Spectra's Gambit

by Vincent Trigili

  When we had cleared jump space and cloaked ourselves, we moved in closer for a better look at the battlefield. “Did anyone see anything of note?” I asked.

  Spectra had taken her place back at the science station and said, “Nothing. I would estimate that the winners of this fight left days ago. They seem to have picked the wrecks clean before going. I see very little of value left.”

  “Pirates, then?” I asked.

  “At least it was made to look that way,” she said. “Hard to tell for sure without engaging the active scanners.”

  The active sensors would get us a lot more information, but would also give away our position to anyone in the area. “Tactical, report. Anyone around?”

  “There is plenty of traffic within an easy jump of here, but nothing unusual,” said Nemesis.

  As we spent more time with Nemesis it became apparent that he was bound to the spaceship, but not in the way we had first thought. It was more as if he lived inside the hull, and less as if the ship were alive. In a sense, he was more of a permanent crewmember than anything else.

  “All right, drop our cloak and begin active sweeps. I want to know what happened out here.” We might have been on a training mission, but I was still third in command of the wizard military, and ensuring the peace and safety of Hospital Station was paramount.

  “Dusty, it looks like the smaller fleet jumped here to realign and was ambushed by a much larger fleet. My guess is that the fight … ” began Spectra.

  “Masters, forgive the interruption, but something just attached itself to my hull,” said Nemesis.

  “What?” I asked.

  “I cannot identify it, but it is causing a slight power drain,” he said.

  I grabbed my helmet and clicked it on. “All right, I am going to go and see.”

  I did not bother cycling through the airlock; it was a waste of power when I could simply teleport out through the windows. Once outside, I was able to see the thing attached to the hull, but just barely. “I see it, but it is very dark. It is almost like the light around it is falling into it and getting trapped. I see it more by it not being there than it being there, if that makes any sense.”

  “Yes,” sent Spectra. “What can you tell about it?”

  I cast a spell that would outline the object in light so that I could see it more clearly. “It is roughly butterfly-shaped. Oh, that’s weird.” Moments after I had cast my highlight spell it winked out. “It seems to have absorbed my spell.”

  I cast my magical awareness spell and that allowed me to see it better, but it was still fairly indistinct. “Nemesis, is there anything in the database about a creature that looks like a butterfly and can absorb light?”

  As I was sending that, the creature detached itself from the hull and started to drift away.

  “Dusty, whatever it is, it is alive and intelligent,” sent Spectra.

  I moved to block its escape, and it changed directions. I did this a few times and it slowly reoriented itself each time. It seemed to be taking great care not to be noticed. “I don’t think it realizes that I can see it.”

  “Master Dusty, I think I have something that sounds close. There is a race of creatures that lives out here called the Shadow People. They are simple parasites that live in the hard vacuum of space and drink the energy from ships,” sent Nemesis.

  “That does not fit. This creature is definitely intelligent,” sent Spectra. “I can sense its spirit, but just barely. It is hiding itself somehow.”

  “Master, everything else matches the database entry for these creatures,” sent Nemesis.

  “Maybe we need to update that entry, then. Is this creature dangerous to me?” I asked.

  “Probably not. Its primary defense appears to be absorbing and redirecting energy. The database suggests that the only way to hurt it is through blunt force attacks. Its body is extremely thin and fragile,” sent Nemesis.

  “Dusty, I think it’s dying,” sent Spectra. “We have to help it!”

  “Okay. Nemesis, open the airlock closest to me. Jade and Kymberly, teleport out here and let’s herd it toward the airlock,” I sent. “We can leave the airlock depressurized until we know if it can survive a pressurized environment.” When they had joined me I cast my highlight spell again, this time around the airlock’s entrance. I then drew my staff and swung it around my body a few times to draw the creature’s attention to it. Then I used my staff to point at the airlock.

  Even with my magically heightened awareness it was hard to see the creature in the inky blackness of space, but I think it nodded to me. It flew back to the ship and into the airlock.

  “Nemesis, secure the airlock and everyone, teleport back in,” I sent.

  When I had boarded, Spectra met me at the airlock. Before I could say anything, Nemesis reported, “Masters, it’s transforming.”

  “Into what?” I asked and ran to the window to look in. Before my eyes I saw the creature twist and collapse in on itself until a tall, thin man with dark skin, dark eyes, and dark hair stood in the airlock. He was wearing dark green enchanted armor with enchanted swords on his back, a pair of blasters at his side, and a deep, dark cloak.

  “Pressurize the airlock and open the interior door,” I said. If he could take the form of a man then he must be able to operate inside our ship, I reasoned.

  Once we had him inside the ship, I was about to ask him who he was, but he collapsed. “What’s wrong?” I asked.

  “Oh, the poor boy is starving!” called out Nanny, appearing with one of our illuminescence potions.

  He recoiled in fear at the sight of her, but she expertly grasped him behind the head and started pouring the potion down his throat before he could move. “Relax, this will make you feel much better!”

  “But, Nanny, that is an illuminescence potion,” I pointed out. These potions were given to magi when they had completely depleted their magical reserves and did not have time to wait for recovery. The potions were completely inert to any mundane, and whatever else this man was, his aura indicated he was definitely mundane.

  “Yes, and he will probably need a second one. Jade, be a dear and fetch me one,” requested Nanny.

  Jade looked at me and I shrugged. “Go ahead.” I didn’t understand it, but I didn’t need to. Nanny always seemed to know exactly what anyone needed.

  After swallowing the first potion he seemed to regain some strength. When Jade handed him the second one he drank that by himself.

  “There, see: much better!” said Nanny.

  He looked around and slowly got to his feet. “Sorry, where am I?”

  “You are aboard the Nemesis, an advanced cruiser from the Wizard Kingdom. I am Battle Wizard Second Rank Dusty, and this is my wife Battle Wizard Second Rank Spectra,” I said and completed the introductions, ending with Nanny. “And you are?”

  “I am Greymere, no rank, of no people,” he said. There was a sense of sadness about that statement that bothered me.

  “Greymere, I apologize, but we are ignorant of your kind. Our database says your race consists of unintelligent parasites, but you obviously cannot be described as such, and we found you at the scene of a recent battle. Therefore I have to ask: what are you doing out here?”

  “It is true that my race is generally made up of parasites, as you describe. Most of the information in your database is probably correct,” he told us, going on to explain that a small percentage of his people were born intelligent, though almost no one else knew that.

  “As for why I am out here, I was hitching a ride on that … ” he started but was cut off by the tactical alarms going off.

  “Master Dusty, a fleet of ships has jumped in!” called out Nemesis.

  “Full cloak, and evasive pattern delta three! All hands to battle stations!” I ordered. “Greymere, come to the bridge with me.”

  His aura told me he could be trusted, but I did not want him wandering around the ship unattended just yet.

/>   “Certainly,” he said.

  When everyone was in place, I said, “Status report?”

  “A fleet of unmarked ships jumped in and shortly after launched drones. The drones are now sweeping the area looking for us, but all indications are that they do not see us,” reported Nemesis.

  “Spectra, how strong are they?” I asked.

  “We are greatly outnumbered, but we could take any of the ships one-on-one without trouble,” she said.

  “Is this the same fleet that created this debris field?” I asked.

  “Yes,” said Greymere. “From what I was able to learn, they have started hanging around this area catching small ships leaving the hospital.”

  “Well, that is not acceptable,” I said. “Stay cloaked, but start an attack run on the command ship. Once we are in range drop our cloak and strafe its primary hull with the grand stave cannons.” I turned to Greymere and asked, “I assume you’re a native of this region? What does the hospital normally do about this sort of thing?”

  “When they find out, which could take some time, they report it to the various trade consortiums, who then immediately send a fleet over to clean out the pirates. It’s bad for their business, so they usually handle it quickly and thoroughly.”

  “We are coming into range now,” said Jade.

  “Okay, begin your attack run,” I said. “As you come out of it, cloak and bring us about to 180 Mark 270. Set up for a second run.” The ‘blink in, attack, and blink out’ tactic was one my previous crew had mastered with me on the Shadow Fox. It was devastating but notoriously tricky to time. The crew with me on this mission had only performed it in simulations and were untried in battle.

  “Firing,” said Jade as tactical lit up with warnings of the enemy seeking target locks.

  Spectra was helping Kymberly to keep the active ECM going, rendering them unable to target us.

  “Clearing target zone now,” said Jade.

  “Engaging cloak,” said Saraphym.

  “Status of target?” I asked as we disappeared.

  “Our staves cut right through their armor and did extensive damage. They appear to be aligning to jump. Drones are moving to guard it from another pass,” said Jade.

  “Make the second pass, and this time come into within one kilometer of the hull, full speed pass. Just let the computer pick targets of opportunity. Once clear, disappear again and set a new course 0 mark 90 degrees,” I said.

  “Get ready, Kymberly. This pass will take all of your focus. Those drones are going to engage fast,” said Spectra.

  Kymberly nodded in response. Her lips were pressed shut and sweat was beading up on her scales. All three recruits looked nervous and tense, which was to be expected but told me I should not push it. They were still pretty green.

  “Beginning attack run now,” said Jade.

  I watched as we flew past the command vessel and our grand stave cannons ripped it to pieces. The drones protecting it were faster and more maneuverable than we were, but Kymberly’s ECM work was keeping them too confused to fight.

  Once we were clear I said, “Good work. Let’s pull up to fifty kilometers out and see what they do.”

  “Smart move. This is too much too soon for them,” sent Spectra privately.

  “There are too many targets for us to take out this way. Do we let them go and notify Doctor Leslie or deliver a more personal warning?” I sent back.

  “As fun as the latter sounds, let them go. Let the locals worry about them,” she sent back.

  “Master, they are running,” said Jade.

  “Really? The whole fleet?” I asked.

  “Yes, Master,” he said as they started jumping off.

  “Status of the command vessel?” I asked.

  “It looks dead. We are reading fires and explosions throughout the decks,” said Jade.

  “Nemesis, contact Hospital Station and report what has happened. Spectra, are there any survivors on that ship?” I asked.

  “I don’t think so. Jade, bring us closer but maintain our cloak,” she said.

  “Yes, Master,” he said and slowly brought the Nemesis around for a flyby.

  “Master Dusty, Doctor Hawthorne said not to worry about it and that he would spread the word,” said Nemesis.

  “I suggest we get out of here, then,” said Greymere, who was leaning heavily on the wall. “If one of the trade fleets comes through here, they may mistake us for a target.”

  “Here, take my seat,” I said and helped him into the chair.

  “Dusty, I see no sign of life, and the scans are finding little in the way of livable space either,” said Spectra.

  “Nemesis, damage report?” I asked.

  “None, Master. They never managed to get a lock on us,” he said.

  “Excellent. Pull out to five hundred kilometers and align for jump back to the hospital, but let’s not go anywhere just yet. Jade, Kymberly and Saraphym, take a break. We will debrief later. Well done!” I said.

  Chapter Twelve

  We stayed at that location for a few days to see if anyone came back, but no other ships appeared. Nanny fussed over Greymere until his strength returned. He said it had been a while since he’d had a proper meal, and apologized for imposing on us. Nanny, of course, would have none of it and made sure he got all he needed. She even had us set up an energy pump from the primary generators so that he could absorb some of that power in addition to the regular food he needed.

  He explained that his kind lived off the energy of spacecraft and as such were hated by the locals. Apparently they were notorious for attaching to craft and drinking all their power, leaving them helpless in space.

  We were all gathered for dinner when he finally asked, “What do you plan to do with me?”

  “Well, we only came out here on a test mission of this new ship and our new crew. In the morning we will head back to Hospital Station. I imagine from there you can hop another trade convoy and go where you need to,” I said.

  “Where are you going?” asked Saraphym.

  “Resden or maybe farther; I’m not sure yet. Somewhere to start again,” he said.

  “Putting two and two together, I assume you were recently discovered to be one of the Shadow People and you are ditching that life and identity, hoping to start a new life where you are not known,” said Spectra.

  “You have a keen mind,” he said. “Yes, that person is dead now, and I must find out who I am to become.”

  “Is there danger in bringing you back to the hospital? Might someone recognize you?” asked Saraphym.

  “No, I looked nothing like this the last time I was there. No one will remember me,” he said.

  “Oh, that is very sad,” said Nanny.

  I did not like the idea of anyone being hunted or forced away. It struck too close to home. “This ship is the property of the Wizard Kingdom. I understand the local prejudice you face, but I can promise you that you are safe here, and should you ever make it to the Kingdom proper, you will be welcomed and not have to hide what you are. I will personally make sure of that.”

  “I appreciate the offer, but one gets used to leaving everything behind and starting again after a while,” he said.

  I knew he was lying; the fatigue in his eyes betrayed him. “I’ll tell you what: stay with us for a while. We could use a local resource out here to help us. We will keep your secret, and when our mission is over you can come home with us to a place where you will never have to start over again.”

  “Oh, yes! That is a great idea,” said Nanny.

  He looked around at us and then asked, “What mission are you on?”

  “Spectra?” I sent privately.

  “Let him in on it. I think you are right. It would be good to have a local to help us out here, someone without a political tie to the local space,” she sent back.

  “Our mission is of the utmost secrecy. The story will get out sooner or later, but the longer we can
keep it quiet, the better,” I said and explained to him about the Cathratinairians and our quest to save them.

  “I am not surprised,” he said. “There is a covert group which for centuries now has been trying to purify the races.”

  “What do you mean?” I asked.

  “Most people think this is just a conspiracy theory, but I have reason to believe it completely true. There is a group of humans who are more genetically perfect than the rest of the race, or at least that is how they see it.”

  “Is this the same group that were once rumored to rule the Empire?” I asked.

  “Yes. Imperial humans who were stronger, faster and more intelligent than more mundane stock,” he said.

  I thought about Grandmaster Vydor, Master Shadow and the others. If this conspiracy theory was true, then they would have to be part of it. “Are you sure this theory has validity?”

  “Absolutely – in fact, this group still rule most nations today. They are bred for leadership and naturally rise up.”

  “Neither Spectra or I is even human and we sit in the inner council of the entire wizard military force,” I said.

  He chuckled at that. “But you are all wizards and have your own set of racial prejudices.”

  “What do you mean?” I asked.

  “In a previous life I was a member of the intelligence community for the Empire, during the years right after the Great War. During that time I met Grandmaster Vydor and the other leaders several times. I got the solid impression that they saw magi as a distinct race and no longer thought of themselves as humans. All of them at that time came from the same perfect human stock, but they had abandoned their previous ideal and embraced their new race completely.”

  “Greymere, I am a close personal friend of Master Shadow and have served with him for a long time. I can’t see him condoning genocide.”

  “Really? How much quarter does he give the sorcerers? Don’t you have a core rule about not allowing sorcerers to live?”

  I really did not know how to answer that challenge. “Spectra? What do you think?”