by Reiter
“What the devil?!” Sarshata whispered as she stepped up on the platform. She looked to the east and nearly fell down, as she had misjudged the last step up to the stage. “Snow, do you see what I see?”
“I do indeed, Swan,” Eugenia answered as she started clapping. “I can’t believe it… but I do see it!” She was the first to clap, but she was singular in her effort for only a couple of seconds.
“Time!” Alistair shouted. “The trials are closed!” Sarshata looked over to see Alistair with the face of triumph spread brightly across his face. It slowly crumbled as he looked up from his timepiece. He coughed at the sight of Jocasta, clad in white gold chain mail, battle tiara and white cape, riding a gold Dragon with silvery white hair and fiery orange eyes.
“The woman has a gift for the entrance,” Dungias thought, sipping his tea as he sat one deck above the commencement. “Good morning, my Captain!”
Stretching out fifty-two meters from nose to tail, V’Dalthian sported a fifty-five meter feathered wingspan. His scales looked to be lined in platinum, but one sensor sweep from Dungias’ brace-com revealed them to be weapons; detachable razor-sharp discs that looked to be controlled by the bracer the Dragon wore on his left arm. The black chains he wore around his waist had an impressive power core and Dungias deduced it was an En-Ball and Chain. The shoulder-mounted laser cannons were perhaps an excessive touch, but the dragon seemed to be happy to be wearing them.
“Talk about an entrance!” Fonri said in-between shouting cheers praising the approach of the gold Dragon and his six red Dragon escort. Sarshata tried, in vain, to silence the crowd as she waved for Jocasta to land.
The Dragons circled as the people cheered them, and it was not long before the six engaged in tremendous displays of aerobatics and breathing fire. The screams of the crowd went up as Jocasta pulled on the reins, taking her dragon-mount into a spinning barrel-roll and dive. V’Dalthian folded his wings and he roared. Approaching the ground, his wings opened and he came to a hovering stop, churning up a powerful gust of wind that knocked a few people down. Even those that had to get up from the ground were still cheering as Jocasta dismounted from V’Dalthian’s back. When her feet touched down, he roared and the six dragons matched his outcry as they flew overhead.
“Mistress,” V’Dalthian said, nearly silencing the crowd. He placed a small canvas bag on the ground. He then bowed his head low to Jocasta who stroked the side of his snout before kissing the bridge of his nose.
“Thank you, V’Dalthian,” Jocasta said. “Tell Zebrynn I like his idea of getting me a ride. I owe him one. Now get out of here and do some good in the stars.”
“As you command!” V’Dalthian roared as he jumped up and flapped his wings. The six spiraled around him and teleported out of sight.
“So glad you could make room in your busy schedule,” Eugenia quipped as she walked up. “Did you pull that out of the closet just this morning?”
“This old thing?” Jocasta said before spinning and posing. The two women laughed before they embraced. Dungias walked over and picked up the canvas bag.
“Nice entry, kid!” Eugenia beamed.
“Coming from you, that means the world!”
“I’m feeling a little bit shown up here,” Sarshata said, touching the white silk cape with a jeweled chain mail spine. “Girl, who are you wearing?!”
“Well, this is the latest in pompous Dragon, girl!” Jocasta said, giving another false pose. “I won’t tell you what I had to do to get it, but let’s just say this one better last me up to the grave!”
“So long as it lasts you out of the area before dark,” Alistair barked. “Each and every applicable proving ground is closed, leaving you with only three out of the four forms required!”
“Commander?” Fonri beckoned to Sarshata, his hands coming away from his sides in protest.
“I may be suspended, but I can still take this to the Master Elites!” Alistair promised.
“Allow me to bring a simple resolve to this situation,” Dungias said as he walked up behind Jocasta. “Captain, would you be so good as to show your new friends what you have taken so much time acquiring?”
“I love it when you’re being evil!” she whispered.
“No holding back, Captain,” Dungias returned, a gleam of light shining in his gold eyes.
Jocasta turned her back to the crowd and reached into the bag. When she turned back to face them, she held up her egg. Her eyes quickly cut over to Sarshata and she asked, “Does this change things?”
“The hell it does!” Alistair shouted.
“The hell it doesn’t!” Sarshata breathed with a smile of shock and pride. She put her hand to Jocasta’s and urged the young woman to put the egg away.
“She failed to post a fourth trial!” Alistair declared.
“Point of order, my former Lieutenant, when we put eyes to the applicant riding a Dragon, the proving grounds were still open. Are you so out of touch with what we are that you don’t recognize the armour of a Dragon-Rider?” Sarshata looked at Dungias and kept her smile. “Many might ride the back of a Dragon, but take another look at that egg, that the Dragon was carrying for her! Alistair, you can still register a formal complaint with the Master Elites,” Sarshata explained. “But be careful. It’s the Dragons that guard the source of power you’ll need to use in order to reach the Elites. Questioning what we just witnessed might not go the way you wish.
“So, if there are no further objections, I am hereby declaring your fourth form test score received and approved. Welcome to Sky Stone, Cadet Starblazer.” Snow, Shuriken and Vivaldi were among the many who cheered. Dungias saw to the canvas bag and moved himself out of the immediate area. Alistair turned to leave and ran into the Traveler who once again took hold of the man’s neck before they both faded from sight.
“Sucks to be him,” Jocasta thought as she smiled at the people around her. As they continued to celebrate, Jocasta looked up and saw an old bent figure smiling as he took hold of his cart, slowly walking away.
“Welcome, Cadet JoJo Starblazer,” Sarshata announced. Welcome, all five cadets… welcome to the edge of possibility. You’ve been here before; none of you could pilot the way you do without ever having seen the edge. But this time, you will see it through our eyes, and one of two things will happen: either the edge will cut you or it will serve as your springboard. Which outcome it will be is solely in your hands. Tonight and tomorrow, you celebrate making it this far. Five remain of the three hundred and eleven that started four weeks ago. We’ve had more than five make it before. We’ve also had zero find their place; recognize that too is a possibility. Cadets Firestorm, Sanitizer, Double Duty, and Bast… allow me to introduce you to Cadet…”
“Silverwing,” Jocasta stated clearly.
“Party hard, troops. Two days from now you’ll swear the universe swallowed you whole, chewed you up, and spat you out. Welcome to Sky Stone Academy!” Sarshata saluted and each of the recruits returned the gesture. “Show ‘em how we sparkle, Corpsmen!” Sarshata commanded.
“Vivaldi!” Trosalda yelled as she and Fonri broke into a run.
“Shuriken!” Fonri yelled as they both jumped up, caught up in the arms of pilotless powered suits with jet packs engaged. Both pilots flipped out of the arms of their respective suits and spun before entering inside. When the head pieces were in place, the suits spiraled as they flew, kicking in after-burners and rolling about each other, missing columns and parked vehicles… but only just!
“Snow,” Eugenia said as she walked backward. A pilotless fighter-craft flew up and over the ledge, turning toward the back-pedaling older woman. The craft came to a hovering stop as she stepped on the wing and it spun around, flipping Snow up into the cockpit. She was out of sight before anyone could say anything.
“And I am your Commandant,” Sarshata said, holding her hands out from her side. “They call me Swan!” Sarshata fell back, landing on the back of a sky-bike. She slipped off the back as it started to climb
, but she was caught in a stylized jet pack that barrel-rolled, throwing her body up to land in an air-car. She spun and flipped, landing in the passenger seat as a pilotless power-suit landed at the controls and drove her out of sight.
“No way was that remote control,” Cadet Dangior, call-sign Firestorm, whispered.
“None of them used remote control,” one of the technicians claimed. “That’s the thing about Star-Wing pilots. They can pilot any and everything, and once they make that vehicle theirs, it’s like their thoughts can command them.” The tech looked over at Jocasta and pointed. “You should know now… yeah, you shot down three of them, but only one was a Corpsman, and he played you soft. That was his mistake. It won’t happen again. Best believe that.”
“Got it!” Jocasta said earnestly, nodding quickly. It took a few moments, but when Dangior yelled out in triumph, he soon had company. Jocasta screamed twice herself, but soon pulled herself free of the crowd, looking around. Standing over by a shoulder bag, that she knew had new clothes and coat, was Dungias. His arms were folded and he was observing the merriment. When their eyes met, Jocasta broke into a run. Her heart nearly jumped out of her chest when Dungias moved to meet her halfway.
“You did it!” he whispered.
“Bull-Kot!” she quickly argued. “We did it, Z! Nothing can stop us. Not one damn thing!”
“You are my Captain, but more importantly, you are my friend… and I am yours!” They hugged again and Jocasta closed her eyes, holding tightly on to her First Mate. “You have a party to get back to.”
“No, I don’t,” she stated. “We’re going back to my room where you’re going to tell me exactly how they did what I just watched, and then you’re going to walk me through… oh, I’m going to be sick… piloting power-suits!”
“I shall have dinner sent to the room,” Dungias said as he wrapped his arm around her shoulders. “At what point will we talk about–”
“Another time, Z,” Jocasta interrupted. “Right now it’s still a little bitter.”
“Understood,” Dungias replied. “For another time then. Congratulations, Jocasta!”
The essence of strategy is choosing what not to do.
Michael Porter
(Rims Time: XII-4203.30)
Opening his brown eyes slowly, Ephaliun woke up to see Rahneece seated next to his bed. “Hello there, handsome,” she said with a slight smile. “Did you get some good sleep?” Ephaliun groaned as he sat up and swung his feet over the side.
“Congratulations,” he whispered. “You certainly have your own approach to a leadership situation. Let me spare you the burden of a speech. I don’t want to be a problem child for you,” he admitted. “Don’t expect me to prepare confections of any sort, but I’m okay with Amosse being on the ship.”
“Whew!” Rahneece sighed in relief. “Thanks for making that easy for me.”
“No problem. But I’m not the one you need to be worried about.”
“I know,” Rahneece admitted. “But you’re the only one I knew how to approach.”
“What, you can’t be sweet and sexy with Bambi?” he asked.
“What if I don’t want to be sweet and sexy with her?!” Ephaliun sat there for a moment, wondering if he had misinterpreted what the woman had said.
“Then I’d say your approach to me is acceptable, and should be returned in equal measure. But I think you should have said something before we went to sleep, when we could have done more than talk.”
“If it’s equal measure, then you should have said something too,” Rahneece returned.
“I’m starting to see why Z left you in charge,” Ephaliun surrendered. The young Team Lead chuckled as she got up from the chair. There was regret in her eyes, but there was more resolve.
“At the risk of sounding cold and insensitive, let’s shelve that for the moment. You wake up Ulios and I’ll go see what I can get out of Teela.” Ephaliun gave the young woman a two-fingered salute as he hopped from the bed and jogged out of the room. Running her fingers through her short white-blonde hair, Rahneece walked slowly out of the room and across the hallway. She knocked softly on the door, nibbling on her bottom lip, trying to put together what she hoped would be the best approach.
“It’s open,” Teela called from inside, and the door slid open.
“We really don’t need a litmus test to see who took to Z’s teaching the hardest,” Rahneece thought, walking into the room to see Teela seated on the floor, her wand across her lap. “Huh, the nexus point is new,” Rahneece observed, looking at a small point of MannA over Teela’s head.
“Meditating instead of sleeping,” Rahneece quickly concluded.
“Seemed to be the thing to do, considering our cargo,” Teela said, opening her dark brown eyes. “The Kulri-Kraythe is not a big ship and the Terran Triangle, even via Corridor, is not a short trip. Thought I should be ready to hear that idiot try and say something really stupid so I could keep from bending him the wrong way.” Rahneece breathed another sigh of relief.
“That’s my girl! Damn, I wanna hug you right now!”
“Well, don’t leave it at just words!” Teela pleaded, throwing her arms up. Rahneece rushed in and the two embraced.
“I cannot tell you how much I’m going to be leaning on you on this run, Bambi,” Rahneece whispered. “I’m not sure how to wear this one. We trained on what we can do individually! This leadership crap scares the Kot out of me!”
“Then you’re less likely to screw it up,” Teela remarked, hugging Rahneece tighter. “And more likely to learn when you do mess up. I won’t let you down.”
“Hopefully not… but you better let me go,” the woman strained to speak. Teela gasped, releasing her friend.
“I’m sorry, Star!”
Rahneece quickly held up her hand as she nodded. “It’s okay, girl. Feels good to know those shoulders are on our side. C’mon, let’s get to the slip early and get things situated.”
Teela smiled, getting up from the floor. “Sounds like a plan, Team Lead.”
“I now regret every single time I ribbed Llaz about being in charge,” Rahneece whispered as she walked out of the room. Teela giggled following behind her.
“Well, she’s looking sleek again,” Ephaliun commented, looking ahead at the Kulri-Kraythe.
“That not what call the ship,” Ulios remarked, shaking his head at the glassy, black hull. “More menace now.”
“What I would call the ship and more menacing now,” Rahneece corrected. “But you’re right, SAK, she’s looking clean and mean.”
“Fitting,” Teela commented in what was a surprisingly steely voice. Rahneece looked back at Ephaliun who could only smile at the commentary.
The four of them walked down the side of the pathway closest to the station wall, which was on their right. It was Black Gate after all; the dock never closed and was seldom sparse in the way of foot-traffic. Ulios walked in front of the other three and he was very much enjoying the latest gift he had received from Dungias. It was a very simple bio-form that had been trained to fit over the skin of the QuiQami male. Upon cue from the brace-com, it could assume a number of complexions and textures. Paired with the specialized setting in his goggles, Dungias had removed the only limitation Ulios had at being a true doppelganger. He had currently chosen a Vohlbred appearance; not too dark and not too light.
“So tell me, Bambi,” Ephaliun said as he looked at the appropriate slip. “… was Amosse the kind of student who was in the room before any of the other kids?”
Teela snorted a hearty laugh. “Gods, no! If he made it to class at all he was late… always late. Why do you ask?”
“Just trying to get a measure of how much has changed,” Ephaliun said before he waved. “How’s it going?!”
“He can’t be,” Teela whispered. “We’re ahead of schedule!”
Rahneece reached over and touched Teela’s muscular arm. “Remember, just a moment ago you were all meditatively cool and everything. Breathe, Bambi. Being ea
rlier than early’s not a bendable offense.”
“It goes well,” Amosse said, getting up from a trunk. “Damn, Dugger, you’re looking fit! In fact… you… all…” Amosse panned his eyes across the four and was impressed with the physicality of each of them. Teela’s form, however, removed his ability to speak. “Teela?!”
“It’s good to see you again, Amosse,” Teela said, stepping forward and embracing the man. Amosse managed to pat her back, but the feel of her body only flabbergasted him more.
“Certainly is a fit-looking group,” Eleda observed.
“Uhm,” Amosse said, closing his eyes and collecting himself. “Everyone, this is Eleda. She has been an immeasurable help in my effort to reach at least the basement of humanity.”
“Interesting wording,” Ephaliun observed. “And who is that on our right flank?” Eleda shifted her eyes to look at the young man. Not many could notice her sister when she did not want to be seen.
“They are more than physically fit,” she thought. “Good!”
“Oh yes,” Amosse said, forgetting that Ainille was even there. “That is Ainille. She’s a damn fine pilot and Eleda’s sister.”
“Well, we’re the last people to question family definitions,” Ephaliun said, reaching for Amosse’s forearm. “And it’s Kulrithe now. Dugger’s dead.”
“Why the change?” Amosse asked, giving Ephaliun’s forearm a squeeze.
“Good gracious!” the young InvokeR thought. “It feels like one of Eleda’s steel ribbons in cable-mode!”
“Feels like someone’s been at it,” Kulrithe thought. “Not too much. But then again, the poor guy didn’t have a Z!
“It’s the Malgovi word for blade,” Ephaliun replied.
“I see. I look forward to seeing the changes.”
“Took the words right out of my mouth. Just so you know, Star’s ramrod around here,” Ephaliun explained, nodding over at Rahneece. “As long as she doesn’t have any problems no one else will.”
