Changing Circumstances

Captain Fennex saluted Captain Morwen as she, and the mages strode onto the bridge of the Cadaver Crasher. The Federation’s now oldest and most famous warship. She carried the flag of battle proudly, and even though she lost more than she won, she told a story of steadfast dedication to protecting and fighting for the people of the sector. A Reputation built on the efforts of Captain Morwen’s stratagems, and the sacrifices of the Brotherhood of Man’s marines.

“Captain. Good to see you back where you belong. In the fight’s front.” Fennex greeted her.

She returned the salute and offered him her hand to shake. “As well, it is good to see a familiar face. So, brief me on the situation?”

“Of course ma’am. After the brass took the ship from you and yours, they gave her to me. But since I’m just a water mage, I can’t exactly pilot this beast. I lack the magic necessary. Good for submersible and ground combat, but I’m as useless as spell cannons on a taxi for space fights. Provisionally they put me in charge, with you lot being here for operations.”

“We’re batteries and pilots.” Akamori explained.

Fennex scratched the back of his head sheepishly. A nervous chuckle cracked the broad man’s lips. “Listen, if it’s all the same to you lot, I’d rather have you guys runnin’ this ship. You know how it works and you’ve got the power to do it. Me? I’m just a tanker that make ice cubes for his soda and chill his beer on demand.”

The squad couldn’t help share in a wry grin as the former Marine Lieutenant now freshly promoted shared a moment with them.

“Captain Fennex, it would be my pleasure and honor to resume command of the Crasher again.”

Fennex stepped aside, offering the command console to Morwen. “She’s all yours then.”

Morwen slid down into the main command seat and traced a hand affectionately over the gold control sticks. She looked like a champion fighter admiring their favorite weapon to Akamori. Fennex backed up to let the squad settle into their spots. Arjun stood awkwardly at the rear of the bridge. His tutoring under Morwen still progressing. He looked far less mousey now that he’d spent some time learning his magic.

Akamori claimed the front pilot’s console. Grasping the bronze controls and pressing a silver and gold button on his console. Void magic rippled through the bronze sticks and shimmered down the base of the console into the deck. He felt himself connect to the ship, his senses extended throughout the vast network of sensors and control surfaces. It was like he had projected his consciousness throughout the massive craft. His will and desires, now the ships.

“Lieutenant. Let’s be on our way, shall we?”

“Yes ma’am.”

He sent an unconscious command to the engines, and all thrusters flared to life. Void magic erupted from vents all along the surface of the ship as the Crasher rose tediously from the pad. Golden spell fighters banked clear of its flight path like small sparrows avoiding a hawk as the Cadaver Crasher ascended the skies, charting a course towards the dark side of the moon.

The aging Federation battleship pushed its way clear of Eryn’s atmosphere ponderously. Shortly after, the vessel cleared Eryn’s small gravity well and pushed forward for the shadowed side of the moon. The Crasher glided into the shadow of Eryn’s moon like a child being tucked into bed. Shielded from the star’s light, the ship opened a void portal. Reality broke open, cracked and ragged.

The ship plunged into the Umbral plane, the ragged edges of the void portal slowly converged together like a celestial zipper knitting itself shut.

#

The war slave Luffa watched from the surface of Eryn as the aged battleship Cadaver Crasher rose from its pad to ascend the heavens towards orbit. She sighed at being left behind. She knew her friend Amara would miss her, but not nearly as much as Luffa would miss her. Trapped her on Eryn in Erlaut’s manic nightmare of an inquisition.

“Please be safe, sister.”

A man stepped up beside her, watching the ship gradually grow smaller in the sky until now it was little more than a pinpoint of light. He gave a nod to the ship. “Someone you know up there? I hope you don’t mind. I couldn’t help but overhear your plea for a sister to be safe.”

Luffa frowned, her jet black hair bobbing as she nodded. Turning to the man, she frowned at his nosiness, but he seemed polite enough. Something about him smelled wrong, though. He had pearl white hair, dark ebony skin and dark eyes to match. He wore a crisp dark suit with white lines that stressed his appearance. He was deceptively handsome.

“I-yes. A dear friend of mine. She just left to try and win the war. I just hope she isn’t hurt.”

Luffa noticed the man fight back a scowl, the corner of lips threatening to tug downwards. With practiced finesse, though, the man schooled his features back into a pleasant expression. The red fur on Luffa’s arms and back threatened to raise. Insincerity was a fast track to distrust with her.

“Unfortunate. Perhaps she will survive. However, I wanted to speak with you about something different. Do you have time?”

Luffa wanted to say no. Erlaut would expect her back soon, and she really didn’t want to provoke his ire. He’d become even more testy of late. Ever since the priests had cleansed his shackling, he’d been progressively more manic and paranoid. Like the mere idea of facing the Sauridius again sent him spiraling into mumbling gibberish and mania.

“I should get back to ArchPriest Erlaut soon. I have more errands to run.”

The man smiled confidently. “This won’t take me long at all. We can even walk as we speak.” He said, gesturing for her to walk.

Luffa hesitantly took a step. Technically, she was heading back to Erlaut, so there wasn’t any harm in hearing him out. She’d not broken any rules yet.

The man smiled, and for a moment, Luffa thought she heard a draconic purr. Her tail twitched irritatedly. She folded her arms behind her back in a more subservient posture. The dark-skinned stranger fell in at her side. Letting the moment of silence stretch on uncomfortably before cutting in with the practice of a theatre actor.

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“May I ask your name?” he said.

“Luffa.”

“I am Ominek. A dreadlord of the Sauridius.”

Luffa stopped, eying Ominek with equal measures of shock and horror. Before her stood the very man who’d been the eye of the hurricane of suffering that had been blowing around Eryn lately.

“I thought that might get your attention. Have no fear. I’m not here to harm you. Quite the opposite, in fact. I wanted to make you an offer you won’t be able to refuse.”

She glanced up as he finished speaking and shifted uncomfortably at his choice of words. “Why would I not be able to refuse?”

“Because it’s something I know every primal yearns for.”

“What would you know of my people?”

“I know you’re a proud race of warriors. Or at least you were until the dragons beat into submission you during the last epic. The same dragons who now cower in their last holdout in the sector. Anazi Prime. I know the elves gather your people up. They sell most of you to the arenas. Some rise to become champions. Others never live past their first day. Many were somewhere in between. Subjugated to lives of service, never free to be what you want.”

Ominek paused skillfully and glanced at Luffa. “If you could leave this world, would you like to return home?”

Luffa’s heart thundered in her chest. Conflicting thoughts and emotions warred for control. Home? What about Erlaut? How could she get away? What about the rest of her people? She couldn’t believe she was even entertaining this. What would Amara think?

“I don’t know.” Luffa said in a subdued voice. “I suppose it would be nice to return to my people. Maybe get to find my family again.”

Ominek nodded, once more looking skyward. “The elves will tell you I’m evil. That I bind souls and wreak havoc where ever I travel.” Another pause, another glance back at her. “And they would be right.”

Luffa took a step back, unconsciously. “But they won’t tell you that Primus and the Gaian Nebula are practically next-door neighbors. Making us family. Many Primals fight in service of the Sauridius. We simply recognize their value and regard them as powerful assets not to be wasted in pathetic skirmishes the way the elves do.”

Luffa’s back stiffened at that. Her eyes narrowed at the dragon. “And yet, you keep your own war slaves?”

“No, dear cousin. I said that many primals fight at our side, as equals . Not subjugates.”

Luffa wore her conflicted feelings plain on her face, a fact that Ominek clearly noted, but didn’t let show. A world where her people were equals? Where they were expected to jump when someone ordered. To die at someone’s request?

“You’re conflicted. I can see that. Tell you what. Think on it for a bit. Many have told you I’m untrustworthy and they would usually be right. But I’m not lying to you on this. I can take you home to your people’s world. And bring you to friends.”

Luffa nodded to Ominek silently. Standing face to face with the literal enemy of Eryn made her skin crawl. Both with the thrill and promise of a potentially challenging fight, and with the dread of knowing Erlaut’s head would explode if she told him about this discussion.

Finally, Ominek removed himself from Luffa’s presence and disappeared behind a thick shrub. Hesitating for a moment, she dashed around the bush, expecting to glimpse him leaving. Instead, she found nothing. She bit her bottom lip as confusion set in. Had she imagined the whole thing?

High above, a raven sat on a tree branch watching the female primal in the garden outside of a cafe. It cawed mockingly before taking flight. It glided through the air gracefully. Banking left and right, swooping over branches and ducking under store front signs until it settled down to land on the stone railing of a chateau on the opposite side of the capital city. The raven hopped down and morphed into the dreadlord Ominek in a burst of pink magic and black feathers.

He strode towards the doorway of the second-floor balcony and stepped inside. Tanak and Tua stood inside, awaiting him. They both bowed to him deeply, their wings low over their shoulders as they exposed their necks and back to him. He nodded his approval but did not show acknowledgment as he strode around them to a large scrye table. It was a map of the Anazi Prime system.

“To me, my daughters.”

Tanak and Tua both fell in next to him at the scrye table. The mind magic projecting an image of Anazi Prime and the asteroid field that surrounded the world. The shattered remains of an old moon. Now the hunting grounds of its protector.

“What are your orders?”

“I grow bored with playing cat and mouse games here with the Inquisition. It’s time we proceed with our plans. The Federation has deployed a warship to Anazi Prime to secure an alliance with the dragons. They are fickle and have no love for the elves or humans that aren’t their riders. Go to them. Convince them of the wise choice in backing us. Promise whatever you need to and show whatever measure of strength is required. At least. That is your cover mission.”

Tua’s eyes narrowed in suspicion. She was always the first to catch on to his games. Too canny that one.

“What is your real intent?”

“Morwen wouldn’t waste her time on such a foolish outreach mission. She’s after something. I would know what and why. When you find her, she should posses an enchanted tome. One rumored to hold the soul of one who lived during the previous Epic. One who hails from a time of great weapons which could pose us immense danger. See to it, we deny them those weapons. Steal the enchanted tome and use it to procure those weapons for us, so we might turn them against our enemy.”

Tua’s eyebrow ridges furrowed. “But father. If they’ve left, that puts us at a disadvantage.”

Ominek smiled, but it didn’t reach his eyes. “Oh daughter. Your lack of faith wounds me. Would I not set you up for success as much as possible?”

“No.”

He was about to continue, but her denial cut him off genuinely. After a moment of thought, he nodded in conceit. “Yes, well. That’s not the point. This time I have a way.”

He gestured to a magical gate on the floor. “It’s a prototype our agents lifted from the Artificers. A one way long range void portal. I’ve set its coordinates to link you up with a fleet of our forces in Anazi Prime’s orbit. They’ll handle getting you to the surface. The rest will be up to you from them. Questions?”

“Yes. How are we-”

“Good. Good luck!” He said in a fake cheery voice as a crack in the void opened behind him and he fell into it waving.

Tua sighed, rubbing the scales of her snout, and Tanak simply chortled. The two sisters started the portal and stepped inside. A short time later, the chateau exploded.

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