17158/HUNGER: Emissaries

HUNGER: Emissaries
Date of Scene:	17 February 2024
Location:	Central Battery, Oa
Synopsis:	Diana, Donna, and Jean bring news of the Green Lantern Massacre to the Guardians of the Universe on Oa.
Cast of Characters:	Jon Kent, Diana Prince, Donna Troy, Jean Grey

---

Jon Kent has posed:
The strange vessel arriving at Oa draws the immediate attention of the Guardians, and a pair of Green Lanterns arrive to fly alongside the ship as they direct it towards what looks like a massive lantern rendered from glowing green stone. As the ship approaches, it becomes clear just how massive the lantern is - hundreds of feet high and wide, glowing from within.

The Central Battery.

The ship is directed to land on a landing pad outside, and waiting there is a third Lantern. Taller than a human and twice as broad, his flesh is a livid pink and his features have the appearance of something like a gruff bulldog. He waits outside, arms crossed over his barrel chest. The green ring at his finger glowing ominously.

Diana Prince has posed:
Once the Amazons pilot the Jet down in to the designated landing site, the gangplank smoothly deploys from its underbelly, and from within the ship, Diana first disembarks. WEaring a dark blue cloak over her armor, the Princess' hair is loose around her shoulders, with no visible weapons on her person, as she spots the waiting Lantern representitive having arrived.

Diana steps off of the cloud-hued gangplank of her vessel, her wedge heeled boots touching down upon the foreing world to her. She offers a respectful bow of her head to the pink skinned Lantern, and motions behind her with one hand coming out from within her dark robe.

"I am afraid we come with grave news." She explains. "We have just arrived from a travesty of fallen Lanterns, members of your people, presumably. We have brought one survivor with us, but they are in dire need of medical attention." She speaks with a soft voice, a voice laced with hopefully conveyed concern for the survivor, and a mournful undertone for those less fortunate.

"Our people are overseeing the location, and we are prepared to share it with you, and yours, so that recovery operations can be launched with hopeful immediacy."

Donna Troy has posed:
    Donna broadcasts a hail to the two Lanterns that fly out to intercept them as soon as they are in range. No great spoilers, but a basic warning of what to expect. <<Greetings, we are companions of Lantern Hal Jordan of sector... ah Hades, what is it, 2814 I think? Planet Earth, Sol system. We have on board an injured member of your corps. We have stabilized him but he needs urgent medical attention, please be ready to receive him. Species was... I believe Hal said Noxagian?>>

    Once the ship has landed, she comes down the ramp shortly behind Diana and nods a greeting to each of the Lanterns. "We have readings and images of the scene of the attack we can share with you. Whoever attacked your fellow Lanterns was gone before we arrived. Jordan asked us to bring you the injured party and news, he himself has gone ahead scouting, to a location I believe he named Khaos."

    "The injuries we saw were consistent with attackers using a combination of energy discharge and bladed weapons. In my estimation, large axes." She eyes the pink-skinned Lantern up and down. "Something appropriate for a being of your size, or even larger, I would guess."

Jean Grey has posed:
Jean disembarks at the back of the group, leaving ample room for her charge, who floats along at her side without physical aid but encased in a light shimmering of yellow-orange energy. Her understanding of the Lanterns gives the impression that they might instinctively understand the visual language of such constructs.... although she has relatively little knowledge of their whole color-coded system of rivalries! Hopefully no one mistakes her for Much Hotter Larfleeze.

All else aside, it is as safe a method of moving him as any, and safer than many. Those telekinetic forces can keep him fixed and stable in a very literal sense, held static against the various forces invisibly in play in an always-moving universe.

At this point, she's dispensed of the space suit, wearing just the blue and yellow team jumpsuit that normally goes underneath.

Allowing Diana to do the communication (she's great at that hearts and minds stuff and she doesn't even go in your head to do it!), she lets her attention wander a bit. Space is a paradox with her, both familiar and strange simultaneously. Arguably, in the mortal sense, she's less experienced than many of her teamates given one of their biggest missions was to rescue her!

After the preliminaries, she makes a slight gesture and sends the telekinetically-suspended body floating forward, toward his own people, ready to relinquish her hold as soon as they provide whatever alternative. "We do have some medical capabilities of our own, and we're happy to do anything we can to help, but the Lantern we mentioned adivsed he'd be best handled here."

Jon Kent has posed:
"Yeah, we know who you are," the large Lantern grumbles, a deep baritone as he regards the group, "Jordan mentioned you poozers were comin'."

A heavy sigh escapes the man, shaking his broad head as he does.

"Name's Kilowog, sector 674. Love to stay an chin-wag but They want to see you."

He doesn't make it clear who he's referring to, instead turning his broad back to march in the direction of the Central Battery and an ornate gateway built into the base. The two Lanterns who escorted the ship extend their hands, capturing Gallius Zed in a shell of green energy.

As for the wounded Lantern's care, no mention is made. He is simply carried along with them, left in a state of unconsciousness.

Diana Prince has posed:
After the injured Lantern is brought out of the jet, the two Amazon warriors who had been piloting the vessel lastly disembark, both taking up flanking positions on either side of the entryway in to the jet. Diana spares a glance to her sister, then toward Jean, before she looks back to the Lanterns receiving their injured bretheren.

"We are eager to help out, however we may be able to." She informs, before she glances to both Jean, and Donna alike. Without saying anything further verbally, Diana turns to follow the Lanterns toward those that they spoke of, tthose that are waiting to see them.

the two Amazon women left behind, both stand beside the ship in their regal attire, both of them holding silver and golden lances one in the right hand, the other in the left. Oh to be a Guard on duty, the fun they must have.

Donna Troy has posed:
    Donna raises an eyebrow ever so slightly at the response from Kilowog, but says nothing. Diana of course knows exactly what Donna's thinking right now, which roughly can be roughly put as 'Wasn't expecting them to throw a parade or anything, but it would be nice if people were a little friendlier, you know? Here we are travelling half way across to galaxy to help them out, and we get called poozers. What in Gaia's name is a poozer anyway?'

    She gives the two Amazon guards left a the ship the traditional bracer-clashing salute, honoring their sacrifice in standing boring guard duty, and steps her pace up to walk alongside Diana and Jean.

    "You had much dealings with this lot in the past?" She asks Jean, smirking slightly. "They're a bit... odd. Still, sounds like we might be going to meet some of the bosses. That'll be interesting. Never met one of /them/ before."

Jean Grey has posed:
"He seems nice." Jean declares, once Kilowog turns to march ahead. It's not sarcastic, she just has a type! 'Poozer' may as well be alien for 'bub.'

After discharging her patient into the loving care of his own comrades, she glances over toward the others, and then takes up the pace of the group in following along wherever they're led. Again, there's no shortage of curiousity in her surroundings as they go.

"It wasn't so much that I did," Jean eventually answers Donna, as they find some room for conversation on their walk. "John Stewart went with the X-Men to M'Kraan, and there was clearly some kind of Lantern connection to that world. But he wasn't terribly talkative on the details, nor was his ring. The Lanterns as a whole seem, I don't know. Obviously Hal has been with the Justice League for a long time. Diana, you must know him pretty well, at least?"

Eventually, her gaze turns back ahead. "None of the Earth Lanterns seem to have anything good to say about their bosses, though. And well, no one likes their boss, but it does feel like there might be a bit more to it than that. Secrets kept, skeletons in closets, that sort of thing."

Jon Kent has posed:
The walk into the Central Battery is a strange one. The landscape and the architecture are alien in every respect, and even the air feels different as the chemical composition of the atmosphere is just a little different from that nitrogen-oxygen combination residents of Earth are so familiar with. Kilowog leads the way, something weighing heavy on his mind though he does his best not to make a show of it.

The inside of the battery is equally bizarre. There is clear science at work here that is so far beyond anything humanity have even dreamed of at this point. An effort to be utilitarian while, at the same time, still creating a tremendous monument to the collective ego of those who created this place. This world.

When they finally enter the central chamber, there is no council gathered. Rather, there are two blue humanoids in flowing red robes who may be the Guardians that Hal had made mention of. They are barely three feet tall in height, one appearing to be elderly with his white hair in a dramatic widow's peak while the other appears to be younger and feminine with no hair upon her broad cranium.

"Lanterns Sayre and Salaak," the male says, addressing the two helping to carry the wounded Lantern, "Take Lantern Zed to the infirmary. We will conduct this conference alone."

It is then that he finally addresses the group: "I am Ganthet, and this is my colleague Sayd. You have news."

Diana Prince has posed:
"Hal is a kind hearted man." Diana replies back to Jean and Donna, overhearing their conversation, and the question asked of her. "He has a great deal of bravado when he wishes to, but I believe it serves him well, and likely contributed to the call to duty that the ring came to him for."

As they walk onward, Diana's eyes curiously look over the alien world, its architecture, and even does note the differences in the oxygen found here. This kind of exploration is exciting to her, as she rarely leaves Earth, and in 100 years of exploring it, it can lead one to feeling as though they have 'seen it all.' Some part of her feels a smile touching her lips, coming from the spirit of the little girl she once was, dreaming of adventure and far away places.

When they reach the spot of their next greeting pair, Diana offers them too a light bow of her head, her cloak waving gently around her much taller form than that of their own.

"A pleasure to meet you both, Gamthet, and Sayd." She tells them in a pleasant tone of voice, if still reserved some in its strength. She motions to her companions. "Donna, my sister, and Jean a good friend." She introduces them, before her eyes return to the shorter ones that are seeing them.

"We answered the call of another friend, a member of your Green Lanterns, Hal Jordan. He came across the aftermath of a seemingly great battle zone in a nearby region of space. Sadly, it seems many Lanterns have lost their lives, but we hope to help your people navigate to this location to recover them. We witnessed their rings already setting off, presumably to find new hosts, but the former bearers yet remain where we found them. We have guardians looking over them, until your people can arrive, and we offer help in the retrieval process, as well."

Donna Troy has posed:
    "I think there's a bit of a disconnect between the mission and the people who came up with the mission," Donna says to Jean with a nod of her head. "The bosses seem to have some secrets they keep from their own. Remember how our Lantern friends were not getting the full data from their rings? It's not good to keep information you know from the people you send into battle."

    This is fun! A visit into the heart of the Lantern corps. Donna spends the time taking in every detail, not that there's a whole lot that can be learned from what's there to see. She's seen a lot of strange things in recent years -- possibly more lately than even her sister. She does seem to have a habit of ending up in strange places. Some of the time she's been face to face with technology similarly too far ahead of what she's used to on Earth that there's no real way of making sense of it, but that never stops it from being interesting to see. A recent visit to a thousand years in the future had contained some equally incomprehensible-looking technology, and some of it was even Terrestrial.

    Donna gives a polite nod to the two departing lanterns before turning her attention to the bosses. She studies them a few moment before giving each of them a polite nod too.

    "We gathered all the bodies we could locate into a single place, and put a beacon there to ensure they won't be lost. There were quite a few of them, unfortunately. Whoever fought them must have been a dangerous enemy indeed."

    "Whoever it was, they were gone before we got there. From what we could tell by the bodies their attackers were armed with both some type of energy weapon, and bladed weapons. Some kind of axe-type weapon. There was a consistency to the cuts that suggests the physical attacks were done with a uniform design of bladed weapon. Or possibly a single weapon."

Jean Grey has posed:
"John ran into the same problem," Jean echoes that bit from Donna about Hal's ring. "And it only makes you wonder that much more what they could be hiding. Bit of a Streisand effect."

As they walk, the woman's wide gaze drifts side to side. If it's got the potential to impress Diana, it can definitely impress Jean. Even what ventures she has undertaken beyond Earth in recent days, they've never taken her somewhere like this. The Shi'ar are advanced, but they still have that familiar cultural texture that seems almost universal among humanoid civilizations: they do pomp and circumstance like human nobility does pomp and circumstance. Emperors and thrones.

But this place? The purity of the supersceince is something else. Grandeur not for its own sake, but out of it's impressive function. It's more akin to the Celestial tech... or to what the X-Men saw on that distant planet before the Imperial Guard collected them.

When they finally meet the Oan pair, she offers a smile and an introduction of her own. "Jean Grey. Hopefully I'm not on your Wanted list, or anything." She's only half joking! As far as her own comments on the event, again, Donna has far more experience when it comes to describing the details of the battle, but she does have one bit of assistance she can offer:

"If the Lantern we brought back doesn't return to consciousness soon, I might be able to try and retrieve some of what he saw from his mind. I hesitated to do it while his condition was critical, but it might facilitate things, if time may be a factor."

Jon Kent has posed:
"We have means of retrieving this information for ourselves, Jean Grey," Ganthet answers, "The Phoenix entity is a concern to us, but preliminary readings do not suggest it was involved in the attack. However, the murder of Green Lanterns is an internal matter that we must discuss in council."

At this point, the two Guardians rise from the ground. They are held aloft on small floating platforms, easily making their eye-line a little higher than those of the gathered visitors. A subtle show of superiority? Who can say.

"We will take from the remains you have gathered for analysis. Our command is that you return to Earth with our thanks. We require nothing of you but the absence of your interference."

As Ganthet speaks, Sayd remains silent. There's a thoughtful expression on her face, eyes dwelling on Donna for a long moment as she speaks.

Diana Prince has posed:
Diana's eyes are on Donna, and Jean, as both of her counterparts offer information, and potential aid in researching what happened out there. The response that they get from their Oan hosts, has Diana tilting her head ever-so-slightly, as the response was a lot colder than she had anticipated. There was nothing to be done of it, however, and in the moment she internally contributes it to the sudden death of so many of their own. Afterall, were Themyscira greeted with a similar fate of their people, they may not be prone to giving out a warm welcome either.

A simple bow is offered out of respect, before the Princess then adds a warm smile for both Gamthet and Sayd, as the two now hover in the air upon their fancy platforms.

"We only wish we could have done more. Should you need further from us, I am sure that Green Lantern Jordan can help any such requests reach us back in the Sol system..."

The Princess gives a look once again to her companions, before she starts to turn to head back the way they had come from.

Donna Troy has posed:
    Donna looks back at Sayd, smiling slightly. No challenge in the her expression, just open friendliness. An I-see-you-looking-at-me, but also an I-don't-mind.

    She joins Diana in bowing respectfully to the two Oans, but doesn't want to leave it quite there. "We will respect your desire to handle this yourselves, of course, and we share your sadness in your losses. A small request though..."

    She glances quickly aside to Diana and Jean before continuing. "If this is not resolved soon, please do share with us what you feel able to share. Earth is a young world, but strong. It will be no more than a few millionths of a galactic rotation before we are ready to be a force for good across the larger expanses of space, but I am sure you know that we have already proven ourselves able in the face of potent aggressors. Do not overlook us as a source for aid if you need it, Gamthet and Sayd of Oa."

    "Jordan has the coordinates of the beacon we left with the bodies and can guide your people there for the recovery. We found only one person who's injuries seemed to us not beyond saving, but I hope you find more. Good fortune and whatever gods you may have, if any, go with you."

Jean Grey has posed:
Jean smiles along with that evaluation. No space-jail for her today! "I can assure you there's no error in your readings. For good or ill, I am always well aware of... our actions, together." No sleepwalking down to the fridge, even when the fridge is a tasty looking local nebula!

As far as the very polite, not even a thanks, please show yourselves out and never return reply that they get, it is probably somewhat to be expected. No one, as a rule, likes outsiders meddling in their business. And she's content enough to leave them to it. Not that she doesn't see how 'their' problem could quickly become Earth's problem, but it doesn't seem like the forum to debate it.

As Donna says, if Earth does end up in trouble, well, Earth can take care of itself.

So no argument is given. Diana covers how best to reach them, and starts to go. Jean moves to follow. But she too catches a bit of that glance, and can't help but poke at it a little. And so she broadcasts something at Sayd. <<If there's anything more you wish to relay...>> She has no clue what the telepathic capabilities of these folks are, but hey!

Jon Kent has posed:
"With all due respect, Donna Troy," Ganthet says in response, his large head shaking very slightly from side to side, "Your world plays host to some of the rare few beings who might be capable of such a massacre. You will understand our reluctance to involve your Earth in these matters."

Sayd's eyes flick sidelong to Ganthet, though all she ventures to add is: "We have already located the beacon. Thank you."

The platitude draws a withering sidelong glare from Ganthet, and the two platforms begin to float away towards the upper reaches of the chamber that are largely concealed by the green light radiating from a great energy source there. When Jean reaches out, the strength of the telepathic voice that meets her is almost ludicrously powerful given the small size and timidity of Sayd.

<<JEAN GREY OF EARTH. SEEK THE ELDER WORLDS. FORGED IN THE GENESIS OF THE UNIVERSE. THERE YOU WILL UNDERSTAND.>>

Then the connection is cut off, and the stillness suggests that re-establishing it may be impossible. The Guardians have departed, and only Kilowog remains.

"Right, that's that. 'Preciate what you did, Earthers, but this is Lantern business."

He begins to lurch off in the direction they came.

Donna Troy has posed:
    "Are they like that with you guys too?" Donna says conversationally to Kilowag as she follows him back towards the ship. "I mean the whole oh-so-mysterious act. I bet they're really old. It's always the one who've been around since forever who can't help doing the whole misterioso thing. I figure it's a lack of patience. They talk amongst themselves, they've got all these frames of reference you don't have. Like you get a couple of old people together and they do all these references to ancient shows you never watched. They just can't be bothered to explain things to people who haven't been around for thousands of years, so they just put on an act of being super mysterious and people just give up and don't ask difficult questions."

    She gives a grin and aims a gentle shoulder bump at Diana. At least it's not Diana she's teasing for being ooooold this time.

    "Anyway wide, pink and Lanterny. Once your bosses figure out it wasn't one of our Kryptonians, which is probably what they were thinking, remind them that we're happy to help out. But we'll stay out of it until then, as we promised. At least so long as whatever it was that's responsible doesn't come our way, obviously. "

Jean Grey has posed:
Jean's mind is very powerful! Among the most powerful, even, at least on scales where such a comparison is meaningful. It is the thing that makes her such a beacon, anchor, whatever she is, to the cosmic power that haunts her - and every one of her ancestors and descendants - across space and time.

But she is also still the young (shut up, Rogue!) protege of Charles Xavier and he might have approached this interaction with a little more care and focus. While she is, in a sense, ready against -attack- in such a potentially unwelcoming place, what she is not ready for is the communication of such psychic 'volume' and intensity, not any kind of hostile action but simple communication, perhaps overly generous.

It is not (again) unlike the 'voice' of the Celestial computer in the Savage Land.

In any case, Jean has already turned to walk back as she attempts this communication, and when it hits her, her eyes go briefly wide in surprise at the overwhelming moment. Lifting a hand to the side of her face, she stumbles a few steps, and then topples over sideways beside Diana.

It takes her a moment, before she can say anything. "Ah- I'm fine, I'll be fine. Just, let's go back to the ship." There's a slight haste and worry in her tone, as if to ward against anyone making a bigger scene out of what's just happened.

Diana Prince has posed:
Diana was not very talkative as they proceeded back toward their ship. She did look toward their Lantern escort, then to the Jet itself as it rested up ahead, with both of its Amazon guardswomen posted in the same places they had been when they were left behind.

It is Donna that rouses Diana, with that shoulder bump, and a smirk touching the Princess' lips. "I ask you to watch 'I Love Lucy' one time, and you never let it go. It is the best of that type of television show..."

Her words trail off, as she notices out of the corner of her eye the wobbling nature of Jean's pace. She reacts in a blur of motion, her arms coming out from within her dark blue robe, her golden armor still worn beneath the robe, and across each arm that is there to catch the redhead as she faulters.

A look of concern is upon Diana's face now, as she sees Jean near-instantly coming back to a normal state. A glance is spared over to her sister, then up toward the Lantern, before she regards Jean again, helping to steady her on her left side. "What was that...?" Diana asks, also giving a look back over her shoulder.

The X-Men were a dramatic bunch, but something was concerning about that all the same.

"Are you okay?" She has to ask, even if the woman seems to be balancing out again.

"We better check you out once we are aboard." She says softly. "Donna, make sure the medical configuration is still up inside?"

Jon Kent has posed:
"Pretty much," Kilowog answers Donna without looking back, "Got a lot goin' on when you decide the whole universe is yours to look after. Not to mention they're all almost as old as the universe ... so you're not far off with the old people thing."

Donna's follow-up does prompt him to glance over his shoulder at her, falling into stride with her as he does.

"Doubt they think it was them. You wouldn't be leavin' if they did. 'Sides, not every Kryptonian's as tough as your Superman. Don't expect 'em to come askin' for help, though. Jordan neither, army of one that poozer. That said, maybe needle him about it a little ... "

That's about as much as Kilowog seems willing to offer in terms of help and advice. He turns his head when Jean topples a little, his jutting brow creasing with concern.

"Alright, get outta here 'fore you get the vapors again."

There's a lot to discuss. A lot more to look into. But insofar as their sojourn to Oa is concerned - it's time to leave.