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

AverusBlack · 2025-11-22T08:38:41+0000

mastermenthe said:
Hinon is grumpy because she can be.
Karsta is grumpy because the universe is being reasonable, and where was that sensible universe back in her day? Grumble, grumble, grumble...

Pretty sure this is why Hinon is grumpy too, lmao.

Chojin Patriarch · 2025-11-22T08:40:09+0000

Mr Zoat said:
7th August 2013
10:46 GMT

Superman looks mildly nervous as Karsta Wor-Ul's ship approaches the Watchtower. "She's not planning on hitting me again, right?"

"She didn't tell me that she was planning on hitting you, sir. But I don't think that I'm her favourite person in the universe, either."

I mean, you come out of nowhere, probably grinning like a loon about meeting another adult Kryptonian and likely made a mess of introducing yourself to someone who was in a paranoid, defensive situation. What did you think she'd do?

"Because you told me about her?"

"I didn't actually tell her that was me, sir."

And he'd rather appreciate your discretion?

"Oh. Alright, I won't either."

"Much appreciated."

Good, neither of them about to get in trouble for that.

He looks through the window at her dilapidated ship. "Is that kryptonian? I realise the Doomsday is cutting edge military technology, but I assumed that the other ships would look a little more advanced than that."

"No, sir. As far as I can tell, that's a cut-and-shut job using parts from spacefaring civilisations across three Sectors. Perfectly functional, but shoddy-looking."

So basically an Ugly. Albeit using a shuttle rather than a fighter.

"Is that deliberate, or did she just take the parts she could get?"

"Sir, I've had two conversations with her ever. I don't know much about her personal history."

But I would expect she did steal whatever parts she could use. If she was fully empowered, it wouldn't even have been hard.

"Did you offer her a job?"

"Yes. Two, actually. In addition to a position in LEGION, I thought that she would be a good candidate for colonial governor."

Although one will preclude the other.

"I'd.. be happier with her taking that role, but that would mean that the parolees would have access to a starship. I'm not sure that's a good idea."

There's an audible clunk as the airlock connects. "Feel free to discuss the idea with her. I imagine that her security systems are reasonably good."

And really, even is she puts some kind of biometric lockout, there's no guarantee she can't be coerced into something. Unless she has OL stow it somewhere off-planet alongside his offered zeta terminal.

Karsta's eyes narrow as the doors open wide enough for her to see him. Or perhaps they were like that beforehand and she was watching him through the door using x-ray vision? Whatever it was, she seems unhappy but not violent, which is about all I expected.

"Sub-commander." Kal-El smiles, right hand extended. "Welcome to the Watchtower. You're looking well."

It could really be either case. I doubt the Watchtower is that well shielded against Superman's powers...

"Kal-El." She walks out of her ship and into the docking corridor, and while she hesitates for a moment she does take his hand. And doesn't turn it into a kryptonian test of strength. "That's the Doomsday."

He nods as she releases his hand, turning to lead her towards the meeting room. "Yes, we just finished bringing it up to full working order."

No point in pleasantries with a giant eff-off battleship sitting right there... Nice talking point, though.

"Admiral Dru-Zod sent it here?"

"Ah, most of it. When we found it, it was broken up into individual modules."

Which is still an impressive aspect of Kryptonian technology. You try that with an Earth ship, and you'd end up with very expensive salvage.

"Did he leave a message saying why he sent it here?"

"Because of isolationism. He wanted some future kryptonian to find it and bring it back into use."

With the unstated expectation that said kryptonian/s would use it to restart the Kryptonian Empire. Well, that's what I gathered from it.

"Do you even know how to fly it?"

"No, but Ak-Var and I are learning."

It's probably designed to be very user-friendly.

"Learning-. You're-?" She sighs. "How are you learning to fly the greatest warship Krypton ever built?"

"Har-Zod has been able-."

She stops dead and turns to face him. "High Councillor Har-Zod is still alive?"

Hmm... Would that be a 'he's alive?' of relief, or of annoyance and eagerness to punch him out?

"Ah, no, but he created a neural clone and left it on a small listening post on Xeon. We then brought Xeon into Earth orbit."

Her face goes blank as she takes that in.

...Huh, so Earth currently has a much smaller second moonlet orbiting it. Or at least a very big, strangely structured space station.

"Do you wanna talk to him?"

"Not right now."

Read the room, Clark, i don't think she's happy to know anything of him survives...

"Okay, well, if you're interested in the governor position, I've got-" The door to meeting room opens, and he leads the way through. "-someone for you to meet."

Non looks up from his place at the table, while Karsta frowns at him in confusion. "Who are you supposed to be?"

Ah, this will be interesting. She's of an older generation, after all, so Non probably feels like a kid to her.

"Non-Du."

She blinks. "Strange uniform for a Du. Did you get released from the Phantom Zone?"

And we finally get a family name for Non, in this fic at least.

"Yes. And I wear the uniform because joined the military after receiving a brain injury."

She looks mildly puzzled, but she walks over to the table and sits down opposite him. "That should have disqualified you. Or they should have fixed it."

'They' gave it to him in the first place...

He shakes his head. "I don't remember it too clearly. I think I could still fight well enough, and follow orders. General Zod wanted someone obedient, not clever."

"General Zod. The reason why the other escaped naval personnel got hunted down."

Yes, don't go holding that against him, though.

"Yes. I don't remember why I thought… What we did was a good idea. The best I can think of is that if he'd won, we would have been able to evacuate more people."

"How do you feel about setting up home on a new world?"

A noble intention, but ultimately futile. And it probably had a much more personal reason behind it for Zod.

"I don't remember exactly what I did for General Zod, but it looks like it involved a lot of physical labour. I doubt that a new colony would need a junior researcher, but I can do farm work or construction."

"No. How do you feel about it?"

Ah, good question. This isn't about his willingness to do the work, really.

"I don't feel much of anything about it. Krypton is.. gone. The life I planned isn't going to happen, and I don't even-" He reaches up to his head with his right hand, scratching at where there used to be a scar. "-know why I chose the military as a backup option. I think I'd feel happier knowing that there was an actual plan. I don't particularly like the idea of starting from nothing, but I can't think of anything else we could do."

That's going to be a bit of a tic for him for a while, I think. I do something similar, when I cut my hair when it gets longer and still do the 'brush the hair back' motion for a week or two afterwards.

"You don't think you could run it yourself?"

"I.. don't have any experience overseeing things. And you were the Sub-Commander of the Kryptonian Stellar Navy, when that actually meant something. People will follow you. All I did was attempt a revolt which failed."

You hope so, anyway.

"Ehh…" She slumps slightly. "What about you, Kal-El?"

"I've got a life here on Earth. I'm happy to help you get started, but I don't have any particular desire to be part of it. It's…" he sags slightly. "It's not my culture."

and there's one of the tragedies of Superman. As much as he wants to know about his birth culture, he'll never feel like a part of it because of his terrestrial upbringing. Unless mind control is involved, at least.

"It's not going to be their culture either. Most of them are going to be from after the Science Council ended the Kryptonian Empire."

"My father.. didn't much like what Kryptonian society became. And from most of the reports I've seen, the Kryptonian Empire was a force for good."

Depending on who you ask, at least. The people they conquered might have objections about the force used...

She looks over to me. "And what about you?"

"What about me?"

Given the way OL's been orchestrating all this, that's a fair question.

"You wanted me to fight in your war. Had second thoughts?"

"No. I think you'd be productive in either role, and I think you'd be happier with a project like that to work on."

Easy to feel that out with his empathic senses. He could probably tell she didn't really want to be part of a war again.

She thinks for a moment, not looking at anyone.

"Fine. Show me who I'll be working with."

Perhaps she might even have some insight into some of the older inmates...

So, it'll be Mayor Karsta, rather than... Captain? I suppose this is better than getting involved in someone else's war, which she probably wasn't that into as a plan. And it's likely OL will still offer Maltusian aid in rebuilding the kryptonian species. The big question will be will the parolees agree to this, or will some of them have objections to a 'deserter' being in charge over them?

WereDragon · 2025-11-22T10:04:53+0000

Mr Zoat said:
She stops dead and turns to face him. "High Councillor Har-Zod is still alive?"

"Ah, no, but he created a neural clone and left it on a small listening post on Xeon. We then brought Xeon into Earth orbit."

Her face goes blank as she takes that in.

Amazing the things you learn when you actually engage with other people.

"It's not going to be their culture either. Most of them are going to be from after the Science Council ended the Kryptonian Empire."

Nice to see someone acknowledge that. Culture is learned. And is heavily shaped by environmental factors. Accurately recreating one from a handful of survivors somewhere else is functionally impossible.

Mr Zoat · 2025-11-22T10:27:40+0000

Darko said:
"I joined"

Thank you, corrected.

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

More options

Recent threadmarks

Recent threadmarks

AverusBlack

AKA Aisling

Chojin Patriarch

Veteran Lurker

WereDragon

Bookwyrm

Mr Zoat

Dedicated ragequitter

Recent threadmarks

Recent threadmarks

Users who are viewing this thread