by Reiter
“… and it felt like…I was ignited, but not actually burning,” Teela described. Dungias looked away as a sentiment of aggression registered to his senses. He held up his hand for Teela to stop talking and quickly got up to move to the front of the ship.
“One moment, Teela. I will return as soon as I can.” Dungias engaged in the Star-Stride and came to a stop seeing Rahneece dragging an unconscious Ephaliun out of the cockpit. The laser burns in his shirt were unmistakable. “Is there a problem?”
“Nothing I couldn’t handle,” Rahneece replied. “I shot Dugger in the back and then clubbed him upside the back of the head. He’s going to have a sweetheart of a headache when he wakes up. Should match his disposition! I’ve rerouted our course using the dead moon of NayFall to mask our approach.”
“It is unfortunate you had to reroute our approach to do that,” Dungias shared.
“He’s not right,” the woman remarked. “… great in a fight, sure. But, in-between that he’s a chore to have along. I’m surprised you would want him with you.”
“One of the points was to address his in-between time,” he explained.
“Oh! Well, in that case, carry on.”
“So glad to have your permission.”
“Happy to give it! But, if there’s nothing else, I’ll go back to manning the helm and sending that transmission request of yours.” Rahneece did not wait for an answer from Dungias as she returned to the cockpit.
“CK, keep an eye on her as well,” Dungias directed as he opened a channel to Jovasor. “Doctor, it would appear you have a patient. I will be bringing him to you.” Dungias took a hold of Ephaliun’s belt and lifted his body from the floor. Reaching the part of the ship where the single regenerator was situated, Dungias deposited the unconscious body as Jovasor approached to begin his examination.
“What happened?” the young doctor asked. “I think we’re still in visual range of the ship.”
“I do not believe Rahneece’s aggression would have been less accurate had we been further away,” Dungias remarked. “He received a blow to the back of the head. See to that and nothing else.”
“Excuse me, First Mate,” Jovasor snapped. “But this is my patient and I am in char–” a gravimetric pulse lifted Jovasor from the floor. He landed on his feet, gasping at the speed with which he had been lifted.
“Forgive me, Doctor, my body is still somewhat stiff, and it is obvious the moment requires eye-to-eye contact. You were awarded your position because of your ability to assert yourself. Let that serve as your base ingot. You are now in the process of forging yourself. That takes tact, guile, wisdom, initiative, and a certain level of awareness. In short, I am not the Captain. Do as I tell you or you will force me to engage the regenerator… twice.” Swallowing hard, Jovasor’s eyes quickly fell from Dungias’ as he nodded in agreement.
“I will scan to see if there was any major damage done to his head.”
“Thank you, Doctor.”
Before Dungias could get back to Teela and receive the rest of her experience, his brace-com signaled him. Looking at the small screen, he received playback of the surveillance footage CK had gathered. Dungias sighed and shook his head. CK was told to alter the energy field that had been erected just inside the outer hull. The Kulri-Kraythe stood a very slight chance of being detected. The materials she ferried, however, would not be seen by any means of MannA the Traveler had experienced. The computer intelligence chuckled at the Traveler’s craftiness before reporting that Rahneece had achieved success in reaching the desired personnel at Emerald Station Three.
“Rahneece, put the channel through to my station,” Dungias directed. He could hear the woman gasp at the sound of his voice. Suppressing a smile, Dungias felt sorry for the young woman. There were so many more surprises yet to come.
“Fair greetings,” Dungias said in Grod. “I am but a simple Traveler who has gained the trust of one of your most trusted.”
“New friend,” a female voice in the same language, “… easy it is to make that claim, especially without your name or the name of the one you say you know.”
“I more than know him,” Dungias replied. “Ruukar knows my Captain, and I am her most loyal servant. I will keep this line. Verify the Blue Shadow of Starblazer approaches NayFall with a treasure that belongs with her blood.”
“Ruukar is a name that will require verification,” she replied.
“And given the station he holds, I am aware of the potential that there will be a long wait,” Dungias commented. “I ask you to move quickly, but not so much as to cause you discomfort or detriment.”
“If nothing else, Traveler, you know your Grod,” she commented. “A moment.”
Dungias lowered his brace-com and took his seat near Teela. “Let me see if I have an understanding of your experience, Teela. You attained ignition, but you were not harmed by the experience of reaching a threshold.”
“A threshold!” Teela exclaimed, realizing what she had done. Teela had attained a threshold and shared it with the wand. Dungias kept from smiling, surprised that he had been the one who had alerted her to what she had achieved. He then reminded himself that Teela’s strongest contribution to the threesome was her ability to keep their combined intelligence marshalled to a single task. It was good, however, that all she had required was a nudge. Obviously being around Bantar had made a beneficial impression. “Z…”
“Please,” Dungias said softly, ushering the woman to the stairs that led to the lower deck. “And please tell Amosse I need to see him immediately about a very important matter.”
“Will do, sir!”
“Yes, give the child some room to have her moment,” Dungias said to himself.
“Z, we’ve got an alarm on the sensors,” Rahneece announced.
“Remember that your brace-com will allow you to connect with the ship’s computer,” Dungias advised. He leaned back in his chair as he could see Amosse running. “Yes, his need to get back to the power is most pressing.”
“Sorry,” Rahneece stated. “I’m linked up now. NayFall is barely within visual range and there is a very sizeable MannA field around the entire barony. We will reach the field fifteen minutes before we get to the Emerald Barony.”
Dungias thought for a moment before speaking. “At our current speed and the disparity of distance you have given, the field does not encompass the dead moon. Bring the ship into the shadow of that satellite and fix our position so that we remain on the dark side of that moon.”
“Maybe I was a little hard on Dugger,” Rahneece thought. “The Z Exception is more wonky than the chair arrangements!”
“And it is quite apparent to me, crewman, that you are not wearing your goggles,” Dungias stated. “If you wish to keep your thoughts to yourself, I suggest you don the goggles in a mode you find comfortable and fashionably acceptable.”
“You wanted to see me, Z?” Amosse asked.
“Yes,” Dungias said as he stood up, removing Alpha from its sleeve. “I wanted to know how you would respond to the assignment of seeing to the MannA Keys while we are still in The Territories and I am away from the ship.”
“You want me to…”
“You will be the crewman of rank whenever and wherever the Keys are concerned,” Dungias defined, lifting Alpha to his eye level. “I will need to calibrate my Osamu to your goggles and brace-com. That way you can contact me directly with your thoughts. Your brace-com, please.” Amosse was quick to lift his brace-com up and he fell to the floor when Alpha touched his bracer and delivered an energy pulse. “Alpha, that was too powerful… but I believe you knew that already.” Another touch and the stunned man was brought back to full clarity. “My apologies,” Dungias said, helping the young man from the floor. “It would appear that I am not quite fully returned to nominal.”
“Oh, okay,” Amosse mumbled. “Are you okay?”
“I will be, Amosse. I appreciate your concern. Please join Rahneece in the cockpit.” Dungias’ brace-com bee
ped and he lifted it to read the report.
“Fair wayfarer,” the same female voice called to him. “Are you still there?”
“I am, new friend.”
“My name is Kirada,” she advised as she added a video transmission to go along with her voice. She was Mazatian and her canine features were quite evident. Her fur was thick and brown, like a wolf’s, and her eyes were a soft gray. “I am loyal to my Pack, but we are aligned with the Rolpazior. I’ve known Ruukar for many years. Hearing that you were alive brought a smile to his face. I have never seen him laugh in that fashion. You must be quite the individual.”
“I am called Z, First Mate of the Xara-Mansura which is captained by JoJo Starblazer.”
“Well, you’re also in what is probably the worst place for anyone claiming to be associated with that woman or that ship,” Kirada advised. “One should not go about kicking a Duke off their ship.”
“Perhaps the Duke should limit ship visitations to those he has been invited to explore,” Dungias countered, realizing that the Mazatian woman was pressing him for information. He saw no harm in revealing the truth. “My Captain is capable of great efforts of grace when her ship is not boarded while she is away from it.”
“Then it would seem that the fate received was the fate deserved,” Kirada concluded. “Ruukar said you are to be trusted to your word.”
“I will have to communicate my appreciation to the Keeper of Black Gate when I leave The Territories,” Dungias said.
“When that time comes,” Kirada replied. “I have arranged an approach corridor to NayFall. I will send you the coordinates and angle of approach. I hope you have an ambitious pilot. I will see you at the landing location.”
“Many thanks, Kirada, and salutations to your Pack! I will see you soon.” Dungias closed the channel and thought for only a moment before moving from his position. “Many thanks indeed.
“And it is good to feel you again, Cihpares,” he thought as he reached a computer station. He could have used his brace-com, but using two hands allowed him to move more quickly.
“You are sharpening, Star Chaser,” she declared. “… returning to form. Good”
“If that is your perspective,” he considered. “Personally, I calculated you would be making an approach sooner or later. It would seem that Jocasta found something much greater than simple treasure in that chamber. The MannA Keys?! Are you going to tell me that this is part of her fate?!”
“You mistake my reason for being here,” Cihpares returned.
“Oh?” Dungias was obviously surprised by the development.
“Fadym-Fiera has called a Chorus. The Stars of the Prism Baronies wish to speak with you!”
“As soon as I am able,” Dungias projected and Cihpares made a very speedy withdrawal.
** b *** t *** o *** r **
He paced. It was not a normal activity for him. The Delman considered themselves to be a practical people. Pacing to them was a waste of time, energy, and a good pair of legs! Hillgray noticed that he was pacing, which was a troubling sign. Worse yet, those he would die to protect had yet to take notice of his walking back and forth. One would not lift her eyes from the ground as she mind-tussled with recent memory, going over and over again the events aboard the Xara-Mansura. The other would not take his eyes from the sky as he waited for the ship to make its approach. Zyzo looked around at those who had been gathered to assist in the attack… another change Zyzo was not comfortable with. He was used to working with Ukara and Hurdran. But each of them had called out to colleagues and kinsmen. That, along with the Pack Kirada had brought with her, brought their number to two score, all the while using lies and deception to lure one who had more than earned their respect into a trap.
“If he falls for it,” Hillgray thought. “The most impressive muscle on that blue giant is the one that lies between his ears. A very old soul in that warrior… he has seen much… done much… and I cannot say that this ‘gathering’ bests his measure!” The sound of approaching engines made Hillgray stop pacing.
“Tonka has a lock,” Ukara reported as the battle armour formed about her body. “It’s not the lander they used at Black Gate, but the energy signature of the engines is similar.”
“That information, along with what I have felt this past hour, is enough for me,” Hurdran Vyllynthe said as he took a tight grip of his battle wand. “Prepare yourselves!” he called out.
“Your argument is with Starblazer,” Hillgray offered.
“She is the Captain of the ship. This one is her First Mate,” Hurdran returned. “If nothing else, he is simply her enforcer.”
“We both know he is more than that, which means she is more than you think as well!”
“If your sentiment weighs your weapon down, Zyzo, you can remain here and see to this Z when we have restrained him.” Ukara spoke with a tone that the Delman did not appreciate.
“He’s scanning the area!” one of the Olasson InvokeRs warned.
“Stand fast, I have already seen to our obfuscation,” Vyllynthe reported. “His chambers may inhibit the flow of MannA, but we are not aboard the Xara-Mansura at the moment.
“And I have heard you, my friend,” Hurdran said in a softer tone as he turned to look at Hillgray. “I always hear you. I simply do not think you realize what is at stake here. To have the MannA Keys in the possession of a pirate? What fate do we leave ourselves open to if we do nothing?”
“Well, at least you heard me,” Hillgray muttered.
As soon as the ship touched down, the InvokeRs initiated their attack. The earth underneath the vessel began to move and it reached up to grasp the landing struts. The plan was then to transmute that earth to stone. Mud flew to plug the engines and water swirled around the ship, creating a dome through which no smaller craft could find any means of escape. Volleys of lightning bolts arched over the ground, aimed at the door of the craft to allow entry. Only the water dome was erected without any trouble. Everything else stopped shy of the ship due to a very powerful shield around the spacecraft.
“He is attempting to reach me,” Kirada chuckled as she looked at her communicator. “He probably wants to say something like, ‘what is the meaning of this’ or something to that chord.”
The Delman War Pathman looked at the device receiving the broadcast and his eyes flared. Kirada had failed to notice a characteristic of the readout: distance to the transmission source. The distance between Zyzo and the in-bound scout ship was barely seventy meters. Her brace-com registered fifty thousand.
“That is hardly what he is doing!” Hillgray said as he lunged forward, taking hold of Vyllynthe and Ukara. Setting his feet, he engaged the power of his body, pulling his comrades from their feet and throwing them both to the ground, turning and diving after them.
“Biroga, protect me!” Zyzo shouted, calling on the first Hillgray to wield the crystal mace which was on his back. Invoking the name triggered a release of power from the weapon. A small dome shield formed over Hillgray and he landed between the bodies of Ukara and Vyllynthe. Realizing what her friend was doing, Ukara rolled over toward Zyzo. Tonka formed an arm to grab Vyllynthe and pull him closer to Ukara’s body.
An explosion erupted over the landing site just before Hillgray’s body met with the ground. The concussive wave slapped against the dome shield and forced it into the ground. All three bodies were under the shield, but only just barely and Ukara cried out in fright, looking at her ally, her friend, her brother whose integrity called hers into question. He was unconscious, and she knew he would be for some time. The power of the mace was nothing short of awesome, but there were heavy costs to using it.
“Tonka, what was that?” she thought and she could feel her familiar initiate another scan.
“Oh no,” she whispered as she looked up and through the dome of life-sparing energy.
“What is it?” Vyllynthe asked as he too looked.
The entire region of the landing site was peppered with powdered silver, powdered
gold, and a powdered blackened metal Dungias had collected during his years of running about in the Rims. It was called Vinarium. It was extremely rare, at least in the Rims, and it had the most peculiar effect on MannA. The normal flow of the Energy was afflicted, causing standing spells to cancel and forming incantations to go chaotic. Dungias had researched the effect, synthesizing the reaction. That was how he had come to make the munitions for JoJo’s projectile gun and many of his own devices. He only used the raw metal when he believed the source of the MannA manipulation to be gifted or well above the level of Master.
Even under the dome, Hurdran and Ukara could feel the effects of the Vinarium as their personal thresholds with MannA were challenged. Tonka had been programmed to react in situations of this nature and quickly rendered the two unconscious while doing what it could to regulate the MannA that had been generated on the inside of the dome.
Outside the dome was carnage! The concussive wave had been nothing but a delivery agent, and with every InvokeR debilitated, the smart-bomb scanned the area and knew it was clear to release its true payload.
There was no common term for the weapon, as it was not a common device, but CK had dubbed it the Light Bomb. Light, in both wave and particle formats was collected and given mass. The more light in the area, the greater the blast. It was drawing close to mid-day at the landing site with hardly a cloud in the sky. Dungias, however, had set the device to its weakest setting so it only collected so much light. He had also arranged for the release to be fire instead of the greater yield of raw energy. For all intents and purposes, anyone without the proper equipment would assume it was a massive incendiary device. That suited Dungias. The damage had been done and hopefully, the message had been sent. Dungias recorded the event, sending it to the Governor of Black Gate with a note attached: Did the Keeper mean for this to happen, or was he betrayed?
