This story takes place after 'Prisoner of Sinestro' and before 'Loss.' In no way do I own this series or its characters.

What is Love?

Chapter 1

Hal couldn't believe this was happening…again. There had to be some sort of mistake. "Aya," he said slowly, "could you run that by me one more time?"

The AI nav computer complied. "Our conflict with the Manhunters has left significant damage on the ultra-warp coils. It will take about 29.32 days to repair them."

"Oh great," Kilowog said, facing his chair forward as it had been previously. "Here we are once again caught in Frontier space with no way to ultra-warp back to Oa. This is starting to become an issue."

"It's always an issue Bolovaxian!" Razer commented sarcastically.

On the other hand, Hal let out the breath he hadn't know he'd been holding. "Hey, no worries! Aya said it would only take 29 days. That's better than 9 months right?" he asked, attempting to lighten the mood. Unfortunately, none of the others seemed to be reciprocating.

After their ordeal with Neuroxis, the Interceptor crew had returned to Oa to deliver the now lifeless body of the former assassin as well as drop off Sinestro. In truth, they'd all become a little uncomfortable with the Green Lantern's dryness, even Hal. Once that was done and over with, the foursome had set off once more, ultra-warping back into frontier space to confront the Manhunters anew. However, as luck would have it, the Manhunters had come to them, seven of them taking the team by surprise the moment they'd jumped out of ultra-warp. They'd all fought valiantly and without pause until all that remained of the killer robots were scratched metal shards and scrap wire. Despite the fact that they'd all come out unscathed, unfortunately, the same could not be said about the ship. The Manhunters must have gotten smart and updated their program because this time around, instead of attacking the Green Lanterns directly they'd gone and aimed for the engine, all blasting simultaneously, leaving the crew in their current condition.

Hal ran a hand through his hair. "Come on guys, we've gone through this problem before. I mean, it could be worse!"

Razer turned in his chair and glared at the human. "Don't say that. Ever. Every time you say that, things always get worse than they already are!"

Kilowog chuckled. "Ha, the kid's got you pegged Jordan!"

"Gee, thanks for the vote of confidence," Hal muttered, slumping in his chair.

"There is some good news however, but there is also bad news."

At the sound of her voice, all eyes turned towards the A.I. in curiosity.

"You know what, let's hear the bad news first Aya!" Hal said quickly. "That way we can get it over with."

"Understood. The bad news is in order to complete all repairs to the ultra-warp coils a special type of mineral is required to rebuild various parts."

"Oh great," Kilowog said for the second time that day.

"The good news is that there is a planet nearby with a great abundance of the mineral, as well plentiful resources for organics to feed upon. Turning back towards the dashboard of the ship, Aya pressed a button that lit up a hologram of said planet right in the center of the room. If a sufficient amount of the mineral is acquired, repairs should be complete in about 10.47 days."

"Wait, really?!" Hal asked, excitement leaking off of him. "Why didn't you say so earlier? Everyone let's go, full speed ahead!"

After about ten minutes of flying, the interceptor crew found themselves approaching the planet in question. It wasn't very large, perhaps a tad smaller than Earth, but it looked comfortable enough. From what they could see, it was mainly land with a number of large bodies of water sporadically thrown in. As they flew in closer, the vegetation became clearer and they could see a couple of mountain peaks lining the area. To Hal, it was the closest comparable planet to Earth that he'd seen yet. Overall, it was a beautiful sight.

Once they'd parked the ship in a cleared area where no trees would disrupt the landing, the three lanterns and AI disembarked, glancing about, checking out the surroundings. They all had to admit, the planet was pleasant, even Razer was impressed, though he refused to show it. Not too warm, not too cold, the humidity was minimal and a soft breeze pulled at their clothes, not enough to knock them over, but just enough to cool the air down. The tree loomed just above their heads while various small animals scampered about in it, peering curiously at the newcomers.

Hal let out a low whistle. "I wonder if this is what Eden looked like."

"What now?" Kilowog asked.

"Nothing," Hal replied, waving him off. "Anyway, Aya, where do we start looking for this all important mineral?"

Aya glanced at the map projected on her arm. "According to my scanners, traces of the mineral are in this general vicinity. However, signals are emanating from two distinct areas each in different directions. I cannot discern which area has the greater amount necessary for repairs."

"No problem," Hal announced confidently. "We'll split up. Kilowog and I can go in one direction and you two can go in the other. We'll stay in touch using our rings. If you run into trouble, we'll be there in an instant. Everyone agreed?"

"Sounds solid to me."

"Affirmative."

"Fine."

"Alright, then let's move!"

With everyone agreed, Hal and Kilowog received their coordinates from Aya and the four split off and headed in their own directions. For a while, it was smooth sailing. The two flew on, enjoying the scenery and chatting idly amongst themselves. That is, until Kilowog brought up an interesting point, one that Hal hadn't really thought about until then.

"Hey Jordan?" Kilowog asked.

"Yeah?"

"Are you sure it's a good idea to leave Aya alone with the kid?" he asked uncertainly.

Hal gave him a confused look. "Why wouldn't it be? I mean, they've worked alone together before, remember? There was that time on Betrassus, and then on Zamaron, as well as-,"

"Yeah, yeah, I get that Jordan. I'm talking about right now! You know, after the whole deal with Neuroxis."

"What about it?"

"Haven't you noticed Aya's been actin a little…weird?"

"Weird in what way?"

"She's been kinda evasive lately, especially around Red. One time I was sitting in the conference room while she talked about the sensor relays, then the kid walks in and suddenly she's out the door! Didn't even give any warning or nothing!"

"Hm," Hal thought, rubbing his chin slightly. "Now that you mention it, I was talking with her the other day on the main deck. She wanted to learn a little more about how 'organics' interact with one another, so I was telling her about some of the soap operas they play on my planet. Then Razer walks in and next thing I know she's leaving while I'm in midsentence."

Kilowog's face changed from confused to concerned. "You don't think he did something to her did he?"

"I don't know, Razer's always been rather rough but he's never hurt her before."

"What about when Aya said that he'd acted very 'friendly'? You maybe think it scared her off?"

"Naw, Aya's not the type to be scared off that easily. If anything, she'd want to find out what was going on. Maybe she's-,"

Before he could finish, Hal was cut off by the insistent beeping in his ring. Checking the coordinates, the two found themselves hovering over the location pointed out on the map, designated by a bright green dot.

"We can ask her about it later. For now, let's grab the mineral so we can head back." So the two descended.

Yay, my first GL fic. I love this show! Anyway, let me know what you think!

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Reviews, comments, and criticisms are greatly appreciated!