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

[Handlewithcare]

Wait, is Dox dead?!? Did Grayven take him out?

In that case the song may be Paul's eulogy...

 

[Mr Zoat]

Is he being blocked?

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Metaphorically.

'radius'
remove 'my'
'bring through'

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Thank you, corrected.

maybe add 'be more able to do it'

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No, I think that's okay.

Well that was disturbing.

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Honestly, I think the older version is more like what the SI is singing. It's supposed to sound uplifting, after all.

It's been a while since we got a song.

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More to follow!

This seems like a highly unusual choice for an inspiration song, particularly given that it was originally meant to praise the Nazi party. Is there any particular thinking behind this or are you just a fan?

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Yes, but if you don't know that it just sounds uplifting. The fact that there's a twist to the concept just says 'Orange Lantern Corps' to me.

 

[Chojin Patriarch]

3rd July 2012
10:59 GMT -5

I note that the gordanian fleet hasn't manoeuvred into position to actually travel through their end of the boom tube yet.

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Hmm... Is the boom tube a threat display? "We can kill you at any time. Run now, little fools." Or are they taking their time to come through in force? Damn, Grayven-16's an asshole.

Spoiler: Commentary spoilered for length

I note the redoubled threads of fear weaved through Lanterns guarding the L.E.G.I.O.N. fleet. This isn't the situation for a speech. This is a time for orders and direction. While the Reach fleet was here, with the people Dox picked for this mission, we didn't have to worry about fear. The antipathy they felt caused everything else to be pushed aside. But that's a big ship with a very powerful-

"Ah..?"

-gun.

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I'm still concerned by the timing of his attack. Was it coincidence? Was it a spy in the NEMO forces? Godly Domain trickery? Was he planning to show up wherever NEMO did, no matter where they went?

"Yes, Lantern Velus?"

"So… Are we leaving?"

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Because it sounds like he wants to leave. Right now, preferably. I suspect that idea is being echoed across the fleet...

I don't know if someone from New Genesis would leave a portal in place as an intimidation technique or not. I have been assuming that they'd be more inclined to communicate before opening hostilities. This sort of statement of power feels Apokoliptian in a.. way I can't precisely define.

"Because… I know you said this was a trial run and you could handle anything unexpected, but it doesn't look like there's anything here for us."

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Feels kinda bad to be the one about to get stepped on, huh?

"That's up to Dox. Retreating would be a little difficult."

"Why can't we just leave the same way we came here?"

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That.. is a very good question. OL? Care to answer?

Because Dox didn't test the system. He couldn't, if he wanted to keep it a surprise to the near-ludicrous degree that he wanted to. Which mean that it's perfectly possible that the archmages are running around putting the whole thing back together right now, and they're having to do that ship by ship and take a shuttle to travel between ships because there's no way that dreadnaught isn't blocking technological teleportation and magic based teleportation isn't a good idea when someone like me has been throwing disruptive energies around.

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And until Dox starts talking, he's got no way of knowing anything. So, first step: Kick Dox until he wakes up.

"Because the aim was to win a propaganda victory, and I'm afraid 'we came, we watched someone else do our job, and the left' doesn't have quite the same ring to it. Still, it's up to Clarissi Dox. If you'll excuse me for a moment, I'll consult with him."

He nods, and goes back to watching the boom tube.

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Feeling a little better now that someone in charge is actually showing signs of doing something.

Ring, quietly, don't make my face appear over his ring, message Dox.

Compliance.

Clarissi Dox, the Orange Lantern Corps and I would appreciate orders.

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Ah, OL. Anyone else would be yelling down the line. OL? Typically British understatedness.

…

Oh.

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"Dox's gone bye-bye, OL. What've you got?" I take it Dox is laid out like a kipper in shock...

That's a shame.

Looks like it's up to us then.

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Time to grab the reins of command and get this bunch of yahoos rolling!

First, direct the fleet. Velus was right; our target has been destroyed. The thing to do now is to either attack the outer sphere or pick another mid-sphere fleet to destroy. And since ultimately this part of the campaign is about liberating people my preference is for the former…

"Illustres to L.E.G.I.O.N. flag captain. Has Commander Dox been incapacitated?"

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Double-checking for good measure. Presumably Dox made himself a public spectacle in his little collapse... Hopefully medics are looking after him now.

"He's.. not responding."

"Then I am assuming command of this fleet. Objections?"

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Step one complete: Command assumed.

"… No. Sir."

"What is our first contingency target?"

"Reach reserve fleet four seven two nine."

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Which is presumably not far from their current system? What are the chances Grayven-16's fleet will get there first?

Unsurprising.

"Then that's where we're going. Illustres to Orange Lantern Corps. We're leaving. I am assigning you L.E.G.I.O.N. ships to tow to the edge of the FTL jammers affect redius. Carry out this order at once. Any Lantern who does not receive an assignment is joining me on rearguard duty. Pay attention, you may learn something."

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Time for them to see what OL can really do.

The Lanterns with a military background respond first, the rest only hesitating for a moment before going into action. The Reach are perfectly capable of interfering with Lantern FTL, but it is possible to overcome it with enough effort. Of course, while my Lanterns are focusing on that, they're not going to be able to fight the gordanians off effectively.

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Hence the rearguard. Presumably those with the most empathic desires are on towing duties.

"You all know perfectly well that a construct you generate is only as strong as your desire for it to exist. And, frankly, protecting a bunch of people that you've never spent any time with isn't a high priority. Not a lot of altruists around here. I've found that the trick is to eliminate in your own mind the distinction between means and end. By which I mean that there's little ultimate difference between killing a Reach ship yourself and saving a colleague who will go on to kill a Reach ship due to your action. Want the means, want the ends. For example, I don't really know any of you."

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Showing them the first step to enlightenment, eh?

I make a very obvious reaching gesture with my left hand, rings glowing as a rather large wall appears. And then gets bigger, surpassing the surface area of the fleet scale boom tube. And bigger, surpassing the surface area of the moon the dreadnaught destroyed. And bigger.

Yes, I think that's big enough.

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Honestly, not the biggest feat a Lantern has ever performed. Consider John Stewart reassembling an entire planet. Or Kyle Rayner forming chains for Superman to pull Earth through space safely...

"Nonetheless, harm to you makes it harder for the end I wish to achieve manifest into reality. Which means that I really have to do my utmost to keep you in one… Is there a reason why you're not joining in with this shield? Is suicide by gordanian that appealing-"

Lanterns raise their rings, additional layers forming behind the middle of the construct wall. They're nothing like as large as mine, and the efforts of the rearguard as a group are uncoordinated.

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Next lesson, subsuming your personal wants to that of the larger group.

"-to you, because if it is, I'm the last person who will condemn you for seeking to realise your heartfelt desires, but for everyone else: make an effort."

A small nudge, and one that none of them will be consciously aware of. Just enough to make my it seem obvious to my merry gang of pernicious individualists that when they all want the same thing they should combine their efforts. I wait and watch, and the multitude of barriers under mine merge into a unified whole, more than a few Lanterns displaying species-appropriate signs of surprise as it happens. Hopefully they'll be more do it on their own initiative in-

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Well, well, progress is swift when their lives are on the line. We have some quick learners here.

The dreadnaught comes through the boom tube.

-future.

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Hopefully most of them will have a future to enjoy learning in. Becaue that ship is very, very big...

There's a slight dimming in the barrier, but now that they've got something to focus on most of the Corps isn't experiencing anything like the same degree of distraction.

The dreadnaught doesn't fire. Or bring though any of the rest of its fleet. And while it's coming through the tube, it appears to be making a point of doing so as slowly as possible.

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Yeah, Grayven-16 is showing them he thinks so little of them that he's in no hurry to destroy them. I'm impressed he's doing it himself instead of sending the fleet, though.

Apokoliptian New God doing everything it can to seem intimidating? I can only think of one appropriate response.

"I realise that this is a bit of a disappointment to many of you, but we'll destroy a different Reach fleet shortly. The gordanians are clearly a disciplined and well-equipped fighting force, but equally they clearly don't have the numbers to truly threaten the entirety of the Reach. So with that in mind; a song, from my homeworld. Feel free to join in once you've learned the chorus."

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Because nothing gets people focused like a sing-a-long... Equestria, this ain't.

"The sun on the meadow is summery warm
The stag in the forest runs free
But gather together to greet the storm
Tomorrow belongs to me."

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Song chosen because of the fascist undertones? Of a group working together to overcome an enemy? The hope of surviving this day? Fascinating choice...

And with this, I have the feeling OL will bring the Orange Lanterns together as a group far stronger than anything Dox could have achieved by himself. Because while Dox is guided by Logic, OL is guided by Emotion... And we know which is stronger an influence on emotion-wielding soldiers...

 

[Darko]

No, I think that's okay.

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Going to have to disagree on that, since it sounds weird when you say it aloud.

maybe 'be more who can do it', or my previous suggestion, since the sentence in the text just doesn't seem right.

 

[Darko]

Hmm... Is the boom tube a threat display? "We can kill you at any time. Run now, little fools." Or are they taking their time to come through in force? Damn, Grayven-16's an asshole.

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He's Apokaliptian, what did you expect?

Double-checking for good measure. Presumably Dox made himself a public spectacle in his little collapse... Hopefully medics are looking after him now.

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Unless he didn't collapse and is just being blocked by Grayven.

Showing them the first step to enlightenment, eh?

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I think future him in the April Fools episode mentioned that he's no longer the only enlightened Lantern in his Corps.

Yeah, Grayven-16 is showing them he thinks so little of them that he's in no hurry to destroy them. I'm impressed he's doing it himself instead of sending the fleet, though.

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New Gods seem to like to get their hands dirty.

During the British takeover episode the Spider, an assassin renegade hired and healed, basically told renegade that Apokaliptians seem to like to get into fights even when it wasn't really practical or necessary for them to do it.

 

[DAT_NOOB]

Clarissi Dox, the Orange Lantern Corps and I would appreciate orders.

…

Oh.

That's a shame.

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Any Commander that doesn't see decisive action is needed in this situation...

Dox better be dead, fired or relegated to backline duties.

 

[Darko]

Any Commander that doesn't see decisive action is needed in this situation Dox better be dead, fired or relegated to backline duties.

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He could just be blocked by Grayven.

 

[Shotiegun11]

Hopefully everyone remembers that this version of Vril Dox II has a history of:

Abused and used by his Father/Creator => Abused and used by the Dominators => Randomly became the head of L.E.G.I.O.N (Stellar Navy and Orange Lantern Corp).

This could very well be his first ever combat situation (aside from escaping the Dominator prison). 12th level intellect or not, millions of simulations or not. This is (may be?) his first time in actual battle.

 

[DAT_NOOB]

He could just be blocked by Grayven.

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Then why can OL talk to his subordinates?

Hopefully everyone remembers that this version of Vril Dox II has a history of:

Abused and used by his Father/Creator => Abused and used by the Dominators => Randomly became the head of L.E.G.I.O.N (Stellar Navy and Orange Lantern Corp).

This could very well be his first ever combat situation (aside from escaping the Dominator prison). 12th level intellect or not, millions of simulations or not. This is (may be?) his first time in actual battle.

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Maybe but given how he handled himself in the prison break I'd hope he was more competent.

 

[Darko]

Then why can OL talk to his subordinates?

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Because Grayven may just be blocking any communications that OL is trying to make that extend beyond the part of space they are in, but leaving him the ability to talk to those closest to him.

 

[frommerman]

Because Grayven may just be blocking any communications that OL is trying to make that extend beyond the part of space they are in, but leaving him the ability to talk to those closest to him.

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Or, as the New God of Conquest, he may be doing something to sow confusion in the ranks of his enemies by cutting off their ability to communicate with their leadership.

 

[thebishop8]

If communications were cut off, I would expect Dox to just sit around and twiddle his thumbs. Blocked communications are an insurmountable obstacle, after all.

 

[Darko]

If communications were cut off, I would expect Dox to just sit around and twiddle his thumbs. Blocked communications are an insurmountable obstacle, after all.

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I'm expecting him trying to figure out how to reestablish communications, maybe with the help of the mages, if this is because of Grayven's powers.

 

[Agent Orange]

I'm thinking pie instead of cake.

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OL is the Cake Guy not the Pie Guy Darko.

Kick Dox until he wakes up.

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Oh he's awake. It's just that he was so busy being a boss that he forgot to recharge his ring before the attack and he now can't find his charger anywhere. It happens

What are the chances Grayven-16's fleet will get there first?

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That dastardly Apokoliptian keeps jumping ahead and killstealing!

Song chosen because of the fascist undertones?

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Well... OL is hanging out with Angelika isn't he.

 

[MagnumForce]

This could very well be his first ever combat situation (aside from escaping the Dominator prison). 12th level intellect or not, millions of simulations or not. This is (may be?) his first time in actual battle.

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That, and the simulations probably didnt include 'suddenly New God', which would be even more distressing.

 

[moralrelativity]

since the sentence in the text just doesn't seem right

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... to you... It doesn't seem right to you. I get that. But remember English isn't standard across the world and one of the language's greatest strengths is that lack of a central authority... It might not sound right but the meaning gets through.

Edit: I meant to add that I agree with you, it doesn't sound right to me either.

 

[DAT_NOOB]

Because Grayven may just be blocking any communications that OL is trying to make that extend beyond the part of space they are in, but leaving him the ability to talk to those closest to him.

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But OL spoke with the Fleet didn't he?

Or, as the New God of Conquest, he may be doing something to sow confusion in the ranks of his enemies by cutting off their ability to communicate with their leadership.

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That makes more sense but wouldn't OL and the ship captains also count as leadership?

 

[SpiritualSlacker]

I'm assuming Dox is either dead or incapacitated through some exotic New God-means, either through a direct attack by whoever is leading the Gordanians (probably Grayven-16), or by some countermeasure that he triggered when trying to scan/collect information about them. Him folding under the pressures of actual battle seems out of character for someone as in control/dispassionate as him, as does being so laser-focused on something else that he'd ignore his duties as commander. And I don't think it's just that his communication is being blocked - Paul was still able to communicate with the rest of the fleet, not just the other lanterns, and Dox, with his huge, throbbing brain, would likely have found some sort of workaround for that.

 

[Fellow]

Going to have to disagree on that, since it sounds weird when you say it aloud.

maybe 'be more who can do it', or my previous suggestion, since the sentence in the text just doesn't seem right.

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I'm with Darko on this one. Adding a 'willing to' after 'more' or since this is the orange light, 'eager to' would sound better.

 

[Chaoswind]

That song was so very orange lantern that without the Nazi paraphernalia I would have assumed it to be an obscure song about something else.

Can see why the song applies to this situation.

Dox clearly got fucked when he tried to learn what the fuck was going on, or by Grayven using his divine portfolio to fuck with the commander of the NEMO/LEGION force (and Dox has no oomph to defend himself from such an attack), but little did Grayven know that the second in command is orders of magnitude stronger in the metaphysical sence than the actual leader and now his efforts and constant Godspeech tantrums and demands for attention are being ignored by OL, and thanks to the Renegade we know being ignored weakens Grayven by a fair deal.

 

[DAT_NOOB]

That song was so very orange lantern that without the Nazi paraphernalia I would have assumed it to be an obscure song about something else.

Can see why the song applies to this situation.

Dox clearly got fucked when he tried to learn what the fuck was going on, or by Grayven using his divine portfolio to fuck with the commander of the NEMO/LEGION force (and Dox has no oomph to defend himself from such an attack), but little did Grayven know that the second in command is orders of magnitude stronger in the metaphysical sence than the actual leader and now his efforts and constant Godspeech tantrums and demands for attention are being ignored by OL, and thanks to the Renegade we know being ignored weakens Grayven by a fair deal.

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Worse OL is actively mocking him, by singing in his face.

 

[Agent Orange]

little did Grayven know that the second in command is orders of magnitude stronger in the metaphysical sence than the actual leader

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But shouldn't Grayven know this already? He had a chance to see OLC Illustres pull a construct fleet out of his ass on that war effort conference. If he knows anything about Lanterns he knows that Paul lifts.

 

[Sockmonkey]

Or, as the New God of Conquest, he may be doing something to sow confusion in the ranks of his enemies by cutting off their ability to communicate with their leadership.

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Yeah, Grayven targeting the enemy commander with his Conqueror's mojo seems the most likely reason.

 

[Chaoswind]

But shouldn't Grayven know this already? He had a chance to see OLC Illustres pull a construct fleet out of his ass on that war effort conference. If he knows anything about Lanterns he knows that Paul lifts.

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His envoy did, but I get what you are saying.

However, knowing Paul is powerful isn't the same as being ignored after a powerful display like that. Is like watching a guy lift a ton of weight then purposefully sitting in the bench next to him to lift a similar amount only for the guy to get up and completely ignore you.

 

[Agent Orange]

Grayven will not accept being ignored like that. There's really only one way to resolve this issue and it isn't 'who can sink more Reach ships'. It's one big, widely televised Cake Off competition.

 

[DAT_NOOB]

Grayven will not accept being ignored like that. There's really only one way to resolve this issue and it isn't 'who can sink more Reach ships'. It's one big, widely televised Cake Off competition.

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Hopefully with singing.

 

[m_d]

Hopefully they'll be more do it on their own initiative in-

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maybe add 'be more able to do it'

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No, I think that's okay.

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Going to have to disagree on that, since it sounds weird when you say it aloud.

maybe 'be more who can do it', or my previous suggestion, since the sentence in the text just doesn't seem right.

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Darko, try reading it as "Hopefully they'll be more do-it-on-their-own-initiative in- ... -future.", as I'm pretty sure that's what Mr Zoat is going for. The hyphenated part is to be treated as a single unit. If you were to replace it with something like "independent" or "self-motivating", to use another hyphenated construction, and it works, then the sentence as a whole works. That said, I would personally have written it with the hyphens for clarity's sake, but I'm not the author, so it's not my call.

 

[Mr Zoat]

Going to have to disagree on that, since it sounds weird when you say it aloud.

maybe 'be more who can do it', or my previous suggestion, since the sentence in the text just doesn't seem right.

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Yes, you're correct. I think I was looking at the wrong part of the sentence.

 

[Prince Charon]

This seems like a highly unusual choice for an inspiration song, particularly given that it was originally meant to praise the Nazi party. Is there any particular thinking behind this or are you just a fan?

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I'm pretty sure the song predates the Nazis (although my low-effort attempt to find out quickly just lead me to an article on Cabaret), they just claimed it very loudly, same as the swastika, and probably other things.

 

[WereDragon]

Clarissi Dox, the Orange Lantern Corps and I would appreciate orders.

…

Oh.

That's a shame.

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Guessing he tried to fight a Soul War with a New God. And it went about as expected.

"Nonetheless, harm to you makes it harder for the end I wish to achieve manifest into reality. Which means that I really have to do my utmost to keep you in one… Is there a reason why you're not joining in with this shield? Is suicide by gordanian that appealing-"

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Think there should be a 'to' between achieve and manifest.