Amanda knew this would be one of the Arcanum’s measures as well, designed to delete any incriminating evidence from people’s phones. The news continued, and they ended the segment teasing an interview with a clearly crazy person who apparently had seen Dragons over New York.
‘There will always be some who slip through the net or that are immune to the Magic the Arcanum are using,’ Shaun explained.
‘I guessed there would be a few. Luckily, they will be dismissed as crazy… This time…’
Silence descended over the room briefly as the weight of her words sank in.
‘So, what was decided with the Council? Anything? Did they hold a meeting?’ Maria asked.
‘They did,’ Amanda answered, ‘and that’s something I need to talk to you about, as it involves me.’ She looked around to see that everyone was paying attention to her and listening to her. ‘We had a meeting with the whole Council, and we concluded that to the best of our knowledge, the reason for the Dragon assault was to liberate the Archons from Earth. Our working theory is that this had been pre-planned. The Archons must have been speaking to the Crux for months, years even, leading up to their release. Which, if that’s the case, I guess it means that Yasmin was tricked into killing one of the Archons.’
‘So, that Archon that she killed…’ Liz started to say.
‘Samael,’ Amanda offered.
‘Yes, Samael, he must have sacrificed himself,’ Liz finished.
‘I certainly wouldn’t put it past them,’ Amanda answered. ‘So anyway, they were released and must then have gotten word to the Crux somehow, who then gathered their forces and came here to liberate them.’
‘Why would they hide out here, on Earth? Wouldn’t that be dangerous for them?’ Liz asked.
‘Anima,’ Maria answered her.
‘Yes, of course,’ Amanda agreed. She’d not thought about this, but it made perfect sense. ‘They were weak from their imprisonment and we know they gained strength through consuming the souls of others. So they used their followers here on Earth to help them rebuild their strength.’
‘That ties into that Arcanum agent who went missing in London,’ Maya added. ‘He was probably one of the victims the vampires sacrificed to Lilitu.’
‘That fits,’ Amanda nodded.
‘So, the Archons have left Earth. That’s good, right?’ Shaun asked.
‘Only in that they are not on our doorstep anymore, yes, but in the long run, it will most certainly be very bad. From what we know, the Crux — the powerful beings that created the Void Dragons — have allied themselves with the Archons to increase their strength. We know from sources that the Crux had been building up their forces, we think in readiness to attack the Nexus. Earth is in the heart of the Nexus, one star over from its capital at Proxima, so when war comes, it will come to us, too. So, we need to be ready for that.’
‘How do we prepare for interstellar war?’ Shaun asked.
‘For years, Earth has been cut off from the galactic community. There’s been a non-interference policy to leave humanity on Earth alone and let it develop by itself, but the Council and I believe that the Magi of Earth can no longer be cut off from the Nexus. Earth needs to take its place in the galactic community so it can at least have a chance of defending itself.’
‘But the humans on Earth will not know about this?’ Maria asked.
‘That’s right. The Sentinels and the Arcanum will work to ensure this is the case. But, in the meantime, we need to initiate contact with the Nexus and begin talks with them to join.’
‘You’ve volunteered, haven’t you?’ Maria asked.
‘Of course, she has,’ Maya commented.
‘Yeah, I have. I’ll be leaving Earth shortly and travelling to Sol Prime to meet with officials from the Ormond Dynasty before moving on to Axia and the Nexus,’ Amanda explained and watched as the information sunk in. She could see them looking at each other as if they were waiting for her to say something. Maybe they were wondering if she would ask them to go with her, but from the looks on their faces, she knew that most of them had no interest in getting involved in what would probably be a very long and drawn out mission. She also knew that if she asked them, most of them would agree to help, even if it caused them problems because they were friends and good people.
‘I’ll be going alone,’ Amanda said and watched them all look at her with varying amounts of surprise.
‘Are you sure?’ Maya asked.
‘Really?’ Maria questioned her.
‘Alone?’ Liz commented, sounding almost offended.
‘I’m sure. I’ll have Valerya and Aris with me, and I’ll be meeting up with some others I know out there, but I think this is for the best. Maya, Maria, you have obligations here. Shaun, Vanessa, Matt, I know you are probably reluctant anyway, and the rest of you, well, I need you here. I’m not abandoning Earth, and I’m not going to uproot my Coven and move it all out to space. I need people here, on Earth. People I know and can trust and who can do what needs doing. Liz, recently you stepped up and showed me you're no longer my apprentice. Not really. You’re a capable young Magus with a great future ahead of you, and I know you can lead this Coven capably and effectively. So, that’s what I need you to do. Would you do that for me?’
‘You know I’d come with you,’ Liz said.
Amanda smiled and nodded. ‘I know you would, and part of me still wants you to come, but all in due time. For now, I need you here.’
Liz stood up straight and nodded. ‘I understand, you can count on me.’
‘I know I can,’ Amanda smiled at the younger woman, before pulling her in for a hug.
‘I’m sure I speak for everyone here when I wish you good luck,’ Maria stated.
‘Here, here,’ Maya agreed.
‘Absolutely,’ Shaun said, while the others in the room added their own comments in agreement.
‘Thank you, all of you. But don’t think I won’t be coming back. You’ve not got rid of me yet,’ she warned them with a smile.
Prime Captive
The Arkady, Sol System.
With a flash behind her eyes and a rush of Essentia, Amanda appeared in her stateroom aboard the Arkady. Like the rest of the ship, the décor was clean with lots of sweeping lines, white furnishings, and pine accents.
Saying goodbye to her Coven, her friends, family, and lover was tough. She was about to embark on what could be a long and dangerous mission and travel far away from Earth, and as much as she knew it had to be done, the thought of it was undeniably terrifying.
And yet, she had embarked on similar daunting missions before, many of them alone with no backup, and she knew she was more than capable of putting that fear behind her and doing what needed to be done.
Amanda walked around the room, opening her wardrobe and drawers, checking her things were where they needed to be before she caught sight of herself in one of the mirrors. She was still wearing her ripped jeans, sneakers, and a camisole top. Clothes she was more than happy to wear, but she knew from previous experience that she would stand out as different beyond Earth and Enceladus.
The fashions of the Nexus and the Dynasties were quite different to that of Earth, with fitted smart clothing, often with protective properties, illuminated sections and digital systems inbuilt being the norm, especially amongst the Magi. On her previous sojourns into deep space, she had picked up a few items of clothing and by now, had a small collection of outfits that she liked to wear. It had been a while, though, and she still had a soft spot for the first outfit she’d ever bought and worn when she had first visited Axia.
She reached for it and held it in front of her in the mirror before she smiled to herself. It would be the perfect thing.
She quickly stripped out of her clothes and pulled on the fitted catsuit with its intelligent fabric that acted as a kind of armour and looked very futuristic to Amanda. The bodysuit was white with a couple of shades of grey here and there and once it was on, suddenly shrunk and adjusted to her
shape, while several lights flared into life. It was a perfect fit. She then pulled on a pair of self-adjusting boots that also shrunk to fit her perfectly. The boots also had an adjustable heel, allowing her to wear them as flats, wedges, or stilettos, making them perfect for both day-to-day wear and combat. She finished off by pulling on a half skirt that fell from her waist to the floor, but was open at the front from hip bone to hip bone.
She liked that it flared about around her legs and gave her a more mystical look than a catsuit alone.
She kept her bright red hair loose and flicked it over her shoulders as she checked herself in the mirror one last time before feeling satisfied.
Well, she thought, there’s no reason to delay this any further. She stepped out of her stateroom before walking through to the central communal area towards the back of the ship on the main deck where she knew Valerya and Aris were waiting for her.
‘A-ha, beat you again,’ Valerya said to Aris, her tone superior.
‘Fray it. Alright, that’s enough of that,’ he replied, passing the cards in his hand back to Valerya.
Valerya looked up at Amanda as she walked in and cocked her head to one side as she assessed her look. ‘Nice,’ she commented. ‘I was wondering if you’d embrace the fashions of the Nexus.’
‘I think it’s best that I fit in,’ Amanda explained. ‘No point getting off to a bad start with the Nexus before I’ve even opened my mouth.
‘Agreed.’
‘Plus, I like these clothes; they’re ridiculously comfy.’
‘It’s a win-win, then,’ Valerya answered with a smile. ‘Are you all done on Earth? Are we getting underway?’
‘Yeah, we are. I’m all done here, so we really should get going.’
‘Is it just you? None of your Coven coming with you?’
‘It’s just me,’ Amanda answered with a thin smile, noticing Valerya’s reaction of slight surprise that she was coming alone. ‘I’ll get the ship moving, we need to get to Sol Prime.’
‘What’s the ETA on that?’ Aris asked. He was sitting opposite Valerya in the main deck relaxing on one of the long soft seats.
‘It’s about two hundred AU out, so a little over three hours,’ she answered.
‘Excellent,’ Aris nodded and sat back, his eyes looking off into the middle distance. As he moved, Amanda saw with her Aetheric Sight the neural net implanted in his brain flare with slightly more activity, sending signals to his eyes. He was engrossed in something that only he could see. A game or book or something that he’d be able to see overlaid onto his vision like a HUD in an aircraft.
Implants and upgrades like this, as far as Amanda knew from her admittedly limited experience, were common in the Nexus. She’d already noticed Valerya’s implants, including her neural net.
For now, she felt she really didn’t need such things as she was able to connect to the Net with her Magic anyway, but it might be easier to one day get implants like these if it turned out she would be spending a lot of time out here.
Time would tell, she guessed.
‘You know what??’ Valerya asked. ‘Before I came here, I’d always imagined Earth as some kind of… I don’t know. A sort of primitive, inward-looking, ignorant place that I would just hate. But this visit really has opened my eyes and I quite like it, actually. It’s a little quaint and retro, but it has an appeal I was not expecting. I can see why the Sol Protectorate would want to keep it as it is and not let the Nexus interfere with Earth’s humanity.’
Amanda smiled. ‘I’m glad you liked it,’ she said. Valerya nodded and sat back, apparently not wanting to get any deeper into the conversation. Amanda chuckled silently. She was taking a liking to these two but had a better idea of what Valerya was like than Aris. Aris was very much a closed book. He stood and watched and took everything in. He seemed like quite a calculating man. Quiet, stoic, but probably very reliable and something of a fighter. The kind of person you’d want backing you up on a dangerous mission. She wondered if his Special Forces training influenced his demeanour?
She’d caught him watching her a few times, but not in a lecherous way. Instead, she got the feeling he was sizing her up, trying to gauge her strengths and weaknesses and whether she would be a useful ally to have.
Valerya was a little more open and talkative, which Amanda was glad of. Otherwise, this would be a very quiet trip. Like Aris, she came across as a survivor. Someone who had been through some tough times and could clearly handle herself. She also probably had some high-level training in her past, but there was a wisdom with her. Amanda guessed that Valerya was older than Aris, a lot older. She seemed practical and no-nonsense, but a little more emotionally open than Aris.
She liked them, and so far, saw no reason not to work with them. Real trust would take time to come and would be determined by their actions, of course, but at least, they seemed to be off to a good start.
Leaving them where they were, Amanda walked towards the back of the ship as the Arkady turned away from the Earth using its Pulse Drive — the slowest of its three main drive systems — before it pointed itself towards Sol Prime. Once it was on target, the ships second drive system powered up.
The Displacement Drive boosted the ship forward while the inertial dampeners negated most of the feeling of movement. Not all of it, though. The system was more than capable of eliminating all of it, but Amanda had it set to allow some through. She preferred to have some sense of movement on the ship as she flew it through space.
As the Displacement Drive powered up, the Earth shot away from the Arkady, shrinking down to nothing in a little more than a second as they started to race towards the edge of the solar system and Sol Prime.
Sol Prime, at around 200AU from the sun, was a little over four times as far out as Pluto was from the sun, dipping in and out of the heliopause boundary of interstellar space as it made its orbit. She’d been there a few times, but not for a while. She hoped that Rane would still be there.
But she had a few hours to wait before she got there.
Being an Aetheric Craft, and thus Magical, the Arkady didn’t need to follow the usual rules of construction for starships. She’d seen a few strange ones on her travels that stood out from the crowd. Technically, they could be anything and didn’t even need engines. The core of an Aether ship was basically an enchanted item that moved them Magically rather than through any kind of chemical reaction or anything.
This meant that a Magus could, in theory, take a pirates galleon out to space. Once the Aegis was in place to protect it from the harsh environment of deep space, you had a viable ship. This also meant that the craft of the Magi could be made from pretty much anything. Some looked like typical starships made from metal, but they could just as easily be made from wood or crystal or plastic or anything, really. The only limit as to what a ship could be made from was the imagination of the Magus making it.
The Arkady was Amanda’s own design, and she’d constructed the Arkady to look like a futuristic Trimaran with a primary central hull split over four decks, while two further, smaller hulls, one on either side of the ship, were held in place with struts and did actually contain conventional engines.
The ship was also able to transform slightly and lower the two outer hulls, allowing it to land and float in water, becoming a yacht.
Like many Aether ships, the Arkady usually wasn’t airtight, although it could be made so easily enough. At the back of the ship on the main deck, there was an open area with only the Aegis to protect it.
Amanda liked being out here with no apparent barrier between her and the far reaches of space beyond. It didn’t feel as confining as the inside of the Arkady, and she could happily sit out here on the soft sofas and lose herself in the vastness of space.
For now, she wanted to enjoy some time alone, though, and with the other two inside, this was the perfect place to do it.
Walking away from the rear railing, she settled herself into one of the seats and relaxed into the cushion behind her.
There would be plenty to do and worry about once they were at Sol Prime, and probably more once they were at Axia and the Nexus.
***
Amanda sat in her chair on the bridge and watched the last few seconds on the timer countdown on the main viewer. As it hit zero, the Displacement Drive shut off at the exact moment the huge Sol Prime space station shot out of the darkness into full view before them.
The thing was massive at about twenty-five kilometres diameter across the main disc of the station, and not much less than that vertically. The station was built upon a vast disk, with towers that got taller towards the centre, rising several kilometres up into space. The central tower, a vast structure that reached five kilometres higher than the next highest spire, was the home of the Ormond Dynasty, the family of Magi that ran this station and the Sol Protectorate.
Below the disk, similar structures extended down, but they were industrial and engineering sections of the station rather than the day to day living areas above. It was basically a huge city, floating in the void of space.
Looking at the structure with her Aetheric Sight, the primary concentration of Magic was around the Ormond Spire, but the rest of the station was mainly run by conventional, but advanced, science and technology.
Most of the large population of Sol Prime was Riven and had no innate Magical ability at all. Most of the small Ormond Family were Magi, of course, but there were almost certainly a few other Magi scattered through the rest of the station as well, going about their lives.
Lives that had obviously been disrupted recently judging by the apparent damage that the station had sustained. Some of it was still smoking, so it hadn’t happened long ago.
Looks like Crystal wasn’t lying, the Dragons had been here, too, Amanda thought.
Amanda immediately reached out with her mind and sent a Pulse of Essentia out to Rane. They had met and spent time together many years ago, and despite not having seen each other in a while, she still had that dormant Link to her in her mind.
Moments passed, and Amanda couldn’t help but think that maybe Rane wasn’t here. Perhaps, she’d moved on or worse? Despite her lineage as a member of a small Dynasty, which put certain expectations on her and how she should behave, Rane could be a little wild at times. She was very much a free spirit, or, at least, had been a long time ago.
Star Magi: A Space Opera Fantasy Adventure (Star Magi Saga Book 1) Page 12
