little mind rape as well and soon revealed to us that she was from Hyperboria and had been on Venue for over a year. This of course meant that the Red Menace were ahead of schedule as Hyperboria a world believed to be populated of a similar genetic makeup as Nialla and Jeepers was the final planet being sought but the unwitting minions of Cthulhu in its plan to bring chaos and destruction.

It seemed that she had had quite a journey form Hyperboria via jump ships used as cargo ships thru the blink matter shroud luckily surrounded Hyperboria. I say lucky for without the shroud of blink matter the harvesting of Hyperboria would have no doubt begun in earnest instead of the haphazard fashion that was not required. She had it seemed banded with the Gandians who were in her company and it also seemed married one of them. Purple Puma had made it clear we would need her to come with us to aid her world or we would need to make a copy of her mind. He had looked to me figuring I would do it and I doubt the concern that I felt did not cross my face in that moment. I was for a moment reminded of the actions of Mind Scream and I had to remind myself that in desperate times sometimes desperate measures are required. The act of duplicating a mind was not itself an evil act unless the actions preceding it were deemed so. Therefore I could live with that and it seemed that Purple Puma did no really need my aid after all.

The point had been made moot for the time being for the Priestess who I shall call Nara chose to leave her new family behind to help us save her world. I told her to meet me in the facilities and I would aid her in her escape. Purple Puma had for a moment asked Jeepers to aid her in leaving her friends but I had stepped in for I had the ability to leave with her without anyone being the wiser. I used my heightened senses to discern if we were in any danger before I performed my cloaking maneuver and I found that we were both safe. Inside the privacy of the facilities I let her know that I would surround her body with my own and we would leave together and she will have seemed to have just vanished. I was a maneuver that I knew was currently beyond Jeepers and one I would have preferred to not have done but as I have already said desperate times and all that. We were met by the Colonel who only asked if we were successful as we had seemed to return empty handed and after giving me a knowing looked asked if we were ready to leave.

We were indeed ready and with only a slight amount of cargo that had been acquired from Nialla’s place and the magic storing batteries or boxes as Nialla likes to call them and since my new acquisitions had already been loaded we were ready to board and lift off. The Colonel waved us off and I left a tracker with him and wished him well. He had been quite helpful and keeping an eye on him I felt could prove handy in the future. Purple Puma and George set us on course for Hyperboria and we realized that it was by conventional methods a two day flight and that was if Purple Puma pushed the engines beyond what most of the sentient beings in this area of space had ever seen.

Once clear of Venue as we were still plotting or course Nialla spoke to Moya and let her know that she was going to need to create a temporal cocoon in order attempt to gain insight into our situation. Of course Nialla knew that if there is one thing I cannot pass up and that is the chance to spend a little extra time with someone I love. To be honest I was still getting used to the new body but in reality while I loved my personal form who was I once again to judge someone on alternate forms plus she looked awesome even if just a tad bit dark and seductive. Meanwhile I noticed that Jeepers had become Morgan and was taking time to try and comfort or new passenger who I could tell was still trying to come to terms with her decision.

Nialla had open the cocoon and once inside she had began her commune with what I had first thought was the continuum but I was to see once I looked myself that where she looked was a place far more deceptive with an agenda of its own. I heard her taking about trying to shield the planet or helping a resistance but what I sought was something more pure. I sought a simple question for the powers that I knew judged me. Was I in the right place, were we on the right path was there any insight we needed to aid us?

What I found was that we were indeed in the right place and we were also the chosen champions of the light. I also learned our greatest enemies rest on the planet Emerald but that before we attempted to breach its defenses we needed to unlock more pieces of the puzzle. In addition I learned that a major piece lay on Hyperboria and that the blink matter which by all rights should have dissipated when the planet arrived in our space yet remained and protected it. My lasting impression was that reconnaissance was needed and we needed to gather more information about our enemies that stretched from the mortal to the immortal. We were the tip of the sword and if the plans of Cthulhu were to be stopped it would be up to us.
Granted the time would come for Nialla and I to rejoin our companions and while three days would have passed for us only a second will have passed for them we will have to bring them up to speed fast and prepare ourselves to face what I now can no longer say might have been a delusion of Nialla’s. Perhaps that was why I was thankful for two day to digest the information on my own with someone I loved before I had to return to the harsh reality and responsibilities I would have to face. I have always lived for the thrills and the excitement that my abilities have granted me. It took me a long time to learn about responsibility and to actually learn to live among the people I have sworn to protect. There is darkness within me as I believe there is with all beings but believed I found how to use that darkness and bring it into the light. I now know the truth I have been faced with the fact that fact I have a responsibility to those around me be they weaker or even currently stronger than I. I looked into the eye of continuum and I have found my truth and my responsibility for while there may be no real Gods only beings with great power then there also must be beings with great power who stand and protect those who would be abused by said Gods.

Chapter Four

Our latest mission had taken us to the planet known as the Utika Protectorate had originally been to find a mission Judge who had been employed by Omni. Along the way we managed to run into a contracted high powered team of paranormals intent on capturing Nialla. Now sadly what had brought about this situation had eventually become clear the problem was one that was not likely to dissipate anytime in the near future. In the end I was able to negotiate a cease of hostilities and even with the aid of the new investigation team known as Star Phoenix locate the Judge. In the end not bad for a day that had started then restarted becoming more hectic and perilous all the while. We even threw in the Judge’s wife and children for good measure as they were all being hunted by the local Red Menace and were preparing to drop them off on a new planet where they could make a fresh start. Now was it really just that simple well almost but I will add a few details to paint a more clear picture.

I had last left off with my new companions of Star Phoenix and together we had been engaged in a bit of shall we call a violent conflict of interest over something valuable. The conflict was that they had wanted to kidnap Nialla and had been forced to rethink their options. So obviously I was interested in making sure they did not try what they had attempted to do again so I was of course interested.

Suffice to say Nialla had been robbed of her power cosmic or magic as some prefer to call it and the figure whose name still is up for grabs who wore an impressive had who I shall call for now Topper had been just ripped from her body by yours truly. Now robbed is actually the best word for Nialla had been for a moment controlled and forced to expel all of her magic into a nearby tower which had exploded. Topper had proceeded to merge his form with Nialla as once she was controlled an aura of allure had erupted from her causing him to act so possessively of her as to merge with her.

Just a quick word on Nialla who at the time resembled what might be called a Succubus and whose physical and inherent abilities had most in awe and love or perhaps for some lust was indeed a sight to behold. I knew that even though she looked different she was still underneath her new form she was still a woman who I loved. I also knew that she had used the power cosmic to change herself into this new form and that if I drew the attention of Cosmic Entities whose names I shall not mention then with the power she was displaying she was opening herself and by default the rest of us to eventual cosmic dangers.

So I had held back and watched as my allies battled the remaining conscious members of Topper’s team who I knew were being controlled. Then the moment I had been anticipating arrived and Topper tried to gain control of me the way he had Nialla figuring I would be an easy target. Nothing could be further from the truth for I had heightened my senses to a level where any dangers around me became apparent moments before they occurred. I had simply by the power of thought not been where Topper expected me to be or anywhere in his range. No of course there was a little more to it than that as I had divided my consciousness into three identical forms so I had an additional advantage I could exploit.

It was with that in mind that I had used my connection to all forms of energy as I had departed to the nearby white star and communicated via the very light that shown in the area I had departed. I know I have not spoken about my abilities much and in the past I have been called an elemental force by the unenlightened. Perhaps from a certain point of view that might be true but I am also so much more than that so much so it perhaps defies description suffice to say I realized the consequences of my actions and leave it at that. In other words I tried to be careful with the actions I took as you never know who may be watching a lesson I realized I should have talked to Nialla about. It was via my communication thru energy therefore that I connected back to Topper and gave him a chance to save face and withdraw.

Purple Puma had created communicators for all of us which I took as they had for the moment not posed any danger to me or the others. I had not yet picked mine up so I had communicated to the Purple Puma Ship to relay my communications to my companions. They of course wanted Topper to surrender and I was able to convince them not with emotion or charm but cold logic that they were only an obstacle sent by another and we had actually came to the planet with a entirely separate cause in mind. Star Phoenix and Topper therefore agreed and Topper asked for two seconds and he would depart with his entire team and agree to leave this planet to us.

Of course we also learned that he had been hired and was not willing to be paid off as the others had wanted me to ask. Seriously back in my past I would have taken the same approach which is I am sure why I suggested it to begin with. Topper had claimed to now know who was controlling his companions but he also stated that he had been hired to give them extra firepower. He had then proceeded to see to and calm his companions and within the agreed upon two seconds departed using an Apokoliptian Boom Tube vanish from the planet.

With that dealt with Purple Puma summoned the Puma Mobile and we boarded while the mobile activated its cloaking device which rendered us invisible and we were off the Tower. The same Tower that had exploded after receiving all of Nialla’s magical energy while storing it for the use of the Red Menace. Meanwhile Purple Puma, Maiyar and Spectraman and his twin moved by various methods of stealth into the Tower. I had resumed my solitary form and enhanced all of my other physical senses of sight, sound, hearing and smell so that I could keep up with them and keep a watchful eye for anything that might appear dangerous before it became so.

I know I have said it before but alas I can never say it enough what a rush it was to enhance my physical senses. I could literally see everything within seventy miles of me in every direction at once. Now it might have been perhaps better if I had not been sitting in a car with Nialla while she was still physically jacked up as it were. I was have such difficulty that I had to change cloths and I stripped in the car out of my black skin tight battle suit and changed into my khaki attire. To be honest it did not really help and so I tried eating something from my meal pack which had the ability to taste like anything one desired. Looking back I really need to stock up on something a little stronger than water for the future but I will leave that story for another time.

Inside the tower Purple Puma had found one dead Gandian at the controls of the magical energy storing device. There were six others inside the facility and each one of them I suddenly realized upon seeing them that they each were moments away from doing something that could be cataclysmic. In other words they were all scared and any of them at any moment could have tried to activate the energy in their defense or offense and instead possibly blow up the entire city. I of course shared that information and Spectraman and his twin acted by jointly teleporting all of the personnel away from the building into a nearby holding facility. I of course was busy studying the technology that looked part Apokoliptian and part something else which I could not determine from so far away.

As if reading my mind Spectraman had returned to the Puma Mobile and transformed back into George before cloaking before my eyes and telling me he was going to investigate the magical holding facility and to keep an eye on him. I had of course told him of course and good luck. Now that might have been a much smoother transition if before making the request which had started with Spectraman who had called me Nova. Something that since we were now all using the Pumacators as I had resumed a physical form was overheard by the Purple Puma. I will admit while I had believed George to be the very same George and Spectraman I had know in my recent past on Earth if I had any remaining doubt then it was in that moment erased forever.

So I watched as I alerted the others that the authorities and relief services were arriving that it was a good time to depart. Purple Puma faded and instead moved to the new target that Nialla had previously identified which just so happened to be the Mayor of the City. I had mentioned it because I could see him and he looked worried. Sadly he had reason to be for even while Nialla had said she wanted to as Purple Puma had said mind rape him she was cut short as Purple Puma had arrived and proceeded to slash the Mayor literally in half before he could even say a word. Perhaps it was the custom slightly Apokoliptian magic box that he wore at his side that prompted the attack and for what it was worth the Mayor was obviously immortal for otherwise he would have been most assuredly dead.

So while the Purple Puma mobile activated a healing ray upon the Mayor Maiyar had waited behind in order to be seen by the arrived authorities before vanishing to rejoin us within the Purple Puma mobile. I had of course offered to share my meal with both Nialla and Maiyar but they both had politely declined. I guess I eat when I am nervous which of course something I enjoy and Spectraman’s idle comment had me on edge. Then there was of course Nialla asking if I cared for any milk with my meal which was as we were alone in the mobile with the exception of Maiyar was an offer that I could not refuse but that is moment best left in private for now.

George had been for some time been interfacing with the containment facility and from the look on his face I knew he was enjoying himself and I hoped also gaining valuable information at the same time. Nialla had proceeded to of course mind rape the Mayor which was something that still bothered me but I was able to console myself by reminding myself that the Red Menace of which now was apparent were truly involved had destroyed her entire world and were even still milking the descendents in their never ending lust for power. The fact that they were the pawns of even more powerful entity known as Cthulhu as not lost on me either.

I had informed the others that the authorities were also connected to the Red Menace and were analyzing the area and while we had no yet been detected staying around was a sure way to change that fact. You just have to love when logic wins over desire not that I was one to talk but the idea was still a sound one. I had of course mentioned that while we still had the matter of the missing Judge to look into and I informed them I would look into the Red Menace situation in more detail. Looking back at it I should not have been really surprised by what I found and it truth I was not.

It would turn out while George and Purple Puma made their way to the home of the Judge and met his lovely clueless wife and children I found the reason behind the hiring of an outside contractor by the Red Menace. Believe it or not they had their own way of tuning into the universe. I had the ability but it was not one I paid much attention to for while I love knowing if I or my allies face any danger I really don’t like looking into the cosmos for answers. Sometimes sadly I have to admit it’s unavoidable and what I saw confirmed what Nialla had found from the Mayor’s mind during his rape. The Red Menace had been tipped off by their psychics that a mother lode of magic to great to pass up was arriving on the planet and they had taken the actions they felt necessary to acquire it.

I can’t say I had not been warned I had even warned the others when we had approached the planet. Looking back it might have been interesting to find out what the Red Menace would have done if Nialla had been an even bigger blip on the psionic magic seeking radar. I informed Nialla of my findings while Purple Puma and George prepared to track down the Judge. Maiyar was upset that the wife of the Judge had been left knowing nothing of her husband’s whereabouts and was literally at a loss of what she would do. Which prompted Maiyar in a surprisingly and unexpected act of if misplaced generosity. For he had left near her hand by teleporting out of the mobile and dropping two hundred gold on a table near her hand. She had quickly picked it up placed it in her purse and went to go clean up. Thankfully George was there to shall we say clean up the money from her purse and left behind a few credits. George like I had realized that the gold would be a sure way to track back to us if anyone were to try.

Purple Puma and George had located the Judges last known location a nearby train station and between George’s computer skills and Purple Puma’s super enhanced senses they tracked him exactly where he had departed from. So everyone rejoined us aboard the Puma Mobile and we were off. We had considered the ship but I reminded everyone one that we had never officially been seen leaving the ship and perhaps the mobile would be a better idea. It did not help that I could sense danger to us mounting as the local authorities continued their search for us.

Meanwhile I had been keeping an eye on the Mayor who had been left behind and recovered by emergency services. The surgeons were of course surprised that the Mayor was even still alive much less breathing and talking. Sadly I had to inform the other of what was happening so that Nialla could alter a few of his recollections of the events that had landed him in the cities medical facilities. It was a hard choice but the Red Menace had already proven they were evil and malicious and therefore I was able to accept what had to be done. So even before the Plexis Rangers who were being called in for back up support could arrive we were arriving in a new city. Granted after breaking the sound barrier in the Puma Mobile might have alerted someone eventually I had planned to have our situation resolved before they had the chance to further narrow their search.

With the new data at hand and being in the right city it was easy with my senses enhanced sense to find the Judge. Once I had I even chose to alter my form into a modified quantum scope in order for Nialla to perceive what I had seen and to as you might have already guessed perform her mind rape. Now when I say altered I mean just that for while I have the ability to alter my physical form into almost anything I wish I actually happen to love my own form and I had learned long ago that one’s sense of self was essential to maintaining one’s sanity. I had asked the other to look away and of course the only one who would not was Maiyar and so Nialla was able to make the mental contact she needed and I resumed my natural form. For the record I will tell you I had become the most attractive quantum scope you could imagine.

The rest was clean up for while the Judge had fallen in with armed rebels since he had felt that he was a wanted man and he had been right. Nialla had already found out from the mind of the Mayor that he was already on his list and if the Mayor’s people had him then his days would have indeed been numbered. I of course suggested that we take the Judge and his family with us away from this world where he was outnumbered and outgunned. In the end it would be our duty to report back to Omni that they need not pay twenty five thousand credits in insurance to his widow as we had found him. Truly she was happier to see her husband alive and their family reunited and free of Utika. Regarding Omni we did not need or were we required to tell them where we found the Judge as one never knew if the Red Menace had already infiltrated Omni.

In the end there had been a few touch and go moments but the two hundred gold would soon be converted to credits and given as a gift to the Judge and his family. Nialla had magically erected shields to conceal her new form and cloak her magic. I knew it might be for naught as she had seemed to become addicted to the power cosmic and while that was an addition I had never shared I knew addiction when I saw it and it was written all over her amazing new body. George’s memories were returning and I would have to deal with that as I could not just ignore it if he brought it up. Purple Puma’s computer if it was anything like I expected it to be would be relaying similarities between Starchilde and Liquid Nova. For the most part I was safe in that regard for none of them had ever seen my true form which I now proudly sport as Starchilde. On the other hand my abilities and former classification as some kind of Elemental who was once part of a band of heroes known as the Wrecking Crew might give him a clue. Maiyar had show compassion and kindness for I believe the first time and I would have to see that she was rewarded in turn for even if she was a former killer she had proved she had a heart.

That of course left me to deal with my own issues of which I have many but for the moment the issues of my companions of Star Phoenix I would let come first for they all seemed with the exception of Purple Puma to have issues of their own. Purple Puma worried me and perhaps it had something to do with his ship for if I was right he too was more than met the eye and if he was not then he would actually be the only one among my new companions who was what he actually appeared to be. Logically it did not stand to reason but then again seeing how violently he reacted to even the alteration of someone’s scent it made one wonder what he was hiding. In truth it did not really matter to me who or what he was as I was no one to judge. For my part I was still on a path to redeem myself in the eyes of my Parents for the folly of my youth. Star Phoenix and I were headed to a large asteroid called Venue home of the Authorian’s and of course a new mission hopefully it would be less exciting than our trip to Utika I did not even get the chance to sample the local cuisine or any of the other pleasures of the planet.

Chapter Three Point Five

Some might wonder who the twentyish Caucasian knockout six foot tall blonde with long luxurious hair with dazzling blue eyes named Amanda Blair really was. What was known was that she started off as a notorious arms dealer with ties to the New York Mafia on Earth in the year 2001. What is known even fewer was that after two years she moved up from being a supplier of deadly arms to the highest bidder to becoming the notorious paranormal Assassin Mind Scream. If someone had secrets she would find it or you needed someone silenced she was the one to call it was believed she could be everywhere and nowhere at once. Sadly her alter ego was also that of Topanga Ojeda who had gotten in over her head, been emotionally beaten down by her perceived banishment and finally seduced by the power she could wield over others. This is her story as remembered by Topanga who had literally constructed not only a new body for Amanda but an entirely different physical mind as well as body.

So yeah my name’s like Amanda Blair and I am finer than any normal human alive and I was the all knowing and all seeing cold blooded Assassin Mind Scream. No what does that mean well let’s just say it this way I am sure you have heard of assassins before but the reality is that what is more ominous is when you haven’t. That’s because for all intents and purposes my assassinations were perfect. For you see the perfect assassination is one where only you and the target ever realize they were even the target of an assassination. In other words a perfect accident where a car mysteriously explodes or someone dies of an overdose I am sure you catch my drift. If not then you are just slow and forget you anyway who needs the likes of you.

No why Mind Scream because you see when I say only my victims often knew they were a target it was because in their final moments I recorded all of the thoughts not only in my mind but also a mind crystal. Actually a device of my own creation that allowed a perfect copy of a being to be stored forever a slave to my power. Now before that I took the pleasure in crushing their very minds with the power of my own. I used all the tricks in the book and I even invented a few on how best to bring out the perfect end to an otherwise lowly existence. The key although was to be smarter than those who might have tried to catch me which at the time as the majority of those who I encountered by comparison were intellectually retarded.

I grew fond of the using pawns or in other words mind controlled humans as tools in my games. My favorite was to control someone who I would set up as the lure and then convince the target that they had fallen in love with my pawn. Honestly it was an absolute scream I tell you to watch a target fall in love with my pawn and then promote that pawn to a Queen. Then use that Queen to utterly ruin and decimate their targets life and often more than not actually convince that that they had nothing else to live for. Do you get it yet that worthless fools would often become so miserable they would take their own lives. I literally used to blow my mind even before I screamed into their minds that their time had come and they suffering had finally come to an end.

So sure Topanga or as she likes to call herself these days like to sometimes claim that she only took the lives of sixty or so humans in her career. Sadly the young girl likes to use what I like to call direct math. Now the real tally is a bit more impressive if I do say so myself shall we say in total more like sixty five sentient humans that died by my direct actions and shall we say exactly another two hundred fifty two sentient humans who I like to say perished by their won stupidity. Yet at the times of their deaths they still heard the scream in their minds revealing to them what worthless fools they really were. I mean seriously I believed Darwin when he had talked about survival for the fittest. Trust me when I tell you those two hundred two humans will not be missed by anyone.

I of course spend the time building a vast array of mundane as well as paranormal shall we say liberated contacts worldwide and beyond. To be honest I did not want just a piece of the pie. I wanted the whole dammed thing and was it my fault if those with the balls to go after it that I hung around were often dubbed criminals or super-villains. I will say this much they knew how to party and show a girl a good time and all they asked in return was a little information or the occasional bothersome pawn take of the board. No problem right I mean seriously they were trying to hold us down when all we wanted was the respect we were properly owed.

Seriously who was anyone to tell me what to do and by the year 2003 I had build a vast reputation and I truly had begun to believe that nothing could stop me. Sure there were always associates of mine getting arrested for being stupid but was that my fault I was living the Darwin way baby screaming like mad and enjoying every minute of it. Then one day the party stopped and someone screamed into my mind. It was Topanga and while she was only sixteen at the time she had just graduated early from The Bronx High School of Science and was busy deciding which college to attend to acquire a few degrees.

She had been devoting herself to fitting in so much that she had almost entirely forgotten about me and what I was doing in her off time. Let’s just say she did not take it well, something about her Parents being ashamed of her and how could she had been directly responsible for so many deaths. She even went so far as to believe that she enjoyed taking the lives of sentient beings and using them as toys just a little too much. Come on really I thought at least I had not been a bad girl and started to act like Destiny for that guy was what I called extreme and I will admit I have always had a crush on him. What a rock of a being for not only was he capable of taking the form of energy known as the darkness to some but if you irritated him he just might steal you very body and your soul permanently.

Alright Topanga did not really go for that being only sixteen and all and hey he was just a little two up the food chain for me to start fooling around with. A could dream though and a woman could just scream in delight at being seduced mind, body and soul but such a being. It was perhaps thoughts like that and what she perceived as my pleasure in using humans as nothing more than pieces on the chessboard of life as I have said that caused her too literally write me out of her DNA. She would abandon all of my more sexy contacts only retaining those that could be approached by often neutral parties or an obscure name dropped in order to maintain her true identity. Hell she would even abandon all of old cool apartments around the globe on Earth and throughout the Galaxy.

In other words she tried to erase me and tried to play the role of a mundane human while she worked to subtly undue all of the what she called lives I had restored that still lived of course. Hell she even destroyed my Lab and swore and oath to her Parents that she would not alter her DNA in some mad experiment until she had the discipline to control the darkness within her. Like that was really possible for like Destiny who was the darkness we were also the darkness and so much more for I had only barely begun to explore my powers until she woke up damn her sometimes was all I could say. But I knew the truth she needed me and she could try and fool herself all she liked but while I might in one way be Amanda Blair I was also just another side of Topanga Ojeda.

Yes it is I Topanga now known among the stars as Starchilde and in my past I had done bad things on Earth I had tried to be better and become the Super-Hero known as Liquid Nova but I had only been fooling myself. I had not yet dealt with the darkness within me my power and wisdom had not grown sufficient to not repeat the mistakes of my past just in a different way. I had still not mastered my abilities to the level that I needed to finally see the lesson that my parents were supposed to teach me before my banishment to this time and dimension. I always knew the Earth of this continuum was not really my home and that I was as different from the normal human as perhaps on could be but I should have known better. So now while I have grown in power I have learned that Earth is for the time being forbidden to me.

It’s funny that while I was able to outsmart so many on Earth it was my own delusions of grandeur that proved my undoing. For there were those who watched over Earth who were aware of what I done and they no doubt felt that I had not yet paid my penance. It had hurt me a lot to find that out but I should have not been surprised. It was a cold and hard slap to the face and was it not for the stability I had gained over seven and a half years I know I would have snapped. As it had been I was mature enough to allow myself a brief breakdown to mourn those who lives I had taken as well as those I had lead astray. I had learned yet another lesson that I was the darkness but that what I had forgotten was that I was also the light I only had to look within myself to find it. For if the powers that be were warning me to stay away from Earth and it’s many problems I would take that to mean that there were greater issues to be dealt with from which I must not avoid but face head on. Thankfully I was not alone I had others with me and the Nialla and her Changeling had taught me that it’s alright to fracture your mind as long as you face the responsibilities of you actions head on without avoidance or deception.

Chapter Three

My past had finally caught up with me and perhaps it was only fitting that Morgan, Maiyar, Alexis and many more as I would learn the Changeling as his race of shape-changers was called on his former world of Hyboria would be with me when I realized it. I had not often gone into my past but the tail of his life reminded me of events that had occurred in my in real time only ten years ago. I realize I will need to tell that tale one of these days and perhaps sooner than later but suffice to say for now that the Changeling friend of Nialla and I had more in common that I had at first been willing to admit.

I had split my consciousness between two bodies and I had been give the realization that Nialla was going to go thru some kind of transformation after channeling a great deal of cosmic energy. I realize now that while I had channeled my energies in order to conceive an outcome that would allow Nialla to make the changes she felt necessary reality was altered. It would be the second time in seconds it would happen and it had happened so fast the first time that I had barely even acknowledged it.

So as we had emerged from the temporal cocoon and I had remerged with myself I was containing enough raw power to shatter a planet and I will admit I prayed to my Parents to guide me and let me know restraint from the recesses of my mind I could hear the screams of victims past. I pushed the screams to the back of my mind remembering they were but part of the price I continued to pay even to the current day. There were six who would stand before us and a few of them I recognized as Heroes of Earth. It didn’t matter for I knew they were being controlled and I had channeled more than enough power to humble them or even kill them if that had been my choice.

The others including Purple Puma, Miniature Puma, Spectraman Alpha, Spectraman Beta, our Changeling, and Nialla had sent attacks at our foes and even talked to one of them who had transformed back from a clay pot. Nialla had even as she would say cast a spell to hopefully release the Heroes from the hold of their Master. The spell and my comrade’s actions were minimally effective as I had expected and they still believed her to be some Nazi paranormal sympathizer. I did what I felt I needed to do, I moved on them all and struck them down actually have to strike one of them known as Hugo down twice. In the end two had escaped and as one had been teleported away during our brief engagement I knew we needed to pursue them.

Spectraman Alpha, Purple Puma and I were able to realize they had headed to the nearby city. The area was heavily shielded and while I knew the general area they had gone I could not pin it down. I was angry but I heeded Purple Puma call transport to the Puma Vessel along with our captives in order to finish what the controlled Heroes had started. I should have been easy for us a quick flight to a city tower where we were able by coordinating our efforts to track them down a tall building. Or I should say it should have been easy were in not for the mental assaults on us as we had travelled.

My hyper awareness had warned me that suddenly there was danger around Nialla and nothing I could do seemed to able to help her. I had desperately informed the others as I had fought myself to find an answer to the dilemma. Sadly I had been still extending my abilities in order to maintain my hyper awareness, the power necessary to ignite and power my twin cosmic energy rod and the skill to wield them like a swordsman of legend. Purple Puma took the matter out of my had by knocking Nialla unconscious it upset me but it had proved to be a simple solution to a complicated problem. Before I could even dwell on the situation I sensed that I was going to be the next to come under attack. So I transferred or instantly teleported to a lair I had prepared back on Earth.

I had appeared within an apartment that I had purchased under an assumed name in a skyscraper in Chicago, Illinois. I had the power to still perceive my companions and even speak to them in real time in the Puma Vessel even while on Earth another of my many gifts. The attack on me had failed but Nialla was still a danger to us and she like me was far too powerful to leave unattended. Perhaps some might have been mad if they had seen Nialla struck as she had been or even the second time as she had tried to rise but my convictions are more pure. Nialla like myself is immortal and I knew the attacks that were being used against her were far those which might have been designed to do her any real physical harm.

The Puma Vessel had meanwhile reached the rooftop of the building in the city on Utika and while the others had prepared to ram the vessel into the building and bring the fight to the remaining Heroes and their as yet unrevealed Master reality was altered. It was suddenly like a vague sense of déjà vu for suddenly instead of being on Earth and channeling my energies to find an answer to aid Nialla and therefore all of us I was back in space aboard the Puma Vessel approaching Utika as if for the first time. I looked around and the others seemed to be in a similar state of shock and awe at the sudden development. I spoke first calling to the ship to abort the landing until we figured out what had just happened.

The others remembered as I did what had just happened but I checked the stellar coordinates and it was as if we had travelled back in time. Spectraman had even received a hail for the planet asking if we wished clearance to land. I called to him to inform them we were having technical difficulties and would be aborting our landing. Nialla on the other hand must have sensed something was indeed not right and opened a temporal cocoon and vanished. Suddenly and for no reason I could ascertain but for my heightened senses that Purple Puma and the Changeling were in danger. Or actually if they both remained on the ship they were in danger but if one was missing then they would both be safe.

I informed them both and they both I knew would not want to leave and so I chose the Changeling to accompany me and focused my energies and transported us to Earth or actually the very location to which I had in a sense just left. My plan when we arrived was to channel enough of my power to reveal to me just what had just happened for I knew without answers we might very well be in for some trouble. I had also realized that Nialla and I had displayed far too much power on Utika for it to be ignored by her enemies. Perhaps my own as well but I will admit I was still containing my powers for I had already learned my lesson about how power can corrupt and where anger can lead. The process had been fairly simple just something I rarely chose to do for unlike reading the minds of others tapping directly into the Cosmos while not actually jarring for someone of my intellect I knew by merely looking you also opened yourself to be seen.

I found answers to my questions and of course learned far more than I had wished to in the end. In the moment of my opening myself to the cosmos the Changeling at my side in a female persona who she dubbed Maiyar had been screaming for me to take her back. Meanwhile back on the Puma Vessel a figure that I could only say looked like a winged female demon had appeared on the ship. She had actually started talking saying that we were still in danger and we needed to protect ourselves even as she was attacked by both Puma’s as well as George. Purple Puma had struck at her while she was blasted by a nullifier beam from shot by Miniature Puma and finally she had been cocooned in a viscous liquid that had been expelled from George’s hands. I should not though for the record all of their attacks had been aimed to disable as opposed to kill which was something that was not lost on me. I was glad to see that while cautious they still remained humane.

Now what I found out about myself was deeply personal and to simplify I was for the moment not exactly welcome on Earth for which saddened me but for which I could understand. On the other matter regarding the altering of reality I was able to confirm that it had come from the very building within the city on Utika that we had been about to enter. In addition I also realized that the figures who we had encountered in the alternate reality were now aware of the events that had transpired as well. Clever trick I had to admit and not one I would have thought of but it was worth remembering if in the future I felt the need for such a trick and one never knew one day I just might. I also kept my word and informed Maiyar that I was no longer welcome on Earth and that we were heading back to the Purple Puma’s ship.

We arrived and Maiyar was immediately at alert even though I had informed her it was safe and called out to the figure that’s visible form had been entirely cocooned by George and had called out to it. “Nialla is that you?” The figure inside which would prove to be an alternate form of Nialla had only mumbled but that had been enough for Maiyar to choose to act. Meanwhile Purple Puma and George had asked him to hold but he availed them not and drew his soul sword which resembled a ninjato and slashed as the cocoon and with one might stroke the succubi female was revealed. I had chose caution for the figure I still realized had seemed to still be inhibited but George chose to act as Maiyar had chosen to ignore both his and Purple Puma’s warnings. He fired a blast of his viscous crystalline foam which Maiyar deftly dodged and she returned by conjuring up what resembled some kind of darkness beast which started to launch itself at George.

Matters were quickly escalating but I had not yet been worried but perhaps a little turned on as it had reminded me of Destiny. Perhaps that’s why I had just watched as George called upon the power of Spectraman and between Spectraman Alpha and Beta who teleported both Maiyar and her Dark Warrior outside the ship and into space. Of course Maiyar tried to get back but obviously she was not exactly suited for deep space travel. On top of that I could tell she was angry but there was really nothing she could do about it. I mean sure she could teleport fifty meters or so at a time. So in other words with the ship keeping him at bay by using just a little thrust and Spectraman Beta keeping an eye on him he was stalemated.

I had no other choice than to act and since Nialla who relished her telepathy I had to open my mind and channel that very ability myself in order to communicate with Maiyar. I reached through space and contacted the mind of Maiyar and it opened to me and the pleasure I felt with the full access to a new mind was exhilarating. The knowledge that poured into my mind was fascinating and profound and while at that moment I possessed the ability to alter the very thoughts of Maiyar I also knew that there would be resistance. In that moment I knew all I ever really needed to know about Maiyar and I also knew exactly what I needed to know the form before was indeed an alternate form of my Nialla.

To sum up thankfully both Spectraman and Purple Puma are both reasonable and while I would not say exactly the same for Maiyar my word to her was enough for hostilities to cease. I was able to convince Purple Puma and Spectraman that Nialla was before us and the ship moved to allow Maiyar reentry into the ship via an airlock. I had of course vowed to protect Nialla and Maiyar had told me he would do that and I therefore told him telepathically that I would therefore protect him. It should also be worth noting that while I understood why hostilities had started and even apologized to Maiyar as she had felt I had attacked her when I had transported her across the Galaxy. Some people were so touchy and I guess looking back I could not really blame them for they did not have access to senses that warned them of danger as were available to me.

Interestingly enough Nialla had yet to wake up and I keep a very close eye on her as she lay there as did Maiyar who cradled her in her lap. I will admit it was a sad sight for she had been temporally robed of her will a fate I would not wish on anyone. As she had woke up she was soothed by Maiyar and my words which started a conversation I did not really want to have but now seeing Nialla’s alternate form I was one that I knew eventually would have to come. Nialla informed us of her shall we say alternate hellish form and Purple Puma let it be known that he relied on his super sense of smell to allow him to determine ally from foe and that obviously a little warning would have helped prevent that consequences that had occurred. Nialla had mentioned an item alternate form which brought about conversations about form.

In reality it seemed that of the four of us only the Purple Puma seemed for the moment to lack another or alternate form. Nialla after a while of discussion convinced me to agree that Maiyar extra personalities were not a sign of a severe psychosis and actually a racial quality. For a moment I had even lost my temper for a few seconds and shown them my ability to assume different humanoid forms. Actually I had been trying to wrap my mind around what I saw as a disguise and that in any form I was still myself. I had been down the road of deluding myself into believing that in other forms I was not responsible for the actions of that form and I had long ceased to believe such lies. To see someone in our midst someone like Maiyar who was a while an ally yet still perceiving itself as a hired killer brought back memories that had been recently stirred and reminded me of my past. To put it mildly Maiyar reminded me too much of my old self and I vowed to myself along with my vow to protect Maiyar I would also do my best to show him, her or any other asexual form that it assumed honesty was the best policy and that love could conquer all.

Nialla had interrupted my train of thought and confirmed with Purple Puma that she planned to open a temporal cocoon in order to prepare herself to face those who we knew to be our enemies. While I had at first recommended leaving on second thought I realized the wisdom of dealing with our problem on the surface for they had more information about us then we had about them and if we acted quickly then the advantage would be ours. Purple Puma had asked me to accompany Nialla and Maiyar who had told her she would not let her go alone with them just in case. I had agreed even thought I knew Spectraman was making preparations with the ship and not much time would pass anyway so I told them I felt dirty and was going to take a shower and would be ready in five minutes or whenever Nialla was ready.

Before I had broken away she completed a spell of protection for me and the others which she had explained had been the result of her assault. It was odd because she said for her magic there was a price so an obvious price for any boon she granted. I found it humorous at first until I realized for her to manifest her powers it was true. Perhaps it was a way she limited her powers but if so I was an odd price to pay more like a curse if I ever say one. The other now had an alchemical mystical symbol of brimstone on their foreheads. Now seriously that was just not going to do for me and while I doubted it was stronger than my natural defenses it’s never bad to have a backup plan. Obviously having complete control of my form I moved it to another part of my body and covered it for good measure. Such blatant use of the powers of the cosmos I knew were bound to catch up with us but as Nialla had said it was a minor effect I just wondered what she had as they say in magic what she had lined up for her next trick.

I had taken another moment to communicate with the Jack Trader Droid Milton and the Neo-Trylon Zrew that Nialla since she had believed that Zrew might have realized it was her. I knew what she must have been thinking as she could tell I was talking to it when I am sure most others she had met had been unable to communicate with them but I also had an ulterior motive. Nialla had made a point after she had woke up that we seemed to ignore them and while that was not exactly true as we had only just met them a few days ago I caught her drift and felt the need to rectify it. I confirmed with Milton that if it could to keep monitoring the broadcast nets watching for any Starlord, Red Menace, or chatter involving any of us or in general. I also communicated with Zrew who I found to be quite interesting and a mystery to be solved when time permitted. I asked him to watch for anything out of the ordinary or actually anything it noted and Purple Puma who agreed with me confirmed he own desire for any stray knowledge. With everyone for the moment not at each other’s throats which really was not always that bad if that’s how they had fun since I finally made it to the shower.

Once in the shower I stripped and stepped into shower and turned it on as hot as it would go and started to cry. I had realized the party was most likely over as it were and the cosmos had caught up to me and perhaps only shield that remained was in the form of someone I loved who called herself Nialla. It just wasn’t fair but I remembered something that the veteran Hero Purple Puma had alluded to about choices when talking with Maiyar in her Morgan form about standing in the light or the darkness. I knew I had made my choice to stand in the light and protect those around me but that did not mean that the darkness was any less tempting. In the shower I had cried because I was sad and I knew what Nialla planned to do. She was going to empower herself with the energies of the cosmos and even I did not know what dangers that would bring.

I will admit that I had also cried because I was angry with myself for losing my temper and yes I would admit it might not have looked like it I knew better. For one thing the people of my time processed emotions differently than those with whom I now shared a universe. We felt all of the standard emotions yet we felt them stronger. What was funny was that it did not drive us mad as our intellects were vast now add all of the enhanced abilities of an ascended and one might wonder how we stayed sane. It was simple for my people they had trials of emotion before they ascended where I had not had that same training. Now it’s true I possessed within my psyche the memories and lessons of my parents teachings that were designed to prepare me I had not had their guidance. But I was sidetracked and Nialla’s mind called to me and therefore I divided my physical form in two.

Now that my intellect was being shared in two bodies I let my form in the shower which I had physically weakened to rest and just be human. My other body joined Nialla and Maiyar for the time she needed to empower herself and for me to see the love that she and Maiyar and for what it was worth Morgan as well. We emerged a second later after only about thirty minutes of my personal time in time I may reveal what occurred. Nialla looked beautiful in her enhanced form and while I was cautious I felt she needed to do this for either way we needed to gain more information about those who opposed her and gain a foothold on the situation if as she had told me we ever planned to get ahead of Cthulhu.

I had though our plan had been at first to transport from space for some reason the Puma Vessel landed and the doors opened. There had of course been some conversation with the planet security net Spectraman and I had chalked it up to temporary ship fluctuations which would explain the odd maneuver the ship had performed when Maiyar had been space walking. We were met by a patrol of droids and had arrived at the outskirts of Argo City which was itself surrounded by cultivated farmland. For a moment it seemed we were going to talk but then the doors shut and plans were back on track. We knew where we were heading the tall building from our other reality and it was confirmed by the ship, Purple Puma and my own enhanced senses. I channeled my energies and told everyone to be ready and it was time to transport.
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We appeared in their midst and as a precaution I had divided myself twice in order to triple my chances to keep an eye on the others as well as Nialla. There were seven of them the first with a male with a large W on his chest no doubt a Wonderman want to be. The second one was Pyroman master of fame and electricity. Third up was the Fighting Yank himself who Nialla had talked about in our time together who she believed to be an ally. A fourth who wore nothing but long john underwear and a pathetic hand me down cape I recognized as the American Crusader. Now the fifth was Hugo who had been in the company of Nialla and Morgan in the past before being turned and being used as an instrument of destruction. Number Six was not other than the Black Terror supposedly to be the scourge of evil. In other words the Nedor Group along with a new ringleader their seventh who I did not know who wore a black and white stove piped cap.

Knowing that they were controlled we wasted no time in our assault on them with the plan to render them unconscious and helpless so until we found who or what was controlling them. I focused on Hugo and it took literally all of my energy in my current forms to put him down. The others between the blasts of Spectraman Alpha, Spectraman Beta, Purple Puma and his minions inhibiting rays, Nialla’s magic and Maiyar’s canny physical combat skills we had them weakened yet still not as they say down for the count. As they regrouped only Black Terror, Wonderman and their companion with the stove topped hat remained an immediate threat to us.

I had waited to be able to protect Nialla and I only barely succeeded for the stove topped I could only assume Hero had literally temporally controlled her and not only that merged its physical form with her as it lusted for her. I was able with more effort than I would have like to free here by separating them. I also struck it with a blade of Omni-energy which failed to even dent the then mist like beings defenses. Nialla had been compelled to unleash all of her magical energies into the sky to a tower that after absorbing her energy exploded. On a side note the Black Terror had done his namesake and inspired terror in us and while I was too fast for him Spectraman was not but his defenses held. Regarding the desire everyone was now feeling for Nialla that was due to her concentration being broken the empathic an interesting side effect if I had ever seen one.

It was not over and at that moment while I was not afraid for sure a situation can be tense but when you know you can get away from it how bad can you feel. Now that was of course the issue because I was not alone I was with a group again and the same could not be said for them and that was what worried me. Don’t get me wrong I love them all some more than others but sadly I loved myself the most and I just hoped that I could live up to the ideals of my people and my parents. Screw that negativity the Star Phoenix and I stood proudly in the light and while I enemies had shown a bit of their might we were the ones in the right so I felt assured that we would come out on top in the end. In other words in this game of chess I was expecting checkmate in only a few more moves.

Chapter Two Point Nine Five

I felt it only fair to relate a few of the interesting events that transpired aboard Purple Puma’s Vessel while on our way to the Utika Protectorate which is in reality an advanced at least for the time in history AI or artificial intelligence. So sure it’s not as advanced as an Intellect Master of my time but then they were moon sized living computers that assisted my people in assisting the races less enlightened than my people or even those who chose to pursue other endeavors. While it’s true the IM’s as we called them were far more advanced than most sentient living beings they had only been created to assist the inhabitants of our continuum after the most enlightened of my people transformed to a higher state of existence. I could see the beginnings of and IM in the Purple Puma’s vessel which was perhaps why I had been able to relax as the woman I had come to know as Nialla lounged in the lap of M as I have come to refer to it.

Don’t get me wrong I was trying not to be judgmental regarding M and its constant need to don different guises in order as it had told me to complete whatever mission it took on. I mean serious I really thing M was just a little too tightly wound and some time in a virtual reality chamber to work off some of its hostility or whatever else it needed was way overdo. Truly after a discussion with M it is my firm medical opinion that it is suffering from a prolonged trauma and a little rest should be ordered by the ships chief medical officer. Granted while am considered on Earth Doctor Topanga Ojeda I was not really acting like one as of late. I was actually acting more like a complete hedonist without a care in the world. Well that had to change for while if it’s only me I am free to act as I please as long as no one else is harmed I had been almost asked officially by Purple Puma to join the Star Phoenix.

I did not exactly make a big deal about it and perhaps I should have instead I had lain around and considered my new look. For the record nowhere near of an extreme as M was fond of pulling off but a big deal for me. But back to my concerns for poor M in the end he still wants to travel with us and I guess the concept of acting like yet another member of Purple Puma’s crew is going to work for him for the moment. To be honest I had been joking about the whole thing but it had seemed to ease the tension so I had went with it. In the end it seemed that M was not comfortable with my little pet name for it so I agreed to only talk to it thru the mental link provided by Nialla unless absolutely necessary or onboard ship. I could also perceive something else going on within the psyche of M it seemed that it was hurting and I guess who would not be hurting if they had lost their whole world and all of the friends and family.

That kind of loss was something I could relate to and had even helped Nialla come to terms with her loss and anguish. I had and helped her see a path she could follow that I hoped would help her find her own inner joy. M although was a different story entirely moody, argumentative, with an exaggerated sense of self worth. I was reminded of myself when I was younger but the difference was I never had anyone to stand by me who could possibly understand what I had gone thru. I had caused me to follow a path that I will forever regret and I could see M on that same path which would eventually lead to psychosis, anger and death. Perhaps the saddest part was that I doubt that M even realized the dark path that it was on or where it led.

So it might be up to me to take him on as my next patient as I had done for Nialla but I realized that while with Nialla what she had needed was love and kindness what M needed might be something far darker. I knew where the darkest parts of my psyche lay and I had spent a great deal of time coming to the realization that while I did not like it I needed it. I had gone thru the primordial fire within myself and emerged whole and balanced. I was in full control of my psyche and my vast array of powers and learned how to resist the temptations of power to corrupt those who wielded it. In M’s case I would need to keep a watchful eye and while I knew I would offer love I would also in its case need to also be prepared to deliver pain. Hard to believe that a sentient lifeform could find love in pain but like I always say who am I to judge. I only try to be honest and prove that love not powers or abilities can conquer all in the end.

Chapter Two Point Seven Five

I had wondered how to tell this story and do it the justice it deserved and perhaps it might be best to focus on the small things than to dwell on the large ones. I have chosen the name Starchilde for myself in this continuum it which I currently reside and have come to accept as my new home. I had recently committed myself to the ways of my people who I realized from their point of view I had not even been missed. For to make a long story short I am from an alternate future continuum, one so vastly different in so many wondrous ways it would stagger the intellects of most who even understood it.

Nialla and I shall continue to call her that unless she decides to choose another name had it seemed travelled to another part of the galaxy and gone thru a traumatic event. It had been obvious to me as I had tuned up all of my senses to their highest levels that she was in emotional pain. I was unable to just stand there and watch her friend the Assassin while trying yet failing to offer her the comfort she needed. Comfort and love that I knew I had in abundance and was more than willing to give freely without any ulterior motives. So I had appeared before her and told her that I could give her time to recover, as much as she needed. I had told her it was up to her seconds, days, weeks it mattered not and that no time would have passed in the real world.

She had started to cry anew and I doubt she truly realized what I had meant but I knew she needed me so I acted. I focused my will and opened a temporal cocoon that I have found some call a time web around us. I then moved to her and held her and let her cry as I extended the temporal cocoon around us so that I could fulfill my promise to here. Afterward I reduced our size so that we could enter the retreat within my utility belt as I channeled the reality around us to match a calming wilderness setting. Once we were settled I held her and comforted her as I offered myself and the domain I had crafted to her.

For six months whatever she wished for I provided as I helped her to rebuild herself and come to realize who she wanted to be. I learned much about the world of her origin known as Hyboria and of events on Emerald. I found out about her so called Queen her other self who had fashioned her from her own life-force and then commanded lesser self to complete a mission to stop to Cthulhu and avenge her lost world of Hyboria. With my help Nialla learned that regardless of her form I respected and loved her as a sentient life-form. During that time we became more than just friends but also lovers and while I know some might frown on the concept all I can say is that one must open their minds.

I will not go into the intimate details of my relationship with Nialla and I shall leave any details of our relationship for her to reveal if she ever wishes. I mean after all while I will admit I may kiss many or perhaps even a little more than that I like to keep certain aspects of my life private. What I will reveal is that during our time together I was not only learning of her and her past but also teaching her about the technology of the time and of the people with whom she shared it. I took the time to explain the various systems and factions so that she hopefully like I had done be able to come to accept this continuum as her new home. Nialla had survived numerous cataclysmic events and of her former companions only the mysterious M had managed to remain at her side thru her trials and tribulations and for that I was grateful. Thankfully in time came she came to accept her place in the continuum and find peace for which I was overjoyed.

We would emerge from within the reality I had crafted for us back inside the Puma Vessel to find M still reacting to me as if I was about to try and hurt her friend. I would soon learn that Nialla valued and love M even with all of its complexities and aggressive traits. I would not fault her for while it was easy for me to love others I knew for some it was quite hard and I could see that while even M was often sadistic, argumentative, vengeful and proud I could tell he loved Nialla. So even though I knew M and I might have issues in the future I trusted Nialla to keep an eye on him otherwise I supposed I would have to. Either way I figured I would have to find a to liberate the minds of my new companions of Star Phoenix and since Purple Puma and George would turn out to not be huge fans of temporal cocoons I might just have to learn to do the old fashioned way. Perhaps a change of clothes might be in order and I had just the outfit a little green khaki affair still seductive but it covered far more of shall I say my more obvious attributes which would cause those around me to take me a little more seriously.

Chapter Two Point Five

So being shacked up with a group of somewhat mission obsessed companions and being restricted to the space available on a somewhat small warp capable ship after the successful completion of an over twenty four long mission without a break can be pretty stressful. So sure while I may come off at the overly sexy and laid back Starchilde the Traveler in reality I am also Topanga Ojeda a mixed Native American from a alternate future Earth.

Sadly I am a self proclaimed hedonist and while I work hard to conceal it I love nothing more than to get my good times on. No how to start getting to those good times, well I often under dress to the point of wearing nothing more than a severely revealing chemise to make my intentions to find a good time quite obvious. With my awareness honed to cosmic levels it’s easy to detect if I am ever in a dangerous situation. So I get to live the carefree life most of the time not that being said just to be clear that does not mean sex, sex and more sex.

No actually I love just kicking back and watching a good movie every now and then. Well in this particular case I was on a ship heading to back to Earth and I was shall we say just a little depressed. In honesty the last time I had been on Earth things had not been going so well. To make a long story short I had recently been recruited into a super hero group of sorts called the Wrecking Crew and things had to quickly escalated to a point where I had literally almost lost placed the entire planet Earth in danger. It had all been due to the chaotic group of individuals that I had been travelling with who had been trying to complete a mission vital to the survival of the planet. There inept actions had caused me in a span of less than three days to unleash more destructive power than I had ever used in my entire life before I had met them.

So had I ran from them well not exactly I had asked my only other paranormal friend who had been computer science professor named Slipstream who was an ancient alchemical paranormal metamorph. He was perhaps the most perceptive man I had ever met and I had considered him if not my intellectual equal someone whose experience and awareness gave him in insight that I strived to emulate. It was he that had convinced me to heighten my awareness to cosmic levels an ability he possessed naturally as well as teaching me the benefits of creating temporal cocoons. In fact he had even created an advanced sentient space craft named Vashar and had been exploring deep space. Oddly he was the one that been convinced that something was not exactly right with our quadrant of space. To make the story short as I am fond of saying to as he taught me to sum up we switched places. He took my place with the Wrecking Crew and assured me he would help them and in return I would continue his exploration of the sector of space and see if I could find out any information that might prove useful to the situation.

Now did that mean that being an energy being that I was truly trapped within this quadrant of space well to be honest not really but it did not really do anyone any good in the space sector if I just up and left as that would not solve the problem that had been imposed on everyone else trapped by the Thorans. Something was up that much I knew for sure so had Slipstream but neither of us had connected the emergence of the so called Outlaw Matter into this area of space and it being helped along by a so called Godling named Cthulhu to be the root of the evil.

Funny it’s always some Godling or some would be Godling with delusions of grandeur that always try their very best to ruin it for everyone else. So I had a lot on my mind and I did not want to try and burden my new companions with the complexities of my mind and I actually really doubted if they would even believe me if I had tried. That’s another thing I had learned during my journeys that in the past I had let my intellect drown those around me which often caused to see them as inferior since they could not keep up with me mentally. I had found that it often caused me to distance myself from others and just watch them as they literally made mistakes that I could have helped them perceive before they blindly walked right into them. I then ended up having to clean up a mess that I could have actually prevented if I had only just slowed down for a moment and gotten to really know those around me.

I had learned to slow down and learned to let others think I was nothing more than perhaps a moderately yet ditzy human woman who travelled the stars conveying messages around the quadrant. It had worked and in the process I had learned how to cope with ordinary people as one of them not someone who believed themselves to be better than and above them. Not that I wasn’t above the vast majority of people I encountered I had just had to learn that I while I might not be of this reality I could learn to live in it and had.

Now that lead me back to returning to Earth which I really had no desire to return to for the moment and I had planned to stay onboard the ship either way. Sure I downloaded some local information that I would sift through but what I had needed the year away in my own world had been to come to terms with the fact that I was once again in the thick of things and this time I was prepared but that everyone around me was so tight lipped that I was concerned that would fall into the trap of walking thru the field and not even smelling the roses. In truth I realized that we had gotten on the stop the plan of Cthulhu express train perhaps more than halfway to its destination and we might only have a few key chances to derail the train before silly Godling’s plan came to fruition.

Sure I kicked back for a year and let my mind ponder all of the ways we might be able to move up to first class and reach the conductor and convince him to stop the train. I also spend an equal about of time pondering my past on Earth. Of course rest of the time I spent enjoying all the pleasures of the flesh that my mind could conceive. Granted M had turned me down and Spectraman who in his guise as George had moved on to the bridge while Nialla was busy having her flesh ripped off not that I had been aware of that at the time. I also spent time recreating lifelike replicas of my Parents whom I worshipped and who had imprinted me when I was a child with all of their knowledge and memories even thought for most of my life I had been to angry to review them as I had always in the past anticipated my eventual return to them.

I had let my Parents teach me anew of the ways of our people and our roles as protectors of those less advanced than ourselves. Of our duty to uphold the sanctity of life unless that life that we disrupt poses a threat to the entire continuum. I finally faced the last sin that I had not been ready to face when I had taken the lives of lesser beings for money, profit and the chance to have a good time. The fact that I had been a child had never been an excuse or the fact that I had been exploited by paranormals who had not realized the true extent of my abilities. I should have known better and now I realized that I might very well be along with Star Phoenix eventually confronting be confronting a Godling than I need to be prepared and due to my gifts that had been bestowed upon me by my parents I finally was.

I had emerged from within my temporal cocoon and realized that after awhile something was not right M had been stalking around almost looking frantic as we had finally arrived on Earth and it as time to stop watching from the sidelines it was time suit up and put my game face on and help work to find the problems and work on a way to fix them. In other words while I still planned to make time to enjoy the pleasures of the world if for no other reason than to remind me of how important the things that most take for granted truly are. It had become apparent that I needed to start with those around me for as my old Professor Slipstream had often said “Before you try to take on the burdens of others seek first to alleviate the burdens within yourself so that by example you can become a shining beacon that will dispel the darkness within their souls by your very presence.” Truer words have I often heard spoken I am sure my Parents would have loved Slipstream I knew that I sure did.