Marvel: 2010-09-11 - Space Politics: Tearing Down the Royal House

Continued From: 2010-09-11 - Space Politics: Off to Oz

When they reach the top...there's a long hallway with windows for the walls and ceilings. Another amazing view of space. At the end of the hall is a large set of doors and two Shi'ar soldiers with odd spears stand guard. They seem confused when the elevator starts to open, approaching warily...easy pickings for surprise attacks.

"We come in peace." And a blast of energy comes from Cyclops to knock one of the soldiers back for a nasty loops. Apparently, he can be sarcastic when he wants to be, especially when pissed off and annoyed. He leaves the other opponent for one of the other X-er's or for Lilandra herself.

As the elevator doors open Hank says, "I like it. Though it need something to go with it." He says picking up his Ipad and hits some quick buttons. Then the Emigrants song start to relatively blare from his speakers on the thing. As Scott shots the first guard Hank runs on his feet and hands toward the guard leaping through his hand reach up to come down and knock the guard unconscious.

Simone shudders. "Oh that's even worse Forge.." she cringes, shaking her head. She follows the others, keeping an eye out behind and above. There is no reason to assume there won't be some kind of automatic security in addition to the guards posted around.

While Kitty has been training - mostly in secret - with Logan for aikido, she isn't up to feeling straight hand-to-hand combat with any particular person - especially /aliens/ trained to be guards, or whatever. She stays at the back of the group for the moment, but she's phased, and ready to 'do her thing', as it were.

The guards go down quick, left sprawled. And there's no visible security in this hall for some reason. Just an open path to the throne room. The moment they pass through the massive doors...they come to a much bigger room, wide and open. At the far end on a raised area is a throne with Deathbird sitting upon it. Several members of the imperial guard are in the room as well. Lilandra will likely be relieved that Gladiator is not in the room right now. Deathbird growls as she sees Lilandra and the others appear, standing quickly. "Lilandra," the purple-winged Shi'ar Queen begins. "So nice of you to save me the trouble of going back to that rotten little planet," she says. "Imperial Guard! Kill the Terrans but bring my dear sister to me!" she calls. With that, the odd assortment of aliens that make up the guard turn and a few attacks are launched. Energy blasts that travel around the floors of through the air, some thrown blades, and even a stream of some disgusting smelling liquid are launched at the heroes. Looks like the fight is on!

"What about... " But whatever Forge was about to say is cut off by the ensuing cacauphony. He continues to hang back behind everyone else, spending more time ogling the ship's structure than actually looking out for enemies. Bringing up the rear with a teenage girl might not be the most heroic place to be, but it's probably the smartest given the circumstances. He fumbles through a couple of his pouches, and pulls out yet another device. A small, vaguely pen-shaped piece of metal with a no visible buttons. With this device in hand, he leans over one of the guards, and points the end of the wand-like contraption at the guard's spear. The entire process takes only a couple of seconds, and he quickly re-pockets the device. As he does so, he picks up the guard's weapon, holding it firmly in his free hand.

"We are here to send your second rate kind packing!" And Cyclops lets loose even as he is already rolling off to the side to avoid the intiation fire. His blast is freed to shoot the blades so that they cannot finish their flight. "You ran like cowards the last time, does someone really think they can stand toe to toe with me?" He is taunting them, trying to prick their pride. After all, the X-Men aren't quite on the level to fighting full-fledged team work, and if the Imperial Guard does? They may end up biting off more than they can chew. So he tries to force them to break up to save face.

With plenty of room to fly Sera takes to the air, her phantom wings curling over her self protectively as some sort of energy arcs towards her. The wings resist the power and she zips forward towards one of the guards, swinging one of her wings and sending the alien-man hurling across the room and into a wall. WHAM!

From Hank's Ipad the song continues to play, "Ah, ah, We come from the land of the ice and snow, From the midnight sun where the hot springs blow. How soft your fields so green, can whisper tales of gore, Of how we calmed the tides of war. We are young overlords." The blue furred mutant does a triple somersault through the air and his big blue foot coming out aimed at one of the imperial guards man. "Well my fearless leader has changed his mind but I will be the diplomatic one. I am Beast. We've already met your leader and we're not here in peace. May I suggest you surrender."

Kitty moves quickly, now, remaining phased and runs straight towards the nearest Imperial Guardsmen. As she does so, she begins 'sinking', into the floor, though never losing speed. By the time she's at the guard, her head is near the individual's feet; these, she grabs, and -yanks- on him, as hard as she can, to pull him straight through the floor if she can, and down into the next level, before pushing herself back up onto this level.

After watching some energy blasts pass through Kitty and seeing the teen drop Smasher down to the floor below, a blue skinned woman that Lilandra will be able to ID as Oracle smirks towards Kitty. The phasing girl will find herself suddenly hit with a psionic bolt of pain, Oracle's head glowing slightly as she attacks Kitty.

The spear Forge picks up is a nice, sturdy metal. And it's got a nifty trick too! When a certain grip-shaped part of the shaft is pressed...tazer spear! There's not too much time to enjoy the find though as an odd man completely covered in red and white walks towards Forge with lightning crackling around him.

The kick from the Beast sends poor Manta smashing to the ground. Revenge for hurting Warren in a way. "Surrender this, ape!" comes a voice from the side as Hussar swings her electrified whip at Beast.

The man hit by Simone grunts when he hits the floor. Slowly, he stands...and then rather suddenly, he starts growing bigger and bigger. Titan, the large alien that looks strangely human, scowls and then swats at Simone with a hand as big as a car!

Deathbird is the one to answer Scott, launching into the air and flying for the X-men's leader and slashing with her talons.

Oddly enough...no one's attacking Lilandra yet. Maybe they forgot about her. Or are underestimating her.

Forge remains in the hall, spear in hand. He peers around the edge of the door, watching the violence from relative safety. Actually, he doesn't seem to be watching the violence at all. Rather, his eyes dart around the room. Occasionally he has to pull his head out of the doorway, and hide in the hall for a few seconds before peering back cautiously. Finally, he shifts the spear around in his hand, twirling it almost like a practiced professional spear-twirler. The end of the spear begins to glow with a yellowish energy, and that energy begins to build up until it starts to arc out from the end of the spear in random directions. Suddenly, the spear stops in his hand and he silhouettes himself entirely in the doorway. He puts his entire weight into one fluid motion as he tosses the crackling spear toward a seemingly innocuous device in the corner of the throne room. The spear explodes, completely taking out the device. As he stands in the doorway, Forge has to duck to keep a burst of energy from taking off his head. And then he notices the approaching attacker. "Screw this." Forge turns around and runs back into the hallway, attempting to prime his BFG as he does so.

Cyclops works to hide his surprise when Kitty takes a human being through the floor. He did not know that about her power. If he knew about it before...it would have been 'helpful'. But in either case, he is a little occupied to say the least. He watches Deathbird's flight and dive for him. He lowers his center of gravity and braces one leg, reading to tumble. But he keeps waiting and waiting, and at the last second when she seems just about to get her claws on Cyclops, he lets out one heck of a blast! He then moves to tumble to the side so not to stay in one place to long, and in the comlink he says, "Fly Sera, and try to attack the eyes." Hopefully Shadowcat can hold off from the psychic attacks, after what Nanny did to her, but no promises there. But he does at least see the Hussen woman. "Whip girl! I just smacked your boss. I think she needs some assistance." Trying to take more on for himself, to protect his X-Men.

Hank bounds away hitting the ground and rolling to the side of where the neural whip. "Yea.... Yea... Look I'm really more of a live long... Actually screw it I am Dr. McCoy. Damn it Scott, I'm a doctor not an invading alien." He then does a cartwheel over to the side and toward Hussar, " Though when this all end. I figure you'll be yelling Damn dirty ape. You blew it up." He says sending a fist towards Hussar's jaw.

Sera yeeps but can't back wing fast enough to avoid the blow. Instead it comes crashing down and it's her turn to slam into the floor. Her wing takes most of the blow, sparks flying from it as fist meets telekinetic energy. She lays upon the floor in a daze, shaking her head. Ow. ow and Ow! The wing raises up, seemingly fractured with thin lines running through it. She glowers as she tries to clear her head and refocus her concentration.

Kitty ends up grabbing her head, her reactions slowing. She recognizes the pain for what it is, having experienced it before. She screams for a moment, loses concentration, becoming solid again. She's not quite yet mastered her powers and abilities to be able to maintain her phase in exceedingly stressful situations. Still, they're down one less foe. For now. Until he makes his way back up to them. Stupid psionic attacks! "Cyclops!" She says, "Little help! The one with the glowing head! Fry her face!"

One hand holding her head, she takes a deep breath, tries to focus herself again, wincing in clear aggrevation, pain, as she tries to overcome her adversary.

It's not Cyclops that answers Kitty's cry for help ... it's Lilandra. She aims a single lancing mental attack at Oracle, attempting to force the other psion into concentrating on defense rather than attack.

Deathbird lets out a screech as she's blasted clear across the room. She gets up, bruised but still fighting. "You DARE strike the supreme Empress of the Shi'ar?!" she snarls. Suddenly, alarms start blaring...seems the Starjammers started the party. A console starts to project a hologram only to be destroyed by Forge's spear-bomb. There goes the communications console. Deathbird lets out a warcry before taking to the air and flinging a few blades Scott's way.

Hussar seems content to ignore Scott, focusing on Hank instead. She pulls her whip back as Beast cartwheels and takes the punch. Stumbling back a few steps, the red skinned woman turns back to Beast with a bloody smile and then launches herself at him in a tackle.

Titan pulls his hand back slowly, clenching it into a fist above Simone. He looks down at her and then sends a punch down at her. She may want to move or Kurt will be dating a pancake.

Oracle approaches Kitty slowly, hands on her glowing head in the usual 'psychic power!' pose. Just as she's rearing back a kick, the blue woman is struck by Lilandra's attack and stumbles to the side, her attack against Kitty ended. "Emp-" Oracle cuts off. "Lilandra," Oracle seems annoyed, launching a mental attack against the former empress. It's a weak one though.

The mental attack might be over but Kitty's not out of the woods yet. What looks like a brown version of Beast in a yellow and black leotard is rushing for her...and it looks hungry!

The alien approaching Forge stops when it sees the gun, curious as to what caused that arc of energy from before. "Terran weaponry will not help you," the alien speaks up, wary of Forge's gun but not moving.

As Kitty's mind is free, she sees two things; the first is hearing Deathbird's voice and accusations, her threats. The second, is seeing the freak in the Leotard jumping towards her. "Oh, crap," she says. She moves back against a solid wall, entirely afraid. She waits, fearfully until the brown version of beast launches his attack at her. It's -then- she phases, letting the hungry hunter smack straight into the wall, if he's not careful.

Hank wasn't expecting that. "Uhm... Did I mention that I bruise easily? So be gentle?" Then he calls out, "Second Date, Second Da..." As his air is knocked out of him and he's tackled beneath the red skinned alien. He tries to draw up his feet and use them to push the woman off him and then start spinning her around with his feet. Just like he use to do with villains in the good old days getting them dizzy.

No pancakes, no waffles, thank you very much. But Sera does intend to dish up a good bit of pain..for Titan. Go for the Eyes? Well if Cyke says so. With a very dark expression the not so angelic girl's wings glow gold after she rolls out of the way..just barely. The wing lashes out pointing and two glowing darts fly from the tips towards the huge alien's face.

Cyclops points toward Lilandra, "Last I checked she was the Empress, you are just a wannabe." Cyclops is really trying to piss her off, royally. Looks like he was successful. He is already rolling and rumbling around, shooting her blades out of the air. He practices this type of attack all the time in the Danger Room and is frightfully good at it. "Child's play," he says beneath his breath. He can't provide backup to Shadowcat but is thankful someone seems to be. Pity his plan to help Hank get an attack in to a distracted Hussar failed though. "Wait...," something about the exploded hologram devise...a piece of shiny metal. He actually grins and turns his head to not shoot at Deathbird but rather at the shiny metal! The red beam bounces off it and goes straight for Deathbird, the angle meant to knock her right at the Titan's face, following Sera's own attack.

Lilandra fends off Oracle's attempted attack, shaking her head a bit in the process, then glares over at Deathbird. "That's odd. I don't see any of them hitting me." Piss her off to the point she gets careless is evidently the plan. As is another mental bolt at Oracle.

"You might want to reconsider buddy, because those would be terrible last words!" Forge has gotten practically backed into a corner by this point, and holds the BFG out in front of him to fend off his now-halted attacker. The barrels on the gun begin to rotate, first slowly, then more rapidly. The gun's movement begins to pick up speed as the front of it starts glowing. Forge's expression of moderate fear begins to melt away as the gun starts to whine louder and louder, the parts moving faster and faster. "Goodbye." he states deadpan as he apparently pulls a switch from inside what used to look like a boot. However, as he pulls the switch, all movement on the gun suddenly stops, and the gun folds back up inside itself, leaving nothing but a boot on Forge's hand. "Shit."

The alien called Impulse tensed up as Forge's weapon started glowing and spinning. When it ended up as just a boot, the alien in the containment suit sighed. He held up one hand and tossed a bolt of lightning at Forge and his boot.

Hussar claws at Beast as she lands on him, tearing some of his fun. She's easily pushed up and spun around though, not expecting it at all.

Oracle stumbles back and mimics Lilandra's head shake. She's not too keen on this fight, blocking this new mental bolt. Before she can launch another attack of her own, the psionic woman pauses and looks up. "Oh no..."

The alien charging Kitty seems quite happy that she's not running. He laughs as he gets closer, jaws open and drool dripping. And then...SMASH. He hits the wall and stumbles back before falling right over. KO!

Titan slams his fist into the floor and then glares as Simone rolls away. The massive man brings his hand back to swipe again only for the soft skin around his eyes to get darted! Yelling in pain, the man reaches up to the wound only...

Deathbird throws more and more blades as they're knocked out of the air. She doesn't notice the bounced blast until it's too late, her last thrown blade giving Scott a shallow cut to the shoulder. Deathbird screeches and goes flying only to end up smacked by Titan accidentally. She flies up, hits the ceiling, then falls to the ground, out cold.

It's now that we find out just why Oracle was suddenly afraid. In a blur of color, a powerful body rushes into the room, knocking past Forge and Impulse. Scott will find himself suddenly hoisted into the air and a hand clamped around his throat. A very annoyed looking purple man with a mohawk has Scott. Lilandra might want to say something because Gladiator has arrived!

"Cyclops!" Kitty rushes forwards, after allowing herself a little elation for tricking the brute. She remains phased, and moves forwards, rushing towards Gladiator; though, this time it isn't the enemy she phases. She leaps up, and grabs onto Cyclops, phasing him out of Gladiator's death-grip.

Simone is within reach of Deathbird. Maybe this will be a good way to end this fight fast. She pounces towards Deathbird, her own wings glowing as she attempts to grab the woman and bring a bladed wing tip to the unconscious woman's throat. Just because the X-men don't kill, doesn't mean that the Guard know this. "STOP NOW EVERYONE! OR YOU'LL HAVE NO EMPERORESS!!" she shouts out loudly, her eyes glowing a irisless gold.

Cyclops barely even winces, but it is certainly going to bleed and need tended later. "So predicta...," yes, he is choking on his words as he grabs the man's wrist. "Let...go...," he manages to get out and bunches his muscles, about to kick the man holding him until he is grabbed by Shadowcat and suddenly 'phased'. What a....strange feeling, especially when he instictively feels he has to grasp for breath right now. Hopefully Shadowcat doesn't accidentally phase both of them.

Fortunately for Forge, the sudden appearance of Gladiator was enough to keep him from getting fried. Unfortunately for Forge it was also enough to send both Forge and his attacker flying against a wall. The boot falls off of his hand in mid-flight, and goes rolling harmlessly down the hall. With a sudden thud, Forge's head smacks against the metal wall and he crumples on the floor in a very uncomfortable-looking position. A couple of things fall out of his pockets, scattering across the ground.

Lilandra spots Gladiator, and lets out a bellow that almost drowns Simone out. "ENOUGH. Deathbird is defeated. I hereby reclaim the throne." She stalks into the center of the room, suddenly no more the slightly-battered refugee, and every micron the Empress, staring the Guards down one by one.

Fearless leader saved by Kitty. check. Annoying red chick getting spinned around like a tilter whirl. check. Proper elevation and drift determine to fire red chick at mohawk man. Check. Lilandra reclaiming the thrown and making people stand down. That's not part of the plan. So Hank doesn't escalate the fight any further and with a little push lets Hussar be unceremoniously be dumped on the ground.

Just as it looks like things are about to escalate back into full combat, complete with Gladiator's eyes lighting up with bright red light...Lilandra speaks. The Imperial Guard not too dizzy or unconscious to do so all look to one another and then focus on Gladiator. The powerful alien looks slowly from Deathbird to Lilandra and floats towards her. Gladiator stands there, looming over the smaller woman for several long moments. Then, he gets down on one knee and bows his head. "Empress. What are your orders?" he asks. After a moment the other members of the Imperial Guard start to bow down as well. Seems like the fight is over.

Kitty guides Cyclops a few feet away from Gladiator, then - pauses, keeping Scott phased still, until - well, it looks like everything is over? Slowly, she removes her hand from him, leaving him solid once again. She, however, remains phased. Uncertain. Just in case.

Hey, if the kick didn't work, he would have blasted the Gladiator one good! So it would have sent him flying too, doesn't mean it wouldn't have worked! Alright, so it would have hurt like a son of a....alright, so he owes Shadowcat a thank you, but you don't need to rub it in! Got to love the secret telepathic communication between Scott and Hank that doesn't really ever happen.

Cyclops starts coughing when finally unphased, and works to stand up. A little unsteady for the first few seconds but is fine with that as he draws in oxygen. Not too pleased at the moment, but he isn't the type to start a fight over nothing by pride...so he holds off. Does he trust Lilandra? He is suddenly starting to have doubts. Will she keep her promises?

Lilandra puts a gentle hand on Gladiator, almost in benediction, then shoots Deathbird a lethal glare. "Firstly, the two beings that were captured and brought to the ship are to be returned to their compatriots." She commands. "As for /her/, throw her in prison." Not precisely what Lilandra wants to do to her, but Lilandra can always get back to her later.

Simone doesn't yet 'stand down'. She wants to wait until she's absolutely sure that Alex and Warren are safe, and Lilandra is securely upon the throne, and this Deathbird is behind bars. She glances at Cyke before she pulls back her wing and lets Deathbird be taken.

A quick scan of things, and Cyclops says, "Beast, check on Forge, he looks out cold. Sera, come to the rest of us." To stand in more of a group, for better defense. It looks like Lilandra will keep her promise, which is good.

"It will be my pleasure, Empress," Gladiator speaks as he stands. "Oracle!" the purple man commands. "Contact the guards. Stand down all alarms and release the prisoners. Impulse, you and Titan help the injured to the medical bay. I will handle Deathbird," he finishes handing out orders and walks towards Simone. "If you will," he waits for Simone to move before picking up the unconscious empress and carrying her out of the room like a sack of potatoes. Meanwhile Oracle starts sending out orders telepathically. Moments later the alarms all turn off and the fighting below decks ends.

"Am I the only one who -- thinks this is really weird?" Kitty wonders aloud, and quite shamelessly. Everyone that was just ready to kill them is now doing everything Lilandra says, without even the slightest hesitation, as well as Gladiator, who just a moment ago was about to choke Scott to death.

Hank jumps back to his feet in one leap from his back. "Yea... I think we got this thing call training we usually use before we send people into space." He says moving over to Forge. He looks the mutant genius over as he reaches into his belt and pulls out his first aid kit. "I think he'll be fine... Just need some of oh yea." With that hank pulls out a swab with some smelling sauce on it and holds it under Forge's nose, "Wakey wakey Forge time to be up and not dream of flex Compositors."

"Kate Hudson... you dirty little... " Suddenly Forge's eyes open and he gets an eyeful of arguably the least Kate Hudson-like X-Man. "Jesus!" He exclaims with a start, as he sits up straight and jolts backwards, hitting his head on the wall again. This time, however, he suffers no ill-effect. For a couple of seconds he sits there, taking things in and getting his bearings. "So... we won?"

"It would not be polite to laugh at him later," Cyclops adds. "But perhaps Shadowcat should examine his technology before we let him play with it while on a mission." Ouch! But he then nods, "Lilandra's goal was to reclaim the throne...I suppose it is as easily done as said. Must be a culture thing, such as the Imperial Guard is loyal to the throne as in the seat of power, not the individual holding it." It is the only thing Cyclops can figure out that would make this well, make sense. In either case he takes three steps forward to draw Lilandra's attention to him and then he actually bows with some respect, "Though we are not part of the Shi'ar Empire, we are glad you are in your rightful place. We would like to go see our comrades, to make sure that they are fine. Will everything be fine for you?" As if asking if Lilandra can really trust the Imperial Guard to protect her.

Is this how coups happen on Earth? Sera sure doesn't know but she doubts it. She glances at Kitty and nods. Indeed! She stands up and lets her cracked wings vanish. "So it would seem." she says.

Hank lets out a sigh tucking his first aid kit away. It really got annoying to have people constantly freak out at the sight of him but that was life. "Yes we won. No. I'm neither your personnel messiah nor Kate Hudson dressed seductively. Please put your tray in an upright position and remain seated until the captain turns off the seat belt light."

"Of course you may see to your compatriots." Lilandra says. "Oracle, have someone escort them." She smiles. "And I'll be fine, though I thank you for your concern."