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

The OLC doesn't actually want to wipe out the Reach completely, as Paul told those Gordanians during the diplomatic meeting, they just want to make sure they aren't a threat anymore by removing their territory and damaging their army.

And I'm assuming they also want to help the victims of the Reach.

 

One of the classic problems of space combat: What happens when the other guy has more gun? We're about to see, methinks.

Spoiler: Commentary spoilered for length

My, my... Dammit, now I'm thinking of Gryps II from the Gundam Universal Century timeline... Big gun, big target. But the Dreadnaught is a lot tougher than a converted O'Neill Cylinder...

The joy of using gravity-based weapons a lot. I suppose conventional space combats, without Lanterns involved, tend to be a bit more submarine-warfare-inspired.

I don't know, Grayven-16 probably enjoys stepping on bugs...

A classic moment of "What the fuck?!" Especially for the Reach.

Seriously, he has to learn how to pick up Godspeech properly soon, if it gives him headaches through the Ring's healing like this... Heck, this might encourage him to do so.

Tense knife-fights with opponents you can't actually see. Yup, guessed as much.

...Definitely in the Wave-Motion Cannon/Macross Cannon class. If this were a 40k battle, Abbadon would have an erection right now at the destructive power...

Hey, you wanted this war, you don't get to be squeamish about it afterwards. Ends justify the Means, after all. We can expect quite a few atrocities on all side, by the time this is done...

So it comes down to Grayven-16's dick substitute making the difference. Why am I not surprised at all by that?

Hopefully he's thinking and processing strategic data, not frozen by shock. That will not help his position.

...And OL undercutting him isn't going to help either. Still, that kind of is the Illustres' job. When the Clarissi is indisposed or unresponsive, guess who the Lanterns look to for orders.

Still, I'm sure ring translation can provide an equivalent euphemism... Or aphorism or whatever it is...

And the more scan data the analysts have to work with, the easier it'll be to find a way to kill them.

Yay... Remember, you picked him, OL. If he turns out to be unsuitable for field leadership duties, it's on you.

Because of course if they have a fleet-scale rapid transit option, why not use it in combat?

Instant flanking manoeuvre, just add kabooms. Hard to keep your guard up when you have to be aware of all directions becoming attack vectors.

"There's no escaping them now." Seriously, why am I picturing an Eve Online battle right now?

Grayven certainly is bombastic, isn't he, when he's speaking in Divine voice? No doubt it'll apply to his in-person appearances too...

Since the weapons get stronger when a New God is backing them, I take it. Grayven-16's literally reaching out and touching the foe. And what he touches dies.

Feh, as if friendly fire matters to Grayven-16? I fully expect him to shoot through his servants to strike down his foes... He's that kind of bad boss...

Contempt for his worthless minions, who are cannon fodder for his plans, grist for the mill of his war?

Or maybe they're just trying to get out of the way of the planet-killer. Seriously, anywhere the dreadnaught's main gun is pointing is the last place you want to be...

Ah, he noticed something amidst the chaos?

Which means most Orange Lanterns aren't going to far much better. Time for a strategic withdrawal, perhaps? Quickly?

Looks like Grayven-16's had enough play for the moment. The question is, what does he intend to do next?

Shiiiiit.

Oh, boy. What's Big G planning, then? Was the annihilation of the Reach outpost a show of force ahead of aggressive negotiations? A demonstration of what awaits if the NEMO forces don't bend their knees? Or is he just going to steamroll them too...

---

Godspeech, and a lot of it!

Spoiler: Godspeed, readers!

 

Careful. That kind of thinking leads to Tangseid..

Just not near Lucius, or any other Slaaneshi.

Technically OL is the field leader here, while Dox is the strategic one.

Maybe to the ones he doesn't know, but if he's like his Earth 50 counterpart then he may have more care and loyalty to those closer to him.

I think I remember him taking that Tamaranean away after renegade exposed her to the AL Equation.

 

You are when you want to be.

Seriously though you avoided plenty of common pitfalls with your Relative Earth Progress presentation.

 

Stray full stops after the dashes.

 

Those aren't stray; they've got a forever home.

 

Something is deeply wrong with me because I'm reading that last bit of godspeech as "BEGONE, THOT" instead of what it actually says.

 

I have quite enjoyed this story and have followed you from the other forums to here. Can't wait to read even more of this.

 

Even though it was a typo, I'd like to answer this anyway.

I do hereby coin the word kimetic as a contraction of kinetic-memetic. It is an effect that combines a physical force with a memetic one. A sword that cuts memories as it cuts flesh. A stupid stick that bludgeons away intellect as well as bruises. A sentence that when read punches the reader in the face. After learning that stepping on a crack will break your mother's back, stepping on a crack does break her back.

Those are example kimetics.
You're welcome.

 

By all appearances he is doing a fine job of undermining himself.
Dox is a “super-genius” too stupid to use social skills while trying to run an organisation of highly disparate individuals. He might be a superlative RTS player and grand strategist, however that does not mean he is a good or even passable leader.

 

I don't think they'll attack each other. They kind of already have a deal with Grayven even if they didn't know that Gordanian Ambassador was negotiating on Grayven's behalf.

Essentially, Grayven was free to attack the Reach in whatever way he wished and he and LEGION agreed not to fuck with each other.

I mean, sure, he could always renege on the deal . . . But I think this is just going to be some grandstanding.

 

I think this is supposed to be "buoy"?

 

no Bouy is noun and Buoy is a verb.

Edit: never mind the dictionary page shifted over finally and the verb definition moved under buoy and second noun one moved over, sorry for correcting you when i was wrong. i think you are correct and bouy only says definition is head. Weirdly now im picturing headshots.

 

The one that says "(head)" is broken. It's supposed to be a redirect heading to correct a commonly misspelled word, and it isn't a definition in and of itself.

 

Oh, well now my funny visual is gone
Thanks for clarity. i was spelling it wrong for years, will be hard to change.

Main note: I am loving this arc. I was really disappointed with Paragon/Sheeda/Malvolio so i am glad it turned around so fast on me. I'm really excited to see who gets drawn in to what seems to be turning into an entire universe at war. I wonder if anyone from Vega will be called in for aid?

I'm kind of suprised Paul never got someone looking into how to magically reset/purge a scarab. How useful would that be as a combat ability? Or even if they have tto capture a few and resett them, the Intel.

 

Thank you, corrected.

 

Mostly, because he doesn't have a scarab, doesn't have spare magicians, using magic in space is really hard and he has no real reason to believe there'd be any sort of special interaction.

 

Is Jaime's Scarab being rendered inert by magic not part of comics canon? I assumed it was (and that would be part of Paragon's background knowledge).

I hope they can capture a Scarab Warrior for study at some point, and find a way to safely separate the device from the host.

I forget any WoZ on the subject, but what's the Green Beetle/Scarab of Mars up to? I'm not sure what the canon timeline is on its activation.

 

Yes it is, when it's not canon that the scarab is magic.

Originally it was magic, in Time Masters it even showed Nabu making the scarab to kill Vandal Savage out of a time communicator Rip Hunter invented.

Then that was retconned into it being Reach machines, and magic messed up Jaime's scarab.

Then that was retconned, the Reach Scarabs are in fact aliens that the Reach enslaved.

Currently in the comics, the Scarab is again a magic artifact, according to Dr Fate himself, and Jaime had to deal with Arion the sorcerer trying to getting his scarab back.

 

yeah it being from comics, was my reasoning. But if Zoat isn't a big Blue beetle reader, i can understand him not being aware of the one relatively minor thing especially with how it has retconned.

Im sorry if that sounded like i was knocking your decisions. I am more curious as to why it was left out. With everything you have done here, even if it was overlooked, i don't mind. Paul/You has been over worked bringing this to us every day. I was more realizing/wondering if you didn't read Blue Beetle, so SI doesn't know one is on earth for him to tinker with/how valuable it would be.

You do raise a good point on magic not being galaxy far reaching. so he could have overlooked it. Hopefully he thinks of it as an Earh defence after this conflict. This is going to have the Reach lashing out. One asteroid will destroy earth in revenge.

 

Is he being blocked?

'radius'

remove 'my'

maybe add 'be more able to do it'

'bring through'

Well that was disturbing.

 

I hope he follows up by transmuting a giant cake to smear the dreadnaught with.

He seems to be able to communicate with other Lanterns and the LEGION captain, so it appears to be something specific to Dox. Maybe Dox is analyzing the New God energies or something; he created a boom tube once, I remember.

 

I'm thinking pie instead of cake.

 

It's been a while since we got a song.

 

This seems like a highly unusual choice for an inspiration song, particularly given that it was originally meant to praise the Nazi party. Is there any particular thinking behind this or are you just a fan?

 

Wait, is Dox dead?!? Did Grayven take him out?

In that case the song may be Paul's eulogy...

 

Metaphorically.

Thank you, corrected.

No, I think that's okay.

Honestly, I think the older version is more like what the SI is singing. It's supposed to sound uplifting, after all.

More to follow!

Yes, but if you don't know that it just sounds uplifting. The fact that there's a twist to the concept just says 'Orange Lantern Corps' to me.

 

Hmm... Is the boom tube a threat display? "We can kill you at any time. Run now, little fools." Or are they taking their time to come through in force? Damn, Grayven-16's an asshole.

Spoiler: Commentary spoilered for length

I'm still concerned by the timing of his attack. Was it coincidence? Was it a spy in the NEMO forces? Godly Domain trickery? Was he planning to show up wherever NEMO did, no matter where they went?

Because it sounds like he wants to leave. Right now, preferably. I suspect that idea is being echoed across the fleet...

Feels kinda bad to be the one about to get stepped on, huh?

That.. is a very good question. OL? Care to answer?

And until Dox starts talking, he's got no way of knowing anything. So, first step: Kick Dox until he wakes up.

Feeling a little better now that someone in charge is actually showing signs of doing something.

Ah, OL. Anyone else would be yelling down the line. OL? Typically British understatedness.

"Dox's gone bye-bye, OL. What've you got?" I take it Dox is laid out like a kipper in shock...

Time to grab the reins of command and get this bunch of yahoos rolling!

Double-checking for good measure. Presumably Dox made himself a public spectacle in his little collapse... Hopefully medics are looking after him now.

Step one complete: Command assumed.

Which is presumably not far from their current system? What are the chances Grayven-16's fleet will get there first?

Time for them to see what OL can really do.

Hence the rearguard. Presumably those with the most empathic desires are on towing duties.

Showing them the first step to enlightenment, eh?

Honestly, not the biggest feat a Lantern has ever performed. Consider John Stewart reassembling an entire planet. Or Kyle Rayner forming chains for Superman to pull Earth through space safely...

Next lesson, subsuming your personal wants to that of the larger group.

Well, well, progress is swift when their lives are on the line. We have some quick learners here.

Hopefully most of them will have a future to enjoy learning in. Becaue that ship is very, very big...

Yeah, Grayven-16 is showing them he thinks so little of them that he's in no hurry to destroy them. I'm impressed he's doing it himself instead of sending the fleet, though.

Because nothing gets people focused like a sing-a-long... Equestria, this ain't.

Song chosen because of the fascist undertones? Of a group working together to overcome an enemy? The hope of surviving this day? Fascinating choice...

And with this, I have the feeling OL will bring the Orange Lanterns together as a group far stronger than anything Dox could have achieved by himself. Because while Dox is guided by Logic, OL is guided by Emotion... And we know which is stronger an influence on emotion-wielding soldiers...

 

Going to have to disagree on that, since it sounds weird when you say it aloud.

maybe 'be more who can do it', or my previous suggestion, since the sentence in the text just doesn't seem right.