Sisters In Arms

Planet Dhor, Antares System
“It… is difficult to talk while… being… throttled to death…aaghk”

Kanjar Ro struggled in vain to escape the grip of his newest – and perhaps deadliest – foe. The tall, powerful woman had made a mockery of his guards and security systems, threw the Gamma Gong into low orbit like a Terran flying disc, and was now dangling him by the throat over the edge of his plush personal quarters, high above the surface of his homeworld. One of many indignities this woman would suffer for… should he survive the interrogation, of course…

“Then you should make the most of the air I allow you to breathe, pirate,” Reign said menacingly as she loosened her grip around the Dhorian’s throat slightly. “Tell me what you know of my three sisters… the Worldkillers.  They are called Perrilus, Deimax, and Flower of Heaven.  Speak… or suffer.  The choice is yours.”

Internal artwork from Supergirl #6 (Feb. 2012). © and TM DC. Written by Michael Green and Mike Johnson. Art by Mahmud 

“Their names… gacck… are familiar to me,” Kanjar Ro replied. “Warriors… conquerors. Talk’s coming in from the Terebh system. It’s said the three of them laid the planetary militia to ruin in two solar days… earthquakes… complete power grid failure… plagues… datagrid collapse. It’s said even Mongul has taken notice of their… brutality.”

“And their current location?  Speak.  Now.”

“That’s the curious thing,” Ro replied. “One would think conquerors would enjoy the spoils of their victory.  Exploit those who they have vanquished.  I know I would, were I in their position. I’d be sitting on Terebh III, counting my credits, and dining like a king.  And yet… they do not. Some say they laid Terebh to waste just to see if they could… and, having done so, simply… left.  As if they were bored!  Madness!”

“No.  Not madness. They are merely fulfilling some of their known directives. Personal enrichment is not their goal. They only find prosperity through destruction and conquest.”

“That doesn’t sound mad to you? Even Mongul has an endgame in mind when he goes to war! He doesn’t simply conquer for conquest’s sake!”
 
Reign arched a single eyebrow and smirked in disbelief at the Dhorian criminal in response.

“Fine, fine, that was perhaps not the best example, Kanjar muttered.  “But you know what I mean! These sisters of yours… what they’re doing is loud. The kind of loud that draws the wrong kinds of attention. Lantern attention.  Justice League attention. And not just from do-gooders – I already mentioned Mongul. If the ruler of Warworld sees the Worldkillers as rivals… well.  I don’t like your chances. And should Darkseid decide to pay attention to your sweet sisters… heh. What is it they say? ‘Only a Worldkiller can slay a Worldkiller?’  There is no better killer of worlds than the Lord of Apokolips.”

“That remains to be seen,” Reign replied as she dragged Kanjar to a holoprojector. “Show me all of the systems and worlds known to have suffered Worldkiller attacks… and their last known location.”

“As you wish,” Kanjar muttered, thankful that Reign was no longer choking the life out of him.  He called up the data she requested and initiated a live holo projection of the swath of destruction carved out of the stars by her sisters. 

“Interesting,” Ro said as he followed the trajectory of the Worldkillers march through the cosmos. “Analysis of their course and attack targets shows they’ll eventually reach… Earth. Truly, they are mad! Inhabitants of that accursed backwater mudball have been some of the biggest thorns in my side, and these lunatics would march to war there?!”

“Yes.  They have done so before… under my command. It is the only battle they have lost…against a single defender of that planet.  Supergirl.”

“You are aware that Earth has a small host of Kryptonian defenders, yes?  Supergirl, Superman, Superboy… even Kryptonian animals protect that world!”  

A wicked, mocking smile crept across Kanjar Ro’s face, his sharp teeth glittering in the sunlight coming through the windows of his opulent home. “And you still believe your sisters to be sane?”

“I believe they are Worldkillers. The conquests you have noted are but the prelude to their greatest battle… and their revenge against the woman who humbled them,” Reign replied.
 
“I will leave you with your life, Dhorian. Should I require more from you, I will return… and I suggest you are more cooperative if that occurs.  Otherwise, our next meeting may not in a mercy.”  With that, the Worldkiller took flight and departed from the home of Kanjar Ro… through the skylight above his holoprojector.

As Reign flew away, Kanjar Ro shook his fist at her.  “You owe me a new Gamma Gong!” he screamed.  Once he was certain she was out of sensory range, he turned and activated a secure comms-channel.  

“You are not the only dangerous person seeking the location of the Worldkillers, Reign,” Kanjar muttered. “I believe it is time I begin to recoup some of the losses you inflicted on me today… yessss. Someone very dangerous will pay handsomely to know of your whereabouts, as well as that of your wretched, so-called ‘sisters’.”

Internal artwork from JLA #78 (Feb. 2003). © and TM DC. Written by Joe Kelly. Art by Doug Mahnke.

As the comms-signal went through, Kanjar began to mentally count the vast amount of credits he was about to earn. Betrayal could be quite profitable to one cunning enough to pursue it… and execute it.