7 Justice League the Corps
"Milord, what are we to do?" Lyssa Drak inquired of Sinestro from their Corps' headquarters on Qward. The Elite were gathered in the Fear Lodge with their master and all were essentially wondering the same thing. The only potential exceptions were Tri-eye and Slushh, who would simply be looking forward to finding their next victims.
"We have rested and gathered our strength, dear Lyssa," Sinestro gently chided her, "Now we are strong enough once again to challenge the Star Sapphires."
"But they still outnumber us," even as she said it she knew it was the wrong thing to bring up.
"I know that," Sinestro said disdainfully as he folded his arms across his chest, a sure sign he was displeased with her. Lyssa was wounded by his displeasure. She'd serve him in any capacity he desired. All he needed to do was say the word.
"Arkillo, are the Corpsmen reporting in?" he asked.
"Nearly half have reported in," Arkillo said gruffly.
Lyssa could tell he was pleased with her downfall from favorite. She could almost feel the gray behemoth's neck in between her hands. She was the guardian of the Book of Parallax and the historian for the Corps. Her star would rise once again in her lord's eye, or she'd die making it so.
Sinestro was aware of these things of course. It pleased him to square his Corpsmen off of one another. Their ambitions and energies were honed by competition, as were their survival skills. If they fell to one of their own who was to say they wouldn't have fallen to a Red, Orange, Indigo, or Green Lantern? Or even one of these ridiculous Star Sapphires? The Blue Lanterns were twice as pathetic as Carol's mob so he didn't even consider them a threat. He wouldn't even dwell on the thrice damned Black Lanterns.
"That's enough," Sinestro declared, "We go now! Have the Corpsmen prepare to recharge their rings. I will be with them shortly."
Arkillo marched off to issue his lord's orders. Sinestro turned to the Elite, "Our lesser members will be looking to you for guidance. Remember this above all else, you are the masters of fear, there is no room in your hearts for love."
They all nodded as Sinestro spat the last word. Then they exited the Lodge and took their positions as the first rank of the Corps. Summoning their batteries, they recited the oath and then Sinestro exhorted them.
"Master your emotions! There is no room in our hearts for something as weak as love. We go now to crush these women and their misguided mistresses. Follow me!" Sinestro lifted into the air and the Corps followed. Shifting them out of the antimatter universe, he arranged a spatial rift in Zamaron's solar system. There was no stealth or guile in their approach. They were here to create fear and panic. That required a head on attack.
The Javelin translated out of subspace as its hyperdrive disengaged. Blackhawk had a full audience with Lady Blackhawk, Anna Fortune, and Stargirl in the cockpit. He checked the coordinates of the planet before them with the estimated position of Zamaron as given to them by the Guardians of the Universe.
"Anna, Courtney, I need you to step outside and get John and Shayera for me," he requested.
"But…" Courtney began to whine.
Anna cuffed her upside the head, "We're on it. Come along, dear."
Courtney plopped down in the first available seat near Captain Marvel and Junior. She huffed her displeasure and guaranteed that she was the center of attention. Marvel found it rather amusing but he kept his mirth to himself. She'd think he was laughing at her and then there would be hell to pay.
Anna reached John and Shayera but they presented a conflicted picture. They'd been off since their encounter with the Sapphires. It was as though a wound, barely healed, had been reopened. She didn't know them very well, barely in fact, but she felt for them. Whatever was affecting them was torturous.
"I hate to interrupt but Blackhawk has requested that you two join him in the cockpit," Anna relayed.
Shayera was slightly surprised. She'd served as Blackhawk's co-pilot on previous deep space missions but this time he had Lady Blackhawk. She could feel the vibrational shift of the engines as they shifted out of subspace. That could mean the pilot wanted a positive ID on Zamaron.
John and Katma had been the ones to receive the intel from the Guardians that they were using. She'd barely seen it. What use would she be in the cockpit?
"I don't know…" Shayera began to beg out of it.
"He insisted," Anna lied. She felt Blackhawk had a plan involving these two and it behooved her to see that plan through.
Shayera looked sharply to John. He shrugged, "He insisted."
"Okay, I'm going," Shayera wisely surrendered to numerically superior forces.
They entered the cockpit and Blackhawk motioned for them to sit at the recently vacated seats. Shayera remained standing.
"Plant your ass before I plant it for you," Blackhawk threatened.
Shayera seriously doubted he could pull of his threat but it was so out of character that she plopped into the seat just out of sheer surprise.
"You two have been as nervous as hunted mice around each other this whole trip and I think I know why. I was there the last time you were like this and I have to tell you I thought you'd worked it out," he said.
"I thought we had as well," Shayera sniffed.
"That means this is your fault," Blackhawk said to John.
"Now wait a minute…" John got defensive.
"John, do the League a favor and shut up," Blackhawk ordered.
Lady Blackhawk just grinned away at the co-pilot's station as she flew the shuttle in towards Zamaron. This was her type of intervention.
"I'm betting you turned into an overprotective boob, or something along these lines," Blackhawk surmised, "And I'm willing to bet Shayera didn't take that very well."
Shayera snorted. John opened his mouth but he grimly closed it again.
"That was probably the smartest thing you could do at this particular juncture," Blackhawk deduced, "But you'll get your chance."
"Take a look at one another," Blackhawk instructed. John gazed at Shayera but she kept her eyes averted. Blackhawk snapped, "Now, dammit! I don't have time for this crap and neither do you. As I understand it, these ladies mess with hearts and minds. And right now, you're vulnerable because you're apart. You're stronger together than apart so get your differences out in the open and settle this!"
Both John and Shayera blinked at the vehemence in Blackhawk's voice. He calmed somewhat, "They have Galatea and you two are my best chance of getting her back."
"I…" John began to speak to Shayera but he faltered.
"Use the cargo bay. No one is in there," Blackhawk instructed, "Give it twenty minutes and everyone is going to be back there getting ready to bail out so use the time you have wisely."
John looked to Shayera, his eyes were warm and hopeful, "I'm game if you are."
Shayera's expression softened, "All right, but this had better be good."
"Trust me," John urged.
"I thought I could," Shayera could see how that hurt John and she regretted it, "But I'm willing to take that chance again."
They left and Blackhawk returned his attention to the instruments and the planet looming ever closer.
"Damn, I'm a good influence," Lady Blackhawk said proudly.
"Oh really? You think so?" Blackhawk asked with some amusement.
"Ask J'onn. He'll tell you," she promised.
"I'm almost afraid to," Blackhawk chuckled.
"Hey! Where's the love?" she protested, "And remember, I can splatter us across a mountain range once we hit atmo."
"No pressure then," he said dryly.
"Of course not. Just tell me what I want to hear and you'll live," Lady Blackhawk assured him.
"Are you like this with J'onn?" Blackhawk asked.
"Of course not. I want him to love me," she admitted.
"Well, if it's any consolation, it seems to be working. And I'm willing to bet he knows about this other side of your personality," Blackhawk encouraged her.
Lady Blackhawk sighed, "He does love me."
"Are you okay to fly or are you going to be signing up for a Sapphire ring?" he wondered.
"Oh foo, you have no romance in your soul," she accused.
"I have plenty of romance in my soul. Ask my girlfriend," he suggested.
"Then why did she accept that ring?" LBH demanded.
Blackhawk was instantly downcast and she bit her lower lip, "Look, I'm sorry. We're going to get her back. I promise."
"I know," he admitted, "I'm going after her myself."
"But regulations say…" she began before he cut her off.
"The hell with regulations. This is the woman I love. Nothing is going to get in my way," Blackhawk declared.
LBH smiled and was quite proud of him as she said, "Good for you."
Carol stepped out into the throng of feuding Sapphires. They parted like the veritable Red Sea before her. At last only Dela was still struggling as Fatality held her off.
"Dela!" Carol said crossly.
The blonde turned and was smacked in the mouth by Fatality's construct. Carol gave her a reproving glare and Fatality apologized. Dela wasn't inclined to accept.
"End this," Carol ordered.
"Why should I?" Dela haughtily asked, "My supporters outnumber yours. It's only a matter of time before I vanquish them."
"If your supporters will stand down, you get your shot at the crown…and the star sapphire," Carol announced loudly.
"You'd face me?" Dela sought clarification, "No hiding behind your flunkies?"
"One on one, just like last time," Carol promised.
"I took the sapphire from you last time," Dela reminded her, "And there will be no turning to the Zamarons. Once you lose that's it. You won't even receive a power ring."
"Fair enough," Carol agreed, "As long as it's reciprocal."
"Of course it will be," Dela laughed, "I've waited a long time for you to be this stupid."
"Fatality, you will drop the flag and then we will begin," Carol instructed.
"Carol, I…" Fatality faltered.
"I need you to do this," Carol was adamant.
"Very well," Fatality relented.
"Clear this area," Carol commanded.
The Sapphires moved off to the side, near the walls of the stone city. Fatality formed a flag construct and held it aloft. Dela paced back and forth like a caged cat. Carol stood in place, looking as though she were about to repose.
Fatality dropped the flag. Carol reacted before Dela could even form a simple construct. A raw, savage beam of violet energy ravaged Dela. Her clothes were torn away and cuts formed in her skin as Carol pelted her with needle-like daggers. She dropped to her knees and tried to form a shield. It was fragmented and penetrated within seconds.
"Enough! I beg you!" Dela risked screaming.
Carol's assault ceased but the sapphire blazed, "Do you surrender?"
"I…" Dela couldn't say it.
Carol used the sapphire to grab Dela and slam her into a wall. She then applied a crushing force as Dela was helplessly pinned down. Carol approached and spoke again.
"Do you surrender?" she harshly demanded.
"Yes!" Dela screamed.
The crushing beam disappeared but a construct bubble ripped Dela's ring from her finger. Dela gaped. Her knees gave way and she sank onto her buttocks, back up against the wall.
Carol knelt before her and held up the ring, "I'm willing to give you a chance. One chance. Swear allegiance to me, humble yourself, and swear fealty to the cause of Love not your selfish ambition and I'll give this back."
Dela's mind reeled. A sonic boom ripped through the city as the Javelin shuttle raced by. Carol's expression and voice hardened even more, if that were possible.
"I don't have time for this. Decide now or forever hold your peace," Carol threatened.
Dela scrambled onto her knees and prostrated before Carol, "I so swear."
"I'm your Queen?" Carol asked.
"Yes," Dela desperately said.
"Say it," Carol commanded.
"You are my Queen, now and forever more," Dela swore.
"I believe this is yours," Carol handed the ring back, "Now place it on your finger and prepare for battle. I believe the Justice League has arrived and where they travel Green Lanterns are close behind."
"What are your orders, my Queen?" Fatality asked.
"We defend the Battery and the Zamaron sisters," Carol instructed, "None get by."
"What of Kyle?" Dela asked as she repaired her uniform.
"He will come to me," Carol prophesied, "Then he will choose between me and his former love."
"You think she's here?" Race asked.
Carol smirked, "Would you be elsewhere?"
