Oscar Ward
My entrance is literally serenaded by trumpets—or at least, trumpet-sounding instruments. The musicians are too high up for me to see. I walk down the middle of the same giant hall Zoe was tried in for murder. Hundreds of Gelderians fill the galleries this time, all of them staring at me enough to feel eerie. The king waits at the other end of the hall, standing in front of his throne with General Vasel and Princess Lin beside him. Nurr’s up there too, standing ramrod straight in her Tech Jacket.
Veln and Zoe are unfortunately in one of the galleries I’m gawking at. She catches my eye and slowly puffs out her chest, doing the most exaggerated imitation of my walk I’ve ever seen.
I bite the inside of my cheek and look away from her. My footsteps echo through the hall. I don’t even know why I’m walking. Everyone here knows I can fly. I could’ve crossed this entire room in about two seconds, but apparently that would’ve been inappropriate for the solemnity of the occasion or something. God, this hall is fucking massive. Eventually, I reach the king and stop where I was told to stop, sagging onto a knee.
The weird trumpets die.
“People of Gelderia,” the king begins, his voice carrying through the hall. “For generations, our jackets have served as our greatest shield. They have allowed the children of Gelderia to lift what our bodies could not and withstand what would otherwise kill us. In relying upon that strength, however, we neglected our own.”
I keep my face appropriately solemn.
“Two months ago, Oscar Ward arrived upon our world as a stranger, and in that short time since, has shared freely knowledge belonging to his people.”
…Knowledge belonging to my people? Push-ups. I taught them push-ups!
“Through his methods, our warriors have grown stronger without their jackets and, therefore, stronger with them. That small programme’s boons are already being studied for adoption not only throughout our armed forces but also in our society itself! Such knowledge was given without demand of payment in the spirit of friendship.”
The king rises off his throne and descends the steps towards me. General Vasel follows behind him with a small box held between his hands. …Okay. Now I’m starting to feel like a dick for finding this entire thing funny. I mean, from my perspective, I taught a bunch of aliens what a squat was. But I guess that means infinitely more to them than it does to me… which is sobering. Every Gelderian from here on out will be stronger because of me.
…Maybe this actually is a big deal.
Vasel opens the box. Inside is a silver badge about the size of my palm. Three jagged lines run up either side of a circular symbol I don’t recognise, meeting above it like a crown.
“The Crest of Gelderia is bestowed upon those who have rendered extraordinary service to our world and its people,” the king says. “Rise, Oscar Ward, Green Lantern of Earth. Gelderia recognises your contribution.”
I do as instructed and watch as he pins the badge to my armoured chest. Unlike the Tidebearer’s Crest that Queen Aquaria failed to pin on me, this one sort of just… attaches to the left side of my chest. Is it magnetic or something?
The king steps back, regarding me with a grandfatherly smile. I suddenly realise I have absolutely no idea what I’m supposed to do. Bow? Kneel again? We really should’ve rehearsed this part. I settle for dipping my head. Applause erupts through the hall. Hundreds of green faces stare down at me from the galleries, clapping. I recognise a few faces as part of my bootcamp, smiling at them. General Vasel steps beside me and starts clapping too.
Alright, this is pretty cool… at least until I spot Zoe again. She’s standing beside Veln with one hand over her heart. The other wipes an imaginary tear from beneath her eye. Her lips move.
I’m so proud of you.
I shake my head with a wry smile. I distinctly remember her shitting bricks in this very hall not too long ago, but then again this isn’t a murder trial. The applause dies down, and the king dismisses the peanut gallery with a few more words. People start filtering from the galleries while I carefully remove the crest from my chest to get a proper look at it. It’s heavier than it looks.
I drop it into the newly made ring’s subspace, where all my battery rings are.
“Congratulations!” Veln appears in front of me.
I smile. “Thanks.”
“You are now a bearer of the Crest of Gelderia like me! It is among our highest honours.”
“Oh? What did you get it for?”
“I developed a more efficient method of stabilising quantum-state displacement during short-range matter transmission, reducing decoherence during reconstruction while simultaneously—”
“My jacket says he basically made teleporting cheaper,” Zoe cuts in.
Veln turns back to frown at her. “That is a gross oversimplification.”
“Did it make teleporting cheaper?”
“...Yes, but—!”
“Then there you go.” Zoe walks up to us, wearing her tech jacket like everyone else, only without its helmet. She lays a hand on her chest and laughs at my accusing glare. “...Don’t hold it against me; I was overcome with emotion! This was all really moving. Today I watched a hero receive the recognition he deserves.”
She presses her fist against her mouth. I stare at her until her shoulders start shaking and she absolutely loses it. Zoe doubles over laughing. I turn away with a snort.
“I-I’m sorry!” she manages. “It’s just that you looked so fucking serious!”
“I wonder why,” I drawl.
“For teaching aliens cardio!”
She laughs harder, completely blind to the king headed our way until I elbow her. Zoe straightens so quickly you’d think someone shoved a pole up her back. Veln leads us into a polite bow once the king stops in front of us.
“Your Majesty.”
I clear my throat. “Sorry about that.”
“Do not be.” He wheezes a laugh. “Formality has its place.”
Zoe shoots me a look, but I don’t give her the satisfaction of seeing my face.
“Besides,” he continues, “I suspect you still do not quite understand why you have received the crest, given the bewildered look to you.”
“I’m getting there, I think.”
“What you shared may seem rudimentary… but only to yourself. Knowledge is priceless to those who lack it.”
“...Fair enough.”
He smiles and starts to turn away.
“Your Majesty?” I ask. There’s something I’ve been meaning to bring up for a while now. I just haven’t exactly had many opportunities to pull the ruler of an entire planet aside for a chat.
And considering he’s already here…
“Could I talk to you about something?”
His milky eyes settle on me. “Of course.”
“Privately, if that’s alright.”
The king studies me for a moment before nodding. “Walk with me.”
I glance towards Zoe and Veln. They’re already walking away, which saves me from awkwardly wishing them goodbye. I turn back as the king starts towards one of the doors behind his throne.
…Alright. Time to talk politics.
He leads me through the door behind his throne and into a study of sorts. He settles into a chair and gestures towards the one opposite him.
“Now,” he says. “What did you wish to discuss?”
“...Well, I won’t waste your time. I wanted to discuss the Coalition of Planets.”
His expression changes slightly.
“...I see,” he says.
“I’ve just been wondering why Gelderia isn’t part of it. You guys aren’t exactly fans of the Viltrumites.”
“Few are. I am assuming Earth is a part of the Coalition?”
I’m quiet for a while. “...Not officially, no. But we’re keeping it that way. Though in your case, I guess most people don’t have Viltrum funding an entire war against them. But wouldn’t that just make you more likely to join the Coalition than not?”
“...You’re aware of that, then? My father discovered the connection almost a century ago,” he says. “The Kresh were once little more than raiders. Pirates. A persistent nuisance, but hardly an existential threat. Then their weapons improved and their vessels improved.”
I lean back. “Then why not join the Coalition?”
“Because joining the Coalition would make us an open enemy of Viltrum. Our war with the Kresh has endured for generations, Green Lantern. It has taken lives, resources, and no small amount of our attention simply to prevent them from overwhelming us. The Coalition would offer allies, but it would also ask Gelderia to involve itself in a conflict spanning centuries.”
“That’s a conflict you’re already involved in, Your Majesty.”
“Indirectly.”
“They hired the Kresh to attack your people.”
He gives me a tired smile. “Believe me, I understand your argument.”
“Then you understand that Viltrum doesn’t really care whether you consider yourself neutral. They’ve been trying to weaken you for a hundred years. Maybe they don’t have Viltrumites flying around Gelderia, but that just means they’re using someone else to do it.”
“Do you believe Gelderia should join the Coalition?”
“I think you should at least talk to them,” I say. “Look, I’m not going to sit here and tell you what to do with your planet. I’m definitely not qualified for that even if you just gave me a medal for inventing fitness.”
That gets a quiet chuckle out of him.
“But I don’t think pretending Viltrum isn’t your problem is going to make them stop being your problem.”
“No,” the king murmurs. “Perhaps it will not. My father believed neutrality afforded Gelderia time. I have spent much of my reign believing the same. Yet our war has not ended.”
He leans back and sighs long and hard.
“Perhaps Gelderia’s time apart from the affairs of the wider galaxy is nearing its end. I will make no promises today,” he adds. “But I will consider opening communication with the Coalition.”
I nod. That’s good enough for me. “Also, I had an entirely unrelated reason to talk to you besides Viltrum.”
“...Oh?”
“How good are your long-range communications?”
The king tilts his head.
“I’ve been gone for a little bit too long,” I explain. “Way longer than I planned. Earth doesn’t know where I am. For all I know, everyone back home thinks I’m dead.”
That thought’s been sitting uncomfortably in the back of my head for a while now.
Mark definitely knows I went into space.
Cecil knows.
Eve…
Yeah. I probably should’ve dealt with this sooner.
“Could you send them a message? Just something basic. Green Lantern’s alive, is on Gelderia, and will be back eventually. Please don’t hold a funeral.”
The king strokes his chin. “Our communications systems are capable of transmitting across considerable distances, though reaching an unfamiliar world so far will require a physical messenger.”
“So…?”
“It will take time.”
My shoulders slump slightly.
He smiles at my reaction. “But it can be done. I will have our communications division begin work immediately.”
“Thank you, Your Majesty. Seriously.”
“Nonsense! You have given Gelderia something of tremendous value and fought against our enemies.” His eyes briefly settle on where the crest had been pinned on my chest earlier. “Allow us to return the favour. Now, unless there are other pressing concerns, I believe it is time we join the festivities,” the king says, rising slowly.
I beat him to the door and hold it open with a smile on my face.
“...After you!”