(Elf note: Chapter 8 immediately follows 5, 6, and several hours after Kira’s return with Krista in Chapter 7.)
Shantar Base, Lookout Mountain, Tennessee
Helena Wayne played with her puppy. Krista, Green Lantern of Jeddick Prime, watched intently from across the Command Center. How freely she plays. She is so lucky! Such innocence: I hope she never loses her hope for a better tomorrow. She sighed. My ring still works, but I can’t communicate with the rest of the Corps – if anyone besides Jeryll of Glirell even survives. More than two-dozen of us killed in minutes. I still can’t believe it! (Elf note – Terra’s Revenge – Chapter 7).
Helena threw a ball across the Command Center. Puppy ran and picked it up. He took it back to her and begged for her to throw it again.
Command Assassin Elise Zoldar approached Krista.
“You can’t blame yourself for what happened.” Elise broke her reverie. “We face an impossible foe. You weren’t trained to deal with the Kayzik. The Guardians have limited themselves to peaceful pursuits since Oa was taken 65 years ago.”
“Does it ever get any easier? How do you handle all the tragedy you’ve seen in your long life?”
Elise looked away.
“I don’t know. After my husband was killed, I chose to become an assassin. During our training, we’re taught to sublimate our emotions. It’s as if we don’t feel them anymore. You’ll notice that the more successful assassins betray much less emotion than I do.”
“Successful? I thought you were the Base commander?”
“Yes,” She smiled for an instant, “but I can no longer pretend to completely bury my emotions. That is not good for an assassin.” Elise looked at Krista. “Fate has treated me well. While I may puzzle my operatives, they still trust my judgment. Most assassins in my position become unhinged. I seem to have escaped that destiny. I’ve found something I can believe in.” Elise refocused. “Krista, you may hate the universe and you may feel that everything is hopeless. The truth is that you are actually where you can do some good.” She watched Krista observe Helena. “That’s not what I mean. We will watch the child. She brings us hope. But babysitting is not your destiny.”
“I hope not. But what can I do? I’m just one person.”
“You are a Green Lantern. You are of such stuff as legends are made. You’ve been taught to rescue and help. That was what you knew. You had more power than you knew how to use. But when it came time to fight a more powerful foe, you had no more idea of what to do than a child. That will change. A Green Lantern’s charge is to protect and defend lives across the universe. You’re about to learn what that means.”
“I hope so, Ma’am, I do hope so.”
Above the planetary plane
Hyperspace ruptured. A flaming comet blazed towards Earth.
Shantar Base
“Ma’am,” Garja Jenna called her Commander. “Our favorite energy readings are inbound.” She smiled at Elise. Garja signaled to Jerik. He quickly picked up Helena and her puppy and took them out of the Command Center.
Elise charged towards the Command Center opening to the outside world. She activated machinery to expand the opening. The lower part of the wall became floor. The upper part of the wall became an extension of the roof. Railings extended. She stood impassively at the opening. The comet slammed through Dr. Fate’s protective spell without rupturing it. Nine figures appeared on the balcony.
“Welcome to the Sentinel’s Lair. Command has chosen that designator for this Base to protect its identity and location.”
Krista watched the Commander’s next moves. Slick! Garja won that bet. I didn’t think it could be done. Elise had managed to continue her monologue while passing by the Sentinel, wrapping herself in his cape, and putting her arm around him. She did it all without missing a beat. That’s class! Mary Marvel and the Shade stood to either side. Elise faced the six Green Lanterns. (Elf note – Terra’s Revenge – Chapter 5).
“I am Command Assassin Elise Zoldar. I am the operational Commander of this base. You find yourselves on a world conquered by the Kayzik. Our number one priority here is to avoid discovery. We are using significant technology and magic to hide this location. This is their home.” She gestured to the Sentinel’s team. “They risk their lives and what’s left of their world to help us. We will ensure they have a world to return to.”
Elise relaxed and smiled.
“I’m sorry for the brusque introduction, but I had to get that message across. Jeryll and Krista could almost pass for human. The rest of you can’t help but attract attention. We’ve already attracted too much attention recently.” (Elf note – Terra’s Revenge – Chapter 6).
K’ryssma of Etrea puzzled.
“Only Krista is here? Come child, and join us.” Krista made her way over. “What happened?”
“K’ryssma, those of us who were not on New Oa assembled. (Elf note – Terra’s Revenge – Chapter 7). We tried to follow, but we were ambushed.” Krista had to gather herself. “The Kayzik tricked us into separating and slaughtered us one by one. I was lucky. Kira Jor-El of Krypton answered our distress call. She found me before they could finish the job. But two dozen of us were killed. All Kira found were the dying, and what was left of the dead. There was nothing she could do! Nothing at all!”
The Corps members gathered together to share information and names of the dead. Elise and the Sentinel’s team withdrew to another part of the room.
“Sweetheart,” Alan asked, “what happened?”
“The remnants of the Corps assembled and tried to track down the Guardians. They entered Kayzik territory in pursuit. The Kayzik were ready for them. They had laid false trails for the Green Lanterns. The Corps sent out distress calls, but there was nothing Shantar Command could do that deep in Kayzik territory. They relayed the signal here, on the off chance we could help.”
“And you sent Kira?” asked Mary.
“Yes. She was in hyperspace less than a minute after we got the signal. To her credit, she moved at top end speed. The problem was that it took her a while to get there. The trap was laid several Galaxies away. She did arrive in time to save Krista, but that was it.” Elise looked over at the Green Lanterns. “You made the right choices, Alan. You had to free New Oa when you did. By splitting your forces, Kira was available to help. Even had both of you been available, the problem was one of distance, not power.”
“Where is Kira?” Alanna asked. “I grew up on a ravaged world. Kira didn’t. She had never seen that kind of devastation before. Is she all right?”
“No.” Elise had a far off look in her eyes. “But I think she will be. She’s off with Batgirl.”
“Batgirl?” The three of them asked in unison.
“Yes. Her daughter is…”
“Helena Wayne.” Alan finished. “That makes her parents Selina Kyle and Bruce Wayne?” Nice to know some things are constant across the universes! “Is he the Batman?”
“Not exactly.” Elise took up the tale. “He’s more the Bat from Hell. Oh, he’s on our side, but he’s obsessed with killing Kayzik with his Bat robot. He was endangering his family. Selina ran from him to keep Helena safe. Unfortunately, she attracted too much attention. Even with Starfire’s help, we cut it much too close.”
“Koriand’r is here?” Alan marveled. “Hard to think the Tamarans would let one of their most powerful warriors go.”
“This isn’t the Tamaran you’re thinking of. These folks use their solar powers to hide from the Kayzik. Only the very old ever get caught. Even that doesn’t happen very often. The last thing they need is a warrior determined to kill Kayzik. They sent Starfire to us to get rid of her.”
“What kind of a student is she?” Mary inquired.
“I wouldn’t admit this to her, but she’s very promising.” Elise smiled. “She’s very determined to earn her place on our teams. She’s also very powerful. She turned more than half a Kayzik patrol into crispy critters.” Elise teased, “Try to stay on her good side!”
A few minutes later, just above the base
“Hello, Jerik. It’s good to see you.” Alan had changed out of his costume.
“Welcome back, sir! I must congratulate you on your victory. Command is most impressed.” Jerik shook his hand.
“Thank you. The Sentinel’s Lair, Jerik? That has your fingerprints all over it.”
“Intelligence has forbidden me to comment!” Jerik smiled. “Glad you like it!”
“Cute without being too cute. Good thought – we needed to get Earth base out of the title.” Alan looked down. “Is that her? What do we know about the puppy?”
“That’s our Miss Helena. They found the puppy during their travels. They never found its mother, so Selina let Helena keep it. It worships her.” They watched as the child ran with the puppy barking happily at her feet. Alan and Jerik walked down to greet them.
“Miss Helena, I’d like to introduce the Commander’s friend, Alan Scott.” Jerik watched as Alan kneeled, then smiled at her.
“Hello, Helena! I’m pleased to meet you!” Elise wasn’t kidding! Those eyes burn with intelligence. The puppy sniffed at him, then barked his approval. I’ve got an odd feeling about this: white with short hair, and an undetermined breed. He gestured. The puppy whimpered, then immediately perked up and nuzzled him again. “You like to play fetch, don’t you?” The puppy wagged its tail. Time to cheat! Let’s see if I’m right. He threw the stick, then used the mystic flame to bury it. Puppy chased after it.
“Puppy likes to play fetch.” Helena watched him run off. “We don’t know where his family is. We couldn’t find his mama, so Mommy said I could keep him.” Puppy returned again with the stick.
“Arf?” He pleaded. Alan threw the stick again. This time it landed six feet above the ground in a tree. Alan kneeled down to face Helena. He squatted in front of her, balancing on the balls of his feet.
“He certainly seems devoted to you. You both add a spark of life to our home. I hope you’ll be happy here!” Puppy returned with the stick. Jerik threw it.
“Mommy likes it here. I feel safe. Nobody chases us and nobody yells at us. People take the time to explain things to me. Not like my Daddy.” Helena frowned. “My Daddy says that Captain Marvel and the Green Lantern told him that he was Earth’s last hope. He fights to save us, but he’s not very nice.”
The Batman of legend was obsessed with what he did. I’ve always thought there was a thin line between genius and madness. Her father seems to have crossed it. But I see no madness in her. She watches and evaluates. She’s waiting for me to say something. I wonder what? Ah! Should have guessed.
“Helena, I was the Green Lantern.” His costume appeared for a moment. He willed it away. He kept a Green Lantern visible. “Honey, neither Captain Marvel or I were here to tell your father he had to continue the fight the way he has. Even I don’t fight alone. We’re part of a team!” Helena seemed to relax. “You, your Mom, and your puppy are part of our team and our family. We’ll keep you safe. You don’t have to run any more.”
“We really get to stay here? Mommy said the Commander would need to ask you.”
Alan smiled at her.
“Sure, honey. You’re stuck with us.” Helena jumped to hug him. She knocked him off his feet. He found himself on the ground with his arms full of little girl and his face full of puppy tongue.
“Sir, frankly you look ridiculous. I envy you!” Jerik laughed.
“You should try it sometime.” He stood up with Helena in one arm. “Dinner’s ready. It’s time to feed that hungry puppy!” They went inside, with Puppy following closely behind.
Nashville – two hours later
An invisible green comet sliced through the Tennessee night.
“I can feel that damned glamour. They were right, Alan. He’s too close to the city.”
“I know, Mary. I’m immune to it, but I can still sense that it’s there.”
“You don’t hold any real hope for this, do you?”
“No, I don’t. But I won’t break a promise to a child: especially not that one. I noticed you didn’t stay behind either.”
“Must be something in our genes, Cousin. Let’s get this over with. It should be right down there.”
Three hundred feet below
“What did she do to you? Why won’t you go near the Shantar base?” Bruce Wayne adjusted settings on his robot. “Selina must be made to understand!”
“Understand what, Bruce Wayne?” Two figures blazed green in front of him.
“Green Lantern and Mary Marvel. Where’s Captain Marvel?”
“He’s dead, Bruce.” Mary emphasized. “He’s been dead for sixty five years.”
“Then it must be his ghost calling from the grave! That’s it! His ghost and that of the Green Lantern!”
“Bruce, I’ve never been dead.” Something has done a job on him. Wish I knew what to do. Alan continued, “I was exiled to another world, but I’ve never passed beyond.”
“Bruce,” Mary pleaded with him, “it’s important to stop the Kayzik, but this is not the way. You’ll simply annoy them and attract attention. Work with us! There are other ways. We can make a difference together!”
“No! You are figments of my imagination! The Kayzik seek to destroy me again!”
“I’m sure they do.” Mary restrained her frustration. “But you’re only an annoyance, not a hindrance. You have the signal device Wonder Woman gave you. Call us when you’re ready. Hopefully, Helena will still remember you.”
“If you haven’t brainwashed her by then! She’s my child! She will see that she must return. She’ll come back to help me fight! This fight is the only thing that matters.”
“Bruce,” Alan reminded. “None of us have to work alone. Let’s talk about how we can work together.” He’s not listening. He’s already back to playing with his robot. I’ve had enough of this. We’re out of here! “We won’t take up any more of your time. Mary, it’s time to leave.”
Bruce Wayne turned back to his robot. Five minutes later, he had forgotten they were ever there.
The Planet Nalyd, Shantar High Command
“You’ve created a problem.” The High Warlord Zalar chastised Zoldar’s image on the coference room screen. He watched from his conference room on New Oa, several galaxies away. “You and your daughter chose to ignore doctrine we’ve followed for millions of years.”
“I stand by my decision.” He stared back at the High Warlord. “I’m a Warlord. I have a responsibility to our people to protect and defend them any way I can. If that includes choosing unorthodox allies, then evaluate my judgment by results, not your preconceptions.”
“I can see this now. You developed your plan to use the Metas. Then when the time was right, you conveniently brought them into the middle of a crisis. You didn’t do it just once, you did it twice.”
Zoldar growled.
“That is an insult I will not tolerate, even from you. The Sentinel and the Shade developed the battle plan for New Oa. Once they were certain it was feasible, they contacted our Command for assistance. It was well thought out and a damned sight better than anything High Command had. The second I saw it, I knew we had to act immediately.”
High Warlord Zalar started.
“You mean to tell me that some creature out of a fairy tale actually created that battle plan? What do you take me for?”
“Someone who’s bright enough not to judge a book by its cover. These people are skilled, well disciplined, and very well trained.”
“Not only do you expect me to believe this tale, but you choose to add insult to injury. You sent yet another Meta to clean up after the Green Lantern Corps.”
“Her name is Supergirl. What did you expect us to do?” Zoldar raged. “No matter what you may think of the Guardians, the Green Lantern Corps have done nothing but good for our people. You won’t let them fight. They no longer had the skills they needed to survive in Kayzik territory. No wonder they got themselves slaughtered! Supergirl undertook an extremely dangerous mission to assist people we couldn’t. That says a lot more for her than for us.”
“Restrain your insolence, Zoldar. Otherwise you may find a future where scrubbing toilets is an advancement.”
“I doubt that. You are no fool. You know what power they possess. I’m standing on New Oa because they chose to act. Please listen to me for once.”
High Warlord Zalar relaxed slightly.
“I am listening.”
Zoldar realized he truly had the High Warlord’s full attention.
“We’re desperate and we shouldn’t be. We’ve been on the defensive for far too long. Ever since most of the Guardians were lost, all we’ve done is focus on not losing more territory. We can’t afford that kind of thinking any more. We’ve got to strike back.”
“I don’t disagree, Zoldar. But these Metas are not the J’Dinn. How can we be assured they’ll follow through on their commitments? That hasn’t always been true in the past.”
“The J’Dinn work with the Kayzik because they have nothing left to lose. These Metas are willing to work with us because we’ve all got everything to lose. We share the same objective – survival. Let’s put that common need to our common advantage. And let’s judge the Terran team by what they do, not by the previous failures of others.”
“Zoldar, I think you are too easily swayed by your daughter’s obsession.”
“Elise may be obsessed, but even you can’t argue with her success. I stand by my daughter. Thank you for your time. Zoldar out.”
He stared at the screen for a moment. It’s easier to fight the Kayzik than hold one of those conversations. He walked out of his office and headed towards the Guardians’ compound. Once there, he stopped and faced their reception area. The worst part is we still haven’t done a thing to get you back. We’re so desperate for success: simply recovering your planet is an acclaimed accomplishment. Well, if this turns out to be the high water mark of the Kayzik, perhaps it is. But until the threat of your life forces is diffused, we’re all still in deadly danger.
He gazed at the compound for a while longer. Frustrated, he headed back to his office.
Sentinel’s Lair, several hours later
Elise nestled between his arm and chest. She settled in for the night. He pulled the blanket over them. Gently, he kissed her forehead and played with her hair.
“So no one ever attacked Helena directly?”
“No Alan, she was safe in the tree. She and her puppy were out of harm’s way. Why do you ask?”
“That explains a few things. In my other world, the legends of the Bat and the children of Krypton were very closely intertwined.”
“Alan, you keep saying that. What do you mean?”
“I’m sorry sweetheart. I just wish I knew where the puppy came from. I shouldn’t say that. I know where the dog is from. I just don’t know how it got here.”
“Alan!”
“Honey, if the Kayzik had tried to climb Helena’s tree, they wouldn’t have survived the trip. They would either have been ripped to shreds or incinerated. Helena is a very kind little girl with an extremely devoted and special dog. I wonder if Kira has any idea?”
“You’re enjoying this.”
He chuckled.
“I guess I am, Sweetheart. I guess I am. But it’s not every home that has a guard dog from Krypton.” He felt her startle. “Yes, Elise, I’m absolutely sure. That sweet and innocent little girl has the guardian from Hell. You might want to give your folks fair warning. Woe to the fool that lays a hand on her.”
“It’s safe to keep the dog?” She looked up to him.
“Honey, it’s safer for the Galaxy if he stays here. We’ll have a few interesting adventures training him, but what’s one more Kryptonian to this crew?” He kissed her. “The dog stays.”
“As long as you’re comfortable with it. Talk about a high performance security upgrade.” She chuckled. “Arf.”
“Arf!” He chuckled and turned out the light.
The following morning
The comms beeped.
“What?” Alan could see that Elise wasn’t ready to move, either. “I hate mornings. What is it?”
“Sir, your daily briefing package is here from High Command.” Garja Jenna teased without a hint of remorse.
“My what?”
“I thought you knew, sir.” Garja pretended to be serious. Turn down an opportunity to tease the Sentinel? Not me! “Ours is a warrior culture. Our recognition is based on success. Your teams have been off planet twice now. Both teams did what High Command could not. You’ve been noticed. Show time, sir!”
“It’s too early for this. Go away. I’ll deal with it later.” He shut the comms off and pulled the covers up to Elise’s chin. In minutes, he was asleep again.
On the other end of the comms, Garja chuckled. Get used to it, Alan Scott. I still want to know what the Hell you were in that other world. Strategy, tactics, a perfect understanding of logistics, and perfect execution: you’re a trained warrior. Everything you do stinks of it! I’m glad I’m on your side!
Blue Ridge Mountain Parkway, near Roanoke, Virginia
“Welcome to my home. I’ve lived on this planet for almost ninety years.” Mary Marvel addressed seven Green Lanterns. “This is my home and I will live here with my family in a world free of the Kayzik.”
“Mary Marvel, those are brave words, but we face an impossible foe.” Krista seemed near tears. “We get close and they attack. How can we fight them when we can’t fight them?”
In answer, Mary turned to her cousin’s child.
“Ready, Alanna?” Alanna held a flag in the air and stuck her tongue out at Mary. “Green Lanterns, I’m going to play a little game with Alanna. She’s fast, but she is not invulnerable.”
“Here’s the deal!” Alanna waved the flag. “If Mary can grab the flag from me in the next three minutes, I pull her next watch shift. I’m not allowed to take any offensive action, nor am I allowed to leave the atmosphere – not that I’ll need to. See ya!” She took off with Mary Marvel in hot pursuit. After two minutes, Mary gained on Alanna and forced her down towards a mountain.
“It appears Alanna will be pulling an extra shift.” Hollika Rahn remarked.
Alanna slammed into the side of the mountain and disappeared. Mary Marvel put a hole in the mountain before she could stop. Alanna popped back out of the mountain 40 feet away and stuck her tongue out again. Mary rushed to where Alanna appeared, but Alanna had already faded back into the mountain again. She popped up again.
“Time’s up!” She waved her flag. Mary smiled at her.
“That’s lesson number one. Just because someone is shooting at you, doesn’t mean you’re obligated to let them have an easy shot!”
“You mean?” Arkkis Chummuck started to ask.
“You got it!” Alanna cut him off. “If they’re shooting at you and you can’t shoot back: hide, disappear, or just fade into the landscape. The Kayzik don’t know honor from a hole in the ground. Your duty is to survive, not play fair. Save that for sentient opponents.”
“Listen,” Mary stepped towards them, “in this game you will always be outclassed in terms of pure power. The only way you win is to pick your battles wisely and cut out as soon as things turn sour. You have more flexibility than you think. Worse comes to worse, fade into a planet for a while and recover. There can’t be that many completely yellow planets.”
“Remember,” Alanna continued, “our opponents aren’t too bright. Don’t out-fight them, out-think them. Never, ever face them head on if you don’t have to.”
“The Sentinel did.” Ch’p noted.
“Not exactly.” Mary explained. “He was an intentional distraction. They didn’t know how severe the real attack was until it was too late. He covered our arrival with his appearance. We did most of the damage while they were attempting to deal with him. That was how we really won.”
Later that morning
“You knew and you didn’t tell me!” Alan watched her smile innocently at him. “That’s why you introduced yourself as the operational commander, wasn’t it?”
“Sweet little me? Surely you jest! I am but a poor innocent lost in the woods of Terra!” She flashed her eyes coyly and smiled. Then she turned serious. “I knew something would happen. That’s one reason we renamed the base. It’s undoubtedly an honorary appointment in recognition of your work on New Oa. You’re not Shantar, but High Command can’t ignore your success. What it does is to grant you and your senior team a little more status you to coordinate with Command personnel. That and you get to sleep with the Shantar base commander.” She chuckled and batted her eyes at him.
“If Jerik is the next Base Commander, I’m leaving!”
“I go wherever you go, Sweetheart.” She turned to the Comms device. “Alan, I’m going to verify that’s what happened. Garja should tell me it’s a 12HA appointment. The 12 or above means High Command appointment, the H means Honorary, and the A means there is no direct reporting official, other than High Command. That’s normally what they do in a situation like this. Usually though, it takes a little longer. Let me check.” She activated the comms. “Garja, read me the designator on the briefing package.”
“Yes Ma’am! Sentinel, The. Senior Commander, Resistance Forces, Occupied Territories. Command Authorization, 14CA. It’s countersigned individually by each of the Combined Chiefs of Intelligence, Operations, and Special Operations, High Command. Effective upon notification.”
“14CA? Ouch! I’ve never heard of that one. I do know what it has to mean, though. It means that Garja Jenna should know better than to wake us up from a sound sleep!”
“Yes, Ma’am. Never again: at least not until tomorrow!” They heard her chuckle. “Coffee and breakfast are waiting for you in the mess. The briefing can wait until he and his command team are ready. I had orders to notify, not require immediate attendance. Jenna out.”
“I understand the orders.” Elise confirmed. “See you shortly.”
“What does 14CA mean?” Alan asked. “You seemed surprised.”
“I was wrong. This is NOT an honorary commission without real authority, Alan. The 14 means it’s a senior active commission. The C means full command authority. The A means that you report only to High Command. High Command has obviously decided to deal with you directly. I think you scared the Hell out of them. It also means we have an empire side staff. If I know Garja and Jerik, they’re already organizing that command staff.”
“I’ve always wondered how they fit into your organization. They’re both extremely talented, but neither really seems to be a resistance combat soldier. They’re definitely not just foot soldiers.”
“That’s exactly why they’re here. I asked for both of them by name. They each have several odd specialties. They master any specialty quickly. They do not wish to command, but they make the Command run. They’re fiercely loyal. Right now, they’re probably backing down Admirals to get what they want.” She chuckled. “Your name is being used to terrify people you’ll never meet. Let’s finish getting ready and go get some breakfast.”
The Mess
Selina Kyle walked into the mess with Helena and her puppy. For fierce warriors, these people have been so kind. Two days ago, we were runaways. Now for the first time in her life, my daughter is happy. She smiled at Kellick as he served her. He served a tray for both her and Helena, and added a bowl of treats for Helena’s puppy.
“The Sentinel says we should keep that little pup happy.” Kellick smiled back at her. “To think, a couple of months ago, we were all running around in the woods, hiding from the Kayzik.”
“Why did you come back to the base?” Selina asked while Kellick carried Helena’s tray to a table. He put the puppy’s bowl on the floor.
Kellick grinned.
“We had to because of the capture of New Oa. We’ve been able to stay because we’re able to hide ourselves. Dr. Fate’s magic secures us from the Kayzik. His magic is so strong, the Kayzik can’t detect what lies behind it.” He stopped, as if considering not asking a question. Then he decided to ask it anyway. “How is Miss Kira? We’re all a little concerned.”
Selina frowned.
“Angry, I think. Horrified, too. She expected that she would see some horrible things as Supergirl. But she never expected to see a massacre of Green Lanterns. Those were true heros without the skills they had to have to save themselves.” She looked at Kellick. “Think of having all that power and being absolutely helpless to stop the slaughter.” She shivered. “Kira’s got a good head on her shoulders. She’ll get through it.” Selina smiled. “Woe be to the Kayzik when she does.”
Helena watched her puppy eat.
“Alan says you’re from Krypton. Maybe I should call you Krypto.”
The puppy danced around, as if supremely pleased. “Arf!”
“What a bizarre thing for him to say.” Selina shook her head.
“If the Sentinel said it, it must be true. Watch.” Kellick found a treat and held it over his head. “Here you go Krypto.”
The little puppy stretched halfway up to Kellick’s knee.
“Arf!”
“It’s yours, if you can reach it! Come on Krypto!” Kellick wiggled the treat.
Krypto launched himself upwards. In a flash, he snatched the treat and wolfed it down.
“Arf!” He wagged his tail and sat beside Helena.
“Hmm. Krypto it is. Helena does choose her friends wisely.” Selina took a bite of her breakfast. I look forward to meeting the Sentinel. Probably some wizened little old man with a Crystal ball floating in front of him. She chuckled at the thought and turned back to her meal. After a moment she heard voices. Kellick walked from behind his booth towards a couple walking through the door. He showed them to another table and brought their breakfast to them. Well, I guess the Commander is entitled to good service. More power to her! Good taste in men, too. I wonder if the Shantar are polygamous. The Sentinel, and this one on the side! She chuckled again.
The couple moved towards her. Helena looked up and Krypto barked happily.
“Mommy, this is my friend Alan. He said Krypto could stay here!”
Outer Banks of North Carolina
Diana deflected another solar blast.
“You’re good Kori, but you’ve still got a few things to learn.”
“That’s OK Diana, I’m a quick learner!” She shot another solar blast at Diana. She sped out of range before Diana could aim her lasso.
Command Center, 20 minutes later
Alan leaned against the railing.
“What did you think of Kira?”
“I think she’s brilliant, well intentioned, and inexperienced.” Selina stared into the distance. “That said, she really impressed me. Very few things truly impress me. Now, tell me why you’ve chosen to be my guardian angel. I still love Bruce and you have eyes only for the Commander.”
He smiled wistfully. He chose his words carefully.
“The legend of the Bat crosses universes. The association of the Bat with the house of ‘El’ has produced the most effective heroic teams of many of those universes. Any hero who ignores the counsel of the Bat does so at his or her peril. Usually the Batman is Bruce Wayne and Superman is Kal-El. That is not true here. I don’t know why.” He stared into the valley below and chuckled slightly. He continued.
“Selina Kyle is usually the Catwoman – an adventurous thief with a brain. In many Universes, Helena Wayne the Huntress is the child of Selina Kyle and Bruce Wayne. All three are deadly adversaries. You’re the Bat here, and that makes Kira Jor-El your future partner.” He watched Krypto play with Helena. “Never underestimate that tie. In this world, Krypton looks after two generations of the Bat. We can only hope that the Bat will watch over the rest of us.”
“You scare me, Alan Scott.” She glared at him.
“And you impress me.” He smiled confidently. “How many Terrans could walk into a Shantar command center and operate the command console? You had what? Three minutes of training? I couldn’t have done that.” He chuckled. “Then again, I can’t swing a sword, either.”
Across the room, they heard Elise Zoldar laugh. She shouted back.
“I’ll teach you if it’s the last thing I do!”
He laughed back.
“Now you know why I can jump into Hyperspace – necessity!”
The Commander laughed again.
Roanoke
Wonder Woman, Mary Marvel, and Starfire faced the Shade.
“Thanks for coming, Kori. I need your help to test my abilities.” Alanna floated in the air. “Something peculiar happened and I need to discern how it works. (Elf note – Terra’s Revenge – Chapter 5). Ready to do a little sparring?”
“Spar with the Shade? Sure! I’ll tone down my Starbolts so that I don’t hurt you.”
“Thanks, Kori. I appreciate that.”
“What happened, cousin?” Mary asked. “Why didn’t you tell us earlier?”
Alanna raised her eyebrows.
“We had bigger problems and this wasn’t a problem. I wondered if this might be something the Seltan forgot to tell Dad, but I suspect it isn’t.”
Diana interrupted.
“I’ve talked to Kent about the Seltan. They don’t seem to have hidden anything about their nature. If they had more abilities, I’m sure they’d use them.”
“That settles it then.” Alanna scowled. “I knew I was Alan Scott’s clone. I didn’t realize I was his shadow.”
She had startled her companions.
“I like that – the Shadow!” She chuckled. “Remember what the Starheart said about Dad’s will power hitting the mystic flame? It increased his power levels and enhanced his recreated body.” They nodded. “What would happen if that will force hit dark force? A few unexpected effects?”
“Cousin, that almost scares me.” Mary looked concerned. “If you weren’t Alanna Scott, it would terrify me.”
“Enough.” Diana pulled a boulder out of the mountain. “Catch.” She threw the boulder at Alanna.
Streams of black appeared in the air in front of Alanna. They reached up and circled the boulder. She held the boulder in place for a moment. The boulder shattered into pebbles. Alanna allowed the dark force to envelop her and disappeared from view. She drove dark force across her companions.
“Pull it off of me!” Mary shouted “It’s cold as death.”
“Trapped! I’m suffocating!” Kori screamed. “Please!”
“I’m sorry.” She withdrew the shadow. “Kori, I need you to fire a Starbolt at me.”
“Give me a second. Okay, here it goes!” Kori fired point blank.
Alanna defended herself. The Starbolt disappeared into the dark force. The dark force hit Kori. She screamed.
Alanna withdrew the dark force.
“Kori, I didn’t mean to do that.”
“Alanna, you don’t know how much I appreciate that.” Kori shivered. “If you hit me with another one of those, I’ll go back to Tamaran and hide from the Kayzik with my family.”
Mary held her tongue, then spoke.
“Don’t plan to go back any time soon. We have too much for you to do. And soon.”
Kori’s eyes sparkled.
Sentinel’s Lair, an hour later
Garja Jenna looked up from the communications console.
“Sir, I’ve been ordered set up a call for you with High Command. I’m running out of time to make that call.”
“Let’s do it. Elise, Selina, if you would join me?”
They walked into the Command conference room.
“Accept command briefing package, Authorization: Sentinel, 14CA.”
“Counter Authorization: Zoldar, 9CF”
“Command Codes acceptable. Sealing Facility. Initiating Communications.” The conference room doors locked and an untraceable pulse fired towards High Command. The speaker erupted.
“Identify additional Command team members.”
Selina shot Alan a ‘what the hell am I doing here?’ look.
“Selina Kyle, Batgirl. Strategy and tactics.”
An unfamiliar Shantar appeared.
“Stand by. High Commander Warlord Zalar is almost ready.” They heard his comms beep. “Hang on.” He smiled at them. “Greetings and congratulations. My sister was on New Oa. I thank you. Ah! You’re on!” The screen dissolved and an older Shantar woman appeared.
“Greetings, Champion of the Green Flame,” She bowed slightly.
“Greetings, Warlord Zalar. You honor us.” Alan bowed.
“Yada, yada, enough of the formalities.” She appeared amused. “You and your team present me with a problem. We of the Shantar Command have used our Science and skills to stop the Kayzik advances for millions of years. We were largely successful until the Guardian captures. That was bad enough. That cost us half our territory. New Oa was even worse. Not only did they capture the remaining Guardians, but the bastards gained a foothold deep in our space.”
Alan sat back down. High Warlord Zalar crossed her arms.
“I am responsible to the High Command for the planning and execution of all military actions.” Zalar was doing her best to look upset. “I had had a long miserable day. I was going home. Then without warning, my staff notified me that I had a major offensive underway.” Elise was clearly muffling a giggle. “The next thing they tell me is that some creature out of a bedtime fable is ripping the Kayzik apart on New Oa.” The Warlord attempted a severe look. “In the space of a few hours, that creature had developed a battle plan with one of my Warlords, coordinated and executed it, and accomplished the almost bloodless recapture of our greatest vulnerability. My Warlord claims there was no time to coordinate with High Command and I can’t argue the point!” While the Warlord spoke, Elise stood behind Alan and put her hands on his shoulders. “While he’s doing that, another of his operatives cleaned up the mess the Green Lantern Corps made of themselves.”
“I think you’re a little harsh towards the Green Lantern Corps.” Alan challenged the Warlord.
“No, not really. I will explain in a minute.” She refocused on him. “I told the legend of the Champion of the Green Flame to my son when he was small. Now I find that creature is taking advantage of my granddaughter. What the Hell am I going to do with you, Sentinel?”
Alan laughed. He reached up and held Elise’s hands.
“Give us your blessing, of course, and wish us well.”
Warlord Zalar smiled wistfully. Then she locked her gaze onto Elise.
“Child, I hope you realize what you’ve done. You’ve managed to force High Command to reexamine its doctrine on Metas.”
“What was that doctrine?” Selina inquired.
“We don’t work with Metas at all.” The Warlord frowned. “We’ve found them to be undisciplined and unreliable. They’re full of power, good intentions, ego, and arrogance. They don’t work with us and they don’t work together. The Green Lantern Corps’ latest fiasco underscores that.”
“But,” Selina objected, “the Corps did what they felt they had to do.”
“Batgirl, is it?” the Warlord spoke gently. “Let me explain the problem. An outclassed leaderless team attempted to take on an impossible foe: one who knew they were coming. They had no strategy, no tactics, and no escape plan. Supergirl’s rescue attempt was different. She had a specific objective – the rescue of the Green Lanterns.” Elise nodded in agreement. “She fought a foe she knew how to defeat. And when all was said and done, she was smart enough to clean up the evidence and return the power batteries and rings.”
“But even so,” Selina stood up, “good strategy would dictate training your available resources regardless of their origin. Kira is very well trained and disciplined. That discipline made a difference. You can’t afford to ignore the potential of those allies who are Metas, particularly now. Your situation is still dire. You’ve had some minor relief, but the Kayzik still have the Guardians. They’ve just lost their convenient launching pad in the middle of your space.”
“Too true, but that is also part of my point.” The Warlord smiled. “Zoldar was correct, we can no longer ignore what you do. Security is still trying to figure out how the Shade slipped by every sensor they had.” She chuckled, then sobered. “We realize that you are just beginning your work. Others hear your silent call. In the last week you’ve managed to recruit a Tamaran warrior and seven Green Lanterns. I wouldn’t even want to try to guess what you’d recruit if you took applications.”
“Your point, Grandmother? They’re really not interested in joining the Shantar military.” Elise tightened her grip on Alan’s shoulders.
“Nor should they – we’d bungle the job.” The Warlord replied. “We don’t know how to effectively use Metas. But you are dangerously effective when you do. Very well, here’s my offer – a partnership where everybody wins. The Sentinel’s Lair becomes the home to a Shantar Allied Force. We’ll provide staff, logistics, and coordination support. Your coordination point is High Command. If you don’t get what you need, any member of your senior staff calls here directly and we’ll discuss it. We’ll also coordinate our behind the lines missions with your senior staff for support.”
“And in return,” Selina added, “this base coordinates its missions with your headquarters. You know what’s coming and jointly we’ll be able to maximize the effect of those missions.” Alan nodded for her to continue. “Even more, you get the element of quality control you desperately need. You know that if it’s one of our teams, we’ve seen to it that the team is trained.”
The Warlord focused on Alan.
“You’ve been letting us all ramble on. This is your decision to make, Sentinel.”
Alan looked up to Elise. Then he exchanged glances with Selina.
“It’s a little presumptuous of me to make this decision without consulting Kira, but that can’t be helped. Call me Alan, Warlord. I think we’re going to be working together for quite some time.”
“Fair enough, Alan. Call me Amanda. And the next time you decide to liberate a planet, let me know first?”
He laughed.
“We’ll do our best.”
“See that you do. I do want this to succeed. Zalar out!” The screen faded.
Mt. McKinley, Alaska
I can’t believe how much we’ve all been through. Sometimes even I need to get away. Alan Scott watched the wildlife below him. I work with a well-meaning group of people, but we’re taking on the universe. I hope we’re up to this. What a crew – a Kryptonian who’s still sorting herself out, seven Green Lanterns, a granddaughter I didn’t know I had, the Bat, Wonder Woman, a Tamaran princess, Elise and the Shantar contingent, Kira’s friends, and of course Mary Marvel. Zoldar was right, we’re quite a menagerie. I wonder what else we’ll attract.
Alan smiled as he thought of his cousin. Mary, even death couldn’t keep us apart. Well, the last time, we almost saved our world. Now, we’re older and more experienced. This time we’ll have to get it right. Thank you, cousin, for being my pillar of stability in this mess.
He heard feet hitting the ground behind him. He turned to face Kira Jor-El.
“Alan, you’ve been avoiding me.” Kira crossed her arms. “That’s not like you.”
“I thought you would want to be left alone for a while.”
“For a while.” She smiled. “But not forever. I have something I need to show you, but I’ll need your help to get there.”
“We can do that. Where are we going?” Alan asked.
“That’s my secret. I’ve informed Elise. Here’s where we’re headed.” She gave him a set of Hyperspace coordinates.
Above an Asteroid belt
“This is it, Alan.” They dropped out of Hyperspace. “This is Krypton, where Krypto and I were spawned. Billions died here to prevent the Kayzik from taking the planet.”
“I remember. I honor them for their sacrifice. They saved the lives of countless other billions.”
“But for all their sacrifice, they could be quickly forgotten. That would be a real shame. Outside of Helena’s puppy and myself, there’s nothing left. Can you find even one intact home? One laboratory? One art exhibit?”
“I can’t, but super vision is one of your gifts, not mine. Do you see anything? We might be able to take a few things home. No, I don’t think they’ll be forgotten quickly.”
She smiled at him.
“You’re right about the super vision at least. Hey! It works! My compliments to my travel agent.”
He chuckled.
“Just don’t go too far. The closer you are, the easier it is for me to deflect the red solar rays.”
“Got it. Let’s head over there.” They landed on an asteroid that contained the remnants of a city.
“Can you read any of this, Kira? Otherwise, I’ll try for a translation.”
“It’s something like what the Terrans would call a newspaper. It tells the story of Kal-El’s rocket. It doesn’t mention mine. It does mention test animals in earlier rockets, but not where they went.”
“That might explain Krypto.”
“Selina had a theory on that. Krypto might have been on the rocket that was aimed for Earth. She thought that Jor-El would not have been willing to make a child such an obvious target. I don’t know why it took so long for Krypto to appear.”
“So you think he was created by Jor-El?”
“Probably so. My brother Arf-El.” They both laughed at the thought.
“Kira, that joke was just plain Arf-El.”
“Eww, that’s bad enough to be good.” She chuckled. “I needed that.” Then she sobered. “Alan, I want you to understand what I’ve finally realized. Look at this: all of this.”
“Kira, it’s simply horrible. So much lost.”
“But that’s not all there is to it. There’s more than just devastation here. Much more. This is the legacy that gives my life meaning.”
He started to speak until she held up her hand.
“Alan, let me explain. When I was with the Green Lanterns, I saw unbelievable destruction. For the first time in my life, it sank in that this really isn’t a game. It took me a while to sort through it, but I’ve realized what you’ve always known – we have a responsibility to the trillions of souls in this Universe. We have our power because so many others paid for it with their efforts and their lives.”
She gestured to the stars and continued.
“You’ve tried to give me a free ride while I adjusted. I know why you did what you did on New Oa. I can’t argue with your logic. But don’t ever do that again. I’m your partner and your friend. I have the same responsibility to the souls in this universe that you do. I should be there the next time you plan a campaign. I want to help you to think out those campaigns and I will do my part to make them successful.” She pointed at him. “I know you well enough to know that you plan to get the Guardians back. That might not be your first step, but that’s your next objective.”
He grinned.
“Am I that easy to read?” Something’s changed her. I smell the shadow of the Bat.
Her eyes sparkled.
“No, but it’s the only right thing to do, and we’ll have to be the ones to do it.” She looked at him with steely determination. “Earth is now my home – you and our friends gave me that. I will defend our home and I will do my part to free the planets others call home.”
She looked down.
“I’d like to take this newspaper with us as a reminder of those who gave so much for us.”
He nodded solemnly. I see so much more in you, now. I can understand why the House of El is so revered in so many universes.
“Their sacrifice saved so many. I hope you remember them with pride. They came through for us. Now it’s our turn to come through for them.”
She smiled at him.
“Thank you, Partner. Now, let’s go home. We have to plan before we give the Kayzik their next taste of Terra’s Revenge!”
End of Chapter 8 of Terra's Revenge!