PRELUDE : Meeting at the ruins of the Asteroid Base, the heroes discuss the implementation of security procedures to prevent their base being compromised in the future. They finally decide that Thunderbolt's Mind Link is the best they can come up with but are aware that even it might be fooled and that by accepting a Mind Link, they might open themselves to Mental Attacks.       Studying the Shi'ar Repair Robot, they program it to continue its repairs of the Asteroid Base. They then fly to the nearby orbiting asteroid where the Shi'ar Scoutship is concealed. Thunderbolt manages to turn into a cloud of vapor and enter the asteroid where she opens the hanger door for the others. The group familiarize themselves with the controls and take the ship for a spin around the solar system.       Discussing the sabotage of the Asteroid Base, the heroes conclude that one of the scientists must be a Skrull shapeshifter; probably from the team of Power Troopers known as The Infiltrators. They decide to set a trap for the scientists.       Using his almost omniscient control over light, Light Sabre takes up geosynchronus orbit over Houston and zeroes in on the building the scientists use. Thunderbolt and Singularity call the scientists and arrange a meeting where they borrow the FTL Energy Signature Device saying that they plan on searching nearby space for more of the cosmic booby traps.       Thunderbolt, Maelstrom and Singularity carry the device into space while Light Sabre watches the scientists, his N-Ray vision easily piercing the steel and concrete of the building. He watches as the scientists gather around a strange scanning device that seems to monitor the group's progress out of the system.       Singularity opens a jump gate and carries Thunderbolt and Maelstrom over 50 light years away into the Galactic Commonwealth. Light Sabre continues watching the scientists and hears them speaking in Skrull. Unfortunately, he is no longer in contact with Thunderbolt because of the vast distance. He follows the scientists as they leave the building and drive to Samantha's house.       Light Sabre's N-Ray vision follows the scientists as they enter the house and move to a hidden basement chamber. He gasps in surprise as he sees three chambers in the room. Each chamber contains a body - seemingly a duplicate of the scientists! Alarmed, Light Sabre moves out of orbit and flies closer to the house.       Singularity returns with Maelstrom and Thunderbolt after depositing the detection device in Commonwealth space. Mind Linking with Light Sabre, Thunderbolt briefs Maelstrom and Singularity and they streak toward earth.       The scientists move to the chamber housing their duplicate and don what appear to be head phones. Light Sabre can see that the unconscious bodies have electrodes taped to their skulls and IV tubes in their arms. The figures seem to be preparing to inject the sleeping figures with some unknown substance!       No longer willing to watch, Light Sabre launches himself at the house and smashes through the ceiling. THE ADVENTURE : As Singularity, Thunderbolt and Maelstrom arrive on the scene, they see Light Sabre propelled through the wall of the house and land in the street. From across the street, a gas station attendant roars in anger and metamorphs into a fierce Skrull Warrior known as Amok! He charges toward the stunned Light Sabre.       Singularity targets the charging figure but misses. Light Sabre is dazed from the pummelling he has received from the Skrulls inside the house. Maelstrom charges Amok and tries to tackle him but misses.       Balefire flies from the smoking hole in the house and grabs Thunderbolt! Thunderbolt shrieks in pain and where Balefire touches, Thunderbolt's skin turns black. Weakened, Thunderbolt none-the-less sends a Lightning Bolt at Balefire but the Skrull fury shrugs it off.       The Skrull Power Trooper known as Mimic smashes out of the house and gazes with disdain at the assembled heroes. "So Tovarich!", he says in Boris Minsc's voice. "You have discovered our plan. It will go with you to your grave!"       Light Sabre lashes out with a bolt of solid light but misses. Mimic laughs with contempt and snarls, "Hah! We know everything about your powers! You can do nothing against us! He swings at Light Sabre but hits him with a glancing blow.       Amok and Maelstrom square off, exchanging blows that rock the suburban street.       Singularity lands in the street. As he does so, Samantha Moore leaps from the smoking hole in the side of the house and screams Singularity's name! "Ralph, Help me!!", she wails. Singularity runs to her. She throws her arms about his neck.       "Come with me!", responds Singularity as he starts to fly her to safety. Samantha's voice changes and she whispers, "Fool! We know all your weaknesses!" She lightly touches his chest and Singularity is jolted by waves of nausea and pain! Landing roughly, Singularity stumbles to his knees, coughing up blood. "Let my Death Sphere take you!", hisses Samantha as she changes into the Skrull Power Trooper known as Eclipse. "Surrender and we will be Merciful!", she says as she looks down at the pain wracked hero.       Singularity struggles to his feet and grabs Eclipse in a telekinetic fist. He hurls her into the air, keeping a tight grasp on her. With a withering look of disdain she vanishes from his grasp. Two spheres of darkness appear where she vanished and slowly move toward the hero.       Light Sabre unleashes a solid light blast on Mimic. The Skrull Power Trooper shrugs off the blast and lashes out, striking Light Sabre even harder! Staggered, Light Sabre is dazed and falls to his knees.       Amok grabs Maelstrom and, roaring with anticipation, engulfs him in a bearhug! Maelstrom tries to break free of the Skrull's grasp but is unable to do so! Amok's grasp tightens!       Thunderbolt unleashes Lightning at Balefire and knocks the villainness into a nearby wall.       Seeing Light Sabre fall and with the lives of the scientists at stake, Singularity comms for help. Balefire attacks him but he sets up a gravity field to reflect her attack. She leaps aside in time to avoid her own attack.       Amok crushes Maelstrom in a grasp that grows tighter and tighter! Maelstrom's senses reel under the incredible pressure and and falls unconscious.       Thunderbolt sends a deafening clap of thunder at Balefire! The Skrull villainness covers her ears and winces in pain but is otherwise unaffected.       With Maelstrom and Light Sabre down, Thunderbolt and Singularity fight fiercely. Singularity manages to wound Eclipse and knock her unconscious. Thunderbolt summons all the power she can manage and strikes Balefire unconscious and bleeding with a thunderous lightning bolt!       As Balefire falls, the scales balance slightly and Singularity and Thunderbolt fight valiantly to give their companions time to recover.      Holding Maelstrom's limp form before him, Amok bares his teeth and cries, "Harm Eclipse again and I rip his throat out!!"      Singularity replies, "If he dies, so will your Bitch!" He targets Amok even though the Skrull berserker is holding Maelstrom. He is knocked over 40 feet and is badly injured. Amok quickly recovers, however, and flies at Singularity in a murderous rage!       Mimic pounds the downed Light Sabre, trying to distract Singularity and give Eclipse time to recover.       Thunderbolt sends a dazzling bolt of lightning at Mimic but even though he roars in pain and clutches his head, he does not appear to be blinded.       Eclipse quickly recovers and teleports to safety. She re-appears seconds later uses her darkness powers to surround the heroes in darkness. Light Sabre recovers and attempts to use his mastery of light to overcome the darkness! The area of darkness shrinks and shrinks again but Eclipse throws up another field of darkness surrounding them, almost a full city block!!       Amok smashes into Singularity and the hero falls! Amok turns on Singularity and Maelstrom, battering the two downed heroes unmercifully.       Thunderbolt and Light Sabre are blinded by the darkness! Thunderbolt calls upon mentor for aid while Light Sabre flashes into the sky, far above the darkness.       The darkness fades moments later but there are no signs of any of the Skrull Power Troopers. They have used the darkness to make good their escape. Leaving Maelstrom on guard, the three heroes rush into the half destroyed house and head toward the basement where the three still scientists lie.       Removing the scientists from the chambers, they soon recover. The two women throw themselves into the men's arms, sobbing in relief at being set free. Professor Minsc barrages Thunderbolt in question after question in idiomatic Russian.       Betty Haywood suddenly stiffens and slaps Light Sabre, crying, "How Could You?!!" She then fall back in his arms sobbing uncontrollably. She and Samantha seem to share memories and feelings of their captors. Betty is torn between those feelings and wide eyed outrage at the love affair she and Light Sabre shared.       The devices by which the Skrulls probed their memories seems to have been a two-way affair. The scientists have picked up an unconscious understanding of the Skrull language and lapse into it every so often. It comes out that they waged a mental war with their captors, influencing their decisions and in turn being influenced by them.       Gasping in horror, Samantha warns Singularity of the sabotage of their Asteroid Base. The heroes calm the scientists and attempt to explain that the danger is over. The NSA is called in, since the scientists all have top level security clearances. The scientists are debriefed and the heroes are allowed to escort and guard them.       A week goes by before the scientists are released and medically cleared. The women continue to have the same feelings exhibited by their Skrull imposters no matter how hard they try to deny them.       When the heroes come to pick up the scientists and take them back to Houston, the scientists demand to be taken to see the base. They feel cheated at having experienced outer space and the alien technology in the base at second hand, through minds of their alien captors. The heroes are bewildered by these demands but quickly comply, going further and sharing with them the secret of their new Shi'ar Scoutship.       The women are quietly pleased to see that Singularity and Light Sabre trust them and return the feelings hijacked by the Skrulls. They are thrilled to see the base under construction but mortified to learn that their newfound knowledge of Skrull is next to useless with the Shi'ar designs.

EXPERIENCE	LIGHT SABRE	MAELSTROM	SINGULARITY	STARSHINE	T-BOLT
Base Experience	3.00	3.00	3.00	0.00	3.00
Overall Bonuses	0.85	0.50	0.85	0.00	0.50
Roleplaying	0.75	0.10	0.80	0.00	0.60
Notes	0.00	0.00	0.00	0.00	0.00
TOTAL	4.60	3.60	4.65	--	4.00

K A R M A	LIGHT SABRE	MAELSTROM	SINGULARITY	STARSHINE	T-BOLT
Starting Karma	10	15	25	--	16
Karma Used	10	00	10	--	05
Karma Earned	05	00	05	--	05
KARMA TOTAL	05	15	20	--	16