Star Magi: A Space Opera Fantasy Adventure (Star Magi Saga Book 1)

by Andrew Dobell

  ‘Please, be my guest,’ Ylena said and waved Amanda towards the Dragon.

  Stepping up, Amanda eyed the Dragon, who looked back up at her with clear contempt in its eyes.

  Concentrating, Amanda summoned Essentia to her and reached out with her mind and focused on trying to read the Dragon’s thoughts. She encountered resistance right away in the form of a kind of Aegis around the Dragon’s mind, shielding it from her mental probe. She felt the Crux Dragon start to bring its own Magic to bear as well, as it tried to summon its power and fight her off, only for the Magic of the Sol Dragon’s to rush in and wash it away. Amanda pressed on, pushing in and hit the Aegis around its mind. It was an incredibly powerful barrier, but Amanda wasn’t going to give up so easily and began to hammer at this shield with her Magic in an attempt to break through, but the Dragon seemed to be holding the line and repairing the damage she was doing as she was causing it.

  She pressed on, forcing her Magic against the Aegis as much as she could, but it was soon apparent that no matter what she did, she would not be able to break through.

  Not right now, anyway. Amanda pressed on for a moment or two more, hoping she was wrong, but it just wasn’t going to happen, she realised, and released her Magic, stepping back from the beast as she caught her breath.

  ‘I see what you mean,’ Amanda gasped.

  Ylena nodded. ‘As I said, notorious. And yet, from what I could see, you got closer than anyone else so far.’

  ‘Thanks,’ Amanda answered.

  ‘Let’s return,’ Ylena said. ‘The meeting won’t be long.’

  Alliance

  Sol Prime, Sol System.

  Amanda looked out over the table that she was sitting at with Valerya, Aris, Rane, Ylena, Crystal, and other members of the Ormond Dynasty, including Dasha. She’d looked into their eyes, engaging them as she’d spoken. She’d just finished going through the events on Earth, telling the Sol Protectorate what had happened and their theory as to why it had happened before she’d then laid out the Council’s idea of joining with the Nexus.

  ‘For too long, we’ve kept to ourselves,’ Amanda explained. ‘We can no longer afford to rely on others to keep us safe, not when an army of Void Dragons can attack us at any moment, even here, deep in the heart of Nexus Space. This attack, as unfortunate and horrific as it was, has at least made us rethink our position as regards the Nexus and the galactic community.’

  ‘And where does that leave us?’ Dasha asked, his tone challenging.

  Amanda looked over at the fop and considered her answer. ‘For years, the Ormonds and the Sol Protectorate have protected us and sought to keep Earth’s population free from the influence of the Star Magi of the Nexus, and I see no reason why this cannot continue. In fact, the Magi Council wish to join with you and work with the Ormond Dynasty to build a stronger alliance. It is my understanding that we will see resistance to this from the Dynasties, but by working together with our allies, we wish to become a force to be reckoned with.’

  ‘Admirable.’ Ylena commented.

  ‘But what of our sovereignty?’ Dasha asked.

  ‘Sol Prime is yours to govern, as it always has been. We see no need to challenge that. Nothing will really change as regards Sol Prime and the Protectorate,’ Amanda said, doing her best to answer the questions that were being thrown at her.

  Trevelyan and the Council Magi had gone over the details of what they were proposing at the end of the meeting she had been at with them, doing their best to make sure she had all the answers she needed.

  ‘This could be a great opportunity,’ Crystal added in. The Ormond’s power base has always been small, but with the help of the Terran Magi, this could change things.’

  Amanda nodded to Crystal as she glanced over at the end of her comments. She’d been pleased to see the leader of the Sentinels when she’d walked into this meeting room and had greeted her warmly. She’d hoped that Crystal would support her and the Council’s position, and it felt good to have her actually do it during the meeting.

  ‘You’re suggesting a Terran Alliance?. A formal declaration of the Earth Council and the Sol Protectorate joining together?’ Ylena asked.

  ‘Correct. We’re stronger together,’ Amanda said.

  ‘I’m not against the idea,’ Ylena said, looking to her aids and the other Ormonds sat at the table. Almost all of them nodded their heads, showing that they were in favour of the motion. Amanda picked out no more than maybe three who made obvious shows of not being in favour. Dasha included.

  ‘You do realise that the Nexus and the Dynasties won’t like this, right?’ Ylena commented.

  Amanda nodded. ‘Of course. There was always going to be resistance to the Magi of Earth joining the Nexus, but the Crux is a threat to all Arcadian Magi, whether they be Dynasty, Nexus, or Terran,’ she said. ‘The Dynasties need to work together to fight this threat, whereas the Crux know that they need to divide us to conquer us.’

  ‘Some of these Dynasties have been at war for hundreds of years, you know,’ said one of the other Ormonds.

  ‘I was aware of this, yes. I know it won’t be easy, but nothing worthwhile ever is,’ she said. In her mind, she guessed that getting the various Dynasties to work together on something would be like trying to get America, Iran, North Korea, Syria, Germany, and Russia to all agree on something, put their differences to one side, and work together. The chances of that were slim, but there were probably circumstances where it might be possible, such as a powerful external force that threatened all of the Earth.

  And that, Amanda knew, was what she had to convince them all of. They had to be convinced that there was a threat that didn’t discriminate between the Dynasties and wanted to wipe them all out.

  But getting them to see that and take it seriously would not be easy. Amanda knew she was going in there as a representative of a small backwater planet, somewhere that wasn’t seen as important or as serious as one of the main Dynasties, but she would do it all the same.

  ‘Alright,’ Ylena said, sitting forward. ‘The Sol Protectorate was started by my family because we believed in the sanctity of Sol. We wanted to protect humanity from outside influences and let the humans on Earth reach the stars in their own way. We have worked together with the Magi Council, and with the Sentinels, separately for a long time, but this attack by the Crux has shown me that things have changed. We can no longer continue as we have been doing for the past few thousand years. The Crux are a threat. A threat to the Nexus, the Dynasties, and Sol, and we might be the only ones who truly see that. In fact, I doubt the Nexus even know about the attack. The way forward is clear. We must unite and work together to fight them. So, let us, the official bodies of Earth, join together and set an example for the Dynasties to follow. No longer are we the Ormond Dynasty, the Sol Protectorate, the Sentinels, and the Magi Council. With everyone’s agreement, I suggest we put aside these differences and become the Terran Alliance. The Magi of Earth, working together to fight the Crux. Are you with me?’

  Amanda stood up quickly. ‘I am.’

  Crystal, Valerya, Rane, and Aris followed suit. ‘I am,’ they each said.

  The members of the Sol Protectorate joined in as well, each of them standing and declaring, ‘I am.’

  Even Dasha stood up, although he was one of the last and didn’t seem terribly happy about it, muttering his ‘I am’ under his breath.

  ‘It is decided, then,’ Ylena said. ‘I suggest we elect a Council to run things, mediate matters, that kind of thing.’

  ‘We need delegates from each faction, at least two each to form the Council,’ Amanda suggested.

  ‘Agreed,’ Ylena said. ‘We’ll work out the details, but for now, I suggest the interim Council should be myself representing the Protectorate, Rane representing the Ormond Dynasty, Crystal representing the Sentinels and Amanda representing the Earth Council. Any objections?’

  Amanda looked around the room, wondering if anyone would speak up and derail things, but no on
e did, not even Dasha, much to her surprise.

  ‘Then it’s settled,’ Ylena declared.

  ‘Excellent,’ Amanda said, choosing not to hide the joy in her voice. ‘Now, we just need to inform the Nexus. When do you think would be a good time for me to pay them a visit?’

  ‘They meet every day, so we can petition to speak to the Nexus Council as soon as we get there. In fact, there’s a gala event for the Dynasties in the next few days, so if we’re lucky, everyone will be there and attending the meetings before and after. You’ll also get to meet some of the ambassadors at the gala.’

  ‘You can get us into that?’

  ‘Shouldn’t be an issue,’ Ylena smiled.

  ‘I’m going to need a new dress,’ Rane grunted.

  ‘Me, too,’ Amanda muttered. ‘Sounds good, Ylena,’ Amanda smiled and nodded to the matriarch. She was keen to keep going, to meet with the Nexus and see if they could garner any support from them. She wasn’t terribly hopeful, but she had to try.

  Unexpected meeting

  Sol Prime, Sol System.

  Dasha sat back in his chair and watched the meeting finish as his mother fawned over this Earth Magus. The events of the last day or so were troubling to Dasha, as it felt like things were changing, something which was only confirmed by meetings like today’s with this Amanda. He was vaguely familiar with her. She’d been here before and was a friend of his sister’s. More than a friend, actually. They were occasional lovers. Or had been back when Amanda had been visiting a little more often, but that was a while ago now.

  He’d never liked Amanda much. She seemed like the kind of person who would interfere with his dealings. He’d been glad when she’d stopped coming out here quite so often, but seeing her back here now was not something he relished.

  He had a good thing going, but now, with this Dragon attack, it felt like everything was at risk again.

  That fact that he didn’t know it was coming was one of the most significant concerns he had. He’d been sure that he was one of the better-informed members of their family, but this seemed to have caught everyone by surprise. And now, the Earth Magi wanted to join with the Ormonds and Sentinels?

  Honestly, he wasn’t sure if he was against this or not. Part of him just automatically railed against it. It felt like these Earth magi were trying to take over, to take the Ormond’s power for their own. Something he hated the idea of, and yet, he wondered if that was just his fear of change talking, because he was also fairly sure that there would be opportunity in this change.

  These Earth Magi knew nothing of the galactic community, which would make them excellent marks for his plans. If he played it right, they would surely follow him anywhere.

  So, when it came to throwing his lot in with his mother and this new Terran Alliance, he did so, but made a show of looking reluctant. He had an image to live up to, after all, so he took his time and pulled a face.

  And yet, deep down, he was smiling. He could see all kinds of deals opening up for him, and the more he thought about this shift, the more ideas he had.

  The Dynasties would not like this change at all. Some would be dismissive, others would be in uproar, but a few of them would accept it, and in this conflict, there would be opportunity. He just needed to be sure to position himself right and make sure he was there when these options presented themselves.

  The meeting ended with them making plans for the flight to Axia, something that Dasha was now keen to go on. He wanted to see how the vaunted members of the Nexus would react to Amanda and her statement. He had no doubt that it would be both enlightening and hilarious. He also wanted to be in the right place at the right time to speak with anyone who might be able to offer him something. There would be some knee-jerk reactions to this news — he was sure of that — and was curious to see what they were, and how they could benefit him personally.

  Dasha got up and left the room with everyone else and made his way back to his suite, choosing to walk rather than Port to give him some time to think things through. He usually did his best thinking when he was walking.

  As he walked, he ran through his contacts and also through the Nexus delegates, making some mental notes as to who he thought would be good people to watch or approach, and who might be receptive to talking to him. When he neared his door, he knew for sure that this move by the Earth was actually going to be a good thing, and the future actually excited him. They were going to thoroughly upset the status quo, sending parts of the Nexus into chaos, exposing vulnerabilities to him that maybe he could exploit.

  He was actually looking forward to this, he decided.

  The door to his suite unlocked as he approached it and opened for him, letting him in before closing behind him. Dasha was a good way into his apartment, lost in thought as he ran through the ideas he had about who would be good people to target when he suddenly noticed the feeling that he wasn’t alone. His enhanced Magi senses picked up the flow of Magic in the apartment, the scent of someone else and a hundred other tiny giveaways that most Riven would never notice. If he’d been a little more present rather than lost in thought as he’d walked in here, he probably would have noticed before he’d even got in here.

  Dasha turned and looked around, noticing the figure sitting in one of his soft chairs a short distance away.

  Dasha sighed. ‘Earth lost its appeal that quick did it?’ he asked as he eyed the blonde woman sat watching him.

  ‘I’d be a little more aware of your surroundings in future, if I were you,’ she replied. ‘I could have killed you by now.’

  ‘I’ll bear that in mind,’ he said as he walked over to his drinks cabinet. He had a feeling that he was going to need something strong.

  ‘It’s a nice place you have here,’ she complimented him. He glanced over to see her looking out through the floor to ceiling windows behind him before he returned his attention to his drink and finished pouring it.

  ‘You’ve been here before, Anastasia; you’ve seen that view before.’

  ‘I know,’ she answered simply.

  ‘So, why are you here this time?’ he asked as he picked up his drink and moved to one of the other seats.

  Ana looked at him, her face serious as she stared, making him feel uncomfortable. ‘A little bit of bravado from an Arcadian who’s had dealings with the Nomads… Interesting.’

  Dasha shrugged, not sure how to answer and not really wanting to push Anastasia any further.

  Anastasia smiled and sat back in her seat. ‘Amanda’s here,’ she stated.

  ‘She is,’ Dasha confirmed. She knew that these two Magi had crossed paths before, so Anastasia’s interest in Amanda was not surprising.

  ‘What’s going on? What’s she doing here?’

  ‘What’s that information worth to you?’ Dasha asked. It was a risky thing to try, making a deal with a Nomad, but he was curious to see if he could get anything out of it.

  Anastasia cocked her head to one side. ‘Your life and your reputation.’

  Dasha nodded once, understanding that she could ruin him easily enough. ‘Fair enough. She’s here representing the Earth Magi Council, who want to join the Nexus. The Council, the Protectorate, and the Ormond Dynasty are joining together to form the Terran Alliance. They’re going to the Nexus next.’

  ‘Really?’ Anastasia said, and leaned back, looking up at the ceiling. ‘Are you going with them?’

  Dasha nodded. ‘I am,’ he answered, choosing not to elaborate further on his own plans.

  ‘Good, report back to me on events there, please. I’ll make it worth your while.’

  ‘Of course.’

  ‘The Dragons attacked here as well, didn’t they?’ she asked.

  ‘That’s right,’ he answered, wondering where she was going with this.

  ‘I’ve heard a rumour that you captured one of them…’

  ‘I believe so, yes, but I have not yet seen it,’ he replied, careful to keep any notes of frustration from his voice. His mother’s insistence on ke
eping the location and further details of this captive secret was a source of annoyance for him, exacerbated further by Ylena taking Amanda to visit it. But there was little he could do about that right now.

  ‘If you find out where it is, I would very much like to know,’ she said to him. She uncrossed her legs and leant forward. ‘Understand?’

  ‘Perfectly,’ Dasha answered.

  She stood up, showing off her fitted black and white bodysuit to him. He guessed she was good looking. Slim, fit, blonde, and confident, but his interest lay on the other side of the tracks, so she did nothing for him.

  ‘Good,’ she answered, and with a whip-snap of air, she was gone.

  Dasha sat back and sighed. ‘Women!’ he groaned.

  Axia

  Sol Prime, Sol System

  Amanda stood at the back of the Arkady as the ship accelerated away from the Sol Prime station, weaving between the buildings and up into the black. To her right, the sleek gold and white lines of the Zephyr, the mid-sized Ormond ship that Ylena, Dasha, and a few others were on moved alongside the Arkady as they also travelling towards Axia at Proxima Centauri.

  ‘The Terran Alliance,’ Rane said from behind her. ‘Things are changing.’

  Amanda smiled and turned to face her friend, resting her butt against the railing on the rear deck. ‘All this is… Well, it’s crazy. Just a couple of days ago, I was on Earth, living in my house, doing what I’ve done for years now, but this feels new. This is different. Things are changing. That attack by the Dragons, it really made us, the Magi, I mean, sit up and take notice.’

  ‘It must have been horrific to be in the middle of all that,’ Rane said.

  Amanda nodded. ‘Seeing those Dragons erupt from the clouds and descend on the city was one of the most shocking moments I have ever witnessed. I knew this was the start of something big. I knew life as a Magi on Earth would no longer be the same.’

  ‘It’s changing things everywhere. It’s clear now just how complacent we’ve been. We’ve let our enemies regroup, get their strength back, and we’ve paid the price.’