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

Vaermina · Jan 29, 2021

jaelin910 said:
It's adorable that you think he actually can't.

I think he can't, because he can't.

His entire success against past Lords relied on ambushes with his Super Magic Sword, which he lost in a sun. And wouldn't even work here if he had it since the Lords in question don't have a corporeal form available for him to stab.

Pinklestia said:
New God, he actually can.

Lords of Order and or Chaos are lower in power that New Gods is just that New Gods are usually seen fighting FREAKING SUPERMAN that's why they look weak.

Granted a Lord of Chaos or Order can be quite powerful... with enough preparation but that's the usual "A Wizard beats anyone with enough resources and time" thing.

Darkseid was killed by Batman.

You have massively overestimated how power New God's actually are.

Even Zoat level New Gods which have been buffed into absurdity.

Pinklestia · Jan 29, 2021

Vaermina said:
Darkseid was killed by Batman.

No he was not.

He just lost his current body and have Batman a fuck you on a very powerful curse that Batman only overcame because all the time travel ended making the curse like Batman.

Only Orion can kill Darkseid for real, because destiny says so.

Even sticking Darkseid on the Source Wall didn't last because if he was stuck in the Source Wall forever then Orion won't kill him.

Mr Zoat · Jan 29, 2021

Pinklestia said:
No he was not.

He just lost his current body and have Batman a fuck you on a very powerful curse that Batman only overcame because all the time travel ended making the curse like Batman.

Only Orion can kill Darkseid for real, because destiny says so.

Even sticking Darkseid on the Source Wall didn't last because if he was stuck in the Source Wall forever then Orion won't kill him.

To quote what Obi-Wan should have said: "I'd like to see this prophecy, please. In full. Sourced."

Stsword · Jan 29, 2021

Mr Zoat said:
To quote what Obi-Wan should have said: "I'd like to see this prophecy, please. In full. Sourced."

Fortunately for Darkseid there is one force more powerful than prophecy- dc editorial greed and cowardice.

Kirby intended for Darkseid to be the first against the wall when the glorious lowly revolution came, but that would have prevented DC from squeezing out every last penny.

So the prophecy was thwarted because DC wanted action figure money.

Pinklestia · Jan 30, 2021

Stsword said:
Fortunately for Darkseid there is one force more powerful than prophecy- dc editorial greed and cowardice.

Kirby intended for Darkseid to be the first against the wall when the glorious lowly revolution came, but that would have prevented DC from squeezing out every last penny.

So the prophecy was thwarted because DC wanted action figure money.

Yeah, that was sloppy as Hell, even the Doombot excuse would have been better that the whole Boss Dark Side thing. Either have Orion kill Darkseid or not, not have Darkseid killed by Orion only not cause he was reborn as a human!

Mr Zoat · Jan 30, 2021

9th July 2012
02:12 GMT

Kalmin lifts his facemask out of the way and steps back, his face a rictus of hate.

"I didn't want to believe it. Even of a man like Varnathon. Selling qwa weapons to aliens."

"Yes." Hinon breathes in and then out again. "I'm concerned for slightly more practical reasons. Ship-scale qwa-matter weapons would be extremely difficult for our current fleet to deal with."

"Weaponer Kalmin? Do you think that Varnathon would share the technology?"

"At the moment I would believe anything of that man. But I don't believe that the other Weaponers would tolerate it. Or if they did, that the Thunderers would. Though…"

I frown. "What?"

"I haven't been in contact with other Weaponers for a long time. I cut myself off when the weak-willed fools left me alive rather than kill me after casting me down. It's… Varnathon… Might have turned enough of them… Weakened them."

"Or killed them."

"No. If he couldn't even kill me, I doubt that he'd assassinate Weaponers in good standing. They'd stand their ground and fight back."

"Or perhaps that's why he'd kill them. You weren't a threat to him. They are."

"Then he is an alien wearing q'ardajin skin." He moves his mask to cover his face. "I will deal with the matter myself."

"I can't in good conscience-"

Hinon squints at me.

"-let you return to Qward on your own."

"You want me to go back with more aliens?"

"Qwardians have always been able to hire mercenaries. Many peoples aided the Anti-Monitor, even if q'ardajin history describes your people as being paramount among them. I've never asked you to make qwa-energy weapons for us-."

"If you had, you'd be dead."

"I've never asked you to make qwa-matter weapons for us, and the Reach is my enemy. And I suspect that Controller Hinon would be far happier if I made the q'ardajin my enemy as well."

"To put it mildly."

"Varnathon is not q'ardajin. He is merely Qwardian. As are any who follow him." He presses a couple of tools into the recovered weapon and detaches what I hope is the qwa-matter reservoir. "But I will tolerate you accompanying me."

"Thank you, Kalmin. I'll finish my current mission and then return here."

"Mn."

He picks up an analytical tool and takes a closer look at his former colleagues' work. I turn away and walk towards the exit. Kalmin has done his level best to make it impossible for me to reach the Honden from here, and while I suspect that I could power through his defences if I put enough effort in I don't really want to damage his equipment like that.

"This is interesting."

Hinon drifts along beside me, looking thoughtful.

"In what way do you find it interesting?"

"A potential q'ardajin civil war. Under the First Weaponlords there was always enough group cohesion that such a conflict never happened. Successful leaders bore enough respect that they could give orders and simply assume that they would be obeyed. And they were. The attempts of this 'Varnathon' to change their civilisation might be just what we need to cause it to break apart completely."

"Is that desirable?"

"With willing servants of the Anti-Monitor? Yes, definitely. With any luck they'll be reduced below replacement levels and in a handful of generations we will be able to write their species off entirely."

"When was the last time Kalmin dest-?"

"Oh no you don't. I can follow your reasoning perfectly well, and I'll tell you now…"

She increases her height slightly and glares at me.

"I'll consider the q'ardajin salvageable when Kalmin renounces the Anti-Monitor."

"If that is your condition, then I accept. Anything else?"

"You'll do it too, won't you."

She rolls her eyes as I smile, reducing her height and turning away.

"I'd like to meet your new acolyte. In the event that you succeed it might be helpful to have a 'before' and 'after'."

"Certainly, Controller."

A heartbeat

and then I'm standing next to Lantern Gozzi, who is watching the L.E.G.I.O.N. military police unit lead away the people we captured and load them into a prisoner transport.

"Ready for the next stop?"

"As ready as I can be without knowing what it is."

I flick a mote of orange into her ring.

"Dox is happy for us to tackle these in any order. Since you expressed a preference for variety, I thought that we'd deal with the Leentniar privateers next. Unless you have another preference?"

"It has been too long since my last combat mission. For a while after I transferred to Amalak's headquarters staff I periodically accompanied field teams, but I stopped after I realised that my presence was an unnecessary distraction."

"And it had nothing to do with the increased percentage of pirate recruits?"

"On the contrary." We rise off the moon, heading towards the system's edge. "Those groups assumed that I was 'Amalak's woman', and were unfailingly polite."

"I don't have a lot of experience with alien cultures. Is that sort of thing common?"

"Not wanting to offend members of your employer's family? Yes, most successful species have instinctive familial and tribal bonding. Thus, most individuals work out that insulting the in-groups of those in power over you is a sub-optimal strategy. Why do you ask?"

"My girlfriend joined the Darkstars on my recommendation. She's perfectly qualified, but I.. thought at the time that Director Jeddigar was a bit quick to accept the idea. Nepotism is officially frowned upon on Earth, and Jade certainly wouldn't want to get a position she didn't earn."

"I don't have enough data on the individuals involved to make a conclusion. In general, I would suspect that if you haven't involved yourself actively in her placements and she's been there a while, that it is unlikely that her association with you has amounted to anything more than a tie breaker."

I nod.

"Most recent ambush site first?"

She nods, and space bends as we leave the system.

Darko · Jan 30, 2021

Mr Zoat said:
"Is that desirable?"

Yes, yes it is.

Mr Zoat said:
"I'll consider the q'ardajin salvageable when Kalmin renounces the Anti-Monitor."

Good luck with that.

Mr Zoat said:
If that is your condition, then I accept. Anything else?"

Ahh Paul, changing people's outlook on the world, and so soon after Mars.

Mr Zoat said:
You'll do it too, won't you."

Probably.

Mr Zoat said:
On the contrary." We rise off the moon, heading towards the system's edge. "Those groups assumed that I was 'Amalak's woman', and were unfailingly polite."

Probably worried Amalak was going to make them walk the plank, or more accurately shoot them out of an air lock.

Really hope this thing with Kalmin will be what will get him to make a blue ring for Kori.

Or Paul can probably hire another q'ardajin to do the job.

inck · Jan 30, 2021

is paul gonna get more construct-lanterns?

he could ask mammon for a few of his most troublesome demons, or assimilate some evil space pirates or something. or even just get some more praexis demons?

and also, will we ever see teekl again? cause i miss teekl...
or will paul get another constuct-pet?

moralrelativity · Jan 30, 2021

Really enjoyed this chapter, seeing Kalmin and Hinon again. But especially, Paul accepting the herculean task of getting Kalmin to renounce the Anti-Monitor. I can't wait to see how he does it.

Handlewithcare · Jan 30, 2021

Qwuardian civil war! What could go wrong!

I mean, even worst case one or two semi-livable universes should be left, right?

...

Right?

...

Guys?

NightmareWarden · Jan 30, 2021

inck said:
and also, will we ever see teekl again? cause i miss teekl...
or will paul get another constuct-pet?

If you want my take: maybe, but probably not.
Construct minions are mighty and useful, especially once Paul has trained them up, but Paul isn't likely to convert any allies into constructs. If Paul assimilates someone and makes them into a primary asset when he's fighting or ~~handling chaos~~ crippling unwanted Order, then the ideal scenario is that he Wants him/her/it to be a construct.
You see the problem? Consider the person Paul wants Paul to be, to act like. And then figure out how owning a slave long-term lines up with that.

The best scenario I can come up with is that Orange Lanterns that die and are accepted into the Orange Power Battery (and Honden?) will be stuck as Orange Constructs 2.0- they'll have souls, so they can think beyond pure avarice, but they cannot be revived by any known means. In the meantime they are Orange Constructs who regularly hop into the rings of affable living Lanterns, hitching a ride onto their adventures and following orders at their discretion.

Buuuut there are a whole lot of ifs required to make that happen.

Chojin Patriarch · Jan 30, 2021

Mr Zoat said:
9th July 2012
02:12 GMT

Kalmin lifts his facemask out of the way and steps back, his face a rictus of hate.

Sounds like he got OL's message. And he clearly is not happy about it. I bet he's planning to choke a bitch...

"I didn't want to believe it. Even of a man like Varthanon. Selling qwa weapons to aliens."

"Yes." Hinon breathes in and then out again. "I'm concerned for slightly more practical reasons. Ship-scale qwa-matter weapons would be extremely difficult for our current fleet to deal with."

My goodness, that's a lot of anger. It's a good thing two seniors are there if he gives himself a heart attack... And the strategic and tactical implications aren't much better...

"Weaponer Kalmin? Do you think that Varthanon would share the technology?"

"At the moment I would believe anything of that man. But I don't believe that the other Weaponers would tolerate it. Or if they did, that the Thunderers would. Though…"

The people taking a very dim view of such heresies, I see. I wonder if it's possible it's been done very, very under the table...

I frown. "What?"

"I haven't been in contact with other Weaponers for a long time. I cut myself off when the weak-willed fools left me alive rather than kill me after casting me down. It's… Varthanon… Might have turned enough of them… Weakened them."

So, they might not have been as devout as Kalmin thinks they are... That's a bad thing for everyone...

"Or killed them."

"No. If he couldn't even kill me, I doubt that he'd assassinate Weaponers in good standing. They'd stand their ground and fight back."

Who says he's doing the killing? There are plenty of mercenaries to be found in both dimensions.

"Or perhaps that's why he'd kill them. You weren't a threat to him. They are."

"Then he is an alien wearing q'ardajin skin." He moves his mask to cover his face. "I will deal with the matter myself."

Now hold on a second, pilgrim. Don't you have a prior engagement?

"I can't in good conscience-"

Hinon squints at me.

"-let you return to Qward on your own."

Interesting byplay. I wonder what Hinon's thinking right now... Besides 'Why is he trying to help the apocalypse-worshipper?'

"You want me to go back with more aliens?"

"Qwardians have always been able to hire mercenaries. Many peoples aided the Anti-Monitor, even if q'ardajin history describes your people as being paramount among them. I've never asked you to make qwa-energy weapons for us-."

Yeah, that's be a blamming for heresy, right there.

"If you had, you'd be dead."

"I've never asked you to make qwa-matter weapons for us, and the Reach is my enemy. And I suspect that Controller Hinon would be far happier if I made the q'ardajin my enemy as well."

Yes, well, she remembers the Anti-Monitor's last little attempt to undo.. everything. Anything or anyone tied to that? Not on her nice list.

"To put it mildly."

"Varthanon is not q'ardajin. He is merely Qwardian. As are any who follow him." He presses a couple of tools into the recovered weapon and detaches what I hope is the qwa-matter reservoir. "But I will tolerate you accompanying me."

I'm sure OL will be happy to act as your spearcarrier and second. Because I just know this will end up involving duels. Lots and lots of duels.

"Thank you, Kalmin. I'll finish my current mission and then return here."

"Mn."

Yeah, I'm guessing he's not happy about having to wait. On the upside, it gives him lots of time to prepare his weapons.. or make new ones.

He picks up an analytical tool and takes a closer look at his former colleagues' work. I turn away and walk towards the exit. Kalmin has done his level best to make it impossible for me to reach the Honden from here, and while I suspect that I could power through his defences if I put enough effort in I don't really want to damage his equipment like that.

"This is interesting."

What, OL actually walking somewhere? Is that so unusual? He likes to put people at ease, and nothing counters that than floating above them.

Hinon drifts along beside me, looking thoughtful.

"In what way do you find it interesting?"

A chance for a Maltusian to mess with one of the Anti-Monitor's greatest allied factions?

"A potential q'ardajin civil war. Under the First Weaponlords there was always enough group cohesion that such a conflict never happened. Successful leaders bore enough respect that they could give orders and simply assume that they would be obeyed. And they were. The attempts of this 'Varthanon' to change their civilisation might be just what we need to cause it to break apart completely."

"Is that desirable?"

Again: Allies of the Anti-Monitor. In Hinon's mind, that's enough to justify anything... Which is worrying.

"With willing servants of the Anti-Monitor? Yes, definitely. With any luck they'll be reduced below replacement levels and in a handful of generations we will be able to write their species off entirely."

"When was the last time Kalmin dest-?"

"Oh no you don't. I can follow your reasoning perfectly well, and I'll tell you now…"

You may channel the orange light, OL, but she's saturated in it. Her species is practically designed to channel Spectrum energies...

She increases her height slightly and glares at me.

"I'll consider the q'ardajin salvageable when Kalmin renounces the Anti-Monitor."

Well, that won't take long. OL's on the case!

"If that is your condition, then I accept. Anything else?"

"You'll do it too, won't you."

Of course he will, he's got Protagonist Power.

She rolls her eyes as I smile, reducing her height and turning away.

"I'd like to meet your new acolyte. In the event that you succeed it might be helpful to have a 'before' and 'after'."

Which will have to wait until after this operation, I suspect. Bit of a flight from their location to Maltus, isn't it?

"Certainly, Controller."

A heartbeat

and then I'm standing next to Lantern Gozzi, who is watching the L.E.G.I.O.N. military police unit lead away the people we capture and load them into a prisoner transport.

Because of course being in charge lets you delegate the boring work.

"Ready for the next stop?"

"As ready as I can be without knowing what it is."

Hey, Orange Lanterns work best going in blind, letting their hearts lead the way.

I flick a mote of orange into her ring.

"Dox is happy for us to tackle these in any order. Since you expressed a preference for variety, I thought that we'd deal with the Leentniar privateers next. Unless you have another preference?"

Another original concept, I assume. Guessing they're raiding L.E.G.I.O.N ships exclusively...

"It has been too long since my last combat mission. For a while after I transferred to Amalak's headquarters staff I periodically accompanied field teams, but I stopped after I realised that my presence was an unnecessary distraction."

"And it had nothing to do with the increased percentage of pirate recruits?"

Suggesting impropriety on the recruits' part? Amalak would have had their reproductive organs removed...

"On the contrary." We rise off the moon, heading towards the system's edge. "Those groups assumed that I was 'Amalak's woman', and were unfailingly polite."

"I don't have a lot of experience with alien cultures. Is that sort of thing common?"

If it isn't, I doubt they'd have any friends before long...

"Not wanting to offend members of your employer's family? Yes, most successful species have instinctive familial and tribal bonding. Thus, most individuals work out that insulting the in-groups of those in power over you is a sub-optimal strategy. Why do you ask?"

"My girlfriend joined the Darkstars on my recommendation. She's perfectly qualified, but I.. thought at the time that Director Jeddigar was a bit quick to accept the idea. Nepotism is officially frowned upon on Earth, and Jade certainly wouldn't want to get a position she didn't earn."

Still feeling that niggling doubt, are we? It's like the worm in the apple, curled up in there nibbling away...

"I don't have enough data on the individuals involved to make a conclusion. In general, I would suspect that if you haven't involved yourself actively in her placements and she's been there a while, that it is unlikely that her association with you has amounted to anything more than a tie breaker."

I nod.

He has been hands off, hasn't he? I suppose she might have a few Darkstars around who think being friends with the mate of the Corps' Illustres might be good for their career... But I doubt she tolerates that kind of thing...

"Most recent ambush site first?"

She nods, and space bends as we leave the system.

On to the next sidequest!

Well, there's the likely plot of the next episode: Kalmin returning home to kick ass and take names.. So he can keep track of who needs to die. Meanwhile, time for OL to kick some privateer ass.

BlueMangoAdea · Jan 30, 2021

Kalmin should totally channel his anger and make a red ring.

Agent Orange · Jan 30, 2021

inck said:
will paul get another constuct-pet?

OLC need an animal mascot. The can't let the (currently nonexistent) BLC win with their corgi. Maybe it's time for Paul to assimilate a dog?

Darko · Jan 30, 2021

Chojin Patriarch said:
Interesting byplay. I wonder what Hinon's thinking right now... Besides 'Why is he trying to help the apocalypse-worshipper?'

One day she may learn that trying to understand Paul is a fruitless task.

Chojin Patriarch said:
Again: Allies of the Anti-Monitor. In Hinon's mind, that's enough to justify anything... Which is worrying.

To be fair they are practically a race of omnicidal maniacs that would work without hesitation for a being that wants to destroy everything.

Hell's Razer · Jan 30, 2021

Agent Orange said:
OLC need an animal mascot. The can't let the (currently nonexistent) BLC win with their corgi. Maybe it's time for Paul to assimilate a qwa-dog?

FTFY

Since he is going there and all...

BartlettMagic · Jan 30, 2021

NightmareWarden said:
The best scenario I can come up with is that Orange Lanterns that die and are accepted into the Orange Power Battery (and Honden?) will be stuck as Orange Constructs 2.0- they'll have souls, so they can think beyond pure avarice, but they cannot be revived by any known means. In the meantime they are Orange Constructs who regularly hop into the rings of affable living Lanterns, hitching a ride onto their adventures and following orders at their discretion

now that is a pretty fucking cool idea. the irony being that Paul wouldn't end up there, as he has already set up an afterlife with Hades. although with all of the work Paul's put into bolstering Hades' power and ensuring a long-term existence there, i'm curious if he would be able to look at that investment into Hades as a sunk cost and opt for Orange Light Afterlife. especially if he can merge with the Ophidian again after dying, and hopefully become the new Snake. and then... wind up in Gate universe?

also, Zoat... gimme some Lobo?

Mr Zoat · Jan 30, 2021

BartlettMagic said:
now that is a pretty fucking cool idea. the irony being that Paul wouldn't end up there, as he has already set up an afterlife with Hades. although with all of the work Paul's put into bolstering Hades' power and ensuring a long-term existence there, i'm curious if he would look at that investment into Hades a sunk cost and opt for Orange Light Afterlife. especially if he can merge with the Ophidian again after dying, and hopefully become the new Snake. and then... wind up in Gate universe?

also, Zoat... gimme some Lobo?

Okay...

Ngamer11 · Jan 30, 2021

Mr Zoat said:
Okay...

For real though, is there any chance of Paul ever deciding to hire Lobo for a job. As obnoxious as he is, he is good at being a bounty hunter/mercenary.

Mr Zoat · Jan 30, 2021

Ngamer11 said:
For real though, is there any chance of Paul ever deciding to hire Lobo for a job. As obnoxious as he is, he is good at being a bounty hunter/mercenary.

The problem with involving Lobo is that it involves involving Lobo.

Darko · Jan 30, 2021

Mr Zoat said:
The problem with involving Lobo is that it involves involving Lobo.

For some reason I'm reminded of this:

Ganurath · Jan 31, 2021

Mr Zoat said:
The problem with involving Lobo is that it involves involving Lobo.

His Season 2 appearance suggests that this setting's version of Lobo is sufficiently Lobo in the ways that make him useful, while not being too Lobo in the ways he's a liability.

Flightless Man · Jan 31, 2021

Ganurath said:
His Season 2 appearance suggests that this setting's version of Lobo is sufficiently Lobo in the ways that make him useful, while not being too Lobo in the ways he's a liability.

Least sexual Lobo I have ever seen. It feels like all his excess was removed. I want to know more/why he is different.

Mr Zoat · Jan 31, 2021

9th July 2012
02:27 GMT

In the vast expanse of space, even large ships are very small.

Small ships aren't all that much smaller, proportionally speaking. But wrecked civilian ships are… Depressing. Someone put a lot of work into building this at some point, and now it's just torn apart. I can see the cloud of ice crystals where the plumbing has been holed and exposed to the void, the ship's inner workings just as visible as the cargo hold and main drive. Bodies, too. Anyone close enough to the points of impact was fried or blasted apart, then exposed to vacuum. Anyone wanting to identify them would have to perform a genetic test. Further in, the bodies are more intact. They appear to have had enough time to seal their suits before the boarders shot them.

Oh. And it's just now occurring to me that I didn't check Krypton for bodies. And I'm not spiritually motivated this time; Amalak's situation has made me extremely aware of the necessity for preserving the genetic diversity of species that are nearing extinction.

"An interesting offensive use of spatial distortions. Not only does it bypass standard shield technologies but it also muddies their trail."

I settle for turning up my empathic vision and looking around-. There. It's not hard to find pirates. Privateers. Enemies.

"But you can track them anyway?"

"Certainly. The calculations aren't so complicated that I can't perform them. What I'm more curious about is how they stopped this ship in interstellar space."

I didn't pick up anything in the wreckage, but a ring can't show me things that aren't there.

"No clues?"

"I would guess that they were able to get ahead of their target and create a disruption which forced them to return to normal space. Ordinarily I would assume that they had advanced notification of their target's planned route, but the sheer volume of space would make a simple betrayal insufficient for their purposes." She shrugs. "It will be easier to interrogate them than to attempt to deduce it based on the available evidence."

I sigh, and she frowns curiously at me.

"You must have seen things like this before, surely."

"Have you ever seen an exploded planet?"

"No. Am I likely to?"

"Depends if you got to Rao or not."

"Rao? Krypton? I knew that it was destroyed, but I assumed that whatever did it was limited to the surface."

"No, the whole place went up. The core exploded, and huge amounts of the planet's mass got converted into radioactive crystal. It just.. occurred to me: I assumed that their records would have been completely destroyed, but it's not impossible that some record of Amalak's species survived. It's not likely, but I'll… Try and find time to check."

"I'm trying to calculate what could cause something like that. It would be very strange. And there's little point; the radiation would have destroyed any data storage unit on the planet that the explosion didn't."

"Unless they had a backup off the planet." I shrug. "It's not very likely, but there are only so many possibilities. How do you want to handle this?"

"Our best information is that the privateers aren't advanced enough to stop even one Lantern. I would surmise that the Reach intend to spread the war as widely as possible, since they have demonstrably failed to stop Lanterns by force."

"Logical enough. Though I think it's more that they've manoeuvred themselves into a corner."

"How so?"

"The Reach don't have allies. They have thralls, slaves and puppets. Who exactly could they get help from?"

"Qward."

"They can buy stuff from Qward. I could probably buy stuff from Emana, that doesn't make us allies."

"Our records on Qward make it clear that this behaviour is out of character for them. You encountered an elite qwardian warrior during the initial negotiations which led to the founding of L.E.G.I.O.N.. It may be that Varnathon has a genuine alliance in mind, and is prepared to take such a risk. He was after all prepared to leave Kalmin alive, which must have involved a certain amount of risk."

"Or he's planning to conquer the Reach from within." I shake my head. "If a Thunderer throws a qwa-bolt at my head you can say that you warned me."

"That doesn't sound productive. If they do, you'll already know. And I think I will take the lead. I'm concerned that my time away from the front line has dulled my reactions. A few years ago I wouldn't have been hit by that neural impacter. But… You saw him, didn't you?"

"I saw hostile intent. The gun was a surprise to me as well."

"And you didn't warn me?"

I shrug. "Your construct armour looked solid enough to me. Are you aware that you can set your ring to move you out of the way of an attack as soon as an attack is detected, without needing a conscious decision from you?"

"Yes, but I'm Coluan."

"You're a Coluan who got shot."

"I can think faster than any-. I can't think faster than a Maltusian AI, can I?"

"I would be surprised. And impressed."

"Follow me."

The stars ripple as she bends space, then she's gone. I give her a moment or two to arrive, then

appear

next to her.

There isn't a base so much as a larger ship with four smaller ones attached limpet style to its hull. Not that unusual a configuration; the larger ship is probably the only one with a faster than light drive, while the others are designed more for agility and sublight speed.

"Attention raiders. This is Lantern Gozzi of the Orange Lantern Corps. Surrender now. This is your only warning."

Construct armour and shield for me, but Lantern Gozzi appears to simply be masking her energy emissions instead. We're far enough away that that's a reasonable response; space is vast, and their guns don't look like the sort to be able to affect a wide enough area to hit us that way.

Ah, yeah, yeah, they're looking, and the generators on the parasite craft are increasing their output. Looks like they're going to try and fight…

I narrow my eyes and try to spot the familiar outline of Reach neural programming. No, but they're all reasonably committed. If the captain says fight, then a fight's going to happen. I might be able to repeat what I did last time and talk the rest of the crew into shooting their commander, but I'm content to let Lantern Gozzi handle this.

She handles it by surging forward, a construct breaching charge blasting a hole in the mother ship's hull to allow her access. I drift in that direction, using her ring to monitor her progress as she engages the crew directly, their weapons failing to penetrate her personal shield as her construct sidearm finds their vital organs. She's already made it to their bridge as I get on board, the few crew who were trying to attack her from behind throwing down their arms as they see me.

"Illustres. Bridge secure. But their database suggests that we may have another problem."

moralrelativity · Jan 31, 2021

Mr Zoat said:
But their database suggest that

suggest -> suggests

Flightless Man · Jan 31, 2021

Mr Zoat said:
"Illustres. Bridge secure. But their database suggest that we may have another problem."

I'm kind of expecting Eradicator based on the Krypton discussion.
And I feel like Superboy Prime version of Paul will be the next Multiversal big bad.

Ngamer11 · Jan 31, 2021

Mr Zoat, since Gozzi will be Paul's apprentice, will she be following him for the next few episodes? She would be an interesting choice, and her cold logic will be a good foil to Paul's unique mindset.

RichardWhereat · Jan 31, 2021

What species is Amalak again?

Darko · Jan 31, 2021

Mr Zoat said:
Amalak's situation has made me extremely aware of the necessity for preserving the genetic diversity of species that are nearing extinction.

Seriously, maybe the Maltusians can help with that.

And there's always the option of making more Kryptonians like renegade is doing, or releasing the criminals from the Phantom Zone whose sentence is over.

Mr Zoat said:
No. Am I likely to?"

In your new line of work?

Yes.

Mr Zoat said:
but it's not impossible that some record of Amalak's species survived. It's not likely, but I'll… Try and find time to check."

Good thinking.

Mr Zoat said:
And there's little point; the radiation would have destroyed any data storage unit on the planet that the explosion didn't."

It is possible that something could have survived.

Kryptonians are, or were, very advanced.

Mr Zoat said:
I'm trying to calculate what could cause something like that. It would be very strange

Well it could have been Brainiac, Zod and his war plans, a lunatic trying to stop what he sees as a threat, or the God of said species putting them on an unstable rock because a really depressing person told him to.

Mr Zoat said:
That doesn't sound productive. If they do, you'll already know.

She's so logical.

Mr Zoat said:
She handles it by surging forward, a construct breaching charge blasting a hole in the mother ship's hull to allow her access. I drift in that direction, using her ring to monitor her progress as she engages the crew directly, their weapons failing to penetrate her personal shield as her construct sidearm finds their vital organs. She's already made it to their bridge as I set on board, the few crew who were trying to attack her from behind throwing down their arms as they see me.

Not bad for a newbie.

Flightless Man said:
I'm kind of expecting Eradicator based on the Krypton discussion.
And I feel like Superboy Prime version of Paul will be the next Multiversal big bad.

Technically all versions of Paul are like Superboy Prime, in that their from a universe where the comics are made and are sent to the DC universe.

Chojin Patriarch · Jan 31, 2021

Mr Zoat said:
9th July 2012
02:27 GMT

In the vast expanse of space, even large ships are very small.

Okay, let's not start quoting the opening of the Hitchhiker's guide to the Galaxy, please?

I know, the opening is right there... Do please control yourselves...

Small ships aren't all that much smaller, proportionally speaking. But wrecked civilian ships are… Depressing. Someone put a lot of work into building this at some point, and now it's just torn apart. I can see the cloud of ice crystals where the plumbing has been holed and exposed to the void, the ships inner workings just as visible as the cargo hold and main drive. Bodies, too. Anyone close enough to the points of impact was fried or blasted apart, then exposed to vacuum. Anyone wanting to identify them would have to perform a genetic test. Further in, the bodies are more intact. They appear to have had enough time to seal their suits before the borders shot them.

Clearly not interested in prisoners for ransom, then. Probably easier to raid their stores and systems without a crew to defend it... Or they were just assholes.

Oh. And it's just now occurring to me that I didn't check Krypton for bodies. And I'm not spiritually motivated this time; Amalak's situation has made me extremely aware of the necessity for preserving the genetic diversity of species that are nearing extinction.

"An interesting offensive use of spatial distortions. Not only does it bypass standard shield technologies but it also muddies their trail."

Oh, now you think of that? Too bad, the station the Renegade picked up has probably fallen into the sun or something by now...

I settle for turning up my empathic vision and looking around-. There. It's not hard to find pirates. Privateers. Enemies.

"But you can track them anyway?"

Hardly a challenge for a Coluan, after all.

"Certainly. The calculations aren't so complicated that I can't perform them. What I'm more curious about is how they stopped this ship in interstellar space."

I didn't pick up anything in the wreckage, but a ring can't show me things that aren't there.

In other words, there's no trace of whatever caused them to stop here. Could have been a fake distress beacon, could have been a gravitational interdiction field. Who knows?

"No clues?"

"I would guess that they were able to get ahead of their target and create a disruption which forced them to return to normal space. Ordinarily I would assume that they had advanced notification of their target's planned route, but the sheer volume of space would make a simple betrayal insufficient for their purposes." She shrugs. "It will be easier to interrogate them than to attempt to deduce it based on the available evidence."

So, time to go track down the gits. Easy peasy.

I sigh, and she frowns curiously at me.

"You must have seen things like this before, surely."

Two years experience, remember? And a lot of that as on Earth - no space travel.

"Have you ever seen an exploded planet?"

"No. Am I likely to?"

"Depends if you got to Rao or not."

It would be quite the tourist destination, if not for the shattered planet... And the radiation... and Rao knows how many killer AI defence stations lurking...

"Rao? Krypton? I knew that it was destroyed, but I assumed that whatever did it was limited to the surface."

"No, the whole place went up. The core exploded, and huge amounts of the planet's mass got converted into radioactive crystal. It just.. occurred to me; I assumed that their records would have been completely destroyed, but it's not impossible that some record of Amalak's species survived. It's not likely, but I'll… Try and find time to check."

And perhaps find a certain lunar station and its' resident memory engram?

"I'm trying to calculate what could cause something like that. It would be very strange. And there's little point; the radiation would have destroyed any data storage unit on the planet that the explosion didn't."

"Unless they had a backup off the planet." I shrug. "It's not very likely, but there are only so many possibilities. How do you want to handle this?"

To be fair, whatever blew up Krypton was weird. Enough force to shatter a planet, but not destroy the chunks entirely, nor the little starships carrying the last of the Els...

"Our best information is that the privateers aren't advanced enough to stop even one Lantern. I would surmise that the Reach intend to spread the war as widely as possible, since they have demonstrably failed to stop Lanterns by force."

"Logical enough. Though I think it's more that they've manoeuvred themselves into a corner."

Operate on too wide a front for the NEMO command to manage? Possible but it stretches their own forces thin as well...

"How so?"

"The Reach don't have allies. They have thralls, slaves and puppets. Who exactly could they get help from?"

Like I've said, anyone who isn't an actual Reach citizen is an asset to be used, exploited and eventually disposed of. It's a pity so few of the races they trick don't catch on until it's too late.

"Qward."

"They can buy stuff from Qward. I could probably buy stuff from Emana, that doesn't make us allies."

Of course, Kalmin will be sorting that out soon enough...

"Our records on Qward make it clear that this behaviour is out of character for them. You encountered an elite qwardian warrior during the initial negotiations which led to the founding of L.E.G.I.O.N.. It may be that Varthanon has a genuine alliance in mind, and is prepared to take such a risk. He was after all prepared to leave Kalmin alive, which must have involved a certain amount of risk."

"Or he's planning to conquer the Reach from within." I shake my head. "If a Thunderer throws a qwa-bolt at my head you can say that you warned me."

I honestly doubt this Varthanon is wily enough to play so long a game. But we'll see soon enough, no doubt.

"That doesn't sound productive. If they do, you'll already know. And I think I will take the lead. I'm concerned that my time away from the front line has dulled my reactions. A few years ago I wouldn't have been hit by that neural impacter. But… You saw him, didn't you?"

"I saw hostile intent. The gun was a surprise to me as well."

Of course, OL isn't so foolish as to not wear the heaviest armour he can get away with... What's Lantern Gozzi wearing again? Basic field gear AKA the leather onesie?

"And you didn't warn me?"

I shrug. "Your construct armour looked solid enough to me. Are you aware that you can set your ring to move you out of the way of an attack as soon as an attack is detected, without needing a conscious decision from you?"

Would she accept that lack of direct control?

"Yes, but I'm Coluan."

"You're a Coluan who got shot."

"I can think faster than any-. I can't think faster than a Maltusian AI, can I?"

See, this is why the Computer Tyrants got one over on the Coluans. Meat can't work as fast as metal or crystal.

"I would be surprised. And impressed."

"Follow me."

Think she's getting a little annoyed?

The stars ripple as she bends space, then she's gone. I give her a moment or two to arrive, then

appear

next to her.

Heh. Looks like the privateers didn't go too far, it seems. Far in interplanetary terms, at least...

There isn't a base so much as a larger ship with four smaller ones attached limpet style to its hull. Not that unusual a configuration; the larger ship is probably the only one with a faster than light drive, while the others are designed more for agility and sublight speed.

"Attention raiders. This is Lantern Gozzi of the Orange Lantern Corps. Surrender now. This is your only warning."

No need for subtlety here, I see. Hopefully she's got the sense to avoid the firing lines of any of their heavier weapons.

Construct armour and shield for me, but Lantern Gozzi appears to simply be masking her energy emissions instead. We're far enough away that that's a reasonable response; space is vast, and their guns don't look like the sort to be able to affect a wide enough area to hit us that way.

Ah, yeah, yeah, they're looking, and the generators on the parasite craft are increasing their output. Looks like they're going to try and fight…

This will be quick. Five precise shots and they get a taste of their own medicine.

I narrow my eyes and try to spot the familiar outline of Reach neural programming. No, but they're all reasonably committed. If the captain says fight, then a fight's going to happen. I might be able to repeat what I did last time and talk the rest of the crew into shooting their commander, but I'm content to let Lantern Gozzi handle this.

So, what approach shall she take? Diplomacy? Precise disabling shots? Or...

She handles it by surging forward, a construct breaching charge blasting a hole in the mother ship's hull to allow her access. I drift in that direction, using her ring to monitor her progress as she engages the crew directly, their weapons failing to penetrate her personal shield as her construct sidearm finds their vital organs. She's already made it to their bridge as I set on board, the few crew who were trying to attack her from behind throwing down their arms as they see me.

"Illustres. Bridge secure. But their database suggest that we may have another problem."

...The sledgehammer method, eh? Well, they really were outclassed, weren't they? She could probably use the win after her showing in the last system... Sure, she's not showing it, but she must feel something over having been less useful out there.

Guess we'll see what the privateers have to say for themselves tomorrow, as well as what Lantern Gozzi found in their systems. Any guesses, folks? I'm betting something related to how they stopped the ship they killed...

...before the borders shot them.

...before the boarders shot them.

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