Chapter 70 - The Price of Pride - Part 2

Oa - A Few Days Prior

"Sinestro, behold your new ring, powered by the essence of fear. We were only able to fashion one, but its potential is immense. Beware, Lantern, this is a power that demands the utmost caution," Ganthet warned, presenting the newly forged weapon to his most trusted and experienced elite.

"I am grateful, Guardians," Sinestro replied respectfully, accepting the ring and bowing to the venerable beings. He quickly replaced his green ring with the yellow one, immediately feeling an overwhelming surge of power coursing through him. His uniform morphed from green to yellow, reflecting his new source of power. The energy invigorated him, reinforcing his belief that they finally had a fighting chance against the ominous black ship of Death. Filled with newfound confidence, he declared, "Rest assured, my Guardians, we shall reclaim our honor and restore our authority as the true protectors of the universe. This, I vow!"

Having witnessed Sinestro's transformation, the Guardians nodded in agreement, their anticipation for the upcoming confrontation palpable. However, some amongst them couldn't help but feel uneasy, recognizing the potentially corrupting influence of fear. Despite their concerns, they chose to observe, hopeful yet wary.

Soon, three elite squads of Green Lanterns, including Mogo, were deployed under Sinestro's command to the planned ambush point. The sudden appearance of Mogo, a planet alight with the emerald energy of the Green Lanterns, was a sight to behold, leaving many in awe.

As each Lantern assumed their respective positions, murmurs about Sinestro's newfound power filled the air.

"John, what do you make of that yellow power ring?" Kilowog asked, apprehension evident in his voice. John Stewart responded, "I'm not sure, but it does make me uncomfortable. You feel the same?"

Kilowog nodded, glad to find someone sharing his unease. Despite his reservations, John added, "We can't deny the necessity of this power, though. Our past encounters with this enemy have proven that our willpower alone isn't enough. If this new power can give us an advantage, part of me is willing to embrace it. Let's wait and see."

Sinestro's voice soon echoed across their comm channels, "Lanterns, prepare yourselves. Our sensors have detected a vessel. I will approach first and demand its surrender. If it complies, we will take the ship and its inhabitants into custody. However, if it resists, we will engage with full force. Our previous encounters may have ended in defeat, but this time, we have a new weapon!" Raising his hand, Sinestro let the yellow light shine brightly as he continued, "With this new weapon, we now have the upper hand! Let's show them how grave their mistake was to underestimate the Lantern Corps. Let's show them our might!"

A chorus of resolute voices echoed in response, heightening the anticipation for the imminent confrontation.

Suddenly, the massive ship exited warp speed. Sinestro was just about to speak as the ship arrived, but before he could utter a word, the ship's side cannons along with its concealed turrets, unleashed a barrage of energy blasts directly at the lanterns. The blasts struck most of the lanterns, causing many fatalities while knocking aside those who were able to raise their shields in time. The ship then aimed its main front cannons at Sinestro, firing a round of suppressive fire.

Sinestro was pinned down under the barrage, unable to retaliate. However, a massive beam of energy struck the ship, marking the first time that the ship's shields faced a decent challenge in this realm.

Inside the Saiyan Warship

"WARNING: Shields at 91% integrity," announced the ship's automated systems, following the aftermath of the energy blast.

"What just happened? Why didn't our sensors detect that incoming blast?" The AI was on high alert, having just witnessed a blast akin to a particle cannon. Its force was substantial enough to strain the shield and, had it not been for the ship's rapid response in engaging its thrusters to maintain position, the impact would have dislodged them from their original location.

"ALERT: Energy blast contained natural harmonics."

"ALERT: Source of attack traced. Origin: Planet surface."

"ALERT: No lifeforms detected on the planet."

"ALERT: Planet identified as Sentient class."

"A sentient planet?" The AI narrowed its 'eyes,' now understanding the entity it needed to be most cautious of.

"That explains a lot. We now know the potential of that enormous signature. However, I doubt it can launch another blast of that magnitude soon. Adjust the sensors to account for the planet's natural harmonics. We won't be taken by surprise again."

"WARNING: Massive accumulation of 'Will' energy detected. Anticipating incoming attack!" The ship's system alerted, drawing the AI's attention. As it visualized seven Green Lanterns combining their rings' power into a single, colossal blast aimed at the ship, the AI quickly commanded the ship to perform two short warp bursts. It intended for the ship to appear directly in front of the variant and then instantaneously away from it, forcing them to experience the full force of their own attack.

The ship quickly complied, vanishing in a moment and appearing just as quickly in front of Sinestro, who had just recovered from the earlier barrage of attacks from the ship and was reeling to retaliate. However, the ship vanished as swiftly as it had appeared, leaving Sinestro puzzled. He didn't have time to contemplate further as he heard warnings from the Lantern Corps' comm channels and then saw a massive green light. Sinestro was hit by the power of will, meant for the ship.

The yellow ring soon reacted and protected its wearer. However, after getting hit by the very power he once used and was proud of, and feeling fear, Sinestro was livid. His mental state was weakened and overtaken by fear and anger. The yellow ring fed off Sinestro's fear and used it as fuel to heal him.

The ship then unleashed another barrage of beams, severely disabling most of the surviving Lantern Corps present in the ambush. As the ship was about to warp in front of the buoy and extend its tractor beam to retrieve the buoy and download the telemetry data, Sinestro made his move. Using a yellow construct, he sneakily threw the buoy into the planet.

Upon witnessing the buoy getting knocked away into the sentient planet, the AI showed an expression of anger for the first time. It realized the difficulty of navigating through a sentient planet and had to rethink its plan. As it was about to act, it received another alert.

"ALERT: Hangar bay opening. Mecha suit detected. Unauthorized launching sequence initiated."

"What?" The AI, which had its expression twisted out of anger, was now showing an expression that of confusion. However, when it saw the next message appear on its monitoring screen, it was completely stumped.

"I'LL GET THE BUOY. DEAL WITH THE ANTS!"

"ALERT: Mecha suit has launched. Bypass code class identified…special war time code detected…Pilot identified…Science Officer Orach. Suit Designation identified…Scarlet Zeta."

The AI grew concerned and cautious, seeing its young master's personal suit, which was sealed on the instructions of the captain of the strategic division, not only activate but also bypass security protocols and move out on its own. However, considering the current situation, it decided to trust the Suit AI since, like it, the Suit AI was loyal to its young master.

"Now. It seems I have to show you the face of despair to make you understand the difference between us," said the AI on an open channel, ensuring that the lanterns, especially Sinestro, could hear it.

With a virtual killing intent in its eyes, the AI issued its command, "System, discharge a small plasma cloud and prepare for a brief warp jump to create distance. Simultaneously, launch a beam to ignite the plasma. This should serve as a blinding light, obscuring the enemies' vision and allowing us to establish a distance. Then, begin charging the main particle cannon."

From the Perspective of the Lantern Corps

Sinestro, hearing the ship's declaration, was taken aback. However, confident in his newfound power, he decided to meet the challenge head-on. He had noticed his strength growing throughout the battle. Initially, he struggled to identify the reason, but during his recovery from the last attack, he noticed his initial fear of death had been consumed by the yellow ring. This not only healed him but also amplified his power. He then understood that his ring was absorbing fear from the injured, dying, or surviving lanterns. Convinced that he could harness this power to launch a massive attack, Sinestro asked John and Kilowag to cover for him while he prepared his offensive.

Trusting Sinestro, they nodded in agreement and decided to distract the ship until Sinestro was ready. As they approached the ship with their large energy constructs, they were momentarily blinded by a burst of ignited plasma from the ship. When they regained their vision, they were confused to find the ship had vanished.

Soon, they spotted the ship reappearing at a fair distance. Initially, they were puzzled by its actions, but their confusion quickly turned to horror as they recognized the ship's intentions based on the footage they had seen earlier. They watched as the ship's lower half disengaged and slid backward, revealing a menacing cannon muzzle extending from the gap. The ship started its charging process, gathering a massive amount of energy.

"Damn it! It's going to blast us. Sinestro, we can't possibly withstand that," Kilowog shouted, alarmed at the realization of the ship's preparations.

"No Lantern will be able to counter that. We need Mogo! Mogo, please attack that ship again. We can't let it unleash that attack," John added urgently.

As they turned to Mogo for help, they were stunned and horrified to see the sky over Mogo lit up with red and green energy beams, and evidence of bombardment on the surface.

"Mogo is under attack! Is there another enemy? What the hell?" John exclaimed.

"This is just perfect! We are screwed!" Kilowog added.

"Enough! The attack is inevitable, but we are some of the most powerful Lanterns. Let's show this enemy our strength! Let's prove this isn't the blackest night!" Sinestro shouted defiantly.

Answering his call, John and Kilowog joined Sinestro, and together they combined the power of will and fear into one massive blast. Despite their opposing natures, these energies originated from the same source. So, in this moment, the two energies responded to the will of the Lanterns, creating a massive energy blast.

"This is one hell of a hail Mary! It has to work," John muttered.

"Damn right it needs to work, I'm drained!" Kilowog added.

"IT WILL! GO!" Sinestro shouted, releasing the shot to meet the incoming attack, which was launched almost simultaneously.

The two beams met in the middle, causing ripples that impacted nearby celestial bodies. Even Mogo wasn't spared from the effects of the blast and had to divert its attention from the Mecha suit wreaking havoc on its surface to defend against the impact of the clash between the two blasts.

"We're evenly matched!" Kilowog exclaimed.

"No, look! The enemy's beam is pushing through! Damn it, we underestimated its power output. It never revealed its true power," John said, observing the clash where the enemy's attack engulfed theirs and was now heading towards them.

"NO! NO! IT CAN'T BE! WE ARE SUPPOSED TO BE THE PROTECTORS! OUR POWER SHOULD REIGN SUPREME! NO, THIS CAN'T BE HAPPENING!" Sinestro, witnessing their attack fail against the enemy beam, lost his composure and went into denial.

Seeing Sinestro's state, John and Kilowag decided to act to save their friend. They knocked their frantic friend out of the way and ordered any survivors to retreat as well.

Their beam tore through everything in its path, showing the futility of challenging the Saiyan might.

Within the Saiyan Warship

At that moment, the ship welcomed back an imposing mecha suit, framed in red, carrying a buoy. As the suit touched down on the deck, its wings of luminescent green energy folded inward. It navigated its way to the hangar and set the buoy down with precision. Afterwards, it proceeded to its containment pod. Once nested within, the pod initiated the cleaning and maintenance processes as the suit entered sleep mode. Its once glowing green eyes faded to black, and the pod doors sealed shut.

"Do you genuinely expect me to believe you're asleep?" The AI, crafted in the image of Cress, materialized in the hangar. It stared at the sealed doors of the containment pod, seeking to engage the suit's AI, classified as dangerous by the division, in conversation.

Yet, the suit's AI remained unresponsive. The Cress AI merely shook its head, proceeding to scan and download the telemetry data from the retrieved buoy. Once the data was integrated, the ship once again entered warp speed, continuing its journey through the vastness of space. Its primary objective, to reunite with its young master.