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

Veganism (part 19)
1st September 2012
15:56 GMT


"But why did he leave?" **Come Over to the Winning Team.**

The nearby gordanians of what turns out to be called the Endless Conquest clan switch from 'caution-intruder' to 'caution-boss' mode, making gestures of respect and deference to me before returning to carting materials to repair the smashed up transport bay down the corridor.

"He believes that you are dead and that I am therefore weakened. But I got a solid hit on him before he left and our god powers mostly relate to strategic manipulation. Which means that even if my metaphysique was weakened due to losing you-"

I take a quick look around and confirm that no one is looking. Then I pick Lynne up and hug her to my chest.

"-I could still kill him by conventional means and then rest and recover. I love you."

"I love you too Daddy, but you should put me down."

"Bah, who's the god-king here?" I've got a rough idea of the ship's likely layout, but Grayven's lingering presence is preventing me from commanding it and I can hardly ask the crew.

"You're more like a god-president, like they have in Europe where the president is just supposed to make sure that no one's being too stupid while the prime minister runs the government."

"Apt." I put her down, smiling fondly. "Does this mean that you want to get involved in the family business when you graduate?"

"I don't think I could do anything else."

"Oh? Do I have to punch my father in the soul again?"

"My god powers let me make sense of groups of people without trying to read all their minds. What other jobs let me use that?"

"Anything in management. Retail. Local government. State government. Federal government."

"I thought American government was all about preventing anyone having too much power."

"Yes, but the US Constitution was written before telepathy and magic were well understood. I'm fairly sure that you could bypass checks and balances even without my help. Ah, or help them adapt to that oversight as an unelected advisor."

"Hm."

Ping.

Yes, but he'll almost certainly have remodelled a bit. Those ships were designed to be run by Lowlies and multiple New Gods, not one New God and a multitude of aliens. He would have had to make the design more rational.

Ping.

It's what I'd have done. Those old ships were a bit of a mess if you forgot that they were built on the assumption that the people on board were supernaturally good at certain things and so didn't need certain systems. I try reaching out-.
Not Authorised in My Domain.
"Shouldn't we have run into someone important by now?"

"Someone with decision making power will be on the bridge. But gordanian military leaders will be on other ships, and civilian leaders will be wherever he's keeping their civilian population. Probably habitation ships, mining vessels…"

"What about senior officers?"

"Who's the fourth highest ranking Orange Lantern?"

"Ah…"

"It goes me, Dox, Komand'r, and then..?"

"I don't think you told me about anyone else."

"Because the three of us are the only ones with command authority. Primitive militaries need complex hierarchies of authority to get anything done. I'm a New God and Dox is an organic computer. Grayven might have non-commissioned officers and clan officers and officials…"

"But they're not important to him, because he instinctively knows who the best person for the job is and so does everyone else because they're under his power. Which works fine until he dies and there's no one to take-." She frowns. "So he should have killed you and taken control of me, because then I'd be a loyal second in command who could carry on his work. Why didn't he?"

"He didn't know about you, you're a bit of a handful, and he doesn't really care about what he's building. It's part of him, not a thing in itself. If your head gets cut off, it doesn't really matter what shape your feet are in."

"But aren't both of you the same?"

"He didn't have my second life. He went straight from Apokolips to this, while I got the advantage of a normal life. For a few decades."

"What if you didn't?"

"I'd probably have ended up the same."

"No, I mean… What if you didn't escape? What if he did something and made you just appear on the other Earth?"

I carefully avoid thinking anything about that.

"Or maybe he's the pretender. Humans can't be the only species who can be Awakened. If he made himself look like you and then got Awakened, he could pretend he was you." She looks up at me. "Would that work?"

"It m-. Oh look, a door!" I take Mother Box off my harness and tap her against the control panel. "Let's see if we can find a map or something."

The door splits, sliding left and right into the walls. And it's another launch bay, because of course those would all be in the same part of the ship. Given that we're against the hull here I could blast my way out… Maybe. But I don't want to give Grayven a reason to prioritise me, or attract undue attention.

"Navigation computers." I send beams of orange light into the waiting craft, ignoring the confusion of the gordanians preparing the landing craft. "They'll have to have our location loaded on them. I don't suppose that these fellows know where we are, do they?"

Lynne's eyes shimmer for a moment, and the gordanians go back to their work. **Above Your Concerns.**

"No. The other Grayven had good operational security."

Ah! Snagged one. And…

Ping.

An outside line! How nice. Call Duke Oswin and get me our current location.

Call in progress. Location not found. Local navigation data located. Extrapolating.

Oddly.. industrial. There isn't anywhere in Vega like-.

"Kranaltine. He's attacking Kranaltine. But without his direct aid we'll butcher his fleet, that doesn't make sense."

Someone on Oswin's end sends an acknowledgement.

"Grayven! Good to hear from you."

"Oswin! I'm chasing down Other Grayven. How are you managing?"

"Going well until a minute ago, when stars and planets started flying at each other. Any idea what's going on there?"

"Orrery. Oswin, is there anything on Kranaltine called 'The Orrery'?"

"Yes, there are display pieces in various museums. Is this really the time for sight-seeing?"

"Grayven's here with a dreadnought, and from the lack of shaking I don't think you have a home defence fleet any more. I'll get him, but he's here for something called 'The Orrery'. Where were your people's first settlements?"

"The-. The northern continent, around the coast."

"We'll try there. Grayven out."
 
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I take a quick look around and confirm that no one is looking. Then I pick Lynne up and hug her to my chest.

Embarrassed to have people see you showing affection.

Do have I to punch my father in the soul again?"

'Do I have'

My god powers let me make sense of groups of people without trying to read all their minds. What other jobs let me use that?"

"Anything in management. Retail. Local government. State government. Federal government."

And potentially entertainment.

There was this issue in Astro City where an empath used his powers to read the emotions of groups and figure out what music they'd like the best, so he became a successful DJ.

Yes, but the US Constitution was written before telepathy and magic were well understood

Or even accepted.

that they were build on

'built'

But aren't both of you the same?"

"He didn't have my second life

And you didn't have his first life.

"Or maybe he's the pretender. Humans can't be the only species who can be Awakened. If he made himself look like you and then got Awakened, he could pretend he was you." She looks up at me. "Would that work

Renegade is a living example that it can work.

"It m-. Oh look, a door!" I take Mother Box off my harness and tap her against the control panel. "Let's see if we can find a map or something."

Really committed to the lie.

don't want give Grayven a

'to give'

he's here for something called 'The Orrery

I think he already has it.
 
1st September 2012
15:56 GMT


"But why did he leave?" **Come Over to the Winning Team.**

The nearby gordanians of what turns out to be called the Endless Conquest clan switch from 'caution-intruder' to 'caution-boss' mode, making gestures of respect and deference to me before returning to carting materials to repair the smashed up transport bay down the corridor.
And around Grayven-16, it was presumably a good idea to be cautious... At any rate, infiltration gets so much easier then you have ludicrously powerful mind-control on tap, eh? Saves on making a clipboard and hard-hat. :D

"He believes that you are dead and that I am therefore weakened. But I got a solid hit on him before he left and our god powers mostly relate to strategic manipulation. Which means that even if my metaphysique was weakened due to losing you-"

I take a quick look around and confirm that no one is looking. Then I pick Lynne up and hug her to my chest.
Yeah, I foresee him keeping her close at hand for the next few days, after that close call.

"-I could still kill him by conventional means and then rest and recover. I love you."

"I love you too Daddy, but you should put me down."
After all, you're embarrassing her in front of the nominally hostile lizard people. She is still a preteen, after all.

"Bah, who's the god-king here?" I've got a rough idea of the ship's likely layout, but Grayven's lingering presence is preventing me from commanding it and I can hardly ask the crew.

"You're more like a god-president, like they have in Europe where the president is just supposed to make sure that no one's being too stupid while the prime minister runs the government."
...Yeah, that about sums up the Renegade's approach to leadership. "Don't be stupid, don't be evil, and don't make me come over there."

"Apt." I put her down, smiling fondly. "Does this mean that you want to get involved in the family business when you graduate?"

"I don't think I could do anything else."
And you do kind of need a successor, even if you don't plan on dying anytime soon.

"Oh? Do have I to punch my father in the soul again?"

"My god powers let me make sense of groups of people without trying to read all their minds. What other jobs let me use that?"
To be fair, he'd probably feel a punch there more than anywhere else on his body. Yay for Venombuster durability reinforced by New Godhood.

"Anything in management. Retail. Local government. State government. Federal government."

"I thought American government was all about preventing anyone having too much power."
...yeah, not gonna say anything, that'd be far too close to Rule 8...

"Yes, but the US Constitution was written before telepathy and magic were well understood. I'm fairly sure that you could bypass checks and balances even without my help. Ah, or help them adapt to that oversight as an unelected advisor."

"Hm."
And charge quite a pretty penny for it, given the budgets involved.

Ping.

Yes, but he'll almost certainly have remodelled a bit. Those ships were designed to be run by Lowlies and multiple New Gods, not one New God and a multitude of aliens. He would have had to make the design more rational.
So, installing actual control stations instead of magical psychic terminals, for example...

Ping.

It's what I'd have done. Those old ships were a bit of a mess if you forgot that they were build on the assumption that the people on board were supernaturally good at certain things and so didn't need certain systems. I try reaching out-.
Not Authorised in My Domain.
Yeah, not a smart idea, Renegade. You haven't really Conquered this ship, after all. Also, that's a sweet video.

"Shouldn't we have run into someone important by now?"

"Someone with decision making power will be on the bridge. But gordanian military leaders will be on other ships, and civilian leaders will be wherever he's keeping their civilian population. Probably habitation ships, mining vessels…"
Presumably, a troop transport is well down the list of noteworthy vessel in the fleet.

"What about senior officers?"

"Who's the fourth highest ranking Orange Lantern?"
No-one of importance, of course.

"Ah…"

"It goes me, Dox, Komand'r, and then..?"
To be fair, if all three of you are out of action, I suspect things are so bad off that fourth in line is whoever's left alive...

"I don't think you told me about anyone else."

"Because the three of us are the only ones with command authority. Primitive militaries need complex hierarchies of authority to get anything done. I'm a New God and Dox is an organic computer. Grayven might have non-commissioned officers and clan officers and officials…"
Not that he'd trust them with any real power any further than he could spit them (since he's super-strong, throwing them would be too easy, after all.)

"But they're not important to him, because he instinctively knows who the best person for the job is and so does everyone else because they're under his power. Which works fine until he dies and there's no one to take-." She frowns. "So he should have killed you and taken control of me, because then I'd be a loyal second in command who could carry on his work. Why didn't he?"

"He didn't know about you, you're a bit of a handful, and he doesn't really care about what he's building. It's part of him, not a thing in itself. If your head gets cut off, it doesn't really matter what shape your feet are in."
Basically, his Ego got in the way. It's all about him, after all.

"But aren't both of you the same?"

"He didn't have my second life. He went straight from Apokolips to this, while I got the advantage of a normal life. For a few decades."
Ah, still trying to hold to the lie. Not unreasonable, given they're deep in Grayven's territory, and he could probably be watching them, if he could be bothered.

"What if you didn't?"

"I'd probably have ended up the same."

"No, I mean… What if you didn't escape? What if he did something and made you just appear on the other Earth?"
Let's not overcomplicate things here. You really think Mr 'All shall bow before my Ego and worship' could be that crafty?

I carefully avoid thinking anything about that.

"Or maybe he's the pretender. Humans can't be the only species who can be Awakened. If he made himself look like you and then got Awakened, he could pretend he was you." She looks up at me. "Would that work?"
As awkward questions go, that probably ranks up alongside 'where did I come from?' from a normal child... Not that Lynne needs to ask that. She's probably well aware of it, given her telepathic talents and proper education.

"It m-. Oh look, a door!" I take Mother Box off my harness and tap her against the control panel. "Let's see if we can find a map or something."

The door splits, sliding left and right into the walls. And it's another launch bay, because of course those would all be in the same part of the ship. Given that we're against the hull here I could blast my way out… Maybe. But I don't want give Grayven a reason to prioritise me, or attract undue attention.
Not exactly a natural 20 on your Dodge roll there, Renegade.

"Navigation computers." I send beams of orange light into the waiting craft, ignoring the confusion of the gordanians preparing the landing craft. "They'll have to have our location loaded on them. I don't suppose that these fellows know where we are, do they?"

Lynne's eyes shimmer for a moment, and the gordanians go back to their work. **Above Your Concerns.**
Doubt you'd be that lucky. I expect they'll be given destinations once they exit the ship and are safely through their Boom Tubes (assuming they'll be deployed that way.)

"No. The other Grayven had good operational security."

Ah! Snagged one. And…
And they're probably well aware that asking questions is a good way to get themselves tortured to death. So naturally they avoid being curious.

Ping.

An outside line! How nice. Call Duke Oswin and get me our current location.
Since he's been out of contact for easily an hour. Definitely be in need of updated strategic intel.

Call in progress. Location not found. Local navigation data located. Extrapolating.

Oddly.. industrial. There isn't anywhere in Vega like-.

"Kranaltine. He's attacking Kranaltine. But without his direct aid we'll butcher his fleet, that doesn't make sense."
Either he intends to turn up at a dramatically appropriate moment, or they're a distraction.

Someone on Oswin's end sends an acknowledgement.

"Grayven! Good to hear from you."

"Oswin! I'm chasing down Other Grayven. How are you managing?"
Surprisingly cheerful for the middle of an invasion, aren't they? That British stiff upper lip and all that...

"Going well until a minute ago, when stars and planets started flying at each other. Any idea what's going on there?"

"Orrery. Oswin, is there anything on Kranaltine called 'The Orrery'?"
...Are you being literal right now, Oswin? Because the conjunction of 'moving planets' and an 'Orrery' is not painting a good picture of Grayven's plans.

"Yes, there are display pieces in various museums. Is this really the time for sight-seeing?"

"Grayven's here with a dreadnought, and from the lack of shaking I don't think you have a home defence fleet any more. I'll get him, but he's here for something called 'The Orrery'. Where were your people's first settlements?"
And thus, the likeliest location of some ancient magical artifact? Oh, this bode ill...

"The-. The northern continent, around the coast."

"We'll try there. Grayven out."
Well, looks like things are going well...

Oh, dear. Oh, dear. Even if Grayven isn't looking to turn Vega into a mobile battleship like that, anything named simply 'The Orrery', capital letters included, can't be good. Let's hope that the Renegade can head him off at the pass and prevent him from going full ham on this... At least the Renegade will have some measure of surprise in their next encounter.
 
Not Authorised in My Domain.
:eek:
As someone who usually reads QQ on their phone, I am used to avoiding orange text because of links. Reading an orange lantern story makes this slightly more of an exersize
but now invisilinks.

Mr Zoat you truely have become Apokolyptan.:p

Edit:Cool video though
 
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I'm a bit surprised Grayven doesn't have a Fatherbox, actually. Though I suppose he wouldn't want something ultimately loyal to Darkseid over him.

Where's the mind-controlling Left Eye of Zoltec? Does Lynne or Renegade also have it? I think I remember Willoughby using it but not sure about that.

Renegade is the one thinking about using the waters of Lethe on Astarte, but I'm wondering if the water can be weaponized to disorient or neutralize foes, even in space where there's no background magic field (the Eye of Zoltec and the Lasso seem to work fine). Paragon could theoretically get a bunch thanks to his positive relationship with Hades. Maybe it could help mess up Scarabs so they get de-programmed from self-destructing and can be captured and studied. I wonder if it would work on Darkseid.
 
"My god powers let me make sense of groups of people without trying to read all their minds. What other jobs let me use that?"
BECOME THE GREATEST MOST POWERFUL STREAMER/YOUTUBER IN THE UNIVERSE!

Speaking of which,
New god of Tyranny > New go of Conquest > New god(ess) of Management?
 
BECOME THE GREATEST MOST POWERFUL STREAMER/YOUTUBER IN THE UNIVERSE!
Fanfiction Author? Jus sayin'
Noone in particulair in mind.
Mr.Zoat

DEATH TO THE MIDGET COMPUTERS!
And to that i say.

A masksed man stands on a rocky outcrop.
His cape caught by the wind, he draws his sword and levels it at his enemy.

"To the fight, My Friends"!FOR GREAT JUSTICE!

As a thousand smartphones swarm over a lone titan.

"What you lack in size, you make up in numbers."
#ALL YOUR BASE ARE BELONG TO US#

Until all that can be seen of this great evil is a single hand reaching towards the heavens

We shall crush him with the weight of our dead!
#Wait, what#

For in the gallant heros' other hand,
a remote, and in its center a comically oversized red button. &LITHIUM-ION DESTRUCT&
As their batteries combust in a thousand tiny explosions#Somebody set up us the bomb#

But seriously, just doing the formating for this was a pain in the arse.DEATH TO MIDGET COMPUTERS
I've seen authors who post all the time from their phonesKill this insanity before it spreads
 
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Can any orange power ring user learn to consume magic (within a practical amount of time) or do you have to be enlightened? Because it seems like a useful ability against enemy New Gods, and Renegade should experiment more with using his rings in conjunction with his metaphysical abilities, like when he bypassed (or destroyed, I forget which) scry wards.
 
Can any orange power ring user learn to consume magic (within a practical amount of time) or do you have to be enlightened? Because it seems like a useful ability against enemy New Gods, and Renegade should experiment more with using his rings in conjunction with his metaphysical abilities, like when he bypassed (or destroyed, I forget which) scry wards.
I don't think you need to be enlightened, but isn't an instinctive ability of the ring.
 
But seriously, just doing the formating for this was a pain in the arse.DEATH TO MIDGET COMPUTERS
I've seen authors who post all the time from their phonesKill this insanity before it spreads
Yes. One of them was E.L. James. I think we should all learn from her example and BURN THE ACCURSED THINGS.
 
Yes. One of them was E.L. James. I think we should all learn from her example and BURN THE ACCURSED THINGS.
Yeah, was going to Zoat it up with the emotional spectrum all pretty like, death to midget computers then i realised that ive got another cheeky omake/reply death to midget computers to another author open in another tab on my phone unposted and I was like "for fu-DEATH TO MIDGET COMPUTERS -sake."

Wait what?

so my attack of the midget machines just has godspeak.

on an entirely unrelated note i just saw a story on samsung's gameboy sp next phone.
You may have won me over Mr.Zoat
 
The second one is me missing a letter, and it you'll let me know where you found it then I'll correct it. As for the first... Um, Google harder?
I Googled hard enough to see that it's spelled both ways on that very page! That's exactly why I'm unsure if there's more to it. Is one a misspelling, or are they different planets with similar names? Is the wiki there just wrong? Was it used both ways in the comic?

But as for where you've used it yourself in the past:
"We have a… Message incoming. Someone… Probably from the fleet, they sent a message to Central Office on Karaltine."
"Since yesterday. We relieved the Branx of their shipyards and asteroid mining facilities. It will take a while to bring them up to full speed, but Tamaran currently has the largest shipyards in the region. Not-" I tilt my glass his way. "-quite so large as those of Karaltine, of course. But there's always room to expand."
I am prepared to accept Karaltine aspirants in my capacity as head of the Corps.
I.. would probably have sought to tie you down to a date before New Year, Karaltine time.
 
I Googled hard enough to see that it's spelled both ways on that very page! That's exactly why I'm unsure if there's more to it. Is one a misspelling, or are they different planets with similar names? Is the wiki there just wrong? Was it used both ways in the comic?

But as for where you've used it yourself in the past:
Weird. Thank you, corrected.
 
Found 22 old errors for Tamaranean.
That's something I'm going to have to get used to. Tamaranians tend to be direct, and with my Lanterns still being so new to the role I'm fielding a great many questions.

"Tamaranian monarchs designate their heirs. Since I was… Damaged, I never thought that I could become queen. I assumed that in the fullness of time the throne would go to Koriand'r or Ryand'r."

The Orange Lantern Corps is not part of the Tamaranian government

"The Guardians don't use orange power rings because they tend to have a deleterious effect on the minds of their users. I suffered from it on more than one occasion prior to my apotheosis, and once the current wave of hostilities is over I'm going to have to sort out a testing regimen for my Tamaranian Lanterns. Fortunately for me, so far as I can tell the Tamaranian attitude of personal openness works to minimise the effects. Your culture is different, more staid, more controlled. The orange light will most likely create greater changes and lead to more instances of… Regrettable lapses in judgement. While I will test Karaltinian applicants to the same standards as Tamaranians, I would expect a greater proportion to fail. Please understand that that won't be because I think the individuals concerned are bad people or spiritually weak. They just won't be right for the role."

"Tamaranians traditionally don't wear-" I generate a construct image of a Tamaranian street largely occupied by men in pants and boots. "-much, but I prefer a more relaxed dress code and no one's said anything. Though…" I reach into a pouch and pull out an orange power ring. "If you want to really throw yourself into it, these things usually require a colour's sigil to be displayed somewhere."

"One or two orange-skinned Tamaranians expressed an interest. I.. turned them down. Oh, and a blue-skinned Okaaran with a fairly impressive set of-" I make a curving gesture with both hands. "-tusks."

I frown. "Noo. There are any number of recreations here, or you could take an air car to Tamarus and go sight-seeing. I'll let you know when we're ready to leave." She nods and starts walking out across the grounds towards the main amphitheatre. "Though if you want to, Tamaranians are very liberal about that sort of-" She holds up her right hand and shows me her index and middle fingers. I smile at the back of her head. "-thing!"

I nod and wave at a couple of Tamaranian Lanterns as they pass us in the corridor. They both bow briefly.

"It would interest me, sociologically speaking. Seeing you adapt to Tamaranian social customs, I mean."

"You see, the most powerful tools in the universe are power rings. Unfortunately, they're rather hard to make. And harder still to use properly. The Guardians have quite rigorous selection criteria for their Green Lantern Corps.. and.. they've found a way to make it impossible for anyone else to make green rings. Orange rings can cause.. rather severe psychological issues for their users. I manage fine but there've been one or two 'incidents' with the Tamaranians... And then there's yellow, but… I rather doubt that you'd want everyone you meet to be terrified of you. But…"

"You're a military commander. This means that you have organisational skills. And you also have a knowledge of Kryptonian sociology that no one else does. No one else could raise a new generation to be Kryptonians rather than monochrome Tamaranians."

Admiral Oswin wants to know when I want to move against the Psions. He's a bit eager to move his fleet out of Vega so he can carve himself a duchy out of formerly pirate-controlled space, but I'd like to wait until the first batch of Tamaranian ships are ready for real combat.

"In Tamaranian culture, personal achievement is essential for achieving political power. Given the.. impact I'd already had, I felt it best to avoid taking further action there myself when the princesses are perfectly capable of dealing with matters themselves. If my presence is required, they can contact me by ring. Also, as an Orange Lantern I have found that having a stable social group is helpful for avoiding the adverse psychological effects of orange light use."

In Vega, Commodore Amalak puts his Tamaranian recruits through their paces while the Citadelians pull back to their fortifications.

"The ones I mind controlled into helping me. They weren't much different to the ones I'd killed. Literally, given that they were clones. Yes, I could have put them in prison, but that's really not how Vega works. No prisons exist for that sort of thing. I could have handed them over to the Tamaranian government, if they had the facilities.

"No. Mercenaries. Nice bunch. Met them in Vega. Had a few drinks, helped them with a riot and got them a job training the Tamaranian military up while they rebuild."

"I don't intend to interfere in the Tamaranian succession. As I told your father, I don't think an alien-."

"If they could bring a fleet to bear now, certainly. But given the amount of time our analysts believe it will take them, I'm perfectly happy to take a back seat and let some other young buck lead the defence. I assume that we can rely on Tamaranian cooperation in that fight?"

Space shudders as the Crown Imperium's fleet jumps in, swiftly followed by the few Tamaranian and Karnan ships that were available to take part.

Might continue to check the rest of the story only after this.
 
Veganism (part 20)
1st September 2012
16:00 GMT

Open, We Command You. / **Open, We Command You.**
This generation of Apokoliptian warship uses individual deployment chutes for its small craft, so making the thing go was just a matter of boarding and then forcing the ship's… Metaphysique, to think for a few moments that I'm actually Grayven.

And as the dropship we're in shoots out of the mothership I smile at our success, all the while waiting for the moment when we get far enough away that I can start using my own New God technology because I think I'm going to need it to get to wherever Grayven ended up in time to…

I get a good look at local space, and it doesn't look good.

Destroyers and cruisers are flying in Kranaltine's skies, and I mean its skies and not low orbit. There are occupation fleets drifting around each of the major settlements and a few more ready to act as reserves. A smaller number of large ships remain outside of the gravity well, and from the flashes of light I don't think that the engagement is going well for whatever ships the local defenders have left.

Flashes pass overhead as Grayven's flagship lends the attackers its aid. Blasters. With that number, it would be…

Oh. A fully reconditioned Apokoliptian dreadnaught. The hyper blaster on the front would destroy anything in the defensive fleet. This is…

I mean, on the plus side, the fleet engagement here is already lost, we're not getting hit because we're showing a friendly signal and profile and we're not wasting further resources against a ship that we couldn't beat. And since Grayven doesn't have any other New Gods with him, if I win this there's a good chance I'll be able to keep the ship. Which would be nice, but probably won't actually let me beat anyone I actually need to beat…
And then it's like a weight has been lifted from my shoulders.
"Grayven to Karras."

"Karras here, my lord. What news?"

"He's hit Kranaltine. Link up with the nearest Imperial fleet and prepare to jump in. Do not do so until I take possession of their dreadnaught or it will wipe you out."

"Understood. Karras out."

"Grayven to Artemis."

"Hey. I think Diana's on her third speech."

"You know where Kranaltine is?"

"Yea-? That's where he went? Why?"

"Ancient artefact called The Orrery. He's using it to control planetoids within the Vega Systems. Someone hid it here and Grayven already knows it's-."

"I'll come look." "On the hunt."

"Thanks, but don't fight Grayven. If I don't overcome him myself we might not be able to turn it off."

"Right."

Okay. Ring, access historical-.

My vision goes gold as a tremendous energy blast rips through-

Armour!

-the dropship, cutting through one side of the hull and out of the other! Who just-? Through the open hull of the dropship I see a figure; blue costume with a yellow star on the chest, carrying a wooden shepherd's crook. Prince Gavyn. Starman.

He briefly makes eye contact with me through his goggles-. Yes, of course. He's too small and agile for them to track accurately with anti-air fire, but at this point the rest of their military would be neutralised-.

"Starman! Hold-."

Another bolt of golden energy slams into my shield as Lynne grabs a space helmet. We're just about inside the atmosphere, but I wouldn't want to try breathing normally up here.

"You're shooting the wrong Grayven!"

"Am I?" He flies closer as the wreckage of our dropship hurtles towards the planet. "You said he was coming for you!"

"He's here for something called The Orrery, and a few minutes ago was the first time I heard of it. Vega's-"

I take an updated map from the Orange Lantern Corps' network, showing the changing position-. Shit. Four suns have already been slammed into one another, and Liot'r is moving towards a nearby blue giant. Orange Lanterns on-site appear to be dealing with the side effects, but it's going to take a lot of work to make Vega shipshape again.

I conjure a construct to demonstrate.

"-being torn apart. I've got a fleet coming in and I'm pretty sure that I can take Grayven myself, but if we don't find where he is now it's going to be a pretty quiet victory feast. Does Kranaltine have any ancient ruins or archaeological sites?" "Help me help you."

"It…" He's not happy, but he drifts closer with a thoughtful expression on his face. "There are a few such sites. Mine isn't the first species to settle this world. But… They've been gone over a thousand times by archaeologists. There's nothing else there now but rubble."

That fits the profile, but…

"No one location stands out?"

"I'm not an archaeologist."

Yeah, that's fair. The dropship starts burning around us, so Lynne triggers her aero-discs while I use my ring's flight function, letting it tumble towards the planet's surface without us.

Okay.

I narrow my eyes and try to feel where his influence is spreading. Ships, no… What is he claiming? Where are his weapons?

Agh, no good. He's claiming this entire world; a shallow but all-encompassing claim which makes it all a part of him-.

"Gavyn, where's the queen?"

He doesn't answer.

"Gavyn, he and I are gods of conquest. He's defeated your military. If the queen orders the world to cooperate until a relief force arrives, if he completes his conquest of this world, his powers get stronger."

"In a sealed bunker under the capital. Even Grayven's forces will take time to get through five different types of force fields and about two miles of granite."

"Can you talk to them and make sure she's still there?"

He nods and raises his staff. A moment later an illusory image of… A fortified room filled with corpses, appears.

"Not boom tube proof. Sorry. Does she have a tracking implant?"

Gavyn twitches as he dismisses the image. "No."

Okay, this is… I can use my powers to feel Lynne's location and Artemis's rough location, but that's because we're spiritually connected. Grayven and I aren't, we're just similar. Would that work?

One way to find out.

Feel The Flow Of Authority.

Come on you literal bastard.

Many Kings Spoil The Realm.

I know you're the sort who will want me to know that I've failed before you kill me, and if I can't find you then you'll never have that satisfaction.

Throw Down The Gauntlet.

BOOM!

Pick Up the Gauntlet.

Hu-?

"Daddy!"

The boom tube snaps shut behin-.

Duh!
 
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Some Godspeech aplenty.
1st September 2012
16:00 GMT

Open, We Command You. / **Open, We Command You.**
This generation of Apokoliptian warship uses individual deployment chutes for its small craft, so making the thing go was just a matter of boarding and then forcing the ship's… Metaphysique, to think for a few moments that I'm actually Grayven.
I mean, on the plus size, the fleet engagement here is already lost, we're not getting hit because we're showing a friendly signal and profile and we're not wasting further resources against a ship that we couldn't beat. And since Grayven doesn't have any other New Gods with him, if I win this there's a good chance I'll be able to keep the ship. Which would be nice, but probably won't actually let me beat anyone I actually need to beat…
And then it's like a weight has been lifted from my shoulders.
"Grayven to Karras."
"Ancient artefact called The Orrery. He's using it to control planetoids within the Vega Systems. Someone hid it here and Grayven already knows it's-."

"I'll come look." "On the hunt."
"-being torn apart. I've got a fleet coming in and I'm pretty sure that I can take Grayven myself, but if we don't find where he is now it's going to be a pretty quiet victory feast. Does Kranaltine have any ancient ruins or archaeological sites?" "Help me help you."
I narrow my eyes and try to feel where his influence is spreading. Ships, no… What is he claiming? Where are his weapons?

Agh, no good. He's claiming this entire world; a shallow but all-encompassing claim which makes it all a part of him-.
One way to find out.

Feel The Flow Of Authority.

Come on you literal bastard.

Many Kings Spoil The Realm.

I know you're the sort who will want me to know that I've failed before you kill me, and if I can't find you then you'll never have that satisfaction.

Throw Down The Gauntlet.

BOOM!

Pick Up the Gauntlet.

Hu-?
 
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Welp, Vega is fucked.

Probably even more than it was previously.

You're shooting the wrong Grayven!"

"Am I?" He flies closer as the wreckage of our dropship hurtles towards the planet. "You said he was coming for you!"

He's pissed that his civilization is basically crippled and seeing as he may not be able to find Actually Grayven, he's settled on the copy.

Hey. I think Diana's on her third speech."

Well it's a way to get the Citizenry to do what she wants.
 
1st September 2012
16:00 GMT

Open, We Command You. / **Open, We Command You.**
This generation of Apokoliptian warship uses individual deployment chutes for its small craft, so making the thing go was just a matter of boarding and then forcing the ship's… Metaphysique, to think for a few moments that I'm actually Grayven.
Heh, that's one way to break the lock and hotwire it: Flexing your Ego. And now you can get out of the bizarre interdiction zone Grayven laid down. Presumably he's smothering all Boom Tube activity besides his own...

And as the dropship we're in shoots out of the mothership I smile at our success, all the while waiting for the moment when we get far enough away that I can start using my own New God technology because I think I'm going to need it to get to wherever Grayven ended up in time to…

I get a good look at local space, and it doesn't look good.
Ah. Not going well for the defenders, eh? Even with the Renegade's aid, I can't see it working well against a blitzkrieg like this.

Destroyers and cruisers are flying in Kranaltine's skies, and I mean its skies and not low orbit. There are occupation fleets drifting around each of the major settlements and a few more ready to act as reserves. A smaller number of large ships remain outside of the gravity well, and from the flashes of light I don't think that the engagement is going well for whatever ships the local defenders have left.

Flashes pass overhead as Grayven's flagship lends the attackers its aid. Blasters. With that number, it would be…
So, Kranaltine is basically lost unless the Renegade can decapitate Grayven's forces. Ideally by decapitating Grayven himself... :D

Oh. A fully reconditioned Apokoliptian dreadnaught. The hyper blaster on the front would destroy anything in the defensive fleet. This is…

I mean, on the plus size, the fleet engagement here is already lost, we're not getting hit because we're showing a friendly signal and profile and we're not wasting further resources against a ship that we couldn't beat. And since Grayven doesn't have any other New Gods with him, if I win this there's a good chance I'll be able to keep the ship. Which would be nice, but probably won't actually let me beat anyone I actually need to beat…
And then it's like a weight has been lifted from my shoulders.
At least he's out of Grayven's controlled territory. He'll be able to flex his own management powers.

"Grayven to Karras."

"Karras here, my lord. What news?"

"He's hit Kranaltine. Link up with the nearest Imperial fleet and prepare to jump in. Do not do so until I take possession of their dreadnaught or it will wipe you out."
Yup. Because a planet-killer weapon does a real number on anything smaller. With a well-aimed shot, he could wipe the entire fleet in one shot...

"Understood. Karras out."

"Grayven to Artemis."

"Hey. I think Diana's on her third speech."
Whatever floats her boat. I hope that's simply a way to get anyone likely to rebel against her to snap and come at her... But knowing Diana, she probably figures she can talk the Citizenry into changing their ways... And will probably succeed.

"You know where Kranaltine is?"

"Yea-? That's where he went? Why?"

"Ancient artefact called The Orrery. He's using it to control planetoids within the Vega Systems. Someone hid it here and Grayven already knows it's-."
Good as confirmed, then. Kranaltine, for the record. Throneworld of the Crown Imperium, and even without the artefact, Grayven could claim rulership of said Imperium by taking it...

"I'll come look." "On the hunt."

"Thanks, but don't fight Grayven. If I don't overcome him myself we might not be able to turn it off."
Last thing you want is some ancient device running out of control. Much nicer to be able to take it for yourself.

"Right."

Okay. Ring, access historical-.

My vision goes gold as a tremendous energy blast rips through-
Oh, hell, one of the defenders taking an attack of opportunity? Because they aren't broadcasting any friendly IFF, after all.

Armour!

-the dropship, cutting through one side of the hull and out of the other! Who just-? Through the open hull of the dropship I see a figure; blue costume with a yellow star on the chest, carrying a wooden shepherd's crook. Prince Gavyn. Starman.
:eek: Damn lucky that didn't hit you or Lynne.

He briefly makes eye contact with me through his goggles-. Yes, of course. He's too small and agile for them to track accurately with anti-air fire, but at this point the rest of their military would be neutralised-.

"Starman! Hold-."
Oh, boy! A 'Let's you and him fight' meetup! When's the last time that happened?

Another bolt of golden energy slams into my shield as Lynne grabs a space helmet. We're just about inside the atmosphere, but I wouldn't want to try breathing normally up here.

"You're shooting the wrong Grayven!"
To be fair, this whole situation does look like you screwed the pooch hard, Renegade.

"Am I?" He flies closer as the wreckage of our dropship hurtles towards the planet. "You said he was coming for you!"

"He's here for something called The Orrery, and a few minutes ago was the first time I heard of it. Vega's-"
The benefits of making a typical protagonist's assumption that everything revolves around you, Renegade. The whole defence is stuck working off that assumption.

I take an updated map from the Orange Lantern Corps' network, showing the changing position-. Shit. Four suns have already been slammed into one another, and Liot'r is moving towards a nearby blue giant. Orange Lanterns on-site appear to be dealing with the side effects, but it's going to take a lot of work to make Vega shipshape again.

I conjure a construct to demonstrate.
Yeah, you're really going to want to take it intact, then, if only to stabilise the Sector... Because short of pressing some Controllers into the field, fixing displaced stars is a bit out of a New God's wheelhouse.

"-being torn apart. I've got a fleet coming in and I'm pretty sure that I can take Grayven myself, but if we don't find where he is now it's going to be a pretty quiet victory feast. Does Kranaltine have any ancient ruins or archaeological sites?" "Help me help you."

"It…" He's not happy, but he drifts closer with a thoughtful expression on his face. "There are a few such sites. Mine isn't the first species to settle this world. But… They've been gone over a thousand times by archaeologists. There's nothing else there now but rubble."
Then presumably those archaeologists didn't dig deep enough.

That fits the profile, but…

"No one location stands out?"

"I'm not an archaeologist."
Crud. And short of trying to puzzle out where it is by gordanian troop movements or poking Grayven, there's no leads.

Yeah, that's fair. The dropship starts burning around us, so Lynne triggers her aero-discs while I use my ring's flight function, letting it tumble towards the planet's surface without us.

Okay.
I like that. He's so busy thinking, he barely notices his ship falling apart around him... Goes to show how important this is...

I narrow my eyes and try to feel where his influence is spreading. Ships, no… What is he claiming? Where are his weapons?

Agh, no good. He's claiming this entire world; a shallow but all-encompassing claim which makes it all a part of him-.
And I'm just picturing his seeing a big middle finger courtesy of Grayven: Go Fuck Yourself, Imposter..

"Gavyn, where's the queen?"

He doesn't answer.

"Gavyn, he and I are gods of conquest. He's defeated your military. If the queen orders the world to cooperate until a relief force arrives, if he completes his conquest of this world, his powers get stronger."
And you do not want him getting stronger. It's likely that if he hits a certain threshold, the entire Imperium will start kneeling to him by default...

"In a sealed bunker under the capital. Even Grayven's forces will take time to get through five different types of force fields and about two miles of granite."

"Can you talk to them and make sure she's still there?"
Because, you know, New God, Gavyn... Why try to break through the walls when you can just...

He nods and raises his staff. A moment later an illusory image of… A fortified room filled with corpses, appears.

"Not boom tube proof. Sorry. Does she have a tracking implant?"
...Go around them. I doubt she's amongst the dead, though. She's more valuable alive.

Gavyn twitches as he dismisses the image. "No."

Okay, this is… I can use my powers to feel Lynne's location and Artemis's rough location, but that's because we're spiritually connected. Grayven and I aren't, we're just similar. Would that work?
Similar enough that your existence is probably like an itch under his soul. You don't feel it because your soul is welded together from Human, New God and Avarice...

One way to find out.

Feel The Flow Of Authority.
Though you technically have no real authority here, Renegade. At best, you're an advisor.

Come on you literal bastard.

Many Kings Spoil The Realm.
But tickling his meta-physique like this? That's bound to get a nasty response. I hope you're prepared for it.

I know you're the sort who will want me to know that I've failed before you kill me, and if I can't find you then you'll never have that satisfaction.

Throw Down The Gauntlet.
True. Grayven's Ego can't get it up unless he's being acknowledged by all around him as superior...

BOOM!

Pick Up the Gauntlet.
Ah, he's taking the bait? Arrogant and foolish. A good combination in a foe...

Hu-?

"Daddy!"

The boom tube snaps shut behin-.

Duh!
:confused: ...I hope he didn't just snag Lynne again. Though at least the Renegade will have a beacon to find her.

Well, that's what you get for poking the irritable doppelgänger, Renegade. Let's hope this poorly thought-out ploy doesn't end badly for you. And all the while, the gordanian fleet is tearing through your investments. This is becoming quite the pinch... :sneaky: Now, to watch you fumble your way into success.
 
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