A/N

Why do I only write chapters when I can't sleep?

"At the moment, there are two major problems within the Red Lantern Corps: since our numbers have been so far reduced thanks to... a certain incident a couple of years ago," Drusa started, glaring at Aya with emphasis on the last words. "Everyone - field lanterns and medics - have had to work three times as hard to make up for the absence of two-thirds of the Corps. As you could imagine, that puts strain on our bodies: we're more likely to get injured, or sick, because we're so overworked and everyone's gone. And that leads to our second problem: our blood is too hot for most conventional medicine and wound treatments. It's essentially fire. Razer? You remember what that's like, right? Often when we use it... chaos ensues."

Saint Walker kept his usual composed expression. "And what do you want us to do about it, Medic?"

"During the time I've observed you via our fly-cams and through Timera and Strayl's reports, we've all taken note that not only does Blue Energy have immense healing properties, but in small doses, it can cool the Red Energy down to a typical blood temperature in our bodies. And from what I've seen of Aya, well, she's practically made of the stuff-"

Razer tensed in his seat. "Hold on, you are not saying-"

"Let her finish, Brother."

"We want Aya to stay with us on Ysmault and serve as a healing assistant for the Red Lantern Corps, until we rebuild our numbers, and find enough medicinal materials that can withstand the temperatures of our Rage. In exchange, we would be willing to pardon her from her actions that devastated our Corps."

"Absolutely not!" Razer objected. "We cannot just let them take Aya!"

"Somehow I have the feeling you are about to make us a deal we cannot refuse, Drusa," Saint Walker said.

"You can of course turn our generous offer down... but then I'm afraid we'd have to tell the Guardians that the Blue Lanterns have been harboring a galactic fugitive."

"Blackmail! We will not stand for this!"

"Same old Razer," Bleez said. "You might have lost your Rage, but that temper hasn't died much, has it?"

Saint Walker set a hand on Razer's shoulder. "Don't try to argue back, Brother, that only encourages them."

"You are taking an equally big risk yourself, are you not?" Ganthet asked. "By transferring Aya to Ysmault, you would also be harboring a fugitive. Then both of our Corps would have to pay the price if the Guardians find out."

"In all honesty? We're rather desperate to take measures such as this," Drusa answered. "Surely you can understand where we're coming from."

"Could we just not send you with a few spare blue power batteries? You only need blue energy in small doses, correct? It would have virtually the same effect if you recite the Blue Lantern Oath."

"I fear the batteries would not last as long, and it's not as controlled... though, while we're at it, it couldn't hurt to add a few to the deal, for Aya's sake; in case something happens, and we cannot repair her. Besides, you're missing the point. The idea is to let Aya work for her redemption. You were given that chance once. Do you not want to allow her that same chance you once had?"

Drusa's words seemed to be enough to make Razer go quiet.

"... Am I not allowed to have any say in this decision?" Aya asked.

"Oh, I'm sorry, of course you are! You more than anyone in this room. You are the one that's going to be leaving your home for... we're not entirely sure how long. And I'll let you in on a little secret: I called the other Blues here so they'd know just what it is we plan to do with you... but all in all, this is entirely your choice. No one else's."

Aya blinked in shock. This was not the same woman that took control of her. Nor was this the same woman that imprisoned her and tried to disable her on the Interceptor. This had to have been a clone. An imposter, even, but certainly not the same individual.

"While I cannot force you to choose one way or the other, I would only like you to think about what it is the Red Lanterns are offering if you accept... and the consequences of what would happen if you don't."

"Could we speak about this for a moment?" Razer asked, standing up. "Privately?"

As the other Blue Lanterns in the room stood up, so did the Reds.

"Certainly, you can take a moment to discuss this amongst yourselves. But remember, I want Aya to speak for herself. I hope you don't mind me sending a few of my people out with you to keep from pulling anything."

"We do not play dirty like you do, Drusa," Saint Walker said. "My colleagues and I only plan to help Aya weigh her options."

"You know me, Bro'dee. I like to play it safe. I've too many knives in my back to simply go off of someone's word... one of them yours, if I remember right. If it makes you feel any better, they'll keep their distance, and hopefully give you enough privacy to chat. The rest of us will be here waiting."

"We'll only be in the outside hallway."

The four Blue Lanterns, as well as Skallox, Timera and Strayl, left the meeting room, the three adversaries taking their place further down in the hall.

"What does she mean, 'I've too many knives in my back; one of them yours if I remember right?'" Razer asked. "What is that all about?"

"I will explain that another time. At the moment there is a more pressing matter."

"You know her better than anyone here, Bro'dee. Do you really think she will go through with her threat if we do not comply?"

"I do not believe it is just her threat alone," Ganthet speculated. "She may even acting as a spokesperson for the rest of the Corps."

Aya's auditory processors could pick up that her three friends were speaking, but she could not focus on what they were saying. The words sounded unclear while her thought processes focused on one thing: the image of the Blue Lanterns on the meeting end of the Guardians' wrath. Saint Walker, Ganthet... Razer... all the other friends she had made while she was here... she would either be sentencing them all to a life of imprisonment, or worse: execution. She could not do that to them. She especially could not do that to Razer.

"... I must do this." Aya said, breaking whatever was in the conversation before. "This is something I must do."

"But, Aya no!" Razer quickly put his hands on her shoulders. "I have already lost you once, I cannot lose you again! I-" Aya could start to see his eyes glaze over with tears just before he pulled her to his chest. "I cannot!"

"Brother Razer... we have been weighing all of our options but, we may not have a choice," Ganthet said.

"No! There is always another way! There must be something! Anything! Some other option!"

Aya hugged him back as she could feel his tears on the top of her hood. She focused all of her being of Hope into him. He certainly needed it at this moment.

"I have done wrong by the Red Lanterns, and they are offering me a chance to make restitutions. I may not receive this chance again. For the greater good, and to clear my conscience, this is something I must do."

"But, but I-"

Aya was able to pull away enough to plant a kiss on his lips. "You are not losing me, love. This is only for a short while. We will be reunited before you know it."

Razer attempted to calm himself. Aya could feel his shaky, shuddering breaths as she wiped the tears from his eyes.

He let out a soft chuckle. "I suppose I cannot stop you once you have made up your mind. Hal rubbed off on you in all the worst ways."

"So you have made your decision then, Sister?"

"I have."

Aya was the first to enter the room again. Drusa looked her directly in the eyes.

"Well?"

"I have only one inquiry: this is not a permanent arrangement, correct?"

"Certainly not. Only until we find better material to construct our medicines out of in a way that suits us."

"And how long do you estimate that will take?"

"Several months... but not more than a year, perhaps two at most."

"And when this is arrangement ends, I will be returned to the Blue Lantern Corps?"

"The moment we are able to stand on our own is the moment we will take you home."

"What would ensure that you will keep your promise? We also only have your word to take into account."

"I thought you might ask that." Standing up, Drusa removed a blaster from her belt and approached Razer. "There is an ancient tradition amongst Vrashrayan pirates. Since we're not known for our trustworthiness, to prove that one is more than willing to hold her word, she will bestow her weapon on the person whom she made a promise to." Placing the blaster in his hand, she continued, "if she breaks this promise, the one on the other end of the broken promise may find her and use her own weapon to kill her."

"Medic," Bleez spoke up. "You do realize that taking a non-combat role means that you're not allowed to make violent pacts like this, right?"

"And..." Razer held the blaster away from him, as if trying to give it back, "... you do realize that we are pacifists, right? It means we do not kill or hurt people."

"I am making a very nice, genuine gesture. Don't ruin it."

There was an awkward silence in the room. Razer exchanged glances with a few people, before lowering the blaster to his side.

"I will not be using this on you, For any reason, at all. But this is a nice gesture and I accept... I suppose."

"You aren't even supposed to have any weapons on you besides your ring, Medic. Where did you get that blaster?" Bleez asked.

"I found it on a cadaver somewhere."

"Of course you did."

Since Blue Lanterns did not hold much value to material possessions, Aya only decided to take two spare blue lantern power batteries with her. After she had taken what she needed, they planned to depart immediately.

"This may be an odd question, but is there any chance you would be willing to take me with you?" Razer asked them. "Surely two Blue Lanterns hold more value than one."

"Oh, sorry, that's one thing I forgot to mention: we can only take one of you, and interplanetary communications between you are not allowed." Drusa said. "Any more of you, and there's a risk that some closely-held secrets might end up in the hands of the Blue Lantern Corps, or any of their allies. I may even have to erase any new memories Aya contains that have any classified information. Besides, bringing with someone that deliberately worked against us in the past coming back to the base..."

"...I understand."

Aya went to embrace her love one last time. "Hold onto Hope, Razer. I will be home soon. Just, think of it as me leaving on a relief mission. And in a sense, I am."

"I will continue to serve the Corps and the galaxy as a Blue Lantern even in your absence... but that does not mean I will not miss you."

Drusa rolled her eyes as they shared their last kiss. "All right, love birds, we're leaving now. Aya, if you don't get on the ship within the next two minutes, we'll be leaving without you, and that counts as you breaking our deal."

Aya found herself fortunate enough to be sitting by one of the ship's windows. A small one, but the stars still laid behind it. She had gotten a glimpse of it when taking off in the ship for Silthone, but having spent most of the time with Razer, she did not have a chance to truly look at them. Admire them... and feel as if she was where she belonged again.

"Beautiful, are they not?"

Aya sighed. She had been hoping they would leave her alone, even for just a moment.

"I'll be honest," Drusa started, taking her place next to her. "I cried a bit the first time I saw space again. Just a bit. I had spent so long worrying that I would never see it again, I cannot begin to describe the joy I had once I did."

"What is your ulterior motive for speaking to me?"

"Ulterior motive? That's a bit extreme. Though, now that you mention it, I do have something on my mind."

Aya looked back at her. Expressions were still something she worked at, but with only her hood stayed over her face, she had hoped with the mask off could convey the proper look of annoyance. "What?"

"Do you remember that night of the battle between the Green and Red Lantern Corps?"

"Affirmative," there was a tinge of coldness in her robotic tone. "What about it?"

"That means you remember what our time on the Interceptor was like, don't you?"

Aya looked back out of the window. "Unfortunately, yes."

"Does anyone else know what happened that night?"

"Negative."

"Not even Razer?"

Her blue lips pulled into a smirk. "He does not." She made direct eye contact with her. "I decided you were not worth mentioning."

At first Drusa looked taken aback. Aya had expected her to get angry as any Red Lantern would at a remark such as that, but instead she did something Aya did not even know a Red Lantern could do. She laughed. It was not a sinister laugh, either, but rather a lighthearted one, as if she were still a normal individual that had just been told a funny joke.

"... Ouch." Drusa took a moment to look at her glove, reflecting on its pattern. "Well, regardless, I appreciate you not telling anyone."

"Why?"

"You saw what he did to me just when he thought I was going to disable you," Drusa said, lightly stroking her chest where Aya assumed Razer had shot her before. "One could only imagine what he would have done if he knew that the extent of tampering with his loved one went further than what he saw in that moment."

"There was no need. We thought you were deceased, but we had thought wrong."

They both went quiet again, looking out at the stars past them.

"Seeing as Razer is my significant other, an event like what happened that night on the Interceptor will not repeat itself, correct?"

"I am not taking you to Ysmault to have my way with you. If you prefer, I will not touch you unless it has something to do with the procedures at hand."

"Yes, I do think I would prefer that," Aya said. "As a matter of fact, I would prefer we conduct our behavior as if that night on the Interceptor never happened at all."

"As you wish."