I'm going to start to post this side story to Family on its own thread.
Fall From Grace
Chapter 1: Lights in the Sky
Disclaimer: all characters are property of their respective owners.
Spoilers: Green Lantern (comic) general spoilers, and Guardians of the Galaxy (movie) spoilers.
Author Note: see at the end of the chapter.
Sector 1417. Planet Korugar. Korugar City. Six months ago.
"What have you done?" Green Lantern Katma Tui said to the figure sitting on the throne.
"It's simple, I brought order to our world." he said, standing up.
"Order? You call this order, Thaal Sinestro?" Katma said, gesturing to the corpses of the former government of Korugar, who had been exposed in the Great Square before the Government Palace, that now was occupied by Sinestro, together with a lot of the people who had tried to protest peacefully Sinestro's ascension, "This is not order, it's tyranny!"
"I was going to offer you to join me, but you have already answered the question." He said, and then he produced a Green Lantern power battery from thin air, "Do you recognize this?"
"My power battery?" Katma said, trying and failing to summon it, "How?"
"You don't become a veteran Lantern without learning a few tricks that the Guardians don't want you to know." He said with a smirk, "Your charge is almost exhausted, Katma, so, remember, you brought this on yourself."
And with these words a portal opened under Katma, who fell through it. Sinestro then turned to the cameras that had been transmitting everything live to the whole planet.
"This is what awaits those who oppose Korugar's New Order!"
Deep in space
Katma found herself deep in space, surrounded by unfamiliar stars.
"Elders damn him to the darkest pit of the Underworld!" she said, letting out a stream of curses worthy of any old spacedog. She stopped mid-tirade, remembering that her ring charge wouldn't last much more. "Ring, where are we?"
"Sector 2807. Close to the Xandarian wormhole." the ring informed her,
"Warning, closest inhabitable planet beyond range attainable with current charge."
"How long can the life support function with the current charge level, without additional power expenses?" she asked, her quick mind starting to elaborate a plan.
"16.684 standard cycles." it answered.
This was bad, a standard Oan cycle lasted roughly a fiftieth of a Korugarian day.
"And how much it would last with an emergency beacon also active?" she asked, the plan near complete in her mind.
"7.203 standard milicycles."
"And if after activating the beacon, I was put in suspended animation, how long it would last?" she asked.
The ring paused for a moment, before giving the answer.
"18.613 standard milicycles."
'Better than nothing. Xandarian ships often cross the wormhole to assert their control over both sides of it, so they could detect the beacon.' she thought.
"Do it, and awaken me if a ship answers the beacon." she then took a deep breath and added, "And in case nobody has answered when 18 standard cycles have passed... use emergency storage mode on me and try to reach the closest Green Lantern."
"Acknowledged." It said, and after a pause it continued,
"Warning. Retrieval of holder after use of emergency storage mode not guaranteed."
"I'm aware." She said, "Do it."
"Activating suspended animation mode in ten milicycles."
Before falling in the dreamless sleep, she had a bit time to admire the stars, how beautiful they were...
Xandarian wormhole. Milky Way end.
Nova Corpsman Rhomann Dey yawned in the seat of his ship. Nova Prime had programmed a 'freedom of navigation' exercise for today, which, translated to real people speech, meant that a trio of Nova Star Blasters was to keep position in the Milky Way end of the wormhole for a couple days.
Frankly, it was boring as Hell, something that hadn't changed over the years. According to one old timer he had talked with, the only real excitement over the years in these exercises had been when a planet in a nearby solar system, located in the center of a dead zone, incredibly enough, had blown up, and radioactive debris almost clogged the wormhole entry.
Now? Comets and micrometeors, and the occasional smuggler, like the one they had transferred to the cruiser on the other side. Seriously, the guy was probably a bit touched in the head. Trying to claim a fake name like Han Solo, while his biometrics were in the system? Madness...
Wait a microperiod. A distress signal?
'Oh, shit.' he thought, recognizing the frequency and modulation. He had never seen it, but it was drilled in the head of all the Nova Corps members who participated in these exercises. He checked it against the records, just in case, and he was right.
'A Green Lantern.'
"Corpsman 47 to Mothership, Corpsman 47 to Mothership, please answer." He said opening a channel to the cruiser, codenamed Mothership for the exercise.
"Mothership here, what has happened, 47?" the operator, by his voice drowsy by virtue of being just the start of his shift.
"I have just received a Green Lantern distress signal." He announced.
"Repeat, 47." his interlocutor said, drowsiness gone from his voice.
"I just received a Green Lantern distress signal" Rhomann repeated, "According to the navcomputer, it's fifty-two point six one six standard lightyears in the direction to the Galactic East."
There was a pause and a new voice started to speak, a voice he knew well, even if he had never met the owner in person.
"Corpsman Rhomann Dey, this is Nova Prime Inari Rael. Can you confirm that it is indeed a Green Lantern distress signal?."
He rechecked again, and checked against the record again. You didn't play games while Rael was watching.
"It's confirmed, ma'am." He said.
"Go, and assist the Green Lantern." She ordered
"We'll send a replacement for you in the exercise."
"Aye, ma'am."
Nova Corps Cruiser "Pride of Xandar". Xandarian side of the wormhole. Andromeda Galaxy.
"How did you end up stranded in this area? The sector we found you in is quite far from Korugar, Green Lantern Tui." Rael said, after Katma had been ushered into the office that Nova Prime was using to oversee the exercise.
Her first impulse was to not answer, shielding herself from questions, in that it was an internal matter of the Corps. But she dismissed the notion, partly because she recognized that her own biases against the Xandarians were a reflection of Sinestro's, and recent events had shown how suspect his judgement was, and partly because of expediency, with her ring running on fumes, she was going to need their help to reach Oa.
"My partner has gone rogue, ma'am." She said, trying to keep it short.
"That would be... Thaal Sinestro?" Rael said, checking it on the screen before her, "I have reports here of him being confrontational with Nova Corpsmen."
"Yes, ma'am, that would be him." Katma said, "It's no secret that his opinion of the Nova Corps is quite low."
"Indeed. Unfortunately, we don't have a ship available that could carry you to Oa." She said, and forestalled any protest of Katma with a raised hand before startying to talk again, "This ship is needed where it is, giving our ongoing tensions with the Kree and the Skrulls, and you have a first-hand experience of how uncomfortable our Star Blasters can be for two people. But there is a possible alternative."
She paused for a moment, and looked to Dey, who had remained in the background, trying to remain as unconspicious as possible.
"Corpsman Dey, what is your assessment of the smuggler you apprehended earlier today?" she asked him, forcing him to step ahead.
"If I can speak candidly, ma'am…" he said,
"Go ahead, that would be a refreshing change in this office." Rael said with a smirk.
"Quill is or used to be connected to the Ravagers, and his rap sheet… has to be seen to be believed." Rhomann said, shaking his head.
"Ravagers… Aren't those a group of space pirates?" Katma asked.
"Yes, they mostly operate in space out of our direct control, or yours for that matter, that's why they still exist, instead of languishing on a prison planet." Dey answered, and turned to Rael, "If we are going to use his ship, we'll have to dangle some incentive in front of him."
"Aha. What is the exact nature of the contraband, Dey?" Rael asked.
"Stolen goods. More than smuggling, it seems to be a case of petty theft, as, after reviewing the facts, we have reason to believe that he stole them himself." Rhomann said, and then added with a shrug, "It's really a few baubles, ma'am, but..."
"I get the picture, Dey. Tell him that we'll erase those two charges from his rap sheet, if he transports Lantern Tui to Oa. If he insists, add that we'll let him go. But you and your Star Blaster will accompany him all the way to Oa, to guarantee his good behavior."
"Aye, ma'am." He said, although he couldn't avoid an expression of displeasure to show on his face. Rael's expression softened when she saw that.
"Ma'am?" Katma said, "May I make use of the ship stores, the charge of the ring is very low, and, well, I didn't have time to change from my bedclothes when I had to go on my last mission."
"Yes, of course." Rael said, and turned to her assistant, "Go with her, I have a couple things to discuss with Corpsman Dey."
"Aye, ma'am." she said, and accompanied Katma out of the office.
"Dey, I know that it's a, and pardon the expression, big load of biological waste what I'm putting on your shoulders, and checking your service file, you would have made Millenian or even Denarian long ago, if politics hadn't interfered in your career. I'll call your wife personally to explain the situation."
"Thank you, ma'am." Dey said, genuinely impressed.
"Don't thank me yet, there is another thing I want you to do, to carry a proposal to the Guardians..."
Nova Cruiser brig. Not too long afterwards
"This is Quill? He doesn't look like much." Katma, now clad in blue fatigues similar to the ones worn by Nova Corps member out of service, said when she saw Peter Quill for the first time.
"For your information, I'm the legendary outlaw Star-Lord, wanted in twelve systems." he said making a theatrical gesture, while Rhomann rolled his eyes behind Katma.
"Sure you are." Dey said, "Look, Quill, this lady needs transportation to the planet Oa in the Milky Way galaxy."
"Aha, and what do I get in exchange?" Quill said, suddenly interested.
"We return those baubles you had on your ship to their owners, and you aren't charged with their theft." Rhomann said.
"Sure, and when my back is turned you get me for all the other charges you have against me." Quill said, "I'm not an idiot."
Rhomann took a deep breath and then said.
"Very well, after you carry her to Oa, we let you go, but I'm going with you." He forestalled Quill's protest adding, "That's not negotiable, Quill. You have a reputation, after all."
Quill bristled for a moment before deflating visibly.
"...Okay, you win." Quill said, "I hope you haven't scratched the paint on the Milano."
"Don't worry, other than removing those things, everything is as you left it." Rhomann answered while he was opening the door, thus missing the brief smirk on Quill's face.
Nova Mothership Hangar.
"What the hell is that?" Quill said when he saw the small ship docked on the upper side of the Milano.
"My Star Blaster, Quill." Rhomann said, "It has the communication codes so that Oa defenses wouldn't blow us from the sky. Once we leave Ms. Tui on Oa, we go our separate ways."
"And how do I return to...?" Quill started to say before snapping his fingers, "Knowhere. It's not as fast as the wormhole, but it'll shave months of the travel."
"Knowhere?" Katma asked, not having heard of that place before.
"An space station located in a Star Cluster on Intergalactic space." Rhomann said, "It sits close to a sweet spot where several Hyperlanes cross. That means that..."
"Intergalactic travel through Knowhere is faster than a direct route." Katma said, having recognized the implications immediately, "But who controls it?"
"A coalition of crime syndicates." Rhomann said, "They enforced an strict neutrality, and their combined strength is enough to give even the Kree pause."
"Yeah, you won't find a more wretched hive of scum and villainy in all the known galaxies." Quill said, "Just my kind of place."
"Of course it is. Come on, let's get going." Katma said, walking intently toward the entry ramp to the Milano.
Korugar
The orbital defenses of Korugar were being strengthened. Mass drivers and lasers adding to the particle and plasma cannons already in place. Sinestro had given the pirate attacks suffered in the last years as a reason, but the complex IFF being built on them, as well as the specially marked ammunition for the mass drivers, spoke of having another enemy in mind for them.
But life didn't stop because a tyrant had taken power. Normal people still had to go to work, although they now had to avoid the attention of the newly formed green clad units of Enforcers, always watchful of signs of disloyalty to the New Order. One such person was Doctor Soranik Natu, a young and brilliant neurosurgeon.
"Mom! Dad! I'm leaving for work!" she said, taking her luggage
"Are you sure, dear? The Enforcers are out looking for... well..."
"People still get hurt, what kind of doctor would I be if I refused to go to work because of the thugs on the streets? Even if those thugs now work for the government.." Soranik said, "Besides, you know me, I never talk about politics."
And with this she left the house, toward her aircar, parked just in front.
"I fear for her, sometimes. She is so passionate, so willful." Dgibb Natu, Soranik's father said, "So much like Katma."
"Or Arin. And look what happened to them," answered his wife, Karoll. "I never trusted Sinestro, Elders take his black soul."
TO BE CONTINUED...
Author Note: I took the Green Lantern mythos and shaved what it doesn't work in a cosmos where Galactus and Celestials exists, as well as compressing the timeline, and trying to remove a bit of the 'human Green Lanterns have to do everything' that seems to pervade the mythos quite a bit.