Maarut Randruss the arbiter general stood still in front of Kel Ruudrakh’s official desk addressing the two arbiters. His gaze was neutral and his voice steady belying the mood of the werecat Kel angry expression behind him.
“Arbiter Aaya. We need you to reach the trails on Rier quickly. The two warders there have been interfered with and it has caused Kel Rud Rakh to lose merits.”
Aaya winced. Merit not crecks was the real currency amongst warders and arbiters. Crecks were a resource, they bought things. Merit was what brought crecks. And if the Kel had lost or was losing merits then the situation of the warders was bad indeed.
“We understand that Warder Jaxx Maximilius, although not overtly hostile to our Kel, is still Kel Murduch’s man. He is delaying you in Riers orbit. We want you to push him to enter the trails so that you can assist the warders there and get them out of whatever predicament they have landed themselves in.”
The narsimha couldn’t hold it in anymore and began in a rumbling growl “And if that gods forsaken buffoon doesn’t listen tell him, I will personally come down there, rip his arms of and beat him to death with them. I don’t care if it starts a war or not.”
The kel was roaring at the top of his lungs by the end and Aaya grimaced at loud noise.
The truth was warders were creatures of war. It was in their nature and name. And ever since the frontier kels and silver city had come into conflict, everyone was preparing for war. And all that the arbiters could do was try and defuse the situation until they could negate most of the fall out.
The other problem was that both she and the people on holographic projection knew that the Roman warder was delaying them to cost Kel Ruudrakh merit. The only problem was that it would cost his kel merits too. However, Kel Murduch had was sponsored by Silver City and had a lot more merit than her Kel.
Sending a message back to the dyson sphere stating that fact was not advisable and that is why she had barred all communications for her protégé. She looked at the young man. He was eager, maybe too eager.
Olimani paced up and down the small room begrudgingly granted to them.
“Lady Aaya, I don’t get it. Why would warders, no matter how high ranked, would work against the lights will?”
And he was too young too.
“Politics, Olimani.”
“But this is serious. The warders could be dying right now.” Olimani looked at Aaya with a frustrated gaze.
That gaze suddenly turned into a panicked one when the projection on the wall flickered and went out. The next moment the lights in the room flickered and dimmed. Sirens began to blare and the ground lurched. Aaya threw herself and the wide-eyed Olimani and pushed them both on the cushioned surface of her bed.
Her class two body pushed the boy body down into the mattress. The next moment the ether fire on the walls illuminating the small room dislodged themselves from the wall and fell. Most landed on the floor but a couple fell straight on Aaya. Aaya’s back was splashed with fire that tried to burn her. It didn’t even sing her clothes.
Aaya released a bit of her aura and the fire in the room petered out.
Aaya rolled over and Olimani shot to his feet. He flicked his wrist. The chain dangling on it spun and landed the gemstone on it on his palm. Almost instantly the gemstone projected a green light.
Aaya, also an aranyaani but not from the main forest looked at the now damaged room in the light of the forest from their home.
“Aaya?” Olimani asked “Is this an attack?”
“No.” Aaya picked up her own bracelet from the floor with an extended vine and added “This was the orb sip taking evasive action. Whatever happened they were not ready for it. Now that the gravity mages are stabilising the ship, we are not seeing any turbulence.”
The ship around her creaked slightly and they felt the floor bend and knew that the ship had evaded another obstacle.
“Everyone, prepare for translocation to the trials.” Warder Jaxx’s voice announced from the hidden speakers.
Zing.
Aaya blinked and almost a quarter of her potentiality was gone as the trails took it and sealed her cells from accumulating more.
“By the gods! Dodge you idiot.” Warder Jaxx spoke over a screaming crew member and the ship veered to the right and kept speeding.
The ship stabilised and Warder Jaxx yelled “What in the thirteen hells is that?”
“Aaya what’s going on?” Olimani spoke from next to her.
“Calm down. You are an arbiter of solace.”
Olimani took in a deep breath and held it. He nodded.
“Faded gods! It’s a vortex warder. An anathemic vortex.” Someone spoke on the bridge.
“Orders, lord warder?” Romu Sliver, the arbiter to Warders Jaxx Romulus, asked.
“Ash and sand!” Warder Jaxx cursed “Arbiter Aaya. Arbiter Aranyaani. Please report to the bridge. Romu, ask our other ships to start cleaning up the wild anathema. And tell the ascended crew to make a perimeter around the breaks.”
“Yes warder.”
“Yes, lord warder.”
Voices acknowledged over the broadcast speakers.
“And someone shut the public address system off.” Warder Jaxx’s gritted words were cut off in a hiss of static.
Aaya smiled “Well, that is fortunate.” Then her smile faded “Maybe too fortunate.”
By the time Aaya and Olimani made their way to the bridge everyone was hustling silently. The two arbiters could see that every ascended, on the ship was trying their best not to catch their warder’s ire.
Jaxx Maximilius was short compared to other Romulus warders she had met. Where they stood at over six feet, he was slightly under it. The ascended form Romulus grew with age, and Jaxx was young. But what he lacked in an imposing figure he made up with his attitude. He was one of the few no nonsense warders.
Hailing from an old family of warders he should have had more than just three orb ships. But his family fortune was waxing. Some of the third-generation warders of the family had been decadent in their pursuits and plunged the family into a civil war.
Jaxx was a fifth generation born after the turmoil in his family but not so long after that their glory was forgotten. And his dossier said that he wanted to reignite that glory.
And when she looked at Jaxx Romulus’s pale face and hands pressed into a hologram to navigate the ship, and the ascended pilot standing next to him, ringing her hands, she knew Solace’s dossier was on target.
“Deploying disruption curtain in 3…2…1!” Jaxx announced.
Aaya looked at the display. She was impressed, the young warder hadn’t skimped on his tools. The display was a concave three dimensional created by slivers of light, wind and sense shards. It seamlessly merged the bridge with what was happening outside.
The warder’s three orb ships launched grey fabric at a tear that was spewing out inky blue whisps of corrosive anathema into the air. The curtains began to glow as they met the anathema in the air and locked onto the tear. Wrapping themselves around the break, they squeezed. Everyone held their breath.
Flash!
The blinding light cleared, and the tear was gone. People on the deck cheered and smiled. Warder Jaxx did not. His pinched expression and steely blue eyes locked on her. His sharp gunmetal hair, an expression of a metal a shard, looked sharper as the warder turned to look at the older arbiter.
Just with that look she knew that the young warder was wondering if his dreams of glory were going up in dust in front of him. Was he wondering if he could take her. Aaya smiled internally but did not show it.
Jaxx was furious but he restrained himself and silently pointed at the wall display.
Outside, one of the ships morphed into a disk and flew off. And orb ship needed to do that to go from space to atmosphere. But that wasn’t what the warder was pointing at. As soon as their ship caught on and stopped to the other ships she could see what the warder was perturbed about.
There was an anathemic tornado growing a couple of kilometres away. Blue back tendrils of anathema sprouted and grew out of the wind and struck out at the light barriers of the three ships that whirled around it.
“Arbiters, explain.” Jaxx asked in a sharp voice.
Olimani proved his inexperience again and replied in a huff “What do you mean explain? It’s an anathemic tornado.”
Aaya raised her hand to stop everyone “What is it centred on Warders Jaxx?”
“We don’t know. All we know it that it is as big as a brick.” Jaxx said with a glare at Olimani.
Aaya nodded and shot a passing glance at the smug faced Arbiter Sliver.
“So, I guess you are wondering if we caused this?”
“Who else deals with elementals but the Aranyaani?” Jaxx couldn’t keep the growl out of his voice.
“Are you serious?” Olimani asked in outrage.
“You were stuck and now we are here.” Jaxx leaned forward a hint of tin reverberated in his voice.
Aaya sighed. The warder in front of her had lost it and his arbiter instead helping him, had fanned the flames of doubt.
“Warder Jaxx, have you looked for more outbreaks?” Aaya asked.
Jaxx who was about to take a step in Olimani’s direction stopped and looked at her bewildered.
“Excuse me?”
“More outbreaks. I have a feeling that this is not the only one.” Aaya explained.
Jaxx blinked and reddening face paled. He turned to look at the ascended in his crew “Run a scan.”
A second later someone gasped “Ping, lord warder.”
“Ping.” Another one on the other side reported.
“Ping.”
“Ping!”
The display wall changed. A topographic map appeared over it. Soon, a handful of red dots appeared over a number of spots. Pulse. The dots grew, and kept growing with other pulses.
“Belladonna!” Jaxx closed his eyes and muttered
Aaya’s look changed and turned harsh “Warder Jaxx, I hope you are not going to accuse us of orchestrating a natural disaster?”
Jaxx grimaced and looked at his arbiter skulking in the background.
Aaya took that moment to put the young arbiter in his place “Romu Sliver, I thought Solace would have taught you to put your warder first. Our services are based on trust. You just violated them for what? A chance of showing up a rival from an opposing family? I will be reporting this to Solace.”
Jaxx turned sharply to look at Aaya “Lady Arbiter that won’t be necessary. My arbiter was suspicious but the decision to confront the young Aranyaani was mine.”
And this was how the game was played. Arbiters and warders were always locked in a relationship of favours. You scratch my back now and I will scratch yours later. And arbiters usually had more to give initially to warders. With this move, Jaxx would gain a few favours back and be freer in what he could do. And that was just okay by Aaya.
Aaya nodded and her stern words rang out in the silent bridge “Very well. But your antipathy towards us is now in the open, Warder Jaxx. And the fact that you won’t even let us call your warder to account is another point to that fact. We would like to leave now. If you would be so kind, please drop us at our destination.”
Warder Jaxx gave Arbiter Sliver a scathing look and nodded “Fine. We will head towards those self-mutilating simpletons.”
Aaya raised her eyebrows “They are not self mutilators. They are an offshoot of humanity that is on the path of technomancy.”
Jaxx shook his head to dismiss the thought “As you say.” And continued “Please prepare to disembark soon. And if you need assistance, please feel free to reach out to me. I will be happy to repay this favour.”
Aaya nodded “A may the Light watch over you too, warder.”
Aaya began to walk but Olimani, proving his inexperience again, asked “If I may warder, how will you handle this situation?”
Jaxx looked at the tornado being blanketed by the grey curtains and answered with gritted teeth “By locking the trails down and exterminating anything with a spec of anathema in it. So, Aranyaani, tell your baby warders to stay out of my way. I am going to war.”
“By the gods! Lord warder, we found the biggest tear.” One of the women on the deck shouted.
“Where?” Jaxx turned to look at the woman “It’s in one of the trails.”
The woman’s voice faded off.
“Speak to me.” Jaxx ordered.
“It’s in the class three arata, close to the warder spire.” The woman began to elaborate.
Aaya and Olimani didn’t stay to hear out the rest. They made their way to the disembarkation area and waited. In the distance they saw explosions and artillery fire flying in the air. Fountains of sand flew up alongside dismembered flesh that turned to ash.
“What in the thirteen hells?” Olimani asked..
“Prepare yourself Olimani. We might have to fight. I will be relying on you.” Aaya ordered her former student.
“Yes, lady Aaya. Those who move against the Light will be judged.”
Aaya sighed and one by one took her rings off. She did not need anything to restrict her. She reached her hand out and withdrew a thin wooden sword.
Thud. Thud. Thud.
Boom!
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Bang!
Booooom!
Needles shot her eyes open and looked around. The wailing continuum combat siren interspersed between the sound of missiles and artillery had her up, and reaching for her automatic pistol.
“Ni, wear your clothes first.” JJ words stopped her in her tracks.
Needles looked down at her naked body and rubbed her eyes. She didn’t need clothes. She needed a bath. And her pad.
Last week had been intense both emotionally and physically. Watching two kids get torn apart and put back together had taken a lot out of her. Being there for them, both night and day while trying to keep them sane was tiring. And then Ghost had isolated them. She was afraid that when they came out, they would not be them. And truth be told, they weren’t the old them. They looked so different now, but she couldn’t do anything about that, right now. All she could do was be there for them and keep them sane.
If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.
Later, she would have to ask a mental health specialist to speak to them. And the only one with a mental shard capable of calming them down was…
Boom!
Needles shook her head and reached for her pad and noted the reading. Everything was okay with the warders. They were still in the dreamscape. Their mental readings were a bit high but that was normal for ones being trained in the dreamscape.
“Mmmm…” JJ’s throaty voice made her look back.
Her husband was half dressed and looking at her with lust in his eyes. Needles noted her position. She was on her knees, naked and with her head bent down to read the tablet. That left her behind in the air. Just like last night.
Needles smiled and shifted. That only made JJ’s eyes shoot from her crotch to her swaying bits. He had been just the thing she had needed last night. The things he had promised to do and done were exactly what she needed after witnessing the cold calculating manipulations of Ghost. And after the high councillor had sacrificed himself…
She hadn’t even noticed how much attention she had needed. And warms touches, love and affection afterwards had been balm. JJ, her sweet caring man, knew her better than she knew herself. And yesterday her had been soft when she had needed it and firm when she had needed that.
Now, he was trying to slip his feet into his armour while it was facing away from him. Needles smiled and stretched her legs wide, giving him a long look at herself. They were heading for a battle and if she couldn’t thank her husband physically, she could at least give him a proper look.
JJ gasped “You are beautiful.”
Teasing was fun. But at the same time, she needed answers.
“JJ, I love you.” Needles slipped off the bed and got to her feet “But right now, you need to tell me what’s happening?”
JJ eyes didn’t move of her breast. Needles covered herself with her arm and gave JJ a stern look and snapped “84. I need answers. What’s going on? Where do we go? Who do we report to? And what about the warders?”
JJ who was still busy looking at her soft and bouncing bits answered distractedly “Uh… I think it is an attack by the raks.”
“JJ, focus.”
Jay 83 visibly struggled and turned away from her “I don’t know who we are supposed to report to or where to go. Marshal Lara is no longer here. The High Councillor is dead, the old guard has shifted to the Fire City, and we have no one in our chain of command.”
Needles nodded and finally reached for her innerwear “JJ, get in touch with Theory and that T kid. See when and where we are needed. I will tap into the domain sensors and see what’s going on.”
It took them less than five minutes to get everything sorted and then they were running out into the desert. By the time they emerged, the purists were holding the shield with their generators and Aditya 101 had started leading a counterattack.
JJ growled “Gods, I hate raks.”
Needles chuckled and on the interpersonal intercom replied “Tonight JJ. I will get on my knees for you and show you a good time, slowly. Just the way you like it.”
Needles heard running footsteps and T arrived besides them.
JJ looked at T and continued in their channel “You don’t have to Ni.”
“No, but I want to.” Needles changed her comm link to include their squad “T, report.”
T’s sleek armour easily kept pace with them even though he was shorter. And when he spoke, his easy speech, only emphasized the advantage General Athena’s soldiers had over the rest of them.
“Squad Leader, JJ, good morning. Today, we have a special on the menu. Reality tears across the trials, raks moving all across the place to capitalise on the disruption, and corrupted trials creatures.”
Needles who was now panting asked “What? How… Where… did they come from?”
“Don’t know. Theory is out there talking to Captain Ruby F1450. Let me take you to them.” T finished and took the lead.
Needles who was finding it hard to talk and run at the same time muttered “I hate that boy’s armour.”
JJ who wasn’t having such hard time asked “Do you want me to get one for you?”
“No, that would put us under General Athena’s command.” Needles panted back.
JJ scoffed “I am a Jay. I am not under anyone’s command.”
“Yeah? Tell it to the high councillor.”
JJ grumbled “Yeah, but now he is dead.”
“Doesn’t seem to have stopped him.” Needles replied as they stopped in font of
group of lingering armoured combatants looking at the Purist Councillor.
The captain waited for more people to gather and then began her explanation “Continuum, we were attacked one again. This time not by magic. Not by honourable enemies. This time the raks, broke our unspoken agreement and decided to be crafty.”
Captain Ruby F rolled her eyes and continued in a mocking tone “They decided not to waste their resources. They decided they didn’t want to send their people to the slaughter. Instead, they gathered up all corrupted trail creatures they could find and charged them at us.”
Ruby F held us a head of a carcass of a goat “I don’t know if we should we amused or insulted.”
The continuum laughed. To anyone looking from outside they would have perceived a hundred men and women standing stock still in their armour but behind the opaque face plates, the continuum jeered and laughed. Ruby F let the voices dominated the continuum wide address and then dropped the carcass.
“But, we can’t let this go on. The anathemic outbreak needs to be contained and these creatures need to be purged from the trails. If we allow this. The enemy will find bigger and better creatures to mutate.”
This time no one joked or laugh as they watched a video of an eleven-foot-tall bear with five crooked legs and three arms fighting Aditya 101.
Ruby F looked from left to right letting the image of the toothy monstrosity sink into the metal clad heads and continued “We will not allow this. We will attack the enemy and uproot these lights damned abomination from the trails and push the dirty stinking raks back. Aditya 101 will lead this operation on ground. I will be deploying aircrafts to give you all support. Report to squad leaders, they have already received system quest and operational details. Cull these mosters and put them out of their misery. And may the light guide your aim.”
Minutes later people were running left and right while the seven stood looking at squads gathering
JJ looked around and asked “Where do we go?”
“Nowhere.” Needles replied and added “This is a purist op. We won’t be incorporated in this operation.”
“Seven! Over here.” Ruby F called out.
“Or maybe we will be.” T muttered in a pained voice and moved towards the captain.
“What’s wrong E65. Don’t like combat?”
“JJ. Fighting in a simulation is different. I know I am going to back from that. This, I am ready for this.” T replied in a frustrated voice and spat out “I am a explosives engineer. Not a frontline combatant.”
“So, you want to leave the warders party?” Needles asked with a smile in her voice.
“What!? Na…no. I mean. I am…”
“Spy for General Athena?” JJ asked.
“No…I…I… I am just going to shut up.” T said and muted his channel.
Needles and JJ chuckled as they walked towards Ruby F.
Theory came running from the side and reached the captain before them. He was casually retracted his helmet, took a smoking pipe out of his belt, methodically rubbed it with the blue anathemic powder, added tobacco and lit it. Releasing a cloud of blue smoke into the air.
“Theory?” Ruby F grimaced.
Theory puffed on his pipe “Oh I was just wondering if you were going to purge mutated creatures, or anyone with anathema in them?”
That, there, was the problem with Jays. Needles loved JJ but she knew that all Jays thought that they were a gods gifts to humanity and acted like like they had to protect it, even from people on their side.
The problem was that if they were not gods gifts humanity they were a were an irreplaceable asset for any military force. They were all exceptional combatants, strategically minded, and leaders with tactical minds who could rally soldiers.
Needles accomplishments was always overshadowed by the fact that she had two of them always around her. Maybe that is why she had never made squad leader. But that familiarity also gave advantage like knowing that a Jay would never disobey an order that was reasonable.
And she used that advantage right now “Theory, stash your pipe.”
JJ retracted his helmet and gave Theory a look. And that was here JJ. One of the few Jays who still cared about rank, respect, and honour in the continuum. Even after all he had seen.
Theory grumbled half-heartedly and stashed his pipe.
“Thank you, Jay 83.” Captain Ruby acknowledged JJ with a head nod and ordered “Seven. You will be heading to the sink hole separately with the warders. Since a spot is open in your team, I will be adding a member to it.”
“We will take your recommendations under consideration. But the final decision will be our squad leader’s.” Theory smiled disarmingly.
Captain Ruby F1450 took in a deep breath and turned to JJ “So, Jay 83, you have decided to finally lead your squad?”
JJ blinked and shook his head “I don’t lead the seven. Needles does. I just make sure that nobody annoys her.”
Ruby F looked from the two large almost seven foot tall Jays to the five foot something medic.
“I see. Very well, specialist medic, I will need recategorize you in our database as a squad leader.” Ruby F slow words turned back to normal as she continued “As I said earlier I am
giving you a flyer with a combat transport. It will help you ferry the warders back and forth. But I need a few things in return.”
Needles steeled herself and retracted her helmet “Like what, Captain?”
“Let’s start with information. There are a whole lot of unanswered questions we have. What happened to the High Councillor? Why are the warders not choosing to emerge out of the dreamscape. Why can’t we access the dreamscape. And is anyone in there human anymore?”
“That last question, why does it matter?” Needles asked.
Ruby F grimaced and whispered “The Asambhav is a purist ship squad leader. I have been asked if it would be better if we just shut the power to the med pods than let out monsters.”
A chill ran down Needles spine and she knew that she would have to be very careful. It was not like she could deny answering those questions. The captain outranked her and even if she denied, she could pull up all the information through the network. She would have to slowly dissuade Ruby F from doing anything harsh.
Needles nodded and looked at the three men standing quietly “Boys, would you make sure we aren’t overheard?”
The three men took a few steps away from the two woman and switched on their sonic curtains. A hissing sound erupted from their armours, which turned into a high pitch whine and then the two women were standing in a bubble of silence.
“Captain, about the High Councillor. He is not an aug. I don’t know how the Khara did what they did but they stitched his consciousness into the null zone. He is in the dreamscape with the warders. Teaching them about the world they have dropped into. I can’t access them without his permission anymore, but he hasn’t stopped me.”
Ruby F snorted “Sounds like Taran 45. Always scheming.”
“Yes. Tell me about it. I can’t believe I lobbied for that guy. Anyway… About the warders… You are right captain. They are not human. But they are not raks either. I know they might look the night stalkers because of their blue coloration but every rakshasa species we have encountered has one heart. The warders have three. One in the chest. One in the spine. And one small one in the back, just under their skulls.”
“They look like raks.” Ruby F gave Needles a discontented look.
“I know. Their skin is blue but their features are completely free of anathemic deviations. Also, they are not power hungry. If they were, they would be out of the pods looking for any advantage. Instead, they are sitting inside.”
“You mean they can leave?” Ruby looked at Needles in surprise and asked “And Taran 45 won’t stop them.”
“I believe he can not stop them.”
“Why? What are they doing in there.”
“As far as I can tell, Ash is learning more about glyphs and Sheetal is learning about potentiality and its uses.”
“Those are seriously obscure topics specialist medic. You expect me to believe that the warders are taking their time to pursue their scholarly pursuits.” Ruby F snorted and added “Thay are warders.”
Needles shrugged “I don’t know Captain. I haven’t met many warders.”
Ruby F exhaled “Count yourself lucky. They are overbearing, unpleasant halfwits who think they are always right.” The captain took in a deep breath and asked “Why do they look different.”
“This is going to be a complex explanation, Captain. So, stop me when you don’t understand something, and I will clarify. The mind and soul have a different image of your being than your physical self. Your physical self can’t represent that because it has to go through a lot in reality.”
“I know that specialist medic. Every ascended knows that and is trying to ascend higher to achieve that state” Ruby F made a dismissive gesture.
“That’s exactly it, Captain. Warder soul structures and not passive. They are reactive. The warders bodies are their ideal self.”
“And what are you basing this hypothesis on?”
“When we fought alongside the warders, they boy, Ash he upgraded his shard. His soul structure burnt off his mass, and he went from five feet seven to five. Then when we met them in the dreamscape, Ash was even shorter. And now he is four ten and stable there.”
Needles showed the reading to Ruby F on her pad and continued “The female warder on the other hand, her changes were minute. Her features are sharper but bio symmetrically perfect. That makes her a regal. I believe most of the changes in her were limited to her spine.”
“Specialist medic do you expect me to believe that all that the anathema did was beautify one warder and create cutest boy I have ever seen in my life.” Ruby F rolled her eyes.
“Of course, not captain. The warders’ biology is strange when you compare it to any humanoid species. Look at their intestines and their stomachs. They are smaller, compared to every biological being. It’s the same with other organs. It’s like they are not made to eat food but…” Needles sighed “They are something else. As the Light’s Ripple has stated, they are something old but reborn in a new way.”
“About the ripple. Why is it still here when the khara left in hours?”
Needles had to be really careful with this explanation. The fact that she had her suspecions about Ghost’s status but didn’t know for sure assisted in her.
“The ripple, I think is observing the two warders and guarding them.”
“Why?”
“Because we captured and experimented on them Captain.”
Ruby F grimaced “Damn that Ghost.”
“Also, I think the fact they are not human and in hands of what might be perceived as a xenophobic faction of the continuum is making it stay.” Needles said softly.
Ruby F cursed and spat “We are not xenophobic we just believe that keeping our free from augs…”
“Captain, you do know what the name of your faction, right?” Needles asked.
Ruby F narrowed her eyesn and waved her concern away.
“I have no objection to the warders, specialist medic. They are warders. They belong in warzone. They are not even continuum. But the High Councillor.” Ruby F paused and looked into the past “Our faction was created because augments had started dominating every aspect of our society. If the High Councillor joins them then we might need to purge him from the ranks.”
Needles opened her mouth and closed it.
“Out with it, squad leader.” Ruby F ordered.
“Councillor, I would suggest not taking any rash action. The warders, they might not like you raising a hand against the High Councillor. They call him Ghost now, and treat him like a friend.”
“After everything he has done?” Ruby F was aghast.
“Councillor, I just told you, he increased the cycles in the dreamscape. For them it has been close to two years.”
“So, he brainwashed them?”
Needles snorted “I don’t know if you have met Ash but brainwashing that boy is impossible.” Needles paused. She needed a way to keep the two kids safe so she tried a different tact “Have you considered not incorporating the warders into the continuum? When I was out there in the trials with my people. I don’t know when but suddenly things shifted, our squad leader died, we were surrounded and then they took over. They were like shot gun shells. Everywhere they looked enemies went down. If you put them in the battlezone they will do that again and then you could judge their motivations for yourself.”
“Yes, but you like those two outworlders.”
Needles gave Ruby F1450 a complicated look “Captain, yes, I like those two. I enjoy their company. And when I met them, we, the trained class one soldiers, were the ones who were on the back foot and these two underpowered kids they were nonchalantly destroying things, waging war on our enemies and saving our lives.”
“I am not sure you are enough to control them.”
“Captain, respectfully, they are warders. If you put them in a box, they will break it, burn it, and toss the ashes in a volcano. I suggest you keep the continuum out of their crosshairs.”
Ruby F closed her eyes and exhaled “That boat has already sailed away Needles. Ask your two friends what I mean. The mentor in his arrogance did the unthinkable. Tied us to the fate of warders.”
“I will.” Needles nodded
“It’s too late.” Ruby F muttered “I should just switch off the power to the null zone and be rid of all this mess.”
Needles heart was in her mouth when the captain continued.
“I wouldn’t if I were you. I mean if you really like the asmbhav.”
The two women turned to look at the man who should have been deafened by the sonic blasters in his armour.
Needles glared “Theory!”
“It’s okay. No one can hear us. T’s armour doesn’t create a distortion that muddles our voices.”
“That is not the point, Theory.” Needles glared
“I get it Needles.” Theory raised his bionic hand to stop her and looked at Ruby F “We’ve been listening to everything you both have been saying.”
“And?” Ruby F asked.
“You are hoping that the Ripple will leave when you dispose of the warders in their sleep.” Theory asked with narrowed eyes.
“Do you disagree, 83?” Ruby asked in a challenging voice.
“Yes. You small xenophobic little…”
“Theory.” JJ growled.
“We’ve been through this before JJ. I will stand against anyone who will lay a hand on the warders. Friend or foe.” Theory stated while looking Ruby F in her eyes.
“Careful 83. I am Captain Ruby of the Asambhav. And a councillor of the continuum.”
“I am a Jay.”
The two glared at each other in silence.
JJ sighed “Also, it won’t work. Tell her Theory.”
Theory frowned.
Ruby F relaxed a bit and asked “Theory, Why won’t it work?”
Theory took in a sharp breath and looked left and right instinctively. He exhaled to calm himself and in a hushed voice replied “Captain, nobody knows what ripples are. We just know that they pop out of nowhere when something big is about to happen or has happened. But we know what they can do?” Theory exhaled loudly “Do you know the Ashlands in between Rier and Thieves Gap?”
“The marauder army?” Ruby F’s eyes widened.
“Yes. It’s called a Cascading Photonic Explosion. They do that and just disappear. Wiping things out without any explanation.”
Ruby F’s eyes widened, she looked at her ship, and ordered “The asambhav.”
“Exactly.” Theory smiled.
“Then we will go with the Plan B. I am giving you Clipper.”
“What!” Theory exclaimed “You can’t clear Clipper for flight.” Theory waved his hands about.
“She is already cleared Jay 83. I heard she performed with valour and distinction in the army.” Ruby F smiled.
“If by that you mean that she has clipped wings of every fighter she got, then yes she did.”
“She also had six very successful missions with over two thousand confirmed kills.” Ruby F countered.
“She got lucky on the last one and dropped a bomb way past the mark and accidentally blue up a soul forge.”
“Well, she is cleared, and I am giving her to you with a transport flyer. Congratulations.” Ruby F dismissed Theory from her sight and turned to Needles “Squad leader, I am giving you an asset in return I want on time updates about both the warders plans, motives and actions.”
“You want me to spy on them for you?” Needles asked in surprise.
“No, Clipper will spy for me. I want you to keep me and my spouses in the loop.”
“She is suicidal.” Theory shouted.
“No, she is insurance. If they step out of line, Clipper will take care of the problem.” Ruby F smiled smugly.
“Shouldn’t you not be telling us all this?” Needles asked in confusion.
“Oh, no. My wife told me that everyone will sooner or later know who belongs to who. So, I am just going to tell you the truth.” Ruby F smiled “Now, get back in there. And get the two warders out in the field.”
“So, that you can dispose of them away from your ship?” Theory growled.
“And one more thing Squad Leader. Take a bath before you do anything else.” Ruby F smiled sharply “We all can smell what you did last night. And you stink.”
Needles neutral expression cracked and she was just about to do something when every speaker in the area blared.
“Continuum war carriage. This is Warder Jax Romulus. Warder Shiang of Kel Murduch from the Silver City. Stand down, comply and prepare to take on passengers. I will not repeat myself, again.”
There was a shocked silence for a second.
In that silence the high councillors voice calmly replied “Warder Shiang Jax. We read you and we will comply. This is Taran 45. Call sign Ghost. The High Councillor of the Continuum. Continuum stand down. Do not target the orb ship or any one from the warders ship.”
Ruby F blinked and asked “How? What?”
Ghost continued in a pleasant voice “Warder Jaxx, should we prepare a docking station for you and yours Warder Jaxx Rumulus?”
There was silence for a moment and then Jaxx voice came on again “Negative High Councillor. I am just her to transfer two arbiters to your dinky. The next time you see me. I suggest you power your shields and weapons. And pray to the elemental you like so much. Because I know you have harmed the warders. And I don’t care what the arbiters say, no quarter will be given to you and your self-mutilating faction.”
“Understood, Warder Shiang. The arbiters will be safe with us. Lights blessings to you and your arbiter then.”
There was no response from the other side.
“What in the name of gods?” Ruby F asked in the silence and looked at Needles “How is he doing that?”
“I…” Needles was interrupted by the High Councillor’s voice.
“Seven, prepare to guide the arbiters to the null zone.”
Just as he finished, the air rippled in front of Needles and a clap of displaced air announced the arrival of two people. One was clearly female and other one was male with green hued skin.
Name - Aya
Arbiter – Solace | Frontier Warder Faction
Species - Aranyani
Type - Class 2.
Name - Olimani
Arbiter – Solace | Frontier Warder Faction
Species - Aranyani
Type - Class 1.
The two arbiters looked around with their strange wooden swords drawn and then focused on Needles.
“You, the one who has been touched by the Light. Take me to the warders now.” Aya pointed her sword at Needles and she could help lean away from the glowing green blade.
“Yes, arbiter.” Needles nodded.