Space Paladin

From Unofficial Handbook of the Virtue Universe

Space Paladin
Sentinel Data
Rank:	All-Star
Iconic Role:	The Guardian
Player:	Not Specified
Character Data
Security Level:	50
Archetype:	Peacebringer
Primary Powers:	N/A
Secondary Powers:	N/A
Origin:	Natural
Personal Data
Real Name:	'
Known Aliases:	'
Species:	Xanatharian
Age:	'
Height:	'
Weight:	'
Eye Color:	'
Hair Color:	'
Biographical Data
Nationality:	'
Occupation:	'
Place of Birth:	'
Base of Operations:	'
Known Relatives:	'
Marital Status:	'
Known Powers
'
Known Abilities
'
Equipment
'
'

Xantharium, the Capitol City of the great world of Xanthar, is perhaps the only city on that world that the race of men would understand. Xanatharians are shapeshifting 4th dimensional creatures, the aspects of 3rd dimensional space are as confining to them as living in a comic strip would be to us. But Xantharium is where this noble species held its ambassadorial functions, and was the center for their extragalactic trade. A city built of great crystal spires and impossible feats of gravity defying architecture (gravity was optional for Xantharians). Impossibly long spires, unsuspended foot-bridges miles high and thousands of feet long. The city was filled with ambient luminescence, that responded to the needs and wants of those there. The city sang, yes it actually sang, a silent but present aria rising like the wind and falling like a dream. The Xantharians had no real need for any physical point on their world, space and movement there were simplicity, but they we not so advanced (like the Kleximith) to have abandoned the 3rd dimensional world, a city still had its purposes. The Palace of Light was the shining jewel of Xanthar, which was known as the shining jewel of the galaxy. Her Prince Regul held official functions of his kingship and diplomacy with the countless worlds that knew Xanthar as a friend and benefactor.

While within the city the native Xantharians adopt the form of blue humanoids (blue is the Xantharian color of “I’m glad to see you” a form of hello), beautiful and exotic beings for the many cultures of “civilized” space to know and speak with. Regul had come to his kingship recently, having fulfilled his duties as the Space Paladin and before that as a hunter. Regul still retained his power of the Cosmic Infinite, even when he passed the powers on, he would still possess some glimmer of that fantastic might. The Space Paladin is the guardian of Xanthar, in fact zee/phio/zhem was the sole army of that world. By use of the Star Shard, an item of nearly pure Universium (the rarest substance in the universe) the Space Paladin received phenomenal power. This awesome source of strength is called the Cosmic Infinite, and the Space Paladin could pass it on at will. In the event of zee/phio/zhem’s death, the power would return to the Shard. The Space Paladin was the bravest, noblest, strongest, purest and kindest of the Xantharians (all of these things Xantharians can detect in the same fashion earth people can become conniseuers of wine) and Regul was all this and more. He was also the hereditary heir to the Throne of Stars, and upon reaching the age of rule, had to abdicate his role as Space Paladin. He peered out the glassex window across the crystal seas of Xanthar, his thought turned to his successor.

“You looked troubled old friend” a familiar voice chimed, sounding like a crystal variation of the human voice. The zee alone did not take on human shape in Xantharium, there being no equivalent for their sex in all the universe, they instead took the form of light and crystal, changing with each shift of light and wind.

“Ousyn, you could not be more wrong. In fact! I haven’t been this sure or easy about anything since we were hunters.” The prince laughed, the two’s sense of vision met, then both roared with laughter.

“Then you’ve found your Space Paladin? I’m guessing you didn’t have to look far.” The nebulous emerald zee extended rays of purple light like fingers poking the prince’s chest.

“Well, you are my Minister of Ambassadors, the first zee to hold the title in eons, so it couldn’t be you…” The prince said, brushing his smooth black hair back with his hands, laughing at the ridiculous novelty of such appendages.

“You flatter me old friend (the word used is actually beloved, but the Xantharians have over 2,139 words for love, this particular word means, quite literally, “My old acquaintance, once possible mate third, one who I have fought many battles with and also shared real joy. A friend of true and dependable nature, and one who I would be happy to instruct my children, and for who I will mourn your death but celebrate your life. Your station is higher than mine, but you treat me as I was your better. One noted for wisdom but recklessness.), we both know the zee has never excelled at the role. There are only 4 zee Space Paladins in our eons and eons of history.” The crystalline cloud of smoke and light said in a friendly fashion. “Amaria, of course is the only choice. The world loves her, and she loves the world with true understanding.”

Almost as if summoned, Amaria Xinn appeared, shifting from 4th dimensional to mostly 3rd dimensional space. She wore a hunter’s uniform, purple, masked, with metalled gloves and a fin of regality on her head (this was of course the 3rd dimensional representation of the outfit). Effortlessly, like the change of expression her form shifted to black summer wear, complete with white cape. Her head bald saver for a top-knot, a face as lovely as the moon, and eyes as deep as space. In a different time; Regul, Amaria and Ousyn would be a triune, but they were all too capable, great ones who their world needed, and who in turn, served Xanthar, letting that love replace romance.

“Amaria!” Regul expounded and the three embraced heartily. “Ousyn and I were just talking about you.”

“All good I hope space friend?” she said awkwardly elbowing his ribs as if practicing some new feat of gymnastics. The three laughed and experimented elbowing eachother in the ribs for a few minutes, Ousyn even briefly took on human shape (shifting in sex like breath) to join in.

“I’ve found my Space Paladin.” Regul said, formally looking out on the sea.

“Then Xanthar is in good hands.” Amaria said nodding.

“You should know..” Ousyn chuckled. “They’re your hands.”

Prince Regul, the Shining Star, had readied the twelve great war ships of the Xantharian Armada with phenomenal speed, a hundred and twenty thousand of Xanthar's bravest and most skilled warriors at the controls of these massive battle craft. In the velvet black of Space, the ships appeared as shining forms of crystal, obeying a geometry more subtle and fantastic than the human mind could possibly concieve. A single point of purple-white light move amidst the beryl, topaz and glittering diamond vessels, possessing more power than the mightiest of the crafts. Amaria Xinn, the Space Paladin, Xanthar's defender was prepared to fight side by side the rarely used Armada. Instilled with all the power of the Star Shard, Xanthar's greatest possession, she was a known and feared destroyer of evil, galaxy-wide.

She pushed her hypersenses beyond lightspeed, through the entangling mass of crafts that was the Rikti fleet descending on her beloved world, through countless parsecs of empty space, to the flame crowned harbinger of death; the Universalist's massive doom-bringing craft...the Agony. It was moving faster than she had expected, and she knew when it came, it came quickly. It would be here in no less than an hour. In the meantime, Rikti Scavengers would try their best to pick Xanthar clean before it met its ultimate end.

Below, Xanthar was burning. Rikti bombers dropping poison Atomo-Bombs, and carving it's peaceful crust with mega-lasers. In anger, Space Paladin's eye caught a nearby warship, it was pumping out planet-bombs on the southern continent, where she had grown up. She broke formation from the Armada, charging herself with white particles and tore the enemy craft to shreds in a microsecond.

"Amaria! Return to formation, the Rikti can take what they can, we can rebuild if we can stop the Universalist!" Regul's commanding voice sounded in her micro-cells, a rare form of Xantharian communication. Focusing her Omni-Vision on a few escaping pods, vaporizing them, she returned to the side Regul's command craft; the Supernalia.

"They are destroying our home!" She protested, but understood his wisdom, and absorbed more cosmic radiation to bolster herself for the coming battle. In the history of the universe, no force had ever been sufficient to even scratch the armor of the Universalist's least minions, let alone stop the dread itself.

Amidst the crystal hull of the Supernalia, Regul issued orders to re-position weapon firing, and continually plotted new data as it arrived through Xantharian hyper-scopes. He called on the remaining powers he possessed (still formidable), from his time as the Space Paladin, and fed this power into the ship's defensive systems, and hyperdrive. If all else failed he had a plan, a desperate one, but one that might work. As he readied his ships for battle, he constantlty broadcasted words of hope to his people, and ordered evacuation.

Ousyn, the third of Regul's and Amaria's hunting triad, was in command of the Windstar, the planetary defense craft, and had linked the world shields to the primary weapons of the Supernalia, the result was a weapon that, if used, could endanger the fabric of space itself. Ousyn was a Zee, the third sex of the Xantharian species, his form would appear as shifting wind, crystal and light normally, now, he wore a form of black stone, burning with inner light that would hurt the eye if encountered directly. All Xantharians are shapeshifters, Ousyn was considered a master even amongst his own kind.

"The Omega Wave is ready my Prince." he announced, he prepared to say more, but he and his entire ship was ripped to atoms in 3 horriyingly long seconds. The screams still plague Space Paladin's sleep, it cut across the vacuum. Lightless rays extending from some unseen distance, began tearing the ships to piece, simply smashing them out of existance. Space Paladin was struck by one of the nega-lasers, and for a moment felt as she would be blown out like a match, but chose to burn all the brighter in response. She tumbled through space, but quickly recovered.

"Concentrate all power to shields!" Regul's voice called out, the prismatic screens absorbed the black rays, but began to tremble, and crack.

"Amaria! Stop those nega-lasers!" Regul called out, at the same time releasing a salvo of diamissiles into the unseen distance.

Pushing her speed out of three dimensional space, she bridged the distance of empty space to the horrifying death-craft. It loomed like a small moon formed of an absently arranged collection of polyhedrons of merciless metal, surrounded in red flame that glowed black. Ten thousand lights of every color of blood and crimson enveloped the craft as the Paladin of Space approached, and a million black metal arms like that of some satanic octopus filled space to destroy her. She tore them to pieces, drawing as much of her own blood in doing so. She cast white energy pulses into the black soulless eyes that seemed to project the nega-lasers. The took the energy, unaffected at first, then burning a purple light, cracked and wreaked no more death. As she tore off the last of the endless appendages, she rocketed to a safe distance, a comet's trail of light and space dust glittering behind her.

Jewel-like rays like a rainbow of weaponry assailed the Agony, most being bounced from it's cruel surface like sunlight from a mirror. A few small explosions and signs of minor damage, seemed more a testimony to the futility of the endeavor than any glimmer of hope. A great dome was opening upon the top of the vicious vessel, and the flaming, armored form of the Universalist could begin to be seen. As she looked upon it, she felt as if years were being stolen from her just for seeing such a horror. This did not prevent her from speeding towards it, her intention, to become a lethal missile of white energy. She was thinking what she believed were her last thoughts when bands and waves of sickening black power extinguished her white power, catapulting her backwards, and the horrid energy worked huge and sickening figure eights around Xanthar, the world wept outloud.

Try as she might, she catapulted through space, helpless, and beginning to feel the negative effects of its vacuum. As she tumbled, she watched three more of the remaining five warships be shook to nothingness by the whirling bands of horrid radiation and death. Regul's own ship, manuvered dangerously through, and as her eyes closed the huge ship hovered above her and took her aboard. Regul had avoided death and saved her, as she steadied her legs on the crystalline floor, her cells re-ignited with white particles and her power came alive. She burned with a new kind of power...HATE.

Ousyn was dead, the planet was being torn to pieces before her very eyes. It seemed the flagship was the last remaining piece of the Armada, and she was limping along, barely weaving through the corpusculating sheaths of the Universalist's world destroying power.

Appearing beside her (as Xantharians can do), Regul looked in her eyes, and took her shoulders.

"We have only one choice, and I'll need a little time to pull it off. You need to get and keep his attention for ten seconds." He never questioned if she could, and she never hesitated.

She shot into space and and began throwing more power than she knew she had at the armored monstrosity. Until this point nothing had ever delayed the Universalist in his designs, but even he turned and put his arms before him to shield against the unbridled power of the Space Paladin. He raised his power, and her attacks pelted off of him like rain, and he began to ignore her.

TEN SECONDS! She screamed in her head. She switched targets, from him onto what he was standing on, blasting the ground beneath him to atoms, causing him to stumble, and turn to deal with this troublesome gnat. It was true she was only an irritation to such a being, and she knew it, but she chose to be a bee and not a fly. And this bee would sting! Huge red beams swept from his eyes like Hell's own lighthouse, probing to destroy her.

As he swatted at her, and as she struggled each time to be faster and buy a little more time, Regul's plan began. He had plotted where the most significant energy readings within the Agony were and locked his own hyperdrive coordinates to that location. He would transport the Supernalia into the heart of that craft and detonate all its weapons and engines simultanously. Hopefully this would cripple the world destroying craft.

Space Paladin watched as the Supernalia vanished, and in a moment of realization tried again to become a lethal beam of white death aimed at the Universalist.

Regul gripped the command console as the ship materialized inside the Agony's reactor core. Every warning light and alarm sounded as the ship began to succumb to the star like heat of the core.

"Xanthar is not for you!" he screamed as he pounded the destruct device.

Space shook.

The lights of the Agony died for a millisecond. Then sprang back to life and tore the surface of Xanthar to bloody ribbons, the brilliant pearl of space was darkened forever.

Then came the shockwave, and Space Paladin screamed, reaching for her dying world as she was rocketed far from it. She saw it's last breath, and the Universalist pack up and leave as if nothing had occured.

Ousyn, Regul....Xanthar....

Never again...

never...

never...