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

Chojin Patriarch · Jan 5, 2021

Mr Zoat said:
5th July 2012
02:27 GMT

Regent Alonzo Dulak steeples his hands on the other side of the desk, which combined with his red clothing/albino physiology colour scheme makes him look so totally evil that I scan for vampirism. No. Do Euphorians see on different wavelengths to humans? Not significantly.

I guess the choices of colour are just cultural, then. Maybe with local dyes, red was a more difficult colour than purple, so it became the colour of royalty or rulership? Maybe the combination he has isn't culturally aligned with horror mythos like their equivalent to Dracule? Or just maybe he likes the colour.

Guess it's cultural, then.

He glances at the opened letter on the desk next to him

"The only thing I don't understand is why -having broken through our shield- you're pretending to be an ignorant courier."

It's fun? What, OL can't have a little fun while he works?

I straighten my stance slightly, prompting my escort to tighten their grips on the weapons slightly. His office is pretty plain, considering he's spent a decade or so as the ruler of all he surveys. There's an oil painting of a group… A young Kalista and a few other people I assume are her immediate family. No Pren, but it could well have been before they met. No pictures of his family, and the stone statue in the corner has been in place long enough to have faded where the ceiling light shines on it.

Presumably he's professional to keep that sort of thing in more private offices, where he gets the real work done, instead of his 'receiving' office...

"Because while I'm obviously not what I appear, no one knows what I am."

"You're biological. More creative than the vat-creatures the psions usually make… No, I can't see them allowing someone this amount of independence. The Crown Imperium, perhaps? I'd be surprised if they had teleportation technology advanced enough to bypass the shield, but it's not impossible."

Still concerned it's an enemy plot? He certainly hasn't heard of Orange lanterns, of course, given the lack of communication. Properly paranoid, at least.

"May I ask if you've read the letter?"

"Yes. And I have." He moves his hands apart, laying his left flat on the table and drumming the fingers of his right on the letter itself. "Did you?"

As if OL really cares what it says, beyond 'it's safe, turn the shield off.' He's a professional, after all.

"Not the letter, no."

"The Gordanian Empire and the Wombworld have been destroyed, and we are to lower the shield and resume contact with the wider universe. The seal is accurate, the writing matching both Queen Kalista's penmanship and lexicon and the letter is composed as a royal dictum." He moves his left hand, picking up a small scanner and waving it over the letter. "Finger prints and genetic traces from both Queen Kalista and Lord Pren-. Is he still calling himself Primus?"

I know, it sounds like fiction. But with so many signs of it being genuine, well...

"Yes."

He shakes his head dismissively. "Nonsense like that is why the late Queen never approved Queen Kalista's marriage. What sort of person starts out on a quest for justice by changing their name? The man's a complete chuuni."

I really hope that's a translation of some local term for stupidly edgelord teenage nitwits... I love the audible disdain you can sense in his dismissal of Pren's foolishness, too.

…

Today is a good day.

I bet OL never thought he'd find a kindred spirit here of all places.

"I couldn't possibly comment."

I take a data stick containing the rest of their messages -as well as a summary of the situation in the Vega Systems- out of my pocket and-.

Including info on the new powers in the sector, I hope. Like Orange Lanterns. It won't take long for Alonzo to make the obvious connection...

And roll my eyes at a guard who was a little ahead of the game and pointed her gun at me the moment I moved, then offer it to her.

"The rest of the messages. To be released or not as you see fit."

Well, she's either twitchy as fuck, or really keen about her duty. Hell, why not both? Commendation for reaction time, if nothing else.

Alonzo looks puzzled.

"I doubt that your instructions included 'as you see fit'."

He's not working for Kallista. He's just a messenger. I doubt he much cares if the shield drops or not, beyond the obvious interference with his goals...

"I offered to convey the letter. I'm not here to make sure that someone with no obvious incentive to remove themselves from office obeys the content."

"I don't appreciate your tone."

But it's so obvious, my dear Regent. I bet if he could ever read the Discworld novels, he'd feel an immense kinship with Lord Vetinari...

"But you do appreciate the content?" He moues and I shrug. "I'd like to employ Euphorians from specialist professions, but it's hardly the end of the universe if I can't."

"What professions are those?"

Heh. Being able to get some off-world contracts even before the shield goes down would be quite a feat...

"At the moment, telepathic specialists. I've got a job to do that requires a great deal of telepathic involvement, and even if my other negotiations go very well I'm going go need more. And I can't get them unless the shield comes down."

"If you want to access the contents of a person's mind, there are far easier ways to do so. I can build…"

Too small a scale, my good man. Just wait until you hear this...

I shake my head.

"I need to move sixty billion consciousnesses from a radio telepathic network. Do you have a device that can-?"

"No."

Yeah, I don't think anyone's got that kind of technological grunt. Even Earth!

"I'd also like to employ a necromancer."

"We.. have those, but why? They can't operate on a thaumically dead world."

That won't be a problem. I rather suspect they'll have to adjust their spells to reduce the energy intake, depending on the saturation difference between Euphorix and Mars...

"I know. My homeworld and our immediate neighbour are both thaumically active. We've just never really developed a tradition of sophisticated necromancy."

"It's a minority interest amongst a small segment of our population, but I assure you that those who master the subject are perfectly sophisticated." He looks away, signing. "No, there's no getting around this. If the fighting is over, I'll have to lower the shield. I'll need a few days to go over the data and come up with a form of words to use to convey what's.. happened to the general population."

'Perfectly sophisticated', eh? So, not dressing in the chuuni-worthy stereotypical outfits, then? And I see he's smart enough to consider the public's reaction to something like the Shield dropping.

I nod politely.

"That's probably sensible."

You're really liking this fellow, aren't you, OL? He actually thinks!

I can see perfectly well that he didn't wanted them to return. As far as I can tell he'd rather assumed that they were gone permanently the moment the shield went up, something he regarded as a good thing. As far as I can see he hasn't done a terrible job of running the planet in Kalista's absence, and… How disconnected from the goings on in the rest of Vega are the Euphorians? Will they care about a Queen who left them for a decade, when set against the man who kept them safe and ruled them wisely?

I suspect Kallista won't be happy with things, either. I foresee some trouble as they settle back in.

Isn't it great that it's not my problem?

Until it escalates into something you have to come over and deal with personally.

"Would you like to send a message back?"

"Yes, I probably should."

Oh, yes, that's the tone of a man who sees his career about to descend into the shitter by way of stupidly childish royalty.

He pulls a sheet of paper out of his desk drawer and picks up a.. fountain pen analogue, then writes a hurried reply. I wait while he finishes, then lowers the pen and waves a device over the paper to dry the ink. Then he folds it and then applies his seal to the join. Lastly, he picks it up and holds it out to me.

"Fine. Deliver this into Queen Kalista's hand.

Estimated delivery time: two seconds. Would you like a reply too?

"Certainly." I lean forwards and take it from him.

"And-." Something occurs to him. "Since the shield will most likely come down in a few days, would you like to speak to one of our necromancers before you leave?"

Ah, at least he's able to look past his imminent demotion to more useful business.

"No need. Back in a second."

I raise my right hand to my forehead,

head towards Kalista and Pren's shared desire to return home and then

Which is probably really bright at this point. Easy to navigate by, this close.

return to the material universe.

"Here." I jab at her with the letter, and she instinctively takes it. "He wants a few days to prepare."

"W-?"

No time, business calls, gottago!

And then it's

back to Euphorix.

"But I would appreciate it if I could speak to one now."

Haha! I bet that gets the old Spock eyebrow as Alonzo takes it in. And he's sharp enough to note that OL could have done that from the start, yet was polite enough to play along with the whole security escort drill.

...Is it just me or is anyone else getting a strong Vetinari vibe from Regent Dulak here? I mean, he's got things running smoothly, comfortably stable in his position, and then along comes the absent rulers looking to just step back in like it was yesterday?
If Kallista's got even half a brain, she'll realise Alonzo's got things well in hand and decides to take the figurehead route, living a life of leisure and relaxation. Or maybe she'll let him get on with it and go back to space?

We can but hope she's that smart...

Chaoswind · Jan 5, 2021

Alonzo won't have a problem lowering the shield to let the queen return, but the rest of the aristocracy probably will.

Also her position in the Vega alliance ought to be a joke one with no actual power, the Omega men are less than a few dozen terrorist with delusions of importance. Heck her position in the alliance probably rest sorely on the implied idea they "have" the right to use euphorix resources and armies... Something the actual people of Euphorix may strongly disagree with. Then again Paul washed his hands off Vega for the most part and is only back because of a side quest, so maybe I should take a similar stance and not care about what is happening right now.

ForeverShogo · Jan 5, 2021

So on the earlier question about a genderbent DC universe.

Yes, DC has universes with genderbent versions of the characters we're familiar with. There's at least one where it's a complete reversal. Where male and female characters have been genderbent. I think it's actually more common for there to be universes that roll with the idea that all the heroes and villains are female. In that universe, heroes/villains who would otherwise be male are instead female . . . And then the ones that would be female are still female.

I think Zoat said a version of Paul actually ended up in one of the universes where he'd be the only male super. Don't think it's ever been suggested there is a "Paula" out there somewhere.

Darko · Jan 5, 2021

ForeverShogo said:
So on the earlier question about a genderbent DC universe.

Yes, DC has universes with genderbent versions of the characters we're familiar with. There's at least one where it's a complete reversal. Where male and female characters have been genderbent. I think it's actually more common for there to be universes that roll with the idea that all the heroes and villains are female. In that universe, heroes/villains who would otherwise be male are instead female . . . And then the ones that would be female are still female.

I think Zoat said a version of Paul actually ended up in one of the universes where he'd be the only male super. Don't think it's ever been suggested there is a "Paula" out there somewhere.

I remember an omake that someone made of a Violet Lantern Paul who ended up in such a universe.

Power Girl was flirting with him and well remember early Paul and how he reacted around someone who flirted with him.

Though in the Fools Day episode he mentioned something about Diana meeting a male counterpart of hers.

Cherico · Jan 5, 2021

ForeverShogo said:
So on the earlier question about a genderbent DC universe.

Yes, DC has universes with genderbent versions of the characters we're familiar with. There's at least one where it's a complete reversal. Where male and female characters have been genderbent. I think it's actually more common for there to be universes that roll with the idea that all the heroes and villains are female. In that universe, heroes/villains who would otherwise be male are instead female . . . And then the ones that would be female are still female.

I think Zoat said a version of Paul actually ended up in one of the universes where he'd be the only male super. Don't think it's ever been suggested there is a "Paula" out there somewhere.

Honestly I would want to read about the universe where paul is the only male super that sounds like fun.

Darko · Jan 5, 2021

Chaoswind said:
Alonzo won't have a problem lowering the shield to let the queen return, but the rest of the aristocracy probably will.

Also her position in the Vega alliance ought to be a joke one with no actual power, the Omega men are less than a few dozen terrorist with delusions of importance. Heck her position in the alliance probably rest sorely on the implied idea they "have" the right to use euphorix resources and armies... Something the actual people of Euphorix may strongly disagree with. Then again Paul washed his hands off Vega for the most part and is only back because of a side quest, so maybe I should take a similar stance and not care about what is happening right now.

She does still have a relationship with some of the other members of the Alliance, like Amalak, who she gave some mystical protections to.

Plus there's also the renown she and the Omega Men most likely acquired from destroying the Psions and the Gordanian Empire.

Vega is probably going to become much more safer, and wealthier, now, so the aristocrats will probably want to get a slice of that action, and letting her take control, but still let them have a great say in matters, is an excellent way for them to keep power, while letting her have power.

Euphorix may not be all that popular due to hiding from the Citadel and the rest of the threats, and not contributing anything to their destruction,so if they want to get into the action, then they're going to have to give up some things.

And the Crown Imperium was also apparently considering making an arranged marriage for her to gain some influence in Vega

Flightless Man · Jan 5, 2021

Cherico said:
Honestly I would want to read about the universe where paul is the only male super that sounds like fun.

I want to read a snippet of one where he appears with a Legion Flight ring instead of a Lantern Ring. He could take Booster Gold's role as future knowledge guy with the flight ring.

Senevri · Jan 5, 2021

Heh. Such a show off. Kind of nice to see that paragon and renegade are of the same stock.

Darko · Jan 5, 2021

Chojin Patriarch said:
I guess the choices of colour are just cultural, then. Maybe with local dyes, red was a more difficult colour than purple, so it became the colour of royalty or rulership? Maybe the combination he has isn't culturally aligned with horror mythos like their equivalent to Dracule? Or just maybe he likes the colour.

Or maybe it's all of those.

Chojin Patriarch said:
It's fun? What, OL can't have a little fun while he works?

Enjoying what you do is probably a necessity for an Orange Lantern.

Chojin Patriarch said:
Presumably he's professional to keep that sort of thing in more private offices, where he gets the real work done, instead of his 'receiving' office...

Ehh, depending on Euphoriaxian culture it is possible that leaving the office like your predecessor did, or those above your social station, like royalty, is seen as a sign of respect.

Chojin Patriarch said:
I really hope that's a translation of some local term for stupidly edgelord teenage nitwits... I love the audible disdain you can sense in his dismissal of Pren's foolishness, too.

Hey, Pren wouldn't be the first person that has changed their name due to some cause.

The various Roman emperors, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, Malcolm X, all changed their names or added things to them, and we practically revere a lot of them.

Their choice to change their name may have been seen as somewhat silly in their own time, but you can't deny that they all left some big and powerful impressions.

If you want to talk about edge lords changing their name to reflect their stupid edge lord self then just go to Apokalips.

Darkseid is basically the king emo.

Chojin Patriarch said:
Yeah, I don't think anyone's got that kind of technological grunt. Even Earth!

Maybe the New Gods do.

Or even the Reach, since mass mind control seems to be their thing.

Chojin Patriarch said:
'Perfectly sophisticated', eh? So, not dressing in the chuuni-worthy stereotypical outfits, then?

He may be prejudiced against the name, but maybe outfits are something he's okay with.

Chojin Patriarch said:
Oh, yes, that's the tone of a man who sees his career about to descend into the shitter by way of stupidly childish royalty.

Or is planning to see how he can still keep most of his power.

Chojin Patriarch said:
If Kallista's got even half a brain, she'll realise Alonzo's got things well in hand and decides to take the figurehead route, living a life of leisure and relaxation. Or maybe she'll let him get on with it and go back to space? We can but hope she's that smart...

Or she may decide to work with him and learn everything she needs to know so she can govern in an effective manner.

NightmareWarden · Jan 5, 2021

I'm pretty sure Paul still has a few magic metals in his ring. If he trades them away in exchange for necromancy services, what could a necromancer do with such a resource? I'm talking about the material capable of transmitting electricity without any loss and... mithral(?) which is almost impossible to alter once it fully cools into a worked shape.

If we're lucky the enterprising necromancer(s) will make a necroputer like Deep Rot (oh what fun that would be!).

Mr Zoat · Jan 5, 2021

NightmareWarden said:
I'm pretty sure Paul still has a few magic metals in his ring. If he trades them away in exchange for necromancy services, what could a necromancer do with such a resource? I'm talking about the material capable of transmitting electricity without any loss and... mithral(?) which is almost impossible to alter once it fully cools into a worked shape.

If we're lucky the enterprising necromancer(s) will make a necroputer like Deep Rot (oh what fun that would be!).

"So what you're saying is, I should steal the bodies of thousands of people in order to make an inefficient and frankly unsanitary computer, rather than purchasing one that fits neatly on my desk. Why?"

Sockmonkey · Jan 5, 2021

Darko said:
To be fair the Thanagarians haven't exactly dealt with evil gods, while Paul has.

And Paul also knows several Forge Gods, and it was his actions, like getting them more interested in working again, that brought their attention to the Thanagarians, who needed Nth Metal and couldn't make it themselves.

I suspect they're going to drag their heels a lot because a god with exactly the skills they need, that doesn't make unreasonable demands, and is actually cool to have a beer with, has got to sound too good to be true.

Prince Charon · Jan 5, 2021

Mr Zoat said:
The Renegade is reasonably sure that ancient Shinto practitioners didn't worship him.

1: Renegade knows that time travel works, having personally experienced it, so he probably can't be completely certain of that, even if you-the-author can.

2: A regular pagan does not become a neopagan just because they're adding a new god (or a New God) to the list of ones that they worship (which is not necessarily the same as adding another god to their pantheon).

DrThoth · Jan 5, 2021

Why did the Psions never destroy the Euphorix planetary shield, either directly or at the behest of the Citadel? I can't imagine they lack the technical ability.

Darko · Jan 5, 2021

DrThoth said:
Why did the Psions never destroy the Euphorix planetary shield, either directly or at the behest of the Citadel? I can't imagine they lack the technical ability.

They may have tried to, but maybe it was too powerful.

Magic may have also been used, so they may not have known how to bypass it due to not having any experience with it.

The Euphorians were also largely staying out of their way and not opposing them, unlike say Tamaran who fought them, so they may have thought trying to conquer the planet was a waste of time since they weren't in the way.

DrThoth · Jan 5, 2021

Darko said:
They may have tried to, but maybe it was too powerful.

Magic may have also been used, so they may not have known how to bypass it due to not having any experience with it.

The Euphorians were also largely staying out of their way and not opposing them, unlike say Tamaran who fought them, so they may have thought trying to conquer the planet was a waste of time since they weren't in the way.

I suppose I just find it hard to think of the shield as too powerful for Psion technology to overcome; if they chose not to for some reason, I can accept that (provided I know what the reason was). I don't know anything about the history of the shield (though the DC Database entry says Euphorix developed it itself) which would convince me.

We know magic doesn't play a part in the shield's construction from a few updates ago.

The Citadelians seem to have been content with hegemony and partnerships and proxy rulers, and not outright direct rule over every planet/world in Vega, but that's not the case with Euphorix. I feel like they'd have tried at some point (I think the fic does mention that history at one point, but I'm not sure).

What happened to that old Citadelian who surrendered after Paragon de-branded all his Citadelian forces back in Headhunting/Headhunted? I think Amalak offered those who surrendered employment, but I don't think he showed up again.

Darko · Jan 5, 2021

DrThoth said:
I suppose I just find it hard to think of the shield as too powerful for Psion technology to overcome; if they chose not to for some reason, I can accept that (provided I know what the reason was). I don't know anything about the history of the shield (though the DC Database entry says Euphorix developed it itself) which would convince me.

We know magic doesn't play a part in the shield's construction from a few updates ago.

The Citadelians seem to have been content with hegemony and partnerships and proxy rulers, and not outright direct rule over every planet/world in Vega, but that's not the case with Euphorix. I feel like they'd have tried at some point (I think the fic does mention that history at one point, but I'm not sure).

What happened to that old Citadelian who surrendered after Paragon de-branded all his Citadelian forces back in Headhunting/Headhunted? I think Amalak offered those who surrendered employment, but I don't think he showed up again.

The Psions may have eventually destroyed the shield, but they were killed before they could do it.

I think that old Citadelian was one of the dozen that started working for Amalak after Paul had his 800 branded thralls killed.

Steelplaza · Jan 5, 2021

Chaoswind said:
Alonzo won't have a problem lowering the shield to let the queen return, but the rest of the aristocracy probably will.

I don't know; it's been a decade, not generations. A decade isn't all that long really. The overwhelming number of people in positions of power were in positions of power back when the queen (or at least her family; don't recall the backstory) were in charge. Unless they were itching to get rid of her a decade ago, there are probably still plenty of loyalists around.

Mr Zoat · Jan 5, 2021

Steelplaza said:
I don't know; it's been a decade, not generations. A decade isn't all that long really. The overwhelming number of people in positions of power were in positions of power back when the queen (or at least her family; don't recall the backstory) were in charge. Unless they were itching to get rid of her a decade ago, there are probably still plenty of loyalists around.

Alonza is loyal to the royal family, just not the current queen who he thinks is a feckless idiot. His medium-term plan is to install someone else on the throne, preferably after marrying them.

Vaermina · Jan 5, 2021

Mr Zoat said:
He shakes his head dismissively. "Nonsense like that is why the late Queen never approved Queen Kalista's marriage. What sort of person starts out on a quest for justice by changing their name? The man's a complete chuuni."

…

Today is a good day.

I think Paragon found a new best friend.

Mr Zoat said:
Alonza is loyal to the royal family, just not the current queen who he thinks is a feckless idiot. His medium-term plan is to install someone else on the throne, preferably after marrying them.

Understandable given she is a feckless idiot.

Stsword · Jan 5, 2021

DrThoth said:
Why did the Psions never destroy the Euphorix planetary shield, either directly or at the behest of the Citadel? I can't imagine they lack the technical ability.

The Psions aren't really scientists, they are sadists playing scientists.

"How to punch through a planetary force field" doesn't include torturing people, so it's not really something that interests them.

Darko · Jan 5, 2021

Stsword said:
The Psions aren't really scientists, they are sadists playing scientists.

"How to punch through a planetary force field" doesn't include torturing people, so it's not really something that interests them.

True, some of their decisions, like X'hal and everything they did to her, were increadibly stupid.

They're sadists first and scientists second.

Still they may have been working on how to break through the shield, since then they have a new planet of torture victims, but they were killed before they got anywhere.

Vaermina · Jan 5, 2021

Darko said:
True, some of their decisions, like X'hal and everything they did to her, were increadibly stupid.

They're sadists first and scientists second.

Still they may have been working on how to break through the shield, since then they have a new planet of torture victims, but they were killed before they got anywhere.

If they really wanted the shield down they could have done it by simple dint of blocking out sunlight to the planet till the inhabitants caved in and lowered it themselves.

Which means they probably didn't care.

OrigamiPhoenix · Jan 5, 2021

Mr Zoat said:
He shakes his head dismissively. "Nonsense like that is why the late Queen never approved Queen Kalista's marriage. What sort of person starts out on a quest for justice by changing their name? The man's a complete chuuni."

…

Today is a good day.

I just want to say I appreciate this. Was funny.

Mr Zoat · Jan 6, 2021

4th July 2012
21:28 EST

This, this is not something I'm ever gettin' used to.

On Oa. Not 'cause I'm gettin' trained, or gettin' some sorta bullshit health assessment, or gettin' yelled at in person. On Oa, wearin' the cape an' sash that comes with bein' on the Honor Guard… An' the couple a' other Green Lanterns I fly past 're actually lookin' impressed.

It feels good, but it feels weird, too. Don't wanna get all 'self-sabotagy' or nothin', but I'm not sure… I'm not sure how t' deal with it. Random people tellin' me I'm great is nice but it's no big deal. These 're… Other Lanterns. Vets, some of 'em.

I don't think I've earned this yet. Paul said somethin' about not having earned his ring when he got it, and… Yeah. I dunno about Hal, but I don't think I've earned my sash yet. Earned the ring, yeah. But the jury's out on the sash. But I'm here and Hal isn't, so maybe I'm closer than he is.

I wave my right hand through the door sensor, then wait. Not at attention or nothin', but I doubt-. The door opens, and I walk inside. It's… Not as big as I thought it'd be. Yeah, there's a touch a' mad science lab, but there's a whole bunch a' museum pieces… Statues, stuff like that, all around the place like he put 'em down and forgot about 'em.

"Honor Guard Lantern Gardner."

Guardian Appa Ali Apsa smiles. Not a little polite smile, but like he's genuinely pleased to see me. He floats up from his platform desk thing and the mini-lantern in the middle of it and flies over to his little… Highchair thing. He points at the humanoid-size chair opposite.

"Won't you sit down?"

Talkin' to Guardians is… Kinda awkward. Most Lanterns call 'em 'Master', which… I mean, yeah, they're the masters of the Corps, but it always felt kinda weird.

Wish I'd been there when John first heard it.

"Thanks fer takin' the time t'meet me, boss."

I walk-. Ah, pick my way across the room and take the chair. I guess for someone his size who's used t' flyin' around it's pretty easy, but fer a guy my size it's kinda awkward. An' I know Guardians are real busy and he's probably got about a thousand things he needs t' be doin' right now…

"Not at all."

Most Guardians are… Not cold. Not alla them. Ganthet and Sayd are okay. But… Impersonal. Like a doctor or somethin'. Not Appa. He learned some actual people skills sometime in the last million years.

"What was it you wanted to ask me?"

"It's about Mars."

"There's not much I can add to the record you already have. I didn't personally take part. There were more of us-"

He looks away for a moment, which is the kinda humanity the others don't do.

-back then."

"Right. See… I talked with Paul one time… He told me that he knew things about our friends that they didn't know themselves. One of them had a kid he didn't know about, another one accidentally killed someone… When I asked him what I didn't know about me… Turned out someone I really admired was actually about five different people, an' they used t' swap 'em out after the last one died."

He nods.

"Like a child's hamsters."

And then there's stuff like that, where a guy older than mammals remembers stuff about your culture. I barely remember stuff about Californian culture.

"Yeah, kinda like that. I guess after that, and the Ophidian and Vega, I should have thought about it more, but he kinda implied that he knew stuff about the Green Lantern Corps that isn't in the ring database."

"Yes, he's a curious individual, isn't he? Did he mention this before he made contact with our Controller cousins?"

Did he? I don't really remember the details, just that there was some sorta insinuation. Early on, that wasn't what I was payin' attention to. Nah, can't remember.

"Ah..? Think so?"

"Hm. So?"

"So? Is there more? I mean, we let loose that Malvolio guy, an' I'm pretty sure you're gunna send the Honor Guard after him." I shrug. "An… How come I didn't know about him? I'm on the Honor Guard. We're the guys you have t' deal with stuff like that."

"Guy, the Green Lantern Corps has existed for just over three billion Earth years. During that time it has done a huge amount of good. However, on some occasions, mistakes have been made. Or, simply hard decisions taken where there was no good answer to be had. In the case of Larfleeze, we enacted a policy of containment which saw him restricted to an area of space which at the time contained no life."

"My Sector's got some life in it."

"And did Paul do it any harm?"

"Not ex-. No."

"Forcing the issue would have risked making him the enemy of the Corps. If he fought us, I believe that the Corps would have won, eventually, but the damage would have been considerable. And with the Corps unable to fulfil our other commitments and with new recruits trying to protect their Sectors, the damage spreads. As it was, we felt that giving him some room was for the best."

That-. Huh.

"And Malvolio?"

"We allowed him to keep his ring as part of an experiment to see how your species interacted with a power ring. And given how his adopted Sector fell apart without him, I doubt that we'll be rushing to contain him."

"Did I..? Miss some part of the handbook?"

"Hm." Appa folds his hands across his lap. "When I was on Earth, Oliver Queen tried explaining the rules of Ice Hockey to me. I even bought the complete rulebook while I was there."

Still kinda pissed I missed out on showin' a Guardian around.

"Yeah?"

"And yet, nowhere in the rulebook does it mention what a 'smart penalty' is. I doubt that young humans being introduced to the game for the first time are told 'if it looks like the other team are going to score, hit the person with the puck with your stick'. Are they?"

Uh… Canada…

"Doubt it. But-."

"Three billion years, Lantern Gardner. We have made many mistakes in that time. Some of them… Devastating. Krona's was the worst, but there were others not far off. The most common are relatively trivial, when a Lantern misassigns blame for a violent conflict and intervenes on the side of the belligerent party. Thaal Sinestro earned his repudiation but in the grand scheme of things the actions which led to it weren't that great. But taken as a whole, such things represent perhaps a billionth of a percent of the sum total of the Corps' deeds. Did Paul tell you why the Controllers separated from the Guardians in the first place?"

I shake my head.

"Before the Green Lantern Corps, before the Halla, we at first attempted to spread universal law and order through the use of specialised androids. They were called the Manhunters. We Guardians pride ourselves on both our rationality and our selfless service to the wider universe, and we foolishly assumed that one led to the other. That a purely rational species would relate to the universe in the same way that we do, without the need for introducing convoluted value systems. We chose a Space Sector in which to test them before a galaxy-wide implementation and a few hours later they killed nearly every living thing in it. Burned the whole place down to the bedrock."

Shit.

"That was the second worst thing we've ever done, surpassed only by Krona's misdeeds. And afterwards… A little under a third of us left, forming the Controllers. And.. that is why I'm the Guardian I am today. That oversight made it painfully apparent to me that embracing pure cold rationality left holes in our ability to understand the universe. In the way beings other than us think. So-"

He looks around.

"-this. I embrace other cultures, other points of view, because I do not want to ever have anything like that ever happen again because we didn't consider something we should have done. And while we don't advertise that one billionth of one percent, we can't forget it."

He nods at his mini-lantern.

"As a member of the Honor Guard you have access to our unabridged records. A full accounting for everything that has ever gone wrong would take a few years to go through, but I've loaded in a summary. And if you've got any questions, I'll do my best to answer them."

He sighs.

"Though I can't promise that either of us will like all of the answers."

hance1986 · Jan 6, 2021

Will Appa ever get to meet Paul? That could be an interesting conversation.

Mquz · Jan 6, 2021

Mr Zoat said:
He signs.

Nice to see him displaying his knowledge of earth culture and ability to speak soundless languages such as ASL. Though why he chose now to demonstrate his abilities is a mystery.

Darko · Jan 6, 2021

Mr Zoat said:
But I'm here and Hal isn't, so maybe I'm closer than he is.

I thought Hal also became an Honor Guard.

Mr Zoat said:
He point at the humanoid-size chair opposite.

'points'

Mr Zoat said:
but always felt kinda weird.

maybe 'it always'

Mr Zoat said:
Like a doctor of somethin'.

'or something'

Mr Zoat said:
Not Appa. He learned some actual people skills sometime in the last million years.

I always thought he was one of the more assholish ones.

Though that may be because of the animated series.

Mr Zoat said:
where a guy older than mammals

Well, Earth mammals.

Mr Zoat said:
Guy, the Green Lantern Corps has existed for just over three billion Earth years.

I thought it was just a million, given what renegade said during an interview.

Mr Zoat said:
but the damage would have considerable

'have been'

Mr Zoat said:
And yet, no where

maybe 'nowhere'

Mr Zoat said:
But take as a whole

'taken'

Mr Zoat said:
and a few hours later they killed nearly every living thing in it.

Well five survived.

Mr Zoat said:
In the way being other than us think.

maybe 'beings'

DrThoth · Jan 6, 2021

hance1986 said:
Will Appa ever get to meet Paul? That could be an interesting conversation.

Technically they've met, but it was a collective conference with the Guardians, not one-on-one. I hope someone can organize a Maltusian diplomatic conference or whatever their closest equivalent to a party is at some point, seeing all the factions interact more would be fun. The Devlos/Anti-Monitor stuff can probably justify it at some point in the future, even if that's not as light-hearted as I'd like.

Great update. Nice to see non-SIs taking initiative and growing.

Darko · Jan 6, 2021

hance1986 said:
Will Appa ever get to meet Paul? That could be an interesting conversation.

They did meet during Paul's adventures in space.

It was after Paul recruited Ranx and brought half of an Indigo ring to them, as well as an assimilated Guardian.

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

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