| _ _ __ .|. COHERENT \ / /\ | ) WarStar #4 - Not In The Stars --X-------------- \/\/ / \ | \ ------------------------------------------- '|` COMICS __ ___ / \ __ An ASH Universe Miniseries | PRESENTS (_ | / _^^_ \ | ) copyright 2000 | __) |/' '\| \ by Dave Van Domelen ============================================================================ [cover shows WarStar surrounded by shadowy figures crackling with energy. His armor has been damaged. Cover copy reads, "FINAL ISSUE! Can WarStar survive against...the Avatars?"] ============================================================================ [New Ilium, Turkey - May 23, 1998] My city grows quickly. Six months ago, it was a collection of tents around a small town like the one I first visited in this country six years past. Now, thanks to the talents of paranormal builders and an influx of eager citizens, New Ilium has a glory that its namesake could never have hoped to match. The central tower puts Khadam's Citadel to shame, and the city below has none of that nation's squalor. Thousands more flock to my banner every day. Whether fleeing the futile attempts by the Turkish government to enforce secularism, or running from the roiling hellpit that Greece and the Balkans have become, I have no shortage of people willing to swear allegiance to the banner of WarStar. And paranormals! Persecuted for years by the more fundamentalist governments east of here, exploited by the remnants of the Soviet Union to the north and experimented on by Khadam to the south, they find in me a wise and fair ruler. Those who want no more of war are not forced into my armies, and meaningful work can be found for any paranormals who want it. In addition, with the so-called Godmarket resulting in new paranormals all the time, the reputation I have established for religious tolerance brings them here in droves. Granted, there are occasional outbreaks of violence between followers of different gods...but part of being wise and fair is the swift punishment of those who would destroy what I have built. Given another year, and the benign neglect of the gods, New Ilium could easily become a world-spanning empire. Could. "I know that face," Hector says, having entered the observation deck without my notice. "Hm?" I turn to face him, not even surprised at this point. The man comes and goes like a shadow or a breeze, for all that he is a Spellbreaker and lacks the capacity for paranormal Gifts. I have grown accustomed to finding my second at my elbow with no fanfare. "You're pondering again," Hector notes. "You're worrying at something, some scrap of information or strategy that's not going to go away or let itself be shot to pieces." I smirk. Since the man outwitted me on the island of Grenada, I've always had a respect for his insight. While I have many able commanders, such as Meathead...who still refuses another name...none are so perfect as Hector in the role of second in command. Perhaps I instinctively sought out a man like my old ally Lor, sought to have a Spellbreaker on hand as befit an Emperor. "What do you think of the gods?" I ask him. "Not tactically...you've given me good advice in that respect already. I mean personally. What... what are they? Why do men worship them?" Hector pauses. Finally, he says, "I think there's as many reasons as there are people, Arn. A great many do it because they expect a reward of some sort, or fear punishment. Look at the people down there in the city... So many have paranormal powers because they agreed to worship some god or other in exchange for their Gifts, as you'd call them. Others, refugees from the Balkans who cling to their Moslem or Christian faith, may think they'll suffer eternal damnation after death if they stray from the true path." "What about true faith?" "Oh, there's some of that," Hector admits, "but less than they'll admit to. And a lot of the true believers still think they're getting some tangible or intangible benefit out of their worship. Oh, they really do have faith, but they don't mind the comforting thought that they'll go to an eternal reward, either. Of course, true faith can be dangerous, especially when combined with the expectation of reward. There's another Anchor I knew before being expelled from the Conclave, a man named Pino Archangeli. He thinks that if he pleases the gods enough, makes the right sacrifices, they will make him one of their own. He thinks that the gods will lift his 'curse' of being an Anchor at the very least, and from there it will be an inexorable climb to godhead. Insane. But...the whole world is insane these days, no?" I shake my head slowly in amusement. "Doubly insane in the world I was born into. The quest for power always ended with failure at best and a Vanishing at worst. But, Hector...what's your personal position on gods? Do you believe in them?" Hector snorts. "How can I not, when they drop giant gold statues in Chicago or make the desert bloom? But I think you want to know if I worship any of them...and I do. But not for any of the reasons I've already given, no. Oh, I'm willing to profit from their actions," Hector gestures at the city below, "but I'm not asking them for anything. Tell me, Arn...have you ever seen a perfect work of art?" The audience room of the Emperor on the Imperial Mount comes to mind, the sublime and balanced rock sculptures called out of the living mountain. "Yes." "Was it not worthy of adoration, in and of itself? As a thing of beauty? You didn't expect it to do anything for you except BE a thing of beauty, no?" I nod. "The gods are like that. Beautiful, terrible, creating and destroying. There is nothing quite so awesome as they, or if there is, it is not something you could look upon without being destroyed by it. The gods are the most perfect thing we mortals can hope to imagine, and to catch even a glimpse of one fills one's heart with joy. I have seen but one in person, but it changed my life. Apollo, a sungod, god of music and light. I saw him when I was helping refugees out of Greece, when the clouds were gathering and threatening a storm that would have swamped our boats. Apollo just stood there and smiled, and the clouds broke. But the fact he had possibly saved my life didn't even enter my mind...all I could think about was how magnificent he was." Hector realizes he was starting to drift away into memory, and pauses to compose himself. "We worship them because they are worthy of worship," he concluded, with a slightly embarrassed smile and a shrug. "I think I see," I venture, then change the subject, uncomfortable at the sight of my usually cynical second in such rapture. "How is the latest batch of paranormals integrating into the army?" "As well as can be expected. We've had to expel a few for infighting, and another handful turned out to be too weak or too squeamish for immediate addition to our ranks. Commander Force, our Canadian cyborg, has actually been very helpful in setting up a flexible and scalable chain of command. His brief experience in the Academy of Super-Heroes has given him some good ideas on managing large groups of paranormals." "How many units, how many men, would you say are ready for independent operations?" I ask. "Maybe a hundred men, but no units. We have been spreading the experienced soldiers among the green troops to stiffen them and lead by example. Give it a month, however, and I'd say we'll have a full five phalanxes of paranormals ready to go into the field, with another ten capable of home defense. Fifteen, sixteen hundred soldiers all told." Hector pauses and rubs his chin. "Why? What are you planning?" Now it is my turn to pause. "I got a message from home today. Lor risked much to contact me and apprise me of the situation there." "Bad?" "Very. The Emperor died two years ago, and no one had really realized how much of the Empire was held together by his Gift of persuasion. When he died, the effects of his Gift vanished like campfire sparks in the night. Coalitions he had brought together fell apart. Loyalties he had crafted so carefully turned sour. I don't think the Emperor even considered the possibility that his work would be so completely undone upon his death. So, now, five squabbling factions have formed, each claming a slice of the Empire and trying to establish dominance over the others. None yet attack the homeworld itself, but they surround it, waiting for one of the others to make a move, or for the loyalists on the planet to try something. Drawing enough power to activate the D-Gate would certainly be seen as 'something,' and Lor put his life at risk just to slip his message across the realities." "So, what now?" Hector asks. "I don't know," I admit. "I am so close to gaining a world for myself, yet I can't just stand by while the Empire of my birth is destroyed. Were I to return home, I would once again be alone and without allies for a time, as I was when I arrived on Earth six years ago. But if my presence could help even a little in restoring the Empire...?" "Go," Hector says. "Hm?" "You heard me. Your home needs you, and your new home here has been running smoothly for weeks without any direct action on your part. I think I and your other commanders can keep the operation running while you go home. Maybe you'll come back here in a year or five to find me waiting to hand you the crown of Emperor here," he smiled. "It's more than that, Hector. As powerful as I have become in my years here, it's but a drop in the ocean. My plan is more than just a personal battle." "Oh?" I tap the side of my helmet. "While Antiochus V was attempting to break into my armor's computers, those computers were breaking into Antiochus. He had acquired some interesting data from Devastator's interdimensional technology, data I think the Artificers back home can put to good use. If I succeed, expect a gate to open here soon...and be ready to lead the entire army into it. Only then might I have a chance." "Why not take the entire army now?" Hector asks. I shake my head sadly. "I don't even know for sure how to get home myself. Nor am I skilled enough to apply Devastator's secrets myself...no one here is. But I will go to Haven, perhaps I can find a path home from there." "Might I make a suggestion?" "That's why I hired you," my somber expression is broken by a faint glimmer in my eye. "Talk to the gods. I'm not asking you to worship them, or even bargain with them...but the gods see things we cannot hope to on our own. Even if they will not help you, it can't hurt to try. Besides," he smiles, "before you leave this world, you really should see at least one god with your own eyes, not just an avatar." * * * * [Mount Olympus, Greece - May 24, 1998] Olympus. I know it as the Imperial Mount. Odd how it is the center of power for two worlds. Legends warn of the perils of trying to fly to its top. Granted, until recently that wasn't a problem...mundane aircraft overflew it all the time. But since the Godmarket started and the Olympians had returned to their mythic home, anything flying too close never returned. So I walk. I flew as high as I dared, then landed and started the long journey to the summit. Eight hours I have been climbing, five of those through heavy clouds and mist that do not let me see more than a hundred meters in any direction. I move slowly and deliberately...I could scramble up much more quickly, but I want to appear neither undignified nor hostile. Should the Olympians deny me entrance, I am not fool enough to force the issue. I will seek out the Egyptian gods to the south, or perhaps try to find Bifrost where it is rumored to touch down in Sweden. There are many gods. Suddenly, the mist clears and the sunlight almost blinds me. Even the automatic filters on my visor do not seem to help. "Who are you, to seek the gods?" a mildly amused voice inquires. "If you don't know that, then you are probably the wrong gods to seek," I reply, making a calculated gamble. The Olympians are known to be a vain and boastful lot. If I can get this one talking, he may tell me what I wish to know simply to prove he knows it. "Tsk, WarStar," the god replies. "Do you really think that of us? Not that it isn't true, of course...but it's still a little insulting." I can't see him, but somehow I know he's smiling. And it's not necessarily a *good* smile. "Or should I call you Arn Carran Termiddo the Warrior of Fellarin City, Northern District 40, man of Four Elements Street? I can go on with the rest of your names if you want proof of my ability to know things. And I know *you* find *that* insulting as well." My ears burn at the rebuke. I wasn't even an adolescent when I still carried that many names on my shoulders. Big for my age, I was already a warrior, or at least marked for the job. "I submit to your knowledge and power," I bow my head down. "You know my names, but I do not know yours...while I would expect Ares to greet me, you do not seem to be he." The god chuckles. "Ares was badly hurt in the backlash of burning the Balkans, WarStar. He has retreated to lick his wounds and plead with father for the healing balm. No, you are here at my suggestion...I keep an eye on men like Hector Rodriguez, those who see me like few others do. His Anchor might stop mortal Gifted, but it was simplicity itself for me to nudge him into suggesting you come here." "Apollo?" I look up, and can now just make out the form of a man in the blazing sunlight. "Correct." "Why?" "Because you can do something I cannot, and that interests me." I am speechless for a moment. "What can I do, other than die, that a god cannot?" He laughs, and it sounds like a bell made of rainbows. "Oh, I can die, but not at your hands, nor easily. But I cannot enter your homeworld, or send anyone into it. Nor can any of my brethren." "I suppose mortals end up asking this a lot around gods, but...why?" "Your world has gods as well," he declares. "Oh, don't look at me like that. You've suspected it for years now. But where my brethren fell on each other like starving wolves, the gods of your world somehow found a way to resolve their differences peacefully. And they do not want our wars to spread into their world...so I am banned, as are all my brother and sister gods. In their unity, they are far more powerful than any of our little factions." So, I think, the gods Vanish anyone they see as a threat.... Apollo laughs again, reminding me that my thoughts are as clear to him as words written in the sky. "Not a threat, no. Not to them, at any rate. Anyone who might inadvertantly destroy the reality the gods have left behind is brought into the fold, taught how to be gods, and so forth. They're a very conservative bunch...we ignore any mortals not actually about to destroy the universe, but they pluck anyone who even has the glimmering of potential in them." "You have given me much to think about, Apollo. But, as you're barred from helping me in my quest, I beg my leave of you." "The gods help those who help themselves," Apollo smirks. "I cannot go to your world, and I cannot send you there, but that doesn't mean I cannot help you. And since it would be interesting to see you succeed, I will help you." He gestures at the Astro Spear, which seems almost dull and lifeless compared to the glory of Apollo's presence. "This?" I hold it up. "That. Are you aware how much energy is contained in a dimensional gate like the one you used to get here? Quite a bit. Your use of the Astro Spear has barely begun to tap its true power reserves. You carry with you the energy of a D-Gate. You need only return to the place where you arrived and expend all the Spear's energy in one shot, and the gate will be reopened." I pause a moment to consider this. Simple in theory, but in practice? The Academy is Super-Heroes still lives where I entered this world, and if I've only scratched the surface of the Astro Spear's power, how could I release it all at once? "You will think of something, WarStar. You always do...that makes you so interesting to watch," Apollo smiles. "All you need is a little faith." With that, the light is gone and the mist slams closed around me like the jaws of a great beast. I start to walk down. * * * * [ASH Headquarters, near Milwaukee, Wisconsin - May 26, 1998] If I were sane, I would have brought a phalanx with me to keep the current incarnation of the Academy of Super-Heroes busy and out of my way. But then I would be short by an experienced phalanx when I might need them to win back Homeworld...the avatars comprising ASH would certainly mop up my band of low-level paranormal soldiers once I made it through the D-Gate. I dare not fly in...the Amerind stormgod avatar Stormcloud would spot me in a heartbeat and knock me out of the sky. She, Balder and Set were all members of ASH when the group was founded a decade ago, but only Set had remained on the team the whole time. Stormcloud had briefly retired, and Balder had moved to Los Angeles to be with the older heroine Valkyrie. Valkyrie was middle-aged and had been more active in the 1970s, but had apparently availed herself of magical rejuvenation recently and rejoined ASH with Balder. Her flying steed and magical skills also made approach by air problematic. Horus, recently cured of his insanity by this world's god of the same name, had ironically become fast friends with his dimensional alternate, the heroic avatar of Set. Fortunately, none of the current members of ASH had an aquatic aspect. A few of the "mere mortal" members did, but those had either retired or moved elsewhere in the past few months. Things were simply getting too crazy for anyone *not* backed by a god to make a real difference, at least at the "superhero" level. Ravenfire, Aleph Null, the Catman, Rad, Banshee, Mylink, EMerald, Liquid, Gravitrax, Fracture, LU-61, Panzer...all mighty heroes a year ago, but now as outclassed as the unGifted. My only hope is speed. I think I know how to create the D-Gate, but I will need at least a few second uninterrupted in order to do it. I burst from the murky and cold waters of Lake Michigan... ...and find them waiting for me. Valkyrie stands at the center, her mystic spear Gungnir held out as an aggressive defense. Set and Horus flank her, eager smiles on their inhuman faces. Balder with his light and Stormcloud with her lightning hang back a bit, for while each is nearly as strong as I am without my armor, they prefer to let the more muscular and martial avatars take point. I count my blessings that there are only five avatars present. "I have come to leave this world the way I came," I explain, carefully not making any overtly antagonistic moves. "Let me go and I'll bother you no more." "That's a lie, and you know it," Set snarls. "If we let you go back to your world, the next thing we know you'll be bringing through an invasion fleet." This catches me a bit off guard. While I have made no secret of my desire to conquer, I've been careful not to mention my homeworld or its resources. "Do not try to deny it, base one," Horus adds. "Sanity" has apparently brought a tendency towards grandiose declamations in his case. "The fair Valkyrie did cast her runes this very morn and divine your intentions." I frown slightly behind my visor. Either the Argentinian woman's foretelling is inaccurate, or she looked too far into the future. It's not this world I now seek to conquer, it is my own. But I don't want them to know this fact...they might decide it would be a good opportunity to eliminate a threat by further destabilizing the remains of my home Empire. Of course, if Apollo was telling the truth, they can't do this themselves. But they might ask their former teammates to try. "I *did* ask nicely," I say, then rapidly press all the buttons on my Astro Spear several times, spewing out a trinary system of miniature black holes that spin towards the avatars. "Light of Balder, dispel the darkness!" comes a cry, and a flare of whiteness and warmth surges out and erases the dark stars from existence. Fire and damnation. I launch further into the air before either of the brawny Egyptian avatars can get ahold of me. Stormcloud is already taking to the skies and has started to call down a whirlwind. She must know that the 'Spear can absorb her lightnings. Valkyrie seems to be casting a spell, and I can see the outlines of a winged horse starting to form. Balder is the key right now. If I can disable him, then the black holes might keep the others busy. Time to play a long shot. Avatars don't always share all the attributes of their patrons, and often lack some of the more glaring weaknesses. But it's always worth a try. I pull a small tube from a compartment on the forearm of my armor and point it at Balder, then press a button on the side of the tube. He raises his arms and creates a sphere of light around himself, but the projectile still streaks through and finds its mark in his shoulder. Success! "I may be vulnerable to mistletoe, WarStar, but you'll have to do better than that!" Balder shouts, and then everything goes white for an instant before my visors darken automatically. Before I can recover from the blinding light, I'm slammed to the ground by a tornado that's behaving like a cobra, striking and rearing back under the control of Stormcloud. If I don't move fast, Set and Horus will be on me and that will be the end of my trip home. "Stellar canopy!" I shout as I raise the head of the Astro Spear off the ground. After that risky maneuver to reclaim the weapon from Antiochus V, I decided to add a few voice commands. And since my hands are still stunned from impact, the commands are coming in handy. Plasma streamers shoot out in eight directions from the spearhead, curving down and forming a dome of flame around me. Set and Horus are just cautious enough that they don't charge in and finish me off, and I have time to see that Balder's more seriously injured than he initially let on. Time to solve one of my problems. I launch another black hole, this time up into the whirlwind. Balder tries to strike it down, but the pain in his arm keeps him from focusing, and the burst of light goes wide. The whirlwind latches onto the black hole and is sucked in like a whirlpool in a tub of water as it goes down the drain. Then the ground shakes. Set and Horus are taking turns slamming their fists into the hard-packed earth of this artificial island, trying to keep me from getting my feet under me. Balder seems a bit unsteady as well, but Valkyrie has mounted her steed and is in the air now. She throws Gungnir with uncanny accuracy, striking one of the control studs on the Astro Spear and deactivating the Stellar Canopy. I try to grab Gungnir as it passes, but it flies with a mind of its own and starts to return to Valkyrie. I desperately swing the Astro Spear like a club as I stand up, there's no time to reach for the controls and the Egyptians are closing fast. Set rolls under the swing and Horus leaps over it to get behind me, my only option is to practically fall to the side and hope Set and Horus waste valuable seconds avoiding entanglement with each other. Then lightning strikes me, playing over my armor and setting my nerves afire. I was too distracted to block it with the 'Spear, and now I'm paying the price. "Let the Norns' threads of Fate entangle this one!" Valkyrie cries out, and I'm suddenly assailed by a spider's web of threads, brilliant crimson and a few gold. I almost smile...from what I know of Norse myth, those are the lives of the mighty and powerful. Valkyrie didn't think the lives of commoners could hold me. And the threads are unbreakable, I'll give her that. They represent the lives of men and women far out of my reach, and will not break until those people die. Fortunately, they aren't very tight, and I can brush my way out of them given time. Time I don't particularly have. Set grabs me from behind, and my vision goes red as Horus kicks me in the stomach. At least with them so close, the other three aren't going to be throwing lightning or light or spears, but that's small consolation. Valkyrie seems to be taking advantage of my indisposition to heal the injury I inflicted on Balder, and Stormcloud is reforming her whirlwind. Another blow lands, a punch to my chest. Armor cracks, and possibly a rib beneath it. Horus's fist is bleeding, but he doesn't seem to care about that. Both he and Set are shouting insults at me, but I can't hear anything now but the roar of blood in my ears. I think the Astro Spear has slipped out of my hand, but the third blow is to my solar plexus and that pain blanks out any other sensation. I wonder if Apollo is enjoying this? Watching a man from a world where atheism is a fact of life, being beaten by the avatars of gods I didn't even believe in six years ago? Set adds his own punishment, a savage stomp to my instep. Nothing breaks, but the pain is a new rush of crimson. I *must* be insane. Even a phalanx wouldn't have been enough, and I came out here alone. Have I learned nothing in the last half decade? I thought I could do this one thing alone, then bring in all the help I could ever need once I got home. No bacterial friends or hidden allies, nothing but what I brought into this world with me. And I'm losing because of it. So much for having faith in myself. Horus has picked up the Astro Spear and is about to slam the butt of it into my face. Wait...Apollo didn't mean that, did he? When he said all I needed was a little faith? He said he'd been watching me, that he wanted to help me. But I had to believe that he would do it. I had to have a little faith in HIM. "Apollo, please..." I manage to gasp as the deadly Collapsiron shaft speeds towards my face and the sky howls with the fury of the whirlwind. For a moment, there is silence. Maybe it's just in my perception, maybe things actually stop for the span of a heartbeat. The silence is replaced by a glorious and terrible sound, like the playing of a harp whose strings are made from solar flares. Even Balder's light is dim by comparison as the Sun breaks through the clouds and shines a single beam down on me. The music lifts my spirits and makes all my pains and injuries melt away like hoarfrost in summer. To the others, it must be a horrible discord, as they clutch their heads and stagger in agony. Invigorated, I lift the Astro Spear from where Horus dropped it a heartbeat and a lifetime ago. Quickly but calmly, I move to the exact spot where I emerged from the D-Gate six years ago. I had thought to generate a black hole and then touch the Astro Spear to it. The entire weapon would be destroyed and its energy released as the black hole evaporated. But now I have another idea, as the music continues to shine down from the sky. Each control stud creates a faint tone when pressed. Music has never been one of my better skills, but now I feel I could put a virtuoso to shame. I play along with Apollo's solar lyre, the tones of the Astro Spear resonating and growing louder and louder as I play it. The energies contained within the 'Spear now glow so intensely that even the Collapsiron shaft seems to be lit from within. The music reaches a crescendo, then stops with a crash. The hole in the clouds slams shut. The hole in space yawns open. I look at the staggering avatars, then at the D-Gate. I'll have to leave the Astro Spear behind, as it is anchoring the D-Gate and generating it. So be it. I may have lost a weapon, but I have gained a truth. A little faith is a powerful thing. Perhaps the gods of my world will be willing to listen to a supplicant. As I leap through the D-Gate and into an uncertain future, I realize that I not only have a hope...I have a prayer. * * * * [Journal of the Wanderer - May 28, 1998] With all the new Powers arriving or announcing themselves every day during the insanity that is the Godmarket, it is interesting to note a departure. WarStar, whose arrival I witnessed, has apparently returned from whence he came. He left behind his weapon, the mighty Astro Spear, which I'm told Set took as a trophy and as recompense for the weapon WarStar took from him at their first meeting. However, the trophy did not stay long at the Academy of Super-Heroes base...Set's "evil brother" Sutekh stole it hours later as a way of taunting his better half. No doubt the Astro Spear, drained of energy as it is, rests in some part of Haven now. Sutekh is too weak to use it, of course...he barely has the strength to raise that wand of his. But such is sibling rivalry. I cannot help but wonder if WarStar was privy to information I lack. A vague sense of foreboding has been hanging over me for days, as if the Godmarket is about to end very badly. Very badly indeed. Perhaps WarStar was wise to leave when he did. I have heard of his army in Asia Minor...will he be leaving them to face the coming storm? Only time will tell the tale. I close for now, with the hope that I will finish this volume and many more. But somehow I do not think I shall. ============================================================================= THE END? ============================================================================= Author's Notes: And so ends WarStar, my first intentional miniseries since finishing the Academy. For those wondering about the title, it comes from a bit of Shakespeare, about how our fates lie not in the stars, but in ourselves. I leave it as an exercise for the reader to determine if the title is ironic. }-> What about the forces in New Ilium? Did WarStar get the D-Gate working in time to bring them through before July, or did they vanish with the rest of the world's paranormals in erecting the Barrier? Only time will tell the tale.