53 A Vision

"W-why?" Tomar-Re questioned, face bloodied and beaten as he looked up at me.

"I had nothing to do with this, Tomar-Re," I said, crouching down beside him, lifting up his arm and taking the ring from his finger. It resisted in my grasp, trying to return to its wielder, no doubt under the mental instruction of the dying alien, but I kept a firm grip around it. "However, I would be a fool to overlook such a divine opportunity."

It was a blatant lie, we both knew it.

Looking in the distance, I watched Atrocitus tear one of the Lantern recruits apart, holding the two bloody halves in either hand. Korg who had been nearby, attempted to grab hold of it but failed, the ring flying off into the far reaches of space. Unfortunate, but I had doubled my profit from this plan of mine, now I possessed two Power Rings.

One a prototype and another, a more modern and powerful version.

"Y-you, this will cause war." Tomar-Re spluttered out.

I shook my head in amusement. "I'm afraid that's not true. You see, you left my borders and actually passed into Coalition Space a few hours ago. You are far from my borders and the agreement between my empire and the Coalition stipulates that I'm not allowed to be here. And as far as the recruit that escaped is aware, I never was."

Not only would most of the heat fall upon the shoulders of the Coalition of Planets, but Atrocitus had also been the one to kill the Lanterns and that's exactly what the recruit would report. Certainly, my empire would face some suspicion, but it was hardly anything to be concerned about. There was no proof I was even here and those that did, well look around the area.

Besides my allies, the only other people are the dead Lanterns. The only survivor of this delegation left long before I arrived. "Did you really believe I would allow such a valuable weapon like a Power Ring to leave my grasp? Do you really think I'm such a fool?" I questioned, wondering if he really believed that I would do something like that. "I've been in talks with the Empire of Tears for many months now. I may not have been the one to kill you, but I certainly am not complaining about how things turned out."

I had to be careful, I nearly went off on a villain monologue. Death in comics was never certain and who knows, Tomar-Re could come back to life. If he did and I had gone off on a monologue revealing I was the real mastermind behind this whole thing, then he'd tell the Guardians.

No, I knew better than that.

As Hiroim came up behind me, a box in his hand, I deposited both Power Rings inside, he quickly sealing it before Tomar-Re's ring could escape. "I am sorry that things ended this way. But ultimately, I do what is in my best interest. The choice I have before is between saving your life or taking the Power Rings. The choice I'm afraid is very simple."

Rising to my feet, I walked past the dying Lantern and made my way towards Atrocitus. "As agreed, a Power Ring." Hiroim split the box in two, one containing the prototype Power Ring and the other containing the more powerful one. He handed over one box, the one I could see was the prototype. "Now, shall we talk business, Atrocitus?"

Taking the box, Atrocitus looked upon it, unable to see the contents inside and unwilling to open it in case the ring escaped free. It wouldn't, but he wouldn't know that because he didn't know that it was a prototype, he thought he was getting the more modern version. Like I'd give him something so much more powerful, besides, the inner workings of a Lantern Ring were so confusing and had been retconned so many times that I'm not certain if I might be able to wield the ring myself.

I know that some like the Flash and Green Arrow have, but despite possessing incredible willpower, they proved unable to properly wield the ring themselves. So there had to be an upper limit, there also had to be something else in play. If I could, I'd like to test this out for myself and possibly, wield the ring in the future.

Then I'd start collecting other Lantern rings and in the future, become the first White Lantern. That was the aim, but it'd be easier said than done, that I know for certain. But nothing ever worth anything is easy.

-X- Line Break -X-

Moving through the forests of Felucia, Maris looked to the sky, seeing the ships of the Empire leaving the planet. She came here always, watching and timing the movements of the Empires coming and goings. Maris let none of it escapes her sight nor leave her memory, it was engraved there.

Unlike her master, Maris had no intention of remaining in hiding upon the Force rich planet of Felucia. The Jungle Felucians had been kind and welcoming, providing her with a home as she grieved for her fallen former master during the Jedi Purge. However, as grateful as she was, Maris had every intention of seeking revenge, just as she had once the Jedi Purge ended. She had set out, only to meet and be guided by Jedi Master, Shaak Ti to Felucia where they hid.

Yet whereas Shaak Ti had every intention of remaining there, content to let the Empire exist, Maris did not share her sentiments. No matter what it cost her, she would have her revenge.

As she watched that last ship leave Felucia's atmosphere and set out into the far reaches of space, she noticed something descend through the sky. "What?" She wondered, eyes squinting as she tried to make out what it could possibly be. It was small, far too small to be a ship of any kind, barely a small dot that moved through the sky, almost unnoticeable. Even as she followed the figure's journey down to the surface of the planet, she at times lost track of him.

Yet as he crested the horizon, Maris felt her surrounding shift, a vision coming to her mind and consuming it. One of a man, floating through the sky, eyes glowing red as the world around him was filled with battle. The flag of an empire, erupting in flames and being reduced to nothing but ash.

As the vision came to an end, Maris fell back, catching herself against the tree, breathing heavy and erratic. But despite the shock, the fear and excitement that began to overcome her, Maris had never felt more determined in her life.

Whoever that figure was, the man in her vision, he was connected to the strange figure who descended from the stars. She would find them and she would learn the truth, that was the only way to get her revenge, she knew that much now. Nothing would stop her from destroying the empire, not even Shaak Ti.