Maltus:
From times untold they come; after the battle, the scavengers arrive. In the aftermath of the Green Lantern's battle at Maltus, the original homeworld of the Guardians, there was no flesh to draw vultures or vermin, but there was abundant debris to draw the spacefarer's equivalent - the junkers. And there was junk aplenty to be found. Hordes of deactivated Manhunters and their no longer powered staves, the Anti-Monitor's empty shell, broken war vessels and the structure that held the gateway to the Beginning of all things.
Working circuits had the most value, followed by repairable components. The least important type of refuse were refined metals; the basic component for the machinery that made life among the stars possible. Among a load of scrap metal gathered by the salvager guilds, was an ancient and derelict Green Lantern Battery. Scooped up along with all the other bits of junk materials, the battery tumbled into the cavernous hold of a wrecker tug. If anyone had been around to see, they might have seen a small but recurrent green glow from the battered lens, growing minutely brighter as the pulse went on...
Odym:
In the depths of space, Razer poured on the speed for Odym. His ring was becoming subtly weaker, and he was well aware of the reasons why. The drain began even before he admitted to Aya that there was no hate in his heart for her. His current mission would only accelerate the process; he was driven now by determination, hope, and love, and none of those things could feed his Red ring. He sought St. Walker, well known for his wanderings throughout the Galaxy. Maybe St. Walker knew something, anything, that might give Razer a clue as to where he might go next. His Red ring flickered, but he didn't have far to go now. Dredging up the ashes of his self-hate for hurting Aya[*], he flung himself into the atmosphere of the Blue Lantern's planet.
Gnartz! Planetary re-entry was not a good time to have a failing power ring. He was falling more than flying as the thin upper atmospheric clouds shred around his plummeting body, barely managing a heat shield. Annoyance at the absurdity of the situation was enough to stoke a few surges of Red power that he put to use forming a parachute and glider wings to slow his descent. Ring constructs weren't easy for a Red; most used their power as raw energy bolts, or auras of flame. Maybe it was his time in the company of Greens, his engineering skills, or studying concentration techniques with St. Walker, but he didn't think any other Red Lantern had as much control of constructs as he had. This unique ability would likely be the only thing to make this landing one he could walk away from.
In the thicker middle atmosphere, his chute tore away, and the wings were barely stable enough to guide his fall. Time to start picking a landing place. He spotted a thick forest, but not likely thick enough to break his fall without breaking his bones in the process. There! A medium sized lake. He was from an arid world, but the water looked good to him right now. Tilting the leading edge of his Red glider wings carefully, he aimed into a broad descending spiral that would center on the lake. For the lowest spirals above the water, he curled his lower wing edges to scoop more air and slow him even more. He was only a few hundred feet above the lake and contemplating how best to enter the water when his concentration was shattered by a familiar voice.
"May I be of any assistance, Brother Razer?"
Razer looked up at St. Walker, startled, when his ring took advantage of the Blue Lantern's proximity to fail him completely. He spasmed in mid air as the Red energy gouted out of him for the last time, leaving him in his civilian garb, and plummeting to the cold water below. The impact of the water was like a blow to the gut, and he struggled to right himself. He tread water inexpertly, getting soaked to the skin as he gasped to get his breath back.
St. Walker tilted his head to the side, saying. "I would have offered earlier, but I thought you were performing some sort of aerial sport, and I didn't want to interrupt."
Annoyance put a snarl on his face, but he kept his tone relatively even, "Of course, because I always go skydiving from orbit with a failing power ring."
St. Walker raised an eyebrow and flew closer to Razer. "The Red energy has abandoned you?" He lowered a construct platform to Razer, who climbed up on it wearily, and then tossed the recalcitrant Red ring into the depths. "We are near our community, where you can dry off and get something to eat."
Razer nodded as the shore approached, "That sounds good, thank you."
"What brings you to Odym today, my friend? I have heard of the difficulties with Aya, and thought you'd be trying to help her."
Razer looked down, not answering immediately. "We did get through to her, bringing her back to herself, but what she had set in motion was still a threat. She created a virus to wipe out her program within the Manhunters, but could not exclude herself from being taken by it as well." He looked over at St. Walker as they reached the shore, "I came to you because I believe she is still out there. You have travelled widely, can you think of anywhere I can go to begin my search?"
At the edge of the rough settlement, St. Walker alighted to the ground, and Razer stepped off the platform. The first Blue Lantern gave him a probing look. "Some might say it foolish to Hope to find someone who has so thoroughly destroyed herself. Are you sure this is the path you wish to take from here?"
"I have to," Razer said, "I know she is somewhere out there, and I will not stop until I find her." He sighed. "Looks like I'll need a starship to undertake it, though." He took off his head covering and wrung the water from it, and then tousled his sodden gray overhairs so they would dry faster.
St. Walker looked past him, and concealed a smile behind his hand. "It seems the answer to your initial dilemma is at hand. my friend. I wondered why an unclaimed Blue ring would head here to its source at such speeds. It seems to have been following you."
Razer turned back to the lake, and spotted the ring that smoothly flew along their path, coming to a stop before him. He reached out and took it, shaking his head. "I'm glad it waited until I wasn't in deep space to choose me, it would have been unfortunate if I was suddenly exposed to vacuum." He put the ring on and it flared blue, clothing him in a tightly fitted black and navy Lantern uniform, but left his still damp hair and head uncovered.
"You make a fine Blue Lantern," St. Walker said with a laugh. "I am pleased that Rage has been purged from your heart. Now we'll see if we can provide you some hospitality."
Ganthet and the other Blues welcomed Razer among them, and while they ate, St. Walker thought about Razer's request. "After the last time you were here, I chanced to encounter a Star Sapphire, and you came up in our conversation. She mentioned that you once took a Zamaron portal to reach Aya in a time of need, perhaps..."
"Of course!" Razer shot to his feet. "I need to go to Zamaron, immediately!"
He started for the door, and St. Walker took hold of his arm. "Razer, you should rest before you go further on your journey."
Razer shook his head stubbornly, "Not. Happening. I feel well enough, I'm going now."
St. Walker released his hold. "I will not stop you from following your heart, Brother. But promise me you will check by here often so we may exchange information having to do with your search."
Razer nodded, "I promise you, St. Walker, we will confer often."
Zamaron:
Razer entered the atmosphere of Zamaron like a deep blue shooting star. The hope that had been kindled in his heart made this very different from his not quite controlled approach to Odym. He barely registered the Star Sapphires patrolling planetary orbit as he sped by them. He only slowed as he approached the Palace, because of a defensive cluster of Violet ring-bearers that rose to bar his way from coming closer. "Hold, Blue Lantern! All visitors must check in before approaching the planet, now."
"My apologies," Razer said. "It wasn't required the other times I was here."
"I know that voice," a Star Sapphire said, coming forward from the others to meet him. "You are Razer, formerly a Red Lantern."
Razer bowed his head, "Queen Aga'po of Zamaron, I have come to ask an urgent boon of you."
"Congratulations on leaving the acolytes of Rage," she said. "But you are a friend to us, so please accompany me to the Palace."
A tight smile crossed his face, as he descended beside her, "Seems to me I was headed there already."
She nodded, "We felt the need to increase our security since the Aya-Monitor's attack."
He flinched visibly, and when he spoke, his tension was clear. "Understandable." They landed in the throne room, and he couldn't help but give an intense stare at the crystal cluster in the center of the large circular room.
The queen's face was stern when she stood before her throne and turned to him. "What is it that you want of me, Razer of Volkreig?"
"I... want you to open a Violet portal for me. That is the very reason I have this Blue ring," he said. "I need to find Aya once more, and this is the first way I've come up with so far." He held her gaze levelly, raising his chin defiantly in the face of the disapproval he sensed from her.
"May I suggest you follow the trail of destroyed star systems she left in her wake?" she replied acidly. "Perhaps the shades of her victims could point out the way."
He shook his head. "No, that is a false trail. All of the systems she demolished were uninhabited! She had no victims."
Aga'po narrowed her eyes, "Not even Ghia'ta?"
That statement staggered him, and his gaze dropped to the floor, but he rallied to answer her. "Yes, she created the situation that led to your niece to sacrifice herself, but the guilt for that is not truly hers. It's mine."
"Yours?" Aga'po said, surprised. "What do you mean?"
"I was the one who drove Aya to that madness, and I helped bring her back." He used his ring to melt the blue uniform away from his broad chest to briefly reveal the swath of faded scars there." "Not more than a day ago I was dying from these injuries. She blasted me when she thought I was attacking her. Between Hal Jordan telling her what she really was, and the sight the injuries she caused me, she finally overcame her broken heart... that I was responsible for breaking."
"You could not break what a machine couldn't possibly posses!" Aga'po hissed.
"I could spend hours telling you all the reasons you are wrong, but I haven't the time," he snapped. "So instead, I challenge you! Read my mind and heart again, and see the truth of all of this." Desperation humbled him, and he approached the Zamaron queen and knelt before her, bowing his head, as if in supplication.
...
She stared down at his stone gray hair, struggling with Rage of her own, and not wanting to risk learning anything that would challenge the fury she nursed in her heart. Patiently, the hunter waited on her, until he spoke again, gently, "Rage can be sweet, your Majesty, but ultimately it can only destroy. I know that, now."
She sighed at the irony of being counseled against Rage by a former Red, and put her hand on his shaggy head. Swiftly she ran through his memories and experiences since the last time she had scanned him. The revelation of Aya as a living being, although of an unusual sort, was unexpected, but it explained many things. The ups and downs of Aya's and Razer's interactions inspired only her pity and compassion for the two lovers.
...
She took her hand away, "Are you sure you don't want a Violet ring? I believe you could use one."
He stood, his consternation obvious. "Ah, no, your Majesty. I'm happy with this one."
"I should hope so," she said with a small smile. "I will never forget my loss. But perhaps, now I can begin to forgive."
He breathed a sigh of relief. "Then you will make a portal?"
"I will try," she said. "But your own memories must tell you that this is unlikely to work." She approached the central crystals and channeled her energies to them. The violet portal began to form, flickering, fluxing, but not stabilizing. She frowned and poured more power into it, fighting to complete the conduit. As she worked, it would take on a fully formed oval, but only a fraction of a second at a time. Despite her efforts, it finally collapsed. She shook her head, her breathing heavy, "It's not working. Very strange..."
His fists clenched, and he scowled. "What does it mean?" he said, his voice hoarse with tension.
"I... I don't know," she said. "I've never had this happen. Usually if the loved one is... truly gone, I cannot even begin to open a portal. This... beginning to activate, but not completing? It's unknown territory for me." He gave her an anguished expression, so she elaborated, "This side tried to form, but the other end could not find a place to open. Whom you seek is out there, but currently... she cannot be located. The other side of the portal was jumping all over the galaxy. It's possible that the copies of her programming within Manhunters that haven't contracted the virus yet have confused the portal."
A heartsick sigh of frustration and disappointment escaped him, as he scrubbed at his weary eyes. "So, you cannot help me."
"I cannot help you by making a portal," she acknowledged. "But consider what you are searching for. Her true self, as Scar and your own observations have told you, is one of pure energy. A virus did not, and could not, destroy such energy. That portal would not try to open for a mere copy of a program. Your affection is directed towards the living essence of Aya, and right now, that energy has no host. But I too believe she still exists."
He sank down tiredly on one of the red benches arranged around the central crystals, fighting his nagging pessimism. "It is more than 'just a feeling' now," he said, "Thank you, your Majesty."
As she had the first time they met, Aga'po offered him a drink in a tall fluted glass as she sat beside him. "Hope needs a rested mind, Razer, and your weariness is obvious. I offer you lodging until you are ready to take up your search again."
He took the glass with a crooked smile, "Thank you, again. St. Walker also advised I rest, but I couldn't stop yet." He drained the glass, and followed a Star Sapphire courtier who guided him to his rooms.
He slept well, and when he rose and washed the next morning, his need to continue his searching was urgent. When he came to the outer room of his suite, the small table had several new items on it.
First was a hand-held computer programmed to track Aya's virus, as measured from public reports of disabled Manhunters from starship logs and inhabited planets. From its origin at Maltus, it seemed that the virus forced each affected Manhunter to transmit a renewed pulse of itself before the automaton shut down. By this method, it passed along the robot's communications network, starting with those nearest to the battle at Maltus and spreading in a roughly spherical wave outward toward the fringes of the galaxy. A note from Aga'po left to him on the device asked him to return once the virus had reached its postulated furthest limits, and destroyed all the false copies of Aya's program.
"That makes sense," he thought to himself. The next object was a box of nano-papers printed with Aya's likeness and particulars. Made of tough yet remarkably thin sheets of material, this one box contained many thousands of flyers that he could pass out on his travels. Each sheet held a tremendous amount of information; when touched, an image became animated, and blocks of basic text would yield more data when selected. The flyers asked an informant to contact himself, the planets of Odym or Zamaron if they had anything to report. He touched the picture of Aya's face, and watched it animate, her face turning to one side and changing expressions. It hurt him deeply to look at, yet served to remind him of why he was searching.
Putting the flyers down, the last offering was a bundle of Navy blue and black cloth. Shaking it out, it glittered with Blue energy when his ring touched it. It was an overcoat with a voluminous hood, and wide sleeves that belted at his waist, and trailed into tails, both in front and back. Examining it closely, it concealed armor within, and had a multitude of pockets and pouches on the exterior and more hidden in the linings. He put it on, finding it complimented his ring-given uniform nicely. Two pockets on the interior front were perfectly sized for the flyers, and he quickly divided the stack between them. He dropped the hand-comp in another pocket, and reached up to bring the big hood up to cover his gray hair. He sighed in relief, only now realizing his discomfort over his head being always bare.
Eating the covered meal that also waited for him, he placed a small pile of journey rations into more of his pockets. He wrote of note of thanks to his host for all she had done, and then going out onto the balcony off his chambers, he lifted up in the air, and headed to the stars once again.
Volkrieg:
His entry to Volkrieg's atmosphere was slow and searching. Once more, he located the ruins of his old home and farm, hovering overhead, and picking out the weed-tangled boundaries of his fields by the morning sunlight. He didn't enter the house; he didn't need to. Rambler roses were all over the property, stretching out tendrils over the dry ground, and climbing over the crumbling structures where his life with Ilyana took place. He sat on a low wall of stacked stones that once bordered her kitchen garden, and plucked a blue posey from a nearby vine, and looked at it closely. Breathing in its sharp scent, and feeling it in his hand, he closed his eyes, remembering...
...proudly presenting flowers as trophies to Ilyana when he wrangled the pernicious vines from choking out his sparse crops, and seeing her accept them as precious gifts from the man she loved...
...holding out a blossom to Aya, her clean white coverings in stark contrast to the dusty rooms he had once lived in. That bittersweet almost-moment when he leaned down to kiss Aya...
He held the bloom in his left hand, and focused his mind on creating a duplicate of the flower with his ring. His first try at modeling it was pitiful. He was good at constructs... for a former Red, but the delicate curves and spikes of the rambler were initially beyond him. Rookie Greens drilled on constructs on Oa, and Ganthet brought those drills to the Blues on Odym. Reds usually just lashed out with flares of the raw burning Red energy, never bothering much with trying to shape it.
The longer he'd lived on the Interceptor alongside Greens, the more he worked on making constructs in the privacy of his room, pushing himself to surpass his previous efforts in size, complexity, or function. When he spent time with Saint Walker to help master his Rage, the Blue gave him the basics of mental concentration and visualization. At first, if he looked at what he was trying to make, he'd often rush it, wanting the same instant results that the rough Red energy usually gave. These new tools fueled the next step in his improvement.
His friend had him try another tactic, asking Razer to close his eyes and use his talents of engineering to model the object in painstaking detail in his mind. Designing it on an internal drafting board, of sorts, and then he'd release the energy to create it. His construct work improved after that, but it was still a work in progress.
He plucked the petals from the flower, laying them out in arrays, deconstructing the bloom. Memorizing each part and piece, from all angles, he closed his eyes and began drafting. Layer by layer, he assembled the flower in his mind, and let the energy flow, and then looked at what he'd made, and frowned at his results. Time and again, he tried to perfect an accurate depiction, sacrificing a dozen other weed blossoms to study the ways they grew and arranged their petals.
The shadows were lengthening again before he was satisfied with his results. He had a promise to himself to keep, to show Aya how he felt with a kiss when he found her, and he wanted to give her a rose again when he did so, even if it was only the construct image of one. Before the burning time's light failed completely, and continuing under the moonslight, he harvested ripe seedpods from the wild vines that now reigned over his once orderly fields. He tucked them inside a protected inner pocket of his great coat. This unruly plant was the anchor of his tender heart to all his memories of love and longing. Whenever he set up a home with Aya, wherever that might be, there would be ramblers, too.
He refreshed himself with journey rations, and drawing the big coat close around him, he laid down by the meager shelter of the rock wall and slept. When he woke, he took to space again, retracing his recent travels.
...Ranx:
The ancient planet was still abandoned when he arrived, showing the recent scars of the assault on its surface.
...Bertrassis:
Iolande had no information for him, but she agreed to accept some flyers and to ask around for him with any visitors, and to share information with his other contacts.
...Maltus:
Maltus orbit swarmed with Salvagers, scooping up the debris of the final battle with the Manhunters. When he could get some of them to answer him, they had seen nothing like Aya... but wished they had, as she would be worth much in their line of business. Barely able to get past his personal distaste for the Junkers, he thanked them for their time and continued his search.
...Fluer'Beos:
At the Methane planet, he flew to the dome that he visited with the Greens just after losing Aya. He showed his flyers and questioned several of the unpleasant little goblins, to no avail. He was amused to find the Lanterns were remembered, with reward posters of them in their civilian garb displayed; wanted for various misdeeds. He tucked a copy of the poster behind a stack of flyers in his coat, thinking his friends would like to see it.
...Shard:
Zillious Zox had little time for him, and refused him access to other Reds. He did overhear that several of adherents of Rage had defected from Shard, unwilling to follow Zox. Razer supposed he himself provided proof that the Red energy could be left behind, and Zox didn't want to lose any more followers. After this, he decided it was time to strike out into unknown territory, instead of just retracing his own back tracks.
Sarauld:
He visited dozens of worlds previously unknown to him, asking questions, and posting flyers, with no results. When he approached the life zone of a star in Frontier space that had an inhabited world called Sarauld, he came across a large armed spaceship firing on a freighter. He frowned and contacted the aggressor, "Stop firing, can't you see the other vessel is no match for you?"
The smaller ship sent a transmission, "Please, protect us from the Pirates! They'll kill us all!"
He interposed himself between the two ships, and saw that the larger vessel had a crimson dagger painted on its side with lettering that his ring translated to "The Bloody Blade". It was an ominous name, he thought.
"We're no Pirates, Blue Lantern" the larger ship sent. "And you're a fool to turn your back on Ragers."
Ragers? he thought. That sounded even worse. He turned back to the freighter, and just registered the Red Lantern symbol emblazoned on it when the freighter fired at him with linear accelerators. He put up a protective shield, and suddenly he was in the middle of a firefight, as The Blade behind him fired around him at the freighter, while the freighter fired at The Blade and him alike. Razer tried to escape the chaos of weapon's fire all about, and nearly made it out from between the combatant ships, when he felt a massive blow to his back and side, and everything went dark...
...With a groan, Razer sat up, hood slipping off his head, and cradled his aching ribs with his arms.
"Easy there, friend," someone said. "You were hit pretty hard. Good thing you had that armor on." Razer looked up; taking in the chamber he found himself in, and the speaker. He was in a large ship's hold, busy with crew receiving goods from an open bay sealed from space with a glittery force field, and sorting them to various locations in the hold.
The speaker was a slender young man with skin the dusky green color of rambler vine, and his abundant black hair tied in numerous plaits all bound together at the nape of his neck into a shaggy tail. His long brown coat was liberally adorned with gold braid, but he wore common spacer's boots and garb under it. The stranger pushed a crate over to Razer with his foot and sat near him in a cubby of supplies against the hold's edge. His bright yellow eyes over his dark stubbly chin met Razer's deep blue in a direct and friendly gaze. "My name is Captain Ral Drasor, of The Bloody Blade, welcome aboard."
"I'm Razer of Volkrieg. That freighter called you a Pirate," Razer said. "Are those goods from their vessel?"
"Yes," the Captain said, nonchalantly. "You've found yourself in the middle of a nasty civil war, Lantern. The Blade is a Privateer, actually. We have authority from the Parliament of Sarauld to use force of arms to protect and supply the citizens of our planet. Those medical supplies were originally looted from our Parliament sponsors, actually."
"Letters of Marque," Razer muttered. He'd heard the phrase in some of Jordan's fanciful Terran movies.
As the words filtered through his ring's translator, Captain Drasor nodded. "That's a very old fashioned phrase, friend Razer, but it applies to this situation."
"Why did that 'Rager' freighter have a Red Lantern symbol on their ship?" Razer asked.
The Captain gave him a crooked smile. "It's a bit of a long story. Sarauld has no standing military. Long ago, we did, and waged a continents-wide war that ravaged the countryside. The common folk forced a Dissolution of Forces treaty upon the royal and noble families, so they could only keep a small permanent house guard. Since then, when they practiced warfare between them, they had to hire mercenary units. The Autocrats hired the Red Lantern to be one of their merc captains, but since then he commandeered over half their forces in his own bid to rule Sarauld as a tyrant. He calls his mercs 'the Ragers'.
"I used to be a Red Lantern," Razer said, shrugging at the Captain's surprised look. "What is his name?"
"Ragnar of Bertrassis," Captain Drasor said. "And as a leader of combatants, I can think of no one worse suited to rule than he."
"I agree, Captain," Razer said, "But I do know of a worse ruler, Zillious Zox, the current Red's leader. When I was on Shard not long ago, I learned some Red Lanterns recently broke forces with Zox's crew. Ragnar must have been one of those. He certainly is not welcome on his own planet, which I visited before that."
"You get around, Lantern," the Captain said with a chuckle. "I figured you were trying to protect the ones you saw as the weaker of our two ships, so we hauled you in when the fight was over."
Razer shook his head ruefully. "I should know better than to get involved in an internal war. That's what happened to my home world, after Atrocitus set the warlords against each other."
The Captain waved at some of his crew, and one brought the two some drinks. "I suppose that interference is why you became a Red?"
"When my wife was killed, Rage overtook me," Razer said. "It wasn't until later I learned Atrocitus himself slew her. I started to put anger behind me after that, but only succeeded recently."
"Congratulations. What emotion do the Blues follow?"
"Hope. I seek a girl I am... in love with, but I don't know where she is," Razer pulled out a flyer from his inner pocket and passed it over.
"Nice looking female," Drasor said, studying the page before tucking the nano-flyer into his own pocket. "Can't say as I ever seen anyone like her, though, and we really don't have the time to ask around at the moment." He turned up his drink and finished it. "But I was wondering if you could help us with the Red. Since Ragnar is an outsider to our world, the two opposing sides of our Civil War have been working together against the Ragers. We're simple spacer folk, and Lantern rings are more than we can handle. Do you have any advice for us?"
"Ragnar is a coward and a bully, and it would be bad for your people if he got his way," Razer said, and then smiled. "But speaking as someone who was a Red, they become completely helpless in the close vicinity of a Blue ring."
Drasor threw back his head and laughed heartily, "Rage is defeated by Hope?"
"And Hope supercharges the Green of Will," Razer said. "Your planetary politics are none of my business, but I would be happy to do anything to thwart Ragnar's twisted ambitions."
"I was hoping you'd say that," Captain Drasor said. "He's gotten a warship... and it overmatches The Blade, though not by much. He can't know you are here; we were jamming all but line of sight transmissions. Were you a Blue when he saw you last?"
"No. That will be our little surprise," Razor said with a grim smile. "Where is he, if you know?"
"His ship is in orbit midway between the two faction's planetary headquarters... and squarely over an ocean." Drasor smiled.
"Ah, and I noticed as I came in system, how very blue your oceans are..." Razer smiled back. "Gather all of your Parliamental ships, and offer an armistice to the other side and ask them to do the same. If the joined native forces outnumber his, he'll leave his ship to cut them down to size with his ring... and I will be waiting."
The Captain stood and saluted him. "Thank you, Blue Lantern Razer of Volkreig."
"This has yet to work, Captain, but the hunter in me thinks the tactics are sound."
...
It took longer than they hoped to get the Autocrats to accept the plan, but the thought of living under a mercenary junta was not acceptable. Predawn over the Rager's synchronous orbit, the Sarauld armada approached The Destiny, which Ragnar had made his flagship. "Are you going to make me destroy more of your little toy ships? Because I will be pleased to do it!" Ragnar said.
"Come out and try, Rage-addict," The Blade transmitted.
A streak of red fire shot from The Destiny on a direct line to The Blade, the closest and largest ship opposing the Ragers. As globs of raw crimson plasma launched from Ragnar's ring, they were scooped up by a Blue construct vessel, and fizzled out. "What? How is this happening?" Ragnar shouted.
Razer flew straight up from above the sapphire ocean to where the Red had stopped in space. Throwing an energy net ahead of him, he enveloped his foe. "Strike true, Captain," he sent to The Blade. "Have you never encountered a Blue Lantern before, 'your highness'? You'll find that your ring doesn't like mine very much."
"Razer! So, you're not longer worthy of the Red Ring, and it deserted you! I would think you'd be on the same junk pile as your little green shadow."
He means Aya! screamed through Razer's brain. He formed a Blue bubble to support the exiled prince as Ragnar's own environmental shield failed. Razer brought them out of the way of the ship combat, and waited. With their commander captured, and facing destruction from their own fellows, the Ragers quickly sued for peace. Razer phased into the bubble and snatched the ring from Ragnar's finger, looking on dispassionately as the Bertrassin vomited up the power of Rage within him, before knocking the Red out...
Scar's Hidden Lab:
Sayd supervised a contingent of Corps technicians to inventory Scar's abandoned laboratory for possible usage by the Oans. Flitting around the computer sections, she discovered a sealed module with an indentifying label as an upgrade for the Aya progam. Having heard about the truth of Aya, she coordinated with the Green Lanterns to pass the device to the Blues. Honor Guard Hal Jordan and Sergeant Kilowog eagerly took the Interceptor II on a shakedown cruise to Odym to pass the module along.
Sarauld:
...In orbit, the native armada arranged for the victorious spacers to take charge of the surrendered ships, and removing the Ragers to face judgement on the planet. The Sarauldians knew what happened to failed mercenaries; they payed or worked off their penalties for losing and then tried to sign up for the next mercenary contract. The off-worlders, including Ragnar, would be shipped off to the nearest world that would take them. There were still matters to discuss between the progressives, and the aristocratic families, but for now, there was a cease fire.
"Brother Razer! Are you alright?" came Saint Walker's voice from Razer's ring.
"Just in time," Razer said. "The fighting is over. I'm in the main bay of a ship called The Bloody Blade."
"An... interesting name for a ship," Saint Walker said, as he joined his fellow Blue Lantern with his small package in tow.
Razer was holding a Red ring with an expression of distaste, and maintaining construct bonds on an unconscious male. "This Red interfered in a local civil war, and tried to take over. I agreed to help them, but if he gets another ring, he'll try again, and I won't be here."
Saint Walker smiled. "Remember how I was tracking the ring that found you? It seems another has followed me, as I tracked you." Razer tilted his head quizzically. "Someone on this world lives for Hope."
Razer tossed the Red's ring to his mentor, and looked around for the ship's Captain. "Captain Drasor," he called.
"Razer? Who is your friend?" the Captain said.
"Saint Walker, the one who taught me to purge my hate," Razer said. "I think he brought something for you."
Drasor's eyes dropped to the object Saint Walker was holding, confused. The first Blue shook his head, "Not this," he smiled. "This I brought for Razer. He's referring to this..." A Blue ring swept into the bay, and floated before Drasor. "The ring chooses the wielder, Captain. You just need to be full of the element the ring follows."
"For me?" Drasor said. "I... I don't know if I'm worthy."
Saint Walker bowed deeply, "The perfect qualifications for a Blue Lantern; a lack of overweening ego, and a desire to serve others."
With the Blues giving him encouraging looks, Drasor reached out and took the ring, his Captain's coat turning blue, and the rest of his garb changing to match. "What is needed of me?" he asked them.
"Protect your world and people," Razer said.
Saint Walker nodded in approval. "When your planet's conflicts are resolved, come to Odym where we can give you some formal training. After that, go where your heart leads you."
"Now that's settled, what did you bring me, Brother?" Razer said.
"The Guardian Sayd found it in the hidden labs of the one called Scar," Saint Walker answered. "The label says it's intended for Aya." He passed the package over, and Razer studied the markings.
"Ragnar said something before I knocked him out, that referred to her, I think." Razer said. "He said, he thought I would be on the same junk pile as 'my little green shadow'."
Saint Walker hid a smile behind his hand at the phrasing.
"That reminds me," Drasor said. "Hey! All you out-worlders, listen carefully. The one who can tell us something useful gets preferential treatment. Did any of you come to Sarauld with that?" he pointed to Ragnar.
A small knot shuffled forward, admitting their association with the Bertrassin. "Where did you come from most recently, and have you ever seen anyone like this?" He pulled out the flyer he'd pocketed earlier, and showed it to those arrayed before him.
Razer found himself holding his breath, and invoked the calmness of the lake to keep control.
One of the prisoners peered intently at the pictures, "I saw someone... similar to this, on a junker world called Karisc, where Ragnar bought a used spacecraft for the mercenaries he hired. She's not as clean or pretty as those images, but she's that same green color, with armor pieces over it. She runs a repair shop in the capitol. It's not far, really."
With a shaking hand, Razer pulled out the Zamaron hand-comp and checked the progress of the Manhunter virus. No deactivation event had been reported over public bands for weeks.
Drasor removed the mercenary's bonds, "A deal is a deal. Don't do anything stupid and we'll treat you right."
Razer looked at Saint Walker with eyes burning with eagerness, fairly quivering in place.
Saint Walker smiled. "Go, Brother. We have things handled here."
Razer lifted off the deck, tossing the hand-comp to his friend, and tucking Scar's module under his arm. "Get that back to Queen Aga'po. If this doesn't work out, I'll be headed there next." He flew to the stars showing outside the cargo bay; Hope rekindled in his heart once more.
To be continued in Living for Hope Chapter 2: Salvagers.
[*] My story Ashen Stars describes the progression of Razer's anguished feelings for Aya.