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With This Ring (Young Justice SI) (Thread Fourteen)
- Thread starter Mr Zoat
- Start date
-
- Tags
- self insert young justice
Mr Zoat
Dedicated ragequitter
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At the moment they go to the closest member of the Orange Lantern Corps.
DeathlessProficiency
Know what you're doing yet?
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When was Canis Minor introduced in the paragon timeline?
thebishop8
Umm, ackchyually...
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Episode 39: Black Reign, starting at about part six.
Jiggity-Jig (part 18)
Mr Zoat
Dedicated ragequitter
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9th February
03:01 GMT
The courtier opposite me fidgets as I pointedly create a clock-construct showing the amount of time I've been here without seeing Chief Minister Rikane. I don't look at it; I just let it make its own statement. Initially, I tried engaging her in conversation, but apparently she's been ordered not to talk to me. At first I assumed that such orders would be limited to politics, but no. I tried asking her about Crown Imperium fashion trends and how my formal robes would look, at which point she politely informed me that she couldn't talk to me about anything at all.
I'm not inactive; I'm adding a short section on imperialism to my book… Which might well cause a schism in a century or two-. No, no it won't, because by the combined wonders of bribing the God of Death and septophobia-reinforced orange light biomancy I'll still be around to sort things out.
Hm.
I wonder if I could talk Hades into reconsidering the waters of the Lethe requirement for reincarnating? Or at least making it temporary? Plenty of religions allow people to reclaim past-life-.
The door finally opens and I dismiss the clock construct as I turn to greet Chief Minister Rikane-.
And Empress Clryssa, apparently. She's wearing a surprisingly simple green dress, ornamented only by a gold… Tiara type thing which frames the upper part of her face but has only a thin circlet component to keep it in place. I perform a shallow bow in her direction.
"Your Imperial Majesty."
"Master Lantern. What a surprise it is to find you here."
It-? Ah. The courtier who had been keeping me company is already out of the door, closing it firmly behind her. Of course. A 'chance encounter'. Good job I watched The West Wing, or I'd be jolly confused right now.
"Not an entirely unpleasant one, I hope?"
"I share that hope." She proceeds past me to a position at the head of a small table that.. I now realise doesn't fit in with the room's decoration at all.
Rikane nods politely to me. "Master Lantern."
I nod back. "Chief Minister. It seems that I must apologise for intruding upon you."
"Think nothing of it. Please, be seated."
He takes position standing to the right of the Empress, leaving me the seat a little way down the table to her left. Of course, I could create a construct chair and sit somewhere else, but… That would be petty. This woman does run an empire of a not-inconsiderable size and sophistication, and does at least a reasonable job of it. And it's not like the Thanagarians wheeled out the High Mor to meet me.
I sit, and smile politely as I wait for the Empress to decide how we start.
"I recognise that your robe means that you are a member of the Honour Guard of your Corps, but I am unfamiliar with the design which runs down it. Those members of the Green Lantern Honour Guard who have visited us wore plain robes."
"It's my full rank insignia. Since it fell to me to establish a tradition, I felt that something which indicated both the wearer's rank and most notable spiritual achievements would be helpful in allowing someone unfamiliar with the individual to know certain things about them."
"Spiritual achievements? Are you a priest?"
Lanternism isn't all that popular in the Crown Imperium. The people having to live next to the Guardians' dumping ground has rather worked against it. Nonetheless, the Empress would naturally be familiar with Light Priests. Which reminds me: I really need to visit Karax at some point and make sure that they're not having some sort of religious implosion. And maybe bring Guy along.
"It depends on how you're using the term. I serve the Ophidian directly and give spiritual advice to my fellow Lanterns, but I don't lead acts of worship."
"And what is the Ophidian?"
"Each colour has a great elemental being associated with it. For the Green Light of Will, that is Ion. For the Orange Light of Avarice, that is Ophidian. Until a little over a year ago, she was trapped on Okaara by Larfleeze, the one you might know as The Beast. She's… Part of why I'm here, actually." I fabricate my updated book. "Given what Larfleeze did to this region, I feel partly responsible for making sure that it gets normalised. It's not practical for me to stay here myself, but I've been looking for someone local who could take an orange ring." I put the book down on the table and slide it towards her. "This is a guide to the beliefs and practices necessary for someone to be a capable Orange Lantern."
Rikane nods and comes around the table to pick it up and then walks back. "Thank you. I will ensure that it is circulated to appropriate people."
"The High Conciliator of Emana, Supreme Commander Gaharrugh, Commodore Amalak, the Chief of Blood Flecks clan and the Queen of the local Spider Guild Control Nest all have copies. While I'm not restricted to one Lantern… I don't see any benefit in choosing Lanterns who will spend all of their time arguing with one another."
"I… See. Perhaps if we move the conversation onwards?"
I nod. "Certainly. Amalak and the Queen want peaceful coexistence. Amalak is-" I glance at Rikane. "-reasonably civilised, and he's recognised that it's no longer advantageous for him to treat with the pirates who made Vega their trading centre."
"Amalak is a slave trader."
"Amalak owns no slaves. Those he bought can pay off their cost to regain their freedom. It isn't fundamentally different to debtor-servitude as it exists in the Crown Imperium. He did of course deal with slavers, but that's true of just about everyone in the region. They didn't have much choice."
"They would rapidly gain one if I ordered Admiral Oswin to secure the region."
"They have a choice already. The distance is not great, any who wished to petition you to join the Crown Imperium could do so. Instead, they're more comfortable to pay Amalak for his security services."
"I am not surprised, when they lie under his guns."
"Are you sure that's why? Because it seems that would be relatively easy for a diplomat or intelligence operative to check."
"And his less popular pirate allies?"
"If you want them dead, then I'll include that in the demands list. But are you sure that you wouldn't rather that he give you their itinerary so that you can ambush them?"
The Empress stirs slightly at that. "Would he really betray his business partners that easily?"
"He knows which way the wind is blowing."
"I'm not sure that metaphor translated properly."
"No one likes pirates or slavers, any more than they like asset strippers or currency speculators. They can only survive if powerful people arrange things so that they can survive. The Citadel Empire is gone, the Branx are having a Corporate War which the Citadel-aligned consortia can't win, and the Citadel-aligned gordanians are going to be killed or sent into exile. The support structure is gone. Amalak knows that just as well as I do. That means that his primary revenue sources are the people employing him for protection, not the black market dealings he has with the pirates. The only questions are: do they get smart and stop coming or does someone kill them, and do they get killed by their former victims or an external power."
"And Jarko?"
"Jarko's in a tight spot. He can't fight your navy directly, and his ability to fight you indirectly is going to take a hit. On the other hand, you can't hold Asryx."
"I think you underestimate our navy."
"I think you underestimate how much everyone there hates you. You can destroy what naval units they've got and land troops, but it will be the bloodiest occupation you've ever seen. Soldiers on the planet won't be able to move for snipers and concealed explosives. And their friends will be attacking every weak point they can find, as opposed to what they're doing now which is stick to their own territory and impose taxes. If you really want the place, you'd be better off coming to terms with Jarko directly. But I honestly don't think it's worth it."
"And the Spider Guild?"
"Killing them results in the next Control Nest along sending a fleet because they can't be seen to allow that sort of thing to happen. The local Control Nest doesn't have a fleet and couldn't threaten you even if it wanted to. And if you want to check any of that, I'll be happy to escort a diplomatic party."
The Empress inclines her head slightly. "You have given me much to consider. Are you able to remain on the planet while my ministers and I discuss the topic?"
"I'd be happy to."
03:01 GMT
The courtier opposite me fidgets as I pointedly create a clock-construct showing the amount of time I've been here without seeing Chief Minister Rikane. I don't look at it; I just let it make its own statement. Initially, I tried engaging her in conversation, but apparently she's been ordered not to talk to me. At first I assumed that such orders would be limited to politics, but no. I tried asking her about Crown Imperium fashion trends and how my formal robes would look, at which point she politely informed me that she couldn't talk to me about anything at all.
I'm not inactive; I'm adding a short section on imperialism to my book… Which might well cause a schism in a century or two-. No, no it won't, because by the combined wonders of bribing the God of Death and septophobia-reinforced orange light biomancy I'll still be around to sort things out.
Hm.
I wonder if I could talk Hades into reconsidering the waters of the Lethe requirement for reincarnating? Or at least making it temporary? Plenty of religions allow people to reclaim past-life-.
The door finally opens and I dismiss the clock construct as I turn to greet Chief Minister Rikane-.
And Empress Clryssa, apparently. She's wearing a surprisingly simple green dress, ornamented only by a gold… Tiara type thing which frames the upper part of her face but has only a thin circlet component to keep it in place. I perform a shallow bow in her direction.
"Your Imperial Majesty."
"Master Lantern. What a surprise it is to find you here."
It-? Ah. The courtier who had been keeping me company is already out of the door, closing it firmly behind her. Of course. A 'chance encounter'. Good job I watched The West Wing, or I'd be jolly confused right now.
"Not an entirely unpleasant one, I hope?"
"I share that hope." She proceeds past me to a position at the head of a small table that.. I now realise doesn't fit in with the room's decoration at all.
Rikane nods politely to me. "Master Lantern."
I nod back. "Chief Minister. It seems that I must apologise for intruding upon you."
"Think nothing of it. Please, be seated."
He takes position standing to the right of the Empress, leaving me the seat a little way down the table to her left. Of course, I could create a construct chair and sit somewhere else, but… That would be petty. This woman does run an empire of a not-inconsiderable size and sophistication, and does at least a reasonable job of it. And it's not like the Thanagarians wheeled out the High Mor to meet me.
I sit, and smile politely as I wait for the Empress to decide how we start.
"I recognise that your robe means that you are a member of the Honour Guard of your Corps, but I am unfamiliar with the design which runs down it. Those members of the Green Lantern Honour Guard who have visited us wore plain robes."
"It's my full rank insignia. Since it fell to me to establish a tradition, I felt that something which indicated both the wearer's rank and most notable spiritual achievements would be helpful in allowing someone unfamiliar with the individual to know certain things about them."
"Spiritual achievements? Are you a priest?"
Lanternism isn't all that popular in the Crown Imperium. The people having to live next to the Guardians' dumping ground has rather worked against it. Nonetheless, the Empress would naturally be familiar with Light Priests. Which reminds me: I really need to visit Karax at some point and make sure that they're not having some sort of religious implosion. And maybe bring Guy along.
"It depends on how you're using the term. I serve the Ophidian directly and give spiritual advice to my fellow Lanterns, but I don't lead acts of worship."
"And what is the Ophidian?"
"Each colour has a great elemental being associated with it. For the Green Light of Will, that is Ion. For the Orange Light of Avarice, that is Ophidian. Until a little over a year ago, she was trapped on Okaara by Larfleeze, the one you might know as The Beast. She's… Part of why I'm here, actually." I fabricate my updated book. "Given what Larfleeze did to this region, I feel partly responsible for making sure that it gets normalised. It's not practical for me to stay here myself, but I've been looking for someone local who could take an orange ring." I put the book down on the table and slide it towards her. "This is a guide to the beliefs and practices necessary for someone to be a capable Orange Lantern."
Rikane nods and comes around the table to pick it up and then walks back. "Thank you. I will ensure that it is circulated to appropriate people."
"The High Conciliator of Emana, Supreme Commander Gaharrugh, Commodore Amalak, the Chief of Blood Flecks clan and the Queen of the local Spider Guild Control Nest all have copies. While I'm not restricted to one Lantern… I don't see any benefit in choosing Lanterns who will spend all of their time arguing with one another."
"I… See. Perhaps if we move the conversation onwards?"
I nod. "Certainly. Amalak and the Queen want peaceful coexistence. Amalak is-" I glance at Rikane. "-reasonably civilised, and he's recognised that it's no longer advantageous for him to treat with the pirates who made Vega their trading centre."
"Amalak is a slave trader."
"Amalak owns no slaves. Those he bought can pay off their cost to regain their freedom. It isn't fundamentally different to debtor-servitude as it exists in the Crown Imperium. He did of course deal with slavers, but that's true of just about everyone in the region. They didn't have much choice."
"They would rapidly gain one if I ordered Admiral Oswin to secure the region."
"They have a choice already. The distance is not great, any who wished to petition you to join the Crown Imperium could do so. Instead, they're more comfortable to pay Amalak for his security services."
"I am not surprised, when they lie under his guns."
"Are you sure that's why? Because it seems that would be relatively easy for a diplomat or intelligence operative to check."
"And his less popular pirate allies?"
"If you want them dead, then I'll include that in the demands list. But are you sure that you wouldn't rather that he give you their itinerary so that you can ambush them?"
The Empress stirs slightly at that. "Would he really betray his business partners that easily?"
"He knows which way the wind is blowing."
"I'm not sure that metaphor translated properly."
"No one likes pirates or slavers, any more than they like asset strippers or currency speculators. They can only survive if powerful people arrange things so that they can survive. The Citadel Empire is gone, the Branx are having a Corporate War which the Citadel-aligned consortia can't win, and the Citadel-aligned gordanians are going to be killed or sent into exile. The support structure is gone. Amalak knows that just as well as I do. That means that his primary revenue sources are the people employing him for protection, not the black market dealings he has with the pirates. The only questions are: do they get smart and stop coming or does someone kill them, and do they get killed by their former victims or an external power."
"And Jarko?"
"Jarko's in a tight spot. He can't fight your navy directly, and his ability to fight you indirectly is going to take a hit. On the other hand, you can't hold Asryx."
"I think you underestimate our navy."
"I think you underestimate how much everyone there hates you. You can destroy what naval units they've got and land troops, but it will be the bloodiest occupation you've ever seen. Soldiers on the planet won't be able to move for snipers and concealed explosives. And their friends will be attacking every weak point they can find, as opposed to what they're doing now which is stick to their own territory and impose taxes. If you really want the place, you'd be better off coming to terms with Jarko directly. But I honestly don't think it's worth it."
"And the Spider Guild?"
"Killing them results in the next Control Nest along sending a fleet because they can't be seen to allow that sort of thing to happen. The local Control Nest doesn't have a fleet and couldn't threaten you even if it wanted to. And if you want to check any of that, I'll be happy to escort a diplomatic party."
The Empress inclines her head slightly. "You have given me much to consider. Are you able to remain on the planet while my ministers and I discuss the topic?"
"I'd be happy to."
Last edited:
Ardy
I trust you know where the happy button is?
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Mmmmm, delicious imperial goodness!
thebishop8
Umm, ackchyually...
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*reconsidering
*reasonable, I'm pretty sure.
*Thanagarians, plural
This sentence needs work.
Either
The distances are not great,
or
The distance is not great,
Chojin Patriarch
Veteran Lurker
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Boy, his reputation precedes him, doesn't it?
Effective eternal life and youth. Always fun.
Oh-ho, he's gotten some big attention.
Sometimes the most important meetings take place in the least assuming places. Like hallways or bathrooms.
Politeness is everything in this case.
So there are now rank flashes for things like Enlightenment? Nice.
Huh. I suppose some form of religion would build up around people who can fly and work 'magic' with green lights.
Yet.
"Given what Larfleeze did to the region...
'Appropriate' having so many meanings here...
So optimistic.
There's a mismatch here...
But are you sure that you wouldn't rather that he give you their itinerary...
A good reminder that even Maltusian hyper-tech isn't infallible.
It's an old, old story...
Given that they'd have trouble inserting spies into a Spider Guild colony...
Always entertaining to see somewhat rational leadership. It'll be interesting to see what comes from it.
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moralrelativity
Recovering pendant.
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- 923
Mr Zoat, I know you're actively avoiding semicolons but this is the perfect opportunity for one. Currently the "The people" bit stops these sentences flowing nicely. How about the following?
"Lanternism isn't all that popular in the Crown Imperium; having to live next to the Guardians' dumping ground has rather worked against it."
Nah, it's an another archaic term - refer to the second definition. https://www.google.com/search?q=seasonable
Vaermina
Well worn.
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Unless you know, someone kills you and or seals your soul in a jar.
Mr Zoat
Dedicated ragequitter
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Thank you, corrected.
Handlewithcare
Versed in the lewd.
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Wait, so Paul is implying he will choose only one Lantern for the region?
What a delightful little power play >
What a delightful little power play >
Someguy Somewhere
The Critical Fumbler
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I would think he's implying that he would pick lanterns that wouldn't try to tear each other, and the whole sector, apart.
Sockmonkey
I trust you know where the happy button is?
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The Ophidian and Hades already have dibs on his soul. Attempting to steal from either of them is unwise at best.Unless you know, someone kills you and or seals your soul in a jar.
Mquz
Versed in the lewd.
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Also, if it's just a normal / magical jar and not a pocket dimension jar (and maybe even then), OL can just greedport out. Don't think he needs his body / ring for that.
Buggy123
I trust you know where the happy button is?
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Oh, huh. I hadn't thought of that.
So in essence, the Ophidian has to share OL's soul when he dies...
I'm sure that will end well.
BR549
This is filth! FILTH!!
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Well part of PauL's whole thing is expanding the Orange Light of Avarice from simply being "Mine" to including the concept of "Ours"...
Buggy123
I trust you know where the happy button is?
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True, but I don't know if he's gotten to the point where the Ophidian would willingly share one of her favorite things. While they're merged, sure, but otherwise I expect that she'll barge in before Hades even finishes judging OL.
Fouredged
Experienced.
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She just claims Hades and Hades suddenly has an orange snake wrapped around him like a lover in all his iconography.
Problem solved.
Ngamer11
Experienced.
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Was rereading the WTR wiki, and noticed that the Super Young Team was in the characters page. They were offhandedly mentioned in Displaced. Did Paul ever follow upon his thought to look them up? It got me thinking of a future episode in Japan the Team could go on. Is that in the works Mr Zoat?
Mr Zoat
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He did, Superbat wound him up, he left. I might include them in an episode at some point but I don't have any concrete plans to do so at the moment.
Coda
Versed in the lewd.
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No he's not. I point out semicolon recommendations all the time. They're not part of his default writing style but I haven't seen any active opposition to them.
Mr Zoat
Dedicated ragequitter
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I put them in. Then I get told to take them out because I use them wrong.
Coda
Versed in the lewd.
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LostPath
Getting out there.
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Was the Will Payton/Prince Gavyn thing addressed?
Mr Zoat
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Haven't really given it much thought, since I have no interest in doing anything with Will Payton. This Prince Gavyn might have some odd memories, but it probably won't come up in the story.
Stsword
Versed in the lewd.
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Gavyn died after his sister died and he and his wife became the rulers of Throneworld where his energy got beamed by a satellite into Will Payton.
Since is sister is alive and well and ruling the Empire, it's too early for his death and his transformation into Will Payton.
Easy enough to just butterfly that away thanks to whatever Paul and Gravy do if you don't want Gavyn to die.
And if you do decide to include Will Payton, his origin works just fine without including Gravyn, just like the Flash's origin works just fine without Mopee or the lightning bolt being a time travelling Flash. Will Payton was hit by a satellite designed to capture and transmit solar radiation to trigger the metagene, which was shown to be successful in that it created the Power Elite, who each gained a superpower from the satellite, Will Payton was just unusual in that he got all the superpowers that process could grant.
Also Eclipso claimed he manipulated the satellite to hit Will Payton to gain a superhost- one with the ability to shapeshift and hence hide his possession by Eclipso. Will didn't believe him, but...
So it's not an either or situation, you could have Will Payton and Gavyn flying around and it would make sense, well at least as much sense as comic book universes tend to make.
Once the metagene gets discovered, it would make perfect sense for a supersoldier program to activate the metagene gets started.
Vaermina
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Neither of them are omniscient, and magic can trump their claims as shown before.