Phasers of Anstractor

by Greg Dragon

  “So, over a year and this is what you hear?”

  “Yes, Tay. I am doing my best to be fair and patient.”

  “When you told me that she was on a Psyche ship and we agreed to keep it quiet, I took it to mean that you would follow up, Raf. Nobody stays on one of those ships for this long. We need to figure out what is going on with her.”

  Rafian was still angry at her for bringing up the marriage so he averted his gaze and nodded at her. He wanted to get away from her and she knew it, so she gave up on her quest for answers.

  “Go ahead and call up Val,” she said. “I will call Frank in to brief him on our plans.”

  Rafian was glad Tayden had relented, and he put his hurt feelings aside to clear the air between them. She was his sub-Commander, and it wouldn’t work if he were upset with her.

  “Before I forget,” Rafian said. “Please send Yuth Varience some food supplies and a holo-stimulant to make the month’s wait easy. I want him at his absolute best when this all goes down and I want the lizards in a frenzy. I am going to see if I can get Val Tracker here within the week and we can bring our plan to fruition.”

  Although he said these words and she agreed with them, Rafian’s mind was still on Camille and how he was going to get her home.

  Memory 3

  Vin’yns were large predatory creatures that lived in the mountains of Geral. They had skin like stone, were as tall as buildings and resembled the gorillas of Vestalia. Val Tracker was given the name “Vestalian Vin’yn” by the Geralos, because like his namesake, he was a frightening behemoth on the battlefield. The marines of Vestalia learned about the nickname when a captured Geralos began to panic and convulse when Val Tracker got close to him. He kept mumbling the gargled words: “Vestalia Vin’yn, Vestalia Vin’yn, Vestalia Vin’yn” and it immediately stuck.

  For years, Val had held the line successfully against the lizards. He wore heavy armor, he packed a stargun—one of the biggest automatic weapons in the military—and he never showed any fear. In many of the bloodiest battles in the recent history of the war, Val was there. He loved combat, craved the opportunity to rack up kills, and on one opportunity, had head-butted a Geralos commander to death—right in front of his frightened men. Val was like a demon in a fight, and while Rafian’s name was more myth than reality to the Geralos, the Vestalian Vin’yn was the real thing.

  Val was deep in the thick jungles of Laer, Meluvia when he received the call from Rafian, asking him to make his way to Vestalia to help the Phasers.

  “You’re like a needy girlfriend, you know that?” Val said. “Marines don’t leave a fight, Rafian. As a former brother, I would think you’d understand this.”

  “What do you mean former, Vallen?” Rafian’s use of Val’s full name was a veiled insult but it was what the two men did when they talked: they would insult, jab and make jokes at one another’s expense.

  “Don’t mess around and get yourself beat. I don’t care how many Phaser martial art maneuvers you learn. I am the big brother, remember? And you are the smaller, quick one. None of your disappearing tricks will stop a heated up Vin’yn from bringing the pain at you on all angles, brother.”

  “You said brother!”

  “Can it, Rafian. You know we need to finish up here before we can help you there. It can’t be helped, not unless there’s some sort of unexpected surrender from the rebels that are trying to sack this city.”

  “I understand Val, but how long before you can jump to the first quadrant and help us out down here?”

  “This is guerilla warfare unlike anything you have seen, Rafian. These Meluvians are dug in deep, and we have to extract them from the ground or one of our allied cities will suffer for it. There’s a rumor that they have a Geralos leader. Can you believe it? These terrorists have destroyed many businesses in the city. They’ve been a pain in the rear so the Meluvians asked for Alliance help. We’re all they have and this is looking like three months of fighting, brother. Your timing is inconvenient.”

  “Well, we need you, bro. I’m sending a couple of agents down there to help you. They can slip behind enemy lines, kill the leaders and allow you to route the followers so that you can get out of there a bit faster.”

  “How long will that take?”

  “They’ll be on their way within the hour. I will tell them to look for the big dumb animal with a stargun. Call me when you are about to jump off planet.”

  ~*~*~*~

  Marika examined the room she had entered. She was both impressed and bewildered at its alien architecture and odd furniture. She looked at an odd, cylindrical, crystal-adorned fixture that descended from the ceiling towards the center of the room and wondered what it was used for.

  “Marian, your house is beautiful,” Marika said, as she sat on one of three, white, leather couches. “But I have so many questions.”

  From the outside, she had expected it to look like a cave. But once she was inside, it was more like an apartment, furnished and decorated with much love and care. The walls remained the rocky natural texture of the cave, but Marian had put in false windows that showed images from the outside. The illusion of these windows made it appear as if the house was aboveground, and it gave Marika an uneasy feeling.

  “Oh, hi, Marika. Please come on in and make yourself comfortable,” Marian announced from a room deep inside the cavernous house.

  She emerged from a doorway and stood wearing a lime green dress that was supported only by the necklace around her neck and a tiny clip in the back. Marika was curious how Marian could appear and disappear so quietly and made a silent promise that she would find out. Though Marian had given her no cause for concern in the past, she had a reputation, and her alien heritage made her a mystery to everyone besides Raf. Marian walked over towards her in long graceful strides, her heeled feet clicking rhythmically against the wooden floor, confidence in every step. This was a minor annoyance Marika had with her—nobody should be this perfect.

  “You guys sure do like the color white,” Marika said.

  “I would blame that on Rafian.” Marian smiled. “He was the one who put this place together, furniture and all. I just added the highlights, but that man really loves the color white. He probably wanted this to look like the old Jumper headquarters that he was trained in.”

  “The headquarters had white walls?”

  “It was like a nightmare of stark white, Marika, and it was the first place I experienced in this galaxy. I should hate having the reminder in this house, but I have grown fond of our white walls and furniture, just like I have grown fond of many things in this galaxy.”

  Marika was silent for a moment. “So… you wanted to talk?” she said, looking at Marian.

  “Yes. I wanted to ask you a very big favor that you will probably refuse, being that we are not yet the best of friends.”

  “Not…yet, eh? What sort of favor, Marian? I have spied on Rafian for you and I appreciate the Casanian home that you had delivered for me in return.” She winked at Marian. “But what else do you need done?”

  Marian plopped down close to Marika on the couch and waved her hand in the air to turn off the vid that was being played. The room plunged into complete silence.

  “Rafian has promised me that he is done with sleeping around and I believe him. What I need your help with is to kill Palus Felitious, the most powerful man in the galaxy of Luca.”

  “Oh, that’s it, huh?” Marika said, raising an eyebrow. “You’re too funny. Now, I’ve had my share of tough marks, but that one sounds like one for the record books. How powerful are we talking? A galactic conqueror using some sort of crazy tech? A warlord whose fleet is so deep that even a crystal jump would not be enough to get us near the mother ship? Or do you come from a really low-tech civilization where we can just walk up to this guy as the stone tipped arrows bounce off of our 3B suits and cut his head off in a matter of minutes?”

  “Hahaha, more like a bastard who floats around in
his battleship, issuing commands at various planets, where the people suffer under his rule.” Marian laughed, gazing at the windows as if she expected them to have company.

  “So, why not ask Rafian to just go over there and handle it? You’re a Phaser Ace just like me. Hell, you could probably do it alone if you wanted to.”

  “Trust me, Marika, at first I was going to sneak away and do just that. But I have responsibilities here to the agency, just like you do. Rafian will take Soreble and then there will be a lull as we terraform that country for our needs. None of the leaders will be able to leave, especially THE supreme leader, so I will ask for the clearance to jump to Luca, but I have no idea what I will be jumping into.”

  “So you need me there to watch your back.”

  “Before you became a Phaser, you were the deadliest assassin the galaxy has ever known. I can bring Phasers who came from lives where they were just extraordinary soldiers, but I need someone who lived and breathed the art of assassination. I want to kill that bastard myself, and I will. But I need you there to make sure that I can get to him. Are you willing to help me, Marika?”

  Marika smiled at the opportunity that was being given to her by Marian. She had assassinated many dictators in her past career, but none were of another galaxy. She was still processing the fact that Phasers could jump to different galaxies, and now she was being given the opportunity to expand her legend across realities. She felt her heart swell at the opportunity. There were few important people that didn’t live in fear of the name Marika Tsuno, and for good reason. She was the “Black Hand” that was hired whenever there were trade disputes, deep grudges or power plays. And she had never failed. The only time she had come close to failure was when Rafian VCA had appeared behind her, after she had cut the throat of a diplomat whose mind had been taken over by the Geralos.

  The two of them fought when she refused him, but she was outclassed in every way, and was made to bow before the humming of his las-sword. He informed her that her order had been wiped out and that she was the last of the assassin’s guild. She had no choice but to swear her allegiance to what she considered to be a superior, assassination guild. She had never regretted that day, especially after learning that she could continue her work. As long as it was for the Phasers and not for her own financial gain, Marika could continue taking contracts and increasing her notoriety. She couldn’t bring herself to tell Marian that she and Rafian had made love countless times since her recruitment, or that he had come to her not two nights earlier.

  Marian was not a fool, nor a woman to be trifled with. Marika had fought her during her training as a Phaser and had grown to respect her skill with a knife. She would be happy to follow this woman into hell, but the attachment Marian had to her husband was a weakness that could be exploited if she wasn’t careful to close off her heart from his manipulation.

  “I’d be happy to play wing to your knife-arm, Rhee. But I need you to hear me out.”

  “What do you need to tell me?”

  “The assassin’s guild was one of secrecy, where none of us knew who our brothers and sisters really were. It is different here. We live longer, we care about one another and, Marian, we are intimate with one another. I cannot lie – the care I have for Rafian VCA stems more from the time we have had together intimately than the oath I took for our order.”

  She watched Marian as the admission sank in, and she saw her struggle to keep hold of her senses as she battled internally to keep her composure.

  “So, you too, huh, Marika?” She smiled sadly, twisting her dress as she fought the rage and hurt that was building up inside. “You know, he named off several names and I think it is funny that he left yours off the list. Was this a one-time thing, or is it ongoing?”

  “We made love just last week,” she admitted. “It was probably our—look, I tell you this not to hurt you, sister, but because I respect you. I need you to realize that the rage making you destroy that expensive dress of yours right now will be the death of you if you don’t learn to deal with it.”

  “Marika, where I am from we look at a husband’s infidelity as the absolute worst thing that a man can do to a woman. I know it is different here, but I cannot shake who I am. Do you understand? What pains me is that Rafian knows how much this kills me, but continues to do it despite my broken heart.”

  “Would sleeping with another Phaser help you come to terms with the reality of your marriage, Marian? I am quite sure that I can help you in more ways than one to forget him, so that you can think clearly.” She moved closer to Marian’s body and as their knees touched she bit her lip slightly, not caring that it gave away her intent.

  Marian furrowed her brows as Marika touched her hand. She forced herself to calm down and think about what Marika had just said. Would spending time intimately with Marika, or any of the other Phasers, make Rafian more acceptable as a cheating husband? Or would she simply be fooling herself in the attempt to muddy her own beliefs, to try and match up with his?

  “I appreciate the offer, Marika, but I would prefer to have him stop rather than make myself into a hypocrite.”

  “What if I told you that your sweet lips were what I wanted in return for me swearing my loyalty to you and your galaxy’s cause?”

  “I… what?”

  “You will not be going on any missions with me until you see Rafian as a bad husband and not the heroic god that you have set in your mind.”

  “I don’t see Rafian as a god. I just—“

  “You are on Anstractor and you are a Phaser, Marian. We all share intimacy here and you need to get over whatever old beliefs you had. I want you, and I want you now under the backdrop of your pretty white walls. You should take me up on my offer, especially if you are serious about this mission.”

  Marian couldn’t believe what she was hearing and got up to throw Marika out by her tiny ears.

  “Marika, if ever I share my bed with you, it will be outside of the concept of bribery, blackmail, or force. I think you need to leave.”

  “Calm down and take your seat. I am not going anywhere.”

  “So, what? Was this some sort of test?”

  “No, but you’re a sister and I won’t let you get yourself hurt, especially with the pain I can see in your eyes. Look, if you won’t make love to me, then you have to promise me this: the next evidence that presents itself that Rafian has broken his oath to you, I want you to call me and we will jump to Luca immediately. Do you understand me? You are done being the lowly wife of the Supreme Leader. You will act like the queen of the Phasers that you are meant to be. So make a choice, Marian. You can break your oath and lay with me, or you can harden up, stick to your guns, and make him suffer the consequences.”

  “Okay, then I choose both.” Marian said as she reached out and took Marika by the nape of her neck. “But you will give me your knife whenever I ask for it. Do you understand? It will not just be for this mission; it will be for all things that I need a deadly friend in. We will become partners, and if Rafian is found to be disloyal after today, we will forego his approval and move on Luca so that I can check in on my people. You will be by my side when it all happens, Marika. Do you still wish to pledge yourself to me?”

  She pulled her in and bit at the side of her neck gently, then ran her hand down the front of her gown. Marika could barely breathe as the feeling of Marian’s lips against her was too much to take. She forced the words out as she struggled to regain composure.

  “You’ve got yourself an assassin, Marian. I will kill anyone you want me to. Now, I am too hot to keep on talking, so let us celebrate our new friendship.”

  ~*~*~*~

  A few days after telling Tayden what he knew about Camille YAN, Rafian decided that he was done waiting. He needed to check in on her. He worried for her, after learning that she was on a psych ship and not able to communicate with anyone outside. During his time on the ground, he had done intense investigations into where Camille was statio
ned and had tried for a very long time to remain patient until her release. Now he was a day’s flight off Vestalia and piloting a Phantom X12 towards her prison—cloaked and undetected.

  The Geralos destroyer was still fighting with the Rendron and he knew that if it managed to win, Helysian would be next. Being that the psyche ship was in the Helysian fleet, this meant that Camille would be lost. He had woken up flustered the night before and, without questioning the reason why Marian had not come home from her flight with Marika, he had jumped onto his hover-bike, rode over to the Phaser base, and launched his phantom into space. He was no longer interested in just checking on Camille. He was bringing her home.

  Seeing nothing that looked like a dock, Rafian moved the ship to what he knew would be a blind spot on the psych ship’s radar and ejected out into space. The boosters on his back propelled him towards the dark, egg-shaped ship and after a minute of propulsion, he touched the exterior of it and was able to climb along its hull with relative ease. Within an hour he found what he was looking for—a debris-trapping hatch that would open up once or twice every ten minutes. He timed its opening as best he could and then let it pull him in and drop him with the rest of the refuse inside of a conversion room.

  Once inside, Rafian pulled out a torch and burnt a hole through the wall, leading into what sounded like the engine room. Pulling himself through and replacing the block he had cut, he ducked behind a Celon radiation drive, climbed to the ceiling, and wedged himself in a corner. The ship had three men on staff working on the engines and they were preoccupied with a number of things, so none of them bothered to look up. Rafian waited patiently for them to separate, then dropped onto the closest one, knocking him out instantly. He then removed the bright orange jumpsuit the man wore and pulled it over his 3B suit before walking out of the room.

  “Bathroom!” He coughed and ran out of the door, hoping they would assume it was a serious emergency that would keep their partner occupied for a while.