| Thanaldar, Thanagar - August 30
Hro Talak sat across from the man in the golden helt, his makeshift war office hastily arranged in one of the few buildings left partially intact by the Gordanian onslaught. The stranger wore no shirt—his upper body bare and defined—while his lower half was clad in shimring gold fabric with a tallic sheen. His arms were folded, his posture unbothered.
This was the man who had decimated Gordanian troops and warships by the hundreds—perhaps thousands—before engaging Despero in single combat. And now, Despero was gone.
Hro needed to keep him on their side. If he wouldn't cooperate willingly, there was always the last resort: the Sin Eater. But it would be far better—and far safer—to negotiate. Perhaps the man was a secret Thanagarian? He spoke the language flawlessly.
At Hro's right stood Kragger, his adviser and lieutenant. Paran Dul would've been next to him too if all had gone to plan. On his left were Shayera and Katar Hol. They had often disagreed with him—sotis publicly—but even Hro couldn't deny the impact they'd had on the battlefield. They all removed their helts to not seem disrespectful to what could be the key to saving their empire.
"I'd offer you a drink, but..." Hro gestured at a jagged hole in the wall, next to a pile of debris. "We're a little short on hospitality."
"Whatever," the stranger replied flatly. "Let's cut to the chase. I want a vehicle that can take to Earth."
Kragger bristled, nostrils flaring at the blatant tone. But Hro raised a hand, silencing him.
Earth.
The very planet Hro had almost nearly sacrificed—intending to anchor a hyperspace route straight into the Citadel's core and end the Gordanian threat. The plan had failed. The hyperspace calculations hadn't been finished before the enemy arrived. And now, this man wanted to go there?
Could he be human? That seed impossible. No Earthling that he knew of had displayed such powers on such a scale.
"Thanagar is short on subspace-capable craft," Hro said slowly. "We need them to bring reinforcents from off-world. But we'd be willing to spare one if—"
"No. I've done enough already."
Kragger exploded. "Do you know who you're talking to, you disrespectful—!"
Suddenly the gravity in the room surged.
All the Thanagarians dropped to their knees with a thud. Hro's face slamd into the desk. Even through their Nth tal battlesuits—able to negate gravity—they struggled to breathe. The man hadn't moved. He remained seated, arms still crossed.
Then, just as quickly, the weight vanished. The room returned to normal.
"I've killed thousands of Gordanians," the man said, voice cold. "I killed Despero. What more do you want from ?"
Hro rose unsteadily and turned to Kragger, who was already on his feet. Without a word, he slapped him across the face, sending him sprawling. It wouldn't hurt him much—but the ssage was clear.
"My apologies for my subordinate's behavior," Hro said. "I hope you weren't offended."
The man scoffed. "Do you think I care what your little boyfriend says? I know what you tried to do. You lied about building a planetary shield—just to try to sacrifice Earth in a desperate gamble that wouldn't have even worked."
Hro stiffened. So, he was from Earth. But that didn't track—no one in the Justice League or their supervillains matched this profile. Except maybe Captain Atom. But this man clearly didn't have silver skin and he had gravity powers as well. Had the Hols kept sothing from him?
Katar stepped forward. "Permission to speak, sir."
Hro hesitated. This situation was already spiraling. The only reason they were all still breathing was that the man had chosen not to kill them. Whatever Katar had to say couldn't make things worse.
"Granted."
Katar nodded respectfully, then turned. "Nova," he began. The man gave the faintest nod.
"I'm Hawkman, from the Justice League. This is my wife, Hawkwoman," he said, gesturing to Shayera. Both wore full-body Nth tal battlesuits—quite different from their Earth hero gear.
"We didn't know what Hro was planning. If we had—"
"I know," Nova said. "That's the only reason you're all still alive."
Shayera stepped in then, her voice tight. "Since when did killing co so easy to you? Aren't you still with the League?"
Ah. So he was connected to the Justice League. Hro's stomach turned. The amount of raw power hidden on that backwater planet was beyond comprehension. Too bad they wouldn't have agreed to kill the Gordanians along with the Thanagarian Empire.
Nova's voice turned sharp. "Don't talk to about killing. Your people tried to blow up my planet. One of your pilots tried to escape and dragged with him into subspace. I hung on for two days, then got dropped into a warzone. My ride exploded. Since then, I've been stuck here—saving your people, killing your enemies.
"And yes—the Gordanians are all evil, I have a surefire way to tell. You yourself should know what they're like. Brutal. Militaristic. Slavers. Just like your empire, honestly. And now, after everything I've done, all I ask for is a ship. A ride ho. And you'd deny that?"
The room went silent.
Even Kragger seed at a loss for words. Then, unexpectedly, he stepped forward.
"I'll ignore what you said about Thanagarians," Kragger said. "You're right about the Gordanians. But there's sothing you're overlooking. Thanagar was publicly allied with Earth. The whole galaxy knows. From Rimbor to the Reach. Including the Citadel. Earth doesn't have an established intergalactic presence. So the Gordanians will co for your world—if not in one year, then in ten, or a hundred."
Nova turned his head slightly.
"Yes, the Green Lanterns patrol your system," Kragger continued. "But they patrol the whole universe. They are powerful, yes—but too few. If Thanagar falls, and the Citadel rises... the Gordanians will be unchecked. The Reach. The Kroloteans. They'll all co if only to gain an advantage over their adversaries."
Kragger had a fire in his voice Hro hadn't heard in years. For all his temper, the man was intelligent. That was why he kept him around.
Nova stood for the first ti, walking to the jagged hole in the wall. He stared at the ruined city of Thanaldar—the burning towers, the broken skyline.
"One week," he said at last. "I'll help you for one week. Then I want a ship—fully fueled, with coordinates locked for Earth. Understood?"
Hro nodded quickly. "Done."
Nova glanced over his shoulder. "And get one of your battlesuits. I'm tired of walking around half naked."
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