7811/The Raptor and the Sapphire

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The Raptor and the Sapphire
Date of Scene: 13 September 2021
Location: Near Orbit, Earth
Synopsis: Clearing out space debris, Michael meets the avatar of love, the Star Sapphire! And Throne knows these humans could use more love on their world...
Cast of Characters: Michael Erickson, Ruby Lasertrava




Michael Erickson has posed:
    Earth. Third planet of a middling yellow-sequence star. Classified as 332-55-ZA on the Shi'ar Multigalactic Register. A pale blue dot in the void, it is the scene of a thousand different scenes on the galactic and local stage. The Kree have been a staple here, and only recently the Empire has made it here to menace people on the surface - just to be forcibly ejected. Somewhere between the Earth and its moon, the ragments of Shi'ar vessels float in space, largely salvaged by the local authorites, but there area always bits that are left over.

    And, of course, in the way of space debris, pieces always fall through orbit toward the surface. This can be a Bad Thing. Sometimes it can be Very Bad.

    Somewhere out there, however, a winged figure currently deals with a splintered piece of exotic alloys ready to plunge to the surface. Gleaming red, its wings made of razor-edged airfoil 'feathers' that extend from its limbs, the metallic figure grapples with a large chunk of what was once a Shi'ar battleship, now nothing but twisted wreckage. It looks like one part anatomical model and one part hood ornament, but to anyone who knows the deep workings of the Empire, the shape could not be more iconic: a suit of the Raptor Fraternity, supposedly an order of armored warriors meant to protect the long term interests of the Shi'ar Empire. But this one is doing...well. Trash detail.

    Pounding at the section of hull with armored fists and cutting claws, whoever's in that suit is taking it apart as easily as one might with a laser torch.

Ruby Lasertrava has posed:
A pale blue dot... and a place that many call home.

There is another light, less pale, and certainly less blue, coming from around the Moon, small, terribly bright, but a significant point source of illumination:

"It's just like all the pictures! Well, mostly," says Ruby Lasertrava, sailing through the void in a luminous bubble of light that is trailing out a cometary tail behind her as she maneuvers round, descending with grace and a glamor-struck wide-eyed expression. "I don't think the wreckage was in the photographs from the lunar voyage, but that's got to be a lot more recent than anything, after all, given all of that's happened and the recent upset in the governance, and -"

A pause.

"Well that's strange," Ruby says to herself. "Ring, can you show me what's going on there?" The Ring obliges, leisurely, producing a rounded 'screen' which makes Ruby pause -

"Oh, pooh, do I have to free him? Maybe he's been enthralled. Oh, or he might have been detailed to the Earth government! What's it called again, STARS? The United Nations?" Ruby speaks to herself, vectoring differently. There are baffle-flashes of violet as she sheds velocity and --

-- seems to just kind of skid in from stage right. "Excuse me! I hate to interrupt!" she calls out to the armored figure. "Are you unhappy with your life? I mean to say are you being held against your will somehow."

Michael Erickson has posed:
    Shredding the decks and sections of hull, unpowered conduit, the Raptor works; the supposed agent of the Empire, shipbreaking. And then suddenly there's a woman appearing, manifesting in light and sound that...should not project, given the nature of the void. The redchromed figure pauses a moment, turning toward the woman with a visor seething with violet light. A kindred spirit? No. The violet flame that fills the v-shaped visor is of a different energy than that which the Star Sapphire wields, far less positive and of this universe.

    Finally, it speaks. Audio, like her. Focused. Radio signals, digital. Whatever she picks up. << No, >> the armor says in a somewhat bemused baritone voice. << I'm fine, thank you. I'm just reducing the danger of orbital impacts. Can I help you? >>

Ruby Lasertrava has posed:
The radio transmissions reach the glowing violet-sheathed woman, who seems content to wait for a little while for a response. Her own reply is pellucid-clear, and is coming on several other frequencies, narrowing down somewhat to make for an easier conversation.

"Oh, that's good. I recognized your suit. This looks like it was certainly a mess," Ruby continues, before a question is posed to her. Her lips purse.

The Star Sapphire Corps is not as aged and august as the Green Lantern Corps, but parallels are pretty obvious if you have 'read a briefing hologram, ever, in history.' Ruby rolls over in space, in order to orient herself relative to the masked figure.

"I'm just dropping in," Ruby replies. "Say, you may be able to help me out. Where is the best place to land? Oh-- I'm sorry, though, is the tradition to land somewhere out of the way and take local transport? I assume you're local, anyway." She waves in the air, vaguely. ('air.') "If you're just here to....... salvage, then don't worry about it! I'll just be on my way."

Michael Erickson has posed:
    << I am not a part of the Raptor Fraternity, Star Sapphire. >> That would make him an independent Raptor, which is...well. Damned near unheard of. << I am Cal'hatar of Chandilar, formerly of the Shi'ar Empire - though the humans know me as the Red Sentinel. I would ask that you use that title also when speaking in mixed company. >> A pause. << To answer your question, you might do well to enter the environment subtly. You might go to Metropolis, one of the major population centers where there is a Green Lantern stationed. There is another in the area as well, if you would like to meet with them. >>

    He looks down to the the fragment of the ship that he has been dissecting, then, before looking back. << There was a battle here not long ago, Sapphire. The Empire arrived in force to attack a vessel of the Phal'kon. It is...a long story. Would you like my assistance in integrating into the population? >>

    After all, She's a Sapphire. No point in /not/ helping her. They're only sometimes villains, after all. Mostly not.

Ruby Lasertrava has posed:
"I understand completely, Red Sentinel," says Ruby, seriously.

A pause.

Ruby sounds light again. "Oh, I don't think we need to bother them at all! I'm just here, really, for some personal time and to develop some skills; it'll be like I was never here, and I know ALL of the Green Lanterns are all just SO busy - so why add to their burden?"

Ruby smiles in a completely non-suspicious way!

"Oh, yes, I remember hearing about that, but not the Phal'kon part. Was it really here? That's amazing if all of THAT was true, but I guess you can't put anything past them... though," and here Ruby looks over her shoulder, "It seems like they did well for themselves. Must have been a false alarm!"

Then she looks back towards THE RED SENTINEL. "Oh, that is SO sweet of you. Please, give me some advice! I'm a tough girl, though, so you don't have to worry about -- wait."

Ruby pauses.

"Are you a SUPER HERO on this planet?" she continues, leaning forwards, eyes going wide. "That name, that sounds like a SUPER HERO name! Are you helping the humans and protecting them from, what is it, crime? Bad behavior? It's a little unclear. Is "Red Sentinel" your "Secret Identity"?!"

Michael Erickson has posed:
    << These are Shi'ar vessels. >> They didn't do very well after all, as it turns out! The Sentinel stares at her through that v-shaped visor for a long moment, gauging the spacegoing gee-whiz machine that is the Sapphire...and then nods. << Yes, that is what I do. I deal with criminals on the planet, keep advanced technology from criminal and private parties that is to be used in a negative or self-serving way, and I defend the population against harm and natural disasters. 'Super hero' is a name that has been applied, but I do not choose to advertise myself as such. >>

    Now he looks down at the planet below, swirling clouds and beautiful vistas. That sort of thing. << How obvious about your alien nature do you want to be? >>

Ruby Lasertrava has posed:
"These were Shi'ar vessels, you mean," Ruby answers Michael rather frankly. "I hope the crews got out." Her arms fold, loosely.

"That's /amazing/," she continues. "Why do you do it? Did you immigrate? Obviously I can't, but my grandmother talked about going back sometimes." This may tell volumes, concisely.

"What do you mean?" Ruby continues. "Does it show? I know how to turn off the ring and play it quietly, if you mean that. I honestly don't know how much it would stand out on the street." (Probably not enough to make people scream, though she would likely be slightly memorable to anyone paying attention.)

Michael Erickson has posed:
    << I was a spy, >> replies the Sentinel. << Sent here decades ago to monitor Kree activity on the planet's surface. You could say I went native. These people are lovely, chaotic...but lovely. The Majestor went insane, demanded that I help murder an innocent for the crime of being the host of the Phal'kon, which she could not help. I refused. Now I, too, cannot return. Even with the ascendancy of the new Majestrix, it would be a political liability for her. I remain here, to help the population and fight whatever fragments of the Majestor's circles might take revenge on the them. >>

    He did, yes, notice that. But he doesn't say anything to it. << If you can play it quietly, then fine. But I would be careful. Would you like me to provide you with contact information should you need my assistance? >>

Ruby Lasertrava has posed:
Ruby seems surprised, and then seems to do some mental math. She may be judging Michael by his age. No, the Red Sentinel.

"Are you on any SUPER TEAMS?" she asks.

Then, she nods thoughtfully. "Do you think you'll ever go back? - At this point, I'm just making conversation," she adds, "and you can wrap up whenever you'd like. I imagine you have a lot to do, but you might also be a little lonely up here. Don't they have trouble making it into orbit?"

After a moment, she says, "Oh, certainly! - How do you do that? Mailing address? The telephone? I suppose I'll have to get a telephone down there, one way or another."

Michael Erickson has posed:
    He rattles off a telephone number, and then a very specific radio frequency, and then an address. << My earthly guise is known as Michael Erickson, >> the Sentinel informs her. << This is a secret, and few know that the Sentinel is Michael Erickson. Fewer still know of my existence as Cal'natar. >> Well, she's a Sapphire. And she's apparently earnest. So trust ing her with such things are...kind of what you do, right? Elemental force for good and all that. Anyway, it's not like the cat isn't already half out of the bag already.

    << You may feel free to call upon me at any time. In the meantime, I must divide these hulls so that they burn up in orbit and do not strike the surface. If you need material assistance, Sapphire, I will give you some money and directions on proper places to stay. If you require cover employment, I can also provide that to you through my cover identity. I live in New York City, however, which is in a different geological location - though it is easy to reach by public transit. >>

    A beat. << Are you sure that you'll be all right down there on your own? >>

Ruby Lasertrava has posed:
("Ring, remember that, would you?")

"It's a surprise that you're trusting me with all of this, honestly, but I really do appreciate it," Ruby continues then, straightening up in her floating bubble of violet light. "However, I'm going to decline your offer, at least at this stage... I brought something with me, that I understand should work for opening things up. Hold on." Ruby shifts round, drawing out from a chest pocket what looks like a generously-sized nugget of gold, which she holds up, smiling with some pride. Was it just a meteor she picked up on the way in? (No; it hasn't re-entered yet! It'd be an asteroid, technically.)

"These places, though, Metropolis, Newyork City. Do they have a lot of people who need help?"

Ruby seems to have deliberately left this as an open-ended question from her expression.

Michael Erickson has posed:
    << You are a Star Sapphire. >> This, apparently, is explanation enough. << And, as earnest as you are, I can detect no falsehoods - and it is so, /so/ boring, Sapphire, to go through the whole 'betray me at your peril' thing. This is not a holographic drama. >> Which is also wild, considering how the Shi'ar tend to see art as mental disfunction. And he's from the homeworld?

    << At any rate. You'll find it a little difficult to just trade ore for money, at least without being cheated. There are many places, but please be wary. This planet is beautiful, but it is extremely turbulent. A Sapphire here would make life much better - just don't let it burn you out. >>

    The voice of experience, this.

Ruby Lasertrava has posed:
"Oh, it's just some space junk; I'm just mining by fractions, really," says Ruby. "I don't mind if it's not optimal pricing or anything. It's just to get started. How much can you need, really?"

Don't tell Luthor.

"Well, then: Here's hoping I can make a difference. Can you show me the vector to get near these Newyork Metropolis places, by the way? I'd hate to have to circle around; I know they have radar, and by now they might have gravadar too, wouldn't they?"

Michael Erickson has posed:
    << The majority of the technological base is Galactic Level Three, >> replies the Sentinel. << Post-atomic, possessed of limited electromagnetic manipulative ability. Most more advanced technology is in the hands of government agencies and private organizations - SHIELD, AIM, groups such as that. Just be careful, will you? >> He rattles off the exact coordinates of these cities in a larger galactic parlance, such that she should be able to understand, along with a proper approach path that should get her to the surface with minimal detection. << These people need love, but they can strike at things they don't understand. I am deeply pleased that you have come here, Sapphire. You may call upon me whenever you might need aid. >>

Ruby Lasertrava has posed:
"Sure thing -- Red Sentinel. Good luck! I'll see you, I'm sure," says Ruby, waving vigorously and then --

Streak!

Boy, space is big, isn't it? It makes it easy to get away from conversations once they're over. (The real goal for all species to reach towards the stars.)

Michael Erickson has posed:
    And there she goes. Michael watches her go, whistling away until she vanishes - and then he goes back to his work, carving up the flotsam so that it doesn't kill swathes of the population. You know. Good works.