Ghosts of the Past...

[Dab]

(OOC: The end of this part of the story will have a fair *cough* massive *cough* amount of power-playing. This is on purpose and necessary for the events that will be taking place Near the end of this story, and the entire part II. The story has been talked over by the main leaders of it. The things that happen here will not affect the server or directly affect other stories (such as something here ends up killing stuff in another story, it will only influence other threads indirectly, not a direct physical, story-changing way.). The characters that die in the end of Part I and Part II are characters that the owner has decided to have killed. Anyone who wants to get involved please PM me. Also, PM what you want to be doing in the story. I'll approve it and/or change what your be doing, or reject it. The end of this part and the beginning/end of the second has a set series of events that must happen. Anyone who wishes to join the story will likely end up in the middle of Part II.)






A large blue crystal hung above a dead planet. As if forgotten, deserted, the dust-brown planet moved along its slow, lazy orbit around a dim red sun.

Raf'el stared at the images appearing on the terminal in front of him. "Beginning our orbit sir." Called one of the Phantom operatives seated at a console. Distracted, Raf'el moved his hand in a motion of dismissal, ignoring the reports of those around him. He closed his eyes, drawing on the powers his race had been granted with.

His perception of the solar system spread like a virus from his position. An expanding circle that blanketed and mapped the star system in Raf'el's mind. Searching for life, even the smallest bit. His mind's eye searched the giant red ship that was making a larger orbit around the planet. Nothing. He searched the outer sections of the system, the ice-covered moon on the far side of the sun. Moving in he sensed his own ship. Pushing past that he crawled his senses over the surface of the planet. Desolate.

Moving closer to the one-time major population centers, still covered by half-destroyed buildings. His perception changed from such pure blackness to blasting light that the next moment he found himself panting, with what felt like the most intense headache he could think existed. A pain in the back of his skull where his head had jerked into the chair back.

He gasped. He had never seen such power anywhere. More power than he thought could exist in a single place. Could it be.. No, Luciaden does not have such power. It has to be something else.

"Land on the planet."

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The gate began to retract. Harsh winds blasted against the side of the ship, up the ramp. Two soldiers in battle armor descended the ramp to the ground below. Followed by Raf'el and the rest of the commandos that were not clothed in the Phantom's battle armor. Raf'el walked onto a planet that looked like the after image of a nuclear blast. The wind tugged against his robe, the end flapping in the wind behind him. The commandos spread out around the bottom of the ship ramp, covering the area.

Distantly, as if across a great distance, Raf'el heard the soft thump of padded boots. Approaching them was a man, concealed by a long black robe and hood, with golden stitchery along the sides and bottom.

The sound of men snapping guns into place came from all around him as the Phantoms aimed their weapons at the newcomer.

"Pathetic." The voice came in two tones, a normal voice, and then an undertone. "So the rat has finally come, to claim the power he thinks he so highly deserves."

The man lifted his face, to look at Raf'el. The hood falling back. The air caught his long hair, whipping it behind his head.

"You don't know what your getting into." Luciaden said. A malicious grin twisted onto his face.

Luciaden raised his hand, opening it with fingers spread out. The wind howled. The paralysis of surprise had just begun to dissipate when a wall of dirt and sand blasted off the ground, thrown about by the wind.

A whirlpool of sand, blinding him.

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