#1: The Legion Virus Saga, Pt. 1 (Kruger)

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Tales of the Green Lantern Corps
Issue 1: "The Legion Virus Saga, Pt. 1"
Written by Scott Kruger
Cover by Scott Kruger
Edited by David Charlton

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Chapter One: Legion!

The Anti-Matter Universe of Qward. A mirror universe, existing slightly out of vibrational synch with our own. At the heart of this Universe, the planet Qward, the anti-matter universe twin of OA. Unlike OA, Qward was the governing planet of the entire anti-matter universe. The governing body of the planet were the Weaponers, founded by Yokal the Atrocious over 4 billion years earlier, currently led by Kiman, the Chief Weaponer. The social hierarchy of Qward consisted of the Chief Weaponer, followed by his second in command, the Master Thunderer, leader of the Thunder Guard and below him were the Destroyers. Each Weaponer and Thunderer harnessed weapons known as Qwa-Bolts accept for the Chief Weaponer who carried the staff of Yokal. A staff created from the bones of defeated enemies by Yokal the Atrocious himself.

Kiman had been in power for over 4 centuries when, by accident, Qwardian scientists discovered the existence of at least one alternate universe. A mirror image of their own. Kiman watched the “matter universe”, the mockery of life, for over a century.

Kiman eventually grew complacent in his rule of Qward and desired nothing more than to extend his rule to the matter universe. Every scheme he had came up with failed, if not by the sheer bumbling of his armies, then at the hands of the Guardians of the Universe and their lap dogs, the Green Lantern Corps. After decades of research, a group of Qwardian scientists led by Vestry the Thinker developed a powerful biological weapon. A living organism that could, hypothetically, attack the hated Green Lantern Corps and in the process create a legion of warriors Kiman could utilize to conquer the matter Universe. The Legion virus was born.

The Legion virus was programmed with one thought ingrained into it: “Assimilate or destroy”.

Their biology being completely different than beings in our own Universe, the Qwardians would transform their newly conquered Universe into another anti-matter universe. They could then move around freely.
Using specially developed technology to convert anti-matter beings into matter beings, Kiman gave the Qwardians champion, Gnaxos, a crystal orb that contained the only existing strain of the Legion virus.

Gnaxos would have one shot, one opportunity to unleash Legion. It was a suicide mission, which Gnaxos hungrily accepted. Once an anti-matter being was converted to matter, there was no turning back and Gnaxos would rather perish than live in the Matter Universe longer than necessary.

Employing a dimensional bridge. Gnaxos was sent to infect one particular Green Lantern that Kiman despised. Kiman, selected Sinestro of Korugar to be the test subject for the Legion virus, because, in his time of rule, of all the Green Lanterns, it was always either Sinestro or the Bolovaxian Kilowog, that lead the Green Lantern Corps to his inevitable defeat. Kilowog was much larger than Sinestro and since this was to be a test, he wanted to test it out on a less physically formidable opponent.

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Chapter Two: Choices

6 months ago:

Space Sector 1417, near the planet Korugar.

A tear in space, neither seen, nor heard by anyone heralded the beginning of change for the galactic police force known as the Green Lantern Corps. A portal of yellow energy, and through it, a single craft emerged. The craft, a stolen pirate vessel, disappeared from the known Universe months ago. The original pilot was long dead; the new pilot was Gnaxos of Qward, warrior champion.

Gnaxos sat in the pilot chair and guided the freighter towards Korugar’s moon. His fingers danced over the ships control panel, beginning a scan of the nearby planet. The console beeped an affirmative… his target had been acquired.

He pressed a few buttons on the console, just recently installed before his departure from Qward. The buttons triggered a small explosion on the starboard wing and filled the bridge with a thick gray smoke. He pressed another button and a pre-recorded distress signal began to play. Not the way Gnaxos would’ve preferred his final battle to start, but the mission required stealth over brute force... He aimed the freighter towards Korugar.

The trap was set.

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The red planet Korugar, neat, orderly, clean… just the way Green Lantern Sinestro preferred his home planet. Though his planet had yet to achieve interplanetary space travel, he had been selected years ago to succeed Motra-Kai as Green lantern of sector 1417.

Normally, a race must have the ability to travel outside their galaxy before consideration in the Green lantern Corps. In the case of Sinestro, this was overlooked. Two decades earlier, Motra-Kai had been mortally wounded attempting to stop the last Korugarian world war. A successor had to be found, and the ring chose Sinestro.

Sinestro’s exploits during his tenure as Green Lantern became legendary. Though his methods, at times, could be brutal, he made a name for himself as one of the greatest of the Corps.

For the better part of a decade, Sinestro refused to choose an alternate… someone to fill in for him, in case of incapacitation. Until Ganthet, Guardian of Sinestro’s sector, gave him an ultimatum, “choose, or have one chosen for you”.

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Green Lantern Citadel, Korugar, sector 1417.

Katma Tui deflected the blow Sinestro aimed at her youthful face with her left arm, but swung her right wildly, leaving him an opening. Sinestro quickly took advantage of the situation, driving his fist deep into her belly. As she hit the floor, winded, he kicked the side of her head.

“No, no, no Katma, you are not thinking.” He goaded as she rolled over onto her back massaging her bruised face (and ego). “If you were facing a combatant in hand to hand combat, you would be dead.”

“I’m sorry master, I will try harder.”

“No, you will not,” Sinestro continued chastising her, “you will do it. What would have happened had I a concealed weapon? A knife, perhaps? A knife would cut through your gullet like warm kutaba. What would you do then?”

“I assume I would die, master…” Katma retorted. Sinestro’s scowl deepened as he struck her across the face.

“Insolence!” he shouted at her. He paused a moment to regain control of his legendary temper, “Do not assume anything Katma! Think… you would not simply die… you would watch, helplessly, as the contents of your stomach spilled out. No matter how hard you would try to pull your innards back in… you would die. Horribly… painfully. A Green Lantern is more than just this,” Sinestro held up his right hand, showing her his ring, “you must think, then react. To just react blindly could be disastrous.”

Katma stared at him stone faced. Not uncaring, but defiant and fearless… a true Green Lantern candidate. Sinestro stared into her eyes and smiled slightly.

“At least our brains are a little stronger and protected by our skulls, eh?” he asked in a vain attempt to lighten the mood. “Even if some are thicker than others... I expect nothing but perfection from you, my apprentice, because I would expect nothing but perfection from myself. Now, do it again, this time keep your right up.”

They began again when an alarm sounds. The sound of the alarm caught Sinestro off guard, allowing Katma a right hook punch to his jaw. Sinestro fell backward, hitting the ground hard.

“Did you not hear the alarm!?” he screeched at her, “that was a cheap shot & you will be on monitor duty for the next 48 hours straight.”

Katma smiled triumphantly after he turned his back and stalked off toward the monitor.

Sinestro terminated the alarm, bringing much needed silence to his sore head. The monitor sprang to life showing an image from a Korugarian orbital satellite.

{A small, one man courier has just entered the system. It appears to be damaged & requires immediate assistance. Current trajectory places it on a collision course with the capital city Draxar} The computers robotic voice droned.

“Katma, stay here and watch the monitors… I have to stop this fool before he collides with our planet and makes a mess of everything” Sinestro commanded as he rubbed his aching jaw.

“Yes, master” she responded with a smirk. Though her words went unheard since he had already flown through the roof portal.

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Using all the speed he could muster, Sinestro quickly left planetary orbit. Speeding by the Korugarian moon he immediately saw the fast moving craft on a collision course with Draxar, the planet’s capital city.
“Ring, analysis?” he commanded.

{Starboard wing and engine, destroyed} the voice of the ring was his own… he had, long ago, commanded the ring to stop using Motra-Kai’s voice, {Ship venting atmosphere, one life sign, very faint… no further information available}

Odd… It was not every day that the ring could not provide him with more than just the obvious basics. He quickly wrapped the ship in an energy bubble to contain its leaking atmosphere.

He entered the energy bubble and cautiously drifted towards the ship. The airlock door was sealed tight he used the ring to forcibly pry it open.

He entered the ship to find a darkened hallway full of smoke. “Ring, ship schematic, now.”

{complied} a detailed schematic emanated from the jewel in the center of his ring. The bridge was to his right, though the life sign was not. He proceeded down the dark hallway to the bridge, using his ring to illuminate the way.

At the end of the hall the bridge door sat slightly ajar with more smoke billowing from inside. He used the ring to slide the door open. The bridge was completely deserted. He increased the illumination from his ring…

{WARNING!}

The Qwa bolt plunged into his thigh before he could react. Though his ring immediately activated and shielded him, the yellow hue of the bolt negated the shield. Sinestro fled, shattering the bridge view screen. The sudden decompression and loss of oxygen sent Gnaxos hurtling after him before the ship imploded on itself.

Sinestro had no time to pull the Qwa-Bolt from his leg as Gnaxos tackled him. Sinestro reacted, using his ring as a gun and burning a hole through Gnaxos left hand.
In the vacuum of space, Sinestro could not hear the curses Gnaxos spat as he lunged for something that had fallen from his injured hand.

Sinestro took the momentary reprieve to remove the Qwa-bolt from his bloodied thigh. Instantly his ring began to heal his leg. Fury burned in his heart as he flew at full speed towards his attacker.

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The monitor played, in real time, the events that transpired above Korugar. Katma held her breath as Sinestro dodged Qwa-bolts and hit the attacker with a large emerald fist.

Katma knew that Sinestro needed her now, even though he would never admit it. She turned to exit the monitor room when the proximity alarm went off once again. She was so intent on watching the combatants that she (and Sinestro, for that matter) had forgotten about the ship. Though it was nothing but wreckage, it was still on a collision course with Draxar and would impact in seconds.

Sinestro’s rage and need for revenge blinded him from the task at hand… the words that he spoke to her just moments earlier echoed in her head…

“You must think, then react. To just react blindly could be disastrous.”

She flew from the citadel towards Draxar without hesitation, a true Green Lantern.

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The blow from a giant emerald fist sent Gnaxos flying backward. It also cracked his protective helmet, venting oxygen. In seconds he would be and the mission, a failure. Not an option…

He charged Sinestro throwing Qwa-Bolts wildly.

Sinestro avoided the onslaught with ease and pummeled the attacker with small green fists, followed by a heavy-hitting uppercut. The final blow knocked the attacker unconscious and sent the protective helmet flying from his head. Sinestro quickly enveloped himself and the attacker in a protective bubble.

“So, the mighty Gnaxos of Qward wanted a rematch with Sinestro, eh?” Sinestro said to himself as he strode confidently towards the fallen combatant.
Gnaxos suddenly swept Sinestro’s leg out from under him, Sinestro landed on his back as another Qwa-Bolt pierced his shoulder.

Sinestro let out a yelp of pain as Gnaxos stood over him with a yellow orb, posed to strike.

“Playing dirty? Fine!” Sinestro sneered as he made the protective bubble vanish.

Gnaxos grabbed his throat as he began to suffocate. It would be seconds before died & he would be damned if he, the greatest champion in the history of Qward went down as a failure.

“What’s the matter Gnaxos? Can’t breathe?” Sinestro goaded.

With the last bit of strength in him, Gnaxos swung the orb at Sinestro, who reflexively stuck out his ringed fist, creating a shield to block the blow. The yellow hue of the orb passed through the protective shield and smashed on impact with Sinestro’s ring, exploding in a yellow fireball.

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In the capital city of Draxar, Katma Tui gently eased the wreckage of the fallen space freighter to the ground to overwhelming cheers of civilian bystanders.

A flash of light in the sky brought her back to reality.

Sinestro still needed her. She poured her willpower into the power ring on her right fist, but nothing happened. The ring's power was there, but it refused to react.

“Ring, analysis!” she demanded.

{All communication from ring 1417 has been lost, save one command, broadcast universally} the familiar voice of Sinestro explained {Assimilate or destroy.}

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The lifeless body of Gnaxos had frozen over by the time the smoke cleared. When the orb containing the Legion virus was smashed onto his ring, Sinestro was lost. Spreading from the ring, yellow vein-like tendrils quickly and painfully covered his entire body.

He silently screamed in the vacuum of space as the tendrils spread through his chest, down his legs and up his neck. The green of his uniform lost its pigmentation, becoming yellow. Then the re-programming began.

The virus was designed to leave the infected with only trace amounts of their personality, overwriting it with a singular mission “Assimilate or destroy”.

The new Sinestro gazed into his ring seeking information, the yellow jewel in its center operated on a completely different level. It no longer bore his thoughts and personality traits. The ring implanted the information required directly into his brain, no longer allowing for interpretation.

Sinestro of Korugar, sector 1417, turned his back on his home world and headed off into deep space.

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In the deserted Green Lantern Citadel Katma Tui sprung into action, contacting the Guardians of the Universe on OA. The holo-projector in the center of the room hummed to life when contact was established.

The image of Ganthet appeared before her.
{Katma Tui of Korugar} Ganthet began, {We received a disturbing transmission from ring 1417 before losing contact with it completely. What has happened? Where is Sinestro?}

Katma relayed the events that transpired, and Ganthet’s frown deepened with every word.

{We are sending someone to Korugar to retrieve you. You will be completing your training here on OA}

“What about Korugar and this sector?” She asked.

{Since he was the only true Green Lantern in the sector, it is likely Sinestro thought it secure, and you not a threat. Expect Jar Kell within the next planetary cycle… he will be aware of the situation}

The transmission terminated and the room went dark.

‘Thought me not a threat’? Of course, arrogant bastard…

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To be continued...

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Tales of the Green Lantern Corps
"Carthag, Pt. 1"
Written by Wounded Trojan
Edited by David Charlton

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Oa. The Council of the Guardians.


"So," Continued the guardian standing in the middle of the room, "We are here today, in this unusual meeting to make a decision: to approve or to refuse a new candidate to the corps. Unusual because it is a decision that a trainer can take, but necessary because of the candidate's circumstances."

A hologram of a clean cut, well built man appears in the middle of the room.

"Carthag." Introduced the Guardian to his fellows. "Proved himself worthy of the ring he would carry in all the tests that he went through, highest marks from his trainer." He went silent for a couple of seconds and then continued. "What is questionable about him is the following:
1) His origins......his mother was one of the Dark Gods of Apokolips. His father's ......"

"Quite extraordinary" said one of the Guardians reading the data shown on the hologram screens…

"Questionable indeed!" Said another.

"Still," Continued the Guardian in the middle, "Given the history of his mother and the way he was raised is far away from any dark influence of the world of Apokolips. Not one test he failed, neither an indication showed any negative trace to that dark corner of the universe.
2) His personal behavior and communicative abilities. It has been boldly noted by his trainer that Carthag is a man of few words. Perfect physical fighting abilities, awesome will power, but......he says almost nothing, he joins his teams' actions but nothing else......."

"And," Cut the Guardian reading the hologram screens still, "His friendship to....."

"Vril Dox." The Guardian in the middle continued. "An ambitious young man who has unlimited dreams for the galaxy and beyond."

"Dreams and plans." Stated cautiously another Guardian.

"Plans indeed," Confirmed the Guardian in the middle. "What is known of these plans though, has a purpose that differs not, that much, from ours, friends. Still, his friendship does not seem to affect Carthag's ability to fulfill his duty towards the Corps." He waited again and then stated. "Now my brothers, is the time to decide

"The decision has been made." Stated one of the Guardians after a minute of silence. "The man has been approved by his trainer; his obvious actions make him a good bearer of the ring. Whatever that is held against him is speculated more than calculated.” He waited for a second and then continued, "He will be a Green Lantern. Assign him to sector 2306, so he can start his duty."

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Colu. Vril Dox' office.

At the balcony where the office of the man who liberated his home planet from the computers full control, stood two men. One is Vril Dox himself, and the other was the man whose fate the Guardians took much time and effort to decide with the Green Lantern Corps, known as Carthag.

They just stood there at the balcony facing each other. Carthag was looking at the ring on his fist.

"So," Dox cut the silence, "My dear friend, you are the next protector of the world. I am not surprised, not at all. It would surprise me great deal if you have not been accepted." A moment of silence passed and then the liberator of Colu continued, "With this ring, and your ultra willpower, you become a weapon even the Gods would notice. You can now accomplish your goals, dreams, and wishes."

The two men shared a moment looking at each other.

"Sector 2306… " Said Commander Dox, "Hmmmm, troubled would be a mild word to describe that part of the known space. But I am sure, to an absolute degree, that you will do very well there."

"We will," said Carthag "see each other again."

"That we will," Stated Vril Dox, "And soon, I wish. Then we can chat about how we are making the galaxy a better place!"

Carthag, the new Green Lantern, turned and flew away toward the stars.

"Sector 2306." muttered Dox, "A far troubled place that would keep you, in distance and mind, away from me and......Earth!"

End.

[mockingbird]

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