Darko
Connoisseur.
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"considerably"
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I suppose that depends on how much it hates Draan. If it can overcome the memories of battling his in his prime, and see how weak he's become... While there's too much Red in it to truly feel fear, it can understand how dangerous Draan is to it...21st January 2013
16:31 GMT
The doorway opens before the axe can strike it, allowing Orion to charge through. Kalmin glances at the abandoned astro-harness for a moment before marching after him, with Jade and I flying along behind.
"What's the chance of a full-on manifestation of the Butcher Entity?"
Not an option here, alas. Mostly because Orion is likely not in the same place mentally, nor as interesting to an Entity as one of you is."Given how it fled last time it was here, it seems unlikely. They have memories, as well you know."
I remember the… Strangely calm Red Lantern version of me I met at Vanishing Point. He said he achieved that state by accepting his anger rather than trying to hold it in check or channel it. And he had to connect to the Butcher first.
...If that's true, then why hasn't he killed you lot yet? It's not like you're really much of a threat to him right now."Should we leave Orion to fight Draan and head for the bridge?"
Kalmin snorts. "Draan is a maltusian with some sort of connection to Erdammeru. He can find us wherever we go, and unless your exo-mantle has been considerable improved since I reviewed its capacities, you don't have any way to evade him."
But the systems still exist, because why remove a perfectly functional capability that can prove useful in an edge case like this?Unless…
It used to be the case that maltusians could directly relay their own energy to Darkstars. The practice fell off because the new generation of suits were powerful enough that it wasn't really needed anymore, but…
...Not willingly. But if he doesn't realise he's empowering your systems..."Jade, is your suit designed for direct empowerment?"
"It can be empowered, but we can't contact anyone outside of this place. And I doubt that Draan will-."
Ha! Kalmin probably didn't think of it because it would be too crazy for him. Not direct enough."Oh, well done Illustres." Kalmin's smiling. "That hadn't even occurred to me."
Jade considers for a moment. "You think you can drain his innate powers the same way you drained his rage?"
I mean, it's not like he has a bottomless reservoir of energy in his symbionts?
True, he could probably gimmick up something with a box of scraps OL pulled out of his subspace..."I'll have my passion back, now."
"Honestly, I was going to ask Kalmin if he could build something."
This is going to be a DBZ-scale fight. There's going to be plenty of energy flying about."I could pull power out of him and into her, but I can't force him to express it."
"I don't think-"
I notice that Kalmin didn't duck. Presumably his own barrier handled it.A wave of energy shoots towards us down the corridor, and Jade and I duck behind a construct barrier I erect.
"-that's going to be a problem."
Hmm... Interesting. Maybe he's already burnt out a lot of his reserves just stealing the Red back? And what he stole is only going so far, especially with Orion trying to kill him.Something in the waves tries dragging at the power in my construct, but fails to get a grip. I wait until the feeling stops, then drop the barrier and accelerate to-.
Draan is in the air, twisting around an axe swing and then ducking under a gout of fire breath as Orion flies after him with construct wings. Wait, why is Draan dodging? He took the axe fine during their last fight. Because he doesn't have a reservoir of red energy to work from? Because Orion's too powerful for it to work? Because the forge is a couple of miles back?
And conduit opened. Should be more careful with your AoE effects, Draan.Draan gestures, and Orion is suddenly a fraction of his size-. Distance, he's warped the distance. He's flying back towards us, but Draan just sneers at his effort-.
Then shudders as Kalmin taps his hammer against Jade's energy intake.
Qwardian know-how says 'fuck you.' OL just needs to hold on long enough..."I-. How have you-?"
He makes a throwing motion with his right hand and I interpose myself, shield constructs, armour plates and the best spatial warps I can manage. Those last just a fraction of a second as the dull grey lightning-.
...For Draan to spend his reserves.Fzm!
Jade uses the boost to fire a more powerful maser bolt than her system can usually manage. Draan jerks his head away, but doesn't look injured.
Key rule of a fight like this, boyo: Don't get distracted."I won't miss the fool who designed that energy-."
Fires erupt around him as Orion appears, axe raised! Chains leaps out of the inferno and drag at his wrists and ankles as Orion brings his axe down!
Again, maltusians don't exactly need their meaty bits for survival. It's more like wearing an old pair of pants for comfort.CRUNCH!
Orion rips the axe out of Draan's head at once, and-. On any normal being, a skull wound like that would be fatal. But Draan's eyes are still focusing, still-.
...Anyone else smell jerky?Orion exhales, red flames flowing over Draan's body! And this time it takes, his skin blackening and his yellow blood boiling away.
"Wonderful rage…"
Okay, that should force him to...Orion brings his axe down once more, and Draan is cleaved in twain.
"RAAAAAAGH!"
"Orion, Sweetie! That's enough, you got him." ...Well, I guess that's going to be enough to keep him down?Orion brings the axe down again and again and again until it embeds in the floor. Then he stamps and stamps until-
Ping.
"Oh, my goodness. Orion, sweetie, you can stop now, dear."
"Orion! Young man, that's enough. Calm down, please."One more gout of flame, and Orion stops, standing… Very visibly not becalmed.
Ping.
"Excuse me? Young man, you had better have a good reason for backtalking-..."
...Ew. But evidently he's got something in mind."No. I will not turn back having come this far."
He reaches down, running his right forefinger and middle finger through Draan's remains, scooping up a blob of Draan's… Internal liquids. He then reaches up to his bone-plated forehead and… Draws the red sigil with it.
Yeah, when someone in this condition barks an order, you don't stop to argue."I have hatred and focus. My hate is for my father first of all. LANTERN!"
"Yes?"
After all, you are getting what you wanted.
...Orion stomping its would-be master into chunky salsa doesn't count?"Right, ah… Kalmin? We should probably head to the bridge."
"And do what? None of us can commune with Erdammeru."
...Oh. It's just being a picky puppy, then."Is there a communication system at there?"
"Yes, but using it requires that Erdammeru has accepted a master."
...And is immediately shockcrowned? No?"Alright. In that case, we should go back to the exit and try to-."
A side door opens, and Captain Chance of the Free Lancers strides in.
...Okay, now Shockcrown him. Do not let him get away this time, OL...He stops when he sees the remains on the floor.
"Bollocks. No bonus then, I take it?"
Draan Del Dar was literally suicidal: he was deliberately going to go on a rampage until someone killed him so that his final living moments would be a snapshot of Perfect Passion, preserved for eternity in death.
"Excuse me? Young man, you had better have a good reason for backtalking-..."
It's a shame he never met Canis they could have beenDraan Del Dar was literally suicidal: he was deliberately going to go on a rampage until someone killed him so that his final living moments would be a snapshot of Perfect Passion, preserved for eternity in death.
Hopefully Hinon will be understanding when she learns that Paul helped a New God kill a maltusian.
Could Mother Boxes always read minds freeform from non-gods and communicate through telepathy?
Your memory has been good throughout the years, but at this point, given the length of the story and the fact that you've been writing for almost a decade, it might be a good idea to keep more extensive notes.
considerably
Are the red quotation marks here on purpose? The subsequent ones don't have them.
Thank you, corrected.
Yes.Are the red quotation marks here on purpose? The subsequent ones don't have them.
It's a perfectly cromulent word.TIL that twain was a word.
I don't remember having ever seen it used before. Is it archaic, or too upper class to be found on the internet ?
Is "at there" a Britishism? I would have just expected "there".
The other shoe should be the Void Hound intelligence taking over and just destroying everything.
IMO it's not quite archaic but in my experience it's been at least 40 years since it's been in common use.TIL that twain was a word.
I don't remember having ever seen it used before. Is it archaic, or too upper class to be found on the internet ?
Here is hoping Orion comes out of this with Red Light Enlightenment. With his connection to The Source, he shouldn't require The Butcher's approval.
Geoffrey Talbot didn't need the Butcher's approval to gain enlightenment, so Orion shouldn't either.Here is hoping Orion comes out of this with Red Light Enlightenment. With his connection to The Source, he shouldn't require The Butcher's approval.
Thank you, corrected.Is "at there" a Britishism? I would have just expected "there".
That should say 'built'.Chance shrugs. "Daar came to us. Told us where we needed to be and how to get there. Someone build a couple of long range faster than light-."
The fact that Hinon didn't know about this hopefully means that the Controllers will consider this a big threat to their defenses. After all, they can't really claim to truly control Maltus if a planet destroying superweapon has been hiding in their system for so long, can they?"Did you know that there was a giant battle station on Turi?"
"What? No? What are you talking about?"
"Sir, I request that you come here in person. You're going to want to see this."
On a scale of one to a million how pissed will Hinon be when she learns all the shit that almost happened today?
Gee, are there any around here? Because I'm sure you can't really be talking about yourselves. Perhaps the captain simply has no fear in him, merely a Joy at living. Or he's simply a simpleton who can't understand things like laws.21st January 2013
18:13 GMT
Harrow shrugs, his expression suggesting a casual acceptance of events and an easy-come-easy-go attitude. He waves with his manacled hands.
"Illustres! Might I prevail upon you to release a group of honest traders caught up in events far larger than them?"
And at least you are going to investigate their business dealings. I was worried you'd just let them go."It's not impossible that you will be released once our investigation is complete, and we will be expediting matters."
"Not all that reassuring, but it is better than what I was expecting."
Ah, the British statement of the Right to Silence. More or less what you yankees' Miranda Rights are equivalent to. He's taking this seriously.Jade shoves him to the ground next to his colleagues, just in front of their ship.
"Alright, you don't have to say anything, but it may harm your defence if you do not mention when questioned something that you later rely on in court."
Play a stupid game, honey, win a painful prize. Let her enjoy her object lesson about pressing her luck.I look over the three of them, Risque's arm bandaged from where Jade shot her when she resisted arrest.
Yes, I could fix it, but I'm not feeling all that companionable right now.
...Does Harrow and company not really understand the situation they're in? Idiots. Lucky idiots.Harrow grins. "Was that a quote?"
"Standard arrest script from my home country. We're stuck on a planetoid-sized war AI built by a being whose primary goal was the conversion of all reality into energy he could consume and the only way to get out is with the help of a rage-maddened war god. I'm not feeling good about that. Are you?"
Which is probably not a commonly known fact in the galaxy at large, I bet.Chance nod. "We were working on technology to manipulate the lights, like your power rings do. A lot of qwardian stuff on the market right now, if you know where to look for it. The Controller came-."
"He wasn't a Controller. Same species, but it's a political distinction."
Still, their benefits outweighed the drawbacks. Like letting yahoos like these three travel further.Chance shrugs. "Daar came to us. Told us where we needed to be and how to get there. Someone build a couple of long range faster than light-."
"I know, I oversaw their construction."
And no doubt got well-paid for that, I bet.Harrow nods approvingly. "Help a lot of people, those will."
"And we pick up some stuff for him. Even offered to fix one of the planets."
Draan Del Daar was not one of his people. Merely an associate. There is a distinction between the things."Oh, I know. Good work. I completed your plan."
Risque glowers weakly at me. "We haven't done anything wrong and it was one of your people who hired us. What's your problem?"
Swindling people and stealing dangerous artefacts is hard work? Sheesh."You're rapidly getting to the point where we can't risk you treating with our enemies, and give that Draan Del Daar was planning on using this place's primary weapons to destroy Maltus, this counts. Regardless of your criminal status, we might have to confine you as a strategic threat."
Harrow looks away, sighing. "That's the reward for hard work, I suppose."
Oh, don't be sour, Kalmin. Not everyone has your high standards for their weaponry.Kalmin walks out of their ship, looking unimpressed.
"Their workshop isn't terrible, but the ship is severely undergunned. We can't get out that way."
...Though he would like them alive by the end of all this, intact is optional.Risque grimaces. "It's not supposed to be a warship."
"Alright. Please, keep an eye on the Free Lancers while I go and talk to Orion."
Yeah, best to make sure any being with the power of a Maltusian isn't suffering from any mental issues.I fly back towards the forge room. I'm going to need to talk to Hinon about some sort of mental health check for unaligned maltusians when we get out of here, because Draan was clearly suffering for a very long time.
And the other two were supposed to be worse.
"Just about there, Sweetie. Just another couple of hits." Hopefully once it's complete, it won't leak quite so much.I hear the ringing of hammer on anvil as I approach, and I… I can feel it as well. It's… Oppressive, squeezing out other thoughts while somehow being unable to replace them. In my case, at least.
Ping.
At least it won't forcefully replace the wearer's heart."…my father's face."
As I fly in, Orion sets his hammer down… And picks up a red power ring from the forge
A pity the symbol of the Red Light isn't more like a giant middle finger, but I doubt that would have been as marketable."Done. A more perfect refutation of my father I cannot imagine."
"It's done, then?"
...How about dealing with your face first? That can't feel pleasant.He holds it up to admire it.
"Yes. With this, every trace of my father shall be expunged from the universe." His face turns just enough to allow him to look at me. "And then I can deal with any other vermin."
His soul is a steady dripfeed of Rage, OL. I don't think he's gonna need anything else."Snakes are not, technically, vermin. Just… Just a ring?"
"What else do I need?"
And depending on how you look at it, the White Light and the Source are the same thing. So charging won't be an issue."A personal lantern, if you want to recharge it."
"I am a New God aligned spiritually to the Butcher." He slides the ring on his right ring finger. "I am beyond such limits."
"I'm not happy with this situation, but trying to get him to listen to me in this state..."Ping.
"Alright. We're still stuck in here. You're the only person in here angry enough to interface with Erdammeru. Would you mind giving it a go?"
Heh. I rather do picture it as having been sullenly watching them in its half-asleep state, waiting for them to try to get a leash on it...He clenches his right fist, a floating red sigil appearing over his chest.
"I hear it. I will bring it to heel."
"And better under our control than someone else's."
I doubt it would be that easy...He stalks out of the forge chamber, and I assume that he knows where he's going. Nothing much I can do to help him.
That's my red ring, I suppose. Not sure what Izaya's going to say about the physical or psychological state he's in, but I won't exactly be sad if he does tear Apokolips apart with Erdammeru's primary weapons.
And it escapes him that Hal Jordan still has Abin Sur's original ring, with its logs and files still in place. Proof the Renegade is a bit smarter in that respect...I vaguely remember the comic version of this place from a Crime Syndicate comic, and the Syndicate and League beat it because it was stupid enough to focus all of its weapons at a single point in their formation. I also remember it being quite good at blowing up planets.
So. Waiting for yellow. Now I need indigo, and I've got no idea where they hang out. I seem to remember that their homeworld had indigo compassion crystals on the surface, so maybe it's listed in old maltusian records? Ub'x didn't seem to walk to talk to me last time, but maybe he was acting on incomplete information? I'm-
Well, that didn't take Orion long. I was expecting it to be noisier.We feel the moment that We reconnect to the rest of the universe.
-not that hard a man to work with.
Brace yourself, Granny. You may want to sit down for this.
...If nothing else, what's left of Draan could qualify as a nice example of modern art? Adam Smasher would approve."Did you know that there was a giant battle station on Turi?"
"What? No? What are you talking about?"
"Sir, I request that you come here in person. You're going to want to see this."
Double Space.
... and given that Draan Del Daar was planning ...
On a scale of one to a million how pissed will Hinon be when she learns all the shit that almost happened today?