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

[Mr Zoat]

To make it worse, he's British enough that he actually wants an Empire.

The Imperial March begins.

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Extraneous 'him the floor'?

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Thank you, corrected.

Paul has a yellow ring with ring based communication, he should be calling Hinon and Clarissi Dox ASAP to inform them about the situation and that the orange light has been attacked by an anti life fragment

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He doesn't have access to his orange rings at the moment. It might be possible for him to communicate with them using his yellow ring, but it's not like they can get reinforcements to him particularly quickly.

also that an alien hostile fleet is currently on near earths orbit looting the place and attacking it's weakened defenders, oh and Paul should report that whoever Dox assigned to 2814 after Manga Khan didn't show up to work.

Why was the sol system without an orange lantern to protect it for so long? I believe Dox said a lantern would be assigned to Sol/2814 whenever Paul wouldn't be around to protect the planet/sector... Well Paul hasn't been around Sol for weeks and yet Dox has failed to sent anyone to keep the interdiction fields operational and to make sure the quarantine around earth is being enforced.

Mr Zoat where is the lantern Dox sent after Manga Khan quit? Did that shit slip his mind even though that one of the things he committed to do to facilitate Paul being recalled to the front line as needed?

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I don't remember him doing that. The SI recruited Lantern Xor, but he's fighting in the periphery at the moment. If there was one, they wouldn't be resistant to the Anti-Life and so should probably stay away.

Where are the Sivanas? Their base is in Venus and they have emergency teleportation/translocation beacons, there is zero chance they got caught on the anti life field on earth and zero chance these alien doofuses managed to do anything to their bases. Georgia chats regularly with Dox, so how come nothing is being done about this situation by the Sivana family and how come Dox hasn't sent anyone to 2814 even if Paul failed to update him that he was going to play space detective with the other colors?

I mean weaponized memetic depression is one thing, but a single battle fleet of a minor race that barely controls a couple star system should be very easy to neutralize by Sivana mad science... Actually how did these idiots get through the interdiction fields?

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Thaddeus Sivana doesn't really care about things like that. He already helped out with one invasion, what more do people want?

The league has one based on lantern tech from the green lanterns.
The Sivana family have several different ones in their warehouse primed to be activated manually and automatically.
Paul left a backup interdiction field ages ago as well.
The Kryptonian base should have one as well.

Yeah Grayven is the one that build a huge network of defense battle stations and interdiction fields in the Sol system, but Paul did make a couple too.

Honestly things have gone fubar in a way that should literally be impossible and my SOD has been strained to the breaking point, I was trying to wait for an explanation, but it's been way too long and it has only gotten worse after you confirmed the fleet in sol isn't from a highly advanced empire with resources to burn, a interdimentional invasion force or a time traveler combat fleet... It's just the doofuses from Dhoria the guys that are less than a footnote.

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Yes, the interdiction fields were there, but all that means is that the ships either came in the slow way, used an approach that wasn't interdicted or that the interdiction systems were sabotaged.

 

[Chaoswind]

Thank you, corrected.

He doesn't have access to his orange rings at the moment. It might be possible for him to communicate with them using his yellow ring, but it's not like they can get reinforcements to him particularly quickly.

I don't remember him doing that. The SI recruited Lantern Xor, but he's fighting in the periphery at the moment. If there was one, they wouldn't be resistant to the Anti-Life and so should probably stay away.

Thaddeus Sivana doesn't really care about things like that. He already helped out with one invasion, what more do people want?

Yes, the interdiction fields were there, but all that means is that the ships either came in the slow way, used an approach that wasn't interdicted or that the interdiction systems were sabotaged.

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1. It has been established in your fic that Rings can easily communicate between colors and he knows the orange ring designation of Hinon, Dox and other orange Lanterns and a few green ones, there is nothing stopping him from calling them with his yellow ring. Hinon probably won't take the call from a random yellow if she is busy, but Dox regularly chats with siniestro so he probably will, also Paul can just leave a priority message they can read later, or just keep going through the call list with the "perfect memory recall" he gave himself until someone picks up.

2. Dox agreed to provide 2814/sol with a Lantern as a prerequisite to literally have Paul 24/7 on call for emergencies, that was one of the reasons Manga Khan was sent there. When Manga Khan quit the orange lantern corps, Dox agreed to send a replacement... It's been in universe MONTHS since Manga Khan quit, earth has been invaded three times since then... Where is the replacement Dox? What are you doing Dox? Why are you failing to live up to your word Dox?

3. Fair enough, if Thaddeus and his entire family are safe in Venus then I am certain he really doesn't give a fuck about earth right now, his kids and his ex wife (that he is trying to court again) are unlikely to be that apathetic towards their homeworld, but I could see them making habitats on Venus and evacuating people from earth and calling it a day, they have a limited in group they care about too even if theirs is larger than the one their father/ex husband has.

4. OK the watch tower got nuked or sabotaged, that is one interdiction.

There are still the one Paul build, the multiple ones Thaddeus Jr and Georgia bragged about, and the one from the kriptonian asteroid base.

Manheim has limited space lift capabilities and leaving earth would work against his godly claim, so he can't touch the ones Paul made, so someone else had to sabotage those, the Sivana ones could be Keyed to only stop shit going towards Venus and Venus could be far enough from earth for the Doofus fleet to not trigger them... Match may have been subverted at one point, so he could have sabotaged the ones in the asteroid base, but that is once again a tall ask.

Shit has gone fubar in a fairly catastrophic way and way too many things need to have gone epically wrong for things to stand as they are and for the doofuses from Dhor to be looting shit. That is why my SOD is currently dead, I was expecting the fleet to be a force from a more resourceful group of antagonist, a force from the anti matter universe (bypass interdiction), or even some time travel bullshit to be happening... Instead is the guys from Dhor, the guys that can't even fully control their star system... The resources of a single planet and a plethora of artificial habitats somehow managed to get through A LOT of shit... It's Ambush Bug giving those chuckle fucks plot armor and helping them? Be honest.

 

[Vaermina]

Paul has a yellow ring with ring based communication, he should be calling Hinon and Clarissi Dox ASAP to inform them about the situation and that the orange light has been attacked by an anti life fragment, also that an alien hostile fleet is currently on near earths orbit looting the place and attacking it's weakened defenders, oh and Paul should report that whoever Dox assigned to 2814 after Manga Khan didn't show up to work.

Why was the sol system without an orange lantern to protect it for so long? I believe Dox said a lantern would be assigned to Sol/2814 whenever Paul wouldn't be around to protect the planet/sector... Well Paul hasn't been around Sol for weeks and yet Dox has failed to sent anyone to keep the interdiction fields operational and to make sure the quarantine around earth is being enforced.

I see a lot of people failing to do their jobs and commitments even people that should be hyper competent geniuses.

Mr Zoat where is the lantern Dox sent after Manga Khan quit? Did that shit slip his mind even though that one of the things he committed to do to facilitate Paul being recalled to the front line as needed?

Where are the Sivanas? Their base is in Venus and they have emergency teleportation/translocation beacons, there is zero chance they got caught on the anti life field on earth and zero chance these alien doofuses managed to do anything to their bases. Georgia chats regularly with Dox, so how come nothing is being done about this situation by the Sivana family and how come Dox hasn't sent anyone to 2814 even if Paul failed to update him that he was going to play space detective with the other colors?

I mean weaponized memetic depression is one thing, but a single battle fleet of a minor race that barely controls a couple star system should be very easy to neutralize by Sivana mad science... Actually how did these idiots get through the interdiction fields?

The league has one based on lantern tech from the green lanterns.
The Sivana family have several different ones in their warehouse primed to be activated manually and automatically.
Paul left a backup interdiction field ages ago as well.
The Kryptonian base should have one as well.

Yeah Grayven is the one that build a huge network of defense battle stations and interdiction fields in the Sol system, but Paul did make a couple too.

Honestly things have gone fubar in a way that should literally be impossible and my SOD has been strained to the breaking point, I was trying to wait for an explanation, but it's been way too long and it has only gotten worse after you confirmed the fleet in sol isn't from a highly advanced empire with resources to burn, a interdimentional invasion force or a time traveler combat fleet... It's just the doofuses from Dhoria the guys that are less than a footnote.

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Don't forget the Kryptonian combat robots that should have been protecting the Kryptonian asteroid.

And the Martians.

 

[Darko]

I don't remember him doing that. The SI recruited Lantern Xor, but he's fighting in the periphery at the moment. If there was one, they wouldn't be resistant to the Anti-Life and so should probably stay away.

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Plus with Earth having the League and multiple Lanterns around he may have thought that he can wait before he sends one there.

They also can't exactly spare them Lanterns since they're fighting a massive war and they're recruitment pool is limited.

Thaddeus Sivana doesn't really care about things like that. He already helped out with one invasion, what more do people want?

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He's pardoned but not reformed.

 

[Assblaster5000]

And the Martians.

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Ah yes, the group-minded species that doesn't leave their own planetary orbit often because it's psychologically torturous to them. The same highly telepathic, non-FTL capable species that can probably hear Anti-Life like static coming from Earth, constantly, since all of this started. That same species without a defensive pact with Earth.

I'm sure they would be very useful right now. Yep. Wouldn't get subverted by Anti-Life the second they got into orbit after potentially months of travel, no sir.

 

[RoninSword]

No new orange lantern was assigned to Earth after Manga Khan left. A LEGION fleet showed up for their defensive pact with that Atlantean city, but I believe they turned around because the Sheeda hit literally while they were on their way and they weren't rated for that kind of combat.

 

[Coda]

Apokoliptian mind control affect.

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effect

You know, I was going to correct "affect" versus "effect" but after careful consideration I think you have it correct. "Affect" is usually a verb, but in this case the conduit is to the mind control force itself (the thing doing the affecting) rather than the results of the mind control force (the effect).

But that's very tricky, so rather than not respond at all I thought I should congratulate you on getting that one right.

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Nope, you've got that one wrong, I'm afraid. Grammatically, the word in that position is a noun. "Affect" as a noun means one's emotional presentation (or in some archaic formulations, one's personalized belongings) so that would have this phrase mean that Apokoliptian mind control is a way that a person can show their emotions to other people, and that the ring had passed that along. This is an extreme stretch of interpretation, compared to the simpler interpretation of Apokoliptian mind control being something that alters the way people behave.

 

[Chaoswind]

He doesn't have access to his orange rings at the moment. It might be possible for him to communicate with them using his yellow ring, but it's not like they can get reinforcements to him particularly quickly.

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Its been established since the early chapters of the fic that rings of different colors can communicate with each other easily if you know the ring designation, and if you don't know it you can literally guess it, so there is absolutely no "might" about it. Paul has used his orange ring to call local green lanterns, to call other sector green lanterns, the green lantern clarissi, he has called Alan on both of his rings. Siniestro and Dox chat with each other on the regular.

You mean days isn't relatively quick for an emergency relief force to get rid of these minor pest? Ok, Korian and Komand would get to earth in around a couple hours, that quick enough? No... Ok, Paul can literally ask Xor for Help against these doofuses, Xor is close enough that the guy would get to Earth in MINUTES. So yeah reinforcements could arrive extremely quickly.

Paul NEEDS to report to Hinon that an anti life fragment interacted with the orange light for a few seconds, it would be extremely irresponsible to NOT do so when so many lanterns could see a combat efficiency lost as a result and I don't expect anything more than an efficiency lost because Mr Zoat you already established the Ophidian has interacted with the anti life equation and considered nasty enough to spit it, this is a fragment, so at most I would guess the same is happening right now.

If there is one thing I can complain about your fic Zoat is that the scope of it gets big and small without rime or reason, one time a huge orange lantern strike force quickly gets to earth to contest the angels because Paul got killed, and the next Earth is getting invaded and fucked left and right and no one cares enough to have a single lantern come to enforce a quarantine that the Orange Lanterns need to enforce by fucking treaty... did you also forget that Mr Zoat? Venturia has a treaty with the orange lantern corps and NEMO. Dox is not only ignoring his verbal agreement with Paul that allowed him to have Paul on call 24/7 for emergencies, he is fucking over all the Atlantean mages working for NEMO and the Orange lanterns too, Dox agreed to keep an eye on Venturia and its territories and keep them safe from Atlantis and other possible enemies to secure their work contracts with NEMO and yet after Manga Khan left Dox hasn't sent anyone else... NEMO is ignoring a treaty responsibility Mr Zoat... this is no small thing.

No new orange lantern was assigned to Earth after Manga Khan left. A LEGION fleet showed up for their defensive pact with that Atlantean city, but I believe they turned around because the Sheeda hit literally while they were on their way and they weren't rated for that kind of combat.

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Yes and its been MONTHS... THAT is the problem, NEMO and the Orange Lantern corps are obligated by treaty to help at least Venturia... yet Zoat completely dropped the entire subplot thing from the face of the earth... that is my problem.

 

[Bramble Thorn]

Don't forget the Kryptonian combat robots that should have been protecting the Kryptonian asteroid.

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Have we established there were Krypronian robots on that hidden asteroid base in this story?

Asking to see if I owe Vaermina a like not, since he really isn't trustworthy himself.

I don't remember him doing that. The SI recruited Lantern Xor, but he's fighting in the periphery at the moment. If there was one, they wouldn't be resistant to the Anti-Life and so should probably stay away.

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Zoat, you are being really dumb here.
They do not have any specific resistance to Anti-Life, no.
They are still an incredibly advanced civilization.

Which means that can do stuff like figure out containment protocols, and to research to find data towards accomplishing a goal.
The rings we have seen all have the ability to communicate with every other ring. As in the Orange ring he just showed up with could communicate with the green rings and guardians, just by mentioning who you wanted to talk to.

Making the effort to communicate with either the Controllers. or the Guardians, should be important, to let them know he has a couple rings apparently infected with Anti-life. This is like the Guardians wanting to know about any incidents of a ring being destroyed or otherwise compromised.

This is something separate from the task to cleanse the Earth, and needs to be done before the cleansing process, if that process is likely to fix the rings. This is because the 'gather seven rings' plan is a huge hassle to implement, including using it in the future, and OL's caviler actions are not helping its practical future usability.

The Malthisans need to know, because one, the possibility of the rings remotely transmitting the infection to other rings is something they need to assess the likelihood of. Two, to access how easy it might be to infect other rings in the future. Is this something that needs special circumstances with OL and OL clones involved, or now that they have a proof of concept, is it something they can attempt to affect lantern rings in general? Three, is it possible to do a "factory reset" or something other action to clear away the anti-life without needing to rely on the much more onerous to arrange 'seven lights' method?

Your stance here is akin to deciding to not notify the scientific community about a possible infectious disease outbreak, or a previously known disease crossing species in a novel way, because they are not immune to that disease.

 

[Assblaster5000]

Have we established there were Krypronian robots on that hidden asteroid base in this story?

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I believe there was one, but I've got no clue what happened to them and I don't think they'd have really bothered to leave. It's been... literal years since they showed up though, both in and out of story, so I'm not going to blame Zoat for not remembering that exists.

Then again we have no real proof he doesn't, since we don't know what happened to the team trying to get into the base.

 

[Chaoswind]

Have we established there were Krypronian robots on that hidden asteroid base in this story?

Asking to see if I owe Vaermina a like not, since he really isn't trustworthy himself.

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There were automated defenses mentioned by the AI, but I don't know if that means an army of robots or just turrets.

Vaermina is half right... with is usually as best as he can get.

 

[Vaermina]

If there is one thing I can complain about your fic Zoat is that the scope of it gets big and small without rime or reason, one time a huge orange lantern strike force quickly gets to earth to contest the angels because Paul got killed, and the next Earth is getting invaded and fucked left and right and no one cares enough to have a single lantern come to enforce a quarantine that the Orange Lanterns need to enforce by fucking treaty... did you also forget that Mr Zoat? Venturia has a treaty with the orange lantern corps and NEMO. Dox is not only ignoring his verbal agreement with Paul that allowed him to have Paul on call 24/7 for emergencies, he is fucking over all the Atlantean mages working for NEMO and the Orange lanterns too, Dox agreed to keep an eye on Venturia and its territories and keep them safe from Atlantis and other possible enemies to secure their work contracts with NEMO and yet after Manga Khan left Dox hasn't sent anyone else... NEMO is ignoring a treaty responsibility Mr Zoat... this is no small thing.

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When you put it like that it's even odder given the recent chapter about NEMO directly stating the Atlantean mages weren't allowed to leave and go back to their homes because of the Anti-Life.

Like, why would they even still be working for NEMO given NEMO is full on refusing to honor their treaty?

Zoat, you are being really dumb here.
They do not have any specific resistance to Anti-Life, no.
They are still an incredibly advanced civilization.

Which means that can do stuff like figure out containment protocols, and to research to find data towards accomplishing a goal.
The rings we have seen all have the ability to communicate with every other ring. As in the Orange ring he just showed up with could communicate with the green rings and guardians, just by mentioning who you wanted to talk to.

Making the effort to communicate with either the Controllers. or the Guardians, should be important, to let them know he has a couple rings apparently infected with Anti-life. This is like the Guardians wanting to know about any incidents of a ring being destroyed or otherwise compromised.

This is something separate from the task to cleanse the Earth, and needs to be done before the cleansing process, if that process is likely to fix the rings. This is because the 'gather seven rings' plan is a huge hassle to implement, including using it in the future, and OL's caviler actions are not helping its practical future usability.

The Malthisans need to know, because one, the possibility of the rings remotely transmitting the infection to other rings is something they need to assess the likelihood of. Two, to access how easy it might be to infect other rings in the future. Is this something that needs special circumstances with OL and OL clones involved, or now that they have a proof of concept, is it something they can attempt to affect lantern rings in general? Three, is it possible to do a "factory reset" or something other action to clear away the anti-life without needing to rely on the much more onerous to arrange 'seven lights' method?

Your stance here is akin to deciding to not notify the scientific community about a possible infectious disease outbreak, or a previously known disease crossing species in a novel way, because they are not immune to that disease.

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They could also just send in robots that are immune to Anti-Life.

 

[Darko]

I believe there was one, but I've got no clue what happened to them and I don't think they'd have really bothered to leave. It's been... literal years since they showed up though, both in and out of story, so I'm not going to blame Zoat for not remembering that exists.

Then again we have no real proof he doesn't, since we don't know what happened to the team trying to get into the base.

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I think three was an Eradicator that Paul destroyed.

 

[Mr Zoat]

14th February 2013
15:40 GMT -5

Eiling frowns as he crushes the guns that Mahkent and I aren't using. "But if you're jamming the teleporter, what's stopping them beaming these guys out the moment you leave?"

"Nothing. I could destroy the beacons in their armour, which should stop them beaming out."

Kadabra prods the armour our prisoner exited at our request. "That should not be necessary. I believe…" He waves his wand, then taps the armour twice. There's a faint 'hiss' as something overloads, which is echoed a moment later by every other suit of armour in the room. Kadabra stands up, looking pleased with himself. "A little feedback, because all of the beacons work on the same-."

"Talk yourself up after the mission." But Eiling does look slightly mollified as he prods our prisoner. "Lead the way."

He complies as I scan the ship's interior… I actually get a little more from the inside than I got from the outside. Either the shield is only designed to stop scans from the exterior or it isn't designed to stop yellow rings. Weaponer design, maybe? They wouldn't want to block rings they might use, but I don't plan on picking up an antithesis ring to check. No space that I can detect shouts 'holding cells', but at least I know where the bridge, drive and main generator are now.

Mr. Mahkent edges closer to me as we enter an adjoining corridor, holding his gun slightly awkwardly. "These are just 'point and shoot', right?"

"They're plasma-based, so there's far less recoil than with a projectile rifle. Though more than with a laser. The pulses will act up around strong magnetic fields, but otherwise, yes. Ah, no offence meant, but… You haven't used a gun before?"

He looks… Awkward, then… Kind of sad. "Dad always said… He wanted me to use my powers. Said I shouldn't need a gun."

"Huh. Well, it's.. good that you've focused on your powers, otherwise you'd probably have killed someone by now. But you should try and get some time in at a shooting range."

"I didn't think the Justice League liked guns?"

"Most members don't, but they're not hypocritical enough to complain about it when Superman has a super laser in each eye. I started shooting with a pistol a few days after I got my ring, and it's saved my life."

Eiling snorts. "No one taught you to use a gun? That's un-American. I taught Randy to-."

He stops for a moment, his shoulders tensing. The Dhorian stops as well, looking back at the hulking man as if he expects Eiling to kill him. But Eiling isn't the sort to let his current relationship with his stepchildren interfere with the mission.

Unfortunately, Mr. Mahkent isn't as sensitive to the mood as I am.

"Randy? That your kid?"

Eiling doesn't immediately answer, instead pointing down the corridor and giving our prisoner a small shove. He gets the message at once.

"I'll say this once, Icicle. DO NOT ask me about my family."

"You're the one-." I shake my head, which he spots. "Ah, sure dude. Whatever."

Kadabra looks thoughtful. "Do you expect to capture this ship, or is that merely the ideal situation?"

"We sort of need to. Unless they've got a very peculiar build, each of the larger ships can perform planetary bombardments. Along with their ship-to-surface teleporters, that's an immediate strategic threat that we need to deal with."

"I could try to access their computer system."

"Unless they've changed their designs a lot, Dhorian ships don't use central computers precisely to stop people taking control of their ships like that."

Eiling nods. "Smart. Lantern, ask this guy where all the soldiers are."

"Trooper, where is everyone?"

"P-protocol in case of boarding is for everyone to hunker in place until marines can counterattack. But they won't bother trying to secure empty corridors."

"They've taken cover until their marines remove us."

"He know where?"

"Where will the attack come?"

"I don't know. We've done drills for attacks from anywhere."

Eiling's jaw hardens. "That didn't sound like a location."

"Apparently there isn't any one 'intercept here' point. They've trained to do it anywhere. My guess would be prisoner containment."

"Going in or coming out?"

"Depends on the state of the prisoners. They won't want us to get reinforcements, but if the prisoners are in bad condition it would be easier to let us get in first. The real problem would be if they did the smart thing."

"Surrender?"

"Abandon this ship and have the other ships bombard it."

The guide shakes, though he manages to keep his footing.

Eilings nods. "That would do it. Think they will?"

"Not until at least one dedicated effort to stop us fails. They might not do it even if we free them. Depends what it looks like we're doing."

"How fast could they kill this ship?"

"Don't know. Ask me again if we reach their gunnery or bridge. I doubt that they can remotely deactivate this ship's shield, but we can't manoeuvre or fire back without complete control of the ship."

"Do they use fighter ships? Or bombers?"

"Not usually. They've probably got a few shuttles, but laser point defences and force fields generally make attack craft a waste of resources."

"Navy rather than air force, huh?"

"Basically. There are exceptions; some forms of technology that don't scale up well, that sort of thing. Thanagarians use Nth metal attack craft because they're far tougher, faster and more agile than anything else in the region. But that's about it."

Our guide stops in front of a heavy bulkhead door. He tries to open it with his security authorisation, but naturally it's been cancelled.

Kadabra steps forward to take care of it-.

"What's through here?"

"Cargo lift two. It can take you down to the cells."

"Kadabra, please have the lift rise to the top of the ship and then lock it in place."

"That should be possible." I hear a quiet rumble as the lift leaves. "And then the door opens…"

The door opens, revealing the lift shaft. I step up to the opening, carefully looking up and down. No soldiers sticking their guns out through the other openings in the shaft, none attached to the side of the shaft and no one obvious at the bottom.

"Looks clear."

I extend-. I extend-.

"Ah, sorry, normally I'd fly everyone down but I'm having trouble with using this ring…"

Eiling wraps his right arm around our guide and his left around Kadabra and jumps down, bending his legs lightly when he hits the bottom about fifty metres down. Mahkent points his right hand at the side of the shaft and fires a steam of ice, creating a pathway around the edge. I just step off and float down, landing at the bottom-

BOOM!

-just as the lift at the top of the shaft explodes!

 

[Darko]

Eiling snorts. "No one taught you to use a gun? That's un-American

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Not sure a traitor can claim to be all that American.

ut Eiling isn't the sort to let his current relationship with his stepchildren

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Or lack of a relationship.

At least one that isn't just them yelling at him for...everything.

 

[The Froggy Ninja]

Not sure a traitor can claim to be all that American.

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America was built on treason!

 

[Vaermina]

BOOM!

-just as the lift at the top of the shaft explodes!

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Oh hey, maybe that long overdue NEMO backup finally arrived and engaged the invading fleet?

 

[Handlewithcare]

Paul being properly paranoid here.

Paranoia should fuel a yellow ring, right?

 

[Chojin Patriarch]

14th February 2013
15:40 GMT -5

Eiling frowns as he crushes the guns that Mahkent and I aren't using. "But if you're jamming the teleporter, what's stopping them beaming these guys out the moment you leave?"

"Nothing. I could destroy the beacons in their armour, which should stop them beaming out."

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But really, why bother? The good guys have shown no inclination to worry about them, barring Eiling's little moment of 'pop the pimple'. Wait until they're well clear, then send in a team to melt the ice and get them to medical. Not like they'll be in any shape to keep fighting.

Spoiler: Commentary spoilered for length

Kadabra prods the armour our prisoner exited at our request. "That should not be necessary. I believe…" He waves his wand, then taps the armour twice. There's a faint 'hiss' as something overloads, which is echoed a moment later by every other suit of armour in the room. Kadabra stands up, looking pleaded with himself. "A little feedback, because all of the beacons work on the same-."

"Talk yourself up after the mission." But Eiling does look slightly mollified as he prods our prisoner. "Lead the way."

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Oh, give him a little moment, Eiling. He is a showman, after all.

He complies as I scan the ship's interior… I actually get a little more from the inside than I got from the outside. Either the shield is only designed to stop scans from the exterior or it isn't designed to stop yellow rings. Weaponer design, maybe? They wouldn't want to block rings they might use, but I don't plan on picking up an antithesis ring to check. No space that I can detect shouts 'holding cells', but at least I know where the bridge, drive and main generator are now.

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One to take control, the other two to disable their engines. Not like he needs all their ships to survive the fight. Just one of them.

Mr. Mahkent edges closer to me as we enter an adjoining corridor, holding his gun slightly awkwardly. "These are just 'point and shoot', right?"

"They're plasma-based, so there's far less recoil than with a projectile rifle. Though more than with a laser. The pulses will act up around strong magnetic fields, but otherwise, yes. Ah, no offence meant, but… You haven't used a gun before?"

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Not even his old man's cold gun? Though I suppose any freeze ray isn't exactly a conventional firearm itself.

He looks… Awkward, then… Kind of sad. "Dad always said… He wanted me to use my powers. Said I shouldn't need a gun."

"Huh. Well, it's.. good that you've focused on your powers, otherwise you'd probably have killed someone by now. But you should try and get some time in at a shooting range."

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I mean, use the right power trick and you basically have a gun. Flinging tiny shards of ice at high speeds? Just a bullet minus the durability.

"I didn't think the Justice League liked guns?"

"Most members don't, but they're not hypocritical enough to complain about it when Superman has a super laser in each eye. I started shooting with a pistol a few days after I got my ring, and it's saved my life."

Click to shrink...

Though, to be fair, most of the things that have disabled his Ring have usually been too tough to just shoot.

Eiling snorts. "No one taught you to use a gun? That's un-American. I taught Randy to-."

He stops for a moment, his shoulders tensing. The Dhorian stops as well, looking back at the hulking man as if he expects Eiling to kill him. But Eiling isn't the sort to let his current relationship with his stepchildren interfere with the mission

Click to shrink...

I suspect a lot of that dysfunctional relationship is mostly down to him being himself.

Unfortunately, Mr. Mahkent isn't as sensitive to the mood as I am.

"Randy? That your kid?"

Click to shrink...

...Shut up now, Cam, before he spanks you.

Eiling doesn't immediately answer, instead pointing down the corridor and giving our prisoner a small shove. He gets the message at once.

"I'll say this once, Icicle. DO NOT ask me about my family."

Click to shrink...

Let's hope he gets to smash something sooner rather than later, because I suspect he's feeling very angry right now...

"You're the one-." I shake my head, which he spots. "Ah, sure dude. Whatever."

Kadabra looks thoughtful. "Do you expect to capture this ship, or is that merely the ideal situation?"

Click to shrink...

Not impossible, given their combined skillsets. But probably not the optimal course.

"We sort of need to. Unless they've got a very peculiar build, each of the larger ships can perform planetary bombardments. Along with their ship-to-surface teleporters, that's an immediate strategic threat that we need to deal with."

"I could try to access their computer system."

Click to shrink...

Now, if only they'd not been stupid enough to try a double-cross...

"Unless they've changed their designs a lot, Dhorian ships don't use central computers precisely to stop people taking control of their ships like that."

Eiling nods. "Smart. Lantern, ask this guy where all the soldiers are."

Click to shrink...

Sensible. Though it probably makes transferring files require a bit of a jog.

"Trooper, where is everyone?"

"P-protocol in case of boarding is for everyone to hunker in place until marines can counterattack. But they won't bother trying to secure empty corridors."

Click to shrink...

Also sensible. Pity these guys poked the dangerous pit of oddness that is Earth.

"They've taken cover until their marines remove us."

"He know where?"

Click to shrink...

Since the sooner they take them down, the easier it'll be to gain control?

"Where will the attack come?"

"I don't know. We've done drills for attacks from anywhere."

Click to shrink...

Boy, these Dhorians are ticking all the 'reasonable military preparedness' boxes.

Eiling's jaw hardens. "That didn't sound like a location."

"Apparently there isn't any one 'intercept here' point. They've trained to do it anywhere. My guess would be prisoner containment."

Click to shrink...

Handy, since when they take the intruders down, the cells will be right there.

"Going in or coming out?"

"Depends on the state of the prisoners. They won't want us to get reinforcements, but if the prisoners are in bad condition it would be easier to let us get in first. The real problem would be if they did the smart thing."

Click to shrink...

Let's hope they're stupid, then. But outside of the double-cross, all sign point to them being otherwise.

"Surrender?"

"Abandon this ship and have the other ships bombard it."

Click to shrink...

Scuttle rather than allow it to be captured. Extreme, but if needed...

The guide shakes, though he manages to keep his footing.

Eilings nods. "That would do it. Think they will?"

Click to shrink...

Since even a Danner Enhancile still needs to breathe. If he even survives the barrage.

"Not until at least one dedicated effort to stop us fails. They might not do it even if we free them. Depends what it looks like we're doing."

"How fast could they kill this ship?"

Click to shrink...

Ah, Eiling, asking all the worrying questions.

"Don't know. Ask me again if we reach their gunnery or bridge. I doubt that they can remotely deactivate this ship's shield, but we can't manoeuvre or fire back without complete control of the ship."

"Do they use fighter ships? Or bombers?"

Click to shrink...

Heck, their defensive technology could well outstrip their offensive. Though if their rivals have similar levels of tech... I expect it's a toss-up.

"Not usually. They've probably got a few shuttles, but laser point defences and force fields generally make attack craft a waste of resources."

"Navy rather than air force, huh?"

Click to shrink...

And a solid lack of the rather suicidal desire to throw yourself into space in a tin can with engines and guns.

"Basically. There are exceptions; some forms of technology that don't scale up well, that sort of thing. Thanagarians use Nth metal attack craft because they're far tougher, faster and more agile than anything else in the region. But that's about it."

Our guide stops in front of a heavy bulkhead door. He tries to open it with his security authorisation, but naturally it's been cancelled.

Click to shrink...

And of course, Lanterns are the pinnacle of light attack craft-equivalents.

Kadabra steps forward to take care of it-.

"What's through here?"

"Cargo lift two. It can take you down to the cells."

Click to shrink...

Oh, yes. A small metal box on rails. That's not a potential trap, no sir.

"Kadabra, please have the lift rise to the top of the ship and then lock it in place."

"That should be possible." I hear a quiet rumble as the lift leaves. "And then the door opens…"

Click to shrink...

Personally, I would have sent it down. Less chance of them dropping it on you. So to speak, artificial gravity being relative.

The door opens, revealing the lift shaft. I step up to the opening, carefully looking up and down. No soldiers sticking their guns out through the other openings in the shaft, none attached to the side of the shaft and no one obvious at the bottom.

"Looks clear."

Click to shrink...

Heh. It's not really paranoia if they are out to get you, is it?

I extend-. I extend-.

"Ah, sorry, normally I'd fly everyone down but I'm having trouble with using this ring…"

Click to shrink...

Aw, little magpie there isn't afraid enough to get a reliable platform going?

Eiling wraps his right arm around our guide and his left around Kadabra and jumps down, bending his legs lightly when he hits the bottom about fifty metres down. Mahkent points his right hand at the side of the shaft and fires a steam of ice, creating a pathway around the edge. I just step off and float down, landing at the bottom-

BOOM!

-just as the lift at the top of the shaft explodes!

Click to shrink...

Well, it's not dropping it on them, per se, but...

A pity paranoia would be too diffuse a fear to really be effective. Because OL is showing a solid amount of it in his caution, as is Eiling. I expect the Dhorian marines rigged the lift car to blow if they got in, and decided to just blow it anyway when they ignored it. A bit extreme to take out four guys, but given their showing thus far, I can see their captain being desperate to stop them...

 

[Vaermina]

A pity paranoia would be too diffuse a fear to really be effective. Because OL is showing a solid amount of it in his caution, as is Eiling. I expect the Dhorian marines rigged the lift car to blow if they got in, and decided to just blow it anyway when they ignored it. A bit extreme to take out four guys, but given their showing thus far, I can see their captain being desperate to stop them...

Click to shrink...

Honestly? LePaul's common sense has practically doubled in the hour or so since he had the rings taken off.

Which heavily suggests his real problem is a massive Orange Light imbalance that putting on a Yellow ring is partially correcting.

 

[Ngamer11]

Honestly? LePaul's common sense has practically doubled in the hour or so since he had the rings taken off.

Which heavily suggests his real problem is a massive Orange Light imbalance that putting on a Yellow ring is partially correcting.

Click to shrink...

I see it more as Paul not being as (over)confident due to having to rely on the yellow light rather than the orange light he's accustomed to.

 

[Duke Long]

Kadabra stands up, looking pleaded with himself. "A little feedback, because all of the beacons work on the same-."

Click to shrink...

'pleased'

But Eiling isn't the sort to let his current relationship with his stepchildren interfere with the mission

Click to shrink...

Missing full stop.

 

[Silveraith]

But Eiling isn't the sort to let his current relationship with his stepchildren interfere with the mission

Click to shrink...

No full stop (period) at the end of the sentence.

 

[Celtic Spartan]

America was built on treason!

Click to shrink...

Nope, built on solidarity in the face of abuse from our British overlords.

 

[Chaoswind]

Nope, built on solidarity in the face of abuse from our British overlords.

Click to shrink...

The factual reason is that wealthy land owners in twelve colonies out of thirteen revolted because they didn't want to pay their share of the taxes the English needed to keep their empire afloat, the empire that kept the thirteen colonies safe and fucked over any would be rival in the ass.
Thankfully the movement was co-opted by a small minority of enlightened people that wrote a pie in the sky piece of paper.

The abuse of the British overlords happened elsewhere; the thirteen colonies had a pretty fucking sweet deal with papa Britain.

 

[rdfox]

Ah, Eiling, asking all the worrying questions.

Click to shrink...

For all his faults, Wade Eiling is still someone who managed to reach the rank of full General (four stars, pay grade O-10) in the US military (Air Force). That means he's not stupid, militarily, and you don't reach that rank without knowing to ask those worrying questions.

(Honestly, having been a high-ranking officer meant he was, in many ways, ideal for Task Force X--he'd know how to lead, he'd know how to soldier and follow orders, and he'd have the mindset of "Here's the mission, let's find a way to accomplish it, and then get it done, by hook or by crook." Those are all skills that take a long, long time to learn, but are invaluable for such a group--particularly the leadership qualities, since keeping a Task Force X crew on task is like herding cats...)

 

[Celtic Spartan]

eh, the British abused everybody that's just how things were back then. things before the Enlightenment really sucked.

 

[DougA]

Kadabra stands up, looking pleaded with himself. "A little feedback, because all of the beacons work on the same-."

Click to shrink...

Pleaded->pleased

 

[Stsword]

The factual reason is that wealthy land owners in twelve colonies out of thirteen revolted because they didn't want to pay their share of the taxes the English needed to keep their empire afloat, the empire that kept the thirteen colonies safe and fucked over any would be rival in the ass.

Click to shrink...

Actually the law made smuggled black market tea that the likes of Adams and Hancock are suspected to have smuggled more expensive than the legally imported tea.

So "no taxation without representation" is thought to be a smokescreen for "We resent Parliament making our crime unprofitable."

 

[Mr Zoat]

Sorry for the lack of engagement today. I've come down with a cold and just spent an hour huddled under six layers and an electric blanket. My phlegm is now green. I will try answering complaints some time in the next few days.