Log:Take a Space Hike

The Property of Duod Dalux 2019/10/10 Spirit Sentinel 3

Dorian's team finally managed to reverse engineer it. It's a communication system based on a Pentaradial Entanglement Wave- capable of commincating in real time with slave devices. Each one is tied back to a central hub that vibrates in time with the devices mic- which is actually a crystalline pressure sensor.

Now that they have the schematics of the comm device...the device itself isn't of much use. It's a client connected to the server in the ship, effectively. So Spirit takes it and flies out to meet the ship in person. He leaves a trail of light behind him as he flies out to Low Earth Orbit to where the bounty hunter's ship is supposed to be, according to SG sensors.

The bounty hunters have kept their end of the bargain so far. They've stayed in geosyncrynous orbit above Virginia, awaiting a signal. They've finished final repairs on their ship in the meantime. It's remained uncloaked.

The Colonial Bay Sentinel has finished his morning lap around the Earth and is climbing into orbit for a few minute R&R- you know, rest & recharge. Griffin takes that literally as he soars beyond the protective sheathe of Earth's atmosphere so the Sun's rays can touch him directly.

He casts his arms out and instinctively scans the local area with his energy sense. The breadth & width of which is enhanced by his suit- which alerts him to the ship just sitting above Virginia.

"Not another invasion... not today." The Super SOldier thinks to himself as he reorients his drift to get a closer look at the ship which brings Spirit's line of ascent into view.

He casts out a call.

"Ho there Commander." He says over a number of bands so he can be certain he's heard over the static of ambient orbital space.

Spirit does get the message and responds back over the same band. "Hey there, Griffin. Just about to give a response back to the bounty hunters that were looking for Artemis. Care to join me?"

Both heroes can sense they're being scanned long-range as they approach.

"Bounty Hunters, eh? Sure. You know, I did a bit of Bounty Hunting Earthside when I first woke up from my deepfreeze." He says as he zips between his previous, drifting position & a point where Spirit will be momentarily.

"Oh- looks like they've got eyes on. So no need to knock?" Griffin adds as the scanners sweep over them.

As they fly closer he asks, "What on Earth- well off Earth could these guys even want Artemis for? I've seen hurricanes with lighter touches but I've only ever sensed that she was a goodhearted individual. A little violent- but my best friend is too, so I can't really judge."

Spirit gets fairly close to where the ship is, hovering outside of the front of it. He then tries a few radio bands to find the right one to communicate with them, guessing based on prior readings from SG. "I am Spirit, commander of Starguard Gamma, and I have a response for you in regards to extradition." He nods to Griffin, and says over their more private channel, "Interstellar bounty hunters working for a slaver. That sums it up nicely."

Side thrusters turn the ship around to present a rear airlock hatch that opens.

Spirit also gives Griffin the band he ends up using to communication with the ship, as soon as it's found.

Spirit raises a brow at the airlock. It wasn't necessary, as he could have phased inside the ship, but they don't know that. He flies over to the airlock, making sure that Griffin is able to come along.

Ship sensors will note Griffin power up for a moment, glowing with a nimbus of energy when Spirit tells him they're dealing with hounds from a slaver.

He tempers it down but now he knows what he's dealing with & what's at stake- FREEDOM.

He follows Spirit towards the airlock, his eyes leaving a luminal trail behind him as he goes.

Spirit gets into the airlock with Griffin and waits for it to cycle.

The airlock closes and cycles in breathable atmosphere before the interior door opens. Triganon and Vadnox are standing on the other side, without their helmets on.

Vadnox screech-clicks as the translation software in his suit mechanically responds, "I see you have not brought the fugitive Althea Constantine. Does this mean you will not comply?"

Griffin plays the silent backup- mostly because he's keeping himself calm. He knows Spirit feels the same way as he does about 'Compliance' in this situation. Compliance is taking an active part and whether these aliens know it or not- they're standing above the Greatest Nation on Earth where freedom is a God Given Right, even if you yourself are some kind of divine being.

He just crosses his arms and glares at the two aliens.

Dorian changes form in a flash of light, to his formal Starguard uniform. He's nearly a foot shorter than Griffin next to him, but that doesn't seem to change his demeanor. He tosses the communicator to Vadnox. He then says formally, "You are correct. Extradition has not been granted. And in addition, if you attempt to capture her again, you will be viewed as invaders. Your ship will be scrapped for pieces or technology, and you will likely end up in prison." He pauses a moment, and adds, "You have been given a singular warning. You may leave with no further hostilities."

Griffin fights the urge to offer an alternative- which starts with the bounty hunters getting hostile and him blowing the ship up with he and Spirit inside it. He day dreams about the pair of them flying out unscathed and that being all the message required to take back to the slaver. If only.

He finally lets out the breath he took Earthside- mostly so he can smile menacingly as Spirit's formal delivery says all he hoped it would.

Dorian's just a bit taller than Vadnox, but both heroes are shorter than Triganon. Vadnox looks to Triganon and the two converse in some common language amongst themselves, still keeping their voices low.

Dorian waits for them to discuss for a few seconds. "I should add something, if you do not know our planet well. And you may not. We are the ones who defeated the Overlord when he attempted to consume our planet. The two of us standing here before you were there, personally. I highly recommend that you do not underestimate our abilities."

Griffin nods before chiming up at that. "And you're standing above a nation of people that believe in real individual freedom. It won't just be us you have to contend with- it will be millions of Americans. We'll just be the first." He says.

Somewhere below the National Anthem plays with three times the majesty & heart.

"Maybe you can pass that along to your boss- let him know a culture war isn't good for business." His eyes flare up a bit as he adds that last bit.

The two stop talking at Dorian's announcement about the overlord. Vadnox is still. Triganon eventually bursts out laughing. "Your planet could not possibly survive the Overlord."

Vadnox thinks on it. "How would this lawless, isolated planet know about the Overlord?" he says to Triganon, which makes the big guy stop laughing.

Dorian raises a brow. "The pylons that he uses for draining the planets energy are still visible in several spots on the planet. The remnants of his primary collection point is by our southern pole. If you do not believe me...check for yourself with your sensors." He smiles then. "And if you did NOT know that's how he drains the energy of a planet...then we know far more than you do about him and his Harbinger."

Dorian shrugs, "Or you can check with the Guild and their Inforcers. They do know the whole story, as we have passed on the details to them." He adds as an afterthought, "Or you can choose to not believe...and test us. I assure you, I already know the result of that possible interaction. It will not go well for you."

Dorian points with a thumb to Griffin, "He's hoping you choose that last option."

Vadnox presses a screen next to him and inquires something. A response from a third being comes back after a while. Vadnox makes an unhappy noise. "You speak true of the pylons. How did you survive?"

Triganon sizes Griffin up as Dorian motions to the Sentinel.

Griffin smirks at Dorian's response but says nothing. He doesn't need to back that up with words or claim anything. Just by maintaining his stoic, soldierly posture which is exactly what he does at least until Dorian mentions testing them.

"Oh yes. Definitely. I take slavery very personally." He says as a nimbus of energy begins glowing all around him. "For me its more than principal. Freedom can't really exist if anyone suffers under the yoke of oppression. So when someone tells me there's a ship overhead threatening to abduct United Earth citizens it makes me feel a bit ... explosive."

Crackles of energy being snapping all around him as his energy field ionizes the air.

He looks at Vadnox and nods with an expectant smile. "Jump if you've got the gumption froggy." He says with a look in his eye that definitely says he's considering bringing the ship down jsut on principal.

Dorian smiles slightly, "We destroyed several pylons, disrupting the collection network. And then we took the fight to him directly at our southern pole, once we realized where he was based. A couple of teams of our metahumans managed to defeat him personally. I led the charge." He doesn't mention the conversion of Harbinger. That would just make them look a little weaker in the eyes of the aliens here.

More chatter comes over the ship's local comm from that third party voice as cosmic energy spikes are detected onboard the ship. Vadnox looks concerned.

Triganon rumbles at Griffin. "The fugitive is now accepted as a citizen of your planet?" Though the display of rackling energy makes both aliens take a step back.

"Meta...humans," Vadnox says slowly with interest at the new word. It's not translated. He says the english word himself, and now seems...thoughtful. And very interested to end this conversation. "You travel in space without suits. You defeated the Overlord. We will not return to capture Althea Constantine or her fugitive brother, if he is on this planet. For as long as they remain on this planet."

Dorian nods with a smile. "Good. Then we have an understanding. I hope your travels go smoothly...and swiftly." He then heads back toward the airlock...changing back to his energy form in another flash of light.

"Why do you think coming back here will be taken as an act of war?" Griffin asks, cocking his head a bit to the side. Maybe he's bluffing- he certainly wouldn't know, but these Aliens don't need to know that. Afterall- he's not an official government employee anyway. Whatever he says can be off the books.

"That sounds like a good plan. Don't give us a reason to come looking for you- or your boss. I'd jsut stay clear of Earth altogether. If we go to bat with a marooned space goddess- imagine how we'll fight for one of our own?" Griffin says, assuring the pair that they nor Duod want that smoke.

Griffin pauses a long moment to illustrate his fearlessness of these or any Duod might send. "Pass the word to your boss- I'll be lookin' for him. That's for damned sure." He says before turning towards teh airlock.

He'll wait for the door to cycle then catches up with Spirit.

Spirit heads back outside, and says to Griffin over the theoretically 'private' channel. "Thanks for the backup. I appreciate it."

The airlock cycles after one set of doors close, then another opens, letting Griffin and Spirit go, though Spirit can just bypass it.

"Anytime Brother." Griffin replies with a smile and a nod. "Especially when its slaver scum like that. Putting a little fright in 'em made my day. Not as much as personally escorting them back home and then crippling the infrastructure of whereever I wound up- but he this isn't wartime." He smirks, suspecting the channel might not be so private himself.

Spirit shakes his head, "No need to do that. I just want them gone. If they're smart, they'll leave. Otherwise, we can punch holes in their ship."

The spaceship begins to move away from earth at impulse speed. Triganon asks unhappily, "What do we do now?"

The captain steps through some doors, dressed in roguish apparel. "We do what we have to to keep on flying. Think Dalux would pay a nice sum for directions to a planet full of 'meta-human' gladiators to pick from?" he grins.