Chapter 7: Fear Me

The Barnathi System consisted of 12 planets orbiting a red star, with the seventh planet in orbit (Barnath 7) being home to the unique Barna species. The Barna were a tall lanky people with pale skin and seemingly humanoid features, although that stopped just under the nose where it was revealed they possessed no mouths or chins, their long necks just connecting to the head where a human jawbone might be.

To vocalize, their species possessed several vocal slits down the sides of their neck, which modulated sound to produce a series of tones that could be interpreted as a voice. Thanks to the universal translators in power rings, that voice was made a little more discernible.

Ghia'ta had visited Barnath 7 long ago during her travels and was pleased to be returning to such familiar territory. As it stood, she was by herself as she strode through ornate halls with the planetary governor; Vixus. "It's good to see you again, governor," said the Zamaron as sunlight streamed through open floor-to-ceiling windows, "it's nice to see that Barna society has been thriving after my visit."

"We… were not expecting you, Princess Ghia'ta." Vixus replied, sounding hesitant. "Of course, your presence is always welcome. We fondly remember your last visit." Ghia'ta smiled.

"It was a long time ago. Still, I can sense the violet light is alive and well here."

"We took your words to heart. My people have come to love life in your absence. Your revelations as to how we were slumbering on the possibilities of life and love changed us for the better. We have become artisans, athletes, embracing all forms of higher intellect and creative expression."

"That is good to hear." Ghia'ta beamed.

"In fact, we are upon the time in which we host the Presidium Contest. All members of society, the most skillful among us, will be on display as a testament to our revival." Vixus revealed. "We would be most honored if you would join us." His eyes shifted from side to side, glancing around the hall as he made his offer. Ghia'ta took notice but did not comment on it.

"I'd be happy to, governor." She accepted. "I wish to travel around the planet before these games begin. I will return before the games begin."

"Of course." Vixus concurred. They paused before a door at the end of the hall. "When you return, please, come and see me in my office." Ghia'ta nodded in agreement before she took flight and departed through one of the open windows, becoming a pink streak that darted across the sky. She followed the curve of the planet, ensuring she was noticed by all in the city. But once she disappeared over the horizon, beyond the territory of the city, she arced upwards and bolted into the upper atmosphere. Rocketing through layers of cloud and air, she cloaked herself in violet and made for the small moon orbiting Barnath 7. It was no bigger than an asteroid, simply trapped by the planet's gravitational pull. Barren and untouched by the inhabitants of the world it orbited, it suited Ghia'ta's purposes just fine.

She alighted on the edge of a crater where her partner and ally, Michael Ryker, sat waiting. His blue aura beckoned her like a beacon and, truth be told, Ghia'ta felt relieved to be in his company again. The human stood as she approached, his Corps symbol flashing slightly. "What did you find?" He asked.

"It is as I feared," Ghia'ta began, "Governor Vixus kept up a bold face but the truth was seeping out from his behind his mask. Something has a hold of him. Something is not right here."

"Your ring stated a case of emotional upheaval on the planet." Michael recalled. "That the violet light had waned, almost replaced with something else."

"Governor Vixus tried to keep it hidden." Ghia'ta said, looking to the planet behind them. "But I could see it in his eyes. My arrival in the city… he tried to seem glad but he instead appeared to be… concerned. It felt to me like he thought my presence would ruin something. Yet he said nothing about it." Michael looked to the planet also, putting the clues together for himself. Ghia'ta continued, "He invited me to attend their display of skills."

"You should go. Perhaps the solution will make itself known." He suggested. Ghia'ta looked to him.

"What do you think is happening?" She asked. Michael had a feeling he knew. The described reaction coupled with the analysis provided by Ghia'ta's ring provided enough of an alarming testimony for the state of the planet. His summary was brief yet succinct,

"They're afraid."

Back down on the planet's surface, Governor Vixus settled warily into his chair. On edge, the Barna breathed a shaky sigh of relief now that he was alone, hoping for a moment's silence. Recent events had taken a terrible toll on him and the sudden arrival of Ghia'ta had not helped things. She had been spotted from afar, the pink control of her aura unmistakable.

Unfortunately, his troubles were not over yet.

A golden light filled the room, earning a startled gasp from the Barna as he pushed himself back into his chair. The doors flew apart as a blinding glow forced its way inside. Clutching his chest, Vixus nearly started hyperventilating. "I-I-I did as you asked!" He exclaimed. "I invited her to the contest, I mentioned nothing else! Just like you told me!" The golden light receded, revealing a scantily clad woman. She had bright blue skin and long ebony hair, her body dressed in a long black sash and a crisscrossing set of straps to just barely conceal her breasts, still leaving plenty of cleavage and underboob on display. Her shins and forearms were wrapped in golden guards, while the yellow light around her was made apparent in her eyes and the ring on her finger. She was a Talokite from the world of Talok 4; a hearty species capable of surviving in the vacuum of space. From her hip hung a large leather-bound book guarded with many chains.

"You did well, governor." Lyssa Drak purred, extending the hand upon which he yellow power ring sat. A beam of light lashed out and formed into a chain that snared the Barna's neck, dragging him across his desk and over to Lyssa on his knees. "But if I find out you gave that Zamaron so much as a hint of the truth-" She snarled, calm expression turning sinister.

"I didn't! I swear it!" Vixus squeaked. Lyssa smiled smugly.

"Good." Her chain dissipated into shards of light and released the Barna. "Never forget, Vixus, your world, your people… they belong to us." More golden light filled the room as Lyssa's companions arrived in the office. One of which was the Xudarian Romat-Ru, his orange skin bird-like beak and mohawk-like cranial fin a dead giveaway, dressed in a black bodysuit with yellow overloads across his chest arms and legs, he was of the same species as the legendary green Lantern Tomar-Re. The other was a bipedal robotic being, his body comprised of silver plating, with only his chestplates and shoulder pads bearing yellow as well as the Sinestro Corps emblem upon his chest. He was Tekik, a sentient automaton from the industrial world of Potter-59-3, renown for causing terror across his system during a machine uprising which he led.

The trio of Yellow Lanterns hovered before the stricken Vixus as Lyssa made to speak again, "When Ghia'ta attends the contest, it will do us good to rid the universe of another Zamaron."

Vixus paled. "But… why?"

"To show you the strength of your new way of life." Lyssa continued. "This world is ruled… by fear!"

The Barnath Presidium was a large circular construct, with a giant glass dome to filter in natural light. Ghia'ta likened it to the many arenas she'd seen across various planets. Made of polished metal with golden trim, it rose four levels high with enough seating to house over 10,000 individuals. Lights and sonic transmitters lined each ring of seating, allowing for commentary and photonic display to truly immerse the audience.

Ghia'ta strode into one of the middle boxes with Governor Vixus, taking in all the sights and sounds. "What an incredible gathering." She breathed.

"I trust you will enjoy the festivities to the fullest." Vixus offered as he took a seat. "Barnath has much to show and much to offer."

"I would be more than happy to help celebrate your culture." Ghia'ta took a seat next to him, the designated guest of honor, as the crowd acknowledged the governor's arrival. Pyrotechnics erupted throughout the presidium, heralding the opening of the contest. Vixus waved and the crowd roared. "What can we expect first?"

"A… grand opening." Vixus said sparsely.

"How exciting," Ghia'ta leaned over the edge of the box, watching the sands below for a parade of some sort. Even as she did, the Zamaron could sense something off with Vixus. She looked over her shoulder, watching the governor fidget in his seat. "Is… everything alright, governor?" She wondered.

Vixus could take it no longer. He loosed a shuddering sigh and looked to Ghia'ta. "I'm sorry." He said quietly, a mournful look in his eyes. Ghia'ta blinked, questioning his sudden change in demeanor with ears folded back.

All of a sudden, her ring flashed, announcing imminent danger.

Ghia'ta looked up as a trio of golden bolts rained down upon quickly, she conjured a shield with her ring, blocking out the projectiles as enemies dove low from out of the sun overhead. To keep Vixus out of the line of fire, Ghia'ta took flight as she spied the Yellow Lantern Roman Ru diving towards her. She retorted with a blast of her own, a ray of violet light narrowly missing the Xundarian as arced out of the way to allow Tekik to come crashing down, the automaton generating two giant fists of yellow light. Gasping, Ghia'ta crafted a shield to block as both fists plowed into her and drove her towards the presidium floor. Her aura absorbed the blow while her crash kicked up sand and debris. Her shield dissipating, Ghia'ta darted back into flight as Romat sent a war club crashing into the ground where she had lain.

All around them, the crowd gasped and fell eerily quiet, watching the display unfold as Ghia'ta warded off the two Yellow Lanterns. The pair coordinated their attacks, Tekik unleashing a robotic claw in the shape of a crane arm that lunged for Ghia'ta as the Zamaron crafted a spear to bat it away, only for Romat-Ru to forge a blaster cannon that zapped Ghia'ta in the back. Recovering quickly, the Zamaron reshaped her spear into an ornate longbow and loosed a trinity of arrows in quick succession to hound Romat and keep him off her back. Tekik closed in to attack, generating a pair of chainsaw-like blades that were parried by a pair of ornate long swords from Ghia'ta. The pair dueled as Romat-Rumauevered for a better shot, forging a very alien missile launcher to blast Ghia'ta from above. The Zamaron caught sight of the projectiles at the last second, reshaping her constructs into another shield.

But the blast was too much and she was sent tumbling into the ground below.

Dirtied by the sand, Ghia'ta forced herself up, quickly conjuring another spear construct. But before she could put it to good use, a yellow orbed shaped around the hand where her ring was situated, hardening into a sphere that trapped her digits in place. She tried to free herself, tugging against the construct to no avail. From above, Lyssa Drak descended to meet her, the orb tailing back to her own power ring. "Try anything, Zamaron, and I'll tear your hand off!" Lyssa threatened. Ghia'ta's struggling slowed as she felt the pinch around her ring finger tighten painfully. Lyssa's threat was not an idle one.

"Sinestro Corps… What do you want?" She demanded, studying the three. Lyssa smiled, an expression that should have been comforting. But coming from here it appeared downright sinister.

"Our goal is not unlike yours; to spread the yellow light of fear." The Talokite answered. "This world is ripe for the yellow. All we needed to do was flex our superiority over them and they immediately groveled for their lives. Perhaps your violet light has made them soft…"

"You forgot the part where 'love conquers all'." Ghia'ta retorted, quoting part of the Star Sapphire oath. "Fear never lasts."

"Oh but it does." Lyssa countered. "Even in you, Princess, I can sense it." She sneered. Ghia'ta said nothing, her gaze hardening as her ears folded back.

"You know nothing about me."

"You're half right. I didn't. Until a very reliable source joined our ranks." Lyssa trailed off, leaving Ghia'ta to be puzzled by her words until a fourth Yellow Lantern descended to the presidium floor.

The Zamaron gaped. His jaw was sharp, his cheekbones high and rigid, every inch of his face the definition of physical perfection much like the rest of his body. His golden skin was darker than the yellow of his Corps uniform, framed by silvery hair above so neatly brushed and combed it fell about him in ways that would make any stylist impressed. Like his fellows, his eyes glowed yellow from his immersion in the light of fear. The Sinestro Corps uniform was new, but Ghia'ta still recognized him.

"Princess Ghia'ta… we meet again." He greeted, his voice lyrical like a gently flowing brook. Ghia'ta knew it all too well.

"Tiran?!" She gasped.

"As luck would have it, the people of Erot are feared throughout their system. Men and women alike cower before their prowess." Lyssa mused. "It didn't take long for Tiran Takadar to prove himself the most threatening of all and a yellow power ring found its way onto his finger."

"I think I wear it rather well." Tiran remarked with a grin, holding up his clenched fist to reveal a shimmering Sinestro Corps ring. "What do you think, Ghia'ta? How does this ghost of your past look in yellow?"

"Worse than I remember." Ghia'ta spat. Tiran laughed.

"Oh you poor, demure little thing," he sneered, "have you truly forgot everything I can do for you? Perhaps you and I should get 'reacquainted' now that I'm a lantern."

"Don't touch me!" Ghia'ta snapped as he reached for her.

"Silly girl. You're all alone. And none of these sniveling wretches will help you." Tiran derisively retorted as he gripped her chin and forced her face towards him. Ghia'ta lashed out with her free hand, attempting to slap him. But the Sunevi caught her in a simple yellow cuff construct, forcing her arms to be outstretched and rendering her defenceless. "Is that fear I hear in your words? It's such a delightful sensation to experience. My ring amplifies it tenfold." He hummed, as though savoring a fine wine.

The entire scene was suddenly bathed in blue light from above, the light so brilliant it appeared to mute all other colors around it. The blue descended, gradually taking on the shape of a man… a man named Michael Ryker. The human touched down just across from the Yellow Lanterns, his blue ring vibrantly alive. "Let her go." He stated, calm and confident.

"A Blue Lantern?" Said Lyssa.

"What's he doing here?" Romat-Ru questioned.

"He's my travelling companion." Ghia'ta answered, grinning now. "And last I checked… yellow and blue didn't get along so well… moreso for yellow." The Sinestro Corps glared at her, all of them save Tiran Takadar.

"So… you've found yourself a new boy toy. Could have done better than a human, if you ask me." He remarked. Michael raised his ring.

"Last chance, let her go… and I won't tolerate you speaking ill of her."

"Ill?" Tiran cocked his head. He left Ghia'ta be, striding forward confidently towards Michael. "I fail to see how I speak ill of her when I'm merely speaking the truth." The human's gaze narrowed.

"And what truth is that?" Michael pressed. Ghia'ta winced, hoping that both men would drop the topic and not press any further. Unfortunately for her, Tiran was not going to let bygones be bygones.

"The truth about her past. The truth about her nature as a Star Sapphire." Tiran stated simply. Now it was Michael's turn to arch a brow. The Sunevi caught sight of his perplexed expression and snickered. "She never told you, did she?" Tiran questioned, breaking out into laughter. "Ghia'ta here… is the biggest slut this side of the cosmos." Michael blinked, glancing at Ghia'ta and noting her crestfallen expression and drooping ears before he turned back to Tiran. "All Zamarons are! They spread their 'love' by bedding as many species as they can!"

"That's not true!" Ghia'ta cried.

"Oh yes, my bad, they bed whoever they must to make their message sink in… be that one person or an entire city." Tiran corrected smugly. Michael stayed silent, his narrowed gaze studying the Sunevi as he carried on. "My people enjoy a cultural hedonism, I thought we were sexually free. Then the princess here came to our world and, well, she put some of our more notorious women to shame." He snickered. "She stayed for days. I myself bedded her many times. I can't imagine how many other men she's been with." The claims were so outlandish Michael could scarcely belief it. Yet somewhere within him, the possiblity that he might be telling the truth stubbornly stuck to him. Lot of things previously stated seemed to make a little more sense now, their meeting with the Dendu thrust into a whole new light.

"It's true." Ghia'ta whimpered, earning his attention. "B-But I've changed, Michael. I'm not like that any more."

"Perhaps not. But we all leave a legacy behind." Tiran sneered. "Tell me, Ghia'ta, how many worlds have you returned to since your conversion? How many of them expected you to behave just as you did during your last visit?" He leaned closer to her, his visage twisted into a knowing grin. "How many of them were disappointed by the 'new you'?" Ghia'ta recoiled as if stung by his words and Michael could see the shame in her creased expression. "You'll never live down your past, Ghia'ta. And that fear will bind you forever." The Sunevi turned his attention back to Michael as he, Romat and Tekik moved to confront him.

"THIS. WORLD. IS. OURS." The automaton droned.

"Their fear is our power. So long as they are afraid, this world and all its people belong to the Sinestro Corps!" Romat hissed.

"The yellow light thrives on this world, Blue Lantern. From the Barna to your whorish companion, the fear that binds them fills our rings with strength." Tiran stated, his expression smug.

Michael looked around the deathly quiet presidium. From the crestfallen Ghia'ta to the stricken Barna, watching the unfolding proceedings and expecting a bloodbath, the human could sense it all. But his ring still shone brightly amid the fear permeating the space and powering the Yellow Lanterns. For the nature of the blue light could never be outshone by yellow. Quite the opposite in fact. His training under Ganthet had revealed the strengths and weaknesses of the Blue and, suffice to say, Yellow could not even compare.

"And yet I sense her hope to be better than her past." He stated, eyes on Ghia'ta. The princess perked up, looking to him with a newfound sense of potential… of hope. "I can sense the hope of all these people that you will leave and they will be free again." Michael said, louder this time, gesturing to the thousands of Barna watching them. "Hope is the absence of fear… and I think that's what this planet needs right now." He decided. Riled by his defiance, the Yellow Lanterns frowned as their rings blazed brightly. Lyssa, privy to the entire exchange, had already made her decision.

"He's all alone. Kill him!" She ordered. Romat, Tekik, and Tiran took flight and surged after Michael, forming various weapon constructs as they did. Cloaked in blue, Michael rose to met them, an ancient Chinese tang dao sword forming in each hand. He clashed with Tiran first, warding off his golden dueling daggers as he spun through the air to use his momentum to his advantage. Swerving around him, he struck back against chops from Romat's battle axe before vaulting high over Tekik's mining drill. Floating backwards to keep all three Yellow Lanterns in his line of sight, Michael converted his swords into shuriken and threw them out, forcing Tekik and Tiran to block and back off as Romat-Ru rushed him with a large sickle-like construct.

Creating twin tonfas, Michael expertly blocked and parried the Xudarian's blows one after another. A frustrated Romat slowed his assault while Tekik blew past him and forged a large chainsaw-like weapon. He swung his weapon down, kicking up sand and dust as Michael bolted out of harm's reach. His tonfas dissipating into shards of light, Michael forged an Aztec war club and swung back, weapons sparking as they clashed off one another. "YOU. WILL. FALL. BLUE. LANTERN." Tekik droned. Michael said nothing, winding up and delivering a mighty swing that shattered Tekik's construct and sent the automaton flying.

Romat-Ru came charging after him with a sword as did Tiran with a polearm. Michael crafted a pair of nunchucks to defend himself, swinging his weapons back and forth with focused precision as each motion kept each weapon from striking him. Chips of yellow light flew off each one from every impact. "Our constructs aren't holding!" Romat exclaimed.

"Then focus! Try harder!" Tiran retorted. Both of their rings suddenly announced,

Warning. Power levels depleting. 45.7% charged.

The harder they fought against Michael, the more his aura of hope drained the power of fear in their rings. For in the same way the blue light of hope quenched the red light of rage and was immune to the orange light of avarice, so too could it diminish the yellow light of fear.

Advantage established, Michael spun out of reach of the pair and used his momentum to send giant sawblade constructs hurtling towards Tiran and Romat, forcing them to dodge. Michael then shot out a whip-like tether, the blue beam streaking past the two. "You missed." Tiran said smugly.

"Did I?" Michael retorted. He reefed back on his line, dragging in Tekik and slamming the automaton into his fellows, dropping them in a heap. Michael took flight and surged past them, aiming for Lyssa as he unleashed a barrage of power bolts towards the remaining Yellow Lantern. The Talokite crafted a shield to protect herself but the raw strength of Michael's constructs shattered hers and bowled Lyssa over. Her concentration broken, Lyssa's containment construct was destroyed and Ghia'ta was freed.

The Zamaron quickly forged an ornate sword out of violet light and swung for Lyssa, smacking her into the air. "I've got her!" She called to Michael, taking off as the Blue Lantern turned to deal with Romat-Ru charging him. Forging a bo staff, he swung it around to counter the Xudarian's sword, his many hours of sparring against Saint Walker's identical weapon coming to fruition in that moment. With the ease of a martial artist, Michael deftly avoided Romat's piercing thrusts and retaliated with simple staff blows meant, not to injure his foe, but to goad him into an angered state.

"Hold still!" The Xudarian snarled after a strike sent pain shooting up his shin. He swung with hard-hitting motions, desperate for one to cause a retaliatory strike that would result in equal amounts of pain. But Michael capitalized on his sloppy movements, pivoting around his thrust and swinging his staff around to crash into Romat's head, sending him tumbling through the air until Michael spun his weapon around and drove it into Romat's back, sending him crashing to the ground, as it pierced clean through his aura.

Power levels decreasing. 31.2% charged.

Romat hit the sands as Tekik rushed in to take his place, forming a giant-sized pair of robotic hands to crush Michael between them. Thinking quickly, the Blue Lantern forged a pair of large walls big enough to keep the hands at bay. They slammed into each with concussive force, but the blow caused the hands to crack and fracture. Michael detonated his walls with a blast of blue light, resulting in the total destruction of Tekik's hands. He then shot ahead, summoning his power to swell and grow until it erupted past him and took the shape of a samurai warrior. Its katana scythed into Tekik, cutting through his aura as sparks erupted from his chassis.

Warning. Power levels reaching critical levels. 26.3% charged.

The yellow light drained from his ring with every blow from the blue construct, Tekik battered and spun around by the sweeping strikes of the samurai until it dissipated into shards of light and Michael moved to replace him, forging a kopesh sword that cleaved down Tekik's back and threw him to the ground in a heap. Michael had only a handful of seconds to recover before Tiran Takadar was on him, the Sunevi plowing into Michael and driving him into the sands of the presidium. "If my constructs won't work, I'll just beat you with my bare hands!" He snarled, trying to pin Michael.

But the Blue Lantern would not be subdued so easily.

Summoning his power, Michael unleashed a blast of pure light, the explosion pitching Tiran off of him. The Sunevi forced himself up only to see Michael coming at him with a fresh construct in hand. Whipping his bo staff around, Michael pummeled Tiran across the face in a spinning motion until he gripped his weapon with both hands and swung the opposite way, snapping his head to the side. Launching into the air, Michael threw his staff like a spear and caught Tiran directly in the face, his nose crushed from the impact as dark blood spurted out. The Sunevi cried out in pain and stumbled back as the blue staff shattered into shards. Rocketing around in a circle, Michael forged a battering ram around his hands and drove it into Tiran's gut at high speed, knocking the wind out of the Sunevi and sending him tumbling into a heap alongside the other defeated Yellow Lanterns.

Up above, Ghia'ta and Lyssa were duking it out, the Zamaron using a spear while the Talokite harnessed a spiked maul as their blows rang out through the open air of the presidium. "You can't win, Zamaron! Fear makes me far stronger than you!" Lyssa sneered.

"Lotta talk for someone who's team was just manhandled." Ghia'ta retorted. Lyssa glanced down, seeing Michael victorious over her three comrades. It proved a costly mistake as Ghia'ta struck hard and fast, a swift swing of her sword battering the Talokite's defences before she reshaped it into a spear and plunged the hilt towards Lyssa's face, blood spurting from her mouth on impact. Spinning around, Ghia'ta hammered Lyssa towards the ground. "Michael! Heads up!" She called out.

The Blue Lantern turned and blasted Lyssa with all his might, the intense blue beam bleeding away the charge in her power ring and leaving the Talokite woman looking scorched and bruised as she struggled to remain aloft. "It's time for you to go, Lyssa. I'll give you this one chance to leave." Michael stated.

"Mercy from a blue… how expected." Lyssa scoffed.

"Everyone deserves to feel hope," Michael replied, "even you, if there's even a chance you'll think twice after this." Lyssa stayed silent and floated to the ground where she helped Tiran stand.

"We must leave." She encouraged him.

"But-"

"If we linger any longer, he will drain our rings completely." She hissed, forcing him to take flight. Her golden gaze turned to Michael. "You win this round, Blue Lantern. Next time will be different!" With that, they took flight, Romat-Ru and Tekik slowly following them as Lyssa and Tiran blasted through the glass roof of the presidium. With their oppressors gone, the Barna erupted into joyous shouts as hope swelled within them. Michael drew power from their earnest exultations, replenishing his ring as he took flight to hover alongside Ghia'ta.

"Are you alright?" He asked. Ghia'ta glanced at him and her mind recalled every word spoken before the melee unfolded. Her ears drooped slightly as she averted his gaze.

"I've been better." She confessed with a murmur.

Later…

Grateful for their intervention, the Barna happily granted Michael and Ghia'ta lodging for the night. As the two lanterns strode into their spacious accommodations, Ghia'ta took note of how big the bed was. "Big enough for two." She noted witha soft smile. Michael began sensing her intentions, which were made plainly obvious when she turned to face him and batted her eyelashes.

"Ghia'ta…" He gripped her shoulders, forcing her to slow down, "I think we need to talk." The noticeable droop of her ears indicated she didn't want to talk, but Michael needed to know. "Out there, what Tiran said… As difficult as it is to believe, I can't help but feel like there's a kernel of truth to it." He said, recalling what other species she had previously encountered had hinted at upon their arrival. "I need you to tell me what happened. How did you meet him?"

Ghia'ta sighed and stepped away from his hands, loosely hugging herself. "I met him a long time ago when I travelled to his homeworld, Erot. And…" she sighed again, there was no escaping it, "what he said was true. I used to be very different. All Star Sapphires did."

She moved to sit down on the bed, her gaze never meeting Michael's as she studied her power ring. "The original intent of the Corps was to gift power rings to those whose hearts were broken, or who had loved and then were spurned, to help them find love again. As such it became the ideal that the Star Sapphires would spread love to those who needed it. But when the Star Sapphires were first formed we… failed to understand just how powerful the violet light was. The light of love is incredibly potent and can affect the mind with so much as a glancing touch. It is the one emotion that influences the user the most and we were unprepared for that level of control. We, who were steeped in it, became controlled by its whims. We were… ruled by our passions. Whatever our rings dictated, we did without question."

"So that's what happened with Tiran… and the others we've encountered." Michael surmised.

"Yes, a-as you humans say, I… slept around." Ghia'ta admitted, her shame evident in her quavering voice.

"But you don't any more." Michael insisted, determined to find some good in this.

"No, I don't!" Ghia'ta exclaimed emphatically, rising from the bed. "It all changed one day when Hal Jordan of the Green Lanterns came to our world. He showed us there were other ways to express the violet light of love. We changed our ways, the entire Corps reformed as we pursued the new path he showed us. I'd… like to think I'm better than what I was once like." She whispered.

"I think you are." Michael proffered. "But I also think the influence of the violet light is… taking control of you and me at times."

Ghia'ta blinked. "M-Michael… What are you saying?"

"Everytime you and I have been… well, intimate, I wake up the next morning feeling like it was an out of body experience. Like I had zero control over myself." He explained. "Given what you've told me, I think the violet light is what was in control, not me."

"The light was forcing itself on you… as it once did me." Ghia'ta realized. Michael nodded slowly and drummed his fingers against his thigh.

"Look, you're very nice… very pretty too. But I'd rather take things slow and steady. I would never go to bed with a woman I'm still just getting to know. I want to respect you, Ghia'ta. I don't want to engage in… meaningless flings. I'd rather our connection mean something." He told her, honest and simple in his approach. Ghia'ta said nothing. Did nothing. Her gaze finally met his.

"Well… W-We could work on that, right? M-Maybe if we try-"

"Ghia'ta." Michael gently cut her off. "You enjoy the bed. I'll take the couch tonight." He said simply. The Zamaron opened her mouth to protest but promptly shut it and said nothing more. Michael let her be and moved to the nearby sofa, stretching out and folding his hands across his chest. He had a lot on his mind to consider.

I can't judge her for her past, but this new insight is very telling. I feel like I have to be careful around her now, keep my guard up so the violet light doesn't control me… I doubt she'll take to that very well, though.

Ghia'ta was in an equal state of mental tumult. She could not help but wonder how negatively Michael would view her. The pair were still bound by her aunt's charge but she could feel the strain beginning to form. She didn't want that. What's worse was the power of her ring to consider. She knew what was happening, her rather… scandalous history had provided enough evidence to explain things. What she said had been true; the violet light did take control of individuals at times and this same thing had happened to Michael. The light may have forced its will upon him, but it was wrought from her desires. It was a kind of capitulation. A demand that her emotion be reciprocated.

She knew now that Michael did not feel the same way she did.

Ghia'ta sat back down on the bed, her feelings as dark as they had been when she was all alone in that Gordanian prison cell…