With This Ring (Young Justice SI) (Thread Fourteen)

[Darko]

Scarabs are mind controlled and if anything GLs power rings should have anti Scarab firmware.

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There is the possibility that this Scarab Warrior is actually a loyal Reachian who is not being mind controlled, like Black Beetle.

And it was mentioned that the ring lacks safeguards.

 

[Pinklestia]

There is the possibility that this Scarab Warrior is actually a loyal Reachian who is not being mind controlled, like Black Beetle.

And it was mentioned that the ring lacks safeguards.

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How in the bloody Nine Hells did the Guardians not issue updates to the rings when not only the Reach want their tech but power rings have already been copied?

If they can shut down the rings remotely so they can update them remotely.

And even if they can't do a remote shut down here, they can still block access to that ring lantern.

 

[Darko]

How in the bloody Nine Hells did the Guardian not issue updates to the rings?

They can shut down the rings remotely so they can update them remotely.

And even if they can't do a remote shut down here, they can still block access to that ring lantern.

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This ring was apparently a prototype of some kind, so the safeguards weren't added to it.

 

[Pinklestia]

This ring was apparently a prototype of some kind, so the safeguards weren't added to it.

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It should still have a remote shutdown considering one of their biggest screw ups before the rings was AI going crazy.

Is a good thing GLs are not important part of my story or I would have an engineer lecture the greenies for days on correct safety measures.

 

[Darko]

It should still have a remote shutdown considering one of their biggest screw ups before the rings was AI going crazy.

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Apparently it doesn't.

The Honour Guard Lantern also mentioned that the Free Lancers were using some tech to block the Guardians manipulating the ring, so it's also possible the Reach are doing something similar now.

 

[Coda]

Yuuuup. Had a feeling that would be how this went.

Would it be Chekhov's ring or Murphy's ring?

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The two team up fairly often.

 

[Sockmonkey]

Guy could force-summon the ring, but he probably can't get there in time for it to matter.
If this scarab warrior had half a brain they would just warp home so the Reach could study the ring instead of risking losing it when they just got it.

 

[Pinklestia]

Apparently it doesn't.

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Wow, that shut downs all claims of them "Knowing better".

 

[Metabolicjosh]

I remember there being a ring at some point in this story that drains power from other lanterns... so you guys remember what that is called? I can't remember. Something that forces you to kill.

 

[Stsword]

I remember there being a ring at some point in this story that drains power from other lanterns... so you guys remember what that is called? I can't remember. Something that forces you to kill.

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Doesn't actually force you to kill.

You're thinking of the anti-green lanterns.

Made by the Qwardians.

And despite what this story would lead you to believe their constructs in the comics were actually black, not green.

 

[Metabolicjosh]

Doesn't actually force you to kill.

You're thinking of the anti-green lanterns.

Made by the Qwardians.

And despite what this story would lead you to believe their constructs in the comics were actually black, not green.

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Oh. It's been a long time since I read that part of the story so I wasn't sure, but thank you for clarifying. Since you know so much, would you mind clarifying something for me? Is the limited lifespan a result of the Ring or a result of something done to people so they can use the ring? Also, how exactly does it charge?

 

[Pinklestia]

Oh. It's been a long time since I read that part of the story so I wasn't sure, but thank you for clarifying. Since you know so much, would you mind clarifying something for me? Is the limited lifespan a result of the Ring or a result of something done to people so they can use the ring? Also, how exactly does it charge?

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Apparently the ring works by turning life force into power since they don't have lanterns.

A very crude job if you ask me, you can get a stellar rod to last you for centuries as long as there are stars around and that was done by a human in the forties.

 

[BlueMangoAdea]

Oh. It's been a long time since I read that part of the story so I wasn't sure, but thank you for clarifying. Since you know so much, would you mind clarifying something for me? Is the limited lifespan a result of the Ring or a result of something done to people so they can use the ring? Also, how exactly does it charge?

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Apparently the ring works by turning life force into power since they don't have lanterns.

A very crude job if you ask me, you can get a stellar rod to last you for centuries as long as there are stars around and that was done by a human in the forties.

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Wrong. The lifespan is due to the ring forcing whoever it's on to be at MAXIMUM WILLPOWER. It has nothing to do with charging. The charging is done by stealing other green lanterns' charges.

 

[Pinklestia]

Wrong. The lifespan is due to the ring forcing whoever it's on to be at MAXIMUM WILLPOWER. It has nothing to do with charging. The charging is done by stealing other green lanterns' charges.

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Still a very crude job, and has the problem that makes them completely useless for anything but fighting GLs.

 

[Metabolicjosh]

Wrong. The lifespan is due to the ring forcing whoever it's on to be at MAXIMUM WILLPOWER. It has nothing to do with charging. The charging is done by stealing other green lanterns' charges.

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So, hypothetically if you managed to obtain a power battery, and you had some way to prevent your lifespan from decreasing (some kind of reverse cronotech) one of these rings would be better than a normal Green Lantern Ring?

 

[Bramble Thorn]

Boy, the Reach just put their foot in a deep ol' mess. Evidently a chance to take down the Illustres of the Orange Lanterns and secure a valuable Spectrum weapon proved too much for the Reach command to resist going full super-villain... Which does certainly feel not right. There's got to be something more going on... Hopefully we'll learn more tomorrow.

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I would like to note they went in guns blazing on a planet they have not properly claimed according to that armistice treaty with the Guardians of the Galaxy.

I hope that means the GLC Honor Guard present can now officially and legally involve herself without the word and reputation of the GLC being called into question.

Okay, that answers that question: The Negotiator was not aware of this flotilla's mission. And evidently is not happy with whoever did order it. At least OL will be able to get the all-clear from all sides to defend himself.

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Not really. Because if the Negotiator knew all about it, it would still give the exact same response; this this is a rogue operator and not the Official Reach™ attacking your government and breaking their deal with the Guardians.

We heard his side of the conversation because it happened at the negotiation table, with local government officials beside him, in room unshielded against outside listeners. Him being earnest and him playing for the audience would have been the same script either way.

With the mind scans OL was describing it sounds like the person who made the decision to order the maneuver was not on the ship, which implies it was a command handed down from on high, and not a dumbass junior officer making a dumb move in contrivance of approved policy.

A literal Glass Cannon boss, eh? Hopefully there's enough of their FTL beam weapon to analyse back on Maltus.

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Think of it like a large sniper gun. A lot of the effectiveness is front loaded into the first shot, which you would take when the opponent doesn't have their full defenses engaged.

If that first shot fails to do the job the guns still fires sure, but it was never designed to survive a slog in combat, so much as to act before the combat rolls had properly begin.

Well, then. Time to see just how good OL is at real Lantern combat, not just sparring.

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If the Scarab Lantern is smart, combat doesn't happen except as a fighting retreat. Uses whatever tech the scarab has to hide from the ring scans, and hightail it into the Reach Core worlds with the Lantern FTL. They didn't do this to gain one scarab with a ring, they did this to gain a research sample to try and reverse engineer.

He did do that to Stewart's ring.

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That is actually a rather good way to poison the research sample. If the ring makes users go crazy using the most stable Green Spectrum Light, imagine how much worse it could be if it used the condensed emotion of greed and desire.

Still dangerous, but less widely exploitable. Instead of a super serum your own soldiers can be empowered with, you have a monster making serum you can only hope to point in the right direction.

 

[Galacticplumber]

So, hypothetically if you managed to obtain a power battery, and you had some way to prevent your lifespan from decreasing (some kind of reverse cronotech) one of these rings would be better than a normal Green Lantern Ring?

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They also enslave their wielders with pain. Do not want.

 

[BlueMangoAdea]

Still a very crude job, and has the problem that makes them completely useless for anything but fighting GLs.

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Fighting green lanterns was the point of the ring, so it does its job.

So, hypothetically if you managed to obtain a power battery, and you had some way to prevent your lifespan from decreasing (some kind of reverse cronotech) one of these rings would be better than a normal Green Lantern Ring?

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I mean, if you ignore the fact that the ring's AI hates you and tortures you for its evil purpose.

 

[Metabolicjosh]

Fighting green lanterns was the point of the ring, so it does its job.

I mean, if you ignore the fact that the ring's AI hates you and tortures you for its evil purpose.

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Right. So we need to reprogram the ring, find something to keep you alive, somehow steel a green lantern power battery... too much trouble, but I can see the Guardians examining anti-green lantern rings to create some kind of emergency mode that boosts Green Lantern willpower to maximum at the cost of their lifespan. Seems like the kind of thing those soulless bastards would do.

 

[Stsword]

Actually, the Qwardians might have improved the Anti-Green lantern technology since then.

In the Batman Beyond comics, Kai-Ro was attacked by Black Light, a guy with a power ring that generated black constructs and fed passively off of Kai-Ro using his ring.

He was defeated when Kai-Ro realized that Black Light was trolling him and stopped using his ring in front of him.

And since he didn't drop dead the moment his charge was gone, apparently that wasn't an issue.

Nor any AI from Hell thing, but honestly I don't know enough about the Anti-Green Lantern Corps to know if Zoat made that up in the first place or not.

So somewhere there might be an alt.Paul who plays the harmless villain to recharge his ring.

"You will rue the day, Green Lantern, for I have a lemon creme pie and I know how to use it!"

"Yes, and in your off time you work with Biomax to perfect the biomax process to cure world hunger."

"What, a villain can't have a hobby? I'm feeling oppressed, help, Green Lantern is oppressing me! We can't all be like your archnemesis the Bottler!"

"And stop telling everyone that the Bottler is my archnemesis!"

 

[w34v3r]

Mr Zoat, I've been re-reading a few other episodes, and I noticed that John Quinn is being referred to as Lord Fate instead of Doctor Fate. Is that his superhero name? I suppose he would want to distance himself a bit from Nabu by having a slightly different name.

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I thought was because John Quinn isn't a Doctor of anything.

 

[Mr Zoat]

12th August 2012
22:31 GMT

"Have-?"

My construct shield intercepts her construct beam, the shot decaying into green sparks as my barrier holds strong. Curious. That doesn't happen when I block shots from Earth's Green Lanterns.

"Have we met?"

Her armour glows green as her left arm morphs into a blade with a green edge.

"I ask-"

She disappears. Jam transitions, toss interdictors out of subspace and into local space, empathic vision-

"-because-"

-and there, x-ionised sword and parry as she phases back in, construct railgun loaded with phasic rounds and fire.

"-if you're just-"

Her sword is turned aside but she tracks my gun construct and shapeshifts reinforced armour. My phasic rounds aren't great against Scarab armour and fail to penetrate, prompting me to change my gun into a multi-barrel affair.

"-here to-"

Her sword morphs into a battering ram with a glowing green diamond head as she rushes me.

"-pick up-"

I re-aim my gun as I dart aside, sword coming down on the side of her arm just ahead of the crumbler round.

"-the ring-"

Sword hits first and the reinforced armour takes it. Crumbler round hits a fraction of a second later, causing the armour to ripple as the reinforcement fails.

"-then you-"

I swing my sword at her face while my gun trains itself on her chest.

"-could-"

She twists, limboing under my swing and phasing out.

"-just-"

Which means that when the phasic round hits, she reappears a few metres away with a noticeable hole in her flank.

"-have asked-"

Two construct pneumatic rams appear on either side of me and surge towards me.

"-nicely?"

I twist, crumbler hat and boots appearing and causing her constructs to break themselves around me.

"We-"

That causes me to lose my gun construct and it looks like the backlash from having a construct disrupted doesn't do anything to a Scarab Warrior. Mildly disappointing but not all that surprising.

"-wouldn't-"

Be nice to get that ring, and extra nice if we could finally get a Scarab to study.

"-try to-"

Orange light flares in all direction, radiating not just from me but from every sentient being for hundreds of miles

which in practice means her and maybe one of the closer ships

as their desires are redoubled and then redoubled again as they're forced to experience every desire they've ever had. It doesn't matter to us at all but for someone using a green ring we know full well that experiencing emotions like this is quite disabling. We-.

Alert!

I warp down as space distorts in a straight line between her shifted right hand and my former position. Not a singularity weapon, but something not too far from it. That's the nice thing about shapeshifting body weapons: you don't need perfect emotional balance to use them.

Ring, message Lantern K'ryssma and ask her where she is.

Compliance.

A barrage of pulse plasma shots slam into my construct armour, but that's not-.

"-stop you-"

I use a magnetron construct to deflect the grains of anti-matter she just fired at me, then fire a solid slug from my new railgun construct to detonate them once they're a little further away.

"-because-"

Two construct guns open fire with a mix of phasic rounds and crumblers.

"-it's not-"

She warps-.

Quash.

She shudders as the gravitational shear and x-rays tear at her armour and the body beneath it and that's why we don't do short FTL hops in combat! My shots hit home, the phasic rounds keeping her honest while the crumblers actually make progress abrading her armour.

"A power ring doesn't magically fix inadequacy. Stand down."

Her armour grows in response, additional thrusters appearing on her arms and legs as she spirals in an evasive pattern. It's not enough to dodge all of my shots, but she dodges enough that her armour manages to regenerate a little more.

But I watch carefully and crumbler and assimilate!

Four thick orange strands attach themselves to her armour, orange light flaring. I don't think that the self destruct will take the novelty ring with it, but if it does I doubt that the Green Lanterns will care. They mostly just want to keep-

She flares with green light.

Connection lost.

-it-.

Ah-right.

She generates a chain construct and I stop cocking about. A giant orange beam smashes into her, eradicating her construct, twisting and breaking her thrusters and knocking her back at considerable speed.

A volley of phasic rounds just in case, then a series of shots of focused wounding intent which pierce her armour in three places, blood spurting out before freeze-boiling in the vacuum.

And then she forms a gun and fires a volley at the planet below us.

 

[Darko]

that emotions like this is quite disabling. We

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'these are quite'

but something not to far from it

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'not too far'

I know you said the ring wasn't your problem, but if the Reach escape with it then it will be your problem.

 

[Ngamer11]

I twist, crumbler hat and boots appearing and causing her constructs to break themselves around me.

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I guess a crumbler device can take the form of any kind of clothing?

 

[Tavarokk]

And then she forms a gun and fires a volley at the planet below us.

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That strikes me as an anti-Greenie tactic that's about to backfire on her since in the long run it's more productive to seize the ring and, possibly, the scarab after letting her push Yuna towards NEMO side by firing on the civillians rather than try to save said civillians and let her get away.

 

[Handlewithcare]

Yeah, this seems like a genuine Reach soldier.

They are probably rating killing Paul higher than keeping Yuna, and strategically speaking they are absolutely right.

 

[Metabolicjosh]

I remember when the main character once chastised people that talk during combat in the early ages of this story, and I noticed when he started doing it himself way back then, but this chapter made me laugh because he has become fully what he -well not hated, but for the purposes of meme- hated. Hehehehe

 

[megrisvernin]

Yeah, this seems like a genuine Reach soldier.

They are probably rating killing Paul higher than keeping Yuna, and strategically speaking they are absolutely right.

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I mean. He came back from the dead already. He's not going to "stay" down. Offing him in this way is at best a tactical victory in a specific theater till he shows up again. Since he can teleport any distance, that doesn't stop him from showing up back where he died quickly.

 

[Mr Zoat]

'these are quite'
'not too far'

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Thank you, corrected.

I guess a crumbler device can take the form of any kind of clothing?

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"It used to be in my watch."
"Where is it now?"
"In my shoe."
"Why?"
"'Progress'."

Anyone know where that's from?

 

[Chojin Patriarch]

12th August 2012
22:31 GMT

"Have-?"

My construct shield intercepts her construct beam, the shot decaying into green sparks as my barrier holds strong. Curious. That doesn't happen when I block shots from Earth's Green Lanterns.

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Whoa. Looks like she's not using the squirt gun option most Green lanterns do. More like she's swinging a fire-hose around... Or it's swinging her. Guess that's the benefit of not having a capped charge, huh?

Spoiler: Commentary spoilered for length

"Have we met?"

Her armour glows green as her left arm morphs into a blade with a green edge.

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Environment shield, and reinforcing a conventional weapon. Nothing special so far. Though I don't think she's in a talking mood, OL.

"I ask-"

She disappears. Jam transitions, toss interdictors out of subspace and into local space, empathic vision-

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Heh. Good thing he did that, or this would turn into a 'Nothin' personal, kid *Teleports behind you*' fight pretty damn quick otherwise.

"-because-"

-and there, x-ionised sword and parry as she phases back in, construct railgun loaded with phasic rounds and fire.

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Presumably she's still relying a lot on her Scarab's inbuilt capabilities, then. Logical, since she's probably not trained for this...

"-if you're just-"

Her sword is turned aside but she tracks my gun construct and shapeshifts reinforced armour. My phasic rounds aren't great against Scarab armour and fail to penetrate, prompting me to change my gun into a multi-barrel affair.

Click to shrink...

Sometimes, you just need more gun...

"-here to-"

Her sword morphs into a battering ram with a glowing green diamond head as she rushes me.

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Definitely not trained for this. Such simple constructs are typical for rookie Greens...

"-pick up-"

I re-aim my gun as I dart aside, sword coming down on the side of her arm just ahead of the crumbler round.

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Too bad she wasn't dumb enough to use the arm with the ring attached for her primary weapon. This would have been over much quicker.

"-the ring-"

Sword hits first and the reinforced armour takes it. Crumbler round hits a fraction of a second later, causing the armour to ripple as the reinforcement fails.

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Going to have to improve the timing of the combo strike. The other way round might have gotten the severing blow in...

"-then you-"

I swing my sword at her face while my gun trains itself on her chest.

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Bets she'll back off, having seen how nasty his options are?

"-could-"

She twists, limboing under my swing and phasing out.

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Sucker's bet, then. The only problem is...

"-just-"

Which means that when the phasic round hits, she reappears a few metres away with a noticeable hole in her flank.

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...OL's got a weapon for every possible defence.

"-have asked-"

Two construct pneumatic rams appear on either side of me and surge towards me.

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Ah, the old squeeze-play. Watch it fall flat.

"-nicely?"

I twist, crumbler hat and boots appearing and causing her constructs to break themselves around me.

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Because in space combat, 'up' is wherever you want it to be.

"We-"

That causes me to lose my gun construct and it looks like the backlash from having a construct disrupted doesn't do anything to a Scarab Warrior. Mildly disappointing but not all that surprising.

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Probably tanking it through the Scarab's processors. Or the sheer amount of energy she can spare weakens the feedback effect.

"-wouldn't-"

Be nice to get that ring, and extra nice if we could finally get a Scarab to study.

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OL with a 'charge ∞' ring? There's a broken combo. Not sure where I got the 'infinite charge' thing from, but it's still a dangerous combo.

"-try to-"

Orange light flares in all direction, radiating not just from me but from every sentient being for hundreds of miles

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Or, to put it crudely: "Dodge this!"

which in practice means her and maybe one of the closer ships

as their desires are redoubled and then redoubled again as they're forced to experience every desire they've ever had. It doesn't matter to us at all but for someone using a green ring we know full well that emotions like this is quite disabling. We-.

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Not something you could use anywhere friendlies are present. Or even people you don't want to damage.

Alert!

I warp down as space distorts in a straight line between her shifted right hand and my former position. Not a singularity weapon, but something not to far from it. That's the nice thing about shapeshifting body weapons: you don't need perfect emotional balance to use them.

Click to shrink...

Hell, the Scarab may have an override option.The sort of back-up mode for when the organic user is disabled.

Ring, message Lantern K'ryssma and ask her where she is.

Compliance.

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Probably busy keeping her distance (quite reasonably so) and arresting the Free Lancers. Anything less than an Illustres would be collateral at this level.

A barrage of pulse plasma shots slam into my construct armour, but that's not-.

"-stop you-"

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Plasma? That's basically the equivalent of a flash-bang in this fight. Not that it'll help.

I use a magnetron construct to deflect the grains of anti-matter she just fired at me, then fire a solid slug from my new railgun construct to detonate them once they're a little further away.

"-because-"

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Geez, flipping off all the safeties, eh? Each of those grains would probably be comparable to a few megatons, right?

Two construct guns open fire with a mix of phasic rounds and crumblers.

"-it's not-"

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Someday, OL, you will achieve almost enuff dakka...

She warps-.

Quash.

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Smart move to try and flee, but she really can't have assumed the old 'stun and run' trick would work? This isn't 'Call of Duty', kid.

She shudders as the gravitational shear and x-rays tear at her armour and the body beneath it and that's why we don't do short FTL hops in combat! My shots hit home, the phasic rounds keeping her honest while the crumblers actually make progress abrading her armour.

"A power ring doesn't magically fix inadequacy. Stand down."

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Given that she hasn't said a word here, I don't think she's about to play ball. Could be she's like the crew he assimilated, a dummy modded with excess Will and an escape plan...

Her armour grows in response, additional thrusters appearing on her arms and legs as she spirals in an evasive pattern. It's not enough to dodge all of my shots, but she dodges enough that her armour manages to regenerate a little more.

But I watch carefully and crumbler and assimilate!

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Just one problem with that plan, OL... And it's got a diamond-shaped face...

Four thick orange strands attach themselves to her armour, orange light flaring. I don't think that the self destruct will take the novelty ring with it, but if it does I doubt that the Green Lanterns will care. They mostly just want to keep-

She flares with green light.

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Damn, she no-sold it with Will overload. Not quite Guy's "I AM" move, but probably similar in concept.

Connection lost.

-it-.

Ah-right.

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Yes, power ring with functionally infinite considerable charge, OL. She has power to burn, literally.

She generates a chain construct and I stop cocking about. A giant orange beam smashes into her, eradicating her construct, twisting and breaking her thrusters and knocking her back at considerable speed.

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Well, hard way it is, then. Try to leave some bones unpulverised...

A volley of phasic rounds just in case, then a series of shots of focused wounding intent which pierce her armour in three places, blood spurting out before freeze-boiling in the vacuum.

And then she forms a gun and fires a volley at the planet below us.

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And there goes Yuna's neutrality! If the Negotiator wasn't in on this, as some have suggested, he's going to be foaming at the mouth right about now.

Nice fight. Total elapsed time: Less than twenty seconds, by my clock. Goes to show just how fast and messy combat can be between Lanterns, even if one is as unskilled as the Scarab Warrior seemed to be. It's too bad OL is quick and strong enough to protect the backstop and take her down at the same time... Unless K'ryssma decides to make a showing with a timely shield. Assuming she's still in one piece aboard the Free Lancers' ship...