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

jasonh23761 · 2024-12-25T08:25:24+0000

hance1986 said:
Or he's just verbally T-posing.

That's exactly what he's doing.

Chojin Patriarch · 2024-12-25T08:26:10+0000

Mr Zoat said:
18th January 2000
00:55 GMT -5

"Lord Mammon, this-."

BOOM!

The humans brace slightly as someone on Apophis's ship tests how far the 'Tollan shield' extends away from the Curia building. Narim swiftly checks his personal computer as the severe-looking woman who followed him back regains her equanimity.

I see they acted quickly to get someone who presumably has negotiating powers. I'll assume he's not flinching due to confidence in his shielding. Nice of him not to comment on their shakiness, though.

"This is High Chancellor Travell of the Tollan Curia."

I give her a shallow nod. "Pleased to meet you. Let's keep this quick. I will destroy the fleet. In return I want two things. Firstly, your help in salvaging it for System Lord Bastet. Secondly, fifty Tollan school teachers serving on my planet."

Ah, going right to the top. at least he knows she'll be doing her best to push any agreements through their parliament. And they're fairly mild demands, at that.

"School teachers. What sort of school teachers?"

"I don't know your education system. Science from basic biology to nuclear physics, and whatever you consider to be the equivalent in other fields. I know that you don't share technology with less advanced cultures; we're more advanced than you so it doesn't apply, and even if it did I'm not asking for your cutting edge researchers. Their salaries and accommodation will be covered by me, and in case Syrania is overrun I won't make any specific record of where they came from."

The details can be sorted out as you go, I suppose. Honestly, pretty much any field of science more advanced than what Earth has should do nicely.

Her eyes go down as she considers, and then shift to Major Carter.

She looks awkward. "We.. already have a similar arrangement with Lord Mammon. None of our teachers have come to any harm. And… I can't see any other way to defeat Apophis before he destroys your city."

How helpful of her. Then again, I doubt they really do have any alternative. At least it's Mammon, who's asking for reasonable things.

I gesture too her with my right thumb. "And that's from a people who still haven't been able to give me a written legal opinion that they're not trying to exterminate my species."

Travell considers for a moment longer, then nods. "The salvage teams."

One point accepted, nor for the details of the other.

"They just need to help restore the ships to working order. I'll provide the crews. No need to use your most advanced technology if you don't want to, but-"

BOOM!

"-it might be best not to have those ships in your system any longer than you have to." I smile benevolently. "Up to you."

Never mind the people aboard those ships, who are probably fairly loyal to Apophis.

She nods reluctantly. "Agreed. We will make a precise assessment on how to proceed as events unfold."

"Nifty. Then I'm your man. Narim, do you want to come and watch?"

You expect this to be easy enough you can keep an observer safe? Or are you just feeling the need to show off?

He raises his eyebrows slightly. "Do I want to watch you destroy an entire fleet by yourself?"

I smile. "Either you get to watch a god unleash his power upon his enemies or the last thing you see before your world is burned is a pompous prat make a fool of himself. There are worse things to see before your death."

Ah, he wants to show off. And establishing a powerful reputation will make future negotiations easier.

His eyes go to Travell, nods. "I accept your offer. When-."

A touch him with my left hand and transition us into the air over the city. Another plasma bolt coming in-. Deal with that, causing a high altitude explosion… Some electrical discharge which might damage the Tollan's computers a little, but it won't be much of a problem.

Unavoidable, really. Low altitude EMPs like that can be messy.

More of a problem is that two… Three nearby ion cannons have been obliterated, and I can see plumes of smoke further away. Defending guns being destroyed means that the attackers can come closer and rotate their positions less, resulting in more shots being fired towards the planet.

Not good. Still, you're taking over the defence now. So this should be short.

Narin keeps himself together, and then follows my gaze. "The cannons over the horizon can still take shots at their fleet, but the time-to-target will be far greater."

I destroy two more plasma bolts before they reach the atmosphere, but… That's from the flagship's main guns. Apophis's fleet is accelerating, and if the smaller ship-mounted guns on the regular ha'taks get into affective range…

Interesting. They have a measure of ballistic trajectory to their weapons? Then again, the fleet is high enough that beyond-the-horizon is a fair distance.

"That is impressive, but that weapon will not destroy a capital ship."

"No, that.. form of attack won't kill a capital ship within a reasonable timeframe. Oh, ah… If anyone asks, the Tollan have been experimenting with graviton-based weapons, alright?"

Oh, dear. That could be awkward if it's discovered they aren't that advanced.

"That was not agreed with-."

Transition.

Just as an excuse for what comes next.

Apophis's flagship hovers is space below us. Relatively speaking. His fleet are arrayed with Tollana as 'forwards', which has the pleasant effect of ensuring that no inconvenient windows are facing towards me. I tested it, and it is possible to detect me with a ha'tak's sensors, but only if you already know what you're looking for.

Ah, two-dimensional thinking. I suppose it makes it easier to coordinate fire if everyone is using the same alignment for targetting solutions.

"I was not aware that goa'uld had teleportation technology."

I snort with laughter. "Not teleport. Fly good."

The Tollan have some kind of FTL right? Or is that sort of thing less popular given the Gate network?

Track Apophis, because killing him is the whole point. Track ship systems, because if we're taking these ships I don't want them too damaged. Track Jaffa, because someone is going to have to kill them now that they've finally got a god they like and they aren't going to thank me for killing him.

Targetting in order of importance, I see.

And since I got a really good view of what a black hole looks like…

Singularity beam.

I wonder if he's been through the big crossover yet at this point, and has the shared technology database? Maybe, maybe not...

It looks like the structure of the flagship ripples like the surface of a pond when a stone is dropped into it. Actually what's happening is that spacetime is rippling as a cylinder about three centimetres across suddenly becomes about a thousandth of a millimetre across. That is accompanied by a burst of x-rays strong enough to fry the bridge crew and their consoles. And as an added bonus it's all unaffected by the ship's shield.

I hope he's being careful about overpenetration. The planet is serving as a backstop, isn't it? Also, if that took out Apophis, it feels... Anticlimactic.

"What-?"

Next ship. Singularity beam.

Not another goa'uld, naturally, but a senior Jaffa.

Hmm... What are the chances Apophis wasn't leading this force personally from his flagship?

Ha'tak are designed to be controlled almost completely from the pel'tak. Wreck that, and it's reduced to a space station unless the Jaffa on board are unusually technically skilled. And I doubt that's a worry here, but just in case…

Two more beams cut the link between main power and the drive systems, rendering the ships ballistic.

Being careful not to leave them in a decaying orbit, I hope. Kind of hard to salvage something like that once it goes from transportation to part of the geography.

Check the fighters… Oh, they're looking for me, they're looking for me. Shift position and fire twice. Another ha'tak mission-killed. Might be worth using my own soldiers to clear these wrecks. Or… I could hand it over to Mahes. I know that he's wanted to test my designs in actual combat. And… My own soldiers aren't really ready for something like this.

Amusing that this is such a non-threat to him that he's not even worried about anything here and is instead thinking about how to improve relations with his subordinates

Another ship dies, and then another.

"How..?"

I smile tyrannically at Narim. "I'm a god."

Oh, he is enjoying this, isn't he?

"That isn't goa'uld technology."

"It is now."

Ah, planting the seed of worry that others might have this kind of capability, eh? A useful intimidation tactic for future relations.

The remaining ships aren't even trying to reach Tollana, though none are activating their hyper drives. Good for them. Very loyal. Very dead. That still leaves the fighters and the crew, but… I don't think I need to remain here any longer.

I transition us back to the surface, near the Curia building. Major Carter has left the building and is staring up at the sky, possibly trying to spot us. I give her a casual wave as Narin and I walk towards her.

I guess he figures the local defences can handle any fighters making ground attack runs or landing craft evacuating planetside...

"Is.. that it?"

I shrug. "Well, the ships are still there, but the officers are all dead. They might try and invade with their landing craft, but you should be able to shoot down most of them. I'll head out now and ask Lord Mahes to come here and take possession. Oh, and remember that we're perfectly happy to give Klorel sanctuary, whatever the trial decides about his host. Good day."

Ah, I see he does. And now calling in his own allies to play clean-up.

Well, goes to show what a Lantern with the advantage of surprise is capable of. Let's hope he got Apophis with that first shot, and the wannabe-Supreme System Lord is now enjoying his new existence as assorted stray molecules. A pity he probably didn't feel the moment he went from biology to physics... Now for the aftermath.

I gesture too her with my right thumb.

I gesture to her with my right thumb.

A touch him with my left hand and transition us into the air over the city.

I touch him with my left hand and transition us into the air over the city.

Narin keeps himself together...

I give her a casual wave as Narin and I walk towards her.

These should be 'Narim'.

...the regular ha'taks get into affective range…

...the regular ha'taks get into effective range…

Apophis's flagship hovers is space below us.

Apophis's flagship hovers in space below us.

c3qo · 2024-12-25T08:38:59+0000

Mr Zoat said:
I snort with laughter. "Not teleport. Fly good."

Is this a Samurai Jack references?

DAT_NOOB · 2024-12-25T09:14:13+0000

Mr Zoat said:
Another ship dies, and then another.

"How..?"

I smile tyrannically at Narim. "I'm a god."

"You didn't think it was all for showed did you?"

Chaoswind · 2024-12-25T10:06:32+0000

Guy has escaped dead so often that this one feels anticlimactic, but it would be funny if Apophis returns because of time travel.

Mr Zoat · 2024-12-25T10:46:20+0000

Chojin Patriarch said:
The Tollan have some kind of FTL right?

Probably, but I don't think we ever see it.

I gesture to her with my right thumb.
I touch him with my left hand and transition us into the air over the city.
These should be 'Narim'.
...the regular ha'taks get into effective range…
Apophis's flagship hovers in space below us.

Thank you, corrected.

c3qo said:
Is this a Samurai Jack references?

Yes.

Chaoswind said:
Guy has escaped dead so often that this one feels anticlimactic, but it would be funny if Apophis returns because of time travel.

We can't all deal with our problems by blowing up suns.

WereDragon · 2024-12-25T12:36:18+0000

Mr Zoat said:
I smile. "Either you get to watch a god unleash his power upon his enemies or the last thing you see before your world is burned is a pompous prat make a fool of himself. There are worse things to see before your death."

The role of tongue-in-cheek god fits him so well.

Singularity beam.

It looks like the structure of the flagship ripples like the surface of a pond when a stone is dropped into it. Actually what's happening is that spacetime is rippling as a cylinder about three centimetres across suddenly becomes about a thousandth of a millimetre across. That is accompanied by a burst of x-rays strong enough to fry the bridge crew and their consoles. And as an added bonus it's all unaffected by the ship's shield.

Probably not something he can repeat all that many times. Just because the standard shields don't block it doesn't mean they don't have the tech to defend once they know they need to.

"That isn't goa'uld technology."

…do they not understand the concept of technological progression? If physics supports it then anyone can discover it, given sufficient time, effort and luck.

Chaoswind · 2024-12-25T12:51:55+0000

Goa'uld use gravity/antigravity drives for motion, so I would assume they could tweak things around with the design to make gravity based deflector shielding for their ships without inherently changing the underlying technologies that go into each warship.

Would certainly make them better warships against the future threats that are coming.

Darko · 2024-12-25T13:28:58+0000

WereDragon said:
…do they not understand the concept of technological progression

There's a massive difference between what other Goa'uld do and what Mammon is capable of.

A Goa'uld making some advancements to their tech makes sense, but the power that Mammon is wielding is lightyears ahead of anything the Goa'uld are capable of.

It's not exactly that surprising that Narim would consider it to not be Goa'uld tech.

CrazyNoVa · 2024-12-25T15:23:08+0000

Ngamer11 said:
Last I remember, the Sinestro Corps trapped Parallax thanks to some help from Paul, so unless they overlooked something or something happened to the Sinestro Corps, Parallax shouldn't be an issue for the foreseeable future.

You mean like how Lafleeze thought he had successfully trapped the Ophidian, only for Ophidian to escape by possessing Paul? Or like how in canon, the Guardians thought they had successfully trapped Parallax in the green central battery, only for Parallax to still possess Hal anyway?

Ngamer11 said:
I meant if Paul specifically remembered that some continuities had Batman as the creator of Brother Eye due to his rampant paranoia. He didn't read every comic that's ever existed and doesn't always have all the details of the ones he was only somewhat aware of.

Is there a single continuity where Brother Eye wasn't made by Batman? Because last I checked, Batman created Brother Eye in pretty much all of them.

Plus, Time Trapper Paul did try to pull an Infinite Crisis in the multiverse episode with Krona, which is the event where Brother Eye first debuted, so he clearly has some awareness of Infinite Crisis, and by extension Brother Eye too.

Darko · 2024-12-25T15:24:52+0000

CrazyNoVa said:
Is there a single continuity where Brother Eye wasn't made by Batman? Because last I checked, Batman created Brother Eye in pretty much all of them

The one from the Brave and the Bold cartoon didn't make Brother Eye.

Steelplaza · 2024-12-25T15:53:56+0000

CrazyNoVa said:
Is there a single continuity where Brother Eye wasn't made by Batman? Because last I checked, Batman created Brother Eye in pretty much all of them

Sure. OMAC and Brother Eye were original creations of Jack Kirby back in 1974 to star in their own series, and naturally Batman had no connection with them.

CrazyNoVa · 2024-12-25T19:02:37+0000

Darko said:
The one from the Brave and the Bold cartoon didn't make Brother Eye.

Steelplaza said:
Sure. OMAC and Brother Eye were original creations of Jack Kirby back in 1974 to star in their own series, and naturally Batman had no connection with them.

Oops, my mistake. I forgot about those and I didn't watch The Brave And The Bold too much, so I didn't know.

Would Paul be open to the idea of creating a non-malicious Brother Eye akin to the one created by Myron Forest, so that he can make an army of OMACS to make L.E.G.I.O.N. stronger? After all, OMACS have been shown to be able to hold their own against both Lanterns and Reach Scarab warriors in the comics, and I imagine that Paul and Dox would want themselves some of that firepower on their side.

Mr Zoat · 2024-12-25T19:42:13+0000

CrazyNoVa said:
Would Paul be open to the idea of creating a non-malicious Brother Eye akin to the one created by Myron Forest, so that he can make an army of OMACS to make L.E.G.I.O.N. stronger? After all, OMACS have been shown to be able to hold their own against both Lanterns and Reach Scarab warriors in the comics, and I imagine that Paul and Dox would want themselves some of that firepower on their side.

Some of the augmentations might be useful, but the downsides to the original OMAC system are fairly significant. Total amnesia and reliance on a space station that isn't that hard to destroy, which is how Buddy Blank was defeated.

CrazyNoVa · 2024-12-25T23:34:25+0000

Mr Zoat said:
Some of the augmentations might be useful, but the downsides to the original OMAC system are fairly significant. Total amnesia and reliance on a space station that isn't that hard to destroy, which is how Buddy Blank was defeated.

What if it wasn't just limited to a singular space station? What if it was a giant galactic network of planetary satellites that can't be easily tracked down or destroyed? They could serve as planetary defense systems for L.E.G.I.O.N.-friendly planets to help them defend against the Reach.

As for the total amnesia, what if you downloaded a copy of your memory from your pre-augmentation self into your post-augmentation self?

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

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