by Reiter
“My lady,” Tolarra replied, bowing deeply to Isse. “I am in need of some truth.”
“I am not sure I can divine anything for you that my father cannot–”
“”He can’t see anything you don’t allow him see!” Tolarra declared.
“Potential realized, I would say,” Isse concluded.
“I see.” The elder entity said softly, before giving her son’s shoulder a squeeze. “Give us this place, Zerrell, if you please.”
“As you wish, Mother,” Zerrell said before bowing to Tolarra. “Guardian Tolarra. Thank you for your efforts aiding grandfather. I wish you well in your endeavors.”
“Thank you, and to you as well, young man,” Tolarra replied, watching the entity take flight, taking his playthings with him. “Quite the charming lad.”
“He can’t help it,” Isse admitted. “A matter of his father’s blood, I’m sure. But you are not here to talk about my son.” Isse gestured to a large boulder and she walked over to it, taking a seat. She looked at Tolarra who probably had not seen the invitation as she wrestled with so many thoughts all at once. She shook her head, placing her hands on her hips.
“What kind of man intentionally creates a weak spot for himself?” Tolarra asked.
“My father saw things before he gave his sight for the love of his kind,” Isse explained. “But I too was curious as to why he made me the way he did. I have asked him on more than one occasion, but I think you have been around him long enough to know how difficult it can be to talk to him.”
“Yes,” Tolarra smiled in recollection. “… you can easily tell the difference between what he is okay talking about and what he feels you may not be ready to hear.”
“Well, no one can question whether you are learning while you are working with him.”
“For him,” Tolarra corrected. “I’m not that big on humanity, but I would die for your father.”
“I appreciate your honesty.”
“I just thought it would make things simpler,” Tolarra admitted. “You care to tell me what you came away with?”
“I am the anti-Freund device,” Isse said plainly. “… if there is ever a need to have one.”
“Whoa! That’s taking a big risk, isn’t it? I mean, what if you get mad at him or something?”
“Like you, I do not feel the need to protect humanity in the manner my father does,” Isse stated. “And, also like you, I fear the limits of what I would do to protect him.
“Which brings us to why you have come here to find me,” Isse continued. “You have questions. I cannot – excuse me – I will not give you the answers you seek. For me to answer your questions would force me to go back on my word and–”
“How about a work-around?” Tolarra suggested. “Because you’ve given no such word to me.”
“What are you suggesting?”
“You can’t tell me. That’s fine,” Tolarra said. “That doesn’t mean you can’t take what I know and ferry it to whatever party or parties your word was meant to protect.” Isse considered the suggestion for a moment and smiled as she nodded.
“Perhaps Chiaro underestimated you,” Isse thought. “Or did I not take into full consideration what a Light Priest might call potential?”
“I find myself in complete agreement,” Isse stated. “What information do you have?” Tolarra started to glow brightly as she opened her mind, revealing the secrets she had uncovered in reading the light of the Rims.
“And what, if anything, do you hope to gain from this, Tolarra?” Isse projected as she received the knowledge.
“A Plan B that not even Freund can see coming!” the Star Lark returned. “He can’t see you or the things you keep from his sight, and most people can’t see him when he doesn’t want them to. This double-blind move might just give him the traction he needs when things start to go bad.”
“You sound as if you expect things to worsen,” Isse said, and the connection was severed.
“Better to overestimate the worst than to underestimate it,” Tolarra returned.
“And I didn’t show you everything I’ve learned reading the light,” the Star Lark thought as she started to glow once more. “Just enough to get you to move. Once you move inside the light, I’ll see it, and then I won’t need to ask for permission or use any work-around! I’ve had about all I can stand of this shit!” Becoming the Star Lark, Tolarra ascended, flying through another dimensional breach to return to the realm of the Rims.
Isse waved until the light-entity was out of the range of her awareness. She smiled, looking down at the ground, tickled by what had just transpired.
“Still they try,” Zerrell said, coming up out of the ground where he had thrust his staff.
“Your elemental transference was a sloppy one,” Isse commented. “I heard you.”
“You were meant to, Mother,” Zerrell returned. “I didn’t want you to think that I would actually leave you. Not in the company of someone who’s struggling with vitaception.” Zerrell walked over and placed his hand on her shoulder. “What will you do?”
“What has been asked of me,” she replied, standing up. “But a means of delivery was not prescribed. Tolarra is learning, and this will be another lesson for her to embrace.”
“And she is an entity who still has much to learn,” Zerrell added.
“Who among us does not, my son?”
I think there’s a part in each one of us that wants the impossible to happen, and that’s what surprises are.
Gina Carano
(Rims Time: XII-4202.29)
The champagne was surprisingly good and he looked at the flute as he lowered it from his lips. “Vurkaldian,” he concluded. “I suppose that tells me which Baron is responsible for this event.” Isaiah Gundryss downed the remainder of the glass in time to deposit the empty glass on a passing tray.
“It would not serve for the host of this event to be inebriated,” a woman said as she walked up to stand on the right side of the new Governor of Black Gate; a position of great power that was, at least for the evening, held in tight check. “I have also noticed that your wife is not in attendance.”
“I am neither the host of this sham nor am I interested in what you find to be fitting!” Isaiah returned bitterly without raising his voice. “And unless you have a specific Imperial writ instructing me to place my family in harm’s way, I will tell you where you can place what you have and haven’t noticed.” Isaiah turned to look at the woman and he longed for his wife even more. To most eyes, the creature before him was undeniably beauteous. But he could see the mark of a lift here, a tuck there… she was the best looking thing a credit could create. He wondered if her form was as fake and processed as her face, which nowadays meant she was probably stronger than ten men and faster that a raving hound. Her deep turquoise eyes did not waver as she stared at him, reading him once again. If nothing else, she was paranoid. She might live through the evening.
“I was wondering when the man who rooted out a network of Upyri would show up to be seen and heard,” Constantia stated. “It allows me to relax and enjoy the evening. Your conversation with our little guest was interesting to say the least.”
“She and I have an understanding,” Isaiah replied. “Too formal a request would have been received as a warning.”
“And that was in the Imperial writ, wasn’t it?” the woman smiled as she ran her hand through the right side of her straight black hair. “I especially like this terrace approach you have taken. The dignitaries you had to invite are tucked away up here with you. Governor, you are a very thorough individual.”
“I can see where you are not used to that sort of thing,” Isaiah said. “You’re more accustomed to someone like me being on top of you… or looking at the top of your head as you put that mouth of yours to the use it was designed to demonstrate.” A flare of anger flashed across her eyes, but quickly softened as she smiled.
“Are you trying to goad me, Governor? Get me attack you so that your guards ca
n destroy me?”
“I don’t need guards to handle your sort of trash, Constantia,” Isaiah returned. “You pulled your strings, had a special convening of the Prism Barons. I have my orders, which means you have your event, my attendance as well as the attendance of the lesser loved dignitaries of Black Gate, and my silence in regards to warning a woman who’s put an indelible mark on an Inner Rim Court Family. If you want anything else, I suggest you go back to your sources and have them write more specific writs.
“Speaking of resources,” Isaiah continued, “I have noticed one other thing. Given your quarry, why is it I see Imperial Troops and mercenaries in really bad suits? Where are the legendary Ghosts?” Constantia moved her eyes away from Isaiah and he knew everything he needed to in this regard. “I see,” he said softly. “You have the means to secure the writ, but not the backing of the Throne itself. The Sylgarr Family has one foot outside the ring of influence, don’t they? Most interesting. It would seem that mouth of yours was already put to very good use then. You’ll forgive me if we never kiss.”
“You are already the hue of dung, Governor,” Constantia shot back. “Why would I ever stoop to kiss you?!” Constantia turned to make her exit from the terrace and join the party below.
Isaiah chuckled, rising up on his toes for a moment. “I love the way she makes it sound as if it would be her first time.” Another woman quickly joined Isaiah, making it a point to stand on his left side. She wore light brown hair in a ponytail that reached her knees. Her jade-studded gown set well against her silky yellow skinned muscular frame. “Don’t suppose I could order you to leave, could I?”
“While I will not say I am perfect, I can vow, with ability left to my body, the number of meetings you attend without me is drawing to zero,” J’Raldri replied, speaking in a very soft yet incredibly sure tone of voice. Her orange eyes never stopped surveying the banquet hall.
“Will not let the Upyri thing go, will you?” Isaiah asked.
“You could of course remove me from my position, Lord Governor.”
“And have you start attacking everyone?!” Isaiah postulated. “We’d be cleaning up red blood for weeks! And gods help the one who managed to score a cut or shot on you.”
“You give these humans more credit than they deserve!” the L’Konno woman replied. “No offense, my lord.”
“Per usual, sister-fighter, none taken.” Isaiah was about to inquire as to the condition of his argumentative wife, but the doors to the hall opened. There she was, the woman of the hour, the reason for this farce, and she was so very bright and full of life!
“Captain JoJo Starblazer, of the starship Xara-Mansura and Company!” the hall crier announced the woman’s entrance into the dining hall. She was smiling brightly, wearing a shimmering silk blouse, leggings, thigh-high boots, and her long coat – all white. Even her cane was white and silver. She looked up to smile in the direction of the Governor as she waved for Silnee and Siekor to follow her.
“Give me a moment to press hands, Lord Governor,” she said as she grabbed a guest’s hands and shook them, quickly to another while skipping three. “… and I’ll be up there in a moment! Good evening, good evening. Damn glad to meet you!”
“Damn glad to meet you?!” Isaiah thought as he looked down on the woman. He looked at how she moved across the floor. There was some grace, but he had seen those legs move better, and that had been at a time when she was not trying to move in-between obstacles. While Isaiah Gundryss had read reports about JoJo and her crew, he had never before seen her escorts with the naked eye. The female attendant moved well; as though she had received some training, but was not ready to be called a Master. The male was closer to that status, but he lacked an artistic approach to his observations. It was clear to Isaiah that he was looking for targets.
“Get ready to move my guests to the emergency exit, J’Raldri,” Isaiah said softly. With the look on his face, the L’Konno woman knew better than to question or argue his orders. He had proven himself to the Great Mother who had then awarded Gundryss the attendance of one of her peoples’ best warriors. That warrior would serve as she had promised, and so J’Raldri slowly withdrew from his side.
“Starblazer!” Thashurd yelled as he came out on to the floor in front of an orchestra stand that was suddenly empty. The holographic projection and the music were suddenly gone, and the remains of a Temple Chevalier labored in his stride to the center of the bandstand’s upper floor. He watched as his target spun around, suddenly demonstrating greater poise and grace than she had up to that moment. He smiled at the way she had played the fool. Her eyes flared wide with fear and his tightened as he smiled. “You seem both surprised and quite afraid to see me, pirate.”
“Cybernetics,” she whispered, looking at a man whose entire right side was more machine than flesh. The marriage of the two was nowhere near harmonious, and the skin was red, festering and pulling away from what little bone Thashurd had left in his body.
“Indeed, the best that my money could buy,” he added as his right leg took one step forward, landing in a thunderous stomp.
“You should have had a fundraiser or something,” she replied, wincing at the sight of the man. “That facial scar would’ve brought in all kinds of sympathy cred.” She quickly waved off both Silnee and Siekor. “This is my fight!” she declared, taking two steps back.
“Still the comedian, eh?” Thashurd barked as the pain mixed with his anger. He knew he did not have much longer to live. He had given up that possibility by insisting on the sort of operation he had received. “That may well be your last joke!”
“Now who would have thought I’d meet you here?” she said in a very loud and boisterous tone. “They let anybody into these things!”
“Obviously!” Thashurd returned. “Do you even know what is going on here?!” he said softly.
“Why, I’m tonight’s entertainment, Tin Man,” she said with a wink and a smile that quickly turned devilish. “And you’re tonight’s feast!”
Thashurd laughed as he snapped his fingers. The projection fields began to fall and the three pirates looked around to see that most people on the lower floor were anything but invited guests. Most were Imperial Troops, looking very eager and angry, a few others were armed mercenaries and they smiled, knowing their clear advantage. Silnee and Siekor looked around and moved away from each other to gain fighting room.
“So… you brought an appetizer for my people. Not exactly the pedigree they’re used to sampling, but everyone goes slumming once in a while.”
“She’s mad!” Isaiah thought, looking at the woman stand her ground in the middle of a ten-to-one disadvantage.
“Tolip, time to draw the blinds, baby.”
“Aye, Captain,” Silnee replied as the chartreuse and soft gray skirt of her ball gown fell away, showing a frame of capacitors that charged to life when the fabric hit the floor. The smiling mercenaries stepped back and started looking at each other in great concern, and a few moved with fear in their eyes.
“Starblazer,” Thashurd said, wincing in pain. “The same trick you used in the madam’s establishment?!” The Chevalier’s eyes moved over the form as a frown started to form on his face.
“Ooohhh, someone’s been watching,” she smiled, “and now they’re actually seeing. Not everything is what it appears to be. I’m a little taller than I should be, right?
“This thing goes down when the first asshole draws!” Pristacia yelled as the projection of JoJo’s face fell away from hers. “We’ve got nothing against a body trying to make a living, but dead people can’t count credits! The only targets that have no choice in the matter are the TC Thashurd and one prissy bitch named Constantia! The rest of you can walk out of here with your down payments seeing as how this man won’t be fulfilling any contracts.”
“He warned her somehow,” Thashurd declared. “Kill the Governor!”
“Too bad, Isaiah,” Constantia said as her projection faded from sight. A muffled explosion shook
the partial floor and the invited guests started stumbling. The floor cracked with the larger section starting to bend tower the lower floor. A few people fell as Isaiah struggled to keep his footing. He spun and extended his right arm. A small pistol flew from inside his sleeve, slapping into his grasp, and he fired three shots into the emergency exit door that slid open.
“Save them, Ral!” he shouted before he fell and started sliding toward the large glass window.
Acting against her interests, J’Raldri dove forward, shoving guests to the wall, away from the growing tear and toward the blasted exit. The floor section fell a lower support and started to slide toward the enormous glass wall. The seam along the wall was her only hope to save the screaming people. She moved quickly enough to get all but three to safety.
“Allow me,” Dungias whispered and the L’Konno Warrior gasped when those three were lifted and deposited on the other side of the tear. J’Raldri screamed when the window shattered from the impact of the sliding floor. Using her strength to keep bodies pressed against the wall, the fighter-sister screamed again as she watched Isaiah slide down the slanted floor and through the opening in the window. Three-quarters of the terrace slid with him.
“Zydie, old girl,” Isaiah thought as he looked at the long fifty-five story fall that awaited him. “I’m sorry.”
“Lord Governor, I am going to need your hand, sir,” a voice called out to him. Isaiah looked up to see the blue-skinned man who had partnered with JoJo. His hand shot up and he felt the man’s grip clasp around his forearm. “Thank you, sir.
“No need for unsuspecting passersby to perish this evening,” Dungias thought as he hurled a prepared grenade toward the falling floor section. The gravity pulse was released into the terrace and it burst into a cloud of powder. “Alpha, your assistance, please.”
“My pleasure, Master,” Alpha projected, sending an electrical current into Dungias’ cloak, causing some of the fibers to become rigid. The middle of the cloak bottom gravity-locked to Dungias’ boots effectively making glider-wings. Their fall was quickly arrested and Dungias turned toward the building. They phased through the glass and landed in an office. The cloak fell around Dungias’ shoulders as he released the Governor.
