Yue

 2nd January

03:40 GMT

Aaaaand rest.

Gravity… Normal. Mutations removed, spell eater temperature no longer increasing. Rings, state power reserves.

"Sixty nine percent power remaining." / "Eighty three percent power remaining." / "Seventy one percent power remaining."

Don’t even need to recharge.

The soldiers move forward from their position near the borehole cautiously, keeping both the entrance to the temple proper and the Blessed One's corpse under their guns-. The entrance, the Blessed One and me under their guns the entire time.

"Oh, knock it off. I'm not impressed."

The.. flight leader makes a motion with his left hand and the guns are pointed elsewhere. "I was concerned that the alien might be.. influencing you."

"It was a corporeal creature with some spell casting ability. It would have to have been much better at magic before it could breach my defences. If you're interested-" The soldiers take position around the entrance. "-in learning what fighting actual demons is like, you should request a tour of duty on Earth."

"The day I get a power ring, I will do that."

"No, a power ring is what you get for surviving on Earth. We have five Sector Lanterns and three Honour Guard Lanterns for a reason."

He shudders slightly. "What sort of insane deathworld is it?"

"Grow some primaries." I get a short glare as he flaps his wings and glides over to the entrance. "Ms Parker, the Blessed One appears to be dead. Anything we need to do in order to make certain?"

"Sever the neck or destroy the brain."

I look over to the soldiers forming up around it. "You get-?"

They fire directly into its eyes, burning holes through into its skull cavity.

"Done. Should we expect more?"

"I don't know."

"Any other creatures we might run into?"

"Blessed Ones were always rare. They should be down to-"

"Man-Hawks!"

"-Man-Hawks and cultists. They might-"

Man-Hawks swoop down from the temple's interior, but the soldiers are prepared. Shots strike their avian faces and most of the first wave end their stoop with a crash into the floor. The thanagarians flit left and right, dodging their assailants and their plummeting bodies. Yes, this is what happens-

I raise my right hand and erase a Man-Hawk that was using two of its fellows for cover.

-when barbarians charge soldiers.

"-have a priest."

"A magic user?"

"Maybe, but the Seven Devils know more about Nth metal than any mortal-. Well, they did in m-. In Chay-ara's day. They might have advanced weapons down there."

I nod as the last of the Man-Hawks fall. "Everyone hear that?"

The soldiers give no sign that they've heard me as they finish off the last of the Man-Hawks, then press onward into the temple. Alright, fine, I'm not in their chain of command.

"Have you heard anything from the others?"

"Hector's team found a reliquary. Some indication of recent use, but there wasn't anyone there. Nothing from the others yet."

"Rightoh. I'll try and get a prisoner."

"Why?"

Ah, the commander was listening.

"I have ways of making them talk."

Construct armour to full, fat tendrils of orange light reaching out because whatever destroys my filaments is still active… I stride forwards into the temple behind the soldiers. They're leaving photon emitters as they go. Clever little things; rather than shining light out like a torch they cause things in their vicinity to leak a small number of photons. As a result the area glows enough to be clearly visible without there being a blinding light source anywhere. It still makes it a bit obvious to anyone further in that we're coming, of course. Thanagarians can be sneaky, but it's certainly not a focus of their doctrines. I suppose that being able to see clearly is probably more helpful when you're sure that you outnumber and outgun your enemies. And I'm reasonably confident that all of the corpses and shooting was a bit of a clue as to our intent.

What could go wrong? Ring, scan the soldiers for Man-Hawk mutations.

Minor physical alterations found.

Internal only. "Ms Parker, how long does it take to turn a thanagarian into a Man-Hawk? Assuming that they weren't volunteering."

"I don't know."

"Why do you need to know?"

"The soldiers here are being altered. Nothing overt yet, but my ring can detect it. They're going to need to be quarantined after the mission is over."

"I will arrange for physicians to attend to them. There is enough space around the temple itself to set up an isolation ward."

"Good. If we're lucky-" Sounds of shooting from up ahead. "-the transformations will stop when we nobble the priesthood."

"Understood. It is best to be prepared."

I accelerate to a jog, passing through another internal doorway to see the thanagarian soldiers suppressing defenders in what the map Ms Parker provided says is the inner sanctum. The weapons they're using… Gravitic accelerator kinetic projectile guns. Reasonable against Thanagarian military armour, useless against my kinetic barrier. I rise off the ground and fly through the breach at speed, ignoring the incoming fire as my barrier stops it before it can hit me. I retaliate with pinpoint destructive pulses, shooting their guns and destroying them. They pull Nth metal knives, so I drop a vertigo inducer at their feet and they collapse, clutching at their ears. While the cultists are wearing regulation creepy robes the soldiers are wearing sealed helmets, so that will be fine.

"Dread Thasaro! My lord and master!"

Sounds like a cult leader. The soldiers charge in, checking for targets and… They've been ordered to take prisoners. They're restricting themselves to inflicting disabling injuries rather than taking kill shots. I fly further in and catch sight of a robed figure standing in front of an idol, knife pointed at his own body. He spots my orange glow and turns, but my orange tendrils are easily powerful enough to punch through his weak shield spell.

"And brand."

He jerks, and my sigil appears on his forehead.

"Orange Lantern to ship. Mission accomplished."