The Lightning Rangers

## Summary

This squad composed of the most powerful warriors from all cat kind, known as **The Lightning Rangers** (translated from old Hopspeak) were a small group formed by several races across the Universe. United as one elite group, the Rangers used to fight as a neutral, then antagonistic faction against **Sop**, **Hop** and the **Infinite Empire**. Every member has supernatural control over (and even the power to summon) lightning, storms, rain and harnessed cosmic electricity.

Their intent was to destroy "godly" entities such as deities, their avatars, Infinite Ones and cosmic beings like **Hop** & **Blackstar**.

## Members

**Note**: Any name with "quotations" is an alias, and not the legal, given or real name of the fluff in question.

* **Milo** (current de facto leader, physically the strongest member of the group, MIA)
* **Zach "Zap"** **Leppard** (notable for speed and close quarter combat abilities, MIA)
* **"Meau**" (gifted alchemist and herbalist, creates combat supplies, MIA)
* **"Muse"** (gifted with technology and weaponry, MIA)
* **"Cookie"** (gifted with great combat prowess and psychological manipulation, MIA)
* **Whisker Dofur** (gifted with lightning powers capable of destroying entire celestial bodies, defeated by Sop)
* **Heaven Lovepurr** (twin of Whisker, with similar power, defeated by Sop)

## Flag

### Use

Their flag was painted onto ships and their uniforms during **The Endless War for The Eternal Throne.**

### Design

The five shapes in the top represent all living members of the faction. Each color is relative to the fur color (race) of that member. Each shape has a different number of sides, representing an unknown quality. The amount of sides (from 1-5) does not appear to correlate with rank, age or their powers.

The lightning bolt on the bottom is to represent their powers, but also the dual tone color reflects the two defeated members of the team that they lost. Color not only representing lightning itself, but also the fur color of the two cats that fell in battle.

## History

### Discovery

Sop and Hop first encountered this race of fluffy people (cats/kitties) during Hop's training. Abroad, their ship was knocked out of faster-than-light travel by a powerful electrical force. Hop using his strength, pushed the ship to a nearby space station and crash landed there.

Attempting to signal for help, their communications were jammed and the group arrived from a cosmic bolt of lightning. Shortly after trying to speak peacefully, they began to uncomfortably groom the father-son duo until Hop broke composure and began to attack them. Fearing their sheer power was greater than their own, Sop threw Hop into space, only to be knocked back into the station by Zap. Surrounded and afraid, the two fought the seven, destroying their ship and a majority of the station. Whisker and Heaven pinned Hop down and began to charge an electric blast of extreme power. In pure rage, Sop was able to break the necks of two of the cats before they did so, freeing his son, and continuing the fight.

A follow-up vessel from Karrots found the station and called in for a fleet to help fight the enemy. As ships poured in and clouded the stars, the Rangers warped away with their electric powers. Ships were sent in many directions to find them, as Sop and Hop were given a new ship, and they continued their Journey.

### Re-emergence & Defeat

The search for the Rangers failed, but their home worlds (containing members of their race that shared all their characteristics) were found, then invaded. Over time the cats began to despise the Hop and stood up against the might of their military many times. Small skirmishes broke out over many orbits.

But in the midst of The Endless War for The Eternal Throne, the Rangers appeared from space during several key battles to attack Hoppist and fleshy forces, often to great success. Alone and enraged, Hop beat down and imprisoned the remaining members of the faction by the time he and Sop withdrew, and threatened to send them to doom in a black hole, unless they ordered their own kind to stand down and refuse to fight in the war. Hesitant, their worlds all eventually stood down, fearing their greatest warriors couldn't protect them from even the wrath of the Hops.

### Prison Break

After Sop's Ascension, the prison holding the Rangers on **Lisho Station** was broken into by the **New Sop Order**. A deal was made to take their side against the true Hoppists, however, they refused, and warped away again. The NSO refused to continue with persuasion and instead chose to make allies with **Tuirqo**. They are missing in action and have not been heard of or seen by any race in the Universe since. It is likely they live in shame on the edges of space.

## Abilities and Powers

Unlike many races, these feline fluff of the cosmos possess similar divine favor like Sop and Buddy, gaining metaphysical powers that can often far exceed the bodily capabilities of a normal member of their race. All have the ability to create, control and manipulate lightning energy (called cosmic electricity) with their minds. It is assumed that they only use movement amplifies the output of the shocks, sparks and bolts they wield, such as "throwing" a bolt of lightning to increase its velocity and explosive impact.

They appear to be able to harness electric based technology and take the power away from devices that sealed energy, with no interface for exchanging them, like storage-style batteries. It is by their nature they can use it, as there appears to be no information on training for it, as if it was bestowed by Gop. The might of their powers is strong enough to destroy small moons, planets and flagships with one casual attack. They can amplify their speed and outpace ships accelerating to leave planetary gravity, and destroy them during takeoff, as well as react to high-orbit strikes from satellites, including the Electric Eyes, which are **prohibited** from operating near any known conflict involving the Rangers.

The specialists of the group (Meau, Muse and Cookie) are known to be highly capable of reverse engineering (or outright countering) mechanical or technical devices through various means. They are considered masters at avoiding detection through any method other than direct line of sight or intense metaphysical focus, like Sop is capable of.

## Hoppist Advisory

Clearance to engage combat with any known or suspected member of the Lightning Rangers is only granted to **Tier 4** and above Knights of Sop. Standard Tier 4 Hopstars are not permitted to engage in combat or to communicate with them, and are to flee on sight, alert Hop and await further instruction.