Chojin Patriarch
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I hope that's rhetorical, because how does he expect OL to know? Manga Khan isn't working for him.6th April
04:18 GMT
Batman's eyes narrow at the holographic representation of the Cluster ship opens its primary docking bay, releasing three craft.
"Where are they going?"
OL is going to be having a long conversation with Clarrissi Dox next time they're in the same area, aren't they?I know that I don't need sleep and that Manga Khan and I are part of the same organisation, but that doesn't actually meant that I have any insight that I couldn't share in five minutes. And yet since he arrived I've been more in demand than ever. Are people seriously only just waking up to the idea that the rest of the universe exists? I'd say 'no', but…
It's called 'passing the buck', John. Amazing how everyone expects OL to know about this.I look over to John Stewart, who raises his eyebrows.
"He's talking to you."
Not OL's Chain of Command, after all. Would a four-star general take responsibility for a sailor's activities?"I'd have thought that the Green Lantern Corps' records on ClusterCorp would make you the expert."
"You're really not taking any responsibility for this, are you?"
In less polite terms, 'fucked if I know.'"If he were a Green Lantern Sector Lantern and I was the Illustres of the Green Lantern Corps, I wouldn't have any responsibility for him outside of a war zone unless the Guardians gave it to me."
Sounds like someone's trying for some backroom dealings...But anyway, I turn and look through the Watchtower's hull towards the Cluster ship.
"Looks like… Someone on the surface radioed them and they're going to make a trade. Not something profitable; they're just doing it to build market confidence."
Ah, the legalities, or lack thereof, of interstellar trade. Especially when the more experienced party has few scruples...Kal-El frowns at me. "But the UN hasn't finished negotiating trade terms yet."
"Manga Khan will start caring about that the moment it impacts his bottom line. He has no intention of giving even lip service to any agreement that he isn't a party to and doesn't serve his interests. The fact that Earth doesn't have any space-based weapons means that the UN has no way of preventing him from landing where he wants and doing business with whomever he wants, with the possible exception that governments that want to do business with him might try and hide the fact."
I think Arthur's starting to get a little annoyed with OL... It has been quite the day...King Orin's arms are firmly folded across his chest.
"Do you have any helpful suggestions?"
And doesn't that frighten them a little, I wonder..."Those landers are pretty cheap and.. probably only crewed by dumb robots. Destroying them would send a clear message about territorial sovereignty, thought that would imply to anyone watching that the Justice League are the rulers of Earth with total executive authority on the subject of foreign trade."
Inhospitable, hostile, and fucking dangerous, in no particular order.Lines appear on the holographic display as Batman tries to work out where the landers are going.
"Central Australia, East Africa and the South Pole."
Definitely someone trying to get a jump on other powers...Kal-El raises his eyebrows slightly.
"Not exactly bustling trade centers."
He's pulling Kal-El's own 'let them develop at their own rate' thing? Ha!King Orin looks at me. I look at John.
"Why are you trying to be so hands off with this?"
"Because this is Earth's first contact with an extra-terrestrial political entity and I -may I remind you- have no legal authority to act. I have the capacity to act-."
I bet some people do have plans, they're just mostly Lex Luthor...Kal-El nods. "But you don't want us to get off on the wrong foot."
"It's not that I'd mind being made King of Earth…" I frown. "No, I would. I'm not even comfortable making a joke about it. But… You've been openly kryptonian for… What, fourteen years? If no one's got a plan for dealing with this sort of thing by now then it's trial-by-fire time because they've had plenty of notice."
I take it Teth Adom has been playing it softly. Or busy with other matters to attend personally."The ship heading towards East Africa is most likely going to land on the disputed border between Zambesia and Kahndaq."
"Is Zambesia still disputing it? Brave of them."
One out of three isn't great. You'd think he'd do a little more research...King Orin continues to be unimpressed. "Do you have any idea why?"
"No one owns the South Pole, no one owns Bir Tawil and Central Australia is basically empty. I imagine that Manga Khan is going to claim that they're unowned, and as such that no government has the authority to restrict what happens there."
Bloody Oath! Damn right. But the Kangaroos are the scary ones...John looks at the holographic projection. "I think the Australian government might take issue with that."
Batman enlarges the image of the lander. "Are they armed?"
"I'd be armed if I had to deal with Koalas all day."
I can just picture Batman's grumpy face here... OL is really trying his patience."Are the landers armed?"
"They're usually not, though the crew will be lightly armed."
Oh, is he actually going to try and give OL an order? Just one problem...He looks at King Orin. "Did the Security Council give you any indication of how they wanted us to handle this?"
"Nothing actionable. Not unless they attack somewhere. Until things change, the most we can do is monitor the Cluster ships and keep them informed. Orange Lantern."
Speaking of chains of command..."Aquaman."
"Go and talk to Manga Khan. Try and get a better idea of what he wants."
I don't know, I wouldn't want to have to actually talk to Manga Khan either...…
"Um."
His face hardens. "I don't care that he's not under your authority. You just need to have a conversation with him."
See, now he's in the chain of command, since OL is a member of the Team. They really need to give it a proper name, at this point..."Aquaman… Aside from the obvious conflict of interest, you don't… Actually have the authority to give me orders. I'm not-" He grimaces. "-a member of the Justice League, and I'm not one of your subjects. If you want me to do you a fav-?"
"Orange Lantern." Batman turns to face me. "Go to the Cluster ship and talk to Manga Khan. Try and find out for certain exactly what he wants here."
And Aquaman is sitting there seething..."Certainly, sir." I raise my right index and middle fingers to my forehead. "I'll let you know when I have something."
I vanish,
And it's not like it has to enter atmosphere, though I expect there are heavy shields available just in case.reappearing just behind the landers and facing the Cluster ship. It's big, but I've seen much bigger. And the design… The original design was for something like the Star Wars Trade Federation Lucrehulks, a ball-shaped central unit with additional units stuck on the outside as needed. This abomination is the result of them deciding that it was cheaper and easier to just stick the balls together, especially given that their form of FTL doesn't require much in the way of structural stability.
Oh, he's going to have fun with this, isn't he? In between rubbing his temples...But still…
"Orange Lantern Illustres-"
"Paul."
"-to Lord-Lantern Comic King. Please respond."
L-Ron! Put-upon personal assistant of the great Manga Khan, also has a secret crush on their boss. It's a thing.My ring.. glows, as if he was responding. But my ring doesn't show his face. Then the roomba-like head of an L-series personal assistant robot appears.
You don't want mistranslations, don't use random words, bro.
I can't help but picture this as Manga Khan yelling so loudly that OL can hear him. In space."-in legitimate commercial activity, pursuant to-."
"I know you are. I've been told to do the laziest sort of corporate intelligence gathering and just ask you what you're planning."
"They want me to tell them what I'm planning?"
Oh, this is not going to be fun at all, is it?And suddenly I remember one of Lord-Lantern Comic King's most well-known personal attributes.
"Yes. I'm obliged to listen to him talk about it for as long as he likes."
Seriously, these two are comic gold. If you want laughs, look up the Keith Giffen runs of Justice League, and the two miniseries he did later."Let him on board! I will astound him with the brilliance of my business strategy!"
The robot's eye lights noticeably dim.
"You're shouting again, sir."
Well, it's a good thing OL's environmental field can dampen sound, because Manga Khan can get real loud. Hopefully Big Goldy has been taking his meds for that little soliloquising disorder...