ISSUE NUMBER FIVE

"Learning Experience"

A Times Past Tale Starring Abin Sur, Former Green Lantern of Sector 2814

Written by Travis Hiltz

From the Book of Oa: When a new Green Lantern has been chosen, they are assigned a mentor, an older member of the Corps to help them adjust to their new role and prepare them to take over guardianship of their assigned sector.
The Green Lantern of Valstan C5 was recruited to become one of the mentor branch of the Corps.
A collective hive mind, consisting of several million units, each infused with a portion of the Green Lantern energy, it was ideally suited to to this assignment. As its uniqueness meant it could aid in the training of hundreds of potential Green Lanterns and still ensure the security of its sector.
Two Green Lanterns watched the death of a world. Jalan was torn asunder by internal forces as its magma core flared, igniting the nuclear arsenal, that had been, for safety reasons stored in numerous, vast subterranean chambers.
The irony of this was lost on the thousands of refugees that had been rescued, as well as one of their rescuers. The young Green Lantern, Abin Sur, newly appointed to sector 2814, focused his will power into the green energy barriers that shielded the transport ships. A tiny portion of his mind felt sorrow for the Jalainions and their world.
"Your thoughts?"* asked his mentor, a orange puffball, slightly bigger than Abin's head. It wore the symbol of the Green Lantern corps and glowed with green energy. The collective of Valstan C5 had no names, but this one allowed Abin to refer to it as Emek, meaning teacher, in the language of Abin's people.
(* Green Lanterns are able to communicate with each other through their rings, which act as communicators as well as universal translators. P.S. all alien languages translated to english through the wonders of comic book magic- Trav)
"Sad that this had to happen," Abin replied, quietly. "It seems so... unfair."
"There is no fair or unfair in the universe," Emek said. "The universe is."
"What will happen to them?" Abin asked.
"They will seek to find their place in the universe. There is no center to hold them, so must like, they will scatter."
Emek, being part of a collective, always sounded a bit uneasy when discussing races that were merely large groups of individuals. As though it was some kind of odd sexual practice.
"We'll need to find them somewhere that they can get medical help," Abin Sur said. " Ring, where can we find the nearest station?"
He held his arm out and a thin, green beam shot out, into the distance.
"Outpost 163, designated: Crossroads is the closet facility." The ring said.
"Crossroads? I thought that was a trading post?" Abin Sur said.
"It is," Emek said. "As such it will have experience dealing with large groups of beings. We will escort the Jalan ships there. I will inform them of this. Abin Sur, if you would stay and watch over the ships progress."
"Understood." Abin Sur nodded. The Jalan craft were bulky rectangular constructs, used mostly as trade ships. The refugee fleet consisted of thirteen of them and several dozen assorted other craft. Everything from spider-like research vessels to sleek, golden pleasure craft.
As Emek flew off towards the main ship, Abin Sur sent a wide beam over the fleet, scanning for ships with structural damage or erratic energy cores.
He soon spotted one. It was moving sluggishly, while at the same time sending out fluctuating ion bursts.
"Better check that," he muttered. "Ring, inform Emek of my actions."
He flew to the ship, finding an airlock in the back of the ship. He was soon through it and inside. The lighting was dim and he could feel a vibration through the soles of his boots.
"Something isn't right here...," He said to himself. "Ring, take me to the nearest life form."
His ring glowed brightly as he flew down the corridor.
The refugees, at least twenty of them, nearly all women and children, were huddled together in a storage hold.
"I am Abin Sur, of the Green Lantern Corps," He announced. "I am here to help. My ring is picking up some unusual energy pulses. "
The Jalainions were a short, green race, with reptilian features and leathery skin. Like shell-less turtles. Nearly all their clothing, though in a variety of styles, was colored in shades of brown.
A boy in his late teens shuffled forward.
"A bunch of crewmen went by, saying there was maybe something wrong with the power core," he said. "They said to come here. One of the other ships was going to send a shuttle for us, just in case."
Abin Sur nodded. His ring announced a analysis of the ship's energy output that told the young Lantern that this ship was in trouble, something was effecting the energy transfer circuitry. It gave Abin the impression that the shuttles might not get here in time. A ship this size probably held hundreds of people and not knowing his way around it, that would cost him time. Anyway he looked at it, he doubted he could save all of them.
"If you would all move back, towards the loading hatch," he announced. He then turned to the young alien. "What is your name?"
"S'maj."
"S'maj, I'm going to need some help."
"Me? What can I do?"
"I need to talk to the captain, where is the bridge?"
"I'm not sure," S'maj stuttered. "This ship belongs to some aliens. It's like ours, but... They came for the trade festival... I... only know the cargo levels..."
"Then, we'll take care of everyone here and then I'll see what I can do for the others." Abin Sur said, trying to reassure the young alien. "Everyone relax, I'm going to move you to another ship, till I'm sure this one is safe."
He created a huge green bubble around the crowd and then sealed the storage bay, so he could open the outside hatch.
"Go join your family, S'maj."
"But, I can help. Really. There are other storage bays on this level and..."
"All right, " Abin nodded. He then pushed the bubble towards the storage bay hatch. He enclosed S'maj in an aura of green energy then sent a beam to activate the hatch. It slid open and the bubble drifted out. Abin Sur gave it a final push toward the nearest ship, knowing the green energy would attract their attention.Abin Sur closed the hatch and with S'maj in tow, flew down the corridor.
"Ring, take me to the source of the energy surges." He instructed his ring, then turned to S'maj. "I want to see if we can help with the power core, then we'll see about evacuating the others if we need to."
The young alien nodded, slack jawed.
The corridors were narrow, packed with equipment and supplies. The duo weaved their way through the maze.
"Um... Green Lantern?"
"Yes?"
"We're going the wrong way," S'maj said, looking around.
"What ?" Abin Sur asked, coming to a halt.
"The power core is on level quix, I think" S'maj explained. "We're on level Jeven."
"I don't understand...? Ring, where are you taking me?"
"To the source of the power surges, as instructed."
"Why aren't we going to the level where the power core is located?"
"The ship's power core is not the source of the power surges."
"What?" Abin Sur muttered in confusion.
"The ship's power core..."
"Yes, I heard you. What is causing the power surges?"
"Unknown."
"Something very strange going on here." He said.
"Agreed."
"Ring, shut up. S'maj, do you know what's on this level?"
"It's all storage bays, like the one I was in. This is a cargo barge."
"Then something this ship was transporting must be causing the surges. Any ideas?"
"I don't know," S'maj shrugged. " I know bout this type of ship cause my family worked at the spaceport. I never saw this one before we... were... when we had to leave..."
"I understand," Abin Sur said. "Ring, take us to the source of the power surges. Come on, S'maj. "
They drifted through the corridors, encountering fewer people and servo-bots as they went. Most of the room's they encountered were vast storage bays, holding all sorts of containers. Most seemed to be supplies and equipment for the refugees, with the occasional bit that must have been on the ship prior to launch and had just been pushed into a corner.
The storage bays that didn't contain people ran on minimal power, so the air grew chilly and lights dimmer. Abin Sur held his ring hand up above his head. its light cutting through the thick shadows.
"This is taking too long," Abin Sur muttered. "If something is wrong with the ship, we need to find it quickly. If it's not the core, but one of the transfer systems it could run all through the ship...! So much clutter here, hard to get reliable readings..." He sighed, frustrated. He held one of the most powerful objects in the universe and it was useless if he couldn't figure out how to use it. Abin Sur had gotten used to having Emek to offer guidance. Now, suddenly he was not just on his own, but had people depending on him, as well as a 'student' of his own to look out for.
"One thing at a time," he said, with a nod. "All the ring needs is the willpower and thoughts of it's wielder."
A wide beam fanned out from the ring, scanning the chamber, then the deck, then the entire ship. Once that was completed, Abin reabsorbed the energy beam back into his ring.
"Now, Ring, I need to see a schematic of this ship."
A green energy model of the ship appeared, three meters long, floating in the air before the duo. The hull grew transparent, giving them a view of the ship's interior.
"Good. S'maj, where are we?"
The young alien raised a leathery finger, trying to follow the path they'd taken through the ship. A green dot appeared on the model.
"There. Level Dex storage bay."
"This doesn't make sense!" Abin exclaimed in frustration. "Where is that power surge coming from?!"
"Third container, on the right, against the far wall," his ring replied.
Both he and S'maj looked at the ring, then at the container and then back at the ring.
"I swear it does that on purpose, sometimes," Abin Sur muttered.
S'maj scampered over to the container. It was very large and made of a gray metal. The container was featureless, except for a large Y shaped seam.
"What is it?" S'maj asked, running his finger along the seam.
"I don't know," Abin replied, running a scanning beam over it. "Machinery of some kind. I can't see how something this size can be generating such as massive energy signal...?"
Looking behind it, Abin saw that there was a pipe or cable, thick as his arm, trailing from the back of the container. The other end was jammed into an access panel. The panel gave off a faint glow and the occasional spark.
"Well, that explains some of it," Abin muttered.
The seam crackled with energy, sending S'maj staggering backwards and the container began to open, like some strange alien flower. In it's center stood a massive armored form, broad at the shoulder as it was tall. Its red and blue metallic shell glinted in the dim light. In its right hand it held a thick, metal battle staff. There were small flares of energy and sparks coming from all the creature's joints and seams.
"Manhunter!" Abin Sur exclaimed, his ring flaring.
The manhunter's features were merely shaped metal, yet they seemed to darken at the sight of the Green Lantern. The hatred between the two groups was centuries old and ran too deep for any hope of peaceful resolution.
"Minion of Oa," The Manhunter said in a flat, metallic tone. He flipped his battle staff and stepped out of the container.
Abin Sur raised his arm and a force beam shot towards the Manhunter. The automaton's staff glowed and with an almost casual movement, he swatted the energy beam aside. It then shifted its staff and fired off a beam of golden energy, striking Abin sur in the gut and sending him hurtling across the storage bay.
He struggled to get back to his feet as S'maj ran to him.
"What is it?" The young alien asked, trembling with fear.
"I'll handle it. You need to go, warn your people. See about evacuating the ship... go, quickly!"
Abin sur pushed the boy towards the door as his ring generated a shield against the Manhunter's next attack. The shield rippled, but held.
"You will 'handle' me?" The Manhunter asked, something approaching surprise or scorn creeping into its metallic voice. The staff twirled. The Manhunter lunged forward, the tip of the staff glowing with white hot energy. It slipped past Abin's shield and grazed his side, burning a gash in his uniform and across his ribs.
Abin winced and stumbled back several steps. He knew that his ring was powerful enough to deal with a lone Manhunter, but he felt distracted. The robotic foe was moving quickly, giving him only enough time to react and defend, but not enough to form a strategy. Then there was worry over S'maj and the ship full of refugees. The young Green Lantern found himself wishing his mentor was here to help him sort through this problem. He had too many things to try and keep track of, here on the ship. If only...?
"That's it," Abin muttered. His flat shield formed into a force bubble around the Manhunter. Then, Abin sent it hurtling towards the cargo bay hatch. Just as the bubble was about to strike, Abin dissolved it, so it was the Manhunter that took the brunt of the blow. Its robotic form smashed through the metal door.
One distraction taken care of. If they were outside the ship there was less worry about what damage it might sustain.
Abin Sur soared after him, sending back twin beams of energy. One to activate the safety doors to reseal the bay and keep the ship's passengers safe. The second to sever the cable the Manhunter was using to plug into the ship's power system.
The Manhunter flailed about, trying to adjust to being in space. Abin Sur's ring generated a giant hand that kept him spinning and disoriented. The Manhunter's battle staff shot off beams of energy, but was unable to aim properly. The Manhunter then activated jets built into the soles of his metallic feet and attempted to fly off.
"Oh, no you don't!" Abin Sur shouted. The giant hand grabbed a hold of the robot's feet and clenched into a fist. The two combatants were now locked in a tug of war. Abin Sur poured all his willpower and his ring's energy into keeping the fist tight, while the Manhunter fought to break its grip and jet free.
Unfortunately, the Manhunter's metal feet were not strong enough to handle the energy build up as well as the crushing force of the fist. Its feet blew up, sending both fighters hurtling away from each other.
Abin Sur righted himself, blinking away the effects of the explosive flash, only to find that the Manhunter had already recovered.
While its legs were gone from the knees down and the stumps were trailing threads of sparking wire, the robot had not lost its battle staff.
"Min-ion of Oa," The Manhunter growled, the tip of the battle staff glowing brightly. "You may have terminally damaged this unit, but you and the pitiful creatures you defend will perish with me!"
The tip of the staff grew too bright to look at and even across the void of space, Abin Sur could feel the heat of it.
Abin Sur threw up a force field. Knowing he couldn't protect the refugee fleet and himself at the same time, he encased the Manhunter in a green energy sphere . It buckled as the Manhunter's staff unleashed all its energy. Abin allowed the sphere to expanded fluidly along with the explosion of the robot, struggling to keep the sphere from shattering. Wave after wave of explosive force pushed against the walls of the emerald bubble. Sweat poured down Abin's features. The heat, even contained, was searing. His arm trembled as he fought to keep the sphere whole. Ride out the explosion and waves of energy till it was spent and the fleet was safe.
"Tuh-teacher," Abin said, from between gritted teeth. " I... have... fuh- failed...!"
The bubble shattered, hurling Abin Sur's unconscious form out into the void of space....

When Abin Sur woke, the first thing he did was start in amazement at the fact that he was still alive. Then he winced in pain. his body felt like he'd just received a thorough body massage from an angry Khund, then somebody had replaced all the muscles in his arms and legs with wet sand. It took all his strength to open his eyes.
A circle of turtlely faces looked down at him. They all wore the tunic and diagnostic gauntlets of medics.
"Ahh," an older alien with a cybernetic right eye said. "He awakes. Greetings, noble Green Lantern.
"Gru-greetings... um... where...?" Abin Sur muttered, finding it quite an effort to move his head and look around.
The circle of medics parted and two familiar beings pushed through to Abin's bedside.
"S'maj," Abin muttered. "What happened... to your arm...?"
The young alien was bruised and his right arm in a sling. Emek's bristly form floated at S'maj's shoulder.
"Left alone for the merest of moments..." Emek muttered.
"Are you all right?" Abin asked S'maj.
"Yes," the young alien nodded." I whacked my arm against a bulkhead.
"There were few serious injuries," The older medic informed him. "Lots of bumps and bruises. Yours were the only injuries to cause us concern."
Abin looked down at himself. His uniform was in tatters, bandages were wrapped around his chest, right arms and forearms. He could feel the stickiness of burn gel on his face.
"I wish to communicate with my student... alone," Emek said, the last word said with a faint tone of distaste.
The medics all bowed and walked off. S'maj waved and followed the others.
Emek floated over till he was at eye level with Abin Sur.
"I'm sorry," Abin muttered, looking down at his clasped hands. "I handled this badly and made mistakes that have injured others..."
"There is no failure if you are aware you made mistakes and learn from them," Emek interrupted. "You drew the Manhunter out from hiding and risked much to shield the transport from its attack."
"Were there other Manhunters?" Abin asked, struggling to sit up. "What was their objective? We must...!"
Emek used a beam of energy to push Abin back down onto the bed.
"There was only the one. We believe it was, like the Jalanions, seeking escape from the planet or had been using the cargo ship to travel secretly to some Manhunter stronghold."
"So, it wasn't part of some scheme that I found it," Abin Sur muttered.
"You look too much for the 'why' of things," Emek said. "Focus on the 'is'. The healers have told you there were no deaths. The Jalanions continue on their way to a safe haven. That would be enough for most sentients."
Abin Sur allowed himself a slight smile.
"True. I sound disappointed that we weren't attacked by an army of Manhunters. Greedy to want every mission to be saving the universe."
Emek bobbed slightly. Its version of a nod.
"Tend to your injuries," Emek said. "Tomorrow you can save the universe."
"Very generous of you," Abin Sur smirked.
"After your training exercises." His teacher added.

Author's Notes: This story came when some ideas collided in my head.
Idea #1: how come every Green Lantern seems to just be given a ring and is then all set to go? You hardly ever see any kind of training period course. Just 'well, here's the most powerful weapon in the universe. Good luck.'
Idea #2: Poor Abin Sur. Seems like the guy gets about one story of his own every decade. The thing he's most known for is crashing his spaceship.
Another exciting look into the creative process.
Let me know what you guys think. I'd like to do more of these Green Lantern Corps stories. People want to see more of Abin Sur? New GLs? Old GLs?
Feel free to send your thoughts/ suggestions my way.

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