The Galactic Adventures of Pierce Darkblade

Maybe 30 minutes after your orders, Security Officer Denzen gives you the news you are waiting for. "Sir...a small being has entered the system. I believe it to be Solitaire."

"On viewscreen Mr.Denzen." The monitor blips up to an image of Solitaire flying around the area, seemingly confused.

"He has not detected us sir. The cloak is working." Denzen says. More like the brain fog is working, but at least you have the element of suprise.

Mason whirls around in his chair to face you, "Sir, The G.A. Fleet has arrived; they are cloaked and trying to communicate with us."

You turn to Commander Fraglon. "Thoughts on how we contain Solitaire?"

He furrows his brow, nodding. "The tractor beam. We could hold him in stasis in a tractor beam."

"That..doesn't really solve our problem Commander. How long do we hold him in a tractor beam? Until our energy reserves deplete and then he roams free again? Also, I would think he would just phase his molecular structure to free himself once he figures out the tractor beam frequency."

"Thats it Captain...Change the frequencies...every couple seconds. Solitaire wouldn't be able to escape. It won't kill him, but with the fleet here, they can dispose of Solitaire as they see fit. Imprison him or destroy him. Throw him into a star would possibly work."

You beam with pride at your damn fine crew. Fraglon's idea may just work.

"Open the channel to the G.A. fleet Mr. Mason."

The viewscreen blips on to General Thompson. You have met him once before. Explaining the plan to him, he is hopeful it will succeed. The ships begin to position themselves in a circle around the wandering Solitaire. You are to give the signal to activate the tractor beams when every ship is in position.

Apparently though, Solitaire has become sick of waiting. Clearly agitated by the ploy that must be taking place on him, he begins to fire blasts of blue energy randomly into space.

"Red alert! Shields up!" You have to hold on a bit longer before you launch the attack. Beams of blue flash past the Pachyderm, rocking it back and forth.

"Cloak holding sir! We are still hidden!" Denzen shouts.

Solitaire fires another barrage of blue blasts, a miss and then...a hit on a G.A. ship.

"Oh...no.." You are mortified.

The vessel is pierced like a lance by the blue beam,the cloak deactivates. The ship begins to erupt in flames on the area of entry. The nose of the ship turns downward as the lights flicker. Without warning, the ship explodes. Solitaires cackling laughter can be heard everywhere. Element of suprise is lost. Time to go.

"The ruse is up, activate tractor beams NOW!" The remaining ships all shoot their tractor beams at Solitaire, entrapping him in a web. He struggles to get out, morphing his body to all sorts of strange shapes and distortions, yet the beams hold. You've successfully captured Solitaire! The people of Iquaast are now safe. The Pachyderm's crew erput in cheers.

General Thompson comes back onto the viewscreen. "Looks like we got him Captain Darkblade at the cost of many fine men..."

"They helped stop an insane alien beast today sir. They died with honor."

The General nods solemnly. "I'm going to contact the higher ups about what I should do with the alien, but I'd like your input Captain since you have dealt with the creature already. I'm sure your input on what we should do would be invaluable."

"Anything to help General."

"Should we imprision or destroy the alien? What is in the best interest of the Galaxy?"

Wow. What a question. In your short time of knowing him Solitaire has used a meteor gun to destroy cities on Freevus, turned your entire crew into poisonous cacti and attempted to obliterate a planet, destroying a G.A. ship in the process. He is clearly a powerful menace to all life. Yet you can't help but wonder what secrets of the universe Solitaire may be coerced into revealing if he is imprisoned....


What do you do?