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

Cuchulin · Saturday at 8:48 AM

McGraww said:
Interesting that guess about being scared seems more likely.

Might be the entire species have some Agoraphobia or that their psychology is similar to that of Pierson's Puppeteers.

Chojin Patriarch · Saturday at 8:51 AM

Mr Zoat said:
15th September 2013
08:01 GMT

One more major and a few dozen minor worlds showing an interest in a cooperation agreement. The Autocrat of Margave even agreed to hold off on active measures while Hyathis tries to subvert the slave populations instead, which I thought was generous. And now I'm looking at the territory of the third major non-thanagarian regional power.

Heh, a slightly self-serving sort of generosity. The Margave probably expend a lot of effort on those slave uprisings, and they probably find the idea of letting someone else foot the bill for a while useful.

Sthuounoo.

"Lantern Guarn, I don't have any files on Sthuounoo. Is that the name of the species, or their homeworld?"

It could well be a case of 'yes, all of the above'

"I don't know."

I look at him and raise my left eyebrow.

I mean, they are aggressively isolationist, apparently to the point of shooting interlopers?

"They don't like having anything to do with the Green Lantern Corps either. And while the Guardians grant us unlimited authority in our Sectors, most Green Lanterns in this Sector choose to leave them alone. They only threaten people when their territory is invaded."

"So how do you know their government isn't evil and their world isn't a hellhole?"

That's a good question. I'm guessing the Corps respect their borders mostly to avoid hostile encounters...

"Three hundred years ago an exploration vessel entered their space unknowingly and then suffered a drive malfunction. Their security fleet arrived at the same time as my partner's predecessor. There was a… Terse negotiation, and she was permitted to briefly visit their homeworld."

Terse, eh? A species of few words, then? Not least 'Leave', 'Go Away' and 'Now'.

"Three hundred years is a long time. Can you get me an audience?"

"There is no mechanism for gaining an audience. They might be slower to shoot you if I am with you, but it is difficult to know."

"What do they look like?"

Knowing their physical configuration might give some idea of tendencies, yes. For instance, species with wide-set eyes that provide a very large field of vision suggest an ancestry of various prey species...

He projects a construct… Huh. Spade-shaped face, with eyes and mouth on the cutting edge. Four foot-fins and manipulator tentacles, so I'm going to assume that they were aquatic until relatively recently in their evolutionary history… Okay, the lower tentacles specialised for movement while the upper ones became 'hands'…

That's a peculiar morphology. I'm guessing some sort of rapid-assault predation method in their ancestry - swimming rapidly at prey, biting and ripping chunks off before they race out of retaliation range...

"No gills?"

"No, they're amphibious."

Interesting that they retain water-breathing. Hopefully they can flush their lungs without coughing the water up or leaving a pool would get messy.

Ah, I saw the head and thought 'shark'.

"Any idea why they're isolationist?"

"No.

Maybe a bad experience earlier in their development? Some alien species swinging through their system, leaving a hostile impression on a barely-civilised culture?

Aquatic species are usually good at 3 dimensional navigation-. Or I suppose that should be 4 dimensional navigation, as they have to take into account where everything is going to be in time as well. And being amphibious probably means that they don't need to keep the interiors of their ships submerged, which would dramatically cut down on the weight.

Big assumption, but you don't become a space-going species without developing that sort of skill one way or another.

"Is it how we look?"

"Is that a joke?"

...I mean, he's got a point. They look like tentacle shark-folk to us, we look like hideous bony things to them?

"No? It's pretty natural to be afraid of species who looks like things who ate your ancestors, and our body shapes are fairly standard pattern humanoid. Theirs aren't."

"My ancestors were mostly eaten by other insectoids."

"Mine sometimes has a bit of a thing about insects, but that's mostly because of the venom."

Especially Australian species. Fortunately, most of them prefer not to make trouble with the big things. The ones that do... Well, that's when the bug spray comes out.

"I have venom."

"Yes, but I'm not very likely to put a boot on with you inside it. Alright, let's head in."

Ah, giving a bit of a clearer picture of Guarn's morphology. A bit of arachnoid-anthropoid, eh?

We warp inwards, not particularly fast because we want them to see us coming and intercept us before we get somewhere they consider sensitive. Supposedly, their doctrine revolves around the spaceship equivalent of self-propelled guns. Small ships based around one large energy weapon, capable of damaging ships far larger than themselves. At the cost of not being efficient against ships in their own class. At least that's what the Thanagarian Empire fought when they tried intruding in this region; they weren't all that good at combating their attack craft but they were very good at hunting base ships.

They must also have very good or very extensive sensors, if you expect them to spot you that quickly and respond.

Or it could be that they just never bothered to send point defence ships after base ships. That would-.

Something presses against my warp field as something tried to interdict me-. Ah, us. I lose Lantern Guarn at once, and drop back into normal space myself a moment later to avoid getting separated. Turn around and transition back towards that faint green glow.

"They are here."

I suspect the locals might be a little worried that their interdiction didn't stop OL until he noticed his companion hadn't kept up... God only knows how they'd have reacted if he'd greediported...

"Good-" A… Frankly excessive flotilla of ships emerge into normal space about 3 A.U. away. "-show." Looks like their primary gun philosophy carries on to their battleships, but without the sort of sensors that allowed the Traitor's fleet to expand their engagement window. Instead, it looks like they're relying on armour and prow-focuses shield emitters to let them survive closing the range. Yes, the battleship would probably two-shot a Thanagarian Command Carrier, if it could catch up with it and stay on target, which I'm dubious about.

...So, not unlike 'Mass Effect' fleet doctrines? Long-range bombardment with near-light-speed weaponry? Just the sort of thing that would get wrecked by fast, agile light craft...

Our rings twinkle. "Identify."

"I am the Illustres of the Orange Lantern Corps."

"Green Lantern Guarn, Sector Two Six Eight Two."

Good, at least they're talking, not shooting.

"Purpose of visit."

"Counter-Thanagar coordination."

And definitely terse. Few words wasted, you'll note.

"Sthuounoo disdain coordination with you."

"Not with me. With everyone currently being threatened by the Thanagarian Empire."

Admittedly, said coordination may come down to 'Our borders. None cross.'

"What had happened?"

"Enduring peace with Alstair, which will release-."

Not a happy peace, it's fair to note. I expect there's still be a few more incidents with OL and this coalition having to give some lessons...

"Yes."

Right, an admiral would be fully briefed on threats and on how they could evolve. I float there for a moment, waiting for some indication of-.

Probably muted while said admiral curses under their breath at the bad news.

"Explain form of coordination."

"In the event of an attack against a party, other parties would attack Thanagarian Empire assets. The idea would be to prevent the Empire overwhelming any one target. Weaker worlds would provide material support, while-."

Not quite what I'd been picturing, but having people stinging the Thanagarians while their back turns would be decent enough.

"Sthuounoo borders inviolate."

"Well, sure, but that will limit the amount of support the others can give you."

I suspect the Thanagarians have learned to leave well enough alone for now on this front, merely offering a few pokes now and again to test the waters.

"Sthuounoo will not occupy Thanagarian Empire worlds."

"Could you strike governmental and military targets?"

...Presumably justifying it as pre-emptive defence - literally 'they might attack us, so we'll hit them first'.

"Yes."

"Then depending on how things go, one of the other parties could occupy them, or you could just destroy military assets and move on."

Quite likely from very long range, especially if enemy fleets are distracted from detecting long-range attacks...

"Sthuounoo suspect that this alliance will go to war with Thanagarian Empire."

"The primary intent is to prevent war by making the Thanagarian Empire aware that it's usual methods won't work. The alliance will be open about its existence once-."

In essence, forming a sort of stable push-and-pull, cold war situation. Thanagar can't attack one group without the rest carving bits off.

"Open?"

"It's existence will be open. Your territory can remain as closed as you wish."

I do wonder how these folks expand their territory.

There's a moment of silence, and then the ships slowly wheel in space.

"Follow. Decision made on homeworld."

Well, that went well?

It'll be interesting to see what Mr Zoat present us with for this original race in terms of culture and described architecture. And at least Guarn gets to update the Corps' data on them without too much trouble. I still suspect their answer will be a tentative 'We'll handle our territories ourselves, look to your own' if they're this isolationist. Not a 'no', but not a 'yes' either.

Mr Zoat · Saturday at 9:14 AM

Darko said:
"it is"
"What has"

Thank you, corrected.

"of a species"
"coordinating"

No, those are intentional.

BR549 said:
'Spade'
Missing end quote.
'look'
'focused'

Thank you, corrected.

Duke Long · Saturday at 9:19 AM

Mr Zoat said:
"The primary intent is to prevent war by making the Thanagarian Empire aware that it's usual methods won't work. The alliance will be open about its existence once-."

'its'

Mr Zoat said:
"Open?"

"It's existence will be open. Your territory can remain as closed as you wish."

'Its'

So, are these people just scaredy-cats, or do they have some weird specific reason they're afraid of people coming in that Oh El is going to, advertently or otherwise, get involved with? Look forward to finding out.

Mr Zoat · Saturday at 9:37 AM

Duke Long said:
'its'
'Its'

Thank you, corrected.

Also, it seems that I forgot the difference between Illinois and Iowa. There's probably a joke there, but I'm not American enough to know.

PDV · Saturday at 1:49 PM

Mr Zoat said:
Thank you, corrected.

Also, it seems that I forgot the difference between Illinois and Iowa. There's probably a joke there, but I'm not American enough to know.

"So does Chicago."

mastermenthe · Saturday at 1:59 PM

PDV said:
"So does Chicago."

This joke does not parse. Please elaborate?

Herb456 · Saturday at 2:15 PM

mastermenthe said:
This joke does not parse. Please elaborate?

I think its a comment on how the greater chicago metropolis treats all the less populous areas within reach of its orbit. Iowa is a relative afterthought to most americans and sits straight to the west of illinois, where chicago dominates the north of the state. A "short drive" away to some midwesterners.

Zig · Saturday at 4:05 PM

Huh no results for the species outside of this fic so it seems zoat made them up end there's no way to predict where this is going

Khornelius · Saturday at 5:42 PM

These guys remind me of the Dark Forest philosophy, they seem to be really afraid of having others come to them. Bet clearly they aren't blatantly or irrationally xenophobic. At least that's my impression for now.

BR549 · 2026-06-21T00:08:01+0100

Khornelius said:
These guys remind me of the Dark Forest philosophy, they seem to be really afraid of having others come to them. Bet clearly they aren't blatantly or irrationally xenophobic. At least that's my impression for now.

I'm definitely getting the vibe that something early on in their development as a spacefaring culture left a mark.

Like, say, if Star Trek Earth had had First Contact not with the Vulcans, but the Orions; or worse, Romulans...

Mr Zoat · 2026-06-21T07:31:14+0100

19th May 2284
19:02 GMT -7

'Civilised' is a fairly… Nebulous concept.

Was pre-War America civilised? Yes, probably. They had a disease epidemic and food shortages, but those were actually in the process of being dealt with. They were extremely vindictive against American citizens of Chinese descent, but… Historically, that has been pretty normal in most human civilisations. Britain and America both practiced internment during the Second World War, and most other nations did worse.

Is the N.C.R. civilised? They have a written constitution… But Britain didn't and still doesn't. They have the rule of law… And a President who personally… Um, 'extrajudicially killed' a lot of the N.C.R's corrupting influences after inviting them to a meeting in Shady Sands, locking the door and 'narrowly surviving an attack by Legion Frumentarii who took the life of so many prominent Californians before escaping'. Hayes has started a national public education program, but it really only extends to the major cities and is based on the patriotism-heavy pre-War syllabus. And even after his 'pruning spree' the judicial system is slanted in favour of major ranching interests and against small holders. But, there is a system.

Is Manitoba? It's less sophisticated and far less internally unified. National programs are a pipedream. But there is a structure, and there is a legal system with both regular and constitutional law, and a shared culture. It's a civilisation from the nineteenth century, or possibly earlier. Not something I've ever really lived in.

But on the way here I've flown over… I don't think that was civilised. The descendants of communist resistance movements from two hundred years ago, still couping each other and making a mess of things. Some sort of power armour-focused tribe ruling over a loose alliance of other tribes. No shared culture, and no organised social structure that I could see beyond doing whatever the local strongman commands. I could be missing something, and I hope I am, but I've seen that sort of thing before. A little way to the south -and north of my father-in-law's territory- the heretical Christians of Heaven's Gate are purging the survivors of their war with the other groups of heretical Christians. I'd say that they are civilised. Some of Christianity's best wars have been against other Christians.

And across the rocky mountains…

The Brotherhood of Steel's problem child.

The Washington Brotherhood is… An oddity. They're using advanced technical armour, a power armour variant that's the signature of the Midwest Brotherhood. That almost certainly means that their founders come from there. But the leader's a ghoul. Alright, he's never seen in public without his armour on, but I've heard recordings of his speech and he's got the classical ghoul rasp.

Now, the Midwest Brotherhood does accept ghouls, but they're... Auxiliaries. People without significant Brotherhood ancestry who they allowed to join because of their critical manpower shortage. None have achieved high rank. And the Midwest Brotherhood admit that between the Calculator, furry deathclaws and everyone else they've been fighting, their record-keeping can't be relied upon. One of their veterans might have ghoulified and gone AWOL, and taken a squad or two with him. But… It's a long way from Illinois to Seattle. They don't have any airships or air transports. So someone would have to walk two-thirds of the way across the United States, which, yes, that's far less distance than the Capital Brotherhood walked, but… Why?

The only alternative would be… Sailing up through the Great Lakes? Sailing to the east coast, sailing south and crossing Central America somewhere before sailing north? I'd like to find out, but it's not the highest priority.

What is the highest priority is their brutal enslavement of the neighbouring tribes, continued military expansion and human experimentation. The last is… More of a rumour. Allegedly, not every Brotherhood member who was part of their expedition was alright with what their Elder was planning, and got together with some of the local tribals to fight them. They lost, but some of the survivors made their way south, which is how many months ago I first became aware of the problem.

So, I need to find out what they're doing as far as the experiments are concerned. F.E.V.? Cybernetics? Psionics? Ghoul-transformation? We genuinely don't have good information on that. Or what their normal recruitment practices are like, or how they maintain control, or what the full extent of their territory is.

I need to find out if they're just crazy monsters, or if there's some reason why they're behaving the way that they are. Are they being brutal in the service of a higher good, or just for the Hell of it?

At least Seattle looks like it's been cleaned up.

It sounds ridiculous, really. You'd think that in the two hundred years since the war everywhere would have to have been cleaned up, right? Roads should have been cleared a few years after the end of the war because pre-War roads are still the best way to travel and putting a car in neutral and pushing it out of the way should be simple. Or scrapping it for parts or raw material and the nuclear fuel in its reactor. But no. There are actually a lot of places where the cars and the corpses in them are still where they crashed.

Seattle doesn't have that problem. The shorter buildings have been repaired or replaced, and a couple of the taller buildings have scaffolding around their exterior. We just don't have the expertise or technology for skyscrapers in most places these days. There are a couple of air fields around the city, though they appear to mostly host Douglas C-47 Skytrains rather than fighters or attack planes. Transports for their power armour units, to suppress rebellions? Logistics?

I watch as a group in… An approximation of Brotherhood knight uniform complete loading one and back off, the plane taxiing up the runway a moment later. Security around the airport is provided by three paladins in black-painted armour, the winged sword of the Washington Brotherhood sloppily painted in red on their shoulders. The knights… Several are ghouls, so at least the Elder isn't a hypocrite. Can't say that any of them look happy, but they're doing manual labour for a man who calls himself 'The Immortal', so that doesn't necessarily tell me anything.

So: what next? I could go for a walk around Seattle, spend some time here listening to their thoughts… Honestly, Port Maw to the south of here might be better for mixing with people, but... The experiments. They're not going to do something like that somewhere where they don't have complete control. Seattle proper, then.

I accelerate the ship, aiming for… I could go for an intact-looking roof with no access. Dropping down and arresting my own momentum is easy, as is running up a sheer wall. But if the building collapsed, the saucer would fall down and be seriously damaged, and that's months of time to repair or replace and I'd have to walk back to friendly territory. No, somewhere at ground level, somewhere where there's a minimal chance of someone walking into it and calling in the scribes. Or just blowing it up.

Let's see… The beach? Few visitors at this time of year, but I don't know where the local fishermen like to beach their ships. Garage? Not a lot of people driving cars up here, but it's a city. It'll be multi-storey car parks, and those usually get repurposed. In fact, there's one…

Ah. Slave storage. At least they're well-ventilated-.

Wait, are those super mutants? Great, now I've got to talk to Colonel Shaw and find out what the heck his people are doing up here-.

They're guards. They look… Well organised, with professionally made super mutant scale weapons, shields and electrified clubs because they're keeping slaves in order, not slaughtering them. Definitely got to talk to Shaw about this. I thought that all his intelligent subordinates were either confirmed dead or still working for him. If we missed someone… They're going to want their home back, which is awkward for us as the N.C.R. annexed it. I mean, we could try selling them on the advantages of N.C.R. citizenship, but they'd be part of Arroyo State, and… Who founded that place again?

Okay, the interior's no good and they're patrolling the roof. But there are small… Towers? Sticking up out of the roof, and apart from one that has an anti-aircraft gun stuck onto it the rest are clear.

I close my eyes [and reach out with my mind, feeling the structure]. Yes, that's strong enough. Bring the saucer around and… Land.

The zetan power system can easily handle leaving the stealth system on while I walk around, so I can leave the engine on. Metaphorically. Leaving the anti-gravity system on is a good way to have it drift off in the wind. So, pop the canopy, project my thoughts outwards to make myself seem uninteresting, and jump down.

Two super mutants nearby turn and look at me, but that's only because there's nothing else going on. I raise my right hand in greeting, and while they snarl back it feels perfunctory.

"Hey, ah… I never asked." They don't look happy, but there's no spike of aggression to signal an intent to attack. "Where are you lads from, anyway?"

"Pffff! Stupid human. Super mutants come from same place as metal warriors!" He gestures widely with his club-bearing right hand. "Now go away!"

Super mutants from the mid-west? Attis's group, then? There shouldn't be any F.E.V. sources around there. I skedaddle down the closest ramp, waving at another super mutant patrol-.

"Are you here for new experiment slaves?"

A larger, paler and considerably more intelligent sounded super mutant focuses on me more than the others did. Well, that's what I'm here to find out about.

I nod. "They're getting through them fast."

"The Immortal commands, we obey. The dark scribes want tough slaves. I will show you the tough slaves."

Vaermina · 2026-06-21T08:15:58+0100

Mr Zoat said:
Super mutants from the mid-west? Attis's group, then? There shouldn't be any F.E.V. sources around there. I skedaddle down the closest ramp, waving at another super mutant patrol-.

There's FEV sources everywhere, and even different varieties of it.

Chojin Patriarch · 2026-06-21T08:25:12+0100

Mr Zoat said:
19th May 2284
19:02 GMT -7

'Civilised' is a fairly… Nebulous concept.

Especially after a nuclear war and two hundred years of limited rebuilding. Most of what we've seen were communities set up by organised groups that survived the war and conquered their surrounding lands. But everywhere that isn't that...

Was pre-War America civilised? Yes, probably. They had a disease epidemic and food shortages, but those were actually in the process of being dealt with. They were extremely vindictive against American citizens of Chinese descent, but… Historically, that has been pretty normal in most human civilisations. Britain and America both practiced internment during the Second World War, and most other nations did worse.

It doesn't help that those with Chinese ancestry (or any kind of asiatic origin) would stand out more amongst a largely white and brown population. It's a human failing, the tendency to make 'others' of people who look like people you don't like.

Is the N.C.R. civilised? They have a written constitution… But Britain didn't and still doesn't. They have the rule of law… And a President who personally… Um, 'extrajudicially killed' a lot of the N.C.R's corrupting influences after inviting them to a meeting in Shady Sands, locking the door and 'narrowly surviving an attack by Legion Frumentarii who took the life of so many prominent Californians before escaping' . Hayes has started a national public education program, but it really only extends to the major cities and is based on the patriotism-heavy pre-War syllabus. And even after his 'pruning spree' the judicial system is slanted in favour of major ranching interests and against small holders. But, there is a system.

Huh. I suppose that's one way to 'clean house' in the government. Albeit a way that requires a lot of cleanup afterwards.

Is Manitoba? It's less sophisticated and far less internally unified. National programs are a pipedream. But there is a structure, and there is a legal system with both regular and constitutional law, and a shared culture. It's a civilisation from the nineteenth century, or possibly earlier. Not something I've ever really lived in.

Still, it's stable enough and generally peaceful, right? There are worse things...

But on the way here I've flown over… I don't think that was civilised. The descendants of communist resistance movements from two hundred years ago, still couping each other and making a mess of things. Some sort of power armour-focused tribe ruling over a loose alliance of other tribes. No shared culture, and no organised social structure that I could see beyond doing whatever the local strongman commands. I could be missing something, and I hope I am, but I've seen that sort of thing before. A little way to the south -and north of my father-in-law's territory- the heretical Christians of Heaven's Gate are purging the survivors of their war with the other groups of heretical Christians. I'd say that they are civilised. Some of Christianity's best wars have been against other Christians.

Such is the nature of humanity. People will overlook 'sins' if it gets them something they want.

And across the rocky mountains…

The Brotherhood of Steel's problem child.

Ah, yes... The probable cause of the recent furor.

The Washington Brotherhood is… An oddity. They're using advanced technical armour, a power armour variant that's the signature of the Midwest Brotherhood. That almost certainly means that their founders come from there. But the leader's a ghoul. Alright, he's never seen in public without his armour on, but I've heard recordings of his speech and he's got the classical ghoul rasp.

Not impossible he gained the leadership fairly, or somehow became transformed afterwards. But highly improbable.

Now, the Midwest Brotherhood does accept ghouls, but they're... Auxiliaries. People without significant Brotherhood ancestry who they allowed to join because of their critical manpower shortage. None have achieved high rank. And the Midwest Brotherhood admit that between the Calculator, furry deathclaws and everyone else they've been fighting, their record-keeping can't be relied upon. One of their veterans might have ghoulified and gone AWOL, and taken a squad or two with him. But… It's a long way from Illinois to Seattle. They don't have any airships or air transports. So someone would have to walk two-thirds of the way across the United States, which, yes, that's far less distance than the Capital Brotherhood walked, but… Why?

Doable, if dangerous, especially if you have power armour and the equipment to maintain it.

The only alternative would be… Sailing up through the Great Lakes? Sailing to the east coast, sailing south and crossing Central America somewhere before sailing north? I'd like to find out, but it's not the highest priority.

Grossly inefficient, yes. The alternative is that someone got a hold of aircraft.

What is the highest priority is their brutal enslavement of the neighbouring tribes, continued military expansion and human experimentation. The last is… More of a rumour. Allegedly, not every Brotherhood member who was part of their expedition was alright with what their Elder was planning, and got together with some of the local tribals to fight them. They lost, but some of the survivors made their way south, which is how many months ago I first became aware of the problem.

It's just never been a high enough priority issue to send someone to deal with it, eh?

So, I need to find out what they're doing as far as the experiments are concerned. F.E.V.? Cybernetics? Psionics? Ghoul-transformation? We genuinely don't have good information on that. Or what their normal recruitment practices are like, or how they maintain control, or what the full extent of their territory is.

Bet you're feeling a little foolish that you never bothered to look into it before, then...

I need to find out if they're just crazy monsters, or if there's some reason why they're behaving the way that they are. Are they being brutal in the service of a higher good, or just for the Hell of it?

At least Seattle looks like it's been cleaned up.

Not a location seen in great detail in games, outside of the cancelled 'Fallout Extreme'. But the few pieces of Concept art looked impressive.

It sounds ridiculous, really. You'd think that in the two hundred years since the war everywhere would have to have been cleaned up, right? Roads should have been cleared a few years after the end of the war because pre-War roads are still the best way to travel and putting a car in neutral and pushing it out of the way should be simple. Or scrapping it for parts or raw material and the nuclear fuel in its reactor. But no. There are actually a lot of places where the cars and the corpses in them are still where they crashed.

To be fair, a lot of places were a lot more concerned about surviving the aftermath, both the radiation and starvation, then the threat of raiding parties. Presumably, any routes used for regular travel have seen some cleanup, but there's only so much manpower, I guess.

Seattle doesn't have that problem. The shorter buildings have been repaired or replaced, and a couple of the taller buildings have scaffolding around their exterior. We just don't have the expertise or technology for skyscrapers in most places these days. There are a couple of air fields around the city, though they appear to mostly host Douglas C-47 Skytrains rather than fighters or attack planes. Transports for their power armour units, to suppress rebellions? Logistics?

Improvised bomber aircraft, even? If they have the monopoly on air power in this region, there's little need for air-to-air combat and boots on the ground are probably more effective in occupations.

I watch as a group in… An approximation of Brotherhood knight uniform complete loading one and back off, the plane taxiing up the runway a moment later. Security around the airport is provided by three paladins in black-painted armour, the winged sword of the Washington Brotherhood sloppily painted in red on their shoulders. The knights… Several are ghouls, so at least the Elder isn't a hypocrite. Can't say that any of them look happy, but they're doing manual labour for a man who calls himself 'The Immortal', so that doesn't necessarily tell me anything.

Hmm... Suggests local groups pressed into service? Displaced troops absorbed during expansions?

So: what next? I could go for a walk around Seattle, spend some time here listening to their thoughts… Honestly, Port Maw to the south of here might be better for mixing with people, but... The experiments. They're not going to do something like that somewhere where they don't have complete control. Seattle proper, then.

Let's hope they don't have anyone immune to telepathic suggestion then, or that your disguise skills can let you fit in.

I accelerate the ship, aiming for… I could go for an intact-looking roof with no access. Dropping down and arresting my own momentum is easy, as is running up a sheer wall. But if the building collapsed, the saucer would fall down and be seriously damaged, and that's months of time to repair or replace and I'd have to walk back to friendly territory. No, somewhere at ground level, somewhere where there's a minimal chance of someone walking into it and calling in the scribes. Or just blowing it up.

With enough space to land it in, too. A public park might work, as long as it's not well-travelled... Hard part is finding one.

Let's see… The beach? Few visitors at this time of year, but I don't know where the local fishermen like to beach their ships. Garage? Not a lot of people driving cars up here, but it's a city. It'll be multi-storey car parks, and those usually get repurposed. In fact, there's one…

Stables are a likely use for open places like that...

Ah. Slave storage. At least they're well-ventilated-.

Wait, are those super mutants? Great, now I've got to talk to Colonel Shaw and find out what the heck his people are doing up here-.

...Well, that's another option. Be careful, mind, as I don't think all super mutants originate from the same place, do they?

They're guards. They look… Well organised, with professionally made super mutant scale weapons, shields and electrified clubs because they're keeping slaves in order, not slaughtering them. Definitely got to talk to Shaw about this. I thought that all his intelligent subordinates were either confirmed dead or still working for him. If we missed someone… They're going to want their home back, which is awkward for us as the N.C.R. annexed it. I mean, we could try selling them on the advantages of N.C.R. citizenship, but they'd be part of Arroyo State, and… Who founded that place again?

An awkward proposition, I'm guessing. Could be deserters, or a group that splintered off during a transfer?

Okay, the interior's no good and they're patrolling the roof. But there are small… Towers? Sticking up out of the roof, and apart from one that has an anti-aircraft gun stuck onto it the rest are clear.

I close my eyes [and reach out with my mind, feeling the structure]. Yes, that's strong enough. Bring the saucer around and… Land.

Out of the way enough. But will anyone be suspicious of him just popping out of a random stairwell?

The zetan power system can easily handle leaving the stealth system on while I walk around, so I can leave the engine on. Metaphorically. Leaving the anti-gravity system on is a good way to have it drift off in the wind. So, pop the canopy, project my thoughts outwards to make myself seem uninteresting, and jump down.

I suppose using some sort of anchor would be even more suspicious.

Two super mutants nearby turn and look at me, but that's only because there's nothing else going on. I raise my right hand in greeting, and while they snarl back it feels perfunctory.

"Hey, ah… I never asked." They don't look happy, but there's no spike of aggression to signal an intent to attack. "Where are you lads from, anyway?"

So not a group forcibly recruited. That suggests they're willingly working with the Brotherhood.

"Pffff! Stupid human. Super mutants come from same place as metal warriors!" He gestures widely with his club-bearing right hand. "Now go away!"

Super mutants from the mid-west? Attis's group, then? There shouldn't be any F.E.V. sources around there. I skedaddle down the closest ramp, waving at another super mutant patrol-.

Troublesome. I wonder just how they ended up working here.

"Are you here for new experiment slaves?"

A larger, paler and considerably more intelligent sounded super mutant focuses on me more than the others did. Well, that's what I'm here to find out about.

And it shouldn't be too hard to mind-whammy him into forgetting you were here when you need to leave.

I nod. "They're getting through them fast."

"The Immortal commands, we obey. The dark scribes want tough slaves. I will show you the tough slaves."

'Dark Scribes'? Well, that's a bad sign.

Well, given that the cancelled 'Fallout Extreme' game would have featured Super Mutants as an option for troops, it makes sense there's some here. I'm guessing they came here with the Brotherhood forces following the Immortal. Or there was a small group up this way anyway for some reason. Wonder what they're getting out of all this 'experimentation'...

Neruz · 2026-06-21T09:00:50+0100

Vaermina said:
There's FEV sources everywhere, and even different varieties of it.

Yeah, it seems like everyone somehow managed to get their hands on an FEV strain or two despite it supposedly being super duper ultra top secret.

Vaermina · 2026-06-21T17:58:25+0100

Chojin Patriarch said:
...Well, that's another option. Be careful, mind, as I don't think all super mutants originate from the same place, do they?

Nope.

West Tek had multiple labs around the country working with FEV, Vault Tech had a few, and so did the Enclave.

The Institute also managed to get their hands on some and then spread it around for testing purposes.

Mr Zoat · 2026-06-22T07:29:53+0100

15th September 2013
09:46 GMT

Honestly, this sort of delay is more like what I was expecting from interstellar diplomacy. I feel that I really shouldn't be able to show up on a planet and immediately get an audience with whoever's running the place. Or… Maybe out in space things in my weight class are more common than I think? Or perhaps interstellar diplomacy is more about personal relationships than interlocking diplomatic systems, and stellar nations have adjusted by making sure that they can clear the boss's schedule at a moment's notice if someone sufficiently powerful swings by?

The planet's structure is… Interesting. It doesn't really have either oceans or continents. It's all small land masses and small lakes, decorated with a generous sprinkling of volcanoes. Plant life struggles on the land, so land-based life is pretty small and simple. Thermals and unobstructed air has led to ideal flying conditions, but there doesn't seem to be a bird analogue. Rather, something like a flying squirrel has taken their place as the world's most capable flier. The planet has two moons, not quite as large as luna but still larger than the moons most small rocky worlds have.

"Huh."

"Have you discovered something?"

"Yes. I know why they're xenophobic."

"Are there predatory humanoids as you proposed?"

"No, that wasn't it. Basically, the conditions in the pools they evolved in vary a lot depending on what volcano has farted into the water recently. The ones who abandoned pool when a strange plant started growing -because there was suddenly sulphur in the water- survived to breed more than the ones who were relaxed about it."

"I will avoid looking like I require sulphur."

"Thing is, I'm not sure whether assuming their shape would help or not. I can't quite tell if physically matching them would be alright or if the fact that I don't understand their lexicon or culture would make things worse."

"You can change your shape? You seem… Solid."

"Oh, it's not an innate ability. But power rings can fabricate things, and that includes body parts."

"That was not mentioned during my training. And I have never heard another Green Lantern mentioned it."

"Well, no. Green Lanterns need to picture exactly what they're doing in their heads. You'd need to be a professional bioengineer in order to make use of the feature. But Orange Lanterns don't have that difficulty." I think for a moment. "Maybe not."

"So how does what you've learned help us?"

"They don't hate or fear other species on an intellectual level. It's all about sight. They can trade, as long as they don't have to interact directly. And they should be willing to-."

"Lanterns. Sthuounoo will see you now."

"Okay. Whereabouts-?"

One of the destroyers rotates, aiming its main gun towards the planet and-. Firing-.

What?

Firing a weak but unusually coherent beam of plasma towards a point on the surface. I plot course and transition, appearing… In the lea of a becalmed volcano, next to a pool filled with some sort of… Red coral-like substance?

"This is the one place sthuounoo can tolerate your kind."

A member of their species… Whatever they're called, awkwardly comes closer. There are several aerial vehicles around us, and the people inside are clearly wearing sophisticated personal armour. The one approaching me on the other hand is wearing something that looks suspiciously like a tracksuit.

Lantern Guarn drops down next to me, while I nod politely.

"Thank you for agreeing to see me. I assume that this is acceptable because the water here is polluted anyway."

"Not polluted. Just wrong for sthuounoo. Few worlds suit us. But we do not transform this place, though we could."

"I'm sure that your admiral has relayed my request."

"Yeees. Sthuounoo has heard. Sthuounoo agree. But have concerns."

"Alright. Tell me what they are, and I'll do my best to settle them."

"Coordination must be conducted using sthuounoo communication protocols. Material transfers must be conducted using sthuounoo standard container units and using sthuounoo weights and measures."

"Alright."

"Communications should be sound-only. If they enter our space, they should give warning and remain far enough away from our ships that sthuounoo cannot perform detailed scans."

"Let us know how far that is, and I'm sure that will be fine."

"Contact must be minimised. Muuust be minimised."

"Understood."

"We will not strike far from our territory. But we will attack Thanagar to support… Allies."

"That's what we were hoping for."

"These are sthuounoo conditions."

I nod. "The weaker species. They can supply raw materials or basic soldiers. As I understand it, you don't want alien troops in your territory. So what do you want in return?"

"If war happens and we win. Sthuounoo want empty worlds with water. Long coasts. Suitable for sthuounoo."

I perform a quick manual review of the worlds closest to sthuounoo space. Yeah, there are a couple that are marked for future colonisation that Thanagar hasn't prioritised due to having better places to settle first. Transferring ownership won't even involve moving that many people. Not… Great for amphibians, but certainly viable.

"That shouldn't be a problem, but what about before that? What can they provide you with to help you?"

"Rare earth minerals. No manufactured materials. To be left on worlds near border."

My ring chimes as I receive details on their standard shipping systems.

"That's fine. Do you want to take part in further negotiations, or technology trading with the alliance."

"No. Sthuounoo are self-sufficient."

"How about information? Scientific knowledge?"

"No. Sthuounoo want them to avoid telling us."

Why would-?

Ooooh.

"Because that would… Make the idea an alien thing. Which would make it hard for you to deal with."

"Yes."

"You know, I know some telepaths. And some bio-engineers. If you wanted help overcoming-."

"No. Sthuounoo have said all there is to say. Leave."

I nod. "Okay, well, thank you for speaking with me. I'll get those protocols for you-."

The sthuounoo leaps into the pool and-.

And… Melts.

Ah.

EgyptianDio · 2026-06-22T07:33:51+0100

Mr Zoat said:
"No. Sthuounoo have said all there is to say. Leave."

I nod. "Okay, well, thank you for speaking with me. I'll get those protocols for you-."

The sthuounoo leaps into the pool and-.

And… Melts.

Damn... that's some next level xenophobia.

Ngamer11 · 2026-06-22T07:34:17+0100

That is certainly an extreme form of xenophobia that doesn't rely on hatred.

KharnTheBrotrayer · 2026-06-22T07:34:54+0100

God, this is the sort of WEIRD aliens I love appearing, what a bunch of freaks.

Darko · 2026-06-22T07:45:35+0100

Mr Zoat said:
air has led to idea flying conditions

"ideal"

Mr Zoat said:
ones who abandoned pool when a strange plant started growing -because there was suddenly sulphur in the water- survived to

"a pool"

Mr Zoat said:
The sthuounoo leaps into the pool and-.

And… Melts.

Ah.

And I thought those aliens that sent the cancer-riddled woman to talk to him were crazy.

Signaller · 2026-06-22T07:58:54+0100

Mr Zoat said:
Plant life struggles on the land, so land-base life is pretty small and simple.

"land-based-life"

Mr Zoat said:
The ones who abandoned pool when a strange plant started growing

"pools", maybe "their pools"?

Mr Zoat said:
"Rare earth minerals. No manufactured materials. To be left on worlds near boarder."

"border"

Mr Zoat said:
"Well, no. Green Lanterns need to picture exactly what they're doing in their heads. You'd need to be a professional bioengineer in order to make use of the feature.

I was never really clear on why that is, since the Green rings still have the same AI features. Sufficient determination should allow them to command the ring to 'do the thing', sort of parallel to how Guy got to be immune to assimilation? And presumably an insufficiently skilled Orange Lantern wouldn't be able to shapeshift if they can't overcome their own internal, short-term views on their generic baseline format? We saw early on how much OL hated being transformed physically into a demon; a low-skilled Orange Lantern shouldn't be able to do that at all.

Mr Zoat said:
Firing a weak but unusually coherent beam of plasma towards a point on the surface.
...
The sthuounoo leaps into the pool and-.

And… Melts.

Did the plasma have anything to do with that, or was the pool that naturally toxic? Also a little surprised there was no black text anywhere in this chapter, which indicates a degree of emotional control similar to how early Dox was able to constrain emotion to portions of thoughts. Or maybe OL just wasn't looking all that closely?

BlueMangoAdea · 2026-06-22T08:08:49+0100

Hah. Because the sthuounoo that talked to aliens directly is contaminated.

Rebu · 2026-06-22T08:19:11+0100

There's probably some strained Chernobyl comparison I could make.

Chojin Patriarch · 2026-06-22T08:21:00+0100

Mr Zoat said:
15th September 2013
09:46 GMT

Honestly, this sort of delay is more like what I was expecting from interstellar diplomacy. I feel that I really shouldn't be able to show up on a planet and immediately get an audience with whoever's running the place. Or… Maybe out in space things in my weight class are more common than I think? Or perhaps interstellar diplomacy is more about personal relationships than interlocking diplomatic systems, and stellar nations have adjusted by making sure that they can clear the boss's schedule at a moment's notice if someone sufficiently powerful swings by?

I suspect it depends a lot on how much control the leaders have in general. A sole dictator-type might be able to force people to wait for him to receive an urgent visit, where a more collective assembly might struggle.

The planet's structure is… Interesting. It doesn't really have either oceans or continents. It's all small land masses and small lakes, decorated with a generous sprinkling of volcanoes. Plant life struggles on the land, so land-base life is pretty small and simple. Thermals and unobstructed air has led to idea flying conditions, but there doesn't seem to be a bird analogue. Rather, something like a flying squirrel has taken their place as the world's most capable flier. The planet has two moons, not quite as large as luna but still larger than the moons most small rocky worlds have.

Fascinating. That sounds like a somewhat unstable tectonic structure, which suggests the dominant sapients got lucky with their evolution.

"Huh."

"Have you discovered something?"

Or rather, the Ring's analytical subroutines have calculated something for him to make the final guess about?

"Yes. I know why they're xenophobic."

"Are there predatory humanoids as you proposed?"

Given the local ecology, they would have to be aliens, but somehow, I don't think it's that.

"No, that wasn't it. Basically, the conditions in the pools they evolved in vary a lot depending on what volcano has farted into the water recently. The ones who abandoned pool when a strange plant started growing -because there was suddenly sulphur in the water- survived to breed more than the ones who were relaxed about it."

...Huh. So they're quite literally developed to be wary of sudden changes in their surroundings? Whether that be unexpected plant life growing, or things that don't look like them running around.

"I will avoid looking like I require sulphur."

"Thing is, I'm not sure whether assuming their shape would help or not. I can't quite tell if physically matching them would be alright or if the fact that I don't understand their lexicon or culture would make things worse."

There's bound to be plenty of subtle subconscious cues they might be able to detect.

"You can change your shape? You seem… Solid."

"Oh, it's not an innate ability. But power rings can fabricate things, and that includes body parts."

And when you can disable your pain receptors, it's easy to change up meaty bits on a whim.

"That was not mentioned during my training. And I have never heard another Green Lantern mentioned it."

"Well, no. Green Lanterns need to picture exactly what they're doing in their heads. You'd need to be a professional bioengineer in order to make use of the feature. But Orange Lanterns don't have that difficulty." I think for a moment. "Maybe not."

Yeah, becoming something I'm half-picturing as a four-limbed Sandalphon from Evangelion might be a step too far.

"So how does what you've learned help us?"

"They don't hate or fear other species on an intellectual level. It's all about sight. They can trade, as long as they don't have to interact directly. And they should be willing to-."

Ah. So if they can keep aliens at a non-contact distance, they should be alright?

"Lanterns. Sthuounoo will see you now."

"Okay. Whereabouts-?"

Interesting that they don't give a name for their diplomatic contact.

One of the destroyers rotates, aiming its main gun towards the planet and-. Firing-.

What?

Hopefully a low-intensity beam, I would hope. A spotlight or laser pointer mode.

Firing a weak but unusually coherent beam of plasma towards a point on the surface. I plot course and transition, appearing… In the lea of a becalmed volcano, next to a pool filled with some sort of… Red coral-like substance?

"This is the one place sthuounoo can tolerate your kind."

Presumably because they themselves are repelled by the location? I'm guessing it's uninhabitable as-is.

A member of their species… Whatever they're called, awkwardly comes closer. There are several aerial vehicles around us, and the people inside are clearly wearing sophisticated personal armour. The one approaching me on the other hand is wearing something that looks suspiciously like a tracksuit.

An unconventional sort of diplomatic outfit, but if it's comfortable for them, it works..

Lantern Guarn drops down next to me, while I nod politely.

"Thank you for agreeing to see me. I assume that this is acceptable because the water here is polluted anyway."

No chance of biological contamination, at least, thanks to their environment shields.

"Not polluted. Just wrong for sthuounoo. Few worlds suit us. But we do not transform this place, though we could."

"I'm sure that your admiral has relayed my request."

...They're unwilling to terraform their homeworld? Odd. Out of nostalgia, perhaps, or some innate desire to maintain their evolutionary history...

"Yeees. Sthuounoo has heard. Sthuounoo agree. But have concerns."

"Alright. Tell me what they are, and I'll do my best to settle them."

Again, the lack of singular pronouns, only the collective. Could these guys have some manner of hive-mind going on?

"Coordination must be conducted using sthuounoo communication protocols. Material transfers must be conducted using sthuounoo standard container units and using sthuounoo weights and measures."

"Alright."

To minimise the conceptual 'contamination' of the existence of aliens, eh?

"Communications should be sound-only. If they enter our space, they should give warning and remain far enough away from our ships that sthuounoo cannot perform detailed scans."

"Let us know how far that is, and I'm sure that will be fine."

I'm guessing it's as much for the visitor's safety as the species' own, if they have a strong enough response to 'not-us' things.

"Contact must be minimised. Muuust be minimised."

"Understood."

Definitely conveying a sense of 'Don't make us see your different shapes' sort of xenophobia. That really does suggest a potential danger if they experience an instinctive hostile response.

"We will not strike far from our territory. But we will attack Thanagar to support… Allies."

"That's what we were hoping for."

"These are sthuounoo conditions."

So, not really anything onerous on their part and not difficult to maintain on anyone else's.

I nod. "The weaker species. They can supply raw materials or basic soldiers. As I understand it, you don't want alien troops in your territory. So what do you want in return?"

"If war happens and we win. Sthuounoo want empty worlds with water. Long coasts. Suitable for sthuounoo."

Makes sense. I assume those born off-world would still be 'sthuounoo' enough that it doesn't trigger their xenophobia..

I perform a quick manual review of the worlds closest to sthuounoo space. Yeah, there are a couple that are marked for future colonisation that Thanagar hasn't prioritised due to having better places to settle first. Transferring ownership won't even involve moving that many people. Not… Great for amphibians, but certainly viable.

The key part would be places similar to their own world's viable living regions. Too hot or cold, the wrong chemicals in the water... Anything could change it more than they'd prefer.

"That shouldn't be a problem, but what about before that? What can they provide you with to help you?"

"Rare earth minerals. No manufactured materials. To be left on worlds near border."

The first, I can understand, that sort of thing is always in high demand. The second... They'd rather process raw materials themselves to minimise outside influence?

My ring chimes as I receive details on their standard shipping systems.

"That's fine. Do you want to take part in further negotiations, or technology trading with the alliance."

"No. Sthuounoo are self-sufficient."

All right, then.

"How about information? Scientific knowledge?"

"No. Sthuounoo want them to avoid telling us."

Again, to minimise outside influence? Outside concepts that they find too alien?

Why would-?

Ooooh.

"Because that would… Make the idea an alien thing. Which would make it hard for you to deal with."

Their xenophobia extends to intellectual aspects too, then? Anything that is 'not of us' makes them too wary to be interested.

"Yes."

"You know, I know some telepaths. And some bio-engineers. If you wanted help overcoming-."

"No. Sthuounoo have said all there is to say. Leave."

Even mental contact would be too... Contaminating? Extreme.

I nod. "Okay, well, thank you for speaking with me. I'll get those protocols for you-."

The sthuounoo leaps into the pool and-.

...The apparently toxic pool? That's...

And… Melts.

Ah.

Too 'contaminated' to continue existing? I wonder if they were even a diplomat? Could be they were a condemned criminal, making themselves useful before execution...

That's quite the ending to negotiations. It does seem like even talking to them was too extreme a cognito-hazard for the locals' xenophobic tendencies. Wonder if the communications with their ships ended the same way for the crewmember doing it? At any rate, they have a tentative agreement in place with the locals now, so mission accomplished here, I guess?

McGraww · 2026-06-22T08:25:36+0100

Signaller said:
I was never really clear on why that is, since the Green rings still have the same AI features. Sufficient determination should allow them to command the ring to 'do the thing', sort of parallel to how Guy got to be immune to assimilation?

I'm pretty sure this is an arbitrary limitation Mr Z added. Partially to explain why Green Lanterns rarely use complex constructs that should be obviously useful -- why does a canonically very skilled Hal always use boxing gloves? And partially to distinguish between what the different colors can do.

Mr Zoat · 2026-06-22T08:35:36+0100

Darko said:
"ideal"

Thank you, corrected.

"a pool"

No, like, 'abandoned ship'.

Signaller said:
"land-based-life"
"border"

Thank you, corrected.

I was never really clear on why that is, since the Green rings still have the same AI features. Sufficient determination should allow them to command the ring to 'do the thing', sort of parallel to how Guy got to be immune to assimilation? And presumably an insufficiently skilled Orange Lantern wouldn't be able to shapeshift if they can't overcome their own internal, short-term views on their generic baseline format? We saw early on how much OL hated being transformed physically into a demon; a low-skilled Orange Lantern shouldn't be able to do that at all.

Green Lanterns have to focus on the exact form they want their construct to take.

Did the plasma have anything to do with that, or was the pool that naturally toxic? Also a little surprised there was no black text anywhere in this chapter, which indicates a degree of emotional control similar to how early Dox was able to constrain emotion to portions of thoughts. Or maybe OL just wasn't looking all that closely?

It was just that acidic.

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

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