by Justin Sloan
“I don’t need convincing in that regard,” Samantha replied. “Like some wise old wizard, he’s always off spinning his webs.”
Ferder sighed, then glanced at Samantha’s dirty armor. “Wow, had a go of it today, right?”
“Just trying to get ready for what’s next,” she replied with a confident smile.
“I think you are more than ready,” he replied, smiling and staring into her eyes.
He did that too often. He had hit on her pretty blatantly during the last mission. And even after she had rejected him, she still caught him looking at her from time to time.
It wasn’t that he was bad looking, for an Eliolation. But there were two things wrong with the scenario. The first was that he was an alien, and she wondered if fooling around with aliens was on some level similar to bestiality. Was that racist? Speciest? She wasn’t sure, but the idea made her uneasy.
Second, she was focused on being the baddest warrior she could be, the leader of the Shadow Corps they all expected.
She still couldn’t believe they had nominated her to that role, but since they had, she didn’t intend to let them down.
“Sorry,” Ferder said, and she realized she was glaring at him.
She hadn’t meant to, but it pissed her off that he couldn’t just think of her as one of the team. Though Carma and her constant sexual vibe didn’t do much to help set a better standard.
A nudge from Napalm interrupted her thoughts. Hadrian was walking toward them from the direction of the airfield. Samantha assumed he had left the Noraldian there, with the pilot, Jackal.
Hadrian walked with his hands casually behind him, eyes to the sky, lost in thought. The pink and purple flowers hanging from the walls complemented his blue armor, and he wore the salt-and-pepper hair and face of a middle-aged man.
Samantha cleared her throat. “Sir…”
He laughed. “I’ve been gone so long that now you feel you have to call me sir?”
She blushed. “Well, it’s been a while, you know.” The snark came too easily, and she instantly regretted it.
“I deserve that,” Hadrian replied with a smile, then raised his hand to the assembled Shadow Corps members. “We must depart at the passing of the thirteenth moon, though circumstances may dictate we move sooner.”
Understood, Dex replied in Sam’s mind, and then suddenly walked past the group, entering the palace.
“Um, not me,” Samantha interjected, glancing around to see if she was the only one. “I don’t understand. What is this about the moon?”
Hadrian gave her a serious look. “Samantha, we will be taking a very special gate, one I personally placed on that moon. One that must be kept very secret.”
“And am I allowed to know where we’re going?”
Hadrian smiled. “Earth, child.”
A lump formed in her throat and her mouth went dry. “Wha—what for?”
“There is intel we must collect, but also something more. Something I will not be able to explain to you until I know for certain.”
“And… my friends? My Mom?”
Sorrow came over his face as he shook his head. “I have seen a vision of Quinn, and she will return.”
“You saw her? Is she safe?”
He pursed his lips, and then nodded. “If by ‘safe’ you mean alive, then yes. This will not end any other way.”
“Can you please speak sense? Where is she? What’s happening?”
Hadrian shifted his attention to the rest of the group, whose expressions varied between surprise and curiosity. “The rest of you, gather your belongings—if you have any. Prepare to leave.” With a slow tilt of his head, he eyed Samantha, then motioned for her to follow. “Come, I will show you.”
2
Entono Fos Prime: The Palace
Samantha couldn’t believe she would be heading back to Earth so soon. Her mind filled with images of Dan, the way he had smiled at her after missions, how his hair had slicked back after washing the grime away. Once, they had made a move on a Syndicate outpost—one guarding a refugee camp that had been a front for a high-profile prison. Their goal had been to rescue one of the top resistance leaders. Thanks to Samantha’s ability to work her way through a narrow passage the others hadn’t been able to enter, they had breached the camp, taken down several Syndicate fighters and drones, and had managed to make it out of there with their objective reached.
The look on Dan’s face that day when he’d held her by the shoulders and thanked her, and the warmth of his firm hug, was a memory to last a lifetime.
Now that Samantha knew the truth about the bigger universe, she recognized what a small part of the war their fight with the Syndicate had been.
She followed Hadrian through the palace corridors, making their way to dark corners she hadn’t even thought to explore during her time on the planet.
“Where exactly are you taking me?” Samantha asked, voice cracking with nerves. She wore her armor, which fit like a comfortable wetsuit, with the helmet collapsed into the neckline. She liked the feeling of its protection, and was so used to the weight that she wouldn’t be slowed down when the action came.
Hadrian glanced over his shoulder with a gentle smile, a golden glow emanating from him as his form transitioned into that of the old, disfigured man. She wondered at his transformations. Was it possible they related to his emotions, or were they always conscious on his part?
When he turned his attention back to his path, never breaking his stride, she realized his smile had been his idea of an answer. If she didn’t already trust him with her life, she would’ve sworn the scene was a bit creepy. An old man leading a young woman down a dark corridor.
Instead, she was just annoyed.
“I said—”
“Yes, I heard you,” he spoke without looking back, “and decided that saying anything would just frighten you. Best to wait and see.”
“And I’m not frightened after you tell me that?” she scoffed.
“How is it you can go so quickly from calling me ‘Sir’ to questioning my judgment to my face?” Now he paused and turned to her. The golden glow rippled across his blue armor like rays of sunlight on the ocean.
She scrunched her nose and shrugged. “Sorry?”
“There’s nothing to apologize for. You want answers, and I’m about to give you some. But… it might be somewhat overwhelming.”
She arched an eyebrow, thinking back to everything she had been through recently. The Syndicate had overthrown Earth and Samantha’s mom had gone off in search of a time ship, never returning. Hadrian had taken Samantha up to space to be part of a black ops intergalactic team of assassin warriors. She had fought death reapers—or whatever Dex’s kind could be called—and a frigging space dragon, for heaven’s sake. If that hadn’t been the most overwhelming of experiences, she wasn’t sure what was.
“Instead of standing here, I’d like to get on with it.” Hadrian motioned toward the end of the hallway. “Shall we?”
She nodded. After all, the man hadn’t led her astray yet. He led her through hallways lined with green, glowing rocks, others with shimmering jewels, and one with a strange substance that hung like seaweed from the ceiling.
The last hallway was darker than the rest, and Samantha could swear she saw the walls moving. At the far end was their destination, and Hadrian paused briefly at the door, assessing Samantha. As if judging her ready, or maybe just ready enough, he nodded and then led her inside.
When they first entered the dark room, it seemed to be empty. Just black nothingness. Hadrian motioned her forward and they walked, on and on, until it seemed to her that they couldn’t possibly be in the same room.
A violet light began to emerge in front of them, and then the shadows around it were twirling, twisting. Movement from her left startled Samantha, but then she saw it was just the darkness, swaying like moving water.
Grating sounds chilled her bones, pulling at her, but a voice soon came to her, calming.
Stay with me, Sam, Hadrian’s thoughts soothed her, his mind taking her with him. Do not be sucked into the madness… stay with me.
And then it was there before them. A being almost resembling Dex, except for its robes, which were white and tattered. Violet, glowing eyes stared at her, unwavering.
Samantha’s mouth went dry and she wanted to ask what this was, but a deeper instinct told her not to speak. She had a feeling that no human—maybe even no one other than the Elders—had ever been allowed into this room, or had ever set eyes on this being.
Hadrian stepped forward, and the being extended a gray and withered hand. A purring sounded, and then a purple glow burst forth from its hand. The light expanded, the center growing darker into nothingness. Hadrian’s shoulders sagged and, for a moment, Samantha wondered if he was scared.
No, not him. Anyone else, maybe. But not him.
Hadrian gestured Samantha forward, his internal voice telling her to bow, to lower her face to look into the darkness. That was the last thing she wanted to do, but she knew she had no choice. Not if she wanted to see this whole Shadow Corps thing through. Lowering her head, Samantha did as he commanded, peering into the dark. It was like stepping into the void. At first all she saw was blackness, but then colors appeared, undulating greens and purples like auroras or swirling forms of galaxies.
The swirling colors surged forward, surrounding her, becoming one with her and then flashing away. A jolting sensation hit her like a plug had just been attached to the back of her head. But when she reached back and felt her skull, she found nothing there—not even her head! She wasn’t here at all, but her vision was being projected.
Stay calm, Hadrian’s voice said in her mind. You must look, you must perceive.
Samantha took a slow breath. She could do this. Focusing on her inner calm, on her happy place, she closed her eyes and then opened them. It was like a film had been lifted from in front of her.
Her mother and Giovanni, with others from that team, were floating in a huge spaceship through some sort of vortex. Bright lights flashed around their ship, and then she was in their minds, watching as they traveled through various states of parallel worlds and time.
A frozen tundra, her mother fighting for her life. Giovanni charging a command center, while the others fell dead beside him. A stranger on the ship, receiving a metal hand.
What was the meaning of all of this?
Then she was shooting forward again. Now she was looking at Earth, only it had changed. A tall pillar with the symbol of a snake eating its tail towered over Washington, D.C. Above it all was some sort of floating militarized base.
Screaming and war cries filled her ears and Samantha spun, wondering what was happening. Her mom and the rest of her crew were charging, attempting to take the floating base.
As Samantha blinked, another form closed in, cloak flapping in the wind and hood covering its face. Suddenly, the person turned, and they made eye contact. Samantha swallowed a shocked breath as she stared at the face of the hooded figure. It was Samantha herself… there, with her mother and her team.
Before she could take another breath, she was yanked back. She staggered away from the darkness and emerged into the room with Hadrian and the being.
“What was that? When?” Samantha spluttered, stunned beyond any sense of protocol.
Hadrian held up a finger to his lips, then turned and produced a knife. To Samantha’s fascination and horror, he stood still, waiting until the light faded from the being’s hand. With a slice down upon his own hand, Hadrian offered his blood sacrifice.
Next he bowed to the being and motioned Samantha to the door. Her head was spinning, her limbs unsteady, but she managed to make it to the door and then out into the hallway. There she collapsed, her insides convulsing.
A strong hand took her by the arm and helped her up, then touched her forehead. In an instant she was back to normal.
Hadrian wore the form of a woman—the woman Samantha now understood to be his lost love. His emotions of compassion? Caring? His people took on the powers and energy of those they lost. Hadrian was the last of his kind, now that they had defeated Karstrack, and so he possessed them all.
If her suspicion that his forms were related to emotions was correct, Samantha did not want to see what emotion would channel the appearance of Karstrack.
“You saw your mother?” he asked.
“She was attacking a floating island. Something that was not on Earth when I left.”
“You have seen a vision of the past, present, and future. Other times, other possibilities. Even as they are experiencing them. You have seen the Earth we will return to, though at a different time.”
Samantha shook her head. “But… why?”
Hadrian transformed as he continued walking. The golden glow came and went, the armor always the same. Now he was the man with salt-and-pepper hair. Regal, proud.
“The war we fight is a complicated one, Sam. The Syndicate is both your enemy, and not. They started as more not, but I’m afraid hopelessness has corrupted, and maybe there’s more to the story than we understand at present. However, I have seen the end of the time loops that set all of this in motion, and your Earth is presently in the spine of time. Meaning it will not change. Not now, and not ever again, as far as I can see.”
“I get the feeling you know much more than you’re telling me.”
He paused, glancing back and smiling at Samantha, before opening a door to a large room. Inside, the roof was domed. A fountain stood against one wall, and windows opened up to views of the pink and purple flowers outside.
“This is where I come to think,” Hadrian said. “It’s where you may come as well, when you desire. Meditation, training, whatever you need… And sometimes we just need to be alone, am I right?”
She nodded, not sure what the point of this was.
“It’s a delicate balance, all of this.” He went to the far end of the room and sat cross-legged on a pile of cushions. As he settled himself, lights emerged from the ceiling and swirled before him, creating a formation she recognized as the solar system. He moved the image with a swipe of his hand, rotating it to show her an area of darkness.
“There are parts of even your own star system you don’t know of. And that is not all bad, because one of the advantages of Earth is that much of the universe has very limited access to your location. Or rather, they used to. Until now, we have been involved only on a limited basis, to avoid drawing attention to your star system.”
“But that’s all changed,” she said, nodding. “With the invasion of the Syndicate.”
“You know that’s not exactly true. All of that changed with Earth’s near destruction, but forces went to work to see that reset through time manipulation, over and over until you have found Earth’s current trajectory. Is it perfect? No, but then again, we aren’t gods. Some would argue that point, but it’s true. We have powers. Maybe there’s a God, maybe there are real gods, I don’t know. What I do know is that certain groups worship those of us whose powers they do not exactly understand, and—”
Samantha cleared her throat, interrupting him.
“Right, off topic.” Hadrian smiled. “I’ve always liked your directness, Sam. Now it’s time for you to take charge.”
“I thought I had?”
“Not completely, and since I must temporarily step out of the way…”
“You just got back.” Samantha had been about to sit beside him, but now took a step back, outraged. “How can you say you’re going to go away again so soon, just like that?”
“Not go away… exactly.” He held up a hand, tilting his head to the side, listening. And then she heard it too—footsteps, shouting. “They’re coming for me.”
“What?” she asked, frowning as she turned to stare at the door. “Who? And why the hell would they be coming for you?”
But he didn’t have time to explain. The doors burst open just as she heard Hadrian’s voice carry through her mind, though his
message was not for her.
Dex, get everyone to the Noraldian, NOW. Tell Jackal to get her flight-ready.
Sam blinked as a trio of Elders entered, flanked by a team of Red Company—badass space soldiers, every one of them. They had accepted Kwan for work when he wasn’t being used by the Shadow Corps. Last she had heard, he and his whole team were off on a mission, but apparently that was over.
Everyone ignored her, moving straight for Hadrian. The members of Red Company normally wore red and black, but now, black flexi-armor covered every inch of them, except for the red lines along their suits and the red faceplates on their helmets. They were fully geared up and armored, weapons aimed at Hadrian as if they expected him to attack.
“What’s happening—” Samantha started, but was cut off by a jerk of the lead Elder’s head. She was slender, with a curved neck of scales and eyes that narrowed like a snake, and Samantha knew her as Elder Iresan. She had been kind when she and Samantha had been on the same side, but now they were apparently in opposition.
“Elder Hadrian,” Iresan said, turning back to him with a flick of her tongue across her blue lips. “The Council of Elders has met and deemed your recent actions reckless. We are hereby grounding you, stripping you of your title, and placing you under arrest.”
3
Entono Fos Prime: The Palace
“Arrest?” Hadrian asked, shaking his head as if very disappointed in them. Other than that, he appeared not in the least upset. He rose to his feet with a heavy nod to Samantha, a hint that it was time for her to go. But she wasn’t having it.
“The hell you are!” Samantha challenged, then bit her lip and corrected herself. “Under what charges?”
The heavy-set Acome known as Elder Camor furrowed his brow at her, apparently agreeing with Hadrian that she needed to leave. The third Elder, however, sneered her way and said, “You best mind your manners, because you’ll likely soon be found guilty as well. If not for Hadrian and all of your team’s actions, Elder Orlean would still be alive.”
