"I wonder if that body switch was really intentional. I can read faces: you were as surprised and dismayed as I was. Even now, I have alien thoughts echoing in my mind. I presume they are yours."

"But yes, biogel can correct most such damage to a biological form. It is truly amazing, how basic and significant it is."

He hand waves. "I didn't help either of you intentionally. Even now, I have dropped this ship into deep space to buy me time to think on what I have done. Thirteen might eventually figure out the override codes for a second jump, but I left a present in case he tries that."

"I stand by my convictions: you would be better off dead than enslaved to a resentful homicidal machine. Even if I redeemed myself right now, I would consider it my final mercy."

"As for Heliod, yes, he's our real foe. Tempter, source of evil, the fallen star. Many titles, one being. We enforce morality so that we can deprive him of soldiers, and the ones who must violate that morality are taught purification techniques, and given indulgences, sanctions that cleanse our souls for the dark deeds we must do. On the last day, he will find himself deprived of soldiers while facing the Legion's might on the side of righteousness, and those unfortunates who have joined his ranks will remember the call of the Legion, and turn on him when they see their brothers-in-arms once more." He shrugs. "So it was foreseen."

"That is the short of some of our beliefs. I can go into more, if you care. We have plenty of time."

You hear Anthony over the intercom. "I have no idea where we are. Something about Star Chart Updating, please wait! It's all I've got, over!"

"What kind of alien thoughts?

I also had your gun in hand while I was in your body. Not much you can do to stop someone that suddenly decides to shoot themselves. But I didn't do that. I fixed the problem.

Yeah. To think the guy from outside your universe doesn't know the exact limits of your Technology.

Honestly. I would like to drop them in the League of Free Worlds then go to Terra with you. I try to stand by my word even if it doesn't always work out.

...Most religions don't work that way. That sounds like a hard-line version of one of The religions from my home world. Continue, My research didn't let me get very deep before you showed up.

I assume we are outside the galaxy. and the computer has to figure out where we are."

"I suppose I should answer those in the order you are asking. You are very inquisitive. Were you not what you are, you would either advance far in the Legion, or you would disappear."

"I know myself. And I know when I have thoughts not my own. They are likely your own, fragments of believe. Makes focus a bit difficult."

He dropped that smile. "Suicide is quite the difficult task, even for those prepared for it. I have a backup method on me besides the gun. That's just a choice based in honor."

"I don't think we know the limits of our own technology. The line between ours and another's has become very blurry."

He thinks rather hard for a moment. "Anthony was one of our field agents, meant to cut insurrections in the formation. His methods were not the norm, but they worked until recently. Said the workers got stubborn. He was not going to change tactics, I saw that, and decided to intervene. The machine we have known of for some time, but as long as it showed no signs of rampancy, we would permit Anthony to 'own' it."

"Honestly, I think going to Terra would be a mistake at this point. I think they would just shoot us out of space without asking any questions. Especially once they get word about what is on board: a demon, a rampant, and a rogue Hand. Why not choose to live outside Legion space? Not many can make the claim you have, and even become a missing person, never mind getting away from them."

"I don't know what specifics you want. Perhaps I should start with the beginning, and speak of Ormazod, the creator of life, and his creation of the universe within the span of a standard Terran week? The fall of Heliod from grace? The once endless civil wars of mankind, and the brutal salvation of the First Legionnaire? Although on that last, I see a return to the old ways of a flawed humanity, if the First does not return soon."

"Or perhaps it is our law that interests you? You don't strike me as philosophical."

"Finally, to your last question: every time a jump is made, the navigational systems have to update a reference. Usually, we know where we are going in advance, and know which stars to refer to in order to update. Jumping blind means it may take a moment to realize where we are."

"Rampant? Rampancy? I assume that these words refer to the tendency of A.I.s to go all Killotron and want to murder Organics?

It's amazing how similar your creation story is to the one from my home-world. The Names are different. Did a third of Ormazod's servant's side with Heliod. Did the First Legionnaire teach this Creation story? I assume the First Legionnaire also came from another world?
From what I gathered The First Legionnaire united everyone by being so strong no one could oppose him.

My interests can be eclectic at times."

"That is the final conclusion of a mechanical lifeform." Lucian was quoting something from memory, but with a bit of opinion thrown in. "I am not a programmer, but the First's writings are very insistent on that point, that any...A.I...artificial intelligence will inevitably draw the idea that life is a mistake that requires correcting. The Drakefaxi and to a lesser and more corrupted extant, the Takron, are both examples of this taken to an extreme, but I have seen many lesser cases of this thanks to the 'good' Doctor Victor."

His gaze turns cold for a moment. "Your pet machine is on the way to drawing that conclusion, by the way, if it has not already done so. Make no mistake: it would be best to destroy it as soon as it is convenient."

"Regarding the specifics of their conflict, no, but close. The number was half. There are no neutrals in the fight against such a force. Apathy aids the enemy. I don't know who taught it first, as we understand the First got it from somewhere. But yes, the First was an entity much like yourself, and a few who have come before you."

"And you may have any interests you want. I want to know what you want to know. Your request is broad, but so far, you have not asked me anything I cannot share with you."

"I assumed they killed the other like me when they figured out that they are not the reincarnation of the First.

If they are not the first. Then the Legion calls them Demons correct?"

"The title is an approximation, not a moral designation, whatever my peers may think. The First warned of others like him, and claimed most of them would be demons in the form of people. Even though his writings expressly do NOT support this, it was deemed by those trusted with such information that most extradimensional beings such as yourself were to be designated as demons to save time and questions, until taken to Terra and, presumably, established as otherwise."

"Again, I do not actually know. Were it my call, I would have simply killed you from the shadows and saved a lot of time and effort."

"Then again...had it been my call, I would not have found out the future can be changed. And that brings me back to this moment again." He holds the gun, with the barrel pointing relative 'up.' His tone changes to an inquisitive one. "Let's say you have a code that demands that dishonor be met with suicide. What would you do that would pass that standard, besides my present course?"

"Well suicide is sort of pointless for me, unless I want to move to my next world.
But if I was mortal and I had a code of honor that demanded that I commit suicide for dishonor,
I would throw myself at the enemies of my nation and kill as many of them as I can before they kill me. It's still effectively suicide and I help my nation by doing it. Putting a gun to your head and shooting is a waste of a bullet and a waste of manpower.

Besides. Shouldn't you tell your peers the info that you sacrificed you honor for?
It would be a pointless sacrifice if you don't.

By the way, Where did did the Idea that the Future can't be changed come from?"

He looks at you surprised. "You aren't from here, and your honesty astounds me. Given the context, you are suggesting I kill yourself and everyone else on this vessel. It would not be suicidal for me, except for perhaps yourself, whom I do not believe I can ambush twice."

He thinks a bit longer, his mind moving with precision. "No. But before I explain why, I need to show you something."

He sends his pistol to you, floating in the air. When it drifts into your arm's reach, he speaks with a voice of authority. "Put the pistol to your mouth, aim for the brain stem, and pull the trigger." His eyes go white again. "OBEY!"

Your vision goes golden, and when you recover, you are pointing the gun at your face. "Most people keep going and don't stop. I'm surprised you got that far, though. You have seen the Orphelium before, haven't you?"

"I was hoping you would pick a different target than me. You would be surprised how much our values line up."

----------

I blink and note the gun I am now pointing at my face. I move the gun away from my face.

"How did you do that?
Is this Orphelium a golden entity surrounded by multi-winged Angeles. Who shout 'Obey!'?"

I seen it once here. Tell me about it. Everything you know about it."

My tone is icy cold on the last part.

"No need to insist. My oaths required that you already knew of them, or they were need to know. Sanctioned knowledge is a heavy burden." Lucian's hand extends out to his pistol, as if expecting you to return it.

He keeps it extended as he speaks. "But yes, that is consistent with visions of the Orphelium. They are the agents of Ormazod, and the Eyes of Righteousness are their vision in the mortal world. Obedience is their first and only law."

"Visions of the future normally come from them, and they are less...vision, and more a statement of intention. A person who sees the future is merely stating the will of the Orphelium, nothing more."

"You saw that will, and spit in its face. The Orphelium will not accept your defiance. They will seek to recreate the conditions you have averted, and will attempt to make their future real."

"I've never seen the future change, though, until now. I have never even heard of it done until now. I do not know if you understand exactly what that means, but you will certainly find out."

I'll give his gun back.

"I'll need to meditate on this and commune with the spirit world.
That doesn't sound like a parallel to the religion of my homeworld..."

Or more accurately, It sounds like someone took it out of context.

"I prayed to the spirits that are in charge of weaving destiny and maintaining the low level physics that keep the universe together.
I saw how to nudge the future in a different direction.
What do you think it means?
Your a smart fellow Lucian. How do you think I did it? How do you think I do my magic?"

He thinks about this, seeming uncertain with his answer. "You prayed...to lesser beings that were willing to defy the Orphelium, and seek to subvert their goals while masking their intentions as gain for you?"

He shrugs. "Perhaps they gave you a conflicting goal, rather like the Orphelium do. That Heliod would have agents working to undermine the Orphelium is no surprise. What DOES surprise me is they would succeed. I see why the Eyes are interested in you, Magnus, and why the First sought to warn us about others like himself. Demons such as yourself, and incidentally the First, represent a tipping point, one that has no vested interest in the greater good unless they decide they do."

"As for the specifics of your power, it is external in nature. You alter the world, and it then echoes, altering you as well. You commune with the immediate forces in the area, with no concern for their allegiance, intention, goals or nature."

"So ask your spirits whatever questions you like. They will tell you whatever they want you to believe, nothing more. Only the Orphelium give the truth each time they are asked. The rest will lie."

He smiles. "Of course, the Orphelium have also claimed the future they give is certain, and that is not true."

"Spirits have more variation than that. Some lie, some do not lie. While I can pray to spirits and get them to work for me. My power runs deeper than that. I remake reality to my will. Sometime I push reality to far and the Pattern spiders punish me for making them work too hard. But in theory I could do anything I can imagine.

Theoretically Any human could learn to do this. I would just have to figure out how to awaken the part of the human soul responsible for it. Although most would not be ready for that kind of power.

So if The Orphelium are not always correct, What does that mean for you?"

"It means they have violated the laws of Honesty without an indulgence being sanctioned for them first, and thus must be silenced. Not even the Orphelium are above the law. So, it seems you have an unlikely ally with me. Even Thirteen is a lesser evil than them right now." He holstered his weapon underneath a fold in his very plain clothing you still have a hard time making out. "This does require me to violate the law of Humility, unfortunately, as they technically outrank a mere Hand. Fortunately, that means a punishment that I find acceptable."

"So, I will not be killing myself directly. Making an enemy out of the Orphelium is close enough. They will be coming for this ship, and again, they will wish to reproduce the conditions that lead to their intended future. Be leery around a planet if Thirteen and Anthony happen to be on board."

He stands up, and you see him walking in zero-gravity conditions. "Mag-Lock boots. Something every Hand makes it a point to keep handy. The uses are quite astounding."

"We can do one more jump. A third without a resupply will burn the core out of the ship, forcing a slow and likely fatal journey." He smiles grimly. "What do you need to know to make an informed decision to your next destination? My education is not limited, merely admittedly biased."

"What's the punishment for Violating law of Humility?

I would like to drop Anthony and Thirteen off somewhere in the League of Free Worlds.
Is there a method to communicate at faster than the speed of light. I would prefer not to jump in and then immediately get blown up.

How do you plan on Silencing the Orphelium? I think I'll help you with this afterward."

He keeps that shark's smile on his face. "'Thou shalt humble thyselves before thine superiors, or thou shalt suffer their wrath.' I do not believe they will give me anything less should I attempt to silence them as the law requires, so this 'punishment' is acceptable."

"Very well, although why you want to leave them with a bunch of backwater colonists is beyond me. Really, the only reason the Legion has not wiped them out is because they have bigger problems to deal with."

"And as for my plan, I have not formed one yet. I have a goal. The rest will follow."

"So, to the outskirts of Daquio it is. We will not be able to communicate with them to warn them of our arrival. But not to worry. They will see us when we arrive, and they will likely investigate, sending hailing frequencies, likely with calls to power down our shields and surrender to them."

"Should they not do the expected thing, we will likely all die from a lack of provisions."

I grin wide at that.
"That is hilarious to me. Some of your laws have the right Idea."

"Well, That is where Thirteen wanted to go. They think that they are the worlds with the most freedom.

Well, Let's make the jump."

It is at that point you hear Anthony over the intercom. "Hey, guys. I'm not an expert on this sort of thing, but is it normal for large golden planets to simply materialize out of thin air?"

Lucian's expression goes from puzzlement to terrified realization in a span of two seconds. "We have to make the jump, now!"

He runs to the downstairs only to run headfirst into a large armored man who literally appeared out of thin air, in a flash of blue light
. Blond hair with shocks of grey, furious blue eyes, a hardened jawline, and an unforgiving stance and frame. This man is a verser, and his chi is radiating pure power, with an aura composed of nothing except white hot fury.

He glances at Lucian irritably and takes a quick glance around, settling his gaze on you. He speaks to himself briefly. "So, the universe I was in underwent a heat death, and I am free once more. This is no dream."

"You!" He points to you, and then clenches his fists once more, holding one in front of him. "I am the First Legionnaire. Is there a Legion established here, and where and when am I?"

Lucian promptly drops to his knees, wordlessly.

"You have already been here. There is a Legion that rules a sixth of the galaxy with an Iron Fist. We are currently outside of the galaxy. You'll have to talk to him."

I point to Lucian.

"To find out the specifics of when and where you are. I was thinking about returning to Terra to reform the Legion into something I would find more tolerable."

I shrug.

"Anyway I am called Magnus. Titled 'Of the Red'
I guess you are a servant of Ormazod and the Orphelium?
I can already sense you are quite strong. Does that golden planet over there belong to you?"

He casts a glance to Lucian. You wonder if this man is capable of dialing back the intensity at all. Lucian almost lowers his head to the floor, sensing the gaze. "What are you to the Legion, dark man?"

"I am a Hand of the Eyes of Righteousness, and it has been one thousand years since you last appeared in person. You supposedly perished in action."

"Good. Terra sounds like a fine destination. Hopefully my tests are still in place..." He glares at you. "Serve Ormazod? He is a false god of order native to this world. I serve him no more than any other false god or power, 'Magnus of the Red.'"

He is making no effort to hide the condescension in his voice. He looks towards a wall. "And no, that is not mine. I take it you have managed to antagonize them to get them to send an entire war world after you."

"Now...Hand! Why have you not killed this man?"

"The Orphelium claimed their futures were infallible, and this was proven false. I was going to silence them."

The First puts a hand to his head out of irritation. "They are...requiring correction, I see. They must remember their place in my order. They serve the Legion, not the other way around."

He looks to you coldly. "So, you dislike my Legion, do you? I have hardened mankind, and ensured their survival for the End of Times. Why don't you tell me what you have done to prepare for the only battle that really matters, the Last Battle? I suspect your answer will be disappointing."

I smirk back in the face of his overwhelming presence.

"Considering I've only been a verser for a few years. I think I've done well. I've learned to warp reality to my will and trained my baseline body to near the peak of human potential. Given a few more years. I'll break even that limit. I'm also a fairly accomplished martial artist. Give me time, and I will fight at Final Battle. and My students will fight with me.

I can already tell you are superhuman. How long have you been doing this? how long did it take you to achieve that power?  Given a similar about of time, I believe My accomplishments will be similar in scale you yours.

So shut up about comparing accomplishments until we are in same ballpark age wise.

I would like to punch out a few of those Orphelium. So are you going to let me help you for a bit or are you going to kill me?"

"Hmm..." He seems to be thinking about something. Then a triumphant smile appears on his face. You have the impression he is trying to be inviting, but actually cannot do that. "Perhaps you would like to join the Legion, then? That will offer you a potential support network, and give you the chance to become exactly what you claim you wish to be."

"Uh, I don't know what's going on, but we have a whole bunch of golden men heading towards us at very high speed! And I'm held in some kind of beam!" Anthony is speaking over the intercom, and he sounds worried. "Advice please!"

"I know this, fool." The First's expression regains its default irritable expression, before his voice elevates to a commanding tone. "Alpha-Septum-Petra-Alpha. Pilot, be silent! Your superiors command it!"

"Ah-!" The intercom goes silent after a bit of distress noise comes from it.

"Now then." He looks back to you. "The Orphelium are coming to kill you, and this vessel cannot withstand them. Why you are out here in a stolen craft is something I will forgive this once if you accept my offer. Choose quickly."

I smile knowing I'm correct. I'll speed up my perceptions to keep up with him, I'll try to block the inevitable strike and redirect the force back at the First.

"Yeah... No. I'll find my own way.
 I can't support the tyranny you inflict with the Legion. And I don't think you will change from me talking to you.
You may have made humanity strong with it, But Human need freedom too. Otherwise you are just a pawn of the Darkness too. The Light doesn't intend for humans to be under the thumb of a tyrant."

"Bah!" He waves a hand dismissively. "Then die with this ship, fool. We will meet again."

"My lord, wait-!" Lucian is cut off by a blur of movement.

He flashes out of your vision. Your chi sense blurs to keep up with him, and you only sense his exit from the metal shards erupting from the floor.

Everything flashes white, and you realize in an oddly casual fashion that he destroyed the ship's power core.

OOC: Yup. That's a verse out. Thanks for playing. Forming a new world in my head right now. He drilled through the floor at superhuman speeds, and your senses were struggling to understand that.