The Long Way Home for some . . .

Inquirer

Tyrell didn't betray us, surprisingly enough. It was someone else within.

Yeah, stuff like that happened all the time back on the worlds still ruled by the Company. It's Corporate politics, getting ahead by stepping over the blaster bolt ridden bodies of those who are in your way. Creator knows when I'd DMed games set in the cyberpunk genre, I'd played it out that way! Or perhaps the cleanup crew is part of some OTHER mega- corporation (a kick murder squad not much unlike what Zora had belonged) taking an opportunity to hit their rival where it would hurt most, the CEO.

Creator, what a mess, whatever the truth is! And I sort of blame myself for it, in a way. Must be all my years living on Terra Prime as a civilian. Gotten out of practice, I guess. Had been good, being out, but looks like we've seen the downside (and everything has its downside).

Whatever, that's not important at this moment.

. . .

Being that when Elrondir had opted to vacate his role of Bladerunner, we no longer have an inside view to know for sure. Probably never WILL know, now. Perhaps we could have avoided this. Then again, I have to trust my brother when he'd said that things would soon, his opinion, untenable so he'd opted out early.

That said, it was Tyrell who gets the first hit. Man never say what hit him. What killed him.

Sigh.

It became a chaotic mess, the next few moments. In the shuffle of things our group got split up into two. Contacting friends via combadges (a form of communication not likely to be eavesdropped on by this world's technology, advance though it is in many ways) I learn that one group (which contains the current holder of the detector wand and all the blocks, as it happens) has a bead on our last few targets (somewhere near the drop point, as luck would have it). That group is made up mostly of the more stealthy members of the group, as it were. My group is composed of those who are (cough, cough) able to deal out a lot of hurt. Either side are almost equal (all considered, leaving out the Doctor in the mix) but you see we . . .

Well, never mind group dynamics and all that rubbish. The short of it is that my group takes up the task of giving the "cleanup crew" (i.e. the assassination squad) some Hell so they are more busy with US than the others. Let the others do their business. Then, the plan was to regroup and we get away in the TARDIS.

. . .

Yeah, yeah! Not much of a plan, but best we could come up with on the spur of the moment with all Hell breaking loose! Just things going south so unexpectedly we. . .

...

Of course, something goes wrong. With such a rather lame plan, can you expect anything different?

Elrondir's last communication tells it all. The targets had been recovered and blockified (without much as "by your leave" but well, hey)! Turns out that Leon (by the exclamation we overhear in the background) had already met them. Some rather simple minded "milkmaid" named Ilsa and a (by Creator) a cow!! Given the fact that a lot of the Component carriers are usually people that had caught the ire of Randall Flagg (i.e. Freds and Astras) for some reason, it's rather likely that these are . . .

Well, we'll try to sort that out later IF we get a chance. IF the opportunity presents itself after the Rules and Agents back in the Tower (i.e. the victims opt to visit us on Terra Prime or whatever) are done with them.

Right now we have other concerns.

No, not the threat of capture. After what had befallen the other group we'd managed to make our escape in the TARDIS back to the regrouping point (i.e. the Farscape universe, ala Season 2, where we blockified Talyn).

We fall back, appearing back on Moya. . . and . . . have to wait for the others to make it back the long way home!

"Well," the Rule sighs. "While you and your friends did finish your Quest successfully and . . . those who'd opted to return with you back to Terra Prime are back on Moya. Those who could fit inside. Talyn's just appeared right next to her, so there!"

The last part is said with a trace of a smile.

"But the problem here is your . . . . friends." the Celestrial gestures to the goggle eyed Replicants Leon and Zora (who'd seen things they'd never DREAMED of while their unexpected visit within this Dark Tower).

They look a bit shell shocked.

I take it we'd be asking too much for fixing their accelerated decrepitude? Sovay ventures. That or just zapping us all back home so friends of ours could attend that problem?

Fear you'd be correct on both counts, comes the reply. I could have "zapped" you Champions back to Terra Prime if you'd come alone, but being that these mortals are . . . mortals I and the others cannot directly intervene. Cannot zap them home or cure them. Being that you, because of your ethics prevent it, will not abandon them means we can't send you home directly. BUT instead we have another, rather indirect means open . . .

Turns out it's taking the Beam and a roadmap back home, opening Doors to other worlds with proper Keys . . . Rather torturous route, but best that could be managed, given circumstances. Some even might allow that "accelerated decrepitude" problem to be fixed in route, but that's by the by. Elves (Elrondir and B'Elanna) and Demifoxes (Sovay and Demifox Synizn) are thinking that the best chances of helping Zora and Leon lay back home, and not en route (and thus plan accordingly).

....

There were faster routes by the Beam to the rendezvous point for the Champions, but not exactly through worlds one could survive in for long...

As it stands, there are several "crossovers" in the making here soon. But first as it stands they're on a world parallel to Terra, ironically enough.

The Champions are in the process of finally explaining to them what is going on (now that the Replicants have gathered up their wits after being exposed to such an alien environment, inside the Dark Tower) when . . . the mistress of this Island (of Moreau) pays a call.

She'd detected a rather jarring magical disturbance and gone to investigate. NOT too soon after an inhuman screaming begins. Her screams.... Preceded by deep, inhuman laughter. Mocking laughter at the warnings that she SHOULD have listened to, really.

Elrondir, of all of them, didn't take too well to being mocked!

1. Of course, the noise brings a lot of people running. One particular red whiskered manimal, in particular. But others as well!!

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