This was it. Endgame. The crux of the battle, the turning point, those crucial moments that would decide if the crew won or lost, that would decide if the Ohm would reign victorious or go running with their chitinous tails between their legs.

Did the crew have enough grit to win? Could they defeat a full Ohm fighting force?

With the flagging confidence of the GIA forces, it'd be up to the crew to turn the tide.

And one of the crew would pay the ultimate price to make sure the others walked away alive.

[ooc: everything is up!]

 After dropping off some of the crew at Balisair, it was time for the crew to set course for Lirath. The situation greeting them wasn't the most promising.

The cracked surface of the moon called Lirath was one of its most unmistakeable features. One of the three moons of the planet Kehoe, it had been terraformed and served as a settlement for a hundreds of different species, some humanoid, some not. Despite occasional class struggles, environmental issues, and speciesism blocking their way, the darker parts of Lirath's past were largely left behind, and an era of peace and tolerance had reigned for quite some time. The only problems they'd had recently were with a terrorist group whose cause for their actions had been a mystery, but they weren't tied to any particular species or social group and had been likened to a cult and had largely gone quiet in recent years.

Now the peace on the moon of Lirath had been shattered by the invasion of the Ohm.

The capital city had been destroyed. Now, all that was left of the peoples of Lirath was evacuating from one of its smaller cities, one known as Smyteval. A desert city, existing in a valley in between a rocky range of canyons and mountains, even though it was in the low ground, the natural channels of rock served as bottlenecks for any Ohm attacking from the ground.

GIA squadrons patrolled in space, locked in explosive warfare, protecting the Bleed-gate that had been activated to see the evacuated ships to the refugee world, and a shield created by massively-powerful shield generators extended around the city and up into the atmosphere, creating a shielded tunnel so ships could escape.

Word had come that there was a vital weapon to be deployed on Lirath, one that needed to be destroyed, hence why the Transmigration 9 had been called in. Given the diverse crew, and the ships that were in its hangar, there was at least someone or something on board that could blow the weapon up if it did show.

There was no sign of it yet. Right now, there was just chaos, streams of evacuees boarding ships, armies of Ohm engaged with GIA soldiers outside the shields, and forcefields that everyone hoped would hold out just a little bit longer.

The crew would be following Leon's orders but finding themselves fighting side-by-side with GIA platoons, full of various species that were currently all getting their asses kicked severely.

[ooc: STAGE 1 is now open! Please do not tage STAGE 2 until it's announced as open as well.]

[ooc: STAGE 2 is now open!]

The City didn't have weather as most people knew it, but it was nonetheless a beautiful day - warm weather with a nice breeze, Stacy's sun-equivalent shining in the sky... almost as if it was reflecting the emotions of at least one of the ship's crew. In the middle of the Park, someone had set up a little white lattice archway amongst the hedgerows, decorated with ivy and roses and lilies that looked remarkably real (if they were, in fact, synthetic). In front of the arch were several rows of white chairs, more than enough for anyone who cared to show up.

It was a beautiful day for a wedding.

And frankly, Nanoha needed it. After the chaos and confusion; the rage and terror on Galilee... she didn't think she could ever forget that horrible sense of loss and emptiness when she'd thought that Fate was gone, if only for a day or so. But this would go a long way toward exorcising those demons - a day that she'd dreamed of for years.

Of course, she couldn't go greet anyone yet. She was in her wedding dress, after all! These things needed to be proper.

(ooc: Tag the respective subthreads, please! Mingling is highly encouraged.)

Le Prefecture was currently empty and quiet, save for the projection of one blonde princess that was simply waiting. Waiting for the other members of the council and appointed leaders of the ship to arrive. They had taken care of the Council's open house, and she had made sure to attend even though she had still been recovering. But it was important to be there, and it was even more important to be where she was now immediately after they finished that. Her and Setsuna's encounter with the Ohm had been quite the experience. And though they were still in the darkness when it came to understanding them completely, there were little hopes of light starting to shine in.

Once the rest of the crew arrived, she'd begin. The meeting repeating itself over and over again in her head.

Ben had fuelled upon smoothies and he was truly bored for the point being. So he was dialling through the Ultimatrix when he began to shift to different ones. It was here that he noticed something rather SUPER in his rotation.

"He-llo what is THIS? I had forgotten I had it."

In a flash of light, Ben stood there, taller, muscular, not quite as massive as the original but somewhere on the path towards becoming Ben 10,000. He smirked down at himself, patting his black outfit that came with it. It had been a long time since he checked playlist five, but he had forgotten that he had a scan of Kryptonian DNA.

"Now this I like."

And he hovered into the air.

"WHOA! Okay, make that REALLY LOVE."

Many people across the Earth could tell you where they were when they found out the news. That a terrible creature had torn through the the United States, razing the country in a horrific storm of death and destruction. That the Justice League, some of Earth's mightiest heroes, fell before this beast's might. That only one man stood in its way - Superman. And when the dust settled in Metropolis, the beast was stopped... and so was Superman.

But, not everyone knows about that horrific day on Stacy. Perhaps Superboy does. Perhaps one of the Legion. But, as it stands, not even the Clock knew of this moment.

For today, at least, in the middle of the City...

...was the day a Superman died.

(OoC: And after all that talk from the Council about trusting people. Obviously, Superman isn't going to say anything in this entry. Gonna need someone to find him, though. It's gonna look stupid with a dead Superman in the middle of the street for this portion and no one the wiser of it. Beyond that, have fun!)

Despite Superman's suddenly odd penchant for sporting mullets, it was time to have a heart-to-heart chat... between the Council and the rest of the crew. If there was some sort of bond between them and the crew that needed to be made, it needed to be done without hiding behind Omnicomms and other decisions.

Thus, the Council was gathered within La Prefecture and everyone was welcome to come in and make their concerns, questions, complaints and what have you known. Care to join us?

(OoC: This is open to everybody and everyone! Also, don't wait for the Council to address you guys! If your characters have concerns, start up a subthread and we'll gladly tag it!)

Feet propped on a table, leaning back in a rather comfy chair he'd stolen out of Engineering, Zetta absently flipped through the large packet in which he'd compiled his many proposals as he waited for the rest of the Council to arrive.

As he reached the last page in the packet, he snickered. "'Alexander, God of Destructions, smells.' That never gets old!" Not that he actually expected that particular proposal to be passed. It was just bargaining leverage, something that could easily be cut as a concession to get some of the rest of the stuff past the peaceniks and love-and-rainbows crowd.

"I feel like I should have a nameplate," he said, looking down at the table.

There was probably one thing that Superman enjoyed about having a secret identity, especially on this ship - virtually no one knew about it. He was certain that the only ones who knew of it were those close to him, like Kon and Nightwing.

Thus, he opted to spend a few days as Clark Kent once more, wandering the City and getting a good idea of what was what. Besides, hiding his identity allowed him to get a small breather from the duties he had. A shame someone like Matt never had that. Would have come in handy.

Today, his wanderings lead him to find something from his world - the Daily Planet building. His workplace. He couldn't help but wandering the building, noting all the dust that had built up. Perhaps he could get some sort of newspaper running in here - or at the very least, an omnicomm version of it.

As he wandered, he came across a hallway sporting various headlines, mostly involving him - his first appearance, the Crisis, his death at the hands of Doomsday, the appearance of the four "Supermen", his transformation into the electric form and subsequent return, Luthor's election, Imperiex's invasion, Luthor's downfall, the second Crisis, and his own return following it.

"I never thought I'd see this and actually wonder what would be the next thing to put up..." Clark mused to himself.

(OoC: The only thing I ask of this post is that, unless your character has SOME sort of knowledge that Clark Kent = Superman or has someway to detect the two may be linked, do NOT automatically out him. PLEASE. Thank you!)

Tana had ended up, during her walk around the ship, inside weapons and possessions. There was a little locker with her things in it, and she hadn't really gone through them there. She tossed them into her purse, and brought them to the obs deck for further inspection.

Yeah, it was a distraction, but at least it was a worthy one. Tana dumped the contents of the purse in her lap, nestled back on a far-flung couch where she wouldn't be in the way and rifled through her things.

Her huge, clunky cellphone didn't seem to be worse for the wear, considering she'd lost it in Alaska (not that she had a real reason to bring it there - cell service was virtually non-existent that far north). Tana pressed the power button and waited for it to load up, amused when it greeted her with tinny chime and a full battery.

"...I still have service?" She looked at the phone and frowned. That... that seemed weird. Tana looked around, shrugged and fished through her contacts until she landed on her brother's name. She hit the send button and held it to her ear, waiting. It rang once, and picked up dead air.

"Figures." Well, at least it'd make a nice paperweight.


[Technically for Superman, but if you want to bother Tana, just drop me a line. :>]

Bleary-eyed toil brought results, and there was a cure for ROM-199A. Now the problem came with administering it.

Down in the city, the makeshift strike team wielded modified tranquilizer rifles and each of them had 12 cure rounds to use. The infected needed to be struck solidly in order for the cure to be injected-- they were instructed to aim for the chest, though a shot in the arm or leg that hit and stuck would work as well.

It's like paintball, except with deadly pathogens!


Meanwhile, up in Quarantine, those who didn't feel comfortable with shooting their crewmates in the face chest and lower extremities were charged with curing those who had already been subdued and contained.

That was more like tag than paintball, except with deadly pathogens, of course.


(ooc: If you signed up here or here, fire away. If you want to participate but didn't sign up, fire away. If you're infected, tag in to your victim of choice and tear those jerks apart before they shoot you in the face chest and lower extremities! THROW-DOWN! Remember, give the newbs and less plot-fortunate first shot. HAVE FUN.)

For Superman, getting sick was a rare occurrence. Usually, it struck him when he was powerless and when it hit it, it hit him like a ton of bricks. However, this was different. He was still powered and it hit him. That wasn't good at all. To make sure no one else got it, he headed for his quarters to wait it out, hoping it was some minor cold.

However, it wouldn't leave. It was like a persistent flu. But, being locked up got him thinking about everything. But, it seemed to just make him frustrated. The more he thought, the angrier he got. Unable to take it any longer, Superman left his room in a huff, trying his best to fight the sickness.

It wasn't working. And it was making him angrier

It was night on the ship - or at least as close to night as the ship ever got.

But while most of the crew slept, something had been released from within the ship. Something invisible, something undetectable, and something very, very dangerous.

If you passed through parts of the City, you might start to feel a little sick...

Le Prefecture De Police was an impressive building, but that wasn't the reason it had been chosen by the members of the civilian council; it had been chosen because none of the Councilmen (and women) had any ties to it, making it neutral ground. There was also the potential for everyone to have an office with a desk in the same general vicinity if they so chose, making communication easier.

One of the larger rooms had been cleared of most of the furniture, except for chairs and a few tables. It had been left up to each individual where they wanted to sit, and how, since they were all currently equals.

The Council had a lot to discuss. They had yet to choose a chairperson, and three major issues had popped up in a relatively short amount of time: Mei-Xing's clone, Schmuz and Iniss the yeerks, and whether there should be mandatory physicals and/or psychiatric evaluations for the crew.

They were also going to have a few guests presenting information, but at the moment, people were still arriving.

The sun had set on the illusion of the Kent farm in the Sensoriums. The stars were out in a big, clear Kansas sky. During the night-time, the sky here could be just as beautiful--and expansive--as it was during the day.

Kon was in the barn, leaning against the window-sill, looking out on the night sky. The moon was good practice for his telescopic vision, and it was perfectly rendered here, every basin, ridge and lunar mare.

Mostly, he just didn't want to see anyone right now, after the business with Mei-Xing's clone. He was getting sick of the wait, but terrified of what the decision would be.

[[OOC: Read this before tagging.]]

Shiva was about to scream some more at the council’s representatives when he heart the sound of his devices powering down. The force field flickered and shut down, which meant the power dampener was also inactive. The “god” had suddenly become very much a mortal, very much vulnerable…

And oh so very screwed.

“DO NOT COME ANY CLOSER!” This time when he yelled he was not smug or disdainful. He was terrified. “I WILL KILL THEM! I WILL—”

It wasn’t clear if it was planned. With the way Kawalsky’s body was twitching, with the way the sweat poured down his face, it could have been a mistake. Or it could have been intentional, if misguided. However it happened, it was a profound mistake, one the goa’uld would pay for with his life.

He pressed the trigger for the bombs. He had no way of knowing they had all been deactivated. All but one.

And though he was voiceless, though no one could hear him save for two telepaths, Kawalsky screamed. He had tried to help the crew. Communicating to the engineers any advice that could help them disable the devices. They wouldn’t have been able to deactivate them without him, not for a while. So many months after he had broken, he thought he could stop the goa’uld from killing.

He was wrong.

Shiva spoke through the comms (not the omnicomms) directly into the minds of the crew.

«I am Shiva. I am the destroyer of all that you know and the creator of a grand new empire. For months you thought of me as my host, Charles Kawalsky, but now you shall see me in all my glory. I have positioned bombs throughout this vessel, including the pod caverns. I need but press the trigger and they will explode. I also have one hostage of my own, Sheryl. You will not be able to stop me. I am fully equipped with a power dampener, and a forcefield. I am untouchable. You have one hour to surrender yourselves to me and begin your new lives as my slaves.»

His eyes flashed gold and he held his hostage firmly. He did not wish to wait, but if he tired of this he would amend his demands. For now he stayed in one of the areas in the City hidden from Stacy’s view, in the middle of a pile of rubble, with not a landmark in sight.

Still, he knew they would come.

It was not uncommon for different people to be torn away from the others thanks to the wonder that is GLaDOS. Happens all the time and it's very infuriating. However, when a good chunk disappears, especially two important people? Yeah, there's a problem.

In one of the hallways, part of a wall opened up, the sounds of screaming echoed out as six figures spilled out. Two of them, Superman and the hedgehog known as Shadow, were carrying two others in their arms - Irma and Lowe with Superman and Sasami and Vivio with Shadow. Coming to a stop, the two men set the others down... and raced back to the wall.

"You're not getting away with this!" Shadow shouted as they raced to the wall, only to stop as the wall sealed up. "RRRGH! Dammit!"

"Blast..." Superman grunted, pounding the wall. There were others in there - there had to be. Others they could have pulled out. Turning around, he looked at the other four. "Is everyone alright?"

"Fine... though, now I see why everyone HATES that thing!" Irma said, rubbing her neck as she stood up straight.

"Everyone must be worried about us..." Vivio said, looking around.

"I'm sure they are, but don't worry - once they know we're alright, it'll be fine!" Lowe said.

"...hope we didn't miss the elections!" Sasami said. "Don't want to find out we missed it because of that... thing!"

"Don't worry, I doubt we have." Superman said. With that, he turned to his omnicomm and began putting out a message. At least they'll know they're okay now.

(OoC: Go ahead, mingle. Be glad everyone's okay! /o/)

There was probably one thing Superman enjoyed and that was returning home every once and awhile. The simple life in Smallville was a great thing to cherish and returning to the Kent farm was something to look forward to.

Even if getting there was as simple as flying in the blink of an eye.

Today was different. This time, getting there was as simple as walking into the Sensoriums. He still couldn't find the farm in the City, but he hoped that it was still there in some capacity. For the moment, though, he opted for the Sensoriums, able to enjoy what he could while he recovered from his injuries he sustained from the Ohm attack.

However, if one were to come in and see him in there, they wouldn't find a man in red and blue, yet a simple, somewhat normal man wearing glasses and regular clothing over his plant suit.

It had been ages since he had just been Clark Kent. It was time to be that way again, even if it didn't matter.

The battle raged on, but while the crew fought valiantly, the Ohm continued to come at them at full force.

Something had to be done, or they would soon be overrun.

Cargn, ever thinking of the larger picture, had released his familiar, Unit XXVI, at the beginning of the battle. It flew high above the battlefield, watching, waiting, searching for one target in particular.

And it had just found it.

The information was instantly transmitted to Cargn via his telepathic link with the machine. Even as he was fighting, he already had a battle plan forming in his head, centuries of experience being put to good use.

++Attention, all units,++ he calls over the comms, ++This is Brother Cargn. I have located the Node. Repeat, I have located the Node. I have currently formulated a plan to strike at it, and am assuming supervision of the ground ground forces for this operation.++

++To the following units,++ he continues, selecting those warriors nearby suited to the task at hand from his omnicomm, ++Form up on my position. We will assume the role of strike team, to destroy the Node. All other units will form up at the designated coordinates I have sent to your maps. You will provide a final push against the Ohm force, covering the strike team, and making an opening for them to penetrate the swarm and make their way to the Node.++

++You have your orders. Good luck, and Emperor's Blessings.++

[ooc: Open! Read here before tagging]