Meanwhile, a captive audience

by **Narrator** » Wed Mar 14, 2012 2:44 pm

Altamira would wake up surprisingly comfortably, were it not for the fact that she was on a spaceship against her will. It was obviously a holding cell she was in, but she'd at least been placed comfortably on the bed. There was a forcefield keeping her in, and some sort of power dampening field was holding her powers in check... honestly measures that she could tell were feeble when used on her, but then again, she was god-only-knows-where in space, so it's not like she had too many options if she did try to escape.

There was, however, soon the opening of the door, and a very nervous-looking skrull entering with a tray.

by **Altamira Vazquez** » Wed Mar 14, 2012 2:59 pm

"Name."

by **Narrator** » Wed Mar 14, 2012 3:04 pm

The Skrull stopped for a moment, looking like he was trying to process what she was saying before he finally spoke, in a halting voice, "Nerr'g," pointing to himself.

by **Altamira Vazquez** » Wed Mar 14, 2012 3:07 pm

"Alright, Nerr'g. Where am I." she said, calmly.

by **Narrator** » Wed Mar 14, 2012 3:10 pm

Nerr'g seemed to be struggling with this... either he wasn't supposed to say anything, or his English was horrible. Likely the latter, given his accent. Finally, he just held the tray out as he walked forward. "Food," he managed, making an eating gesture as he set the tray on a little conveyor that would take it into her cell.

by **Altamira Vazquez** » Wed Mar 14, 2012 3:27 pm

Altamira tapped her head.

"Turn down the damper. You will understand, then.

Turn power down."

by **Narrator** » Wed Mar 14, 2012 3:36 pm

Nerr'g apparently knew enough about her to know to be scared of the idea of her in his head. He retreated toward the door, holding his hands up protectively and, oddly, bowing as he went. Repeatedly.

by **Altamira Vazquez** » Wed Mar 14, 2012 3:37 pm

Altamira picked up the food, and flung it at the forcefield, violently, and then tested what powers she still had.

by **Narrator** » Wed Mar 14, 2012 3:45 pm

Nerr'g winced as he looked back from the doorway, then was gone.

Mira would find that the power suppressing her abilities was formidable, but not insurmountable at all. If she really wanted to, it wouldn't be hard for her to burn it out. As it was, she'd be able to see the strain on the ship if she started fighting the power dampeners.

by **Altamira Vazquez** » Wed Mar 14, 2012 3:47 pm

Altamira decided to do just that--burn out the power dampeners. No one caged the Phoenix.

by **Narrator** » Wed Mar 14, 2012 3:55 pm

The response was... rather immediate.

The ship began to list as her systems began shorting out. The lights flickered, and the temperature fluctuated. Mira could also feel the atmospheric controls going haywire as her senses returned to her.

Also, Nerr'g ran back in, looking panicked and pleading with her in Skrull to... well, probably to stop, but it wasn't like she could understand him.

by **Altamira Vazquez** » Wed Mar 14, 2012 3:56 pm

She decided to keep going until she could understand him.

by **Narrator** » Wed Mar 14, 2012 4:05 pm

It didn't really take much longer before she could pick up impending images of the ship exploding in space.

by **Altamira Vazquez** » Wed Mar 14, 2012 4:06 pm

She wasn't looking for images, she was looking for words. Further onward.

by **Narrator** » Wed Mar 14, 2012 9:33 pm

As the ship strained further, alarms began to sound.

After an explosion rocked the ship from the port side, it became apparent that Altamira wasn't the only thing that the skrulls had to worry about at the moment.

Even through the reinforced doors, Mira could hear panicked voices in alien languages.

by **Altamira Vazquez** » Wed Mar 14, 2012 11:43 pm

She kept going until she could understand.

by **Narrator** » Thu Mar 15, 2012 12:02 am

The ship was rocked, hard, again, and Nerr'g apparently reconsidered where he was most needed, and, looking back and forth in indecision, hurried from the room. Mira could begin to catch bits and pieces of psychic chatter, all of it panicked and seeming largely like gibberish.

Then, as the ship's lights went out, the power suppressing field also went down, and she could feel a chaos of panic and outrage, that was hard to distinguish and sort out so quickly. Most of all, though, she could sense a strong sense of purpose making its way through the corridors toward her, the panic seeming to die down the closer it got.

The forcefield seemed to be on a different generator, because its faint blue glow was the only light she currently had. The ship's artificial gravity seemed to be failing, as well, as the ship seemed to be listing to one side.

by **Altamira Vazquez** » Thu Mar 15, 2012 12:06 am

Altamira focused her powers not on the forcefield, but on the wall surrounding the forcefield, using her telekenesis to rip a large section of this wall loose.

She was not quite desperate enough to do it to whatever lay behind a wall with no windows as to what might be on the other side. Yet.

by **Narrator** » Thu Mar 15, 2012 12:31 am

The forcefield flickered as the systems in the wall were damaged, but didn't fall yet. It seemed to be projecting from either the bases of the walls or the ceiling, and spread through the wall. Knocking it out seemed to be child's play with a little effort anyway, though.

It did, however, become largely elementary after a moment. Six burly men in rather attractive golden armor strode through the door, with the sounds of battle getting quieter behind them in the hall. The foremost of them removed his helmet, staring at Mira in disbelief, then saying something in some alien language to his equally shocked companions.

by **Altamira Vazquez** » Thu Mar 15, 2012 12:32 am

Mira concentrated until she could understand the language.

by **Narrator** » Thu Mar 15, 2012 12:37 am

"I believe that we will be able to speak clearly!" the man said, and there was an... odd sense of conviction to him as he said it. And, as he said it, Mira could understand them. After a moment, she would realize that while she had picked up the initial statement by picking the meanings out of his mind, everything else he was saying was actually in English. "The Matriarch was correct, then, these fools held an Avatar of Life prisoner." His voice seethed with indignation as one of those behind him spoke up in a lighter, but just as intense, voice. "I believe that the prison shall open!" he stated, firmly, and the forcefield immediately dissipated into nothingness.

by **Altamira Vazquez** » Thu Mar 15, 2012 12:41 am

"I believe you had better fill me in before this ship collapses."

by **Narrator** » Thu Mar 15, 2012 12:46 am

"There will be more than enough time for explanations," he said, bowing toward her, all of the others following suit. "Will you return with us to our vessel before this one collapses?"

by **Altamira Vazquez** » Thu Mar 15, 2012 12:49 am

"No. Not yet until I know I'm not going from one cell to another."

by **Narrator** » Thu Mar 15, 2012 12:52 am

"Of course not," the man said, his eyes going wide. "We would not be fool enough to imprison the Phoenix! You will be a guest of the Universal Church of Truth, and subject to whatever hospitality we might be able to offer."

by **Altamira Vazquez** » Thu Mar 15, 2012 12:53 am

"Lead on.

If you are lying to me..."

by **Narrator** » Thu Mar 15, 2012 1:12 am

"I would not," the man said. "I believe that we will return to our vessel!" he declared... and just as before, when he said it, it was so.

When he'd said that he was with a church, he apparently hadn't been lying. The room that they appeared in could have been a cathedral, if cathedrals were high-tech and made of golden metal. There were several more like the man who had been speaking to her, and several obviously lesser-ranked who were rushing about doing the usual 'running a ship' type things. Seated in a seat that was obviously the captain's (or the Pope's, in this case?) was a woman garbed in a flowing white robe, ordering the crew about imperiously as they made preparations to depart. That done, she turned her attention to those who returned from the exploding Shi'ar vessel. "Ah, Excellent, Cardinal, you found her." She rose, and bowed. "We are honored to be in the presence of the Phoenix. We were quite surprised when our seers sensed your presence in this part of space."

by **Altamira Vazquez** » Thu Mar 15, 2012 1:15 am

"And what part of space would that be?" Altamira said, trying to ignore the transition.

"And what is the status of the other ship."

by **Narrator** » Thu Mar 15, 2012 1:23 am

"Foundering," the woman said. "In moments it will be destroyed, but there is nothing left for it. The Skrulls would not abandon their vessel any more than they would allow us to board them to search for what they were so obviously hiding. As for where..." She gestured, and an image of the galaxy popped up, with their position clearly marked on it. "This is where we are, near the fringes of what was once the Skrull Empire. I do not know if this means anything to you, so simply state any place, and the map will show you its location, so that you can form a basis of location."

by **Altamira Vazquez** » Thu Mar 15, 2012 1:26 am

"First, you will cease your attack on the Skrull ship, and offer any help necessary for repairs."

by **Narrator** » Thu Mar 15, 2012 1:30 am

"I am afraid that there is no hope for that ship. Our attack has already ceased, but something has caused a cascading failure within their power systems, which has fed back into their power core. They have only moments before their ship is destroyed... and as I have said, they refused to leave it. We are powerless to bring aboard someone who does not wish it."

by **Altamira Vazquez** » Thu Mar 15, 2012 1:31 am

"Than I will," she said, whirling.

This would be more impressive if she knew where the door was, but hey, she was trying.

by **Narrator** » Thu Mar 15, 2012 1:45 am

The woman frowned, then sighed. "It is not our way to bring ones who come unwillingly, but if you wish it to be done, we will try. Cardinal Raker!" The man who had brought Mira turned, at attention, toward the woman.

"Yes, Matriarch?"

"I want a detachment of Cardinals to return with you and manually remove the Skrulls from the ship. Let your faith protect you."

The man bowed. "I believe that it shall be done!" And with that, he vanished.

The woman sat back in her seat. "And now, we must simply wait and have faith that they are fast enough to remove them through space."

by **Altamira Vazquez** » Thu Mar 15, 2012 1:46 am

"I've had enough of sitting and waiting," she frowned, her eyes flashing red.

by **Narrator** » Thu Mar 15, 2012 1:50 am

"I assure you... in this case, my Cardinals are able to act as well as you are," the woman said patiently. "They- ah, observe." Through the great window (viewport?) at the front of the bridge (sanctuary?), they could see ten golden streaks of light pass rapidly from the ship to the foundering ship that Mira had come from.

by **Altamira Vazquez** » Thu Mar 15, 2012 1:51 am

"Eleven is better than ten."

by **Narrator** » Thu Mar 15, 2012 1:55 am

The Matriarch considered this. "Perhaps," she admitted. "If you would like t-"

She was cut off by a voice speaking from the air, the slightly-familiar voice of Cardinal Raker. "Matriarch, the Skrulls are resisting. We are attempting to remove those that we can. Several of them simply hurled themselves into the vaccuum before we could take them."

The Matriarch frowned. "Do what you can, Cardinal." She looked to Mira. "If you wish to assist them, then do so. Time grows short, however, I am afraid."

by **Altamira Vazquez** » Thu Mar 15, 2012 1:58 am

"Right," Mira said, heading off to see what the power of the Phoenix could do.

by **Narrator** » Thu Mar 15, 2012 2:03 am

Mira would find that the crew was more than helpful to her, directing her to the airlock, and telling her, quickly, how to operate it.

The space between the ship wasn't hard to cross, but Mira would find that it wasn't exactly safe. There was a radiation leak from the Shi'ar shuttle that, while she could block it, took considerable effort to do, with quite a lot of orbiting debris to deflect as well. Once she reached the ship, she would also find that the inside of the ship had grown much less habitable.

by **Altamira Vazquez** » Thu Mar 15, 2012 2:05 am

What could harm the Phoenix? She bathed in the fires of creation; a radiation leak meant nothing.

She plunged into the ship, seeing who she could grab.

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