AN: I've finally gotten a chance to write from Starfire's point of view again in a moment where she can shine! She's an incredible character, but probably the hardest for me to write. Please, let me know if it worked. Also, shadowjack12345 noted that Supes was coming off as a bit of an ass in the last chapter; that wasn't my intention, but with just two lines of dialogue and Raven's direct threats to Earth, it's tough to paint a full picture. I'm putting a tiny bit of explanation in here, and hopefully it doesn't clog the flow of the story.

Disclaimer: I don't own the Teen Titans, and I've borrowed something else that I'll mention at the end of the chapter.

Chapter 12

Robin and Cyborg paced around the room like a pair of moons orbiting the same planet. They were most likely unaware of one another's presence, so lost were they in their thoughts. Starfire watched them pass yet again as she sat on one end of the large couch that occupied most of the room, hazarding a glance back yet again to be sure her other friends were still all right.

Raven and Beast Boy were coping as best they knew how, which was to say that Beast Boy had fumed and ranted about the Justice League's hubris until Raven had sedated him with a quick apology. Since then, she had not left his side. Now, even in sleep, he twitched and whimpered, though the occasional coherent word let Starfire know that he was experiencing something far more horrific than Superman's declaration. Raven sat with his head in her lap as she sat cross-legged on the couch, stroking his hair and chanting her mantra. Tears leaked from beneath her closed eyelids.

"Friend Raven," Starfire began, worried at interrupting the sorceress but hopeful that she could offer a solution to some of her friends' pain. "I do not wish to tell you how to use your powers, but... if it is possible to take some of Friend Beast Boy's torment from him—"

"I already am, Starfire," Raven said, eyes opening for the first time in several minutes. "I cast a spell on him that should have sent him into a dreamless sleep, but with a trauma of this magnitude, it occasionally forces its way to the surface regardless of any magic. All I can do is siphon off the worst of it, like I'm doing right now."

The princess sighed, searching for answers though she knew there were none. "And if we were to wake him?"

Raven shook her head, and a pair of tears dropped from her cheeks onto the comforter, only to be replaced by more. "He needs the sleep, however tortured it might be; it's the best chance his mind has of processing and overcoming what happened to him."

Nodding, Starfire turned back to see Robin and Cyborg completing another circuit. Just as she was about to call out to Robin, the door to their room opened and the Green Lantern strode through. Koriand'r suppressed a snarl at the man's presence; indulging her own grudge would not help their cause.

"Hal," Robin said, nerves evident in his voice, "What's the decision?"

The Lantern chewed his lip. "You guys split us pretty good on this one; after what Raven said back there, Zatanna's out for her blood. Stripping her powers, the whole nine yards."

Robin didn't blink. "I'm not surprised; she's had a grudge against Raven since long before today. How'd the rest of the League vote?"

"At first, the majority were with her... to be honest, there was only one holdout. He can be pretty convincing when he wants to be, though."

The black mask crinkled. "Why are you referring to yourself in the third person?"

Hal looked down. "Cause it wasn't me, Robin. I was ready to drop the hammer." When he looked up again, his expression was grave. "The only reason your teammate isn't getting a magical lobotomy right now is because Batman believed in her enough to fight for her."

Shaking his head, Robin ran a hand through his hair. "That doesn't make any sense; he's hardly even met her. Why would he stick up for her?"

"Because you believe in her, Robin. That's enough for him."

The Boy Wonder turned his back on the Green Lantern and stumbled over to Starfire. Dropping down to sit beside her, he looked back at Hal Jordan with an expression that foretold a long discussion in Robin's future. "So... what happens now?"

With a wry smile, the Lantern spread his hands. "Nothing. Could Raven pose a serious threat to the world if she ever does give in to her father? Absolutely. Superman still has reservations; I think it's because he's already lost one home, and he's afraid of losing another. But there wasn't a single person sitting behind that bench today who's not capable of tearing the Earth apart if they choose to do so. We trust each other to act for good; all we can do is extend the same trust to her and ask her to live up to it."

From her position on the couch, Raven looked up. "Thank you," she said, her words quiet yet laden with emotion.

"You're welcome, Raven," Hal said. "I know it's not much of a comfort right now, but Beast Boy is an incredibly brave young man. His information on Slade and Professor Ivo is going to make a world of difference in preparing for this threat, and we'll be watching to be sure you five don't need backup when the AMAZO prototype comes to Jump City. Also, I paid a little visit to Alan to get his side of the story, and he's got a very high opinion of the boy. In fact, when he's ready to pass the ring along, he's got his eye on Garfield as a replacement."

Starbolts lit Koriand'r's hands unbidden, so great was her surge of righteous fury. "Garfield would never join your kind," she snarled, springing to her feet. "He is too good and kind to be a Lantern."

"Watch yourself, Princess," Green Lantern snapped, crossing the room to stare her down. "I know we're not exactly popular on Tamaran, but I won't have you insulting the Corps just because your planet is out of our jurisdiction."

"I am well aware of the ancient, outdated agreement you honor," she said, forcing her starbolts out of existence with great effort.

"Call it what you will," he said. "The treaty that keeps us out of the Vegan system has saved countless millions of lives."

Koriand'r nodded, face grim. "I have upon several occasions held the survival of my planet and my race in my hands. I am all too conscious of the sacrifices we must make for the good of the many."

"Then you understand. We know what goes on, but it's out of our control. If we could help Tamaran against the Citadel, we would."

Starfire's eyebrows made a dangerous arch. "Oh, forgive my ignorance. I am safe in believing, then, that if the Gordanian slavers who ferry my people to the Citadel were to cross the space within your jurisdiction, you would intervene?"

Hal nodded.

"That is most interesting. You see, when I was younger, before my transformation had occurred, I was held prisoner aboard just such a slave ship. You are familiar with a wide variety of their tortures, I am certain, but have you heard of elghinn xindar?"

The man in green went pale at the name. Taking this as confirmation, she continued.

"The Gordanians purposely crossed out of Vegan space for a full year, promising me that if a single Lantern were to contact them, they would release me to the custody of the Green Lantern Corps... but if their encroachment was ignored, the Citadel would perform elghinn xindar on me at the end of that year. I hoped, I pleaded, I prayed to X'Hal... and no one came. Every day, my captors laughed at me and mocked your apathy, and when we arrived at the Citadel homeworld, they did everything they had promised."

Starfire was vaguely aware of Robin's presence behind her; she was certain that if she turned, she would find shock and hurt written all over his face. If she looked, she would break down... and that was not an option yet.

"You are aware of the effects of that particular torture," she continued, "Just as you are aware of my royal status on Tamaran. It is true that I entrusted the rule of my planet to Galfore because I wished to remain on Earth. Beyond that, though, I knew that I would bear no children to carry on the And'r line, and I needed to establish a new royal bloodline to keep Tamaran from falling into civil war between the old families." A tear slipped from Starfire's eye, but her expression did not change. "My brother is lost, my sister exiled. My house dies with me, Lantern, because your beloved Corps did not see fit to even investigate a slave ship violating your borders. Your people's apathy is legendary among Gordanians and Tamaraneans alike, and I cannot let myself believe that my friend Beast Boy would ever allow himself to be party to such casual injustice."

The man's face was heavy with sorrow. "Starfire, I am so, so sorry. I never knew... I don't think any of us did."

"The burden of those six years under the lash are mine to bear, Hal Jordan," she said. "And while the unbridled joy that first allowed me to fly away from that ship sprang from ripping out the heart of the creature who had repeatedly violated me, the journey brought me to Earth... and here, I have more reasons to fly than I could ever have hoped."

The Green Lantern nodded, face still pale. "I know it's too little and too late, but I promise you, I'll speak with the other Lanterns about setting up regular patrols along the Vegan border. We can at least save a few lives before the Gordanians learn to stay out of our reach."

"Thank you," she said.

He gave another small nod. "Your rooms are almost ready; we'll send you back to Earth tomorrow morning after you've had a chance to rest. If there's anything else I can do, just let me know." With that, the green-masked man turned and strode from the room.

As soon as the door had closed, Starfire let herself collapse into Robin's arms. She did not relish the conversation to come, but she knew it was long overdue.

AN: Elghinn xindar is Kryalla Orchid's creation, used with her kind permission. If there's something awesome (or brilliantly twisted) in fanon, chances are pretty good that it started with Kry. I've messed with it a bit, though: now, giving birth kills both mother and child.