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Absolute Comics - Justice Rising

Uncharted Space

The inscetoid beast scuttled across the surface of the thick forest. Each step seemed to be more laborious than the one before. Pale, purple blood oozed out the wound on its side and it wheezed with every breath it took. The blood falling left a trail through the forest. It couldn't comprehend it, but it was leading its attacker right to it. It was being hunted, and the hunter was rapidly approaching.

It wrapped its tentacles around the trunk of a tree and began to shimmy up it. If it acted fast enough it could either hide or ambush the hunter as it came through the thicket. The beast snapped its razor sharp mandibles and watched with its slit eyes as the hunter came through the bushes. The hunter kept their eyes down to follow the blood trail. The beast's eyes

The animal jumped from its branch and let out a high-pitched scream. The hunter looked up and, with its eyes wide in shock, thrust forward with its weapon. A bright emerald lance shot from the hunter’s fist and impaled the beast in its forehead. The monster gurgled and twitched in its death throes as the hunter let it fall to the ground at his feet.

“Fuck,” Guy Gardner said aloud. “You better be one tasty space squid.”

---

Guy watched the fire cooking the alien animal’s body on a stick. He figured it would be his first hot meal in several weeks, at least since he’d arrived on this planet. His pack lay on the ground beside him along with a hatchet. The hatchet was made from Vibranium, one of the strongest metals in the galaxy. He'd acquired it over the course of his travels, traded for it with another wanderer out here in this part of space. Tied to his pack were Guy’s canteen and his Lantern battery. The pack contained everything he needed for his mission. Two years worth micro-freeze dried meals, a star chart, blankets, a few Richard Stark paperbacks, and Guy’s favorite Ravens knitted hat.

He cut off a piece of space squad with the hatchet and tried it out. It was chewy but edible. Could have used some Old Bay. But, fuck, what food out here couldn’t be improved by it? After dinner, he settled in and rested his power ring close to his mouth.

“Record transmission: Gardner’s log,” he said into the ring. “Day… 432. Jesus Christ, it’s been that long? Anyway, Pinkie -- you like that I call you Pinkie and you can’t do anything about it? -- I’ve been on this planet almost three weeks now and haven’t seen any clues that this is the one. I’m planning on heading out after I rest. I found out the hard way that these star charts you provided me with are a bit outdated… by like several millennia, but I have a rough outline of where to go. There should be some kind of civilization about three days transluminal burn from here. We’ll see if that intel is good or not when I get there. More news as it develops. Gardner out.”

Guy held his fist into the air and fired the message overhead. The green bolt of energy tore through the night sky before it disappeared in a flash of light. It would probably take a week or two to arrive on Oa. By then… who the hell knew where he would be? He took another bite of meat and scratched his face. His beard was coming in nicely. Before long he would have real mountain main facial hair.

After he slept, he rose and packed up after dousing the campfire. Guy strapped on his pack and looked up at the still dark sky. He stared up at the foreign stars above and thought about where he’d come and where he was going. He was outside his home galaxy, that much he knew. He was on the outer edges of somewhere new, somewhere people had explored a long time ago but hadn’t since.

He was following maps and guides that were ancient in search of some lost planet. This was probably a wild goose chase, but Guy didn’t really care. He was a long way from Baltimore and it didn't matter to him if he ever saw it again. He was home now. Out here on the frontier, living the dream. With a smile on his face, Guy let the green aura cover his body as he shot up into the sky and left this small planet behind for whatever else lay in store for him out in the void.

---

Oa
Space Sector 0001

Kilowog led the pack of Lantern trainees through space in a flying V formation. At a few hundred miles away from Oa’s surface, they were the furthest in space Kilowog had allowed them to venture thus far.

“Alright so you can fly,” he shouted to the group as the followed in his wake. “Congratulations on mastering the bare minimum, Slicks. Let’s see if you can actually do two things at once. Where’s my bright penny. Al-X?”

“Yes, sir,” the small pink-skinned Lantern answered from the back.

“Why do I call you poozers ‘Slicks’?”

“Our chests and rings,” said the young alien. “There’s no Green Lantern logo on either of them.”

“We have to earn it,” said the Daxamite trainee.

“I didn’t tell you to speak, Yat,” Kilowog growled. “But since you’re so eager, I have a question for you. What are the official Lantern designations?”

“Alpha, Beta, Gamma,” said Yat.

“Wyrm?” Kilowog shouted to the insectoid Slick over his shoulder. “How about you explain the difference.”

The cockroach-like alien rubbed his hands together before speaking. “Gamma Lanterns' purview is only to patrol and protect their assigned space sectors. A beta Lantern oversees their own sector as well as the six immediate space sectors surrounding their own. They supervise the Gamma Lanterns in those sectors. Alpha Lanterns oversee hundreds of space sectors and the Lanterns beneath them. The Alpha Lanterns answer to the three Senior Lanterns, who answer to the Guardians.”

“Not bad,” Kilowog grunted. “And are all of you Slicks content to be Gamma Lanterns?”

“No!” They shouted in unison.

“Well, show me what you got!”

Kilowog began to steer into a nearby asteroid field.

“Fall in behind me,” he shouted behind them.

The trainees formed into a single file formation as Kilowog picked up the speed. The asteroid field was as old as the planet Oa and the GLC itself. Every Slick took their first flight through the field. Its debris was spaced out far enough to not seriously harm any but the most inept Slick, but not far enough apart to offer any sense of comfort. Kilowog looked back at his charges and flashed a wicked grin.

“Try to keep up,” he said. “And sing me a lovely tune while you do.”

The pack of Lanterns flew into the asteroid field. Kilowog went faster as his group of Slicks began to sing the song that was Corps legend at this point, handed down by recruits from generation to generation for thousands of years.

“I wanted a ring ‘til I got the godsdamn thing.
Now I don't want it anymore.
They taught me how to fly, then they sent me off to die.
You can save those dangers for some other stupid rangers.
I wanted a ring ‘til I got the godsdamn thing.
Now I don't want it anymore!”

---

Venkoth
Space Sector 2813
72 Hours Until Solar Apogee

Tomar-Re and Arisia jumped out of transluminal speed and made their way to the surface of Venkoth. Winds in excess of two hundred miles an hour roared across the surface of the planet. It took every bit of their willpower to keep themselves on course for the rendezvous spot. As far as Arisia could see, the entire planet was dead. No water, no flora, and certainly no fauna.

"Where is everything?"

"The wind," said Tomar-Re. "With the solar equinox imminent, tt's a pale imitation of it at its height. Wind that blows so fiercely nothing can grow on the surface, wind so fierce it strips the flesh from the bones of everything that dares to land here."

Arisia nodded without comment.

“Is this your first time coming to Venkoth?” Tomar-Re asked politely.

“It is,” she said as they touched down in the dirt. The wind howled so loudly they could only communicate through the comms in their rings.

"But not your last. That much I can promise."

She followed him across the sand towards what looked to be a shack. How it was still standing in this wind was beyond her. As they got closer she saw why hadn't succumbed to the wind. It was rusty and dusty, but the entire building was metal. Tomar-Re banged a fist on the thick metal door and waited. A slot in the door slowly opened and an electronic eye surveyed the two Lanterns.

“Tomar-Re, Lantern 2813.1.”

“Arisia Raab, Lantern 2815.2. I believe we are expected.”

The eye retreated back into its slot. There was a whirring noise from the door and it shot open quickly. They stepped through and it slammed shut behind them. They were in a small room with yet another metal door. A laser scanner swept over them several times before the second door opened. A group of five aliens in black uniform greeted them. Four held blasters down low while the fifth spread his four arms wide as way of greeting.

“Welcome, Lanterns, to Venkoth.”

They followed the group of guards down a sloped catwalk towards a bulkhead. Arisia glanced down and saw nothing but darkness below.

“The drop is about twenty-five thousand feet,” said the guard. “In the event of an emergency, this catwalk will drop and cut off any attempted escapes. Not our last line of defense, but pretty damn close.”

"The wind is the real deterrent," said one of the guards, this one seemingly older and more gruffer. "I've seen fourteen runners since I been here. Not a one last more than a minute out in that wind."

At the bulkhead of the corridor was another reinforced door. All five guards took turns scanning their palms against the surface of the door.

“You need at least three confirmed biorhythmic readings to get passages to open around here.”

The door hissed as it swung on its hinges. The guards went first with the two Lanterns following behind. They stepped out on a landing. Stretched out before them was a floor that went on for miles. Gray jumpsuit clad prisoners could be seen as far as their eyes could see.

“Welcome to gen pop,” one of the guards said over the noise. “Population: sixty-five million.”

“We need your special ward,” said Tomar-Re. "Isolation, protective custody. Whatever you call it."

“Who are you here for?” one of the guards asked.

"A threat big enough to require two Lanterns," said Arisia.

A look from Tomar-Re silenced him. A hover shuttle arrived and they boarded it. The shuttle passed above the prison floor. Arisia looked out at the prisoners. So many all together, packed in close.

“Where did they all come from?”

“All over,” said Tomar-Re. “Venkoth houses the worst offenders galaxy-wide. I don’t understand how they're behaving so well..”

“Fear and discipline,” said one of the guards. “We give them a healthy dose of both here. None of these guys are getting off this planet alive, so we have to make them far more scared of us than they are of death.”.

Arisia caught a few of the looks from the prisoners as they flew above them. She was a Graxosian and her people were known for their empathic abilities. While she had far less sensitivity than other Graxosians, bu she had enough to read the emotion's of the prisoners below. She felt no fear from them, saw no fear in the eyes of the men. She only felt rage. Murderous, burning rage. And she could feel more anger, a powerful rage, somewhere off in the distance. But they drew closer with every passing second. The shuttle began to dip as they went deeper under the surface of the planet and deeper into the prison. The large spaces gave way to narrow corridors. They flew below a sign that read: SUPERMAX WARD, SPECIAL CLEARANCE ONLY.

The shuttle landed at a docking bay. Another round of guards scanned them and gave them the okay before another set of guards led them through tight rows of cells. Arisia could feel eyes watching her as they ventured further in. More thoughts of murder, mayhem, and other unspeakable acts.

A small, furry alien in expensive clothing waited for them outside one particular cell. He grasped his taloned hands tightly as the two Lanterns approached.

“Greetings,” he squeaked. “I am the warden here, I am always happy to meet fellow law enforcement officers.”

“Is this his cell?” Tomar-Re asked without greeting the warden.

“It is. We have restrained him and made him ready for his journey.”

The warden stepped aside and let two guards open the cell door. They disappeared inside and emerged several seconds later pushing a hover gurney. A hulking alien monster was strapped to the gurney and stared down at the two Lanterns with a neutral look. Arisia could feel that this was the source. All the rage that swept through the prison started here. This was its epicenter, the root cause of the cancer.

“Atrocitus,” said Tomar-Re. “For crimes against the galaxy, the Galactic Council has seen fit to sentence you to life imprisonment in the Oan sciencells. Do you have anything to say about your crimes and the massacre of Sector 666?”

“Let me out of here,” Atrocitus hissed.



“Let me out of here and I’ll do it again. Burn… I will burn… this entire galaxy. Set it all on fire...”

Absolute Comics - Justice Rising

Cromica C21
Space Sector 2814

Hal sat on the porch of Jelcs’ farmhouse and watched the fireworks display with the constable and his mate. The two men sipped the last of Hal’s D’Bari bourbon while Jelcs’ two children played in the yard. Tonight was a night of celebrating for Jelcs and Hal as well as the rest of the planet. The provisional council voted unanimously to turn Cromica into an independent star system.

“That was a pretty one,” Jelcs said as a bright red flash filled the night sky.

The crowd applauded their new official freedom, but all those attendance hadn’t been thrilled. Del’vin was dragged away hurling insults.

“A plague on you,” he shouted to the assembly. “You got no honor, go not respect. It's good you didn’t join the Empire, because we wouldn't have you. You're a lot of savages, that's what all you are. All you'll ever be. This isn’t the end of this!”

Del’vin was now in the newly renovated jail, nursing a black eye to go with his bruised forehead and awaiting trial. The Kree may have been a fool but Hal knew he was right. This wouldn’t be the end of things by a long shot. Arresting a member of Starforce would come with some consequences.

“I’m heading out tonight,” Hal announced after he finished his drink.

“Figured you might,” said Jelcs. “Like a thief in the night."

"It's not the worst idea to let people think I'm still around for a few more days," said Hal.

"Let me walk you out.”

Hal stood and nodded towards Jelcs’ partner.

“Ma’am.”

Hal said his goodbyes to the two children as he and their father walked across the farm.

“I’m probably going to have to hire a few farmhands to keep an eye on things,” said Jecls. “If I’m going to spend all my time policing Cromica, then Irrad is going to need help here on the farm.”

“So you’re going to stay on?” asked Hal.

“At least for now,” said Jelcs. “I was waiting for the first person to take it, but now I want to wait until the right person comes along to take the job… preferably someone who isn’t an undercover agent.”

“Look, Jelcs, don’t beat yourself up about it.”

“I’m not,” he said. “On the contrary, the meeting made me realize just how valuable this place is to the galaxy. The lengths Starforce went to? This is a place people are going to want to take from us. And we're going to have to fight if we want to keep it.”

Hal felt a surge of pride when he looked at Jelcs. The blood-stained tunic of his predecessor was gone. He wore the official uniform of the planet constabulary now, a golden star pinned to his chest. The meek deputy who greeted him upon his arrival here was long gone. And this lawman had taken his place.

“Are you scared?” asked Hal.

“Terrified,” Jelcs said without thought.

Hal flashed a smile and slapped Jelcs' back. “Good. It’s only a fool who feels no fear. They don’t pick Green Lanterns because they’re fearless. They pick us because we can overcome that fear. You overcome that fear, Jelcs, and you can become the stuff of legend.”

Jelcs flashed a crooked grin. They shook hands.

“And never forget," said Hal. "You’re in my space sector. I’m only one call away.”

Hal stepped away. His green aura shined brightly as he started to float off the ground.

“Good luck out there, Lantern Jordan.”

“Good luck on this planet, Chief Constable Jelcs.”

Hal blasted off into the night. As he left the upper atmosphere and prepared to jump into transluminal speed, he wondered to himself how long it would be before he came back. Del’vin’s words rang in his head.

This isn’t the end of this!

---

Alternate Earth
Space Designation Unknown

Jess stood on the battlements of the fort with a rifle slung over her shoulder. She was on sentry duty tonight, her first since joining the group. She hadn’t been completely pressed into service by the Savage Sisters, that’s what they called themselves, but she knew the deal. She had fighting experience and they needed help. The alternative was to find a way through this desert and strange war all on her own. According to the map she was somewhere in Colorado. At least in her world it was Colorado. Here it was the outlands of the great desert, just on the other side of the mountains. It looked as if the desert stretched across the land until it reached what she would call the Pacific.

The past few days were surreal. Sister Hellfire, the older woman who ran the show, gave Jess a bit of a crash course on what was going on in this world. Long before they had been born a great divide formed and this land was split into those who believed in the old ways of freedom and liberty, and a class of ruling elites who sought to make any and everyone serve their houses.

Sister Hellfire said that about ten years ago, things looked to be turning. The Oligarchs and their forces were being beaten back. But something changed. They’d gotten a second wind and pushed the armies of the Republic back. Now they stood on the brink of eradication. The main armies were preparing to take a stand somewhere on the other side of the mountains. The Sisters were just waiting for the call to join them for the last great battle.

“But how do I get home?” Jess asked herself.

She looked up at the stars. It was so different than anything she remembered back home. How could this be Earth and yet be so radically different?

“No,” she said again. “Not completely different.”

Sister Hellfire had recognized her Green Lantern logo. She didn’t know where or when she had seen it, but it was familiar. Maybe this version of Earth had its own Lanterns?

“Ring,” she said as she held her hand out. She prayed to... whatever it was she believed in. “Ping.”

Even with the charge dead, it could still send out an emergency ping to search for Lanterns or Oan technology in a close range. A tiny bolt of emerald energy flew out of the ring and disappeared over the horizon. A minute later it returned.

PING IDENTIFIED: GREEN LANTERN BATTERY WITHIN… 2000 KILOMETERS

Two-thousand kilometers? A little over twelve hundred miles, Jess figured. Twelve hundred miles… in what direction? She had no idea. It could be in the middle of a war zone for all she knew.

But she knew that somewhere on this war-torn and foreign version of her own home planet, was a battery. And with that battery there was hope. A chance to get home.

---

Kree Space
Unassigned Sector

Sinestro floated in space and watched the red giant star rage. Solar flares the size of entire planets flashed across its surface. A long tendril of energy exploded from the star and swept through the void. He was far enough to be in no danger, but he was close enough that the flares interfered with the Corps’ comms and tracking. If Salaak looked at the map, Sinestro would not appear anywhere on it. He was off the grid. As he had intended.

WARNING: OBJECT APPROACHING AT FTL SPEEDS

The Kree warship dropped out of lightspeed and started to burn towards the star. Sinestro stood in its path with his arms crossed and waiting. It came closer and closer until it was finally upon it. He was close enough to see through the protective glass, the figure standing at the bridge with his arms behind his back. He hailed the ship.

“Permission to come aboard?” he asked.

“Granted,” said Ronan the Accuser. “Meet me on the bridge.”

Ronan cast a glance at him as Sinestro entered the bridge.

“Your partner is quite the diplomat,” he said with a chuckle. “He convinced the Galactic Council that a truly balanced solution is our answer. A group of weapons inspectors will investigate and remove all Neutral Zone technology from Rann while overseen by two Lanterns. Apparently you have one officer who is a Rannian and one who is a Thanagarian?”

“Yes,” Sinestro said with a nod. “Kol and Sarn. The Lanterns watch the inspectors, and Kol and Sarn watch each other. Honesty through paranoia. Is that the idea?”

“Like I said, quite the diplomat,” said Ronan. “He also helped dismiss your contempt charge. So he deserves your thanks.”

“Salaak has his talents. Action just doesn’t happen to be one of them.”

Sinestro looked out the bridge window at the raging star as he spoke.

“Lantern Jordan has left the Cromica system without incident. It seems that your man there was arrested. Something about attempting to murder a constable. Jordan wasn’t involved in the arrest, I’m afraid. It was all locals. The one time I count on Jordan to make a mess of things he doesn’t.”

“This changes little,” said Ronan. “Those hicks imprisoning him gives the Empire justification to start flexing its muscle in the system. Your Lantern may not have set things off, but he help pack the powderkeg nice and tight.”

“Only a matter of time I suppose.”

“I forgot to commend you on a fine job acting,” Ronan said with a laugh. “That speech you gave in front of the Council? Bravo.”

Sinestro turned away from the window and looked at the Accuser.

“There was no mummery there. I meant every word that I said. Just because you and I find our goals in temporary alignment, make no mistake where my allegiance lies, Accuser. The Green Lantern Corps was once a great and powerful organization. The stories they tell about the old timers and the ancient heroes of the Corps... A single Lantern could tame an entire galactic empire. We could bring entire star systems to their knees with just the threat of our arrival. But in the centuries since, the bureaucrats and fledgling empires have robbed us of that power. The New Men attack one of our own, send her gods know where, and we are content to let the Galactic Council make a ruling? In the old days we would have watched the cities of Rann burn to the ground and we would have salted its surface so nothing could ever grow there again. Our arraignment? It’s only a small part of a larger plan. It’s been so long, the galaxy is in need of a reminder.”

“And what, pray tell, must they remember.”

“Fear,” said Sinestro. “They need to remember to fear.”

Absolute Comics - Justice Rising

Hala
Unassigned Sector

Sinestro and Salaak rose along with the Rannian delegation as the Galactic Council made their way back into the chambers. The group sat in deliberation for hours and, apart from the occasional raised voice, gave no indication of which way their decision might fall.

“After careful consideration, the Galactic Security Council is ready to make a ruling,” Ronan announced to the parties. “Senior Lantern Thaal Sinestro, in light of the recording we have no choice but to reprimand you for conduct unbecoming. You are hereby banned from personally overseeing any Green Lantern peacekeeping operations in Space Sector 3120 for a period of two Rannian years.”

Sinestro began to comment on wether the Council had the authority before a gentle touch from Salaak silenced him. He could almost read his fellow Lantern’s thoughts: A mere slap on the wrist, the Corps will continue to uphold order in that sector even without your involvement.

“Now, as to the actions of the New Men of Rann.”

The premier wiped sweat from his forehead as he awaited what was in store for his planet.

“Based on the unredacted report given to us, we find that you are indeed guilty of experimenting with outlawed Negative Zone technology. Your punishment will be in the form of trade sanctions on the planet Rann and economic embargoes for a period lasting a Galactic year.”

Sinestro narrowed his eyes. It was surely bad news for Rann’s economy… but was that it? No mention of Jessica Cruz, of the attack and potential murder of an active Lantern. The Negative Zone tampering was the bigger crime, but still… no justice for the Corps?

“Furthermore, the Council hereby orders that all Negative Zone research and technology be turned over to us for proper disposal. A bi-partisan group of observers will investigate the planet and oversee Starforce as it handles the technology--”

“Starforce?” Sinestro and the Rannian premier, along with the Skrull delegate, all yelled at once

“I’ll be godsdamned if I let a bunch of Kree get their paws on Negative Zone tech,” hissed the Skrull. “Things tend to go missing when you lot start handling weapons.”

“WIth all due respect,” said Salaak. “This is one of the matters the Corps was made for. Interstellar disputes like this we act as a neutral third party. We should--”

“Yes,” Ronan said tightly. “I am aware of the Green Lantern Corps’ responsibilities…” He cast an eye towards Sinestro. “Apparently better than some of its more senior Lanterns. With the matter of the missing Lantern, this subject has proven to be one the Green Lanterns are too emotionally invested in to act without bias.”

“Oh, so now you mention Lantern Cruz,” said Sinestro. “As justification to whittle more power away from us.”

“The Senior Lantern will watch his tone,” the Shi’ar representative said.

“No,” said Sinestro. “The Council will watch their tone. You all sit in your conference rooms and talk, talk, talk, talk. You chatter nonstop of politics and treaties. Without the Green Lantern Corps, you’re all nothing but bloated bags of gas--”

“Lantern Sinestro,” said the Thanagarian. “You will at once cease--”

“Your power, your safety, your entire existence rests upon the Corps. You are allowed your cushy lives because we are out there in the void, keeping the monsters at bay. When the Annihilus Wave swept through the galaxy, who heeded the call? Was it the Kree? Was it the Skrulls? How about the New Men?”

Sinsestro laughed and jerked a thumb at the symbol on his chest.

“Silence” shouted Ronan. He stood and leveled his gavel at the Lantern.

“Sinestro,” said Salaak. He placed a hand on Sinestro’s shoulder. “Calm yourself.”

“No,” Sinestro said as he shook off Salaak’s touch. “We were the ones who pushed Annihilus back into the Negative Zone.”

“Ronan to Staforce,” the Accuser said into the comm in his ear. “Place Lantern Sinestro under arrest for contempt.”

Sinestro continued. “You are right I have contempt, Accuser. When the Black Order began to wipe out the outlands of the Norma Spiral Arm, who stopped them? It wasn’t Ronan the Accuser, and it wasn’t Starforce. It was Thaal Sinestro and the Green Lantern Corps. Time and time and time again we save an ungrateful and uncaring populace.”

He sneered at the group of politicians who sat on the dais above him.

“Three thousand Lanterns throughout the entirety of the galaxy. All of them at my disposal, ready to follow my orders. If we can contain the likes of Annihilus and Thanos, what chance do you stand?”

A half dozen Starforce members rushed into the chamber with their weapons at the ready. Ronan now gripped his cosmi-rod and it hummed with energy. Sinestro surveyed the Starforce officers around him with a neutral look before he glanced back up at the dais.

“You all serve at my pleasure, never forget that.”

He thrust his ring out and disappeared from the room in a flash of green light.

---

Cromica C21
Space Sector 2814

Hal surveyed the packed room from the back. Most of them were Cromica pioneers, the first people who made the planet their home long before any natural resources were found. A few mining executives mingled with the crowd in the meeting hall. He saw Quin Del’vin among them. A button with the Kree Empire’s jagged triangular symbol was pinned to the breast of his expensive tunic. It was pointless to try to hide his allegiance at this point. Now he wore it openly with pride.

Jelcs and his deputies worked the corners of the meeting hall and kept an eye on the crowd. They all carried blasters on their hips and a cudgel if a more hands-on version of crowd control was needed. Ergol and the other five members of the planet’s provisional government came in to applause. They each took seats at the little table as the room buzzed with conversation.

“The question has been called as to what to do with this planet’s future,” Ergol said over the noise of the crowd. “Do we remain independent, or do we take up the Kree Empire’s generous offer? As always, we will hear the thoughts of the citizens of Cromica. If you’d like to address the assembly, please form a line and we’ll take any comments you’d wish to make.”

Hal stood with his arms crossed and listened to the line of people step up and state their case for either independence or imperial annexation. Some argued that their was safety in the vast empire’s network. Others argued that the pioneers of this planet came here to break free of their old worlds and live their life in a quiet peace. Joining with the Kree would end that. Some preached that the Kree would bring a financial windfall with them. One old hermit claimed that blue skinned people were against his religion. That caused a very spirited response from a Volux who, while not a Kree, still had the same blue skin. Jelcs and his men were able to separate the pair and cooler heads prevailed as the meeting resumed.

“I'd like to ask someone who has a greater context of the galaxy,” Ergol said to the room. “Someone who might have witnessed the dangers of a truly independent star system. Lantern Jordan? Would you offer an opinion on the matter?”

Before Hal could speak Del’vin was on his feet.

“All due respect to the chairman, but I think it’s a little out of order for Lantern Jordan to comment. He is a neutral party in this matter.”

“Like a broke clock, Mr. Del’vin happens to be right this time,” said Hal. “I am here to keep the peace and enforce the laws. My opinion is… irrelevant.”

“We understand,” said another member of the government. “But you’ve become a trusted member of this community in your time here, Lantern Jordan. There are several of us who would like to hear your opinion.”

“And your protest will be duly noted, Mr. Del’vin,” said Ergol.

Members of the crowd murmured their approval. Jelcs was among those nodding. He flashed Hal a discreet thumbs up. Hal cleared his throat and walked towards the center of the room. Del’vin stared daggers at Hal as he rubbed the back of his neck.

“Well… I guess the big question is this: When you all came to this planet is this what you had in mind? I know you’re all here for different reasons. You may have come here looking for something -- be it god, or peace, or a lack of nosy neighbors -- or you may have come here because you were running from something. But whatever your reasons, I can bet the Kree didn’t factor in them. I’m a Lantern and I’ve never had the pleasure of patrolling Kree space, but I do know enough about them to know that if you go with them, this place will become a Kree colony. You’ll get all the good and every bit of the bad. They won’t kick you off the planet, but I’m sure you all know how Non-Kree are looked at in the Empire. Second-class citizenship is the price for that safety and security. Jelcs and his men will be replaced by new people, probably the same guys who work for Pax now. You’ll be off-limits to my jurisdiction. Just the Starforce goonsquad. And they only serve one thing: the Empire. Never the people.”

“Enough of this,” Del’vin said as he stood. “If he is going to talk, then I should get a chance. All races and species are treated equally in the Empire. Kree controlled government and law enforcement is just part of our system. And what would you rather have? One reckless Green Lantern who enforces laws on a whim, or a trained and capable agency like Starforce protecting your planet?”

Del’vin’s appeal was met with silence mixed with a few soft snickers. Hal crossed his arms and arched an eyebrow.

“It’s funny Mr. Del’vin mentions Starforce. I imagine he’s very familiar with their reputation since he’s part of them.”

Murmurs from the crowd as Del’Vin did his best attempt to look confused.

“I don’t even know what Lantern Jordan is implying. If he has some sort of proof, then maybe he should share it.”

“He’s not the only Starforce agent who has been running around here, though. He had a precursor. Korvus Melm.”

Hal projected a photo from his ring as the meeting broke out into more murmur and raised voices. It was the crime scene photo of Melm. Hal had cropped out the gory parts and instead focused on the tattoo on Melm’s hand.

“It’s odd, really. A Shi’ar with a tattoo on his hand that appears to be in Kree script. Not everyone is versed in the tongue so we may need a translation. Mr. Del’vin, you read Kree, right? What am I saying? Of course you do. Mind telling me what that says?”

“‘Service… Duty… Honor,’” Del'vin mumbled.

“The Starforce motto,” said Hal. “Something all Non-Kree members of Starforce have to carry around for the rest of their lives. Like a brand, a way for Kree to know that they are a-okay.”

Hal saw the look of confusion and sadness on Jelcs’ face. He felt bad. It seemed that his hero had feet of clay. It was like telling a kid that Santa Clause wasn’t real.

“Why did you kill Melm, Mr. Del’vin?”

The noise of the crowd vanished. All eyes were on the Kree as he looked around.

“I didn’t kill anyone, Lantern Jordan.”

“After he left the Navy, Melm joined a security company. Records are shady, but I was able to trace it all the way back to a parent company: Pax Inc. Which, among other things, is the parent company of Pax Mining. You and your whole company are just another arm of the Empire, Del’vin. Melm was still employed by your company until the day he died, and he shows up here just after the mining operations begin. Melm was sent here to keep an eye on things and lay the groundwork... but something went wrong and you had to step in. Did you kill Melm because he went native? He took the job as chief constable and was getting too cushy? Thought he could just quietly slip away and all would be forgotten? But it never works that way, right? You cannot leave Starforce alive, doubly so if you’re an outsider. All things must serve the Empire. Anything less is treason. Punishable by death.”

Hal saw Jelcs approaching Del’vin out the corner of his eye, one hand on his blaster. “Mr. Del’vin,” Jelcs said tightly. “I need you to come with me.”

“You put one hand on me, you will regret it,” Del’vin said softly.

Jelcs ignored Del’vin’s warning and reached out to put a hand on his shoulder. Del’vin snarled and flicked his wrist. Hal saw in slow motion as a hidden mechanism strapped to Del’vin’s forearm deposited a small blaster into his palm. He growled and aimed the blaster at Jelcs’ head as he pulled the trigger.

The crowd gasped and jumped back as the blaster fire erupted. Jelcs looked on in stunned silence at the blaster bolt. It hung in mid-air, just inches from his forehead and encased in green energy. Hal whipped his fist back and the blaster energy dispersed in the air overhead.

Jecls and the rest of his deputies surrounded Del’vin with their weapons out. The Kree dropped his small blaster to the ground and raised his hands in the air. Hal walked through the crowd towards the small encirclement.

“You take one swing at me, Jordan, and you will kick off an interstellar incident,” Del’vin spat. “You have no authority over Kree. You can’t touch me. Just try and you’ll see. You have no jurisdiction over me. I am protected, I am Starforce, I am--”

Jecsc cold-cocked Del’vin and dropped him to the floor.

“You are on my planet,” said Jelcs. “And you are under arrest for attempted murder.”

Name Change Request

Done.

Absolute Comics - Justice Rising

Cromica C21
Space Sector 2814

Hal settled in with a bottle of D’Bari bourbon and his reading material for the night. He propped his feet up on the jailhouse desk and cracked open the bottle. The prisoners in the cells were fast asleep. A few of them were snoring loudly, a few ripped off the occasional fart. Hal turned out the snoring and did his best to ignore the smell. He poured the whiskey into a tumbler and set the bottle on the desk. He took a sip and sighed with content when he felt the burn. He polished off half the glass before activating the HUD projection on his ring. Data scrolled past his eye. It was everything the GLC had on Korvus Melm, Cromica’s first chief constable.

Jelcs provided Hal with what he knew about his old boss earlier. So far Hal’s info was a match for what Jelcs knew. Melm served as a cop after a long career in the Shi’ar Imperial Navy. What Jecls didn’t know were the finer details. A lot of it was redacted, but Hal could see a pattern forming. Chief Petty Officer Korvus Melm serves with distinction for over thirty cycles and takes a job as a security consultant for a company known as Imperial Solutions. Innocuous sounding on paper, like all front companies were. Records with the company were as spotty as those of the Shi'ar Empire, but it showed Melm traveled around the galaxy doing work for Imperial. He was still employed by the company up until the day he died. He never officially quit before heading to the wilds of Cromica five years ago.

Five years, thought Hal. Just five years ago. Hal always assumed Melm was part of the so-called pioneer faction like Jelcs, people who were here before the dark matter discovery put the sleepy little system on the map. It looked as if he showed up just as the rest of the miners, conmen, and shady types came to town looking to make a quick buck. Something about that made the niggling feeling in the back of his mind stronger. There was something there. He just had to go deeper.

He scrolled on to the information about the night Melm died. Jelcs was the author of the incident report. It was concise, informative, and actually told a linear narrative. Jelcs mentioned something before about working in his home planet’s legal system. It seemed to Hal the clerical side of law enforcement came naturally to him. Hal checked the timestamp. Written just a few hours after the body's discovery. That made it even more impressive to sit down with it fresh in your minds and file an objective report about your boss’s murder.

Melm caught a blaster bolt to the back of the head in some gravel back alley. A drunk miner found his body in the middle of the night. Almost pissed all over it. It was a good thing he didn’t since the miner was a Crazathi. His hydrochloric based piss would have destroyed any potential evidence. Not that Jelcs recovered anything usable. He could write a good report, but the guy wasn't much of a detective. Hal examined the few pictures Jelcs took.

Shots of Melm’s body up close, close-up on the wound. His arms were splayed out like he hadn’t expected it. But with the gravel nobody could have snuck up on Melm. Not unless he were deaf. Hal swiped over to another shot of Melm’s outstretched arms. He saw a small tattoo on the skin between the thumb and forefinger. Hal zoomed in and saw what it was clearly.

“Son of a bitch,” he said softly.

He knew who killed Melm and he knew exactly why.

---

Hala
Space Sector Unassigned

“No mind games, no tricks. This is a simple message to you and the people of Rann. With one Lantern, we destroyed your entire fleet. With two Lanterns? Who knows what damage we could do. End transmission.”

The members of the Galactic Council stared down at the two Green Lanterns as the recorded transmission ended. The Thanagar representative was the first one to speak. She cleared her throat and raised an eyebrow.

“Senior Lantern Sinestro, do you deny this was you on the recording?”

Sinestro stood and made sure his yellow eyes did not veer from the representative's eyes as he spoke.

“No,” he said with his head held high. “That was me fulfilling my duty as an officer of the Green Lantern Corps.”

“With threats?” said the Skrull.

“A Lantern is missing,” replied Sinestro. “Has been missing for a very long time now. Her disappearance is related to the Rannian government. We have asked nicely, we have followed diplomatic protocol time and time again, only to be rebuffed.”

“We have released our report to the Council and your Corps,” said the Rannian premier.

“But is found lacking,” said Ronan. “It is heavily redacted and the missing Lantern is barely mentioned. Also missing, I might add, is what exactly your navy was doing above Bion that day.”

“That was a rogue military maneuver,” said the premier. “I would remind the Council of that, and I would also remind them that the report had to be redacted in the name of Rannian Security.”

“It’s more obfuscation,” cried Sinestro. “More games. Does the Council now see why I use threatening words? Sometimes that’s all these people understand.”

The premier stood on his feet and began to yell at Sinestro and Sinestro yelled back. The entire Council shouted enmasse and Ronan banged his gavel in a futile attempt to bring things to order. The din was cut short. The conference room fell under an eerie silence. Each person in the room had their mouth covered by a thick green film. All of them except one. Salaak quietly rose and came to the middle of the conference room.

“I apologize for my impertinence,” he said with a bow to the Council. “But I would like to ask the premier a question.”

He faced the Rannian. The Council continued to make muffle noises from behind their gags. Sinestro stayed quiet and watched.

“The Corps have reports that not only was the fleet above Bion that day sanctioned by you and the New Men, but that its purpose was not martial at all. They were on a scientific mission. Is that true?”

The film disappeared from the premier’s mouth.

“How dare you silence me, do you know what I could-- mmmppp!”

“Answer the question,” Salaak said as he made the gag appear back on his mouth.

“No!” yelled the premier when his mouth was free. “It was an unauthorized military invasion. Admiral Kaskor took it upon himself to try to expand our territory with his fleet.”

Salaak nodded. His dark eyes gave away nothing. He crossed all four of his arms and glanced towards the council before continuing on.

“But yet I had a chance to read a Corps report from our science teams," he said. "They came back to the area where the battle with Lantern Cruz occurred a few months later. Even a full Oan year removed from the incident, our team discovered high outputs of ionic energy, high outputs of quantum quarks, and a very dense blanket of hyper accelerated particles. Does any of this mean anything to you, premier?”

“No,” he said much too quickly to have even thought it over. “Why should it?”

But Sinestro saw that it meant something to members of the Council. They’d stopped their protests and watched on in silence. Salaak even removed their gags, but they had yet to notice they could now speak.

“Because,” said Salaak. “All those things I just mentioned? They are just three of the key ingredients to making a portal to the Negative Zone.”

“No!” screamed the premier. “We would never violate galactic law like that.”

“Prove it,” said Ronan. “Release the unredacted report.”

“In the name of Rannian security I cannot do that,” said the premier.

“Experimenting with any Negative Zone technology has been outlawed for a whole generation,” said Salaak. “And the consequences of breaking that law are very dire.”

“Three fifty-five,” said Sinestro. He looked at the Council before turning to look at the Rannian delegation. “That is a number the GLC will never forget. We lost three hundred and fifty-five Lanterns pushing the Annihilus Wave back into the Negative Zone. The single greatest loss of Lantern life in our history. And now thanks to the hubris of the New Men of Rann he could come back.”

More crosstalk between the group. This time, they listened as Ronan banged the gavel.

“Let us recess,” said Ronan. “The Council will discuss matters in private. Premier?”

“Yes?”

“The full report will be released to us to read over in the recess, or you and the people of Rann will suffer the consequences. Am I being clear?”

He gulped. “Yes.”

“Good.”

The Council rose and went to deliberate. The Lanterns were left alone in the room with the Rannian delegation. Sinestro looked in their direction, softly shaking his head. The revelation explained a lot about what went down above Bion and why the Rannians had the stones to go after a Lantern in combat. The fallout of attacking a Lantern were far lesser than being caught with N-Zone tech. But it raised an even bigger question.

Where exactly was Jessica Cruz?

---

Unknown Planet
Unknown Sector

Jess felt good to be wearing pants and shoes. They weren’t in the best condition and their previous owner had probably died in them, but it was clothing all the same. Earlier her two saviors sped her out of the camp while other women in dune buggies raided the encampment. They crossed desert for what felt like hours before finally arriving at another encampment, this one actually showing signs of vegetation and water.

The two women kindly but firmly escorted her to a mess hall for food and water. For the first time since Oa she had hot food and cold water. They brought her clothes and boots to change into once she was done. The two women who rescued her deferred to an older woman as she came into the room. She carried no rank insignia, but Jess was pretty sure she was the leader of this place.

“Did they touch you?” she asked without preamble.

“No,” Jess said after swallowing the food in her mouth.

“I just worried,” said the woman. “I mean, you’re an alien and hideous, but they don’t have much in the way of standards.”

“Hideous?” Jess asked.

“I don't meant offend.”

The woman’s eyes fell on Jess’ ring hand. She thought she was going to say something about her swollen and red knuckles, but instead she reached out and traced her fingers along the dead power ring.

“I’ve seen this symbol before,” she said. “A long time ago. I don’t know where, though. But not this place.”

“And where is this place?” Jess asked. “And what’s going on?”

“We’re currently on the edges of the Great Desert. Everything past where you were? Endless desert. So endless those that go into it, either by choice or by force, are never seen again. We’re on the edges of the war here, but the fighting is just as fierce. Let me get a map...”

The woman ordered one of the other two women to get a map. Endless desert, thought Jess. Things that went in never came out. But she had, hadn't she?

“Our land is embroiled in war, has been since long before we were born. They say the entire world is, but who knows? We barely have contact with those that are on the other side of our realm. The war is multi-sided and messy, but it boils down to two main factions: The Oligarchs and those that serve them, and the Grand Republic. Or what’s left of it.”

“Who do you serve?”

The woman looked offended.

“The Republic, of course. Those cretains we rescued you from? They serve House Doolan, just one of the many oligarchs who horde resources and material for themselves.”

One of the women came back in with a rolled up piece of parchment. She unfurled it and laid it on the table in front of them. Jess looked down. She did a double take before she jumped out of her chair and put her hands on her head.

“No... no. No. No.”

The map on the table in front of her showed over a dozen different territories across a vast land. That was new. What wasn’t new was the shape of the land. She'd seen it time and time again all through school. It was a map of North America.

She was on Earth.

Just not her Earth.

Name Change Request

I find this request funny. If only I could think of some onomatopoeic phrase to describe it...

Post Removal Request

Beat me to it. Well, son of a lich!

Absolute Comics - Justice Rising

Unnamed Moon
Cromica System
Space Sector 2814

“Run! Run! It’s going to collapse!”

The ground and walls of the mine shook and vibrated violently. Rocks fell from above. The miners dropped their tools and started to run back up the shaft. The low gravity gave them longer strides and jumps, but their bulky space suits inside the tight space nullified that advantage. It was slow going back up for the pack of two dozen. They were all pressed together and going as fast as they could, but the vibrating increased and the rocks that began to fall were growing larger and jagged. One miner screamed as a chunk of ceiling smacked against his helmet. The blow cracked the visor in a large spider-web patter. The miners around him held their breath and waited for the glass to burst, but it held.

They were a half kilometer below the moon’s surface and it would take them far too long to get back up. Two dozen men all packed in together under this moon’s surface. This would be where they would die and be buried. The rumbling intensified and several of the miners bowed their heads and prayed to their gods for safe passage to whatever was waiting on the other side.

Green light poured in from the entrance and snaked through the shaft. Emerald support beams formed and took the weight of the collapsing ceiling and walls. The miners looked on in awe as the collapse stabilized.

"Stop gawking and start moving," one of the miners shouted.

The pack hurried out of the shaft and found Hal waiting for them at the mouth. His face was screwed up in concentration as tendrils of energy oozed from his power ring and down the mine.

“You load sixteen tons, what do you get?” He sang. “Another day older and deeper in debt.”

He broke the connection and the energy disappeared. The ground shook violently and the now empty mine collapsed. He looked at the miners and winked before he started to fly away, still singing.

“Saint Peter don't you call me 'cause I can't go. I owe my soul to the company store.”

---

The two masked robbers hurried out the bank towards the waiting hovercraft. Someone somewhere was screaming Probably from inside the bank, one of the robbers thought. They’d been a little too rough with the clerk. But if he’d just listened and handed over the credits they wouldn’t had to beat him so bad. They’d gotten an okay score from the robbery, nearly ten thousand credits, but not what they’d hoped for. The miners must have come to town early and cashed their payslips.

They were almost to the hovercar when a shot rang out. They stopped in their tracks and spun around with their blasters aimed. Hal was there with a green shotgun in his hands.

“Fellas,” he said. “Gonna need you to drop those weapons and surrender nice and slowly. Sudden moves have been known to result in a sudden loss of life.”

---

Hal and Jelcs stood outside the jail and watched the construction crew work. They were working because the little two cell jail was now in dire need of expansion. The cells were packed to the brim with criminals yet to be processed. The provisional government was busy creating a criminal justice system with judges and lawyers, but that took time. At least Jelcs had more help. Three people came forward to volunteer as deputies not long after Hal started working and more were asking to be considered for auxiliary support. Hal remembered when he first arrived Jelcs couldn't pay someone to join him. How times changed.

Hall saw Del’vin walking down the street with his usual pack of gun thugs protecting his flanks. A thick bandage on his forehead covered the nasty wound Hal inflicted a few weeks earlier. He waved Del’vin’s way and saw the executive frown and keep walking as if he hadn’t seen Hal at all. The Kree’s foul mood disappeared when Ergol came into his view. Del’vin towered over the short little green-skinned man with the round belly. Del’vin seemed to be using every bit of his charm as he talked to the head of the provisional government.

“Ergol better not make any sudden turns,” said Jelcs. “Del’vin’s head is so far up his ass, a sudden move is apt to break his neck.”

Hal chuckled and shook his head. He had very little doubt as to what Del’vin was talking about. Two days earlier the Kree Empire officially offered the provisional government the choice of annexation into the empire. Pax Mining was a private company, but nobody could question where their loyalties lay. Kree who went abroad were expected to represent the Empire and further its goals. It made Hal wonder if someone like Del’vin would moonlight for Imperial Intelligence. Soft hands and a mouth that spewed bullshit. He seemed the government type. Ergol managed to pull himself away from Del’vin and make their way to them. The little alien held a plump hand out to Hal. Hal took it and was careful not to go too hard with the grip.

“Lantern Jordan," he squeaked. "I just want to thank you for what you’ve done here. It’s not perfect, but Cromica is getting back to that peaceful little planet it was before the mining companies came.”

“I’ve had help,” said Hal. “Jelcs has been doing a fine job. I know he’ll do a great job once I’m done here.”

“Speaking of, I want to invite you both to the meeting tomorrow night,” Ergol said with a smile. ”We’re going to have the vote. I don’t foresee things getting too heated, but… just in case.”

“Of course,” said Jelcs. “I’d be there even if there wasn’t going to be a problem.”

Ergol repeated his thanks and waddled off. Hal and Jelcs watched him go.

“Are you going to keep on with this chief constable thing after I’m gone?” Hal asked.

“I really don’t want to,” Jelcs sighed. “But I may not have a choice. If the Kree absorb us there’s no way in hell they’ll let a non-Kree like me enforce their laws.”

“But what if the system stays independent?” asked Hal.

“Until a better candidate comes along... sure. You know, a real lawman.”

“Don't sell yourself short,” said Hal. “Lawmen aren't born, they're made. You're a chunk of coal, Jelcs. Little polish and some pressure and I think we could turn you into a diamond.”

“I’m no Melm.”

“Yeah…,” said Hal. He looked down the street. Del’vin was back watching them from the front of Pax's office building. He felt something niggling at the back of his mind, something his subconscious was trying to tell him. What it was he wasn’t sure of just yet.

“About Melm…,” he said to Jelcs “Can you tell me all what all you know about him, and all you know about his murder?”

---

Hala
Space Sector Unassigned

Sinestro and Salaak flew towards the Kree homeworld with their escorts on both sides. Per their orders, the two Lanterns journeyed to the very edge of Kree space and waited for the rendezvous. Two battle cruisers jumped out of hyperspeed and instructed them to follow the ships all the way to Hala.

This was how it was any time a Lantern ventured into Kree space. Sinestro didn’t know the whole story. No one really did at this point. The Kree had originally been part of the original great galactic powers who signed the treaty bringing the Green Lantern Corps to life. But hundreds of years before they’d opted out of the agreement and cast the Corps from the Empire. An organization known as Starforce acted as the chief law enforcement agency within their borders.

The cruisers veered away from them as they approached Hala’s upper atmosphere. A pair of fighters escorted them down towards the surface. Their HUD’s pinged a scan. Some invisible eye in the sky had identified the and allowed them access to the planet. Hala had the distinction of being the only homeworld not invaded during the great war billions of years ago. It was a fortress back then and had only become more fortified as the years passed. They flew past massive planetary guns the size of skyscrapers. They were capable of destroying spaceships before they even came within hundreds of miles of Hala airspace.

The two Lanterns were directed to a landing platform where a small party greeted them. Six of the largest, monst intimidatingStarforce officers in their finest armor stood in a semi-circle behind their boss. The chief executive of the Kree Empire, second only to the Supreme Intelligence gave them curt nods.

“Lanterns…”



“Welcome to Hala.”

Ronan the Accuser looked at the two Lanterns. Sinestro stared impassively at him with his arms crossed

“Thank you,” Salaak said with a slight bow. “Thank you for your welcome, Ronan, and thanks to the noble people of Kree for hosting this summit.”

Sinestro continued to stare. He finally nodded.

“Thank you.”

“Follow me please,” Ronan said curtly.

Ronan and the Starforce officers formed a neat little box around the two Lanterns as the group progressed down the halls. To Sinestro it felt more like they were prisoners being led to court than dignitaries given an escort. The notion of this being for their protection was a lie everyone decided to go along with. They were the two people on the planet who needed protection the least. The guards and Ronan were there to protect the planet from them.

They were led into the Accuser chambers. From the way it appeared they were the last ones to show. The premier of Rann and his small entourage were already gathered at one of the two tables facing the dais. The Galactic Security Council sat behind the dais and looked down at them. Representatives from the Skrull, Shi'ar, Thanagar, and Coulan governments were there. Ronan took his place as Kree representative and chairman of the council.

“We are gathered here on very unique circumstances,” said Ronan. “The New Men of Rann have made an accusation that the Green Lantern Corps have threatened and intimidated them, and the Green Lanterns claim that the Rannians are hiding details of an incident between their navy and a Lantern who is missing in action. We will hear evidence and make a resolution. Are both sides ready?”

“We are ready,” said the premier.

“Lanterns?”

“Yes,” said Salaak. “We are prepared to begin.

“Let’s get started.”

---

Unknown Planet
Unknown Sector

Jessica’s hand was swollen and her finger may have been fractured from repeated blows, but she had to keep going. Hours of slamming into the bar had produced results. About half of the bar’s bottom base was gone. She stepped away when she heard the sound of footsteps. Jess leaned against the wall and slid down it. She tucked her right hand behind her back and remained silent as a guard came in with a plate of food. The man said nothing as he let a metal plate of slop fall to the floor.

She waited until he was out of sight. And then a few minutes more until she was sure the coast was clear. She stood up and started to examine the bar she’d been wailing on with her ring. She gingerly tugged on the bar and saw it would bend, ever so slightly. Jess pulled herself up by the bar and planted her feet on the wall between the windows and pulled. The bar let out a groan as it started to bend upwards. She bared her teeth and pulled harder, her arms and shoulders screaming in pain and begging her to stop. She’d bent it up further and further until it made just enough space for a hole.

She fell to the floor and wiped sweat from her brow. As tired as she was, she had to get up. It was only a matter of time before a guard came back and saw either the hole in the window, or the missing prisoner. She had to wriggle out that window and find some way to put distance between these people and herself.

“Let’s go Cruz,” she rasped. “Up and at ‘em. Once more unto the breach.”

Jess got to her feet and started to push herself through the hole. She grunted and groaned as her body squeezed against the metal bars. She popped out the other side and fell down into the sand. It was twilight now. Two suns had disappeared over the horizon and the third was preparing to follow soon after. She could use the cover of darkness to go… where exactly? At the moment she was surrounded by near identical adobe buildings. She had no idea which way to go and what lay out there. She just knew she couldn’t go back out into the desert. Not again.

The sound of shouting drew her attention. She then heard bursts of gunfire from somewhere distant but drawing closer. More gunfire, explosions following it. Jess started to run across the sand barefoot, but stopped when a vehicle roared around the corner. An armored dune-buggy with a machine gun mounted on the top of it. Both the gunner and driver wore helmets, goggles, and bandanas to cover their faces.

They skidded to a stop in front of Jess. She kept her hands up and tried to figure out how to fight her way out of this one. The gunner pulled down their bandana. The face that looked back at her was feminine. Hard and as sunburnt as Jess’ face, but still a woman.

“A... female,” she said surprised.

The driver pulled down their own bandanna. She too was a woman.

“She looks like a prisoner,” said the driver.

“She sure as hell doesn’t look like one of them,” said the gunner. She looked at Jess and slightly raised an eyebrow. “Come with us if you want to live.”