Guardians of the Galaxy #81

MV1 EPIC BRANCH	Captain-27! Martinex! Yondu! Nicholette! Starhawk!

31st Century

"A NEW DIRECTION"
Written and HTMLed by Adrian Watts
Branch Editor:Ralph Angelo| Editor-in-Chief: Van Plexico

This issue takes place thirteen months after GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY #80

As the Crant system's twin suns began to dip below the horizon, two young men in the full body armour of the Rylof Elite Guard made their way down a deserted street, talking quickly to one another. They walked briskly, knowing full well the horrors which lay in wait for any Rylovian who dared walk the streets at night.

"I tell you, M-Plt," one of the men said, "the Nega-Lord is just a myth. The Nega-Bands were lost years ago. My grandfather himself saw them when they were hidden safely from the clutches of the Gold family."

"And I tell you, K-Frt - your grandfather wouldn't have seen a human in his entire life." M-Plt smiled at his friend, letting him know that it was just a joke. They continued to walk, and after awhile, they stopped at the front of a door set into the stone wall on the side of the street. "So, K-Frt, think she's home? She told me to drop by on Frn-sday, but I can't wait three whole days."

"I hope you're right." M-Plt reached out and placed a hand on the door handle, but froze as a very strong, black-covered hand grasped his wrist. "What the - ?"

The two men looked up, and saw the masked face of a black-garbed attacker. He wore long black cloaks which obscured his entire body from view, but he was big. Very big.

"You are M-Plt Kutz and K-Frt Lumph of the Rylof Elite Guard? The warriors named most valiant of the Cryll battle?" the figure asked in a dull, but deep voice.

The dark figure raised his free hand, and with a slight gesture toward K-Frt, the young man was hurled against a far wall.

"I am General Rylax Krey-ft, the last survivor of the planet Cryll. It is my duty to find the most valiant warriors of the galaxy and do battle with them, until one defeats me. I have yet to meet my master, but rumour has it that the two of you are mighty warriors indeed!" Rylax seemed to hiss as he said the last word, reminding the two men of the Serpent Lords of Oderii-IX.

Rylax took a deep breath as he released M-Plt's hand. Quicker than the eye could see, Rylax whipped his hands around in an ancient arcane gesture, and a blue pulse of energy illuminated the entire Rylovian street. When it's bright light faded, M-Plt and K-Frt lay frozen solid against the walls.

"They were no sport at all..." Rylax hissed, looking up at the now star-filled sky of Rylof-IV. "I must find other warriors, and quickly..." He turned into a dark corner, and vanished.

The Keeper floated in the center of the main council meeting forum, the various lights that were directed upon him reflecting off of his silver skin. His red sash whipped wildly around him, as he looked upon each of the council members with eyes weary from his past experience of over one thousand such meetings.

He waited patiently for the hubbub of the councillors to cease, and looked to the council leader - the Kree warrior Kay-Den - for permission to speak.

"The council acknowledges the Silver Surfer," Kay-Den said, raising a hand to silence the other councillors. "We must hear him out. He claims to have news of a dire threat to all of our member worlds." He nodded down at the Silver Surfer, letting him know that he had permission to speak. "Speak, Norrin."

"Thank you, Kay-Den," the Silver Surfer said gratefully. He looked upon the councillors again, wondering how each would react to his words. "I am here today to speak of a dire new threat, one which threatens each and every one of us. I am here today to speak of the being called Rylax."

There was hushed murmuring throughout the forum hall, as various councillors gasped in shock or whispered hasty comments of disbelief to one another. They'd all heard reports of the man named Rylax, although they had all chosen not to believe the stories they had heard. Kay-Den motioned to silence the crowd again, but one councillor spoke anyway.

"Statement: Rylax does not exist." A small, brown and green robot spoke, it's expressionless face peering straight down at the Silver Surfer, whose clean silver skin had darkened slightly in rage.

"I care not for your opinion, tyrant!" the Surfer snapped. "You, who have enslaved the noble citizenry of Rigel, should have no turn to speak in these chambers!" Kay-Den shot the Silver Surfer a quick glance, which seemed to calm him down. "My apologies, councillors. I should not have spoken thus. But the Recorder is wrong. I have seen Rylax with my own two eyes - yes, I have even faced him in deadly combat!"

Again, gasps of shock echoed throughout the chamber as the councillors of a thousand thousand worlds discussed the Surfer's words. Again, another councillor decided to speak openly. He was another Kree, like Kay-Den.

"Silver Surfer, while I have never felt the need to accuse you of deception before, I must see proof of your battle with Rylax." As the Kree finished speaking, murmurs of agreement wafted down to the Surfer's ears. He waited a moment, deciding what to do, but finally he removed his red sash and showed his badly scarred flank to the council.

"Rylax penetrated my right side with massive claws, glowing with the Power Cosmic. I knew, in the instant that he struck me, that I would stand no chance of defeating him, and that it was my duty to retreat here and warn you all of the danger that even now imperils the cosmos!"

The councillors looked shocked, but were even moreso a few moments later when Kay-Den once again addressed the assemblage.

"Councillor T-Rn of Rylof-4, the council extends it's apologies. Your world has been decimated by a being reported to be Rylax. Members of your Elite Guard managed to escape, but the number of deceased citizens is already in the thousands," Kay-Den solemnly announced.

Councillor T-Rn fainted from shock, and numerous councillors moved to his side. Some, however, simply stood still with smug looks on their faces. One of which was the Snark ambassador Rommel.

"Yesssss... 'twould ssssseem that Rylax hassss returned. Would be mosssst unsssseemly were he to desssstroy Snarkworld-Ssssssix..." He nodded his scaled head in the Silver Surfer's direction, the cybernetic joints in his neck making loud whirring and clicking sounds as he did so. "You have the aid of the Ssssnarks in any plan you may posssssess, Ssssilver Sssssurfer."

The Rigellian Recorder looked at Rommel, it's expressionless face betraying no emotion. The Surfer sensed that the Recorder was calculating some type of response that would cover up its error of judgement.

"Statement: We have no proof that Rylax was responsible. Question: Can we trust the Silver Surfer? Observation: This could have been his doing," the Recorder suggested. To the surprise of Norrin Radd, many of the councillors expressed agreement to the Recorder's words.

"I will not stand for such perfidy!" the Surfer announced, floating higher into the air. "If the council does not trust me implicitly, then to Hades with all of you!"

"ENOUGH!" Kay-Den yelled, bringing silence to the council chambers. "The Silver Surfer has never steered my people wrong in times past, but the Kree cannot aid him in this task. I do implore each of the member races of this council to strongly consider the Surfer's words, though. If Rylax is real, we must do all we can to vanquish him forever."

The Kree ambassador Tor-Quin rolled his eyes at Kay-Den, an action which did not escape the Surfer's notice. He turned back to the council chambers, and prepared to suggest his plan to defeat Rylax.

"Rylax has shown himself to be a competent warrior," the Silver Surfer began, looking at each councillor present in the council chambers individually, "and it will take more than a handful of skilled combatants to end his evil efforts. I propose that you request the aid of the Guardians of the Galaxy. They could be instrumental in defeating Rylax."

"NEVER!" an ambassador shouted, backed up by words synonomous with his own. "The Guardians of the Galaxy are outlaws. Until they agree to abide by the laws of the New Galactic Coucil - "

The Surfer waited for a response, but no-one spoke. After several minutes of deliberation, however, most of the councillors nodded their reluctant assent to the Surfer's plan, and he flew into the black void of space, his famous surfboard at his feet. He flew in a somewhat random pattern, leaving trails of shining silver in his wake. It was a signal, one proposed long ago by Firelord, to ensure that neither he nor the Surfer would need to face danger alone. Firelord had taught it to the Guardians, in the hopes that if they ever saw the Surfer's signal that they would rush to his aid. The Silver Surfer was confident that the Guardians would respond - if they were able.

Meanwhile, as the many councillors that formed the Galactic Council awaited the arrival of the Keeper's champions, Kay-Den and Tor-Quin walked through one of the many corridors which formed the tall citadel in which the council met.

"I tell you, Kay-Den... I am against all of this lying and deceit. The Silver Surfer has been an ally to our people for centuries. Why must we Kree work against him now?" Tor-Quin asked, a look of sorrow etched across his blue-skinned face.

"Because," Kay-Den began, "the Kree Stealth Squadron needs time to complete its plans. If the Supreme Intelligence's new plan is to be thwarted, then Rylax must be available to fight the Supremor's army. As much as I hate to say it, Rylax is more valuable to us in combat that the Silver Surfer or the Guardians of the Galaxy."

"But Rylax... he is our doing. The first of the Supremor's 'Ruul'. Shouldn't we warn the Surfer? Give him some kind of advice to help him defeat it? If we had rylax captive, we could find a way to force him to obey us..."

"Rylax will be stopped, in time. But now, if he can distract Norrin Radd just a short while longer... than perhaps his existence can be tolerated a short while longer."

Since the Silver Surfer's empassioned speech to the New Galactic Council, the Dy asteroid belt had been busily prepared as a beachhead at which to halt Rylax's advance. Phoenix-IX, on orders from the council, had arrived to help fight Rylax upon his arrival - and the Silver Surfer, unable to find the Guardians of the Galaxy, had returned to defend the belt as well.

"The defenses are ready, Silver Surfer!" A Snark general said proudly, pointing in the direction of large battlements erected by the Snarktroopers, under the command of High Snark Rommel. "I am confident that we will defeat Rylax this day!"

"It worries me that the Guardians of the Galaxy did not come to our aid, Phoenix," the Surfer said, turning to his former-Guardian companion. "If they made contact but refused to fight, that would be one thing - but I am concerned that I could not even locate them..." The Silver Surfer looked concerned, but quickly regained a confident expression. "Still, I believe these battlements will suffice."

The black-garbed figure was upon them in seconds, passing through the rapidly-firing Snark laser cannons as though they were nothing. He hovered, perfectly still, in front of Firelord and the Silver Surfer for a few moments before speaking.

"Yes!" the Silver Surfer cried. "You must pay for the crimes you have committed!"

The Silver Surfer ignored him. Instead, he lashed out with a blast of the Power Cosmic, knocking Rylax back several meters, but the cloaked figure simply laughed maniacally.

"You've improved, Keeper, but not enough!" He raised a hand, and the Silver Surfer was raised into the air, and thrown into an asteroid which Rylax had brought up behind him. Acting quickly, the Silver Surfer summoned his surfboard. It moved toward him at almost impossible speeds, hitting Rylax in the stomach and pinning him next to the Surfer on the small asteroid.

Phoenix-IX moved swiftly into action, lunging straight for Rylax, his fists fuming with the power of the Phoenix Force at his command. He aimed for the black cloaked warrior's throat and connected. "Do you yield?" he asked, but Rylax simply laughed. Reaching forward, the cloaked figure grabbed the Silver Surfer's surfboard and hurled it at Phoenix, sending him flying into the distance.

"Don't make me laugh, human-mutant," Rylax said, turning his attention back to the Silver Surfer. "Now what about you?"

"The Silver Surfer is failing, Kay-Den!" Tor-Quin shouted as he watched, via a viewscreen, as the Silver Surfer and Rylax fought. "He needs aid, and I think we both know just how to help him."

"Call the Guardians of the Galaxy. They are the Surfer's only hope." Tor-Quin insisted.

"Very well, but I shall claim no responsibility for their presence when the Council next convenes. Go. Send them a communique." Kay-Den ordered, and Tor-Quin set to work.

The Captain America III, Mobile Home to the Guardians of the Galaxy

Captain-27 sat at the ship's main controls, surveying all of the monitors and displays as he kept the ship cloaked and in orbit around the planet Haven II. It was there that the Guardians of the Galaxy had lived since the end of the conflict with Immortus and the grand realignment of the universe, in which the new Galactic Council had been formed.

He was startled to find an incoming communique on the frequency used by the Galactic Council. Since the Guardians' decision not to support the utilitarian-style government that had emerged in the galaxy, they had been branded outlaws and orders had been given to execute them on sight. The only place where they could safely reside was the one planet deemed as a sanctuary for all galactic citizens: Haven II.

He quickly decided that given the group's status, the Council would only be violating their own laws and contacting them in a dire emergency - and so he punched up the message. The holographic form of Tor-Quin appeared before him, already part way into it's message:

"... help. The being called Rylax, who you met during the battle at Cryll, was not as dead as we thought. He has already decimated more than a dozen worlds, and bested the Silver Surfer and Phoenix-IX in combat. You are our only hope. The co-ordinates of the Dy asteroid belt have been downloaded to your system. Please note that this is not an official request for help from the Galactic Council. It is a personal request from me, and the Kree Empire promises to do everything in it's power to prevent the Council from interfering with your activities in regard to defeating Rylax. We are desperate. Thank you for your time."

The holographic image faded into nothingness, and Captain-27 frowned. He wasn't sure what to do - ever since the Guardians had left their longtime friend and ally, Vance Astro in the twentieth century, things had been going wrong. The great war between Latveria, Galactus, and Thanos. The conflict with Immortus. Repairing the timestream. Nothing had gone right. They needed Vance.

"Why haven't you given the 'go' order yet, Chunks?" Captain-27 turned to find his friend and fellow Guardian, Nicholette Gold, standing behind him. She had greatly matured in the last year, and this saddened him. She had once been child-like, reckless, and vivacious. Now, she had the worried look of a battle-hardened general. "We are going, aren't we? Giraud needs us."

"So did Mainframe, Firelord, and Autolysins, and look what happened to them," Captain-27 muttered. "Do you think we should go?"

"What about Replica?" Nicholette asked. "She's on the planet surface with Hollywood."

"Prepare to die, Silver Surfer!" Rylax gripped the Keeper by the throat, ever tightening his grip. "It's a pity you cosmic champions die so easily, or I might get a sense of satisfaction, no?"

In a burst of light, a large spacecraft left hyperspace and appeared in the middle of the asteroid belt. From the ship came three costumed figures in spacesuits, ready to face Rylax. While Nicholette remained aboard the Captain America III, the other Guardians charged straight at Rylax. The Centaurian Yondu nocked and fired one of the whistle-controlled Yaka arrows, hitting Rylax squarely in the back. The behemoth cried out in pain as the sharp tip pierced his skin.

Captain-27 acted next, grabbing Rylax roughly by the shoulders and pulling him off of the Silver Surfer. He used his immense strength to slam Rylax into a nearby asteroid with such force that a depression was made where the monster's body hit.

Martinex attacked then, encasing Rylax in a sheath of ice so thick that it would hold even him for a time; and then it was Nicholette's turn. She brought the ship to bear and fired it's main plas-cannons, obliterating the rock to which Rylax was attached. The ice sheath that surrounded him shattered, and his limp body drifted through the asteroid belt before being collected by a Snark craft.

Once Rylax was secured, the Snark ships trained their weapons on the Guardians and their craft. The Guardians prepared to defend themselves, but a look from the Silver Surfer warned them to stand down.

"Go with them, Guardians," the Keeper said. "It's time to settle the issue once and for all!"

NEXT ISSUE: A new hero of the future makes his debut, and with him comes an old, old, villain!