9 Justice League the Corps
Lyssa Drak cautiously approached Sinestro. This amused him greatly. Lyssa was the Corps' historian and as such had greater access to him than all others. She was never timid, not even around him, at least until that moment.
"What is it, Lyssa?" he asked, imperiously folding his arms across his chest, as though he were holding court.
"Rangar and Ve have reported in." she replied, "The news is not good."
"Bring them to me." Sinestro commanded in an ominous tone.
The dark haired, blue skinned woman brought Rangar. She explained that Ve had retreated into his shell and wouldn't come out. Sinestro paid no heed to the news; the turtle-like Ve had always trembled before him and would likely prove useless in this conversation.
"Report," Sinestro commanded.
"We were attacked by Violet Lighters," Rangar stated.
"Their leader, she wore a mask with a stone embedded in it, yes?" Sinestro inquired.
"Yes. They were all women and their garb was uniform but the leader alone wore a mask. Her abilities derived from its stone. The others wielded violet rings," Rangar declared.
"So where are your comrades? Why did they not come with you to report on how you drove these ring bearers out?" Sinestro wanted to know.
Rangar cringed, "We didn't drive them out. They drove us out, those of us that were able to escape that is. Most were brainwashed in constructs the women called 'conversion chambers'. When our people emerged from them, their eyes were violet and they expressed offerings of love."
"What?" Sinestro raged, "My Corpsmen babbled about something as inane as love? Where were the proud masters of the Light of Fear? Well?"
Rangar dropped to his knees, "Kill me, milord, for I have failed the Corps."
Sinestro wrestled with his anger and then decided, "You will not be that fortunate."
He turned to Lyssa, "Summon Arkillo. He can devise a suitable punishment."
Lyssa disappeared. Moments later the hulking Arkillo followed her into the Fear Lodge. His massive hand took hold of Rangar's neck and he dragged him off for parts, and punishment, unknown. Lyssa noticed that Sinestro's anger was barely mollified.
"What are your plans, milord?" she asked.
"The star sapphire isn't doing this of its own accord. Its desires and needs are far more primitive. The only explanation is that it loosed its hold on Carol Ferris. She is intelligent and driven enough to accomplish creating a new corps of the emotional spectrum," Sinestro thought aloud.
"You've spoken of the star sapphire and Carol Ferris before. You said she was bound to the stone and the stone to her," Lyssa recalled.
"The sapphire is a parasite but my guess is now it is acting as a symbiot. It is bolstering Carol's natural graces and empowering her to defy my will," he surmised.
"This Corps of 'Love' will be stopped, milord. Send the elite of the Sinestro Corps and we will crush them," Lyssa begged.
Sinestro rewarded her with a rare smile, "I know you shall, sweet Lyssa. Carol, whether controlled by the stone or not, has saved my life on more than one occasion. She has snatched victory away from the Green Lanterns when they opposed us and restored my ring to me when it was stolen. If she is to be defeated, it is by my hand that she shall fall and mine alone."
"You shall lead us into victory?" Lyssa grew even more fervently excited.
"Gather the elite," he commanded, "We shall charge our rings and set forth."
"But where shall we begin our search for her and her comrades?" Lyssa asked.
"I shall make that announcement when our forces are gathered," he chided her.
Fifteen minutes later, Lyssa had gathered the crème of the crop. Tekik stood fast, waiting for orders. Low awaited his chance at carnage. Arkillo had squared away Rangar and Ve and eagerly tasted battle in the air. Murr stood alone, since the others didn't want to be melted by contact with him. Karu-Sil eagerly fidgeted, looking forward to the hunt. Kryb perpetually wore her crib on her back and she looked forward to adding to her collection of stolen children. After all, some of the Star Sapphires were undoubtedly mothers. Tri-eye was perturbed to have been drug from his water well trap but the thought of action kept him from complaining. Maash argued with himself, each head vying for dominance. Romat-Ru clicked his beak while waiting for instructions. Bedovian skittered from side to side while waiting. Slushh wanted nothing more than to add to the collection of bones from his victims. Finally, Lyssa waited reverently.
Sinestro addressed them all, "Fellow Corpsmen, we face a challenge nearly as great as the accursed Green Lantern Corps. A Star Sapphire Corps has arisen, wielding the Violet Light of Love. These women have the ability to steal your minds and make you slaves of their spectrum. They have already done this to some of our unsuspecting members. But we are forewarned and forewarned is forearmed. We shall free our captive comrades and make these usurpers rue the day they accepted a power ring."
Sinestro summoned his power battery. All of the elite did as well. All save Sinestro, recited the oath as one, "Blackest day. In Brightest night! Beware your fears made into light. Let those who try to stop what's right – burn like his power – Sinestro's might!"
Having charged their rings, Sinestro revealed their destination, "There is one world the Sapphires will be drawn to like a moth to a flame. The birth world of their leader. She will go there to save the soulless and we shall intercept her and crush her and her followers!"
"Kilowog! Are you done with those burgers yet?" Arkus Chummuck called out from his lawn chair. He, Kilowog, Katma Tui, and Tomar Re were sitting in the backyard of the GL HQ on Earth. Located in the Hollywood Hills, they were close to LA without being in the urban sprawl. It also placed an obvious target out of the city limits.
"Keep your shorts on," Kilowog retorted, "It takes a little time to cook the meat.
"Who cares if it's cooked?" Arkus countered. His species had a carnivore ancestry and the smell of the cooking meat was practically making him drool. He turned to Tomar Re for support, "Am I right?"
"Arkus has a point, Kilowog," Tomar Re agreed, "Some of us have more…lenient dietary requirements."
"Fine, extra rare it is," he conceded. Using a spatula construct, he flipped the half cooked patties onto a plate, "Grub's up, ya poozers."
"Kat, I'll have some refined burgers ready in a jiff," Kilowog promised.
"Take your time, `Wog," she chuckled, "I'm not the one salivating."
Arkus shot her a look and she held up her hands, "I'm only teasing."
Although, she was wearing a mid-riff top, sans bra, and her motion showed a little underboob so Arkus took that as a consolation prize. Katma realized this and stretched her arms out and placed her hands behind her head. Arkus dropped his burger and she laughed.
"Mind on the mission, Arkus," she said delightedly.
Arkus grumbled a few obscene things in his native tongue and slapped another burger on a virgin bun and started to prep it for consumption. That's when he noticed that his ring flashed twice. Murmurs of discontent made him realize everyone's rings had flashed. That pulsing signal was only supposed to happen as a warning of the proximity of power rings from another emotional spectrum.
"Uniforms on!" Katma commanded, "Now!"
Of course, with Katma, her personalized uniform that had replaced the standard GL Corps togs was also a mid-riff design. All of the GL's used their ring to transform their outer garb into their uniform. Unlike Katma, the other three wore the standard duty uniform of the Corps.
Arkus had time to look up before a violet mallet slammed him into the ground. Tomar Re took to the air and visualized a clamp construct. He was knocked out of the sky by a Vegarian Sky Bat construct. Katma and Kilowog stood their ground as the sky above the HQ filled with Star Sapphires and their converts, who nearly numbered a dozen now.
Katma studied Star Sapphire as she floated down and alighted mere feet from her. There was something different about the jewel possessed woman. It was as if…
"Carol?" Katma asked in disbelief.
"Hullo Katma," Carol greeted her foe, "Care to lay down arms?"
"Do you care to take off that mask?" Katma shot back.
Carol sighed, "It doesn't have to be this way. You can join us."
"Who is 'us'? Why are all of these women dressed like you?" Katma demanded while Kilowog assisted his fellow Lanterns to their feet.
"They are the Star Sapphire Corps," Carol proudly proclaimed.
"Their rings… They harness an emotional spectrum?" Katma was getting a bad feeling about this.
"They harness the Violet Light of Love," Carol said rapturously.
"And the Yellow Lanterns with you? Do they also harness 'love'?" Katma was a tad snarky at this.
"They still master Fear but their hearts bloom with love now and they assist our Corps in its sacred task," Carol explained.
"And what 'task' is that?" Katma wondered.
"Why, to spread love of course," Katma thought Carol's laugh was one of delight…or delusion.
"So what happens now?" Katma asked.
"You join us," Carol declared.
"And if we refuse?" Katma had to know.
"You don't want to do that," Carol warned darkly.
"Actually, I think I do," Katma countered.
"Sisters!" Carol garnered her Corps' attention, "Execute Plan Willpower."
Carol took to the sky as the assembled Star Sapphires projected force beams at the Green Lanterns. The GLs constructed and reinforced a shield but the combined weight of the Sapphires' efforts cracked the shield and smothered the Green Lanterns. Carol called them off before permanent damage was done.
Maewen approached, "Why didn't we use conversion chambers and permeate their hearts with love as we did the Yellow Lanterns?"
"They're two very different animals," Carol replied. Seeing Maewen still didn't understand, she gathered the Sapphires and explained, "The Green Lanterns harness the spectrum of Will. This is the greatest and strongest of the emotional spectrums because it can master all others. These Lanterns are among the finest in their Corps. They would have successfully resisted our offerings of love and would instead try and turn our own love against us. As such, it is best if they are incapacitated through our stay here. Leave the Sinestro Corpsmen to guard the GLs. They will be useless to our task anyway."
"And our task now is?" Arven wondered.
"You are the keeper of the rings," Carol replied, "Do you not feel them searching for bearers?"
Arven opened her bag and discovered twelve rings pulsing with a violet light. She gathered them together in her hands and tossed them into the air and they flew off in different directions. She wore a rapturous smile as she turned to face Carol.
"The rings are on their way!" she said happily.
"Now we will cross the nearby mountain range and visit the Gulag. There, we will find dozens of converts," Carol predicted, "I will lead you there and you my sisters will convert the unloved. Fatality, Arven, and Maewen, you will travel with me as we proceed to Stryker's Island and gather the rest of the converted."
"But why criminals?" a Sapphire sister asked.
"Because they crave love above all others. We shall give them that solace and they will serve our interests on this world," Carol stated, "But have no fears. Earth's famed heroes will intervene in our work and they too shall become converts."
The assembled sisterhood smiled and then Carol relayed her instructions to the Yellow Lanterns and then she and her Corps rose in the air and sought out the Sierra Madres.
The first two rings flew to Manhattan and broke through the glass door on the balcony of the Justice League's Women's Dormitory. There, Beatriz da Costa and Tora Olafsdottir were getting ready to go out. The sound of breaking glass alerted them to trouble and they rushed back into the apartment. The rings floated towards them, pulsing with violet light. The two women were transfixed. As the rings drew near, they each stretched out a hand. The bands slipped onto their fingers and sized themselves accordingly. Then the sapphire gem flashed and their clothes became a Star Sapphire uniform.
They summoned their power batteries and swore the oath. Recharged and ready for action, they exited the apartment through the shattered glass and then flew off to join their newfound sisters.
Talia had chased her VP-Operations out of her office because the work crews were still installing the glass in her office. She was suddenly bathed in a violet glow that pulsed from a ring. Talia was no stranger to bizarre things but this was a new event even for her.
The longer she stared at the light emitting gem mounted on the ring's band, the more her heart swelled with love. She felt love for her father, for her estranged Beloved, the child that they'd conceived together and that she had given away, for everyone really.
The ritual went as always and Talia suddenly felt free of all the burdens of her life. Her heart soared and she wanted to share her joy and her love with everyone. Her clothes, having transformed into a Sapphire uniform, drew stares as she walked the hallways and got to her own office. There the window was still missing and she stepped out and found herself floating on air.
Her heart threatened to swell until it burst. She queried the ring and it indicated that she should report to Stryker's Island. She didn't know why, but it just felt right.
Harley's door blew off of its hinges. Ivy, suspecting that it was Batman, pulled Harley behind her. When it turned out to be a violet ring, Ivy was confused. Her confusion soon ended as the ring drew ever closer and her heart sang with joy.
Harley watched Ivy's transformation and then asked, "Where's my ring?"
Ivy stroked her cheek, "I'm sorry, Harl. There's only one."
She kissed Harley on the cheek, "Goodbye and take care."
"But where are ya goin'?" Harley plaintively asked.
"To fulfill my destiny," Ivy declared and flew out of the apartment.
Harley was crushed. She looked at the shattered door and decided something, "The Super's gonna hear about this."
In Harlem, Shayera and John were getting ready to step out. The neighborhood showed them a new kind of respect after they'd liberated the locals from the Bonez and the Thugz. Max Lord's Innovative Concepts Foundation had stepped in and paid the back rent and had restocked everyone's depleted larders that had to be raided while the gangs were in control. Now Max was helping renovate the buildings and bringing them up to modern standards. Gratitude practically overflowed.
When John was in residence, neighbors from all across the neighborhood brought him food and baked goods. Shayera had laughed and said that it was a good thing neither of them was a decent cook. He accepted several bags worth of thank you cards and letters intended for Max.
They had just decided on where to go when the window shattered. The sapphire ring began its approach. John's emerald ring flared to life. But Shayera put a restraining hand on his arm. He watched in puzzled amazement as she strode up to the ring.
She began to reach out for it but then she closed her hand into a fist. She shook her head and stepped back. John incased the violet ring in a bubble. It lashed out with one violent discharge and then fell silent.
John and Shayera studied it for several minutes before Shayera spoke, "I think it's 'dead'."
"What makes you say that?" he wondered.
"Because it's no longer calling to me," she confessed.
"Calling how?" John was immediately even more suspicious then before, if that were humanly possible.
"It reached out to me," Shayera desperately tried to describe the experience, "It touched my heart and took what it found there and swelled it up until I thought I was going to explode."
"So what did it find?" John was captivated.
"Love," was all she said.
"Waitaminute," John growled. He brought the sapphire ring to him. He dropped the bubble and held the ring by its band. He studied the stone, "Does this stone look familiar to you?"
Shayera scrutinized it, "It looks like a smaller version of the Star Sapphire."
"That's what I'm thinking," he admitted, "C'mon Shay, it looks like our plans just got cancelled."
"Ah hell, who needs romance? At least we'll get a decent fight," she chuckled.
"That's what I'm afraid of," John shared.
