The Uli Rouge

[Kane]

The Outcasts at "Control" were preparing to deliver the ordinance Willow had requested. Preparing and griping.

"He wants a WHAT!?"

"You heard me! Just get the d*mn thing loaded!"

"He better have a good reason for wanting this thing. Got few enough as it is."

"Yeah, and he wants 5 dreadnaughts."

" . . . I'm sorry, run that by me again? You could NOT have just said the kid ordered 5 F*CKING DREADNAUGHTS!!!"

"That's what he said, not me!"

"Oh, this is bullsh*t! We don't have many dreds to spare, and he wants 5!? What happens when the Corsairs get wind of this, huh!?"

"Look, just get the d*mn things loaded! I don't make policy, we just carry it out!"

"F*ckin' kid... This is overkill. I don't care what they've got down there, there is nothing that could require this much firepower."

While wrong on the last point, the unspoken one of 'he doesn't really need all of this' was true. In the minds of certain people. Well, the minds of certain constructs.

"What the... ???" The tech operating the control base watched as a slit appeared on his screen. From this rip in his display, clambered out a demon made of crystal. All of this was still on the panel, but for some reason the tech could not get anything to work. The keyboard wasn't responding, and the demon ate the mouse pointer.

"Sorry to hijack your system, bub, but nobody or anything is going anywhere." The demon ripped back into the control system and started delving into the code. 'LOCKDOWN' codes began to spring up on panels everywhere, red lights flashed, and every piece of machinery on the base was shut down one by one untill all that was left was the life-support. The techs operating the platform watched as the little crystal demon waved.

"Well, I'm off now! Have fun trying to unlock your own system!" The imp cackled, putting several witches and miscellaneous villains to shame, and disappeared. The 5 Dreadnaughts that were prepping for departure met a similar fate as the Rampant AI locked the crews out of their own ships, leaving naught but life-support. Cruisers included.

Content that he had caused enough mayhem and tied up the backup sufficiently, the Rampant AI construct known as Crystal Oni turned to more pressing matter in his twisted mind; giving a snarky send-off to that little Outcast bug who decided to try and call in some bigger guns then Boss.

****

"Hello, little worm. Sorry, but I just took away your toys. Little boys shouldn't be playing with such dangerous things. Oh, and consider your connection to "Control" severed. No signal is getting off this planet without me noticing it and scrambling it to hell." The hissing and crackling voice jumped out of Willows ear-bud. It sounded like sliding and cracking glass, formed into speech.

"You'll have to make do with what you have now. Ta-ta!" The voice ended with a click.

****

Dark Star smiled and turned to the group. "Your attention please! Barring any further incursions by certain uninvited parties, this planet will be safe. Oncoming battle group and weapons of mass destruction safely and relatively permanently diverted. That is all." With that, Dark Star sat back down, sipping at his drink and watching the drama unfold with a polite interest and slight concern. What were the acts of mere humans, even such enlightened and strange folk, but little plays that would ultimately draw to a close in the face of greater power and good?

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This is the real true story of rock and roll; it was not about anything more then, how to live your life, as a gangster, in sartorial splendor, and turning the world into a place where normality would never return again...- Malcolm McLaren