"What, you can't carry more than one ship?"
We're close enough to meaningfully fight now and we both know it. I switch to yellow laser constructs to bypass its construct defences and fire, keeping the beams on the Scarab Lantern's chest with reasonable accuracy. All it really does is discolour its armour as the plates regenerate, but Scarab armour can only regenerate so much and so quickly.
And sooner or later, it'll run out of matter to regenerate with. Though with a Ring's subspace storage, that amount is a
lot larger...
I also patch myself into the defence satellite control systems and feed them my targetting data. Usually, Scarab Warriors are too small and agile to target effectively by anti-ship weapons, but if a Lantern's painting it then things are a little different.
"Don't worry; we all come up a little short sometimes."
Counting on your defences to handle the
Danger Close, huh, OL?
The Scarab's retaliation is some sort of charged particle beam-. Ah, charged anti-matter beam, that's a little cleverer. Anti-matter's a bit of a waste against Lantern in space because it does nothing to matter-free constructs and there isn't usually enough matter or anti-matter around to reliably kill Lanterns with explosions. It's really more of a finisher to be used against ships whose shields have already been downed. Which it not to say that even a mole of anti-matter wouldn't do a number on my armour if it got a direct hit in.
Desperation, anger, or just throwing shit at OL to see what works? Either way, it's not a big concern...
Anyway, the beam hits my construct armour to little effect, other than spraying atoms of anti-matter out-.
A few small releases of radiation where the atoms encounter stellar dust or debris, but as efficient as an anti-matter detonation is at turning matter to energy, they're still only single atoms. Against some people that would throw off their sensors, but I'm a Lantern.
...With powerful emotional sight that can penetrate
planets. He's not going to be able to hide from you.
The Scarab is charging almost exactly in a straight line-. And could be doing exactly what I'm doing using that gravity distortion station. Ring, disrupt communications.
Compliance.
Now, we don't think that Scarabs can block power ring communications. Power rings can, obviously, but the Scarab doesn't seem to be using it for that.
Yeah, otherwise you'd be fighting off hacking attempts, or just have to deal with him yelling insults at you...
The fact that the Scarab is charging in a straight line means that I can have the defence stations fire at a predictable cone of space, which I do. Then I build a barricade construct and crumbler rams. A normal Scarab can futz around with momentum a little, but still has to mostly fly in a physics-compliant way. Lanterns don't, which means that the Scarab Lantern's best moves is to switch to ring-flight to move around my defensive construct and attack me from the side.
So crumbler rams at the ready, and-.
Be honest, do you really think they're that
smart?
The Scarab Lantern adds overdrive boosters and hurtles towards me, the sudden acceleration causing most of the flanking fire to miss. The few hits cause its constructs to flicker but they endure, and… Its head morphs into some sort of ram? The Scarab Lantern slams into my barricade, sword constructs actually managing to bite into it while the ram… Some sort of construct disruptor. Not as good as a crumbler -and my construct rams are swinging to intercept- but still notable.
Clever, but not great. Kind of disappointing. They're using their ring like a blunt object, not the 'do
nearly anything' tool it is.
Defence satellite fire follows the Scarab Lantern, hitting my construct barricade and… That shouldn't wreck it, but I guess its war head is weakening it more than I thought. Construct rams impacting-.
The thruster array is sucked back into its armour, replaced by spines that shoot outwards to intercept my attacks. It's.. partially successful, the spikes being crumbled and destroyed but the constructs being too disrupted to hit home with their crumbler function intact.
On the other hand, the guy learns fast. Be thankful he can't readily copy your constructs...
Not a problem.
I turn the construct barricade into a swarm of crumbler rams, imagine this Scarab Lantern as the embodiment of the cankerous soul of the Reach civilisation and slam them into it.
Heh. Turning defence into offence. Perfect for an offensive fellow.
I see the flicker of yellow as its defensive constructs are crumbled, but mine don't survive inflicting the initial blow. Defence instillation is hitting the Scarab armour as well as my construct armour, and between that and my lasers it's definitely getting the worse of it. I see… Blood? Leaking into space and free-boiling where the armour's regeneration can't quite keep up with the damage.
Given how Scarab Warriors usually self-destruct when we try to assimilate them… How would the ring interrupt that?
The Scarab is probably running with a
much greater threshold for self-termination. But once it hits it... <Poof.>
I spike the Scarab with a newly constructed construct-lance, running it through and shoving the point through its back. For a moment the structure around its head tries to repair itself, then collapses back into hits body to patch more holes being shot into its back.
Assimilate.
Game over. Nice fight, buddy. You actually lasted a
couple of minutes.
Interesting. Now who could that be?
"Illustres. How fortunate."
"Sinestro, would you care to explain-"
Ah, taking a moment to congratulate OL on his successful defeat of the rookie? And perhaps
gloat a little.
"Identity Theft in progress. One percent complete."
"-why you're siding with the Reach?"
...I'm sure the Yellow Ring is taking
plenty of scans of the Assimilation process. Even if it can't replicate it, it'll surely help create a
countermeasure.
"Why would you assume that when you know that I didn't side with the Spider Guild?"
"Reach use extensive PR to avoid looking scary. The Spider Guild survive by scaring people into leaving them alone."
The difference between a mastermind and a thug, basically.
"There is value in subtlety. Unfortunately, Scarab Warriors do not make good students."
"Identity Theft in progress. Five percent complete."
Clearly. Too indoctrinated in their own combat techniques, I suppose.
For a moment I think about suggesting that he give Batman a try-out. I'm going to need a yellow ring at some point and having him just give it to my first choice of bearer would save me time. Fortunately, sanity prevails.
"Perhaps after reviewing this data they will be a little more prepared to listen to me."
...Boy,
that would be an interesting experience. Unfortunately, Bats would probably refuse. Too many unknown
risks in using someone else's tech. Particularly that belonging to someone
usually painted as a villain.
"Sinestro, I'm-"
The Scarab Lantern forms a weak knife construct and stabs at the lance impaling it. It causes a few scratches before I send out manacle constructs to lock its arms in place. The Scarab implant lets the Warrior ignore little things like pain and traumatic blood loss, but only to a point.
And unfortunately, if it's keyed to other's fear, then its
own fear of death won't help it...
"Identity Theft in progress. Eight percent complete."
"-all about making deals. Do you think that you and N.E.M.O. could come to terms instead? We actually know how to use power rings, and our students pay attention to their lessons."
And having two Lantern Corps with relatively aligned goals would be
optimal.
"I would sooner cut off my own head than work for a Maltusian."
"Like you're currently working for the Reach? Come on, you know Dox would give you a good deal."
Nothing says he
has to work for the Maltusians. If he founds a Corps allied but not
subordinate, would
that be acceptable?
"I prefer to be a free agent."
"Alright. Let me know if you change you mind. I'm quite keen to have us helping you rather than our enemies."
After all, though they have different ideas how to go about it, they do want
some of the same things.
"Perhaps. Dismiss deputy ring."
Sinestro's face disappears from above my ring, and the yellow aura battling to remain functional vanishes from the Scarab Warrior-
Ah. Unlucky for
you, Scarab. Looks like you didn't live up to expectations...
"Identity Theft in progress. Ten percent complete."
-who immediately self-destructs.
...And off they go. Wonder how the Reach fleets will take
that little setback?
Darn.
I signal to the defence stations to stop firing, and head towards the gravity weapon.
Don't worry, OL. Someday, you'll get a Scarab of your very own. Hopefully not
Khaji Da, though.