Chapter 53 - Unyielding General Kneels to None - Part 2

On a distant sector planet - The Merchant's Guild

The Guild was a busy place for traders from all over, and it had a pub where these merchants could relax and network. Among the crowd, a group of five merchants stood out. After drinking for a while, they started sharing stories about the Black Ship of Death. One of them had even seen the ship moving around destroyed planets, heading in a specific direction.

These stories caught the attention of others in the pub, including a hooded figure with a green ring, John Stewart, the second Green Lantern of sector 2814. John had been collecting information about the Black Ship of Death, trying to figure out its objectives and path. The details in the merchant's story matched his knowledge of certain celestial bodies, which led him to believe it.

Using the merchant's account and star maps from his ring, John charted a possible route for the ship. He decided to follow this route and try to stay hidden. He also noticed he wasn't the only one interested in the ship - some shady individuals left the pub excitedly to go to their ships. John made sure to report his plans to Oa as a precaution. After paying his bill, he covered himself in green energy and set off into space.

The journey took him about a week and a half to reach the spot where he thought the warship would appear, based on the various stories he had heard.

Upon arriving in the sector, he quickly cloaked himself with the power of his green ring and hid among the debris. He noticed several ships already present, which suggested a potential trap for the colossal ship of death.

He spotted a object floating nearby that looked eerily similar to the object the Black Ship of Death was interested in, based on the recording he had seen. Sure of his guess, he quickly called Oa. This news prompted the Guardians to dispatch Kilowog and Sinestro.

Sinestro, who had been investigating the war zone and interrogating war survivors in another sector, immediately left his current tasks and headed to John's location. Kilowog and his elite team did the same. His team included Ghr'll of sector 151, Ghrelk of sector 69, Feska of sector 2525, Ash of sector 650, Artois of sector 2554, and Adellca of sector 3595. Artois, a weapon specialist, was specifically chosen by Kilowog to study the weapons on the ship they were pursuing.

The Guardians instructed all deployed lanterns to observe the ship and its actions first, only retaliating if provoked. They also informed them that Sinestro, as the highest-ranking Green Lantern, would try to initiate contact.

After three days, all the lanterns deployed for the mission covertly entered the sector, joining John Stewart in observing the actions of the warship.

Two days later, a bright light briefly appeared near the object that John had identified in space. Both John and the Guardians, observing the operation from their council chamber, confirmed their suspicions. It was clear now that the ship was moving with purpose, drawn by the small objects. Prior to the warship's arrival, Adellca had conducted an initial scan of the object and found it was emitting an undecipherable signal. The Lanterns and Guardians assumed that these objects were similar to buoys attracting the warship.

The colossal black warship was seen using its tractor beam to hold and scan the buoy. Just then, the ships of the rogue characters, who had planned to trap the warship, launched a coordinated attack. Under Sinestro's leadership, the Lanterns observed that the fleet's attacks had no effect on the warship, its green energy shield impervious to damage. It was also clear that the warship didn't retaliate. Like before, it seemed focused on scanning the buoy while simply ignoring the attacking ships.

After their combined attack failed, the leading ships resorted to a desperate strategy. Using their tractor beams, they pushed a small vessel, presumably filled with explosives, towards the imposing warship. The warship, however, remained unresponsive, allowing the small vessel to crash against its shield without any attempt to counter or evade. Upon impact, the vessel's hull crumpled under the stern resistance of the warship's shield, collapsing in a manner similar to a fly hitting a car windshield. A bright, blinding light flared out into the void as the small vessel detonated in a futile attempt to harm the warship.

Right after, the space around the warship was cloaked in a cloud of gas from the explosion. The attacking fleet, misinterpreting the silence that followed as victory, erupted into a premature celebration thinking about the treasures they can loot. However, the Green Lanterns, having previously seen the warship's footage in action had some understanding of its capabilities, maintained their vigilance. They were not convinced that the battle was over.

Their intuition proved correct when, just moments later, a barrage of beams erupted from the warship. These beams of devastating energy cut through the dust clouds and the gas from the explosion, revealing to all observers that the warship was unscathed and standing strong. The attacking ships, caught off guard by the sudden counterattack, were obliterated one by one. Until the end, the crew's faces were etched with despair due to the power of the monstrosity they had dared to challenge.

The Lanterns watched, their eyes narrowing at the display of power before them. This was a force unlike anything they had ever encountered. Even Sinestro, no stranger to formidable forces, felt a chill run down his spine. Witnessing the warship's might first-hand, rather than on a projected screen, was an entirely different experience.

Even though everyone were unnerved, Sinestro saw hope. The warship didn't seem to care about anything but the object it was looking at. It only fought back when its target was in danger. Sinestro thought this might mean they could talk peacefully and agree on something. He told the other Lanterns and the Guardians about his idea.

Meanwhile, the warship continued scanning the buoy, unconcerned with the wreckage of the destroyed ships scattered around it. After a moment, it detected movement from the debris field nearby. Hidden amidst the wreckage were individuals cloaked in green energy, slowly closing in on the warship. The AI managing the warship spotted these figures, a predatory glint appearing in its eyes. It yearned to capture and study these beings, to analyze and fully understand the power their rings held. However, following its programmed code of conduct, it refrained from initiating any hostility. Instead, it waited, patiently observing as a red-skinned individual separated from the group and moved towards the warship's hull.

Sinestro, as the squad leader, stepped toward the hull of the ship and declared, "Unidentified vessel. I am Sinestro, an elite warrior of the Green Lantern Corp, and the leader of the group present here. We Green Lanterns are responsible for protecting the universe. Please identify yourself, your affiliation, and the purpose of your travels."

Upon hearing Sinestro's words, the AI narrowed its eyes, focusing on the claim that they were the protectors of this universe. "Protectors...hmm...Interesting," the AI commented before deciding to respond, hoping to gather information from these natives.

Suddenly, a huge silhouette of a man began to take shape in front of the lanterns. It gradually formed into a well-built man with long, rough black hair and deep black eyes. He was dressed in an unusual armor and, uniquely, he had a tail. John first thought the man looked like a regular human. But when he saw the tail, he knew this wasn't true. None of the lanterns could identify the species of the towering figure.

"Arrogant words from a primitive weak native of a lower realm. Claiming to be protectors of the realm," the AI said, its tone cold, with a hint of disdain.

The initial shock of seeing the towering projection had faded. Hearing its transmitted words replaced the shock with a simmering anger within Sinestro and the other lanterns. The term 'primitive' stung. Yet Sinestro understood that he at this moment, represented not just himself, but the entire Green Lantern Corps and the Guardians he respected. He managed his rising anger, choosing to respond with dignified pride instead.

"Not arrogance, friend. But, the truth," Sinestro replied, each word carefully chosen. "We, the Green Lanterns, have been endowed with power by the immortal Guardians of Oa. They used their immense power to infuse us with the will of the universe itself. So, yes, we are the protectors of the universe."

The AI, detecting pride in the tone of the lower realm native, narrowed its eyes and replied with a warning, "Be careful with your words. The power you wield may be one of the strongest in this lower realm, or 'universe' as you call it. But remember, this realm is one of many under the jurisdiction of the Alacrity Galactic Alliance. This warship is part of the mighty Saiyan race, the spearhead of the Alliance's security force and protector of numerous lower realms like your universe. Your power, the basis of your arrogance, is not particularly impressive. Displaying arrogance in front of this ship is courting death."

After a pause to let the words sink in, the AI continued, "Consider this a final warning. If your next words contain even a hint of arrogance, this ship will annihilate you and your squad. Furthermore, under the authority of the Saiyan race, I will declare your force, and any affiliates, as criminals. All who bear the symbol on your chest will be hunted down without mercy."

All present lanterns were shocked to learn about the origins of the ship. Although they had no knowledge of the higher realms or the alliance mentioned by the projection, it was clear from its tone that the ship would certainly open fire if the situation was not handled properly.

The guardians at Oa, who had been monitoring the conversation, were visibly shocked. As immortals, they had knowledge of higher dimensions, but their interactions with higher-dimensional beings were limited, so they were not aware of these beings' hierarchical structure.

With this new information, they gained a deeper understanding of the higher dimensions, including the fact that they were under the jurisdiction of an alliance. They also discovered the Saiyan race, their presumed protectors, and the crucial role this race played.

After a deep thought, the Guardians reacted differently. Some were amazed by the new information they learned, thinking about what it could mean. Others were in doubt, wondering if the information was true. A few even thought it was all lies, a trick of some kind. But they all agreed on one thing, they were upset by the warning from the projection, and it made them all a little bit angry.

Sinestro, too, felt a surge of humiliation and anger. He was a Green Lantern, a proud member of an elite group of warriors. He held great faith in the power of will, a force that he believed to be one of the most potent in the universe. To hear words that belittled and mocked the power he so deeply respected filled him with a burning desire to retaliate. He decided to show the projection, and by extension the beings behind it, the true power of the Green Lantern Corps.

"Green Lanterns, ATTACK! SHOW THIS MISGUIDED FOOL THE POWER OF THE GREEN LANTERN CORP!" Sinestro's voice echoed through space, a clear call to arms.

Upon hearing Sinestro's rallying cry, all Green Lanterns reacted instantly without hesitation or doubt. Each Lantern attacked with full force, creating a variety of glowing constructs in the vast emptiness of space. The guardians, who were monitoring the situation, chose not to intervene. They found the projection's words absurd and allowed the confrontation to unfold. Despite their skepticism, they were intrigued by the power of the ship supposedly from a higher dimension. They saw it as an opportunity to assess the power of the ship, an opportunity they didn't want to miss.

Inside the Saiyan Dauntless class Warship

The AI noticed the attacks of the natives and retracted the projection.

Sigh

A sigh escaped from the AI, watching the futile attempts of the natives as they attacked.

"Seriously, what foolish creatures. They can't even recognize the disparity in power between them and this ship," the AI commented. It continued, "But the power of the will of this lower realm? Interesting... Well, I was looking for an excuse to act and these natives just gave me one. They have no right to complain. Initiate a counter-attack, but aim to capture at least one. Adjust power accordingly," the AI concluded, issuing a command to the ship's systems.

"ALERT: Command Acknowledged. Switching from defensive to offensive mode."

"ALERT: Commencing targeting. Target confirmed."

From the outside, subtle changes began to show on the ship. Its concealed turrets were disclosed, taking aim with a chilling precision. Lanterns, noticing the ship's actions, swiftly shifted their formation into a defensive stance. But just as they adjusted, a relentless onslaught was unleashed.

"ALERT: FIRING!"

A ruthless barrage of energy beams rained down on the Green Lanterns, relentlessly penetrating the protective shields they had hastily erected. To their collective horror, the beams tore through the layers of their shields, destroying their defenses. One by one, the Lanterns fell.

After the attack ceased, only four of the nine Lanterns survived. John Stewart and Kilowag, their power reserves critically low, managed to retreat, carrying the severely injured Sinestro and Feska with them. The ship, immediately seized the rings of the fallen Lanterns and captured Adellca, who was barely clinging to life.

"Hmmm…Decent harvest. We've captured one, and although she's barely alive, she can be resuscitated and healed in the med pod. The escaped ones don't matter. The rings give me leeway to perform all kinds of experiments without worrying about running out.," the AI commented, a note of excitement in its tone.

"ALERT: New course plotted based off downloaded telemetry data from buoy. Awaiting Command."

"Good. Punch it!" the AI commanded.

"ALERT: Activating fusion drive."

With a sudden surge of power, the ship vanished, warping away towards its next destination, bringing it one step closer to its young master.