[still accepting!!!]

Billions of years ago, the Green Lantern Corps was created by the Guardians of the Universe to protect the 3600 known space sectors. Chosen for their ability to overcome great fear, each alien Lantern was armed with a power ring capable of constructing anything the wearer could imagine. The ring itself powered by one's own willpower and the willpower energy absorbed and filtered through the Central Power Battery on the planet Oa in sector 0. The ring's energy however is not unlimited and the weapon must be charged on a personal power battery each Lantern is also issued. With the recent return of the Guardians, the Corps is back to recruiting new Lanterns from all corners of the galaxy.

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Rules:

1.) No back-to-back posting.

2.) PAY ATTENTION TO DETAIL AND SET-UPS!!

3.) Make sense. If we can't make heads or tails of your posts they're likely to get skipped over.

4.) Get permission before using another player's character in your posts if it involves changing the scene or making actions. Everybody will take beatings in this game in battle however, so don't get pissed if you get punched or blasted into a wall by the bad guys!

5.) Problems with the game or players should be sent directly to me through PM's. I don't want a bunch of bickering in the OOC.

6.) Abandoned characters will be used as NPC's or killed off within the context of the story.

7.) There is no rule #7.

8.) “I was waiting for [insert player/character] to make a move” is not an excuse to not post.

9.) My word is law.

10.) In the event that I'm offline for any period of time, the deputy GM (not yet selected) will take control and HIS/HER word will then be law.

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Sector 2813

The Xudarians have taken a benevolent interest in the cosmos around them and have yet to exhibit any imperialist tendencies. In the 1950s, a Xudarian expedition made its way to Earth, but was blasted out of the sky by the Weaponers of Qward. With few notable exceptions, Xudarians have not been seen much in the vicinity of surrounding sectors since then. A planet in the third quadrant of the Xeno Galaxy, Xudar is inhabited by a peaceful, advanced race dedicated to the arts and sciences. The more seasoned Lantern of this sector, Tomar Tu [Keeper of the Book of Oa] had no problems venturing out of his sector, however presently he was flying beside of Lantern Warlo. The young Lantern with the glowing green eyes and white shirt piloted a construct star cruiser as the senior Lantern approached.

"Lantern Warlo, do you read me?" asked the orange skinned fin headed Lantern.

"Loud and clear, Tomar Tu, what's the situation?" the young Lantern replied staying his course, however disipating the star cruiser.

"My ring has picked up coded messages bouncing off of the Xudarian Crystal satellites and I cannot tell where they are headed. Keep a lookout when patrolling the sector, kid. I apprehended a few Daxamite White Triangle gang members just a few days ago..." Tomar continued as the two Lanterns now flew mere meters apart through the stars.

"I'm actually headed to Oa now, Tomar, but I'll keep an eye out. Was about to kick into hyper space in the star cruiser when I saw you approaching. Anything you want me to tell Lanterns Kilowog or Stewart?" Aurik asked.

"I can contact them with the ring if it's an emergency. Good journey, young Lantern..." the veteran Lantern replied as Aurik went into hyper-space.

Months Earlier, the planet Bgztl...

"Aurik, I think I've got the base levels proportionately measured with the compound enough to coat the tech with invisibilit... IIIAAAAAAAHHH!" a female employee wearing a Tyron Corp lab uniform screamed as an explosion began to rupture on the table.

"Erinia get DOWN!" Aurik screamed tackling her out of the way as the explosion manifested within seconds.

Some smoke and chemical burn stink remained with a little fire, as Aurik dusted himself off and began to check on his attractive lab partner he noticed a shocked look on her face. Not knowing what else to do, the young man looked behind him with hi bright blue eyes and caught sight of an Oan power ring.

"Aurik Warlo of space sector 2813, you have shown the ability to overcome great fear..." an artificial intelligence said aloud with green energy glowing around it for several meters with some of the lighting in the lab destroyed from the explosion.

~KL~

As the young boy from Bismoll sat down meditating as was the usual for him he could not help but reflect on all that had brought him to this point in his life as he usually did. Hey Hapalo may not be the most elegant of the Lantern Core Greens but he had his own flair. He calmly breathed in...and out slowly and surely he would get through this day. He had already practiced some of his constructs and while the galaxy was always in some sort of peril, he was not the one to go save everyone unless he absolutely had to since his sector was patrolled by the legion he was not in any hurry to go and see what may be going on over there and thus conflict the core with them unless he had no choice. In other words he didn't want to cause a war until he was ready to actually call himself a Green Lantern. Some of his comrades felt that being more active was better while he himself thought that there was a time for everything and it was better to be prepared and late than to be under prepared and be ineffective. That being said he wish he could do something...but the nagging feeling....that sense of being unable to do things right was where he was conflicted. While he was in no hurry to go and storm the the sector going to hunt baddies, he was still only six months in and he didn't feel he was fully prepared just yet. His training was coming through and he was called a natural but what could he really do if he faced off against some awesome experienced enemy? He'd probably just be in over his head. That's why he wanted to confirm he was ready to go out to do his duty when his teachers said that he was. Caution is what could have saved the cat as the saying went around the Corps HQ.

Though his father was a revered soldier, the old Venan never seemed to agree with the war methods of old. Kavud Huv would often catch glimpses of him and his mother arguing. Arguing about whether killing was necessary. Whether the treatment of prisoners was fair. Whether training children to be cannon fodder was the right way to go. The debates always ended the same way: the two veterans would part ways, Kav’s father leaving their home to catch a breath of air, his mother proceeding to inculcate him on the ways of the Venan Defence Force.

Training with his mother was nothing short of hell; days of physical and mental exhaustion littered Kav’s childhood. He was a constant subject of discrimination for his mother, who didn’t hesitate to criticise his softness. Not once did he get more than four hours of rest a day, which he either spent eating, sleeping or listening in on his parent’s arguments. He rarely cherished moments from his youth, but the ones he did were those he spent with his dad.

Most of these were still training sessions, though they were more laid back, his father behaving like any parent should: loving, yet strict. The two would often spar in the days before Kav’s self-proclaimed pacifism, then spend the rest of the day discussing strategy and engaging in exhausting physical activities. Though the training regimen was much the same as his mother’s, what set practicing with his father apart was that they did so together. They bonded over these sessions, not drifted apart. Kav felt a love for his father that would have stood the test of time.

Two memories which Kav remembered clearly often repeated themselves in his head. The first was one in which he had bonded with his father more than ever before, on the night of his fouteenth birthday. They had just finished sparring, and both were lying on the floor of their training room, sweat trickling down their foreheads, chests heaving quickly as they regained their breaths. For a while they lay still, staring at the ceiling. Kav hadn’t noticed his father sit up until the man spoke.

“Son.”

Kav turned his head to look at his dad, worried to see a bothered expression on his face, his gaze distant.

“What is it, dad?” he’d asked, sitting up himself.

“Can you promise me something?”

“Yes, of course.”

“When you come of age, you must be the saviour of the beaten. The broken. The damned. Our people… We are doomed. This war, it will destroy us. You have to promise me that you’ll save Ven. You have to promise me that you’ll defeat whatever demons you may have, defeat those that have made plans for our planet. You must be our saviour. Promise me,” requested the father, looking deep into his son’s eyes.

“I… I promise. But dad… why?” he said, returning his dad’s stare.

“Because one day… One day I’ll leave you. I won’t be here anymore to lead you… to guide you. I need the reassurance that I won’t be sending my only son into a doomed world. I need the reassurance that you’ll be the one to fix it.”

It was then that the two hugged, both of them crying, before the memory faded into the next, more recent one.

Kav was now twenty-two, serving in the Venan Defence Force alongside his dad in the second Venan War. The city which Kav called home was a war zone. Explosions filled the area. Corpses, of both soldiers and innocents, littered the streets. The earth scorched the sky, black smoke blocking what view was left of Ven’s large sun.

Kav was kneeling next to his father, hands pressed down against the veteran’s chest. Tears streamed down his face. It couldn’t end like this. It couldn’t. His father was a soldier- the best of all the soldiers. He couldn’t just die like this. He couldn’t just die from a gunshot wound.

Kav’s eyes caught his dad’s, their gaze one of pure love.

“Dad-” said Kav, his voice full of pain and sadness.

“…Kav. I love you, son.”

“I love you too, dad. I-”

“Remember… what you promised me. Remember your promise. Save our… people. I love you.” His father’s last words.

A wave of emotion passed through Kav as he let out a howl of grief, his tears mixing with his dad’s blood. His two remaining squadmates watched in silence, they themselves grieving for Kav’s loss. It was their silence that had momentarily snapped Kav out of his sorrow as he tackled them out of harms way, a bomb exploding where the three of them had just been, leaving nothing but a crater in their wake. The bomb obliterated the body of Kav’s father, leaving of him nothing but memories.

Later that tragic day, Kav had, in his grief, found an object that would help him fulfill his father’s wishes. Or rather, it had found him.

Kavud Huv was a Green Lantern.

---

Two Months Later, Oa...

Kav’s pacifistic attitude was proving to be a problem. He sat in the New Warriors eatery, established by famous Earth-Lantern Guy Gardner, massaging the latest bruises he acquired during a gruelling training session with none other than Kilowog. The trainer had been, over the past two months, getting more and more insistent that the young Venan defend himself, his attacks getting increasingly aggressive in hopes that Kav would fight back. However, Kilowog found himself once again disappointed, as Kav made no attempt to retaliate. Shaking his head, the drill sergeant had told the recruit that if he kept on with his refusal to fight, his inevitable death on the field won't be viewed as a warrior's death, but as a coward's. This was promptly followed by "Poozer".

Frustration welled up inside Kav. How was he supposed to carry out his father's wishes, let alone serve the Corps, if he couldn't overcome the need to keep his hands clean? There was simply no way he could do either of those things without engaging in some sort of combat. But he couldn't hurt anyone... Not after serving in the Venan Defence Force. He'd seen the cruelty inflicted on the battlefield to soldiers... to innocents... to his dad.

With the thought of his dad came the memory of his death. Holding his head in his hands, Kav sat still, a tear rolling down his cheek.

Magnar
Six months ago

A merry little fire crackled in the inn grate, the blaze managing to fend of the worst of the cold winter weather. Outside the rain may be beating down like it meant to wash the land clean, but inside the small, smoky inn was cosy. An old grizzled barman polished a dirty glass with a grimy rag, only half listening to the conversation of the group of young men that were his patrons for the night. The boys were laughing and joking, the ale being served fuelling their good humour. Suddenly the door was flung open, a chill wind gusting into the smoky room, killing the conversation dead. A dark figure, hooded and cloaked, stood in the open doorway for a second too long, like he was scouting out the room before going in. Whoever he was, he made for a big sillouhete.

Quiet in here tonight. Good, maybe I'll get to eat a meal in peace for once.Thought the man known as Magnar 'the Undying' as he entered the inn, slamming the door shut behind him. The only other patrons, seeing that the disturbance was over, returned to their conversation. The big barbarian crossed to the counter, the barman looking up at him with a faint scowl, like he was annoyed at having his dish cleaning disturbed.

"Got food?" asked Magnar, his voice low and deep.

"Aye," answered the Barman "A bowl of fish stew boiling over the fire. Maybe a hunk of yesterdays bread. Probably still good. You want it?"

"Aye, and a jug of ale."

The Undying took up an empty seat and waited patiently for the inn-keeper to bring him his food. When it arrived he pulled his hood down and dipped his bread into the stew. The first bite was like a taste of párras, but then half rotten gruel would have been delicious to his starved stomach at this stage. He was so enjoying his meal that he didn't at first notice that the conversation coming from the other side of the room had ceased once more. He realised pretty quickly when the drawn knife slammed down into the table top next to his stew though.

Magnar's looked slowly up, from the knife to the arm wielding it up to the angry young face behind it. He ignored the boy's friends standing in shocked silence, and the bartender who's mouth lay agape in shock, his dirty dish rag falling from his hands. In his long life Magnar had come to learn there was a time for action and a time for patience. This was one of those latter times, so he just sat and watched the young lad, waiting to see what his next action would be. A lifetime seemed to pass before the boy spoke up.

"You're the Undying. Magnar!" the boy spat the words out like they left a bad taste in his mouth. For his part Magnar didn't care to hear the name, but the words were in the air now, naught much he could do about it. The boy wasn't finished yet, so Magnar just sat silently and gave him his time to vent.

"I know its you! I've seen you before, down in the vales of Sarendia. You probably don't remember, but you killed my brother down there. Never done nothing wrong my brother, but you cut him down with nary a thought about it. Why would you remember, you've left so many corpses in your wake!" Magnar never took his eyes of the boy, waiting for the lad to make his move. The worst thing about the entire situation was that the boy was right, that Magnar didn't remember killing anyone's brother in Sarendia. The faces of the dead had become a blur over the years. The lad pulled the knife from the table top with a swift jerk, before brandishing it towards Magnar.

"Who would care if I killed you right now huh? Who would remember you!" The lads eyes were wide, and Magnar fully believed he would try to stab him. But what would the Undying do? He knew he could reach across and grab the knife from the young fool easily enough, turn the blade and plunge it deep in his accusers chest. But he was terrified to do that, not because he was afraid to take action, but because he knew what would happen afterwards. He knew he would have to put the boys friends down to, and then were would it end? Blood only gets more blood, Gods know if there's one thing he had learnt, it was that. Maybe it was time, time to just let some young pup get the better of him and put an end to it. Wouldn't the world be a happier place without him in it?

Probably, but Magnar wasn't quite ready to leave it yet. There had to be a way to deal with this without anyone dying. A way for him to be a better man.

"I'm sorry about you're brother," said Magnar. And he meant it, he really did. He was about to continue when a sudden boom of thunder, impossibly close, cut him off. It seemed like the sound had come from right before him, but that couldn't be right. But then he didn't believe in flying green rings either, but one seemed to be floating right in front of him, as real as the nose on the front of his face.

"Magnar the Undying of space sector 17, you have shown the ability to overcome great fear. Welcome to the Green Lantern Corps." said the ring.

"Uhhhh..." responded Magnar, before being enveloped in a green glowing energy.

Present Day

Another world, and a new life. Magnar had acclimatised to his new life as a Green Lantern recruit quite well, his world of bizarre magic preparing him for all the incredible sights quite well. Kilowog had been a hard trainer, but Magnar was well used to the life of a soldier, and he felt he had impressed the big alien with his aptitude for ring combat. After all, it was just another weapon to master. He pushed his way into the Green Lanterns inn, the New Warriors eatery. Magnar had developed quite a liking for the place, enjoying just sitting in a bar were no one knew his face or was trying to kill him for past deeds.

The eatery was largely empty, save for one patron that he recognised as another recruit named Kav. Kav was a pacifist, something Magnar just couldn't wrap his head around, but wished he could. The younger man looked sad, his head in his hands. Magnar went and got a couple of 'beers' (A drink that put his worlds ale to shame) and took them to sit next to Kav. Without saying anything he pushed a beer across to the other recruit, waiting to see if the younger man would open up.

The doors to his private lab slide open with a swish, and a woman in a black and white skintight bodysuit enters, toting a tablet in one hand and a stylus in the other.

“How many times have I asked you to announce yourself before entering my laboratory while I’m working?”

The woman directs her gaze towards the only occupant in the room, a scientist currently engaged in welding something together. The blue hue of the flame coming off of the tool he’s using illuminates the black facemask he’s wearing, and the green slit allowing for limited visual outlook.

The woman saunters over beside him, lowering the pair of goggles set atop her forehead, “And yet your focus never seems to waver when I do enter unannounced.” She points out, a smirk playing on her lips.

“Only after practice; I assumed that after the fourth time you ignored my edict, I had just better give up on you actually listening to me.”

“Well, if I went by your schedule, you’d never let me in.” The woman counters. The blue flame suddenly dies, and the scientist drops the tool, “Personal assistants are paid to assist you, not pretend to assist you and then be ignored by their employers.”

The scientist taps the side of his mask, and the black sheath once guarding his face retracts back into the form a visor set along his eyeline, stopping just short of covering his ears. He runs his hand back through his head of blond hair, his green ring seemingly exploding with contrasting color.

“Did it ever occur to you that perhaps I was working on something dangerous in here and should not have been interrupted?”

“You’re the Lord High Researcher of New Genesis, Crux…” The woman says, directly addressing the scientist, “you’re always working on something dangerous.”

“This is true.” Crux concedes the argument after a moment of thought, the gloves formerly protecting his hands from the open flame now evaporating down his hands and back into his all-black bodysuit, “Alas, you’ve occupied what little time I had left here. I’m running late as it is…”

He rises from where he was seated and makes for the door. His assistant doesn’t fight him, merely following in his wake. The pair weaves through row after row of scientific teams assigned to stations, each team researching a project Crux has deemed to have merit. They don’t bother looking up as he passes by.

“Then I’ll be brief: the Supertown Council is concerned; they haven’t received any finished products from you as of late and every meeting you have on the books is continually pushed back to a later date.”

“I’m still learning to plan around my new duties!” He shouts back to her, “I’ll figure it out soon enough. Until then, assure the council that they have my unwavering support and that good things are sure to come from our endless hours of research and development."

“And if your assurances aren’t enough?” She asks.

He reaches the elevator, stepping inside and pressing the button to allow for roof access. His assistant stands on the opposite side of the threshold.

“Then placate them. I have larger concerns that demand my attention.”

He sees his assistant’s displeased expression. As she turns on her heel to go, the doors closing before him, his hand shoots out and stops them.

“Aquila…” The assistant stops and turns, a quizzical look on her face, “Tell the council… that I’m working on something… big. It’s something I feel will finally turn the tide in the war with Apokolips.”

She raises an eyebrow at him, “…Are you?” He just smirks at her, waggling his eyebrows.

He chooses not to respond further, stepping back and allowing the doors to close. He’s no doubt left Aquila more frustrated than when he just told her to tide the council over, as she enjoys being privy to his plans, but he can’t risk anything with this. This is the big one, the gambit that could change the game…

The elevator jerks to a stop, and as opposed to the elevator doors opening to allow him out, the roof of the elevator dissipates and Crux gazes up into the open sky of Supertown. It was a modification he put in when he first got his… new tool.

He lifts his left hand, the Green Lantern Power Ring beginning to glow. His bodysuit begins to show portions of green, glowing as brightly as his ring. His badge ignites, appearing emblazoned across his chest, and he’s overcome by an ethereal, green glow.

“Ring, clock me in.”

He blasts out of the elevator, blazing a green streak across the sky as he departs his home of New Genesis and disappears out into the cosmos.

Green Lantern ring held out in front of him, Varn Tharas glided through the air of his home planet, Rann. He didn’t need the jetpack construct, but it was a part of the Rannian national garb, and made him feel more at home. In fact, Varn had modified his entire Green Lantern uniform to look more Rannian: most of the uniform was green, with white straps formed an “X” across his chest, gloves and boots in the Rannian style, all topped off with a Rannian soldier’s helmet.

“Varn-o! How are you, my boy?” Sarnth Tharas greeted his son. “Come back here to see your old man, finally? All’s calm in the cosmos?”

“Dad, don’t act like it’s been so long. I saw you last time I was planetside,” Varn replied, floating to floor and dissipating his jetpack.

“You were busy saving the world. Besides, ya had that dasting parchuuk with you.” Sarnth spat at the memory.

“I know dad. I might have been young when Mom died, but I still remember that day…” Varn lost his thoughts in the memory. People screaming, people dying. It was a war, after all. Varn shook his head to return it to the present. “I know he’s from Thanagar, but he’s the other Green Lantern of this sector. As much as I hate to, I have to work with him occasionally.”

“Just don’t bring him round here. Rann may not be at war anymore, but we haven’t forgotten,” Sarnth said. “Don’t you forget, my boy. Ever.” The two sat brooding over the past. Finally, Sarnth broke the silence. “So what did you come all the way to Rann for? Surely not to visit this dusty museum,” he said, gesturing to the skeletons of prehistoric creatures that surrounded and dwarfed the two of them.

“I just thought I’d stop in before going back to Oa. I have to report in to the blue munchkins. And don’t call it dusty! I love this place! It’s practically where I grew up, after all. Look,” Varn said, and with a flash of his ring, created a construct.

“Ah! the razor-mouth sea-devil, the scourge of the seas from over a million years ago,” Sarnth marveled at the construct. “That was always one of your favorites as a boy, I remember. It’s good to see you still know where you came from. Don’t loose that out in the stars, my boy. Remember, you are a son of Rann first, son of mine second, and then maybe a Green Lantern a distant third. Blood’s thicker than light.” He chuckled at his own joke, but the sentiment was deadly serious.

“I won’t, Dad… Rann above all.” Varn recited the motto, but wasn’t sure if it rang true.

The Lantern from Bgztl had made it to Oa in roughly three Earth hours. On Bgztl time flowed much slower, as it took their planet much longer than most planets to revolve around their sun. So to Aurik it felt more like an eternity, or rather six hours give or take... whichever came first. The young Lantern entered Oan airspace and touched down somewhere within the inner city surrounding the Central Power Battery. Every Lantern had their own personal quarters in the inner city, many of them were unused, but Aurik took full advantage of the extended privacy galaxies away from home and had a prototype of some of the ghost world technology. It had already been given the ability to mimic intangibility but Aurik was working with turning the effects and or devices themselves invisible using a compound that seemingly reacts to body heat.

"Now if I can single out the heat that people of Bgztl produce with their hands I can calibrate a defense mechanism so that the tech only works for ghost planet natives..." he tinkers for a few moments before a strange rumble in his stomach has him now standing in a crossroads between Warriors Bar and the Earth food they serve, or the Corps cafeteria...

"The last time I ate what Gardner's waitresses told me was 'mozzarella cheese sticks' it made my stomach feel even worse than it does now. I think I'll take my chances with what's being served in the cafeteria... might get lucky and the food may actually come from a planet and sector I've been to..." Aurik thought walking into the large area now where hundreds of alien GL's were presently dining.

Sector 1861...

It was a normal day for the alien scientists working on the Quirzo space station orbiting a moon in the Drenal Galaxy. That was until an orange light sparked in the distance and suddenly the space station was buried in Orange Lantern constructs. Almost like a black ring, that sole orange ring of Larfleeze has the ability to enslave the souls of it's victims recreating them anew as an orange Lantern construct. They eight or so scientist aboard the space station were now pawns of the keeper of the orange battery. Larfleeze continued on to the lush vegetation on the world the moon and space station were orbiting. A planet called Euphoi...

Back on Oa...

Several Lanterns rings began to light up and flicker, with the AI sending out a message:

"All Lanterns receiving this message report to Lantern Salaak outside of the Central Battery for an emergency situation in sector 1-8-6-1... All Lanterns receiving this mes..." the rings spoke several times as Aurik was one of these Lanterns in the cafeteria to get the message.

After putting his tray away with a ring constructed hand, he flew out the entrance towards the Central Battery where Salaak and other Lanterns were gathering...

~KL~

As Hapalo's ring started to relay the message to him he sighed to himself and wondered why he would receive the message of all people. But hey it would be one of his first excursions in a few weeks so there was always looking forward to that. He breathed in deeply once more before activating his ring and coating himself in energy so he could fly to the central battery. "Let's see what I can do...good thing I charged this thing not to long ago so hopefully it doesn't burn out. Whatever we're supposed to meet at the central battery anyways so I'll make sure it's fully charged before I leave." He said as he launched himself off of the ground passing a couple of lanterns whom were coming back to charge their rings and prepared himself for the usual trek towards the sector. "Well hopefully there are a good number of lanterns there...I'm still not completely sure about what I'm doing but damn me if I don't try." He told himself as he headed towards the central battery.

Varn was entering Oa’s atmosphere after his trip to his homeplanet when he received a message on his ring.

“All Lanterns receiving this message report to Lantern Salaak outside of the Central Battery for an emergency situation in sector 1-8-6-1... All Lanterns receiving this mes…”

“Ring, what’s this about?” Varn asked.

A long, wizened face appeared out of Varn’s ring as he headed towards the Central Battery. “I am unable to comply at this time, sir,” replied the ring from its mustachioed avatar.

Varn frowned. “No spoilers I guess.” Varn spied the four-armed Salaak near the Battery. Several other Green Lanterns were already gathered in the area. The Lantern from Rann found a spot next to a Lantern he didn’t know, who was wearing a white shirt.

“Hey, I’m Varn Tharas from Rann. It’s in sector 2682,” the Rannian said to the green-eyed lantern, producing his hand in the traditional Rannian greeting. “You know what this is about? I guess it must be big if they’re calling in all these Lanterns from other sectors.”

Crux is dropped out of hyperspace once the ring registers having entered Oan airspace. The transition is smooth, and Crux is treated to the view of Oa from space. It’s breathtaking, the planet radiating this soft, iridescent glow Crux hasn’t been able to replicate or find anywhere else in the known universe. The planet truly is something unique…

:All Lanterns receiving this message report to Lantern Salaak outside of the Central Battery for an emergency situation in sector 1-8-6-1...All Lanterns receiving this mes…:

He glances down at his ring, the message being forcibly broadcast on his frequency and hijacking control of his piloting functions. It steers him in the direction of the Central Power Battery.

Crux grinds his teeth, his irritation growing, “The next time that I see Salaak his monitors won’t work right for a month… take control of my ring, will he?”

As he closes in on his preset destination, he spies two Lanterns already awaiting Lantern Salaak’s arrival, one clad in white and the other in traditional Rannian garb.

Things were about to get interesting…

When the man known as Magnar took a seat next to Kav, he took no notice. It was only after an awkward minute of Kav mourning and Magnar staring expectantly that Kav finally extended his arm out to reach for the beer Magnar had kindly gotten for him.

"Thanks Magnar..." he said, taking a sip from the beverage, suppressing a coughing fit. He'd never liked beer, and it always seemed to do something to his throat. After successfully ridding himself of the itch that terrorised his throat, he took a rather large swig of the drink. 'What do alcoholics say? It drowns your sorrows... I sure hope so....'

"All Lanterns receiving this message report to Lantern Salaak outside of the Central Battery for an emergency situation in sector 1-8-6-1..." suddenly blared both Kav's and Magnar's rings, right when the Venan had gotten comfortable with his company. Once again thanking Magnar for the beer, Kav walked out of the eatery, not waiting for the other Lantern to join him, flying to the Central Battery. Once he got there, he saw other Lanterns already gathered, patiently waiting for Salaak's arrival. Silently joining them, Kav stood with his feet shoulder-width apart, arms behind his back, years of military training making it the most comfortable standing position. And so he waited with the others, keen to hear what the emergency was.

"All Lanterns receiving this message report to Lantern Salaak outside of the Central Battery for an emergency situation in sector 1-8-6-1..." Magnar shot up with a start, his eyes darting around the room, trying to find the whoreson who had managed to sneak up on him, before realising it was only the ring. He still hadn't gotten used to the blasted thing giving him orders. To his mind trinkets should keep their thoughts to themselves, but maybe he was old fashioned like that.

"Quiet dammit," he ordered, shaking his hand to no avail. The ring kept on bleating it's damned message.

Kav seemed to have gotten the same missive from his ring and raised himself, thanking Magnar for the drink which he left half finished. Magnar sighed at the sight of the desultory effort the younger fella had made at the beer, if he needed anymore of a sign that he wasn't home anymore that was it. Alcohol never went to waste were he came from. The big man picked himself out of his chair and followed Kav at a more sedate pace. Let the younger lads rush around, he was getting to old for that sort of malarkey.

A short flight later and he was at the place the lanterns called the 'Central Battery', dropping down between Kav and a boy wearing a green visor he hadn't met before, showing all the grace of a sick duck falling from the air. Even after all this time he was still a pretty poor flier, but to him that wasn't much of a surprise. Magnar was of a mind that man was never sposed to fly, fancy green magic or no. He tried to ignore the looks he received after his poor landing, acting like he was just waiting patiently for Salaak.

“Hey, I’m Varn Tharas from Rann. It’s in sector 2682,” the Rannian said to the green-eyed lantern, producing his hand in the traditional Rannian greeting, “You know what this is about? I guess it must be big if they’re calling in all these Lanterns from other sectors.”

The young Lantern was still even younger than the Lantern from Bgztl himself, but wore Rannian military like garb. Maybe he was a young soldier at some point. The ghost world scientist had other things on his mind, as he could already hear some of the other Lanterns whispering about the Orange Lantern and what was last reported in sector 1861. But he wasn't a mean person, so responding to the rookie was a given. The Lantern from 2813 was a little taller and for dramatic effect spewed a little green energy from his eyes when addressing the Lantern from Rann.

"The only thing I'm hearing is Larfleeze is on the loose. Name's Aurik, sector 2813, Bgztl." the white shirted Lantern replied.

Salaak hovered above the group and addressed them all while still operating several green construct monitors and files with his four arms.

"In an effort to improve group mission performances, the new Guardian Council has issued mandatory group missions for rookie Lanterns of various sectors for additional training in the field. You have all been selected to accompany Lantern Stel to sector 1861 to deal with the possible threat of the orange entity in the Lantern's battery unleashed. Lives have already been lost and the Orange Lantern is currently gorging himself in the lush vegetation of Euphoi." Lantern Salaak informed the group as the robotic Stel touched down to rally the Lanterns.

"Listen up Lanterns... I've dealt with Agent Orange before, this will not be a walk in the park. The mission objective is to separate Larfleeze from his battery which contains the orange entity called Ophidian. With my robotic side immune to such emotions I would be the logical caretaker of the battery once it is in the Corps' possession." the Lantern suggests with a voice that sounds like auto-tune.

"Let's do this, I'm ready for a real mission!" Aurik said quietly with excitement.

Moments later...

After a quick charge at the Central Battery the Lanterns flew into hyperspace headed for the planet Euphoi in sector 1861 with Stel taking point.

~KL~

"Why the hell are we being chosen to fight this orange lantern guy? If he's really that dangerous then shouldn't more experienced lanterns be picked out? With all due respect I find it hard to believe this man will be that big of a threat if rookies like me are being chosen to fight this guy? Or are we the fodder for the other lanterns?" Hapalo asked aloud as he flew. He wasn't exactly bubbling with excitement but at least it wasn't the lantern corps red. Those guys were some serious threats by themselves. "Don't take my words for wimping out it's my duty to fight and I will do so however I'm not some throw away the Guardians can just chuck out at a supposed powerful rogue lantern." Hapalo continued as he wondered how this would all play out in the end. It could end miserably or all ok depending on how this group could work together.

Magnar's face contorted strangely as he tried not to show his unease at Salaak's appearance. He was still getting used to all the myriad creatures the universe had to offer. Where he came from if something looked different from ya then there was a good chance it was trying to kill you, or you were trying to kill it. Different rules now though. Just hope I'm not so old that I can't change to suit em. Salaak began to outline the mission they'd been set (although Magnar had to admit he bristled a little at being called a rookie. Been a long time since he'd thought of himself as anything but old.) Sounded like some punk named Larfleeze was raiding a defenceless planet, and the lantern's were to sally forth and smite the bugger. The recruits were to be bolstered by a senior member, a big armoured looking fella by name of Stel. Magnar was uncomfortably reminded of the steel golem's that warlocks employed back on his planet, used to terrorise those foolish enough to cross the Mage's council.

Stel had them recharge at the Central battery before leading the charge to sector 1861.

Magnar's inexperience with the ring was telling during the hyperspace flight, his style considerably less graceful than his comrades. Kilowog, the Corps drillmaster, had told him that his flying problem was a mental failing rather than a physical one, that Magnar lacked confidence in flight which translated to a lacklustre ability to soar. Sounded like black magic to the Undying, though he never said as much to the senior lantern.

He was so deep in concentration trying to keep up with the young'uns that he almost missed one of them griping about the mission at hand. Big long speech the boy had too, obviously brewing since he'd first heard of their mission. The Undying usually didn't waste too much time on moaner's, but the lad was raising some valid points. After all, the danger was likely to be extremely high if this 'Larfleeze' had managed to subdue a whole planet on his lonesome.

“Doubt they're just gonna throw us away lad, good soldiers are had to come by. Either way, we've got a job to do, and once you set yourself to a job it's best you just keep moving forwards. Double guessing yourself gets you nothing but a whole lotta dead.” Replied Magnar, as much to all the recruits as to the young lad causing the fuss. Nothing worse than going into a battle with allies who weren't willing to fight to their last.

As Varn followed the robotic Stel towards Sector 1861 and the planet Euphoi, he studied the other Green Lanterns. The only name he knew was Aurik, the green-eyed Lantern he had met earlier; Varn had never met the others. He hadn't ever met the veteran Green Lantern, either. Stel was an enigma to Varn.
"Is he a robot? Do the Guardians give rings to robots?" he asked Aurik.

"He's a super intelligent robotic lifeform from the planet Grenda, sector 3009. He replaced Kilowog as chief drill instructor a few weeks back, I heard..." Aurik replied en route to Euphoi.

"Huh, that must have been when I was on Rann," Varn thought out loud.

Meanwhile, Varn could hear two of the other Lanterns discussing whether the Guardians were sending them in as cannon fodder or not. They were both Ranniod, but the second one looked more like a wild animal. Varn wondered what the man did before joining the Corps. Soldier? Hunter? Killer? Wildling?

"We would be fairly easy to replace. After all, it's an automated system," Varn added. "But I think the Guardians are good people. They wouldn't do anything to put us in undue danger."

Euphoi was fast approaching the young Lanterns. The picturesque garden planet was a beautiful, luscious green color from orbit, but who knows what it would look like when they got planet side. Somewhere down there, Agent Orange and his constructs were consuming the planet for his selfish pleasure. Varn followed Stel as he changed vector, preparing for entry.

Pravæk Tura sat in his construct ship as he sailed through space, he sat at the chair he had constructed in the small ship. It was slender, resembling a compressed oval. He sat with his upper left hand across his mouth and his other arms resting on arm rests in the seat of the construct. He was looking forward when he felt energy in his top right hand, he looked down and saw the ring flashing rapidly. He sat up in his seat and then stood fully as the construct ship disappeared. He held out his ring hand and moved it around until he could tell where the being was, he looked to his left and saw a set of green lights coming towards him. He smirked briefly then pushing himself forward towards his comrades.

Nestled deep within the center of Space Sector 1861, the planet Euphoi orbits a bright, blue star, defended from onlookers by a well-placed asteroid field circling the planet’s orbital path. The planet was covered mostly with plant life, uninhibited growth, sunlight, and raid making for entire continents covered in tropical forests. From the tops of trees that dwarf skyscrapers on any civilized world, birds and creature alike fend for themselves, fighting over the most delectable fruit that no-one outside of the planet has ever tasted.

The natives of Euphoi, wide-eyed and primitive, still taking their very first steps towards building a civilized society, have never known anything else. The fruit provided an amalgam of desirable nutrients and energy, as two whole fruits a day could sustain a lone adult male. The people of these villages that are beginning to grow out of the forest want for nothing, and the direction of their growth remains undetermined as of yet.

That may very well change before the day is done.

For the last several days and nights, the people of one particular lowland village have been hearing monstrous sounds coming from deep within the forest. Cackling, snorting, grumbling… a cacophony of alien voices sounding all the way back to the people from the most isolated depths of the forest.

In one particular village, a search party was dispatched in order to discover the source of the noise. They may have just found it.

The locals know the location well; a lagoon that’s fed by a waterfall, branching off of one of the rivers crisscrossing through the jungle. The trees that grow here bear this delicious fruit low enough to the ground that it’s no hassle to retrieve, so it has become a popular spot by virtue of the ease with which you could feed your family here.

As the villagers approach the tree line, peeling back the wide, flat leaves to survey the site, the blue-skinned natives are shock to see what appears to be a collection of orange ghosts parading about, their hands gripping tight the locals’ preferred food source. It would be easy for the natives to fall back on superstition, to flee and speak of this tale later, but the phantoms continue to pluck the fruit from the trees, depriving the natives of their food should lean times come.

It is fight, or face starvation; they choose the latter.

The leader of the search part, done-up in war paint and wielding a spear, steps through the foliage and hurls his spear at one of the apparitions, a small, round, gleeful-looking thing that’s remaining relatively still. The spear connects, but is deflected away by the energy comprising the being. The tiny alien and his companions, one of them with a perfectly feminine face, her pincer-like hands belying her true nature, and another with his head and upper body wrapped in fraying rags above a pristine-looking uniform. The creatures cease their marauding and turn to face the onlookers. They sneer, all at once releasing a battle cry of, “MINE!”

They move fast, inhumanely so. The dozen or so members of the search party are accosted, torn apart, and gone in seconds. The leader of the party, as well as those at his flank, is only temporarily given reprieve at the cost of their partners’ lives. They beat a quick retreat through the forest, but are just as quickly surrounded by the orange ghosts.

They tremble in fear, never having faced an enemy such as this. The leader closes his eyes, saying a silent prayer to his gods before the inevitable happens. The orange phantoms lunge at the group…

“Stop!” The orange beings halt in mid-air, the natives confused as to what’s happening before them.

They look up, wondering if their gods have answered, and are treated to a sight of only another being cloaked in orange. This one is different, though; he looks solid, not composed of light, and carries lantern in his hands.

“I’ve never see one of these things before!” He swoops down, closely examining the face of the search party leader, “They must be a rare thing! *snrrkff* I like it, I want one!”

The leader hastily replies, a dialect unfamiliar to the alien’s ears. His lantern does the job of translating for him, though.

:Please, spare us, our village… leave us be, monster!:

“Village? *snkrff* You mean there are more of you?” His words have a dangerous edge to them, “…and just when I thought you were interesting! If there are more of you, how are you special?”

He turns in the air, fleeing the scene, “Kill the rest of them! They’re of no worth to me!”

The rest of the search party is torn limb from limb, but the alien doesn’t care.

He is Larfleeze, known as Agent Orange to those who serve the Guardians of the Universe, and he only cares for that which is worth something.

“Insolent savages!” Larfleeze curses to no-one in particular, “I’ll teach them to interrupt my harvest! This fruit…” Larfleeze rolls one of the palm-sized fruits around in his hand, “will make a delicious treat to gorge myself upon, away from the prying eyes of those who would take from me! …Eh?” Larfleeze suddenly spots a steady stream of smoke rising up from a small clearing a short distance away, and remembers the party leader’s words.

“That…*snurkk* village…*snork*” He seethes, “he did say there was more of them, yes?” He asks aloud, “…If I’m to make this planet my new home, I suppose I should kill them all.”

Just then, his lantern ignites brighter than usual, “ *snurkk* Huh?”

His lantern projects a view of a squadron of Green Lanterns hurtling through deep space, on approach to Euphoi.

“No…” He growls through grit teeth, “Interlopers! Can’t they simply leave me be?! …Bah! No matter, I’ll deal with them before they even set foot on this planet… on MY planet!”

His lantern glows bright, the energy being emitted consuming him…

---

Crux flies in silence, privy to the discussions happening around him yet taking part in none of them. He prefers solitude, and in this case finds himself legitimately working.

Larfleeze, the bearer of the orange light, is a bit of a mystery to anyone who wasn’t present the day of the Guardians’ march into the Vega System. Since then, the alien had sequestered himself away from public view, hoping from world to world and taking what he can before fleeing again. This time, though he seems to have gone too far. The people of Euphoi are young, full of potential… they have nothing beyond hand tools, and they’re nowhere near ready to battle a Lantern of any kind.

Crux spends a majority of the flight briefing himself, slides of Larfleeze’s numerous construct soldiers flashing through his visor. He memorizes their biology, their preferred methods of take down, at least those documented by the Green Lantern Corps in the wake of their first battle with Larfleeze. He’s so busy, in fact, that he isn’t even aware they’ve exited the asteroid belt near Euphoi until Stel says as much.

:Be ready, Lanterns, as Larfleeze is not to be underestimated.: Stel warns.

:Will he know of our arrival?: Crux asks through his Power Ring.

:Negative. Though he may be powerful, Larfleeze is a simple creature without much forethought.:

Just behind the group, on the inner edge of the asteroid belt, one massive rock in particular seems to stop and turn itself of its own volition. It is soon overtaken by orange energy, beady, dead eyes and a massive maw emerging in detail on the surface of the rock, now revealed to be an alien life form. From within the alien’s wide, open mouth, orange energy begins to coalesce, charging with energy.

:He will never see us coming.:

"I'll provide sport we need a spearhead though for me to get a good shot in at that son of a gun." Hapalo said patiently as he followed the lead of the other lanterns. "I'm not one to enjoy fighting but if this pond scum has no mind then we may as well do our best to put it down." he continued as he flew and he thought about all the possibilities he could conjure up to defeat the cosmic horror. "We need to take him down quick and fast if not then he may get away. If we have the ability to surprise him let's take it perhaps we could lead him into an ambush or perhaps we could just go full on assault on the man or woman or whatever the hell this Larfleeze guy is." Hapalo said with a quick joke. "None the less we need to decide on something to do and do it quickly." Hapalo finished his opinion on the situation and simply followed whatever his team was going to do next.

Pravæk Tura flew towards the green light and saw a planet, his ring flashed to notify him this was the source of the disturbance. He increased his speed and shot towards the planet like a bullet, upon getting closer he spotted an asteroid belt, within it he saw several beings encased in green energy, and one larger monstrous creature encased in an orange energy. Pravæk altered his path and veered toward his fellow Green Lanterns. He got flew in behind them and constructed a large war hammer and held it in all four of his hands as he rocketed towards the beast and a small helmet over his face. He brought the hammer above his head as he neared the creature, a stream of orange energy connected with Pravæk's side and pushed him into a nearby asteroid.

"Bastard of a Blur Mel" Pravæk shouted as he was crushed against the rock, he clutched his hands and formed another construct and severed the orange energy. He balled his hands into fists and doubled up the energy he was using to generate his shield. He propelled himself upward and then back behind the asteroid, he held out his top right hand and circled the boulder in green energy, and hurled it at the orange monster. He made his way back to his fellow Lanterns and introduced himself.

"Pravæk Tura, Homeworld of Da', Sector 1423" He said with a small nod towards each of his brothers, "A pleasure to meet more of the core."