Wavelengths
A DCAU Plus fanfiction project
Sinestro
One of the greatest benefits of Boomtube technology, Sinestro reflected, was that it was undetectable by even the most advanced sensor systems as long as the portal was small enough. This did limit the number of travelers through the Tube, but for his purposes it was enough.
He went first, emerging into a hellish fire of superheated plasma. His forcefield protected him just fine, his will keeping the fires from consuming him easily. Borialosaurus, Braach, Imecsub, Kiriazis, and Bendovian came through, using their rings to cast interlocking shields around themselves.
The Boomtube portal collapsed, and Sinestro secured his Motherbox on his belt. He motioned to his Lanterns, and they rose against the intense gravitational pull.
Even under these conditions, Sinestro would risk no radio communication. This stage of the mission had to work perfectly, and it would.
The glare from the star was still intense, even at the surface. But an application of his ring filtered out the intense light, and he looked across the gulf of space towards their target.
From this distance, it was just a slightly brighter star in the background of the heavens. But there was no mistaking Oa.
Sinestro turned and nodded to his Lanterns, who fanned out into formation with Bendovian in the center. The massive shelled creature, ancient even by the standards of the Guardians, focused his own will and fear and constructed a most unique weapon, as his fellow Lanterns poured their energy into him.
The weapon consisted of a dozen rods in a circle, each ten kilometers long, bound together by billions of threads that acted as superconducting material. Each rod had interlocking mechanisms at their bases, that adjusted the angles and relative distance between them all. Bendovian poked his head out of his shell, and formed a construct eyepiece that connected to advanced sensors in the Ring and that he himself created thanks to the boost in power from his fellows.
Sinestro for his part formed a gravitational lens, that he fit over the huge weapon. While he was more than capable of providing the necessary power for this construct, his talents were better suited for precision.
He keyed into his Ring, his own eyes covered by a sensor apparatus. He focused, and Oa itself came into view.
It was a brilliant green world, with two massive orbital rings around the south and north poles. An incredible feat of engineering and will, the rings were kept in perfect orbits through gravitational thrusters and precise computation. They also housed the vast majority of the planet's defenses, ranging from planetary scale forcefield projectors to energy cannons and sensors.
They also served as the world's main defenses when it came to natural threats, such as gamma ray bursts or coronal mass ejections.
Sinestro motioned to Bendovian, and the crab-like being pulled the trigger. The construct cannon thrummed and rumbled with power, as it channeled the incredible electromagnetic forces of the star through the huge rods. The plasma was concentrated, focused... And then released! Gigantic laser blasts, each the area of a continent, lashed out across the gulf between star and planet!
Shot after shot fired, hundreds of times a second. The flashes were so intense the other Lanterns quickly shielded their eyes or other sensory organs with thick layers of construct energy. Bendovian continued firing, unmoved by the hellish energies he was unleashing!
Sinestro kept his focus on Oa even as the equivalent of tens of thousands of fusion bombs were going off every second nearby. As expected, the planetary shields came on and concentrated on the populated areas, to protect from the incoming radiation. The faster than light sensors on Oa would have already picked up the spike in gamma rays and neutrinos and assumed a massive solar flare was incoming.
And it was. What the faster than light sensors couldn't account for though, was Sinestro giving the blasts a boost from the gignantic gravitational lens he had fitted. It formed "bubbles" of compressing and expanding spacetime ahead and behind the blasts, acting as a short lived warp drive. It didn't last very long-Only for a few moments-but it lasted just long enough for the huge laser pulses to skip across the distance.
Not in eight light minutes, as required by the laws of physics... But in seconds.
The main shield generators, energy weapon emplacements, missile launchers, and sensor grids across the Rings of Oa-They went up in massive explosions as the focused energy of the gas laser struck them! The flashes were huge, and instantaneous across their surface! Sinestro was already assessing the damage, as he had for simulated invasions of Oa in the past.
Sixty percent of the shields are down... Fifty-five percent of defensive batteries, down. Sensor grid will be blind across the western hemisphere...
The other half of the planet's defenses would still be operational. It didn't matter though.
He activated his communicator system in his Ring, and spoke loud and clear.
"Sinestro to all Lanterns: Engage."
He released his will, and his construct lens vanished. Bendovian and his fellow Lanterns released their constructs as well, and flew into formation behind him. Sinestro activated the Motherbox, and another Boomtube erupted in front of him. He plunged forward, using his Ring to suck in some of the star's plasma with him and his Lanterns as they flew through.
They emerged above one of the huge cell blocks of Oa, a pair of Green Lanterns right below them. They were firing wildly at other Boomtubes opening up in the sky above them, the rest of Sinestro's attack force flying through. This pair looked up in shock and horror as Sinestro emerged above them, and he relished in their fear for just a moment.
"Burn," he ordered, as he released the captured plasma from his Ring. The improvised solar flare erupted like a volcano, consuming both Lanterns in fire. They resisted as best they could, but the energies were so intense it was pointless-They were incinerated before they had a chance to scream. The cellblock beneath them took most of the blast, exploding into a fiery column visible for kilometers around.
Sinestro allowed himself a smirk, as the fear this display generated was absorbed by his Ring. He motioned to his Lanterns.
"Rain terror upon this world!" He bellowed. "Leave not a single Green Lantern alive!"
Cheers of his name greeted him as his Yellow Lanterns dove like flying predators upon Oa. He allowed himself a precious moment to enjoy the bedlam and chaos, before he opened a communications link.
"Karu-Sil. Arkillo. With me," he ordered. "We have business with the Guardians today..."
At long last. After decades of being a wanderer, or worse, a mercenary, Sinestro would claim his rightful title. His rightful place.
The Lord of Order of the Galaxy.
Arisia Rrab
The alarms were screaming through every speaker and even her own Ring as Arisia flew outside of the cell blocks. She almost wished she hadn't-Hundreds of Yellow Lanterns were already assaulting the surface of Oa, unleashing yellow energy blasts and constructs down onto the cell blocks and security installations throughout the area.
"Ring, scan for Green Lanterns," she ordered, as she formed an energy aura and took off into the air. The Ring complied happily, forming an arrow that pointed south. That said, she didn't really need the Ring's help. A gigantic eruption of green energy blasted up into the star filled sky like a volcano, slashing through dozens of Sinestro Corpsmen like a sword. The yellow Lanterns scattered, then regrouped into small packs and began to focus their fire on the source of the eruption. More fire left the position, joined by other Lanterns blasting away. Arisia went down low, flying through the canyons and gullies formed by the interlocking buildings, avoiding attention.
She swung around a corner and a Yellow Lantern shot up, nearly blindsiding her. He was some kind of avian, with white feathers and a short beak, over which his eyes glowed yellow. Arisia stared in disbelief as they both floated back from one another, getting some distance.
"You don't look very terrifying," she taunted. The bird honked angrily, its yellow aura intensifying as it formed a gigantic clawed maw! "Oh farzbat!"
Arisia narrowly dodged the snapping construct, and she unleashed a green blast back at the bird. It took the shot head on, and was thrown into a nearby cell block. The prisoners, already let loose by the power disruptions, began to pile on the creature as it lashed out furiously with its Ring. Arisia hesitated, wondering if she should intervene, but another massive green blast from the position south of her spurred her on. Her fellow Lanterns needed her.
She got up to the center of the resistance, an administrative building. Or at least what was left of it-It had been blasted largely into rubble, and her fellow Green Lanterns had taken to moving debris up into makeshift fortifications. At the center of it all was Kilowog-The huge Bolovaxian had formed quadruple energy cannons and was firing them at the scores of Yellow Lanterns assaulting the position, while barking orders to everyone else.
"ROMAT, GET THAT BATTERY OVER HERE!" He bellowed over the roar of his repeating cannons. "VESPER, THICKEN YOUR SHIELD! Y'ZAT, GET YOUR DAMN HEAD DOWN, YA POOZER!" He locked eyes on her as she flew up. "ARISIA! WHAT TOOK YOU?!"
"Sorry, I was-!"
"NEVERMIND!" Kilowog shouted. Arisia flew up and channeled some of her power into his constructs. Kilowog immediately made his guns much bigger, and with extensions of the constructs that resembles vacuuming tubes, he sucked up large amounts of metallic debris. The forms of the cannons changed, as Kilowog gathered all the debris into chambers he formed in his cannons. Arisia knew what was coming, and closed her eyes tightly. She also gave herself earmuffs to protect her hearing.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
The energy cannons, now transformed into coil guns, sounded like lightning and thunder from a hurricane going off at the same time! Shrapnel was blasted into the sky, screaming at thousands of kilometers a second! Dozens of Yellow Lanterns were torn to shreds, their fear and wills failing, while others formed shields or weaved around the blasts.
"They've got us divided," Kilowog shouted over the comms, which was good because the blasts from his guns would have made hearing him in the open air impossible, "scattered all over! Arisia! Go guard the Central Power Battery!"
"By myself?!" Arisia asked in disbelief. Another wave of Yellow Lanterns shot up, this group holding dozens of screaming prisoners. They threw them at the Green Lanterns! One of their Lanterns up in front immediately formed multiple chutes and other soft objects to catch the prisoners and bind them tightly. The Yellow Lanterns who had thrown the live ammo opened fire, and Kilowog had to deploy shields to keep the front line intact!
"We'll follow you!" Kilowog shouted. "Soon as we can, NOW MOVE IT POOZER!"
Arisia summoned up her courage, and shot off for the Central Power Battery. She opened a comm channel.
"Laira! Laira, can you hear me? I need help, meet me at the Central Power Battery!" She called.
Silence was the only response she received. Arisia grimaced.
"Laira?! Laira?!"
Still nothing. The icy grip of fear clenched down on her insides. Had she been killed already? Laira, the warrior princess?
What did that mean for her? For all of them?
Arisia closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and doubled her speed.
She couldn't think about that now. Not with so much riding on her.
Arisia made it to the Central Power Battery complex. After the Manhunters had tried to capture it during their set up of John Stewart, the defenses around it had been considerably increased. It was housed in a will-reinforced Nth metal construct, with dozens of defensive forcefield projectors. She couldn't see anyone else around, and her Ring detected nothing. A bubble of cautious hope swelled inside her, as she flew up to the front doors.
Had she made it first? Had Sinestro been delayed somehow?
The front doors rippled, shimmering like an illusion... Arisia instinctively willed her aura to return, and it was lucky she did. The yellow blast that erupted from the façade would have killed her instantly without it. As it was, the blast sent her flying across the courtyard, slammed into a wall of pure duranium and leaving a dent in it like it was made of tin. She collapsed onto the ground, gasping for breath, as the holographic shield dropped.
Sinestro stood there, between Arkillo, his hulking, brutish second in command, and Karu-Sil, his feral accomplice. The latter had three yellow construct dog-like beasts circling her, the ever present companions of the unhinged killer woman. Sinestro smiled wanly, almost affably.
"Arisia Rrab," he spoke. "I was hoping for Rayner or Kilowog. Not the little rookie."
"Nngh..." Arisia groaned. She glared up at him, willing herself to stand vertically. "A-A holoscreen-?"
"Courtesy of Apokalips," Sinestro said wryly. He held up his yellow ring, making it burn. It cast his reddish face in shadows, making him look even more fiendish. "You'd be amazed at how quickly the savages will sell their technology without Darkseid around."
"So you pounced on them when they were weak?" Arisia shot back, holding up her green ring in return and igniting it with power. Sinestro shrugged.
"I'm doing them a favor," he replied. "Taking worlds they were mis-managing and liberating them-Out from under the barbarian heel, they can grow prosperous, and safe."
"Under your rule!" Arisia shot back. Sinestro shook his head, looking at her in something akin to pity.
"The gnomes have grown complacent," he explained, slowly and condescendingly. "The galaxy is falling apart and they keep insisting on their weak ways. The galaxy-The universe needs order. An order I am bringing." He narrowed his eyes at her. "There's room in that order for you, Arisia. We need a Green Lantern to unseal the doors. Open the way for us, and you can join us."
"JOIN THIS!" Arisia shouted, swinging her arm and unleashing a massive energy blast!
Sinestro formed a prism-like shield, dispersing the energy around himself and his confederates. He was utterly unmoved. Arkillo chuckled gravely.
"Do I get to eat this one, Lord Sinestro?" He asked. Sinestro considered it, as Karu-Sil growled.
"Only if necessary," he decided. "Subdue her first."
Karu-Sil struck first, her three construct predators growing and lunging for Arisia. Arisia formed a muzzles that she slapped over their snapping jaws, and flew upwards. She unleashed multiple bolts of green energy onto the three Yellow Lanterns, but a shield from Sinestro deflected them all. She dove like the aerial predators on her world, forming a drill that screamed almost as loudly as she did as she thrust it for Sinestro's face!
His shield held, her drill screening against the construct face. Yellow claws and chains generated by Arkillo wrapped around her from both directions, and she expanded her aura into a bubble to try and push them away! A single blast from Sinestro's Ring rang out, and she went numb. She looked down-A thin lance of yellow energy had pierced through her shield, and through her abdomen. Her blood gushed from the wound, as the pain hit. She screamed, as the yellow constructs shifted, tightened, and wrapped around her slim form. Sinestro's lance shifted, expanding around her abdomen like a tourniquet. She panted hard, trying to resist the pain, as Arkillo and Karu-Sil leered at her.
"Now now," Sinestro said, almost soothing if not for the malice in his gaze, "can't have you dying so quickly."
He pulled her close, face to face. He studied her, as she glared hatefully back. A red haze had descended over her vision, and it burned in her blood.
"Just... Just do it!" She snarled. "Kill me, you coward!"
Sinestro chuckled.
"Such spirit! It makes me nostalgic," Sinestro said. "But no. I have no desire to kill you yet. I want Jordan to watch you die." He allowed himself a smirk. "It will be most entertaining. Hopefully as entertaining as when I killed your father."
Arisia's labored breath seized in her chest. She gaped at him. Sinestro chuckled again, and reached into his belt. He pulled out a single green ring, contained in a yellow bubble. True to its nature, the green ring was still struggling to get free-Trying to find its next wielder.
"Or did you think my exile and his disappearance being so closely linked was mere coincidence?" Sinestro asked. "Would it help to know he died valiantly? Would it sooth your pain in any way to know he died with your name on his lips?"
Hatred filled Arisia, like nothing she had ever felt before. It crackled inside her, outside of her, and her ring burned in her fury. Her aura reappeared, dark green with red lightning crackling across it. Arkillo started, and poured more power into his constructs to keep her restrained. Sinestro's eyebrows rose, and he poured more power in to hold her even tighter.
"You bastard," she snarled, her eyes burning like fires had been ignited inside both of them, "you bastard...!"
"Temper temper, little Arisia," Sinestro said, though his voice was slightly uncertain. Karu-Sil was growling, as were her constructs-Like they were facing a bigger predator than anticipated. "Now... Open the doors."
The lance inside her, the construct that had gone through her belly and was the only thing holding her together, twisted and squeezed. The pain it sent through her was like hundreds of icy daggers being thrust into her gut, and she screamed. The red and green energies intensified around her, and she struggled harder as the pain got worse and worse...!
The massive doors slowly opened, their green energy reinforcements fading. Sinestro glanced back, and then back to Arisia.
"Good girl," he spoke, a tad uncertain. Arkillo snorted, as Karu-Sil growled.
"Broke so easily," Karu-Sil said, sounding disappointed. Sinestro shrugged, and turned to the doors.
"Easy is better for us," he said. He floated for the entrance to the Central Power Battery, Arisia and his followers in tow.
A massive red fist burst from the darkness, slamming right into Sinestro's face! The leader of the Yellow Lanterns lost his concentration and his control, sent tumbling through the air like a ragdoll back across the courtyard right into the same spot Arisia had dented. The force of the punch though smashed him through the wall, leaving twisted, deformed metal in his wake. The other two Yellow Lanterns were hit in quick succession, sent flying across the courtyard to slam into the walls almost as hard. Arisia fell, caught by the same massive hands that had struck down her captors.
She looked up in shock and disbelief... At Atrocitus. At least, she thought it was Atrocitus. His nose had regrown, as had his lips, and his brows were now enlarged and extended back over his bald head-Like horns.
"How...?" She managed. Atrocitus held a hand over her wound, and she felt fire burn. She screamed in agony and surprise. The pain was massive, hot... Then faded away. Atrocitus withdrew his hand from her abdomen, and through the hole in her uniform she saw her belly was whole and intact.
"A long story for later," Atrocitus rumbled. He let her go, and she regained her aura to float. She felt so... Warm around him. So safe, despite her fear and confusion.
Laira floated up, all smiles. She was clad in red, white and black, her hair billowing as though caught in an invisible breeze. Arisia gaped at her in shock and horror.
"Laira?!"
Laira looked over at the recovering Yellow Lanterns, and formed a chain and sickle. She grinned, her teeth glowing red as she made to advance on them... But Atrocitus held out a hand.
"Atrocitus?" She asked. Atrocitus shook his huge head.
"Not now," he said. "Focus on getting our followers out of here."
"Our followers?" Arisia gasped. Laira seethed, even as she gave Atrocitus a pleading look.
"But Atrocitus-"
"Now," Atrocitus rumbled, and Laira shivered. She bowed briefly, and then shot off like a red comet into the sky.
"What did you-?!" Arisia demanded, but a yellow energy blast from Sinestro cut her off. She tried to form a shield, but her companion beat her to it. Atrocitus held out his fist, and formed a fiery, angry red shield construct. The yellow blast struggled against the shield, trying to pierce it, but it held fast. Sinestro ceased his blast, now back on his feet. He stared in shock and pain through the bloody bruise on his face.
"Atrocitus?! How?!" Sinestro bellowed. The Ryutian chuckled.
"Surprised, Sinestro?" Atrocitus asked. "Is it not written in the Book of Oa? 'When you shape the light of your ring, you walk in the footsteps of the first Lantern. You discovered a new form of light... But such was known to the Demon Lords of Ysmault. The ancestors of my race. Their blood still runs in my veins, as does their potential for accessing their power. The red light... Of rage."
Sinestro's eyes narrowed, as Karu-Sil and Arkillo flew up to his sides in support.
"Are you going to fight me with that gaudy knock off, Atrocitus? With this wisp of a girl alongside you?" Sinestro shouted.
Atrocitus chuckled. It was not a pleasant sound, but Arisia found her fear vanishing as the red warlord stepped out into the courtyard. She followed, flanking him as she ignited her green ring for battle once again.
"Fight you? No Sinestro... I'm going to kill you."
Here we go... Hope you're enjoying the story so far.