* Prince Toreus Rhann and the Thuvian Rangers

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* Prince Toreus Rhann and the Thuvian Rangers
* a Tale of Terra Prime
* Chronicles of Pangaea and the Book of Thuvia.
* By
* Carl E. Thompson
* &Joseph Gilbert. Thompson
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*
* Prologue:
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* The book starts with an excerpt from Book of the Great Sphere, a widely accepted and quoted history of Terra Prime and constituent plates. This should mention that Terra Prime is a Dyson Sphere created by the Atlantean Time Sorcerers and the Sidairian Cosmic Engineers. In addition, it should mention the great plate of Pangea and the Rhann family. In addition, we need to introduce the Guild and allude to the conflict that led to its formation.
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This is a tale of Prince Toreus Rhann. The First Son of Thuvia, also sometimes known as Toreus the Slayer by his enemies and Prince Toreus, Lord of Lions, by friends, companions, and allies. Not to be confused with Toreus Rhann I, his esteemed father. Much has been said about that worthy elsewhere in the Chronicles of Pangaea and the Book of Thuvia.

If you want to know of his noble family then look elsewhere. They will tell you how Toreus Rhann I united the nations of Pangaea and became the Emperor Toreus Rhann I. Or how his ancient ancestors, the Starkillers—principally Captain Toreus Starkiller-- beat back the Trongoroth invasion and restored Pangaea as the Jewel of the Sphere of Terra Prime. The scholars all know of the Great deeds of his Great grandfather Ulyseas Rhann-as did his father Odyseus Rhann,who sailed the Seven Seas of Great Pangaea to fight the enemies –the Khaiton ,the Drakhoneans and the Arkhon of Northern and Central Pangaea ,during the First and Second Great Pangeaen Wars and how that Thuvian Ranger helped bring back the apart of the Golden Ages of the Ancient Pangaeans.They also know the heroic tales of many of Princely members of the Imperial House of Rhann and Khonn,to which the current Royal Family bloodlines extend from the man legend,turned hologod,known as First Lord Thrull Khonn-once exile of Thuvia,turned Thuvian Ranger and Messianic savior of the Great Pangean World.


If you want to know of his noble family then look elsewhere. They will tell you how Toreus Rhann I united the nations of Pangaea and became the Emperor Toreus Rhann I. Or how his ancient ancestors, the Starkillers—principally Captain Toreus Starkiller-- beat back the Trongoroth invasion and restored Pangaea as the Jewel of the Sphere of Terra Prime. The scholars all know of the Great deeds of his Great grandfather Ulyseas Rhann-as did his father Odysseus Rhann,the sailed the Seven Seas of Great Pangaea to fight the enemies –the Khaiton ,the Drakhoneans and the Archon of Northern and Central Pangaea ,during the First and Second Great Pangeaen Wars and how that Thuvian Ranger helped bring back the apart of the Golden Ages of the Ancient Pangaeans

But any schoolchild knows of the Shattered Empires of Pangaea, and the aftermath of the Great Cataclysm. Stories of the ancient Dragon Wars, the Emperor Thrull Khan and the return of the Golden Age of Pangaea.

No, this is a story that few know. And I can tell it to you because I, Shakhorja, the Silver Lion, was there to witness it. As I was during most of Toreus' career.

Listen and I will tell you of Toreus Rhann II. A story of his youth long before he stood against the renegade wizards, or fought side by side with the Bold Princes of Arcadia in the Second War for Terra Prime. Long before he was named Sarkhon's Knight and led his Ranger Legions in that same struggle for the freedom of the Sphere.
This is a tale of a young man, not yet a legend, setting out on the trail of destiny for the first time. It is a story of his adventures and his misadventures.
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* Chapter 1: The Fountain
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* The chapter begins with a quote from the Thuvian Chronicles on Prince Toreus II Rhann.
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* Toreus Rhann is on a space bus that is taking him to Arcadia. He is dressed in a business suit and wearing a protomask that makes him appear as if he were an older man and not himself. As he sits in the shuttle liner’s couch, he confers with his Guider gem and which briefs on his mission. The shuttle docks at the Fountain Station and Toreus disembarks.
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* Prince Toreus Rhann is on the space fountain station waiting to enter a jump point down to Arcadia City, capital of the Arcadian Plate. . His father is the Emperor—also named Toreus Rhann,the First—of Pangea.
* While waiting in the crowded station for his jump point to be available, Toreus Rhann, Junior sits in a cafe and sips an Akaia beer (a local brew from the Easternmost province of Arcadia plate.) at an Apollo’s Café while looking out a window at Arcadia, which is a typical plate as far as structure goes. He can see the dome that covers the plate and maintains its atmosphere and the city far below. The fountain runs up from the center of the plate to space. Cargo is shuttled up and down the center of the shaft via a magnetic fountain. Elevator cars run along the outside of the fountain. Since they take time, tourists and honeymooners are the only people who use them. Toreus Rhann intends to take a jump point—a quantum entanglement transport—that will whisk him quickly to the surface, where his mission will begin.
* Travelers awaiting their connections crowd the cafe. He spots two hulking Jovian mercenaries ,dressed in their traditional soldiers armor and many men and women from various plates, planets and worldlines who are clearly mercenaries bound for Arcadia where they hope to make profits in the civil unrest following the arrest of the popular Baron Nathaniel. A pack of TyRhaineans were tall, Super warrior-some say, have the blood of the Kalladon of the ancient Terran Federation home-world, who hail from various parts of Pangaea and other parts of the sphere, brave warrior, but often too stupid to know, when it was time to flee. From a fight were up above the Jovians,dressed Drackonean Wolf Fur capes,their tradition blue and red sytho lether combat vest,over long tunics,high Casparian buccaneers boots,which held a Tauron Stun baton,in leather hoslers upon the right hid and blaster upon the opposite left.The Tykhainean were mostly blond or platinum blond,which some claim kind ship the Atlantean House of Sarkhon,but none could prove such a link to that,because many of them arrogant and stupid to do so,hoping impress others with supposed Atlantean ancestry.Behind was three Darkhoneans-more hulking humanoids,but these more wolf like in facial features,larged headed,tall,and also dressed dark Darkhonean leather.There also a Darkhonean Warriors covered their chests-the middle wearing a strange Wolfhead badge upon the upon area,with two crossed sabers behind it-the traditional weapon of all Imperial Darkhonean Warriors. Two hulking Gholemoidians,their orange siliton covered a similar massive frame as the Jovians,was covered by leather combat vests ,Gholemoidian Combat Sashes that was connected a Great Gholemoidean Sword in back.Prince Toreus found it strange to all different warrior cast walking together,From Arenjun Sarkhon told him in studies long ago,Jovians and Gholemoidians shared a similar slave history before they both settles on Terra-Prime with the near by Jovian World Plate .The Tyraineans and Darkhoneans were not honorable warriors,but simply pirates,butchers and bullies.And the Thuvian Prince hated most was bullies.
* A mission to rescue the family of the Baron Nathanial Taylor, a cousin three times removed of Prince Toreus.
* Accused of treason by the evil King Radu, Prince Nathanial was under arrest. His family, the Baroness Lois and his heirs, Nathan and Leo have gone into hiding.
* Toreus volunteered his services to Imperial Marshal Kotharr Khonn, his father’s chief military agent, whose son, Kothar Junior, is running this secret mission to rescue to Baron’s family. Even though Toreus would like nothing better than to bust his way into the Tower of Arcadia City and rescue Nathaniel, the mission calls for him to secure the two baronets and the Baroness only. Even though his father is the emperor, he must keep his involvement in this action secret from Chancellor XXXXXX, who opposes Pangean involvement in all military adventures.
* A Cold Plasma Shield in forearm guards shields Toreus. His only offensive armaments are a Short fighting knife and a small pistol. He will get the rest of his gear—including Shakorja, his lion and Ulysses, his falcon, when he reaches the ground. The Pangean Secret Service has sent them ahead in a pre-positioning module.
* He steps into what looks like an elevator and whisks to the surface where he emerges in what seems like a riot.
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* Chapter 2: The Imperial Court
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* In the Twine capitol cities of the Pangean Empire, Kharzhadharr and Zharithon-named after the two warriors who founded the cities-,Kharzhadharr and Zharithon Khonn, the Emperor Toreus holds court.
* He sits on the throne in the huge courtroom.Two Capronean Lions one male and the other female sit upon either side of him,in front of glowing green and yellow holo orbs,contain misty swirles like of planets. By his side is the Chancellor. People with business line up to present petitions to the Emperor or have their petitions read by lawyers.
* The Emperor tries to concentrate on the mostly ceremonial business but his mind is far away on the events in Arcadia.
* Eventually the court adjourns and the Emperor leaves to meet his Kotharr Khonn, Senior-who was also General Kotharr Khonn, the Third-son of Kotharr Khonn, the First his chief military agent. Like his father before him, Kotharr Khonn was an allies and best friend to the First Son of Thuvia. Kotharr Khonn, the Eldest was Old King Ulyseas Rhann's military chief agent. They had help carve an empire, by helping win the Second Pangean World Wars, as did Ulyseas Rhann's father King Odysseus Rhann did in the First Pangean World Wars.
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* As the Emperor Toreus Rhann leaves the Court the Chancellor tries to button hole him and discuss the bill that he plans to put before the House of Princes--One of the two houses of the Pangean Parliament-- to prevent the use of Pangean military forces off-plate for any operation that is not directly involved in the defense of the realm. The Emperor rudely tries to put him off because he is in a hurry to discuss his illegal operation in Arcadia with Kothar Khonn II. he tells the Chancellor that he will discuss the bill with him at the earliest opportunity but does not tell him that he intends to veto any such bill.
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* Emperor Toreus enters the War Room where Imperial Marshal Kotharr Khonn awaits him. With him are David Greystone-descendant to the legendary original General David Greystone-who fought in the Great Trongaroth Wars many centuries ago, the head of the Pangean Secret Service and XXXXXX, the head of the Imperial Security Service as well as General XXXXX, the Chief of Pangean Special Forces—himself a Thuvian Ranger—and Arenjun Sarkhon, the Ronan Time Sorcerer. The ancient temporal wizard was holding his Burmese Atlantean Cat-Hecate in his arms-a Time Sorcerers familiar -guide and spy, to help on their many missions through time and space. Sitting next the Emperor's seat, was his lovely wife the Empress Cassandra Rhann-not only his love, the mother of his four children, two sons Prince Toreus and Theaseus Rhann, plus the two daughters Princess Andromeda and Castria Rhann. This is the Emperor’s Privy Council, the closest advisors to the ruler of Pangaea.
* Kothar Khonn calls on the Secret Service chief to brief the Emperor on the operation’s progress.
* Here there is an account of the events leading up to the arrest of Baron Nathanial Taylor and the Emperor’s decision to send in Special Forces to intervene.
* The Emperor is concerned that his son Toreus has volunteered to participate in the action and he is not pleased. Kothar tires to assuage his anger and assure the Emperor that everything will be okay—even though Kothar himself is not sure of this. His own son convinced him that it would be all right. However, Kothar feels that the young Prince is too reckless and inexperienced for the subtleties of covert operations.
* Nonetheless, the elder Toreus has strong misgivings about his son’s direct involvement in the covert action to rescue the Taylor family.
* Despite his reservations, the Emperor signs off on the continuation of the mission. He feels that he can do nothing less due to his debt of honor to the Taylor clan.
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* Chapter 3: Unrest
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* Prince Toreus is in the middle of a riot that began when Arcadian Police—mostly Kai’Vhan Mercenaries utilized force to break up a student demonstration at the Fountain Station. Toreus fights his way free of the crowd using his wrist shields. He focuses his violence on the cops preferring to avoid any injury to the civilians. Near the edge of the riot, a cab pulls up to him and opens its door. It is driven by Arnie Vincenzo, part of the Vincenzo family who work as special operatives for the Sarkhon family of Atlantean Time Sorcerers and often run cab or other transport companies here and across the sphere,plus other places in time and space.Venchenzo Yellow Cab Transportation was notorious all over Temporal space and a useful over for a Temporal Wizards spy network,that included the Doomwatchers,the Temporal Guard,the Time Stalkers and other such organizations.Arnie is wearing a Thuvian Rangers style,wide baret,flopped downward over the side back of his head.A Mister Brick Botton,is present over the Old Temporal Rangers insignia.[This less like the Green Barets and more Howie Chaykins Grey Mouser.].
* Toreus Rhann rushes to the open cab door and jumps in. as they race away Arnie Vincenzo introduces himself to the Thuvian Prince.Colonel Kothar Khonn sent him to watch out for him.Arnie smoking a cigar,spots a Kai’Vhan moving toward and whips out a mall rifle,hitting the alian zombie mercenary in the chest,before it deflector shiend body armor could active,protecting from harm.The Kai’Vhan,already corpse mask,with palid chalky white skin and dark rings around the eyes freezes and drops his own rifle and tumbles over like a sack of weat.
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* Chapter 4: Shakorja and Ulysses
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* Arnie Vincenzo drops Toreus off at a cargo depot not far from the space fountain.
* The Prince enters the depot using a passcard and goes to a cargo module whose number he has memorized earlier. Using another passcard, he enters the module. Inside is a Mobile Special Forces center of the Pangaean Special Forces. Here there are weapons, small vehicles and a communications center. In addition, there is a stasis chamber containing a Thuvian saber cat and a Highlands Hawk. The saber cat is Shakorja and the hawk is Ulysses—friends of Toreus and key parts of his combat ensemble.
* Toreus sends a confirmation message to the Mission Support Site aboard an orbiting spacecraft. The MSS acknowledges the message.
* Toreus free the cat and bird from the stasis field. He greets both of them. The animals are augmented and are able to talk to Toreus via his Guider Gem—a device that links into the semi-mystic realm of holo-space which will fulfill a heavy role in our stories.
* Toreus feeds himself and the animals. Shakorja complains about the canned rations since he prefers raw meat in his diet.
* After the meal, Toreus Rhann suits up for his mission.
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* Chapter 5: Scarlet Shadow
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* The Mission Support Site is located aboard the starship Scarlet Shadow. The Shadow belongs to Thuvian Ranger Captain Colin O’Brien and his wife, Rachel,The ship co-owned and shared with the mysterious Time Sorcerer renegade known as Doctor Zacheriah Sarkhon and own Ivhanna-Sarkhons family left the Dysonsphere of Atlantis-Prime,some untold time ago and father . She is the ship's captain. The Shadow is in stationary orbit high above the Arcadia Plate. Rachel O’Brien receives the message from Toreus and forwards it to her husband Colin, who is already on the plate with his Special Ops team.
* The couple has a bickering but loving relationship not unlike that of the Cramdens in the old Honeymooners series. Colin tends to be a little more reckless and a braggart. He has never met Prince Toreus though they both have served in the renowned Thuvian Rangers. Colin has certain misconceptions about the Prince, however.
* Rachel informs her husband that Toreus heads for the meeting and that Colin and his Commandoes should be ready to help if needed.
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* Chapter 6: Recon
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The rumble of war continued for fourth straight day as the conquering forces of Baron Radu Wallace closed on the capital city and the forces of Nathan Taylor withdrew. Classes had been canceled at Arcadia University. Most of the able-bodied Arcadian students had gone off to fight on either side in this most uncivil of civil wars. Thuvian Rangers, were sent in secretly, to back up the Arcadian Army, on an unofficial basis, since the Thuvian government, did not an official presence-unless provoked into action. The other mercenaries such as the Tyrhainean Commandoes or Kellon Royal Mercenaries had other opinions. They governments, mostly militaristic based, did care about the suttalities of politics. The Wallace, gutless cur, that they are, would fight their own fight, but employed an off world alien, mercenary force, known as the Ki’Vhan-near brainless beings, dressed in red battle armor, from head to toe. Only there gloves in boots with of a chalky, blue and whitish color, as was their emotionless facemask. Red eyes, surrounded by dark rings blankly would stair back at the enemy, showing no emotion. The Ki’Vhan, we were told could produced by the thousands, some foot soldiers armed only standard weapons and others Special Forces more advanced equipment.


* Toreus rides his spike (smart bike) to an alley not far from the meeting bar. The bar, called Makean’s Den, is one of the few places open during the curfew imposed by the government because it is a Fountain port watering hole for mercenaries, bounty hunters, privateers and spacer gangs.
* The Prince dispatches Ulysseas to scout from the air and sees that there are at least two vehicles that may be police surveillance units. Otherwise, there seems to be no signs of trouble. He instructs the hawk to continue surveillance and warn him of any changes via the Guider link.
* He instructs the cat to watch from the alley’s street end and processed to the bar using a holo-cloak to disguise his military gear.
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* Chapter 7: The Den
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* Toreus enters the Den and looks around.

The MacKhain’s Den, was nearly empty-save a few drunken moron’s too stupid to leave the city. There was the Zhankhearian Barkeep-Frackeer Moosekall ,with dark, jet black hair and long goatee whose notice, he hoped to not be noticed by the cities new rulers and his wife Danalla a fat red head, once an exotic dancers, in her youth, worked here’s ago, when she was shapely and then pleasant to look at-whose family would side with Wallaces-if only to keep their business going on. And situated somewhere in the middle of the tavern floor, was two idiots-Tyrhainean Mercenaries- of the Vanarian province, who came to learn the art of was from Arcadians. Tyrhaineans -tall, Super warrior-some say, have the blood of the Kalladon of the ancient Terran Federation homeworld, who hail from various parts of Pangaea and other parts of the sphere, brave warrior, but often too stupid to know, when it was time to flee. These were two local, idiots-Kragg O’Malley and his idiot brother Karg O’Malley. These two Tyrhaineans were always in here, doing this kind of thing, every night. They exchange students, like himself, situated here, to learn the arts of wars, but learned more the art of drinking instead-something their idiot of parents, refused to dischourage. like his own mother and father did almost since the young princes birth.

Prince Toreus sat in the tavern,awaiting his secret contact-Captain Khotharr Khann-First Son of his father’s old friend General Khotharr Khann,Senior-son of the Original Khotharr Khonn of his Grandfathers era-the Imperial Reign of Ulyseas Rhann,the First.The youthful First Son of Thuvia looked about his table,boldly spying upon the other patrons of the darken tavern. Captain Khotharr Khann,like his father General Khotharr Khann,Junior and Grant Father,was only partially of Thuvian ancestry.The blood of the Kalladon nation-a race of genetically enhanced super warrior,from the Terran Federations homeworld of Old Earth flows in his veins on Old General Kotharr Khann,Senior.The Imperial Kalladon,defeated on the Terran homeworld by their opposite numbers-the Alpha Omega Warriors,sometime in the early 21 st Century,caused many to flee for distant space to colonize other suitable worlds and conquore other far regions of deep space.Also,the Imperial House of Khonn,claimed to have the blood of renegade Imperial Delkhoneans-another race of genetically enhanced super soldiers,enhased with cybernetic parts and encased in fierce,silvery battle armor,also flowed through Kotharr Khanns blood.
* The joint is crowded with people, mostly bounty hunters here to collect the bounty on the Taylor family. At the bar, he spies two Jovians—big, hulking characters.One male and the other female sitting next to him. These he recognizes as the hired bodyguards of Colonel Kotharr Khonn.A small,strangely dresses ashiadic fellows was sitting across Kotharr Khonn.He wonder who he was-an Khaitan Warrior or Drackhonean maybe.Then he rememnered that the Jovian Mercenaries,Colonel Kotharr Khonn had hired was traveling an Okhairhann Time Sorcerer –who was said to be the true Yellow Skinned-the Children of the Celestrials,are small,slant eyed,humanoids.
* In one corner of the room there are a group of Thulians—Neanderthals from a continent on the Pangaen Plate. Two of them are playing a game of choke. Two Thulians grasp each other’s necks and squeeze until one passes out. The others take bets on who will pass out first. Toreus frowns on the game considering it something that only morons do for entertainment.Sitting around them the two Thulian was three TyRhaineans and three Darkhoneans.The TyRhaineans were standind,arms crossed,with hard stowic looks on their faces,while seated Darkhoneans were loud and bousterous-cheering on the game.
* His eyes scan past a group of spacers at on table and he catches the eye of a red haired, green-eyed female warrior. He smiles at her and she returns the smile, quickly averting her gaze. Toreus reminds himself that he is not here for romantic entanglements and conies to scan fro his contact.
* In the far corner, he sees Kothar Khonn at a table with some other men.
* Toreus heads for the table. Kothar Khonn looks up and nods to him, not wanting to address him by name. The Thuvian Prince sits down.
* Kothar introduced the other man at the table. He is Joss Carpenter, the heads of House Taylor Security bearing the ancient title of Master of Assassins. Toreus is concerned that they are in the same place as Carpenter. The police want the MoA. Joss assures him that his contacts in the police will inform them of any possible raid. Toreus is not convinced.
* Kothar and Joss inform him of the mission goals.
* The Baron Nathaniel, held in the Royal Prison at the edge of town, cannot be freed without a large military operation. The Baron’s family is in hiding in a temple to the anti-spin ward side of town. This consists of the Baroness Lois Chandler Taylor and her two sons, Nathan, 14 and Lemonades (Leo) aged 10. They are the heirs to the family titles and it is their father’s wishes that they be taken out of Arcadia and into hiding. That way if Nathaniel is killed the Taylor family will not be wiped out and the sons and wife will be able to carry on the mission of freeing their homeland from the grasp of the evil King Radu Wallace.
* Toreus’ job will be to retrieve the family and get them out of Arcadia
* They discuss details of the mission.
* It is at this point that Ulysseas and Shakorja inform Toreus that there are Kai’Vhan police assembling outside the bar. Toreus receives a hawk eye view of the mercenary cops. It is clear that they are planning to raid the mercenary bar and that there could be only one reason for that. They want to get their hands on the conspirators.
* In one of these dens merriment thundered to the low smoke-stainedroof, where rascals gathered in every stage of strange alien armor and non native military uniform--furtive space mercenaries hiding from the local interstellar law enforcers,like the Terran Federation Rangers or trapped upon the Sphere-hoping to gain possible passage offworld to other distant lands, leering drunken soldiers-drummed out of some military service from cowardice or some other such nonsense,that would one kicked out of the military, quick-fingered gunslingers,looking for new fortunes and new challenges to prove themselves,swaggering bravoes with their wenches, strident-voiced women clad intawdry finery. Native rogues were the dominant element--dark-haired,dark-eyed Arcadians,pistols at their side and daggers tucked in their web belts and bravery,if not brains in theirhearts.
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* Prince Toreus Rhann,knew some of them,via his guider link,that gave tactical data and historical material,when he needed such for combat tactical situations and mission operations reports on local individuals of interest. But there were wolves of half a dozen outland nations there aswell. There was a giant pail,yellowish green Jovian Primative renegade, taciturn and dangerous, He like all Jovian Primatives,was a product of superior genetic engineering of Old Earths Alpha-Omaga Warriors Super Soldier Program and has superhuman endurance,super stronge bones, regenerative abilities and unlimited strength.He wore a great lether sash around his left shoulder,that wrapped about his lower right,massively muscle hip.A huge set of ammo cartradges,hung from this and met upon a broadsword strapped to his great gaunt frame--for men woresteel openly in the Tavern.His name was Janus Rockaway-a space mercenary,sometimes star pirate and interstellar bounty-hunter,working with the Terran Federation and their Colonial Alliances.He was said to be a drect descendant of the famous Jovian Primative Slave Leader Joshua Rockaway,some centuries back in ancient Terran Colonial history.The Jovian’s dark grey green eyes,glanced about,trying not to notice Toreus gazing in his direction.Janus Rockaway,looked back around and returned to his Darkhonean Ale.

Sitting opposite him,was another alien looking mercenary known by the name of Barrack Nhorr-he was known to many to be a strange humanoid ,covered by a

durable, orange silicon-based body armored hide.They were known

as Gholemoidians ,that grants him protection against nearly all forms of physical harm and gives him a rock-like appearance.He wore a similar costume as the Jovian,a Combat Utility Military Style vest,but one more suited to his huge,rocky statur,complete with strange Ruinic Symbols,of Gholemoidian designs,that crisscrossed,like huge red rock scratches in his leather like apparell.He wore a huge,Gholemoidian Broadsword upon his back and two,huge pistols,fit for his two great rocky five fingered hands.His cold,baby blue eyes,twinkled back at Young Thuvian Prince as he staired at him.


Sitting opposite him,was another alien looking mercenary known by the name of Barrack Nhorr-he was known to many to be a strange species of durable, orange silicon-based substance,known as Gholemoidians ,that grants him protection against nearly all forms of physical harm and gives him a rock-like appearance. Shell

The upper shell of the turtle is called the carapace. The lower shell that encases the belly is called the plastron. The carapace and plastron are joined together on the turtle's sides by bony structures called bridges. The inner layer of a turtle's shell is made up of about 60 bones that includes portions of the backbone and the ribs, meaning the turtle cannot crawl out of its shell. In most turtles, the outer layer of the shell is covered by horny scales called scutes that are part of its outer skin, or epidermis. Scutes are made up of a fibrous protein called keratin that also makes up the scales of other reptiles. These scutes overlap the seams between the shell bones and add strength to the shell. Some Gholemoidians do not have horny scutes.

He wore a similar costume as the Jovian,a Combat Utility Military Style vest,but one more suited to his huge,rocky statur,complete with strange Ruinic Symbols,of Gholemoidian designs,that crisscrossed,like huge red rock scratches in his leather like apparell.He wore a huge,Gholemoidian Broadsword upon his back and two,huge pistols,fit for his two great rocky five fingered hands.





In In oxygen-rich atmospheres, Barrack Nhorr also possesses vast superhuman strength almost comparable to his huge companion Janus Rockaway.



This mineral state also grants him an extremely prolonged lifespan.Since his species is somewhat based on an ancient turdle like humanoid species,Barrack Nhorr ,as many Gholemoideans are thought to have exceptional night vision due to the unusually large number of rod cells in their retinas.They have color vision with a wealth of cone subtypes with sensitivities ranging from the near Ultraviolet (UV A) to Red.



When fighting as a gladiator,with Janus Rockaway,in the Great Lhankmearian Arenas, he mostly relied on his physical power and extremely durable form, rather than actual fighting skills. He is, however, an experienced military strategist and consummate pragmatist, constantly assessing his environment so he can tell what actions are necessary for his continued survival.Bharrack Nhorr,often will insult or talk to his appoinent,hoping confused him or her with insults and wise cracks or boasts of his strenth and fighting skill,hoping make an enemy become sloppy and make mistakes in combat situations.



He is capable of surviving impacts of great strength and force without sustaining injury, as his body is covered with an orange, flexible, rock-like hide. He is also able to withstand gunfire from high caliber weapons as well as armor piercing rounds. The highly advanced musculature generates fewer fatigue toxins during physical activity, granting him superhuman levels of stamina.

Aside from his physical attributes, Barrack Nhorr 's senses can withstand greater levels of sensory stimulation than an ordinary human, with the exception of his sense of touch. His lungs possess greater efficiency and volume than those of an ordinary human,since his species originated from an aquatic animial,such as a turdle.As a result, Barrack Nhorr is capable of holding his breath for much greater periods of time.

Both Janus Rockaway and Barrack Nhorr,were two oddest of companions-a huge,hulking humanoid and his rocky Golem like companion.Both two of the fierest warriors.



‘’Fight you cowards’’a dark,gravely voiced broke through the other load tavern patrons merrymaking. [In thinking a big,loud mouth like Galron or Khorr].He stamp violently shock his big,brass mug,filled Apollo Cafe Throvian coffee.
There was a bold-eyed Brythundrian wench, sitting on the knee of a tawny-haired Darkhonean warriors knee—a wandering mercenary soldier, a deserter from some defeated army-perhaps somewhere on Terra-Prime or somewhere from beyond the stars-who could tell.He was a huge,large,walnut headed.dark skinned swarthy looking hard-faced man of maybe over 6 foot-maybe 7 foot.He had an almost oriental look,but a bullbus forehead,that came into a strange,bar shapped widows peak.High rising satanic eye brows,curved upward,like great scimitars inward toward each other .This gave the wolfish faced dark haired giant more sophisticated and threatening demeanor,than many of the fellows around him.He simply sat there and grimmed a vulpin smile,bearing to canine fangs,like some humanoid predatory dog.A great black,scarlet and dark golden sash,made from leather,hung from his left armored shoulder pad down passed his broad deep chest and around his hip,toward his back area-which had a great Darkhonean Broadsword,strapped into it’s dark leather sheath.Odd energy weapon and a special knifes hung his combat ulity belf.also of Darkhonean design.Two other Darkhoneans sat silently behind his,keeoing their peace and not wanting insult their commanded by imforming that as Darkhonean Pack leader,he was embarassing them in public and should remain silent.Not boisterously get involved in some backward cultures retared sports.
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* ‘’More-more-fight like men.not children you Terran spawned dogs.’’the Darkhonean shouted,lifting a cup of Darkhonean Wine,to encourage the two Thuleans still chocking each other.I have fifhty Drakharr credits upon Juggass Tharns head,that he’d beat his twine brother Drunkuss Tharn in a fair choking fight.’’ Janus Rockaway and Barrack Nhorr both glaced over into the Darkhoneans direction,giving a sallure look of disguist and hopefully loud mouthed badluck,brought on by the ancient Lords of Light and Darkness-a eons old interstellar slang term for the many good and bad super beings fighting the Great Titantic Temporal Cold Wars of the Multiverse.
*

* . Behind the the Jovian Primative and Gholemoidean,was a tall,dark haired warrior,who stood almost as tall as Prince Toreus himself.He had cold steeling blue eyes and dark black hair,and was obviously of the same ancestry as the Thuvian Prince himself,but shared some ancestral traits of the Kalladon and Delkhon blood.Beside him was two figures-the bald ,oreintal looking Time Sorcerer Chairen Kharr-a rare Half Delkhonean and half Shaintainean Temporal Wizard,who was currently travelling Janus Rockaway and company.He claims to be able to trace his liniage back to the ancient Chinesse Empirors of the Shun Dynasty,upon Old Earth and the ancient Delkhonean Empirors of the Kharr Dynasty,upon the Delkhonean homeworld. Chairen Kharr ,claimed to be one of partial Atlantean blood-being they of one of many Elder Races-who eons ago controllled and conquored the infinate realms of temporal space,by way star gate technology plus cosmic and quantum temporal forces,to control matter and energy,to be used in many ways similar to those fictional and fantasy mystic wizards,to the Legion gained their name.The legion,it was said,were the true Guardians of peace and justice,throughout the infinate cosmos and infinate multiverse beyond.Beside was Lady Janisca Gravestone-a Jovian Primative female warrior.The Thuvian Prince once heard,that no man can resist them-that the men are royal them for life and not only fight,but make love like animals.[in other Green Orion Slave Girls,pussy the Hulk.]
*

* The tall Thuvian approached Prince Toreus Rhann,stiding across the beer and wine stained floor,with confidence of a stalking Lords of Lions himself would do,in a similar situation. This Thuvian was as much out of place in that den as a gray wolf among mangy rats of the gutters. His Thuvian shirt and combat vest could not conceal the hard, rangy lines of his powerful frame, the broad heavy shoulders, the massive chest, lean waist and heavy arms.The Thuvian Rangers eyes blue and smoldering; a shock of tousled black hair crowned his broad forehead. From his girdle hung a sword in a worn leather scabbard,with a pistol holster to the other side-stun twine billyclubs,hung behind the blade and a knife from one boot strapped to right shine and another smaller stun baton from the other left shine.He looked down at the seat First Son of Thuvia and silvery Capronean Lion companion.Prince Toreus looked meeting the older Thuvian with the same intense stair.He kicked a wooden seat out from under the large Kharaidian Oak table.
* ‘’Well are you going to stand and stair at me and Shakhorja all night’’the Thuvian Prince shouted loudly to the standing Thuvian Ranger.’’Or are you going to sit down,By Thrull cousin Khotharr Khonn.’’
* Toreus starts a fight with the Thulian chokers in order to cause a diversion. The diversion blooms into a full-scale bar riot as the police storm in the door.
* Kothar and Joss dodge out a side door and are stopped by police blocking that exit. Vincenzo tosses a stun bomb at the cops and the two officers escape in Vincenzo’s car.
* Toreus shield battles the Kai’Vhan. However, he is cut off from any exit.
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* Chapter 8: Escape
*
* The red headed female warrior, whose name is Antilus Sojat, taps Toreus on the shoulder and leads him to a secret exit. The exit leads down to the underground of the plate.
* Among the fleeing people are the two Jovians, some mercenaries and spacers and one of the Thulians—Paulo Torsi.
* Toreus tries to find out Antila’s name but she is unwilling to tell him. They will meet again and eventually become lovers but for now she thinks that he is just a common warriors looking to get lucky and she’s not having nay of that.
* Antila separates from Toreus, the Jovians and Paulo.
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* Chapter 9: Escape
*
* Toreus and his companions wander through the Arcadian Underground, the upper infrastructure of the plate on which Arcadia is built. The Trongoroth and Plate Dwellers should be referred to here though a more detailed explanation of them will follow in the Chapter entitled Underworld (Chapter 19).
* The Prince tries to put the images of the woman out of his mind, realizing that they will only distract him from the mission ahead. He also tries to ignore the annoying attentions of Paulo, who has a man crush on him.
* He decides that he needs the help of Shakorja and contacts the beast via his Guider. The Guider calls up an ancient map of Arcadia City’s underground and the Prince instructs the cat to wait fro him at a nearby entrance. Toreus and his companions move off in that direction.
*
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* Chapter 10: Radu
*
* King Radu Wallace of Arcadia is in his private office chamber with some of his henchmen. They are a motley crew.
* Among them are his nephews Duke James Wallace (a tall thin, quiet man who carries a Tionka—a type of ape-like alien pet that produces an addictive venom.) and Prince Wesley Wallace (who wears his blond hair in dreadlocks, a style he learned on the far off Arcadian colony of Earth 3261. He is the heir designate to the throne because of the elder James’ lack of authority and courage). Also there are Sir Marc Hadron Phasier (a virt addict who wears a virt helmet that paints a virtual world of his own liking around him), Sir Leslie Tolbert (a loud mouthed moron and child molester.) and the James Irby, the Earl of Saratoga (who originated from Earth 3261 and is renowned for his meanness and sadism in dealing with the enemies of the Wallaces. He is the House Wallace Master of Assassins).
* Saratoga outlines all of his forces efforts, so far, in the search fro the Taylor family. He has place a guard force on all exits from Arcadia and has put the Arcadian Army and Space Navy on alert to back up the Kai’Vhan mercenaries if the need arises.
* Radu is concerned about the lack of progress in the search for the Taylor family. He does not feel that he can complete his bid to take over complete control of Arcadia until this rebel family is in prison of killed.
* He is also concerned about the ultimatum that he has sent to the Emperor of Pangaea warning the Pangaea not too interfere in internal affairs of Arcadia. From long experience, he knows that the Emperor holds him in low contempt and it is only by the intercession of the Chancellor that he has managed to keep Pangaean troops off his front doorstep.
* As is his habit Radu takes his worries out on his subordinates, all of whom are inveterate cowards and ring kissers. Radu demands that they increase their efforts to locate and arrest the Taylor family and that the guards on all exits from Arcadia are doubled.
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* Chapter 11: Alley Fighting
*
* Now emerged from the underground Toreus makes his way down an alley headed toward where Shakorja awaits him with his spike. He has Ulysses scanning above and it appears as if the coast is clear. However, his combat honed senses nag him that this might not be so.
* Kai’Vhan mercs with stealth costumes jump him. Toreus and the Saber cat go into battle mode, the Prince firing up his shield and drawing his knife. The big cat does not unnerve or frighten the drugged up cyborg Kai’Vhan. The animal’s claws claim several victims. Toreus fights the Vhan troops and breaks free to mount his spike.
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*
* Chapter 12: Colin
*
* Before Toreus can exit the alley on his spike, he finds his way blocked by armed humans also riding spikes. He draws to a stop but the new soldiers raise their weapons and fire at the Vhan that are chasing the Prince.
* These soldiers are the Rangers of Colin O’Brien’s team. They have raced to aid Toreus. Together they escape the Vhan ambush and head off to a rendezvous point under an overpass in the city.
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*
* Chapter 13: The Taylors
*
* Duchess Lois Taylor and her two sons, Nathan and Leo, are hiding in a temple of the Arcadian Universal Church. With them is Father Philip Cho, the pastor of the church and an old friend of Duke Nathaniel Taylor.
* Father Phil is concerned with the constant police canvassing of the neighborhood around the church. The long-standing custom of Church as Sanctuary in Arcadia will soon be broken by the eager off-worlders that King Radu has hired to supplement his police force. Already the police have placed a sniper lookout in the church tower.
* The family is concealed in a hideaway in the basement of the church. There Lois prepares herself to fight off any incursions, as she is a Sister of the Holy Magdalene and a skilled hand-to-hand fighter. She trains her son Nathan in combat as a supplement to his hyper-mentation training. Young Leo watches the sparring with his robo-bear, Tim. Most well to do Arcadian children have such bears that serve as both governess and bodyguard. Tim, however, is no ordinary robo. He has been augmented with Atlantean and Mechan devices by Leo’s father, Nathaniel.
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* Chapter 14: The Garage
*
* Toreus, Colin’s crew, Kothar and Joss gather in an old garage that has been turned into a mission hide site.
* Toreus sends Ulysses to scout the area around the temple from the air. They spot the sniper nest in the bell tower and realize that it can watch all the approaches to the temple and kill anyone approaching.
* The Prince has Ulysses scout out an approach to the temple that will give them the most cover from the sniper.
* The team assembles and moves off toward their target mounted on spikes.
* ***
*
* Chapter 15: Assault
*
* Toreus, Colin and members of the team move through the alleys toward the church. Along the way, they take out Kai'Vhan police officers and enter the church.
* Toreus moves up the tower to the balcony and dispatches the sniper and his scout with his bare hands. Then he rejoins Colin on the ground floor and together they move toward the Taylors’ hide.
* Toreus enters the hide and is jumped…
* ***
* It is Lois who has attacked the Prince. She battles him using techniques of hand-to-hand favored by her sisterhood. She moves too fast for even the hulking prince to get a blow in.
* Toreus activates his shields and throws her off. It is then that father Phil enters and recognizes the Prince, introducing him to the Duchess and her two sons.
* Toreus contacts Colin’s Rangers and they knock out the power, plunging the neighborhood into darkness. It is then that the Rangers and their charges leave the church and board the vehicles that are now waiting in front of the church.
* Father Phil waves good-bye to the Duchess and her sons as they move away into the night.
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*
* Chapter 16: The Bridge
*
* The team comes to a bridge that leads across the Arcadopolis River to the part of town from which the Space Fountain arises. They discover that the bridge is heavily guarded by units of the Arcadian Army and is mined. Apparently, the entire town has been alerted and heavy military and police units are surrounding the approach to the Fountain.
* Toreus and Colin must decide whether to fight their way through or find another route out of Arcadia.
* They decided that they must get to the space fountain and that the bridge is the only way.
* ***
* They decide that half the team will cross the river on hover-mode positioning themselves behind the guard to draw their fire. The rest will cross the bridge under that cover. The family will be with this element.
* The second section attacks the rear of the Arcadian unit guarding the bridge. Toreus, the Taylors and the first section charge across. They receive heavy fire. Toreus’ spike is hit and crippled. He abandons the vehicle and retrieves its AI brain, the only part of the vehicle that is irreplaceable. He jumps astride Colin’s spike and they charge forward to the other side of the bridge where the second section has already killed off most of the Arcadian troops.
* The two sections regroup and head off toward the Fountain before the enemy can regroup.
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*
* Chapter 17: The Prisoner
* Marc Hadron Phasier goes to visit the imprisoned Duke Nathaniel to taunt him about his wife and children. The Duke refuses to let the little man get his goat.
* While Phasier is visiting the prisoner, the news that the family has been sighted in the city reaches him. He rushes away leaving the Duke with a little smile.
*
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*
*
*
*
* Chapter 18: No Easy Way Out
* The team funds their way to the Fountain blocked by heavy military and police units. There is no easy way off the Arcadia plate. They hide in a storm drain and discuss alternative plans.
* They decide that taking the underground might be the best choice and strike off toward the Fountain.
*
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*
* Chapter 19: The Underworld
* Toreus and the team move through the underground labyrinth under Arcadopolis. Much of the complex has been abandoned since the long ago war with the Trongoroth—an insect like alien invader that once infests Terra Prime. The lower levels of the underground—those closest to space—still show unprepared signs of the devastation in places. There are rumors—perhaps urban legends—that Trongoroth have been seen in the lower levels of the Sphere. There is even a plate that is totally a Trongoroth eco-system. Terra Prime is a work in progress and is yet unfinished since the Sidairian builders have refused to do so under the Guild Treaty that they do not aggress with.
* Also living in the underground are the Plate Dwellers, a species of humanoids, cultured by the Trongoroth genetic engineers, who live and work in the underground and maintain the systems of the Sphere in the absence of the Sidairian builders.
* Colin suggests that they might go down to the outer shell of the plate and wait there for the Scarlet Shadow to pick them up. Toreus points out that it will take too long for the starship to make its way from the inner side of the plate to the outer. Their enemies might find them long before that.
* It is then that they encounter a group of plate dwellers.
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* Chapter 20: Master of Assassins
* Joss Carpenter is at one of his safe houses. He is concerned with the whereabouts of the rescue mission. Kothar has returned to the mission support site on a neighboring plate. Joss is still in touch with him via the grimoire—the holo-space unit that Carpenter possesses and holds in trust for the Taylor family.
* Carpenter checks with, Niel, the codename for an informant that he has cultivated in the Arcadian Federal Police. He tells Joss that the fugitives are thought to have entered the underground. Carpenter gets in touch with his friends among the plate dwellers and has XXXX Vincenzo, take him to a meeting with them.
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* Chapter 21: Plate Dwellers
*
* Toreus and h is team run into a group of plate dwellers. The Plate Dwellers are humanoid beings whose genome has been altered by the Trongoroth. The live in the underground of all the plate of Terra Prime and perform maintenance tasks that the Sidairian refuse to do in light of the Guild Treaty.
* The PDs take the group to one of their dwellings and feed them. The main stay of PD food is based heavily on mushrooms and other fungoids that are grown in the Underground. The plate dweller leader, XXXX, informs them that his people are in contact with Lord Carpenter and that he is on his way to help them.
*
* Chapter 22: The Genesis Bunker
*
* Joss Carpenter enters the underground near the center of Arcadopolis, in a place that known as the location of the ancient Atlantean Genesis Bunker.
* The GB is an ancient installation and there is at least one on every plate of Terra Prime. It is unlocked by a key that is entrusted only to Atlantean Time Sorcerers and their familiars. The Bunker is a repository of vital knowledge and machinery in case of a catastrophe and contains access to World Wells that allow the Sorcerers to access their network of wormholes directly.
* Once Carpenter is underground, he sees that the GB has been opened and that trucks loaded with Kai’Vhan are coming through from one of the other Earths. It is clear that the Kai’Vhan mercenaries have hijacked the Genesis Bunker and are suing the World Well to send their troops into Arcadia.
* Carpenter heads off to find Toreus and the Taylor family.
* ***
*
* Chapter 23: Intervention
* Emperor Toreus meets with his Privy Council again. He is concerned with the developments in Arcadia that have been reported to him by the agents of his personal intelligence service—the Talon. Things are not getting nay better and the policies of his plate that tie his hands are not helping.
* He assigns Kothar Khonn to do something about the situation behind the Chancellor’s back.
*
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* Chapter 24: The Underground War
* Joss Carpenter and Toreus have joined forces. They have decided to go to the Genesis Bunker and with the help of armed Plate Dwellers take it away from the Kai’Vhan. Joss also believes that he can use the Well of Worlds to help the Taylor family escape to a worldline of sanctuary.
* Colin is not so sure of the situation. The Plate Dwellers are not professional soldiers and the Kai’Vhan are nothing but. He would much rather move up to the base of the Fountain and try to fight their way up to the station. Colin points out that the Fountain is 10,000 kilometers long and that they might have to fight every meter of its length. Colin finally agrees that the Bunker is a better choice.
*
*
*
* Chapter 25: Dark Knights
* Kothar Khonn Jr. and his commandoes prepare to raid the prison and rescue Duke Nathanial. With them is Arenjun Sarkhon. They are headed toward the prison in an airship.
* All of the troops aboard are from the Thuvian Rangers Dark Knights Commando Group. All are highly trained Special Forces operatives. With them is Arenjun Sarkhon.
* The plan involves Imperial intelligence agents disrupting the power of the area around the prison as the Commandoes move in and head for the Duke’s cell, neutralizing all resistance that they encounter. Timing will be important. They want to get in and out as quickly as possible and get the airship—that is holographically disguised as a cloud—away as quickly as possible. Once it is clear of Arcadopolis airspace, it will uncloak and will—disguised as a commercial airship—head for a jump gate on the edge of the Arcadia plate.
* Kothar Khonn Jr. is concerned that if this mission goes awry then he will be responsible for defaming the Emperor and starting a war between Arcadia and Pangaea. He discusses his concerns with Arenjun Sarkhon, who is with him in the airship and will participate in the raid.
* Arenjun knows that the Chancellor will use an elicit military action on the part of the Emperor as an excuse to make the role of the throne in ruling Pangaea smaller and increase the power of the Parliament. Not that that, in his estimation, would be a bad thing but not in the hands of the current Chancellor XXXXX and his ilk. Arenjun sees himself as the lone protector of Terra Prime from the Guild and its allies. He knows that the Chancellor is a stanch supporter of the Guild and a good friend of the current Guild President XXXX Satanis. He does not trust the Guild for this reason, among many others, and does not wish to be responsible for turning the Empire over to their hands.
* He says a prayer to the Gods and prepares himself for the coming action.
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*
* Chapter 26: Armageddon
*
* The Plate Dwellers explode a mine under a Kai’Vhan convoy in a tunnel that leads away from the Genesis Bunker. The little people attack the vehicles and a furious firefight ensues.
* ***
* Toreus and his commandoes assault the open bunker and mange to kill the guards. Once inside they close the door trapping them in the Bunker and keeping the Vhan on the outside.
* Lord Tolbert is inside and he makes an attempt on the life of Lady Lois. She turns his attack aside and Toreus breaks the man’s neck with his bare ands. Tolbert craps himself as he falls dead to the floor.
* ***
* Kothar’s force hits the prison.
* They fight their way to the Duke’s cell.
* Arenjun’s detachment makes its way down into the bowls of the prison freeing inmates and fomenting a riot. They will continue down and exfiltrate via the underground where they will make their way to the outer skin of the plate. There they will be picked up by a starship that is owned by a privateer mate of Arenjun’s—Carter Tauran.
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* When the Dark Knights enter the VIP ward where Duke Nathaniel is held Lord Saratoga flees and Kothar gets into a fight with Phasier.
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* The Dark Knights evacuate the Duke to the roof and into the waiting airship. Kothar is separated from his force as he combats Phasier.
* Kothar manages to kill Phasier and then follows his troops to the roof. When he arrives, the airship is gone and Wallace troops close in on him.
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* Toreus, Joss and the Taylors are trapped inside the Bunker. The Wallaces are trying to cut their way in using graser cannon. However, the ancient Atlantean material with which the bunker is made soaks up the energy and drains it off into the GB’s power system.
* Toreus has taken the Key sword from Lord Tolbert and he uses it to open a time space portal in the Well of Worlds. Joss and the Taylors will use it to escape to one of the alternate Earths where they can go into hiding amongst its population of humans.
* Joss urges Toreus to come with them. However, the Prince refuses. He cannot abandon Terra Prime while there is work to be done. He and Shakorja will stay behind in the bunker and try to find another way out.
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* Chapter 27: The Long Future
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* Kothar is lifted off the roof by a spider line from the airship. Arcadian troops fire at the ship and are mowed down by the gunners on board the ship. As the airship withdraws Arcadian robot fighters pursue them.
* The captain of the airship throws a jump point in front of the ship and it heads through it to another plate—a friendly plate. The hole closes before the enemy can pursue them.
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* Arenjun and his crew have made it to the skin and use jump points to board Carter Tauran's ship. They head away for the Time Sorcerer’s Space Castle.
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* Colin and his men make it to the top of the fountain and board the Shadow. As his ship casts off Colin wonders how his friend Toreus is doing.
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* The airship arrives at a camp in Jurassica. There Kothar is greeted by his father who has flown there to prepare an Arcadian Resistance base that will be turned over to the command of Duke Nathaniel.
* The Duke takes command of the Arcadian Rebel Alliance. He looks forward to a future in which Arcadia is free and he can be reunited with his family.
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* Toreus and Shakorja are alone in the cavern of the Genesis Bunker. The Prince thinks back on his adventures in the last few days and considers taking the Well as a means of escape. This is the end of this novel and sets the setting for the beginning of its sequel—Tentative Title: Toreus Rhann and the Stalkers of Time.
*
*
*
* Joseph Thompson
* J2__2T*
* Joseph Thompson
* J2__2T*
* Joseph Thompson
* J2__2T*
* mavericstud9
*
So now enter into the wonderous and fantastic multi reality that is the Maveric Universe,oh seeker of the unusual and beyond the realm of places undreamed of.Where Great Wizards of Time and Space do battle Great Warriors of Time and Space,over a fantastic eons old Temporal Cold Wars,throughout all the infinite cosmic heavens of space.Great Titanic worlds known as Dysonsphere deside the fate of every universe,A titanic fight of good and evil,with the the untold sentient being caught in the middle.A Whole Infinate Multiverse Of Possabilities awaits you.
* Google Groups Alert for: Tina Small The Girl From Planet X
* toreus007@msn.com
* tinasmall84
*
* Lost in Space Still of Jack Johnson in Lost in Space
* Lis-tos-02.jpgjosephgilbertthompson@hotmail.com
* tinasmall
*
* josephgilbertthompson@hotmail.com
*
* tinasmall84
* tinasmall
*
*
* I'm one of the first lovers of Cristina Jane Small...
*
* longstud9by6halfinchstallion@hotmail.com
*
* maveric2carl@gmail.com
*
*
* mavericlionsprod@yahoo.com
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* mavericlionproductions@hotmail.com
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* maveric2carl@gmail.com
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* carlt3050@hotmail.com
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* toreus0071@hotmail.com
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* mavericstud9half6inches@gmail.com
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* Prince Toreus Rhann and the Thuvian Rangers
* a Tale of Terra Prime
* By
* Carl E. Thompson
* &
* Joseph Gilbert. Thompson
*
*
* Prolog:
*
* The book starts with an excerpt from Book of the Great Sphere, a widely accepted and quoted history of Terra Prime and constituent plates. This should mention that Terra Prime is a Dysons Sphere created by the Atlantean Time Sorcerers and the Sidairian Cosmic Engineers. In addition, it should mention the great plate of Pangaea and the Rhann family. In addition, we need to introduce the Guild and allude to the conflict that led to its formation.
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* Chapter 1: The Fountain
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* The chapter begins with a quote from the Thuvian Chronicles on Prince Toreus II Rhann-the so called Lord of Lions,First Son of Thuvia.Warlord of Thuvia-who will one sit the Royal Emerald Throne of Thuvia
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* Toreus Rhann is on a space bus that is taking him to Arcadia. He is dressed in a business suit and wearing a protomask that makes him appear as if he were an older man and not himself. As he sits in the shuttle liner’s couch, he confers with his Guider gem and which briefs on his mission. The shuttle docks at the Fountain Station and Toreus disembarks.
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*
* Prince Toreus Rhann is on the space fountain station waiting to enter a jump point down to Arcadia City, capital of the Arcadian Plate. . His father is the Emperor—also named Toreus—of Pangaea.
* While waiting in the crowded station for his jump point to be available, Toreus Rhann, Junior sits in a café and sips an Akaia beer (a local brew from the Easternmost province of Arcadia plate.) at an Apollo’s Café while looking out a window at Arcadia, which is a typical plate as far as structure goes. He can see the dome that covers the plate and maintains its atmosphere and the city far below. The fountain runs up from the center of the plate to space. Cargo is shuttled up and down the center of the shaft via a magnetic fountain. Elevator cars run along the outside of the fountain. Since they take time, tourists and honeymooners are the only people who use them. Toreus intends to take a jump point—a quantum entanglement transport—that will whisk him quickly to the surface, where his mission will begin.
* Travelers awaiting their connections crowd the cafe. He spots two hulking Jovians mercenaries ,dressed in their traditional soldiers armor and many men and women from various plates, planets and worldlines who are clearly mercenaries bound for Arcadia where they hope to make profits in the civil unrest following the arrest of the popular Baron Nathaniel.
* A mission to rescue the family of the Baron Nathanial Taylor, a cousin three times removed of Prince Toreus.
* Accused of treason by the evil King Radu, Prince Nathanial was under arrest. His family, the Baroness Lois and his heirs, Nathan and Leo have gone into hiding.
* Toreus volunteered his services to Imperial Marshal Kotharr Khonn, his father’s chief military agent, whose son, Kothar Junior, is running this secret mission to rescue to Baron’s family. Even though Toreus would like nothing better than to bust his way into the Tower of Arcadia City and rescue Nathaniel, the mission calls for him to secure the two baronets and the Baroness only. Even though his father is the emperor, he must keep his involvement in this action secret from Chancellor XXXXXX, who opposes Pangean involvement in all military adventures.
* A Cold Plasma Shield in forearm guards shields Toreus. His only offensive armaments are a Short fighting knife and a small pistol. He will get the rest of his gear—including Shakorja, his lion and Ulysseas,named after the Thuvian Princes Great Grandfather Ulyseas Rhann his falcon, when he reaches the ground. The Pangean Secret Service has sent them ahead in a pre-positioning module.
* He steps into what looks like an elevator and whisks to the surface where he emerges in what seems like a riot.
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*
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* Chapter 2: The Imperial Court
*
* In the capitol city of the Pangean Empire, the Twine Cities of Kharzhandorr and Zharithan, the Emperor Toreus holds court.
* He sits on the throne in the huge courtroom. By his side is the Chancellor. People with business line up to present petitions to the Emperor or have their petitions read by lawyers.
* The Emperor tries to concentrate on the mostly ceremonial business but his mind is far away on the events in Arcadia.
* Eventually the court adjourns and the Emperor leaves to meet his Kotharr Khonn, Senior-who was also General Kotharr Khonn, the Third-son of Kotharr Khonn, the First his chief military agent. Like his father before him, Kotharr Khonn was an allies and best friend to the First Son of Thuvia. Kotharr Khonn, the Eldest was Old King Ulyseas Rhann's military chief agent. They had help carve an empire, by helping win the Second Pangean World Wars, as did Ulyseas Rhann's father King Odysseus Rhann did in the First Pangean World Wars.
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* As the Emperor Toreus Rhann leaves the Court the Chancellor tries to button hole him and discuss the bill that he plans to put before the House of Princes--One of the two houses of the Pangean Parliament-- to prevent the use of Pangean military forces off-plate for any operation that is not directly involved in the defense of the realm. The Emperor rudely tries to put him off because he is in a hurry to discuss his illegal operation in Arcadia with Kothar Khonn II. he tells the Chancellor that he will discuss the bill with him at the earliest opportunity but does not tell him that he intends to veto any such bill.
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* Emperor Toreus enters the War Room where Imperial Marshal Kotharr Khonn awaits him. With him are David Greystone-descendant to the legendary original General David Greystone-who fought in the Great Trongaroth Wars many centuries ago, the head of the Pangean Secret Service and XXXXXX, the head of the Imperial Security Service as well as General XXXXX, the Chief of Pangean Special Forces—himself a Thuvian Ranger—and Arenjun Sarkhon, the Ronan Time Sorcerer. The ancient temporal wizard was holding his Burmese Atlantean Cat-Hecate in his arms-a Time Sorcerers familiar -guide and spy, to help on their many missions through time and space. Sitting next the Emperor's seat, was his lovely wife the Empress Cassandra Rhann-not only his love, the mother of his four children, two sons Prince Toreus and Theaseus Rhann, plus the two daughters Princess Andromeda and Castria Rhann. This is the Emperor’s Privy Council, the closest advisors to the ruler of Pangaea.
* Kothar calls on the Secret Service chief to brief the Emperor on the operation’s progress.
* Here there is an account of the events leading up to the arrest of Baron Nathanial Taylor and the Emperor’s decision to send in Special Forces to intervene.
* The Emperor is concerned that his son Toreus has volunteered to participate in the action and he is not pleased. Kothar tires to assuage his anger and assure the Emperor that everything will be okay—even though Kothar himself is not sure of this. His own son convinced him that it would be all right. However, Kothar feels that the young Prince is too reckless and inexperienced for the subtleties of covert operations.
* Nonetheless, the elder Toreus has strong misgivings about his son’s direct involvement in the covert action to rescue the Taylor family.
* Despite his reservations, the Emperor signs off on the continuation of the mission. He feels that he can do nothing less due to his debt of honor to the Taylor clan.
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* Chapter 3: Unrest
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* Prince Toreus is in the middle of a riot that began when Arcadian Police—mostly Kai’Vhan Mercenaries utilized force to break up a student demonstration at the Fountain Station. Toreus fights his way free of the crowd using his wrist shields. He focuses his violence on the cops preferring to avoid any injury to the civilians. Near the edge of the riot, a cab pulls up to him and opens its door. It is driven by Arnie Vincenzo, part of the Vincenzo family who work as special operatives for the Sarkhon family of Atlantean Time Sorcerers and often run cab or other transport companies here and across the sphere,plus other places in time and space.Venchenzo Yellow Cab Transportation was notorious all over Temporal space and a useful over for a Temporal Wizards spy network,that included the Doomwatchers,the Temporal Guard,the Time Stalkers and other such organizations..
* Toreus Rhann rushes to the open cab door and jumps in. as they race away Arnie Vincenzo introduces himself to the Thuvian Prince.Colonel Kothar Khonn sent him to watch out for him.Arnie smoking a cigar,spots a Kai’Vhan moving toward and whips out a mall rifle,hitting the alian zombie mercenary in the chest,before it deflector shiend body armor could active,protecting from harm.The Kai’Vhan,already corpse mask,with palid chalky white skin and dark rings around the eyes freezes and drops his own rifle and tumbles over like a sack of weat.
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* Chapter 4: Shakorja and Ulysses
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* Arnie Vincenzo drops Toreus off at a cargo depot not far from the space fountain.
* The Prince enters the depot using a passcard and goes to a cargo module whose number he has memorized earlier. Using another passcard, he enters the module. Inside is a Mobile Special Forces center of the Pangaean Special Forces. Here there are weapons, small vehicles and a communications center. In addition, there is a stasis chamber containing a Thuvian saber cat and a Highlands Hawk. The saber cat is Shakorja and the hawk is Ulysses—friends of Toreus and key parts of his combat ensemble.
* Toreus sends a confirmation message to the Mission Support Site aboard an orbiting spacecraft. The MSS acknowledges the message.
* Toreus free the cat and bird from the stasis field. He greets both of them. The animals are augmented and are able to talk to Toreus via his Guider Gem—a device that links into the semi-mystic realm of holo-space which will fulfill a heavy role in our stories.
* Toreus feeds himself and the animals. Shakorja complains about the canned rations since he prefers raw meat in his diet.
* After the meal, Toreus Rhann suits up for his mission.
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* Chapter 5: Scarlet Shadow
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* The Mission Support Site is located aboard the starship Scarlet Shadow. The Shadow belongs to Thuvian Ranger Captain Colin O’Brien and his wife, Rachel,The ship co-owned and shared with the mysterious Time Sorcerer renegade known as Doctor Zacheriah Sarkhon and own Ivhanna-Sarkhons family left the Dysonsphere of Atlantis-Prime,some untold time ago and father . She is the ship's captain. The Shadow is in stationary orbit high above the Arcadia Plate. Rachel O’Brien receives the message from Toreus and forwards it to her husband Colin, who is already on the plate with his Special Ops team.
* The couple has a bickering but loving relationship not unlike that of the Cramdens in the old Honeymooners series. Colin tends to be a little more reckless and a braggart. He has never met Prince Toreus though they both have served in the renowned Thuvian Rangers. Colin has certain misconceptions about the Prince, however.
* Rachel informs her husband that Toreus heads for the meeting and that Colin and his Commandoes should be ready to help if needed.
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* Chapter 6: Recon
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* Toreus rides his spike (smart bike) to an alley not far from the meeting bar. The bar, called Makean’s Den, is one of the few places open during the curfew imposed by the government because it is a Fountain port watering hole for mercenaries, bounty hunters, privateers and spacer gangs.
* The Prince dispatches Ulysses to scout from the air and sees that there are at least two vehicles that may be police surveillance units. Otherwise, there seems to be no signs of trouble. He instructs the hawk to continue surveillance and warn him of any changes via the Guider link.
* He instructs the cat to watch from the alley’s street end and processed to the bar using a holo-cloak to disguise his military gear.
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* Chapter 7: The Den
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* Toreus enters the Den and looks around.
* The joint is crowded with people, mostly bounty hunters here to collect the bounty on the Taylor family. At the bar, he spies two Jovians—big, hulking characters. These he recognizes as the hired bodyguards of Colonel Kothar Khonn.
* In one corner of the room there are a group of Thulians—Neanderthals from a continent on the Pangaen Plate. Two of them are playing a game of choke. Two Thulians grasp each other’s necks and squeeze until one passes out. The others take bets on who will pass out first. Toreus frowns on the game considering it something that only morons do for entertainment.
* His eyes scan past a group of spacers at on table and he catches the eye of a red haired, green-eyed female warrior. He smiles at her and she returns the smile, quickly averting her gaze. Toreus reminds himself that he is not here for romantic entanglements and conies to scan fro his contact.
* In the far corner, he sees Kothar at a table with some other men.
* Toreus heads for the table. Kothar looks up and nods to him, not wanting to address him by name. The Thuvian Prince sits down.
* Kothar introduced the other man at the table. He is Joss Carpenter, the heads of House Taylor Security bearing the ancient title of Master of Assassins. Toreus is concerned that they are in the same place as Carpenter. The police want the MoA. Joss assures him that his contacts in the police will inform them of any possible raid. Toreus is not convinced.
* Kothar and Joss inform him of the mission goals.
* The Baron Nathaniel, held in the Royal Prison at the edge of town, cannot be freed without a large military operation. The Baron’s family is in hiding in a temple to the anti-spin ward side of town. This consists of the Baroness Lois Chandler Taylor and her two sons, Nathan, 14 and Lemonades (Leo) aged 10. They are the heirs to the family titles and it is their father’s wishes that they be taken out of Arcadia and into hiding. That way if Nathaniel is killed the Taylor family will not be wiped out and the sons and wife will be able to carry on the mission of freeing their homeland from the grasp of the evil King Radu Wallace.
* Toreus’ job will be to retrieve the family and get them out of Arcadia
* They discuss details of the mission.
* It is at this point that Ulysses and Shakorja inform Toreus that there are Kai’Vhan police assembling outside the bar. Toreus receives a hawk eye view of the mercenary cops. It is clear that they are planning to raid the mercenary bar and that there could be only one reason for that. They want to get their hands on the conspirators.
* Toreus starts a fight with the Thulian chokers in order to cause a diversion. The diversion blooms into a full-scale bar riot as the police storm in the door.
* Kothar and Joss dodge out a side door and are stopped by police blocking that exit. Vincenzo tosses a stun bomb at the cops and the two officers escape in Vincenzo’s car.
* Toreus shield battles the Kai’Vhan. However, he is cut off from any exit.
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* Chapter 8: Escape
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* The red headed female warrior, whose name is Antila Sojat, taps Toreus on the shoulder and leads him to a secret exit. The exit leads down to the underground of the plate.
* Among the fleeing people are the two Jovians, some mercenaries and spacers and one of the Thulians—Paulo Torsi.
* Toreus tries to find out Antila’s name but she is unwilling to tell him. They will meet again and eventually become lovers but for now she thinks that he is just a common warriors looking to get lucky and she’s not having nay of that.
* Antila separates from Toreus, the Jovians and Paulo.
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* Chapter 9: Escape
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* Toreus and his companions wander through the Arcadian Underground, the upper infrastructure of the plate on which Arcadia is built. The Trongoroth and Plate Dwellers should be referred to here though a more detailed explanation of them will follow in the Chapter entitled Underworld (Chapter 19).
* The Prince tries to put the images of the woman out of his mind, realizing that they will only distract him from the mission ahead. He also tries to ignore the annoying attentions of Paulo, who has a man crush on him.
* He decides that he needs the help of Shakorja and contacts the beast via his Guider. The Guider calls up an ancient map of Arcadia City’s underground and the Prince instructs the cat to wait fro him at a nearby entrance. Toreus and his companions move off in that direction.
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* Chapter 10: Radu
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* King Radu Wallace of Arcadia is in his private office chamber with some of his henchmen. They are a motley crew.
* Among them are his nephews Duke James Wallace (a tall thin, quiet man who carries a Tionka—a type of ape-like alien pet that produces an addictive venom.) and Prince Wesley Wallace (who wears his blond hair in dreadlocks, a style he learned on the far off Arcadian colony of Earth 3261. He is the heir designate to the throne because of the elder James’ lack of authority and courage). Also there are Sir Marc Hadron Phasier (a virt addict who wears a virt helmet that paints a virtual world of his own liking around him), Sir Leslie Tolbert (a loud mouthed moron and child molester.) and the James Irby, the Earl of Saratoga (who originated from Earth 3261 and is renowned for his meanness and sadism in dealing with the enemies of the Wallaces. He is the House Wallace Master of Assassins).
* Saratoga outlines all of his forces efforts, so far, in the search fro the Taylor family. He has place a guard force on all exits from Arcadia and has put the Arcadian Army and Space Navy on alert to back up the Kai’Vhan mercenaries if the need arises.
* Radu is concerned about the lack of progress in the search for the Taylor family. He does not feel that he can complete his bid to take over complete control of Arcadia until this rebel family is in prison of killed.
* He is also concerned about the ultimatum that he has sent to the Emperor of Pangaea warning the Pangaea not too interfere in internal affairs of Arcadia. From long experience, he knows that the Emperor holds him in low contempt and it is only by the intercession of the Chancellor that he has managed to keep Pangaean troops off his front doorstep.
* As is his habit Radu takes his worries out on his subordinates, all of whom are inveterate cowards and ring kissers. Radu demands that they increase their efforts to locate and arrest the Taylor family and that the guards on all exits from Arcadia are doubled.
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* Chapter 11: Alley Fighting
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* Now emerged from the underground Toreus makes his way down an alley headed toward where Shakorja awaits him with his spike. He has Ulysses scanning above and it appears as if the coast is clear. However, his combat honed senses nag him that this might not be so.
* Kai’Vhan mercs with stealth costumes jump him. Toreus and the Saber cat go into battle mode, the Prince firing up his shield and drawing his knife. The big cat does not unnerve or frighten the drugged up cyborg Kai’Vhan. The animal’s claws claim several victims. Toreus fights the Vhan troops and breaks free to mount his spike.
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* Chapter 12: Colin
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* Before Toreus can exit the alley on his spike, he finds his way blocked by armed humans also riding spikes. He draws to a stop but the new soldiers raise their weapons and fire at the Vhan that are chasing the Prince.
* These soldiers are the Rangers of Colin O’Brien’s team. They have raced to aid Toreus. Together they escape the Vhan ambush and head off to a rendezvous point under an overpass in the city.
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* Chapter 13: The Taylors
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* Duchess Lois Taylor and her two sons, Nathan and Leo, are hiding in a temple of the Arcadian Universal Church. With them is Father Philip Cho, the pastor of the church and an old friend of Duke Nathaniel Taylor.
* Father Phil is concerned with the constant police canvassing of the neighborhood around the church. The long-standing custom of Church as Sanctuary in Arcadia will soon be broken by the eager off-worlders that King Radu has hired to supplement his police force. Already the police have placed a sniper lookout in the church tower.
* The family is concealed in a hideaway in the basement of the church. There Lois prepares herself to fight off any incursions, as she is a Sister of the Holy Magdalene and a skilled hand-to-hand fighter. She trains her son Nathan in combat as a supplement to his hyper-mentation training. Young Leo watches the sparring with his robo-bear, Tim. Most well to do Arcadian children have such bears that serve as both governess and bodyguard. Tim, however, is no ordinary robo. He has been augmented with Atlantean and Mechan devices by Leo’s father, Nathaniel.
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* Chapter 14: The Garage
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* Toreus, Colin’s crew, Kothar and Joss gather in an old garage that has been turned into a mission hide site.
* Toreus sends Ulysses to scout the area around the temple from the air. They spot the sniper nest in the bell tower and realize that it can watch all the approaches to the temple and kill anyone approaching.
* The Prince has Ulysses scout out an approach to the temple that will give them the most cover from the sniper.
* The team assembles and moves off toward their target mounted on spikes.
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* Chapter 15: Assault
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* Toreus, Colin and members of the team move through the alleys toward the church. Along the way, they take out Kai'Vhan police officers and enter the church.
* Toreus moves up the tower to the balcony and dispatches the sniper and his scout with his bare hands. Then he rejoins Colin on the ground floor and together they move toward the Taylors’ hide.
* Toreus enters the hide and is jumped…
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* It is Lois who has attacked the Prince. She battles him using techniques of hand-to-hand favored by her sisterhood. She moves too fast for even the hulking prince to get a blow in.
* Toreus activates his shields and throws her off. It is then that father Phil enters and recognizes the Prince, introducing him to the Duchess and her two sons.
* Toreus contacts Colin’s Rangers and they knock out the power, plunging the neighborhood into darkness. It is then that the Rangers and their charges leave the church and board the vehicles that are now waiting in front of the church.
* Father Phil waves good-bye to the Duchess and her sons as they move away into the night.
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* Chapter 16: The Bridge
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* The team comes to a bridge that leads across the Arcadopolis River to the part of town from which the Space Fountain arises. They discover that the bridge is heavily guarded by units of the Arcadian Army and is mined. Apparently, the entire town has been alerted and heavy military and police units are surrounding the approach to the Fountain.
* Toreus and Colin must decide whether to fight their way through or find another route out of Arcadia.
* They decided that they must get to the space fountain and that the bridge is the only way.
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* They decide that half the team will cross the river on hover-mode positioning themselves behind the guard to draw their fire. The rest will cross the bridge under that cover. The family will be with this element.
* The second section attacks the rear of the Arcadian unit guarding the bridge. Toreus, the Taylors and the first section charge across. They receive heavy fire. Toreus’ spike is hit and crippled. He abandons the vehicle and retrieves its AI brain, the only part of the vehicle that is irreplaceable. He jumps astride Colin’s spike and they charge forward to the other side of the bridge where the second section has already killed off most of the Arcadian troops.
* The two sections regroup and head off toward the Fountain before the enemy can regroup.
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* Chapter 17: The Prisoner
* Marc Hadron Phasier goes to visit the imprisoned Duke Nathaniel to taunt him about his wife and children. The Duke refuses to let the little man get his goat.
* While Phasier is visiting the prisoner, the news that the family has been sighted in the city reaches him. He rushes away leaving the Duke with a little smile.
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* Chapter 18: No Easy Way Out
* The team funds their way to the Fountain blocked by heavy military and police units. There is no easy way off the Arcadia plate. They hide in a storm drain and discuss alternative plans.
* They decide that taking the underground might be the best choice and strike off toward the Fountain.
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* Chapter 19: The Underworld
* Toreus and the team move through the underground labyrinth under Arcadopolis. Much of the complex has been abandoned since the long ago war with the Trongoroth—an insect like alien invader that once infests Terra Prime. The lower levels of the underground—those closest to space—still show unprepared signs of the devastation in places. There are rumors—perhaps urban legends—that Trongoroth have been seen in the lower levels of the Sphere. There is even a plate that is totally a Trongoroth eco-system. Terra Prime is a work in progress and is yet unfinished since the Sidairian builders have refused to do so under the Guild Treaty that they do not aggress with.
* Also living in the underground are the Plate Dwellers, a species of humanoids, cultured by the Trongoroth genetic engineers, who live and work in the underground and maintain the systems of the Sphere in the absence of the Sidairian builders.
* Colin suggests that they might go down to the outer shell of the plate and wait there for the Scarlet Shadow to pick them up. Toreus points out that it will take too long for the starship to make its way from the inner side of the plate to the outer. Their enemies might find them long before that.
* It is then that they encounter a group of plate dwellers.
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* Chapter 20: Master of Assassins
* Joss Carpenter is at one of his safe houses. He is concerned with the whereabouts of the rescue mission. Kothar has returned to the mission support site on a neighboring plate. Joss is still in touch with him via the grimoire—the holo-space unit that Carpenter possesses and holds in trust for the Taylor family.
* Carpenter checks with, Niel, the codename for an informant that he has cultivated in the Arcadian Federal Police. He tells Joss that the fugitives are thought to have entered the underground. Carpenter gets in touch with his friends among the plate dwellers and has XXXX Vincenzo, take him to a meeting with them.
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* Chapter 21: Plate Dwellers
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* Toreus and h is team run into a group of plate dwellers. The Plate Dwellers are humanoid beings whose genome has been altered by the Trongoroth. The live in the underground of all the plate of Terra Prime and perform maintenance tasks that the Sidairian refuse to do in light of the Guild Treaty.
* The PDs take the group to one of their dwellings and feed them. The main stay of PD food is based heavily on mushrooms and other fungoids that are grown in the Underground. The plate dweller leader, XXXX, informs them that his people are in contact with Lord Carpenter and that he is on his way to help them.
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* Chapter 22: The Genesis Bunker
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* Joss Carpenter enters the underground near the center of Arcadopolis, in a place that known as the location of the ancient Atlantean Genesis Bunker.
* The GB is an ancient installation and there is at least one on every plate of Terra Prime. It is unlocked by a key that is entrusted only to Atlantean Time Sorcerers and their familiars. The Bunker is a repository of vital knowledge and machinery in case of a catastrophe and contains access to World Wells that allow the Sorcerers to access their network of wormholes directly.
* Once Carpenter is underground, he sees that the GB has been opened and that trucks loaded with Kai’Vhan are coming through from one of the other Earths. It is clear that the Kai’Vhan mercenaries have hijacked the Genesis Bunker and are suing the World Well to send their troops into Arcadia.
* Carpenter heads off to find Toreus and the Taylor family.
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* Chapter 23: Intervention
* Emperor Toreus meets with his Privy Council again. He is concerned with the developments in Arcadia that have been reported to him by the agents of his personal intelligence service—the Talon. Things are not getting nay better and the policies of his plate that tie his hands are not helping.
* He assigns Kothar Khonn to do something about the situation behind the Chancellor’s back.
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* Chapter 24: The Underground War
* Joss Carpenter and Toreus have joined forces. They have decided to go to the Genesis Bunker and with the help of armed Plate Dwellers take it away from the Kai’Vhan. Joss also believes that he can use the Well of Worlds to help the Taylor family escape to a worldline of sanctuary.
* Colin is not so sure of the situation. The Plate Dwellers are not professional soldiers and the Kai’Vhan are nothing but. He would much rather move up to the base of the Fountain and try to fight their way up to the station. Colin points out that the Fountain is 10,000 kilometers long and that they might have to fight every meter of its length. Colin finally agrees that the Bunker is a better choice.
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* Chapter 25: Dark Knights
* Kothar Khonn Jr. and his commandoes prepare to raid the prison and rescue Duke Nathanial. With them is Arenjun Sarkhon. They are headed toward the prison in an airship.
* All of the troops aboard are from the Thuvian Rangers Dark Knights Commando Group. All are highly trained Special Forces operatives. With them is Arenjun Sarkhon.
* The plan involves Imperial intelligence agents disrupting the power of the area around the prison as the Commandoes move in and head for the Duke’s cell, neutralizing all resistance that they encounter. Timing will be important. They want to get in and out as quickly as possible and get the airship—that is holographically disguised as a cloud—away as quickly as possible. Once it is clear of Arcadopolis airspace, it will uncloak and will—disguised as a commercial airship—head for a jump gate on the edge of the Arcadia plate.
* Kothar Khonn Jr. is concerned that if this mission goes awry then he will be responsible for defaming the Emperor and starting a war between Arcadia and Pangaea. He discusses his concerns with Arenjun Sarkhon, who is with him in the airship and will participate in the raid.
* Arenjun knows that the Chancellor will use an elicit military action on the part of the Emperor as an excuse to make the role of the throne in ruling Pangaea smaller and increase the power of the Parliament. Not that that, in his estimation, would be a bad thing but not in the hands of the current Chancellor XXXXX and his ilk. Arenjun sees himself as the lone protector of Terra Prime from the Guild and its allies. He knows that the Chancellor is a stanch supporter of the Guild and a good friend of the current Guild President XXXX Satanis. He does not trust the Guild for this reason, among many others, and does not wish to be responsible for turning the Empire over to their hands.
* He says a prayer to the Gods and prepares himself for the coming action.
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* Chapter 26: Armageddon
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* The Plate Dwellers explode a mine under a Kai’Vhan convoy in a tunnel that leads away from the Genesis Bunker. The little people attack the vehicles and a furious firefight ensues.
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* Toreus and his commandoes assault the open bunker and mange to kill the guards. Once inside they close the door trapping them in the Bunker and keeping the Vhan on the outside.
* Lord Tolbert is inside and he makes an attempt on the life of Lady Lois. She turns his attack aside and Toreus breaks the man’s neck with his bare ands. Tolbert craps himself as he falls dead to the floor.
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* Kothar’s force hits the prison.
* They fight their way to the Duke’s cell.
* Arenjun’s detachment makes its way down into the bowls of the prison freeing inmates and fomenting a riot. They will continue down and exfiltrate via the underground where they will make their way to the outer skin of the plate. There they will be picked up by a starship that is owned by a privateer mate of Arenjun’s—Carter Tauran.
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* When the Dark Knights enter the VIP ward where Duke Nathaniel is held Lord Saratoga flees and Kothar gets into a fight with Phasier.
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* The Dark Knights evacuate the Duke to the roof and into the waiting airship. Kothar is separated from his force as he combats Phasier.
* Kothar manages to kill Phasier and then follows his troops to the roof. When he arrives, the airship is gone and Wallace troops close in on him.
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* Toreus, Joss and the Taylors are trapped inside the Bunker. The Wallaces are trying to cut their way in using graser cannon. However, the ancient Atlantean material with which the bunker is made soaks up the energy and drains it off into the GB’s power system.
* Toreus has taken the Key sword from Lord Tolbert and he uses it to open a time space portal in the Well of Worlds. Joss and the Taylors will use it to escape to one of the alternate Earths where they can go into hiding amongst its population of humans.
* Joss urges Toreus to come with them. However, the Prince refuses. He cannot abandon Terra Prime while there is work to be done. He and Shakorja will stay behind in the bunker and try to find another way out.
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* Chapter 27: The Long Future
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* Kothar is lifted off the roof by a spider line from the airship. Arcadian troops fire at the ship and are mowed down by the gunners on board the ship. As the airship withdraws Arcadian robot fighters pursue them.
* The captain of the airship throws a jump point in front of the ship and it heads through it to another plate—a friendly plate. The hole closes before the enemy can pursue them.
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* Arenjun and his crew have made it to the skin and use jump points to board Carter Tauran's ship. They head away for the Time Sorcerer’s Space Castle.
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* Colin and his men make it to the top of the fountain and board the Shadow. As his ship casts off Colin wonders how his friend Toreus is doing.
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* The airship arrives at a camp in Jurassica. There Kothar is greeted by his father who has flown there to prepare an Arcadian Resistance base that will be turned over to the command of Duke Nathaniel.
* The Duke takes command of the Arcadian Rebel Alliance. He looks forward to a future in which Arcadia is free and he can be reunited with his family.
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* Toreus and Shakorja are alone in the cavern of the Genesis Bunker. The Prince thinks back on his adventures in the last few days and considers taking the Well as a means of escape. This is the end of this novel and sets the setting for the beginning of its sequel—Tentative Title: Toreus Rhann and the Stalkers of Time.
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* I know about this first hand.Back 2004,myself,my brother and my mother,who 84 was told without warning to pack our stuff,My mother went to the Frankford Hospital where she died weeks later, and me and brother found ourselves at Reed Avenue Shelter.We years living one shelter to another.My brother a diabetic and I have medical issues too.We now live at Reed House,which a Salvation Army outfit.Some my personal item-tons of comics and related,stuff I found a local book store,I had buy back,that was in my home,when we forced to leave.Thousands of comics,science fiction books,magazine lost-presumed sold by these Clip guys for money.I lost original artwork-drawn by myself,being I'm an artist.A whole years of my own was lost,dating back High School.We lost three cat as well,who went to an animal shelter.I never saw them again and do know what happened to them.
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* The whole thing has a nightmare and still have bad dreams it.My house and back then.I don't what can be done about.If I can sue or if I'll see my house again.
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* The Ship of Starlord, simply called "Ship", a sleek, highly maneuverable starship— which is actually a sentient shapeshifting Energy Being who is in love with her pilot.
* Han Solo's Millennium Falcon was the "junky" kind: a set of engines, a bunch of plating and a couple of guns held together with duct tape, and the will of The Force. However, although the ship's systems can be unreliable, the ship is faster than most and has enough armaments (guns, missiles) to be considered a powerful warship for its size. The most techno-miraculous thing about it is that it flies at all, let alone so well. Not to mention that it's over 100 years old, per the ''Legacy of the Force'' series. Never mind that it's falling apart at the seams, the Falcon is, quite simply, an ostensible light bulk freighter that can outshoot, outrun, and outmaneuver starfighters. A heavily modified light bulk freighter (in fact, customization's the raison d'etre of some of the manufacturer's starship lines including the Falcon's) piloted by a top of his class naval academy graduate.
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Related Sections: News TV Top Stories Video Weird Stuff
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A new Trek? Roddenberry's failed TV pilots (video)
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* John Saxon in Planet Earth
* This week Warner Home Video's on-demand DVD program, Warner Archives, released not one but two different TV pilots by Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry. Both 1973's Genesis II and 1974's Planet Earth have never before been released in any home entertainment format and are presented uncut in their original versions.
* As grateful as we are for this treasure trove of vintage Roddenberry material, how many other unreleased or forgotten pilots did he create? What don't we know we are missing?
* Roddenberry's first pilot was entitled APO 923, and not much is known about it (not even the mighty Wikipedia offers any details) except that it's able to be viewed at the Paley Center for Media in New York City.
* His second full-fledged series was a military drama called The Lieutenant, the first episode of which starred none other than Star Trek's Uhura, Nichelle Nichols, and later episodes featured a number of famous guest stars, including Leonard Nimoy playing a flamboyant actor. This series lasted 29 episodes before it was canceled by NBC.
* Following the cancellation of Star Trek in 1969, Roddenberry turned briefly to feature filmmaking, writing and producing. Pretty Maids All in a Row was a sexploitation comedy that was directed by Barbarella filmmaker Roger Vadim. Sadly, this has also never been released on DVD-because it must have really stunk.I’ve never saw anywhere-along with Specra..
* “My name is Dylan Hunt. My story begins the day on which I died.”.Those some of the best opening lines in any tv movie ever. Gene Roddenberry, the creator of Star Trek, brings fans another enthralling tale of the future. Set in a time between now and the era of the starship Enterprise, Genesis II follows Hunt (Alex Cord), who awakes after 154 years of suspended animation into a post-apocalyptic world that’s torn between the peace-loving citizens of Pax and the militaristic, mutant Tyranians. Both want Hunt to join their cause. But the Tyranians have two cruel weapons to persuade Hunt: a device of torture called a stim. And an alluring mutant (Mariette Hartley) with two navels…and one ice-cold heart
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* Genesis II was his follow-up to Pretty Maids and starred Alex Cord as Dylan Hunt, a scientist who awakens after 154 years of suspended animation to discover that the world has become a fractured dystopia. After members of a group called PAX resuscitate his body, Hunt is forced to choose whether to stay with them or join the Tyranians, a race of mutants who seek to enlist his help to use 20th-century technology to wage war against Pax. Set in a time between now and the era of the starship Enterprise, Genesis II follows Hunt (Alex Cord), who awakes after 154 years of suspended animation into a post-apocalyptic world that’s torn between the peace-loving citizens of Pax and the militaristic, mutant Tyranians. Both want Hunt to join their cause.PAX members or Pax Agent.PAX by the way means peace.
*

Roddenberry is best known for creating Star Trek, but he tried his best to bring another television hit to the screen. Warner Bros. has released Genesis II, one of Roddenberry’s attempts at a new science fiction show. The pilot originally aired on CBS in 1973 and never spawned a full series. Star Trek also originally had a failed pilot, but Roddenberry’s attempts to make the story of Genesis II work in subsequent incarnations generated a couple of additional TV movies but no series. It would have been interesting to have those other failed pilots (Planet Earth and Strange New World) on the DVD for comparison’s sake, but nevertheless this old curiosity from the Warner Archives is a nice treat for Roddenberry fans.
* Directed by John Llewellyn Moxey and written by Gene Roddenberry, Genesis II is a quaint morality tale typical of the era. Dylan Hunt (a competent if not necessarily earth-shattering performance by Alex Cord) is a scientist conducting an experiment in suspended animation when an earthquake causes a deadly malfunction that keeps him asleep a la Rip Van Winkle until he is brought back to consciousness 154 years later. He finds himself caught up in a “cold war” between two societies, the seemingly utopian PAX and the more aggressive Tyrania.
* The supporting cast is quite good. Mariette Hartley plays the beautiful but awkwardly named Lyra-a, a Tyranian spy who tries to convince Hunt to use his twentieth century scientific knowledge to fix their nuclear power plant. Percy Rodrigues, Harvey Jason, and even Star Trek icon (and Roddenberry’s wife) Majel Barrett solidly execute their roles. My favorite actor in Genesis II is Ted Cassidy – as always, a towering and powerful presence as Isiah, a Comanche Native American.
* As he did with Trek, Roddenberry makes a noble effort to present some diversity in his characters, but the show suffers from some common stereotypes (like Isiah’s “injun” speech patterns) and some sexist portrayals of women. Still, Genesis II is an intriguing showcase of Roddenberry’s idealistic vision and sci-fi imagination. Lyra-a is a mutant like all Tyranians with two bellybuttons and is exceptionally strong due to also having two hearts. The Tyranians use slave labor and control them with Stims, rods that inflict extreme pain but can also provide immense pleasure. The major plot point of the pilot episode is the philosophical conflict between pacifism and the use of force, leading to the climactic choice that Hunt has to make.
* Genesis II tends to be a bit talky as it explores that clash of aggression and passive resistance. It might sound like a simplistic tale that’s been told countless times before, but while it does fall into the trap of sappy preaching at times, it also has moments of depth and complexity. From how the enslaved servants deal with their oppressive masters to the PAX code to sacrifice one’s own life rather than take another, there is plenty here to spark discussion.
* Roddenberry tries to tell an intelligent science fiction story. When Hunt wakes up from his century and a half slumber, it feels real. He has trouble seeing and speaking, his skin is pale. Hunt’s initial attempt to ask how long he’d been asleep implies that he may have been aware of the passage of time during all those years, his mind still very active as his body slept.
* There are some laughable moments, like how everyone in the future has 1970s hairdos and how when the future folks shave the slight beard that Dylan grew during his cryogenic sleep they decide to keep his '70s mustache!
* The sliding doors, the elevators, some sound effects and music, plus the matte shots of Tyrania and its nuclear power plant will remind viewers fondly of classic Star Trek. The most nostalgic element of the show, however, is the tone of the story which is totally Roddenberry-esque. One character states early on, “Looks like Mankind has finally grown up,” but as we see, the flaws of the human condition are ever present, and Roddenberry hoped to use the future setting of Genesis II to explore those universal themes.
* A worldwide subterranean transportation system called a Sub-Shuttle connects cities throughout the world, and that would have been the obvious storytelling device if Genesis II had been turned into a full series, as Dylan Hunt would inevitably visit other places and come into contact with people from other societies.This would been a cheater smaller Star Ship Enterprise,stuch in subterranean tunnels and PAX would the Federation stuch underground or in a city. The pilot episode hints at what could have been, showing a woman from a colony where men are treated as pets. As one character says to Hunt, “My century has many surprises for you.”
* Sadly, we’ll never know all the surprises that Gene Roddenberry’s imagination might have brought us. But Genesis II provides a little peek at what could have been.
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But the Tyranians have two cruel weapons to persuade Hunt: a device of torture called a stim. And an alluring mutant (Mariette Hartley) with two navels--and one ice-cold heart.Roddenberry somewhat resusing elements Star Trek.Lea Ur is supposed to be female Spock,but she’s on the side ofb the bad guy-which really dosen’t and forced into the story to a very weak romantic plotline.Ontop of Mariette Hartley me is dull.She dull in the Star Trek episode,where she is .
* Genesis II was released with some fanfare in 1973, with coverage in TV Guide and national newspapers, mostly enthusiastic about Roddenberry’s return to television and the Star Trek-like elements of Genesis II. Mariette Hartley’s double-naveled amazon mutant got the lion’s share of the coverage, with Roddenberry reportedly declaring that he gave the character two navels to make up for the fact that network censors didn’t allow him to show navels on Star Trek (if such a rule existed, Roddenberry got around it well before Genesis II). The pilot did feature a lot of Trek staples: a diverse cast of characters, notions of sexual and political equality placed alongside visions of cruel oppression, lots of sexual innuendo, women (and men) in revealing costumes, interesting gadgetry (an impressive “sub shuttle” system linking the world through underground tunnels, the collapsible stim torture devices and Pax stun guns that fired miniature darts). The idea was to create an earthbound (and thus relatable and easily filmable) locale for a series that would allow for the Trek concept of outlandish “alien” societies, but this time they would be even more recognizable offshoots of our own social trends
* Like Roddenberry’s first Star Trek pilot, “The Cage,” Genesis II is often static and intellectual. The show ran in a 90-minute time slot and is 74 minutes long, but there’s practically no action for the first 40 minutes, almost half the show’s running time. Alex Cord also paralleled Jeffrey Hunter from “The Cage” as a dark, intriguing but somewhat cold potential leading man. Cord was a former rodeo rider with a lot of initial experience in Westerns, including some spaghetti westerns midway through his career—this stood him in good stead in Genesis II’s horse riding scenes. But his thick, wavy hair, bristling mustache and somewhat cold-blooded line delivery gave him an oddly creepy, seventies porn star quality. This actually helps some of the drama in the pilot by making Hunt unpredictable and hard to read, especially late in the game when it seems he may be betraying his saviors from Pax.
* Several veterans from Star Trek make appearances in Genesis II, notably Percy Rodriguez (Commodore Stone from “Court Martial”), Majel Barrett (as a Pax elder), Mariette Hartley from “All Our Yesterdays” and Ted Cassidy from “What Are Little Girls Made of?” Hartley actually makes the strongest impression, and not just because of her fetishized costumes and the trademark all-American beauty that had made her a popular TV guest star since the sixties. Lyra-a is easily the most interesting character in the story, a woman who infiltrates Pax society, plies Hunt with lies about his rescuers, then quickly and believably transitions from an earnest ally to a dangerous and cruel Tyranian leader. Hartley’s best moment might be her bursting into a cavern of terrified “helpers” and shouting an order for obedience, her face flushed with a righteous fury we haven’t seen in her character until this moment. Of course Lyra-a is crippled by the one vulnerability so many Star Trek sirens were unable to overcome: their weakness for the show’s leading man. If anything
Genesis II’s storyline gets redundant with one too many scenes of Lyra-a rescuing Hunt from the Tyranian leaders only to beg him to help her standing by repairing their power source.
* The program has other problems too. As his co-producer on his first television program since Star Trek, Roddenberry hired Paul Rapp, whose previous work consists mostly of Roger Corman cheapies. That shows in the look of the production, which is wildly uneven and often downright unattractive. Most of the money seems to have gone into the sub shuttle vehicle station and miniature effects (Genesis II’s version of Star Trek’s transporter), which are quite convincing and interesting. There’s a nice matte painting of Tyrania and the Tyranian council sets are impressive, but the mix of location work and small, low budget set pieces frequently gives the show a chintzy look (the Pax council chamber is particularly cramped and disappointing), especially in its frequent underground scenes both in Pax and Tyrania.
* Looking back on the program without the benefit of nostalgia you’ll find a playground of unintentional laughs. The arch performances of the Tyranian elders in their wigs and Flesh Gordon peek-a-boo outfits are the stuff of Saturday Night Live skits—sometimes Genesis II comes off as a parody of dated, socially aware sci fi drama. It doesn’t help that Leon Haskins from Hogan’s Heroes and the preacher from Mel Brooks’ Blazing Saddles make appearances. Perhaps worst of all is a collection of horrendous Shirley Temple wigs for the Tyranian “helpers” that make every one of these characters we’re supposed to pity look ridiculous. Nevertheless Genesis II got a Hugo award nomination for best dramatic presentation and produced some initial excitement, but did not lead to a series commitment from CBS—they instead went for Planet of the Apes, which only lasted one season. Ironically Genesis II (and the later Planet Earth) owes more than a little to
Planet of the Apes, with its idea of a 20th century man flung forward in time to an “upside down” post-apocalyptic civilization.
* Genesis II, like many TV pilots and TV movies from the seventies, never got an official home video or DVD release and apart from some syndicated TV airings has been little seen since its 1973 debut. Until now fans have had to contend with bootleg videos and DVDs that are of extremely poor quality, most looking like multi-generation copies of videotapes of broadcasts of the movie. While the Warner Archive DVD is minimal in terms of features and packaging, the picture quality, detail and color balance is excellent, with the pilot looking every bit as good as it did during its original broadcast. Since purchasers buy these directly online I suppose the box art doesn’t matter all that much but the Genesis II cover art is confounding— it seems to feature two unidentified female background players and makes the pilot look like some seventies mother/daughter after school special.
* Planet Earth
* With the large, standing sub shuttle set from Genesis II still intact, Roddenberry attempted to pitch the series concept to ABC and put together a second pilot. In many ways Planet Earth is a huge improvement on Genesis II, even though the basic plotline of the first movie is more interesting on its face. The second pilot keys off a throwaway line from the first in which Hartley’s Lyra-a tells Hunt he’s lucky he wasn’t caught in the “women’s country,” where men are treated as beasts of burden. In effect Planet Earth is just another episode in a very short-lived series, and it even demonstrates some of the limitations of the format, since in some ways it’s a retread of the first pilot’s idea of Dylan and his team infiltrating an oppressive society in order to foment a revolution.
* s with Star Trek’s “Where No Man Has Gone Before,” Roddenberry recast his lead, brought in a co-writer (Juanita Bartlett, who quickly went on to the hugely popular The Rockford Files), and made sure to avoid the dour and heavy, intellectual tone of Genesis II to make Planet Earth action-packed, light and fun. In doing so he probably got as close to the original feel of the first Star Trek series as he ever would in future efforts. Despite the fact that Planet Earth is in many ways a different show on another network, Roddenberry took full advantage of the groundwork laid in Genesis II. The second pilot shows Dylan Hunt (now played by John Saxon) as a Pax team leader, with a brief flashback showing Hunt and his team (Ted Cassidy, the only returning cast member from Genesis II as Isiah, Janet Margolin as Harper-Smythe, and Christopher Cary as Baylock, a scientist and “esper” who can heal with his mind). Rai Tasco plays “Pater” Kimbridge, basically the same character played by Percy Rodriguez in Genesis II. In a sequence very similar to the opening of the Roddenberry-written Trek episode “A Private Little War,” the flashback shows Hunt and his team escaping from the steampunk, militaristic “Kreegs” only to see Kimbridge shot before they can board a sub shuttle. After the leader is brought back to Pax, the search is on for a missing physician who can do the heart surgery that can save Kimbridge’s life.
* Hearing that the missing physician, Jonathan Conner (!), had disappeared in a part of the country ruled by an amazon society called the Sisters of Ruth, Hunt and his team split up, with Hunt and Harper-Smythe infiltrating the matriarchy by telling the female leaders that Hunt is Harper-Smythe’s “property” and that she wants to join the matriarchy. One of the amazons’ leaders, Marg (Diana Muldaur), quickly challenges Harper-Smythe for the ownership of Hunt and takes him for herself, leaving Harper-Smythe to navigate the society alone. When Marg puts Hunt up for auction he finds Isiah and Baylock up for bid as well—cowering with a mysterious fear that all the male slaves—or “dinks,” of the society share. Hunt eventually seduces Marg while Harper-Smythe locates Conner (Jim Antonio), who has discovered the matriarchy’s secret of drugging the dinks’ food to keep them docile and compliant. Conner gets an antidote into the food just in time for the dinks to help fend off an attack by the Kreeg, leading the women to rethink their approach to the dinks and vote to withdraw the drug and deal with the dinks on an equal basis
* Planet Earth manages to outdo Genesis II on almost every level. Roddenberry hired producer Robert Justman and director Marc Daniels, both Star Trek veterans, and the result is a show that is bright, energetic and impressive-looking. The already well-done Pax sub shuttle station set is improved by art director Robert Kinoshita (who had worked on both Forbidden Planet and Lost in Space), while Bill Theiss’ mustard-colored jumpsuit uniforms give the Pax team a clean futuristic look. Even the props are uprated, with the Pax communicators and dart guns refinished with brighter details that give them the eye catching look of the Star Trek phasers and communicators.
* The opening scenes quickly and efficiently establish the format as focusing on action and character. The Kreeg, with their proto-Klingon forehead spines and steam-powered war wagons, are interesting villains, driven by the mindless need for conflict, and the establishing scenes for the Pax team effortlessly sketch out strong character traits. As Hunt, Saxon is immediately more warm and Kirk-like than the dour Alex Cord—interesting since Saxon was much better known for playing crazed villains than heroes. His teasing relationship with Janet Margolin’s Harper-Smythe doesn’t carry the overtones of sexual harassment that Cord’s scenes with Lynne Marta did in the first pilot. Ted Cassidy has a nice moment where he’s tempted to use one of the Kreeg rifles to return fire on them during the Pax team’s escape, but instead he furiously smashes the offending weapon against a wall. Baylock is probably the least textured character of the team but he makes an effective impression as an intellectual operative with unusual insight. Whether Percy Rodriguez was available or not, his presence as Kimbridge is missed—but since the character does little more here than get shot, disappear through most of the story and reappear for a warm wrap-up, the role didn’t call for a higher profile actor.
* “Special guest star” Diana Muldaur is also a Star Trek vet, with two appearances in classic Trek (and of course her one year regular stint as Dr. Pulaski in TNG). She’s effectively arrogant and patrician as Marg, selling the conflict between her and Harper-Smythe as well as some later amusing scenes between her and Saxon. The overall quality of performance in Planet Earth is much better than what’s obtained in Genesis II, and Marc Daniels deserves credit for that. Whatever you think of the style of acting on the original series, the show was rigorously rehearsed (something that William Shatner reportedly demanded), giving it an edge on much of the dramatic television of the period. You can see some of that theatrical approach in Planet Earth, particularly in the scenes between Muldaur and Saxon, which have the give and take of live theater. This in particular helps the humorous interplay that makes Planet Earth more “fun” than Genesis II. The pilot is also well-paced and edited, with several rhyming cuts and a nice transition between one of the amazons explaining how posturing, arrogant males destroyed the world to a scene of the bellicose Kreeg warriors who function as a satire of the military mindset.
* I’ve always been a sucker for Janet Margolin’s Harper-Smythe—in fact I’ll go down on record as saying she’s my favorite Roddenberry-created female character. Her template, interestingly, is not Yeoman Rand or Uhura, but one of Roddenberry’s earlier inspirations: the tomboyish Yeoman Colt from “The Cage.” Like Colt, Harper-Smythe is efficient and comfortable in “away team” situations, and seems to have a sense of humor as well as a keen sense of her own failings. Both characters harbor not-so-secret feelings for their commanders, and both find themselves outted and embarrassed by those feelings over the course of their stories. Janet Margolin isn’t a great actress but she’s attractive in an appealing androgynous way that was unusual for the period, when big-haired models or glamorous hippy chicks were more common. Harper-Smythe isn’t exactly Ellen Ripley but she’s shown as adept at combat when required, whipping both Marg and another Sister of Ruth when the situation demands it. It’s unfortunate that she winds up a helpless hostage to the Kreeg at the episode’s climax, getting knocked around and sidelined while Marg gets in at least a punch or two. I love Harper-Smythe’s moment with the mysterious John Conner when the Pax physician asks who Hunt is (after finding Harper-Smythe in a compromising position with the drugged Saxon): “My team leader,” she says ruefully, eyes rolling a little at her own poor judgment. There’s another moment when Harper-Smythe strong-arms one of the amazon leaders who’s invited her into her home. “I came her for directions and I’m damn well going to get them!” she growls as she pins the woman’s arm behind her back. This mirrors a scene in Genesis II in which the shock wave from a nuclear explosion Hunt has triggered strikes on a Pax lookout just as a mother has brought her young children out to see the stars. There and in the Planet Earth scene, the heroes witness the effect of their own violence on children, forcing them to rethink the use of force—a very effective and intelligent pacifistic touch from Roddenberry. For Harper-Smythe, the balance of what passed for a “kick-ass” female action hero and a vulnerable young woman working out her position in her society and vis-à-vis Hunt’s strange leader would have made for an attractive weekly character I think.
* Not in front of the children
* Planet Earth has never won plaudits for what seems its condescending depiction of a matriarchal society, but at least credit Roddenberry (always a target for classic Trek’s miniskirted sexism) for hiring Juanita Bartlett to give the teleplay a female perspective. I would credit Bartlett for the lion’s share of the script’s clever and playful sexual politics and dialogue—as her work on The Rockford Files would quickly prove, she was one of the smartest writers working in television, and a Planet Earth series with her as story editor could have been very promising. While Genesis II featured a number of unintentionally funny lines, Planet Earth’s humor is nothing if not intentional, right down to the diminutive, humiliating term “dink” for the matriarchy’s male slaves. It grates on the ear but has a nice payoff in a scene between Harper-Smythe and Conner as the two discuss Hunt’s chances of winning over Marg, which Conner says will depend on Hunt’s understanding of female psychology. “I don’t think he knows the first thing about it,” Harper-Smythe says. “Well,” Conner replies, “You never know about us dinks.”
* The pilot climaxes with a tense showdown between the Kreeg, the Sisters of Ruth, the dinks and Hunt’s Pax team, and with limited resources Marc Daniels manages to make it relatively exciting. You have to love Saxon delivering a full-on Captain Kirk drop-kick to a Kreeg and the huge Isiah jumping a fence on horseback to wade into the battle.
* Roddenberry hired Harry Sukman to score both pilots, an odd choice considering the availability of all of the original Trek’s superb and experienced composers, from Sandy Courage, Fred Steiner and Gerald Fried to George Duning and Sol Kaplan. Sukman did have a few sci fi credits—two fifties films, Riders to the Stars and the ridiculous robot thriller Gog, and the waterlogged 1966 Ivan Tors adventure Around the World Beneath the Sea. Sukman wrote a nice, exciting theme for Genesis II with a particularly sweeping bridge that doubles as an effectively exotic love theme for Hunt and Lyra-a. His Planet Earth theme is bombastic and action-oriented but far less memorable—although he is good at giving the plight of the oppressed in both shows a grim, semi-biblical epic feeling. For some reason Sukman gets into a weird Batman area in scoring the final action scene in Planet Earth with some brass stylings worthy of Nelson Riddle—you almost expect a few BAM! and POW! cartoon balloons to pop onscreen. In another musical note (pun intended), the harpsichordist in the house Harper-Smythe first goes to for shelter is Craig Hundley (nee Huxley), seen in the Trek episode “And the Children Shall Lead” and the inventor of the Blaster Beam instrument used in the V’ger cues in Jerry Goldsmith’s
Star Trek – The Motion Picture score.
* For all its strengths, Planet Earth failed to earn a series commitment from ABC (they perhaps wisely chose The Six Million Dollar Man, which became a huge hit for them). Oddly enough, John Saxon starred in one final attempt to position the concept as a series, the 1975 pilot Strange New World, which was directed by Robert Butler—the man who’d directed Star Trek’s “The Cage” pilot in 1964. This time there was no involvement from Roddenberry and once again, the pilot failed to sell, burying the concept for good—but it was also produced by Warner Bros, so at least we may see an archival DVD of it some day. Genesis II and Planet Earth shared a lot of the vices of seventies science fiction—endless location shooting in the scrub brush of Southern California, winking sexuality and a lot of indifferently-staged stunt man action. But the concept also showed some promise and has a particular appeal as a kind of earthbound Star Trek. Several concepts and plotlines from the show later appeared in other Roddenberry productions from
Star Trek – The Motion Picture to Andromeda, which revived the character name Dylan Hunt. But none quite captured the appeal of Planet Earth, which was made just close enough to the original Star Trek episodes to capture a little bit of their particular energy, style and humor. Roddenberry was quoted at the time as pointing out that despite its seemingly depressing post-apocalypse setting, the Genesis II/Planet Earth concept was perhaps even more inherently optimistic than Star Trek. “The concept of the show says look, we can survive even this, the destruction of our civilization,” Roddenberry said, and the pilot’s (stock) footage of a natural wilderness re-emerging from the crush of urban sprawl and blight still gets that message across. Particularly now on a world running out of resources and threatening to heat up to the point of uninhabitability, there’s an appeal to the idea of starting over.
* PLANET EARTH
* synopsis:

Women rule. Men cower. Then one man rebels. Sci-fi adventure from the creator of Star Trek!

The time: the 22nd century. The place: the Confederacy, a matriarchy where men are enslaved and impotent. The hero: Dylan Hunt (John Saxon), a handsome, vigorous 20th-century scientist awakened from suspended animation – just the “breeder” a Confederacy dominatrix (Diana Muldaur) has been waiting for! In this sequel to Genesis II, Gene Roddenberry (Star Trek) puts a reverse spin on women’s lib in an action-filled tale set in a gleaming world of futuristic cities, underground sub shuttles, palm-sized computers and skintight uniforms. Can Hunt defy the Confederacy and free his downtrodden fellow males, or is he doomed to slavery on Planet Earth?
*
*
* Check out this clip from Genesis II:
* Genesis II was not picked up as a series, but within the next year Roddenberry conceived two other shows: The Questor Tapes and Planet Earth.
* Questor followed the adventures of a superhuman android in search of his creator, an eccentric scientist named Dr. Emil Vaslovik, and it was actually picked up by NBC; however, Roddenberry canceled the series himself after the network demanded too many changes to his original concept and then scheduled the show on Friday nights at the same timeslot that earned Star Trek its lowest ratings.
* Subsequently, he developed Planet Earth, which borrowed not only many of its ideas from Genesis II, but also character names (including that of the main character, Dylan Hunt) and even some of the props and sets.
* Check out a clip from Planet Earth:
* Interestingly, although Planet Earth was also never picked up for series development, it can be seen as a sequel of sorts to Genesis II, given its identical protagonist (albeit played by John Saxon in the latter) and continuity of ideas. Even Earth's central concept of a matriarchal society is alluded to in the dialogue of its predecessor.
* A production company tried a third time to bring Roddenberry's dystopian vision to the small screen in 1975's Strange New World, although the main character's name and other details were changed when he decided not to associate himself with the production. Meanwhile, Dylan Hunt would live again as the main character in the 2000 television series Andromeda, starring Kevin Sorbo, which was based on Roddenberry's original notes.
* With the promise of Star Trek Phase II looming on the horizon, Roddenberry mostly turned his gaze back to Trek for the years leading up to his death in 1991. But in 1977, he co-wrote and executive-produced Spectre, a made-for-TV movie intended to be a pilot for a new television series. The film marked a significant departure from many of the ideas explored in his earlier pilots—Spectre was not a science-fiction adventure program, but an occult detective show—but some of its relationships recalled the adversarial chemistry between Spock and Bones on the original Trek.
* Oddly, Spectre was later released in theaters in the United Kingdom, with additional footage inserted (which includes nudity!), but that also suggests that one day fans might see a DVD or Blu-ray version of that as well, at least before some of these other failed shows see the light of day.
* What's most remarkable about the releases of Genesis II and Planet Earth is the fact that, despite their technical shortcomings, storytelling failures or even just lack of commercial success, these pilots can still provoke as much thought and feeling as any of Roddenberry's successes—which makes them must-see material for both his fans and any folks in search of science-fiction inspiration.

1.


2. Two Little-Seen Roddenberry Pilots Now Available On DVDIntriguing news for Roddenberry completionists and the curious: as part of their manufacture-on-demand program, Warner Home Video has made two little-seen Gene Roddenberry pilots available starting this week. You can bring home your very own DVD copy of Genesis II or Planet Earth for $19.95 each, or you can get both for $29.95.

Roddenberry fans may feel a little déjà vu upon reading the product descriptions for these two post-Trek pilots, starting with the name of the protagonist in both shows: Dylan Hunt. Hunt was of course the name of Kevin Sorbo’s starship captain in the 2000 series Andromeda, which followed in the footsteps of Earth: Final Conflict as a new show developed from Roddenberry’s notes and concepts. It should be noted that these pilots haven’t been remastered, so don’t expect crystal-clear quality.

Here’s what Warners has to say about each of these pilots on DVD, plus a pair of video clips.

Genesis II
3. “My name is Dylan Hunt. My story begins the day on which I died.” Gene Roddenberry, the creator of Star Trek, brings fans another enthralling tale of the future. Set in a time between now and the era of the starship Enterprise, Genesis II follows Hunt (Alex Cord), who awakes after 154 years of suspended animation into a post-apocalyptic world that’s torn between the peace-loving citizens of Pax and the militaristic, mutant Tyranians. Both want Hunt to join their cause. But the Tyranians have two cruel weapons to persuade Hunt: a device of torture called a stim. And an alluring mutant (Mariette Hartley) with two navels…and one ice-cold heart.
4.
5.
6.


Planet Earth
7. The time: the 22nd century. The place: the Confederacy, a matriarchy where men are enslaved and impotent. The hero: Dylan Hunt (John Saxon), a handsome, vigorous 20th-century scientist awakened from suspended animation – just the “breeder” a Confederacy dominatrix (Diana Muldaur) has been waiting for! In this sequel to Genesis II, Gene Roddenberry (Star Trek) puts a reverse spin on women’s lib in an action-filled tale set in a gleaming world of futuristic cities, underground sub shuttles, palm-sized computers, and skintight uniforms. Can Hunt defy the Confederacy and free his downtrodden fellow males, or is he doomed to slavery on Planet Earth?
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9. Titanic Tina -Tina Small blonde with that amazing 84GG’ Bust Citations:Titanic Tina (aka Tina Small) Titanic Tina ( Tina Small) From Wiktionary Jump to: navigation, search Titanic Tina -Tina Small blonde with that amazing 84GG’ Bust,featured in the pages of Fling,Gent,Juggs,Club and other magazines.
TINA SMALL COLECTOR BUSTY BRITISH PIN-UP MODEL AND ACTRESS,STAR OF FLING,VISION ... model,of fling magazine,ultravision,juggs,mammzine
10. Results for "Tina Small"
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####################100% Fling 5/81 Titanic Tina cover, Arelene Bell
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