• The site has now migrated to Xenforo 2. If you see any issues with the forum operation, please post them in the feedback thread.
  • Due to issues with external spam filters, QQ is currently unable to send any mail to Microsoft E-mail addresses. This includes any account at live.com, hotmail.com or msn.com. Signing up to the forum with one of these addresses will result in your verification E-mail never arriving. For best results, please use a different E-mail provider for your QQ address.
  • For prospective new members, a word of warning: don't use common names like Dennis, Simon, or Kenny if you decide to create an account. Spammers have used them all before you and gotten those names flagged in the anti-spam databases. Your account registration will be rejected because of it.
  • Since it has happened MULTIPLE times now, I want to be very clear about this. You do not get to abandon an account and create a new one. You do not get to pass an account to someone else and create a new one. If you do so anyway, you will be banned for creating sockpuppets.
  • Due to the actions of particularly persistent spammers and trolls, we will be banning disposable email addresses from today onward.
  • The rules regarding NSFW links have been updated. See here for details.

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

This is what it currently says:

Link-code.jpg


I don't see what you're seeing.
 
Here's a list of episodes where you can find the alternative settings or lanterns so you don't have to sift through the threadmarks. Note that the list is still incomplete.

Red Lantern:
Ep 42
-Sororicide (Part 21)
-Sororicide (part 22)
Ep 84
-Uxoricide (part 12)
-Uxocicide (part 13)
Ep 99
-Will murder for personal satisfaction
Ep 109
-Liberticide (part 1)
-Liberticide (part 2)
-Liberticide (part 3)
-Liberticide (part 4)

Anti green Lantern:
Ep 42
-Mayday (part 3)
-Mayday (part 23)
Ep 83
-Encumbrance (part 19)
-Difficulty (part 15)
-Difficulty (part 16)
-Difficulty (part 17)
Ep 91
-Irritation
Ep 98
-Everything is awesome

Blue Lantern/Earth -14:
Ep 27
-Meanwhile, on Earth -14
Ep 33
-Doppelgänger story only
Ep 42
-Defector (part 5)
Ep 85
-Some time ago on Earth -14
-Doppelgängered story only

Yellow Lantern:
Ep 95
-Lantern corps, Ho!
-Lantern corps, Ho!
-Lantern corps, Ho!
Ep 98
-In Order
Ep 100
-Wyrm (part 1)
-Wyrm (part 2)
-Wyrm (part 3)

Indigo Lantern:
Ep 42
-Bereave (part 1)
-Bereave (part 7)
Ep 82
-Nobody Move (part 21)

Avatar The last airbender
Ep 42
-Avatar: Legend of Azula (part 1)
-Avatar: Legend of Azula (part 2)

My Little Pony FiM
Ep 42
-My Little Lantern: Avarice is Magic (part 1)
-My Little Lantern: Avarice is Magic (part 2)

Captain Planet
Ep 42
-Blight Up Your Life (part 1)

Kung Fu Panda
Ep 42
-Kung Fu Leopard (part 1)
-Kung Fu Leopard (part 2)

ElseWhen/ Jade Scott
Ep 74
-ElseWhen
-ElseWhen
Ep 75
-ElseWhen
-ElseWhen
-ElseWhen
Ep76
-ElseWhen
Ep 90
-ElseWhen
-ElseWhen

Common sense:
Ep 78
-Common sense (part 1)
Ep 82
-Common sense (part 2)
Ep 86
-Common sense (part 3)
-Common sense (part 4)
Ep 87
-Common sense (part 5)
Ep 110
-Common sense (part 6)
-Common sense (part 7)

Sybarite:
Ep 81
-Sybarite (part 1)
-Sybarite (part 2)

Justice League unlimited:
Ep 85
-A long time ago on Earth 12
-A little later on Earth 12
-Some time ago on Earth 12
-Recently on Earth 12
Ep 87
-Recently on Earth 12
Ep 92
-Covert community (part 1)
-Covert community (part 2)
Ep 98
-Here's mud in your you
Ep 102
-Some time ago on Earth 12
-Most recently on Earth 12
-Still on Earth 12
-On Earth 12 again

He-man:
Ep 94
-I HAVE THE POWER! RING
-I HAVE THE POWER! RING

Fallout:
Ep 94
-Old World Dudes
-Old World Dudes
Ep 97
-Should Have Posted This Sooner
Ep 108
-Fallin (part 1)
-Fallin (part 2)
-Fallin (part 3)
-Fallin (part 4)
-Fallin (part 5)
-Fallin (part 6)
-Fallin (part 7)

Avengers EMH:
Ep 94
-Earth's Orangest Hero
-Earth's Orangest Hero

Angel Paul:
Ep 94
-Fratricide squad
Ep 98
-Clarity

WH fantasy:
Ep 95
-Warlantern Fantasy Battle
-Warlantern Fantasy Battle
-Warlantern Fantasy Battle
Ep 101
-Warhammered (part 1)
-Warhammered (part 2)
-Warhammered (part 3)
-Warhammered (part 4)

WH40K:
Ep 95
-Warlantern 40,000
-Warlantern 40,000
-Warlantern 40,000
Ep 104
-Kaising the Joint (part 1)
-Kaising the Joint (part 2)
-Kaising the Joint (part 3)
-Kaising the Joint (part 4)
-Kaising the Joint (part 5)

Black Lantern
Ep 96
-Repetition (part 13)
-Repetition (part 14)
-Repetition (part 16)
-Repetition (part 17)


Tangseid:
Ep 99
-When you're Evil
Ep 106
-Sauntering downwards (part 1)
-Sauntering downwards (part 2)
-Sauntering downwards (part 3)
-Sauntering downwards (part 4)
-Sauntering downwards (part 5)

Stargirl:
Ep 99
-Ringman (part 1)
-Ringman (part 2)

GATE:
Ep 103
-Gateway (part 1)
-Gateway (part 2)
-Gateway (part 3)
-Gateway (part 4)

Marvel:
Ep 107
-Meanwhile, on Earth 534834 (part 1)
-Meanwhile, on Earth 534834 (part 2)
-Meanwhile, on Earth 534834 (part 3)
-Meanwhile, on Earth 534834 (part 4)
-Meanwhile, on Earth 534834 (part 5)

Teal Lantern:
Ep 111
-I smile to see you want (part 4a)
-I smile to see you want (part 4b)

Edit 1. Formatting and adding links
Edit 2. Added more links
Edit 3. Added Black Lantern
 
Last edited:
Here's a list of episodes where you can find the alternative settings or lanterns so you don't have to sift through the threadmarks. Note that the list is still incomplete.
If you'd like to update the list on the wiki, let me know and I can set you up with an editor account.
 
You know... You would think Paragon would be a bit more concerned about the Reach being able to hijack his ring's communications at will like that...

I think the Reachian (I'm going to call Him/Her Commander) is communicating through the ships communicators.

"That was a rather impressive display."

Of course, I didn't target the ships' communications systems. Which means that my Reach admirer can still speak to me.
 
Thrawn rarely was so full of himself as this Reach fella seems to be. Even the Disney version was mostly just smug and superior rather then actively grandstanding over the radio at his foes.

Don't know if THIS Reach official is the same one that ends up on Earth in YJ canon or not. We haven't seen Black Beetle thus far, and the one in the show never gave a name either, so it's hard to say which is which. So all we're left with are 'The Ambassador' , 'The Scientist' and 'Black Beetle' for identifiable Reach members from the show?
 
Onslaught (part 20)
25th August 2012
05:45 GMT


"…keep what is mine, that is my right."

The usual recharge-flare isn't all that big, but I make a point of causing huge arcs of orange light to flow around me to make it very obvious to the N.E.M.O. fleet that the Illustres is back in fighting form.

"Sorry I'm late. Traffic was terrible."

N.E.M.O. fleet. Not a L.E.G.I.O.N. fleet. Dox's plan to bring everyone up to speed is a remarkable piece of work, but it's got a lot of moving parts that can get gummed up. We assumed that the Reach wouldn't make a counter-attack at this point, as that would have been in line with their previously observed behaviour. That meant that the plan favoured building up those stellar nations who were nearly to the point where they could build L.E.G.I.O.N.-grade ships rather than rushing ships as soon as possible. By the time the Reach were likely to get serious, we would have the largest possible number of ships. But naturally, that means that we're a little short now.

"Hierarch-Illustres, we detect no lateness and we are grateful for your presence."

Only a little short. L.E.G.I.O.N. ships are moving in on all of the other preserved alien fleets, with reserves to cover any likely location for a Reach attack from the fleets we know about. Not an ideal situation; our fleets aren't really designed to capture ships intact and so we're going to be getting tissue samples at best. But… You go to war with the military you have.

"My pleasure, Admiral."

It's the big sphere ship, the raw power of its shields and armour meaning that these ships… Don't really have anything that can meaningfully hurt it. Colossal size isn't an unalloyed good as every strategy has a counterplay option and making one big ship means that you can't really switch strategy. On the other hand, if your opponent isn't ready for your all-in, they rather get bulldozed.

Big, powerful shield and tough armour and thanks to me savaging their desires earlier I don't think that I can just appear onboard again. On the other hand, having had a good look at the fracture cannons earlier I don't think that I need to.

"Please make sure that your ships stay clear."

The fracture cannon construct appears next to me, its huge size meaning that its appearance is relatively slow. Not sure if whoever's on the sphere knows what it is I'm making, but anyone with any sense gets nervous when a Lantern points something like this at them.

"Illustres to Reach-affiliated ship. Strike your colours, power down your weapons and shields and prepare to be boarded. You have ten seconds to comply."

I don't have to worry about powering the thing, but to make sure this looks good for the cameras I physically take hold of my personal lantern and slot it into the construct. The sphere… It can't really accelerate above its current slow rate, but it's channelling combat power into its shields, interdiction systems and point defences. A quick scan shows none of the Free Lancers' clever guns, and I'd like to take advantage of their absence for as long as I can.

"You have been identified as hostile and have refused to surrender. May Lord Hades have mercy on your souls."

There's a faint purple glow around my construct, then a flash from the ship as a line of purple pierces it pole to pole. The armour isn't worthless -in fact it's relatively intact- but all of the space along that line that wasn't armoured just got horribly damaged. Including their main reactor, because their ship prioritised output over redundancy. After all, if an attacker can punch through the strongest shields and armour they can build, why wouldn't they just fire again if they didn't score an immediate kill? Better to have a more effective reactor to power the strongest possible shields.

And it makes sense. Up to a point.

The speed of light being what it is, it'll be a few minutes until we see the ship lose thrust as the lights on the outer surface start going out, but since I'm seeing it by ring-scan I share it with the fleet. No sense leaving them to worry unnecessarily.

The construct glows purple again as I target the armoured command bunker inside the ship. The tactic they used to use if something went wrong with primary power was to hunker down and prepare counter-boarding tactics, in the not entirely incorrect belief that while an enemy might be able to disable them, breaking a ship that size apart was a whole nother matter. They would sacrifice mass for time as the engineers worked to repair the reactor.

I target their reaction mass containment and fire for a third time.

A normal fleet in this position would retreat, sacrificing a rearguard if necessary. A one-ship fleet like this can't. Once it stops functioning it's stopped, and all of the resources put into building it are forfeit. If I was depriving the Reach of something they invested effort in I'd feel quite good about this. But I suspect it was just in mothballs until a Reach xenophile felt moved to take it out. Probably brought it up to specification using his own funds. And while having me single-handedly destroy it is a good news story for our side, the Reach as a people and a polity aren't going to care at all.

Two more shots targeting emergency batteries, then I dismiss the construct. At this point we could just leave them to starve to death. I doubt that the Reach will spend the effort needed to pick them up, and the ship is damaged beyond what the people on board can repair by their own efforts.

"Admiral, the ship is disabled. Please have your fleet picket it until Orange Lanterns become available to board and clear it."

"We have Citizen-Marines who can perform that operation."

"I appreciate the offer, but this ship comes from a species the Reach made extinct. We want to take the crew alive if at all possible, and it would be entirely unreasonable to put your marines in that much danger."

"For what reason?"

"Because we're not fighting this war to take territory or resources. We're not fighting the Reach because they're offensive to our gods, or our sense of aesthetics. We're fighting them because they're an existential threat to us, and to everyone else. But if we are to be the righteous side, there must be beneficent things we do where they would instead be malevolent. They enslave and exterminate. We will recreate civilisations and make their people free. Quite aside from the moral value, there are few things as satisfying as entirely undoing your enemy's work."

"That is the Zenith-Controllers' objective? I know that they transform worlds for their vassals, but I did not realise that their powers included recreating entire species."

"They're welcome to join in of course, but it's possible for the rest of us as well. It just takes longer. I don't fight because I rejoice in the piles of corpses I create. I rejoice in making the universe more like it should be."

I dismiss my construct and return my personal lantern to subspace, having my ring send me an update on the ongoing fights with the other fleets. The ones I visited are performing noticeably worse than their pre-Reach counterparts, but I need to get moving.

"Moving into position, Hierarch-Illustres. We will stand by until relieved by Citizen-Lanterns."

"Thank you, Admiral."

I

step out

and appear in the midst of a starship dogfight! I generate a construct shield to block a missile barrage that could have crippled a L.E.G.I.O.N. cruiser and retaliate with a destructive lance that rips an enemy heavy cruiser into pieces.

"Illustres to Clarissi, I've dealt with the sphere. Please send Orange Lanterns who can reliably brand to board it."

I'll assign them after the attack is over.

I form construct point defences and an instant later there are no enemy missiles in the combat zone.

"Thank you. I think my secret admirer is behind this attack."

Yes, I heard your conversation. I will continue investigating them. This methodology is irregular for the Reach. I dislike my enemies behaving irregularly.

"Me too. I'll pop by once the attacking fleets are defeated. Illustres out."
 
Last edited:
but I make a point of causing huge arcs of orange light to flow around me to make it very obvious to the N.E.M.O. fleet that the Illustres is back in fighting form.

Gotta keep morale up.

so we're going to getting tissue samples

'to be'

apart was a whole nother matter.

'whole other'

there must be things beneficent things

remove one 'things'

I don't fight because rejoice

'because I'

"Yes, I heard your conversation. I will continue investigating them. This methodology is irregular for the Reach. I dislike my enemies behaving irregularly."

remove the ".

The previous instances of ring communication lacked them.

This methodology is irregular for the Reach

So either it's the Reach version of Thrawn, or unlikely, but still interesting, this guy isn't even a Reach.
 
25th August 2012
05:45 GMT


"…keep what is mine, that is my right."

The usual recharge-flare isn't all that big, but I make a point of causing huge arcs of orange light to flow around me to make it very obvious to the N.E.M.O. fleet that the Illustres is back in fighting form.
Nothing like the intimidation factor of knowing your Lantern enemy has a full tank, and is about to point all that power at you. A pity the Reach thralls he's fighting are too broken to be intimidated.

"Sorry I'm late. Traffic was terrible."
Yes, all those remnant fleets getting in the way of your steamroller. Hopefully nothing as bad as Threllians' people.

N.E.M.O. fleet. Not a L.E.G.I.O.N. fleet. Dox's plan to bring everyone up to speed is a remarkable piece of work, but it's got a lot of moving parts that can get gummed up. We assumed that the Reach wouldn't make a counter-attack at this point, as that would have been in line with their previously observed behaviour. That meant that the plan favoured building up those stellar nations who were nearly to the point where they could build L.E.G.I.O.N.-grade ships rather than rushing ships as soon as possible. By the time the Reach were likely to get serious, we would have the largest possible number of ships. But naturally, that means that we're a little short now.
Yay for long-term strategic planning. Favouring the longer game instead of the shorter gain.

"Hierarch-Illustres, we detect no lateness and we are grateful for your presence."

Only a little short. L.E.G.I.O.N. ships are moving in on all of the other preserved alien fleets, with reserves to cover any likely location for a Reach attack from the fleets we know about. Not an ideal situation; our fleets aren't really designed to capture ships intact and so we're going to getting tissue samples at best. But… You go to war with the military you have.
I'm guessing this fellow's race has a caste-system, and outsiders are afforded equivalent positions within it. With OL having a rank close to the top...

"My pleasure, Admiral."

It's the big sphere ship, the raw power of its shields and armour meaning that these ships… Don't really have anything that can meaningfully hurt it. Colossal size isn't an unalloyed good as every strategy has a counterplay option and making one big ship means that you can't really switch strategy. On the other hand, if your opponent isn't ready for your all-in, they rather get bulldozed.
...Wait, he's basically taking on a Death Star? Heh. I bet that 'bulldozed' can be literal if they appear close enough to the enemy and moving at enough speed.

Big, powerful shield and tough armour and thanks to me savaging their desires earlier I don't think that I can just appear onboard again. On the other hand, having had a good look at the fracture cannons earlier I don't think that I need to,

"Please make sure that your ships stay clear."
Huh, it's one of the ones he visited before? I wonder which...

The fracture cannon construct appears next to me, its huge size meaning that its appearance is relatively slow. Not sure if whoever's on the sphere knows what it is I'm making, but anyone with any sense gets nervous when a Lantern points something like this at them.

"Illustres to Reach-affiliated ship. Strike your colours, power down your weapons and shields and prepare to be boarded. You have ten seconds to comply."
Upside, no need to target an equatorial thermal exhaust port with torpedoes fired from a snub fighter. Downside, I suspect that construct isn't exactly the most mobile of weapons. Against most fleets, it'd probably be a liability for him.

I don't have to worry about powering the thing, but to make sure this looks good for the cameras I physically take hold of my personal lantern and slot it into the construct. The sphere… It can't really accelerate above its current slow rate, but it's channelling combat power into its shields, interdiction systems and point defences. A quick scan shows none of the Free Lancers' clever guns, and I'd like to take advantage of their absence for as long as I can.

"You have been identified as hostile and have refused to surrender. May Lord Hades have mercy on your souls."
So the sooner he nobbles this ship, the sooner he can move on to the next fleet. This shouldn't take too long.

There's a faint purple glow around my construct, then a flash from the ship as a line of purple pierces it pole to pole. The armour isn't worthless -in fact it's relatively intact- but all of the space along that line that wasn't armoured just got horribly damaged. Including their main reactor, because their ship prioritised output over redundancy. After all, if an attacker can punch through the strongest shields and armour they can build, why wouldn't they just fire again if they didn't score an immediate kill? Better to have a more effective reactor to power the strongest possible shields.

And it makes sense. Up to a point.
Unfortunately, as OL just showed, when you can ignore those shields... Well, they lose.

The speed of light being what it is, it'll be a few minutes until we see the ship lose thrust as the lights on the outer surface start going out, but since I'm seeing it by ring-scan I share it with the fleet. No sense leaving them to worry unnecessarily.

The construct glows purple again as I target the armoured command bunker inside the ship. The tactic they used to use if something went wrong with primary power was to hunker down and prepare counter-boarding tactics, in the not entirely incorrect belief that while an enemy might be able to disable them, breaking a ship that size apart was a whole nother matter. They would sacrifice mass for time as the engineers worked to repair the reactor.
And if it's anything as large as a Death Star, that would be a lot of territory to sweep one block at a time...

I target their reaction mass containment and fire for a third time.

A normal fleet in this position would retreat, sacrificing a rearguard if necessary. A one-ship fleet like this can't. Once it stops functioning it's stopped, and all of the resources put into building it are forfeit. If I was depriving the Reach of something they invested effort in I'd feel quite good about this. But since I suspect it was just in mothballs until a Reach xenophile felt moved to take it out. Probably brought it up to specification using his own funds. And while having me single-handedly destroy it is a good news story for our side, the Reach as a people and a polity aren't going to care at all.
True. If anything, they'd probably spin it as 'belligerent enemy Lantern terrorises peaceful nomadic fleets.' Not that they really need to drum up hard feelings against N.E.M.O. But they'd probably want to 'encourage' undecided neutrals to accept Reach protection...

Two more shots targeting emergency batteries, then I dismiss the construct. At this point we could just leave them to starve to death. I doubt that the Reach will spend the effort needed to pick them up, and the ship is damaged beyond what the people on board can repair by their own efforts.

"Admiral, the ship is disabled. Please have your fleet picket it until Orange Lanterns become available to board and clear it."
Not that there's a big rush. I'm sure local Lanterns will be quite busy for a couple of weeks now.

"We have Citizen-Marines who can perform that operation."

"I appreciate the offer, but this ship comes from a species the Reach made extinct. We want to take the crew alive if at all possible, and it would be entirely unreasonable to put your marines in that much danger."
Presumably for the reasons I mentioned earlier, of sheer effort needed to secure something that big.

"For what reason?"

"Because we're not fighting this war to take territory or resources. We're not fighting the Reach because they're offensive to our gods, or our sense of aesthetics. We're fighting them because they're an existential threat to us, and to everyone else. But if we are to be the righteous side, there must be things beneficent things we do where they would instead be malevolent. They enslave and exterminate. We will recreate civilisations and make their people free. Quite aside from the moral value, there are few things as satisfying as entirely undoing your enemy's work."
Heh, that makes a good soundbite for the propaganda machine. I hope someone was recording it... Well, I know OL was, but hopefully others were too.

"That is the Zenith-Controller's objective? I know that they transform worlds for their vassals, but I did not realise that their powers included recreating entire species."

"They're welcome to join in of course, but it's possible for the rest of us as well. It just takes longer. I don't fight because rejoice in the piles of corpses I create. I rejoice in making the universe more like it should be."
And that is a badass boast that will probably go memetic as soon as it hits the galactic equivalent of the Internet.

I dismiss my construct and return my personal lantern to subspace, having my ring send me an update on the ongoing fights with the other fleets. The ones I visited are performing noticeably worse than their pre-Reach counterparts, but I need to get moving.

"Moving into position, Hierarch-Illustres. We will stand by until relieved by Citizen-Lanterns."
So, his day's not over for quite a while. At least he won't have nearly as hard a time as he did with Threllian's people.

"Thank you, Admiral."

I

step out

and appear in the midst of a starship dogfight! I generate a construct shield to block a missile barrage that could have crippled a L.E.G.I.O.N. cruiser and retaliate with a destructive lance that rips an enemy heavy cruiser into pieces.
And straight back into the fight. No rest for the righteous...

"Illustres to Clarissi, I've dealt with the sphere. Please send Orange Lanterns who can reliably brand to board it."

I'll assign them after the attack is over.

I form construct point defences and an instant there are no enemy missiles in the combat zone.
I suspect he's had enough of these fleets, though. A display like that just screams 'you are outmatched.'

"Thank you. I think my secret admirer is behind this attack."

"Yes, I heard your conversation. I will continue investigating them. This methodology is irregular for the Reach. I dislike my enemies behaving irregularly."

"Me too. I'll pop by once the attacking fleets are defeated. Illustres out."
So, he'll be done in a couple of hours. Because I doubt any of the remnants will have anything to trouble him, even Scarab Warriors.

So, the main plot of the episode is pretty much done, then. Hopefully N.E.M.O's intelligence branch can get some info on this mysterious Reach commander that's showing such an interest in OL. I'm definitely getting a sense that their identity, and dealing with their assorted ploys, will form a big part of the meta-plot of the next few episodes...
 
Well... That was a nice two minutes of suspense while it lasted...
 
Does Black lantern Paul have a standalone chapter to him?
 
I was thinking of a power tier division list, and wanted to ask if anyone had any additions to it. I'm planning on dividing it up by feats of power, but logically, with each step up in tier, there should be a corresponding increase in power versatility.

X: This tier can only be described as something on the level of The Source. It becomes powerful to the point of being abstract in nature.

S: At the high end, beings in this tier can wipe out whole solar systems, or more. At the lower end, they should be capable of total planetary destruction. Survivability also sees a huge jump here, with most beings in this tier having backups in place in case of death.

A: Beings in this tier can, in relatively short order, wipe out all life on a planet, but will still likely struggle in actually destroying a planet. They should also have various means of surviving in space under their own power. Any mildly competent lantern should get an immediate boost to low A tier.

B: Beings that can crush mountains and level cities. The best example of this is Superman. Super strong, fast, and tough, but it would still take him weeks to try and kill everything on Earth, assuming that he ever could.

C: At this point, a being should be capable of going toe to toe against a modern Earth military. This would require some consistent method of resisting bullets and explosions, and enough stamina to last them through such a fight, or long enough to escape.

Past this point, further subdivision could occur, but it would be kind of pointless, as on a universal scale, C is where things stop mattering at all. Of course, in actual fights, while a being's power tier are certainly important, the abilities and equipment in use are often more so. I'd appreciate any comments
 
Onslaught (part 21)
25th August 2012
07:23 GMT


Dox nods.

"I am in complete agreement."

Off to one side Georgia is busy taking apart one of the captured construct destroyers with obvious relish.

"Our greatest advantage is that Orange Lanterns can outperform everything the Reach can send against them at anything remotely resembling even tonnage. That advantage is about to be nullified."

His ring shimmers.

"I'm sending orders now. Orange Lanterns will begin striking at Reach targets immediately."

I nod. "Where do you want me?"

He shakes his head. "I don't. Having analysed your conversation with your…" His face twitches in distaste. "'Admirer', I have reached the conclusion that you're becoming a little too visible."

"Clarissi-."

"It's not about my personal pride. Your death would be a substantial blow to our allies' morale. And while there is some advantage in having the Reach focus their research and development efforts on a single individual, I would rather not give them a single thing to focus on at all."

I nod. "If you say so. What do you want me doing, then? Should I head back to Earth, do a tour of our member worlds to spread the good news..?"

"The abilities you used to defeat the byryte fleet aren't shared by other Orange Lanterns. That will be a problem when the Reach reinforce them."

"Yes, but that's been true since we started this. What I did to.. get these abilities, I'm not sure how to replicate that. I've tried teaching my methods…"

"I know. But I want you to focus on it. Select whatever Lanterns you think have the best chance of repeating your success and assist them as much as you can."

"And if it turns out to be impossible?"

"Those Lanterns you've tutored already display measurable improvements in their abilities. It would be useful if they could share your breakthrough, but if they simply improve in a linear fashion then we can use that to improve our training procedures."

I nod.

"Can do. But the problem might be in my teaching techniques." I shrug. "I'm not sure how inclined to share the Guardians are, and Dame Carol has… Suggested that maybe I should avoid Zamaron for the moment… Karax."

"If you think visiting Karax would be productive, you have my leave to do so."

Karax. Saved from the Spider Guild by a Green Lantern Task Force, it's gone on to become the centre of Lanternism in the Milky Way galaxy. Its records on the activities of members of the Green Lantern Corps are second only to the records on Oa, and unlike the Guardians' records are available to the public.

Also, I may have caused a bit of a religious explosion there. And I should probably do something to moderate it before someone does something regrettable.

"I'll take Lantern Onik, then. There's a good chance that he has the right outlook. And… I'll take a look at the rest. See if the shape of their thoughts means something to me or the Ophidian."

He no-

"Oh, that is interesting."

-ds.

Dox turns around, something that thinks it's a smile on his lips. "Already? I thought we might study it to-." Georgia looks up. "Together."

"Naturally, I can't study precisely how it interacts with power ring generated constructs without knowing more about how constructs are formed, but I can tell what this device does easily enough. And, um. For our first joint project. It's-. It's a bit simple."

"Do the Int characters want to explain it to the Wis character?"

"It disrupts the physical manifestation of the construct. The 'draining' part only occurs after the construct has already destabilised, though the switch from one condition to the other is extremely quick. The only thing I can't determine is where the energy is going, but I'm-" She flashes Dox a smile. "-sure we can quickly work that out with a little experimentation."

..

No.

No. No, fuck off. I know that technology.

I spent two months watching that blasted mortician before it occurred to me that there might be more than one man named 'William Hand'.

"Did you ever study William Hand's work? His power beam?"

"Junior and I once made a game of writing total nonsense into his memory book to see if we could get him to actually do it. I think I remember reading about his 'power beam', but I never really thought anything about it. It shouldn't be that hard to steal an example of his work."

"No, I can get one legally."

"Where's the fun in that?"

"The security probably wouldn't challenge you and the analysis will be more interesting?"

"I… Suppose."

"Georgia, this is a serious problem. If-."

Dox nods. "You think that the Free Lancers acquired the technology on Earth. Which means that they may have a full catalogue of Earth's exotic technologies to sell and certainly have the location of Earth. I had already assigned a Darkstar team to track them, but I'll increase the priority of the mission."

I nod. "Thank you. Any ideas on counter-strategies?"

"Your use of physical obstacles was… Simplistic, but effective. I would coat my constructs in a malleable but resilient substance instead. Once the Reach begin deploying them on their ships we will have to retrain the Corps in the technique."

Georgia frowns. "Once I've perfected my understanding of the technology, it should be perfectly possible for m-. Us to find a way to disrupt the mechanism it uses. I suppose that in combat it would be one more thing to think about. Perhaps you could try putting Lanterns on ships and leaving them there, to allow them to focus on exotic effects while their colleagues fight?"

I bow my head.

"I'll leave you to talk about it between yourselves. If you'll excuse me, Clarissi?"

Dox nods, already turning to the device Georgia has partially disassembled. I

step out

and appear a little way outside of Kalmin's workshop.

"Illustres to Kalmin."

His head appears over my ring at once.

"Illustres. I understand that we have negotiations to perform regarding a duel."

I nod.

"Indeed we do."
 
Last edited:
She flashes Dox a smile. "-sure we can quickly work that out with a little experimentation."

..

No.

No. No, fuck off. I know that technology.

I spent two months watching that blasted mortician before it occurred to me that there might be more than one man named 'William Hand'.

"Did you ever study William Hand's work? His power beam?"

Nice flipping of what Paragon's "No" was referring to.

Wouldn't William Hand's power beam be on record in Justice League databases that Paragon would have had access to? Or did Hand fight the Justice Society or something? I assumed he would have just asked Alan or Guy early on about tech villains used that disrupted constructs.

I wonder if studying Dark Druid (who should still be locked up somewhere in the Tower of Fate, I believe) and his use of the black light can help in creating counter-measures. Right now I'm assuming it'll be something similar to how they tackled Anti-Life exposure, using multiple emotional lights together, though the GLC can't actively cooperate with the OLC in fighting the Reach unfortunately (partnering up GLs and OLs if the Reach do start selling the construct disrupting guns to other parties might be a plan to consider, though definitely a thorny bureaucratic/diplomatic issue with multiple Maltusian factions coordinating).

I'm assuming Hand's gun is working using black light; I don't know much about the character besides his general role in Blackest Night.

It'll be interesting to see Lanternism being explored in more detail, and how their theology has been affected by the appearance of a new Corps. Is that something from the comics or a social phenomenon that Zoat invented for the fic?
 

Users who are viewing this thread

Back
Top