“She’s a mage!? I never knew Earth forces had any mages.”

  “Hanna kept it secret till the Black Raid happened. Once it started, none of us cared, all we knew is we had a mage on our side. She kept us all alive that day.”

  “Then why don’t we head there, and see about them first before we try something as fool hearty as running into our enemy’s base.”

  “Can’t, it’s on the far edge of Guild territory. We don’t have the supplies to make it that far. Plus this is a stolen Guild ship.”

  Kat sighs, “Right.”

  “I have a plan, that will get us safely in and out of Tarus. So just hear me out.”

  Gravan spends the next few minutes going over everything he has been thinking up. As Kat listens to it, it almost makes sense. She works through all the worse scenarios in her head, and it all seems like it might work. If everything goes right.

  “That plan… is brilliant. It has a few holes in it though.”

  “I know. We have to trust Zane a bit for it to work but from there - if he does try to betray us - we have a little bit of wiggle room.”

  “Ten minutes isn’t a lot of wiggle room.”

  “It’s enough for us to get the supplies we need and head to Raspiel.”

  “I guess.” Kat gazes into his eyes with a smile, losing herself for a moment. She could get used to getting lost in those eyes.

  He smiles in return, “You alright?”

  She snaps back to her senses, “I’m fine. Whisper, did you get the whole plan down?”

  “I did, and it just might work.”

  Gravan laughs, “That is the nicest thing you have said to me since I woke up.”

  “It was not to you flesh puppet, your meat processor just came up with something resembling thought. That is what I was acknowledging.”

  He looks to Kat pointing at the ceiling, “She always like this?”

  Kat laughs, “Yes, but that was actually polite. She might like you.”

  “I can hear both of you talking still, you know that don’t you meat bags.”

  Fury yawns awake, “I like everyone.”

  …

  “This plan was a really stupid idea, I hope you know that.” Kat screams over blaster and live ammunition ricocheting around her.

  “How is this my fault, you’re the one that chose which location to go to, which just so happens to be a barracks.” Gravan retorts.

  She had chose this spot because when she was the security chief for Mallory it was only an extra supply dump. This was a restocking point before reaching the secret research facilities on the far side of the planet. It was something that not many people would know about. Well it was a place that not many people knew about two years ago. Now it had turned into one of the largest barracks that Mallory has.

  People keep pouring out of the main gates near where the landing pad is. Whisper had turned into a long barrel and sight for Fury, and attached onto the end of him, effectively making him a sniper rifle. Gravan was loaded with the single automatic blaster and shotgun blaster Kat took him in with. Felicity had been loaded with blaster ammunition to the gills but didn’t have a single extra gun on board.

  Felicity’s weapons would have made a hostile take over of the place a cinch. Had they not been disabled when they got close to the planet. It was their attempt at having a stealthy entrance. Everything was going to plan until they landed at this depot, and found that it was a new barracks instead of the empty supply stop. Kat can’t wait to hear the lecture that Whisper is going to give her after all this. If they live.

  Kat yells angrily at Gravan. “Whatever, just shoot them so we can get out of here.”

  “You got it beautiful.”

  Kat pulls back behind cover, and gives him a look. “No, just… no.”

  Gravan looks over to her and gives her a smirk. “This is going to be the start of a great relationship.”

  …

  “Whew. I didn’t think we were going to make it out of that one.” Kat says while whipping off her forehead. “Nice job Fury.”

  “Nice job. For what?” Fury says confused.

  “For working correctly, I guess.”

  He yawns, “That really took it out of me. I’m going to go to sleep now. It’ll take another thirty minutes till the new bullet core is ready anyway.”

  “Alright, have a good rest. You deserve it.”

  Gravan walks out of the barracks, back toward Kat, and waves. Butterflies fill her stomach at the simple gesture. He says, “Looks like there is enough supplies here to last us for the next six months, if we’re lucky. There’s munitions too, if you want to load those.”

  “Yea, I think we should. We don’t know what we are going to run up against out there. It takes Fury about an hour to convert shells for Felicity.”

  “I’ll go round up some small arms for myself then. It doesn’t look like you’ll need those, since you have those two with you.”

  She looks down at Fury and Whisper, and can feel a sense of happiness creep back in for the first time in seven months. “We do make a good team don’t we.”

  “We do.” Gravan says with a smile.

  Whisper says, “For an ape, I would say this is as good as it could be.”

  Gravan asks, “What about me?”

  “You are just a meaty lifting device for all I’m concerned with. Now get back to it.”

  “I’ll win you over one of these days Whisper, you’ll see.” He points toward her, walking back into the barracks. Kat watches him turn, smile still plastered across his face. The butterflies in her stomach turn into a warmth over her body, a feeling of home. Something she had not expected to feel out in the stars.

  Kat says, “Just be careful, there may still be a few stragglers, and I don’t want to drag your sorry ass back to the ship again.”

  He raises his hand up high, waving it back and forth. Beneath his feet a light starts to expand, like a spotlight slowly turning on. She raises her head to look up at what is causing the light, and her jaw drops. Before she has a chance to speak it’s already too late, and the force of the impact drives her to the ground.

  White hot flames. That is all Kat sees as she sits back up. Gravan was right in the middle of where the fire now is, and can see a figure walking around the edge of the blaze. She can make out it’s a woman, with a long staff in hand. The feeling of home shatters, as she stares at the mage.

  “There was a second one after all. I guess the reports were accurate.” The mage says, and takes a few steps toward Kat. “You’re the female, Ryker’s ex as it were?”

  Kat keeps her voice low, “Whisper get ready, I hope you can load that weapon program faster this time, because there’s a mage staring at me.”

  “Are you deaf girl, or just afraid?” The mage says. “I still can’t believe you two were together. He talks far too kindly of you for my taste. You’re also a bit more homely than he was letting on about.”

  “What does that matter?”

  “Not much once I’m done with you.” She holds out her hand, and with swirls of orange air converging into her palm, a ball of fire floats above it.

  Kat had only seen a mage once in her life, and he was doing a show for the troops. It was a way for them to blow off some steam, away from the front lines, and for the Guild to show its support for the Empire. That mage had done some impressive feats, but nothing like what she’s stares at now. The more she stared the more it looked alive, like the mage was holding a miniature star in her hands. Kat breaks her gaze from the ball, and looks up to the woman staring her down.

  She says, “I take it you’ve never seen a wizard before?”

  “I have, during a troop show the Guild put on eight years ago.”

  “Ha ha, that is not anything but apprentices learning how to wield their newly found power. No wonder you stare so.”

  Kat stays silent, not sure what to say.

  “I guess you are a smart one at least. Ryker always did say he valued your mind above all.”

  “Why are you so interested in what Mallory has to say about me?”

  “You call him by his last name. How odd, I guess he asked you to call him that so it would remind him that all you were was a puppet. A doll. A plaything.”

  Each word sank into Kat like a dagger. Her memories of how happy she was with Mallory, were nothing more than a drug messing with her body chemistry. And this woman knew. She stands, even though her body was sore from the recoil of the explosion.

  “You’re the new girlfriend.”

  The wizard shifts her stance, lowering the undulating ball of plasma to her side. “I am. Gwen Stacy is my name, and I am one of the Guild’s enforcers. Forging a close relationship with Ryker Mallory is an important task to ensure the Guild’s resources for the future.”

  “That sounds very Guild like, but you like him, you like like him. Otherwise you wouldn’t be trying to verbally bring me down.”

  “I am doing nothing of the sort. I do not need to degrade you, for I am already beyond you. I am merely stating fact.”

  “Oh, I get it. You’re jealous. I made him happier than you’ve been able to, I can see it on your face.”

  Gwen’s face turns a shade of red, and she raises the orange and yellow ball up, pointing it at Kat. “You lowly powerless puppet. You are nothing, he used you like a sex doll, even going so far as to never allow you to address him by his first name. I have nothing to prove to the likes of you.” A snarl comes across her lips and eyes. “Now burn like the worthless puppet you are!”

  Kat watches in slow motion as the plasma flies out of Gwen’s hand in her direction. Everything around the fiery ball of death fades into the background till it is all she can see. She calls to Whisper, “Whisper, a little help.” Before an answer can be heard, she can feel the heat of the miniature star on her face, watching her life flash before her eyes.

  Ten

  Short black hair, soft blue eyes, strong chin. She had to be dead, and this had to be heaven. It was the only explanation that she could come up with as to why Gravan was holding her in his strong arms. She could smell him, it was an earthy smell. It reminded her of Gale’s garden and all the times that she spent helping her pick fresh vegetables for supper. She felt like she could curl up and go to sleep with that smell by her side. Kat’s eyes focus a little, and she can see he’s trying to say something, but she isn’t sure what. He looks away from her, and she can feel his embrace get stronger, and it’s warm. Again she feels safe, and comfortable. She snaps back to herself when she finally hears his voice.

  “Katrice, you alright? Katrice!?”

  She nods her head, “Yea I’m fine. I thought I was a goner, and I thought that you were dead.” Then slaps him on the chest.

  “Yea ‘bout that let’s get out of here, and I will be more than happy to explain.”

  “You’d better.”

  “Promise.”

  Kat looks around and doesn’t see Gwen anywhere. “What happened to the wizard?”

  “I absorbed her spells. She got flustered, and I punched her. That won’t stop a Guild enforcer, but it bought us a few minutes.”

  “You what!?”

  “Look, like I said, we need to get out of here. Then I’ll explain.”

  A bolt of lightning screams across the horizon. Before Kat could tell what was happening, she gets pulled away from the bolt. Gravan’s body shielding her own, and his hand was outstretched to catch it. A flash of light, and a clap of thunder were the only things that crossed through her mind for the next few seconds. Gravan slowly took a knee with her still in his arm, hand still stretched out, and focus still on where the attack came from. Steam rises from his hand, as the muscles in his arm quiver uncontrollably.

  With concern in her words Kat asks, “Are you alright?”

  He takes a sharp breath in though his nose and exhales quickly. “Yea. I’m fine. Hurts like hell, but can’t really do anything to me. Well, one thing. It gives me momentary superhuman like abilities.”

  “You’re a mage too, aren’t you?”

  “No I’m not, but my birth parents were. We need a plan, and I need back up for this. Think you can handle it?”

  Kat’s face goes flush, realizing her emotions were taking over, and she wasn’t acting like herself. “Yes, I can help.”

  “Thank who ever I can call God for that.” Says Whisper.

  “Ha ha, thanks you too. I couldn’t ask for a better pair of women to back me up.”

  “You at least have one of us to assist. Kat here was trying to leave this meaty existence behind.”

  “I… what, hey now Whisper. Where were you when I called for help?”

  “I was right here on your wrist like I always am, and you didn’t call for help. You went catatonic when that ball went flying for you, and apparently I can’t act of my own free will, unless you allow me.”

  “Hush you two, she’s back.” Gravan says, keeping his voice low.

  Kat turns her head to see Gwen walking back toward them, with two glowing balls. One in each hand.

  “Crap, Kat brace yourself. I’ve got to slow her down, and you get ready for an opening.” He lets go of her, and she falls to the ground. He vanishes from her sight, appearing next to Gwen in the middle of a kick. The ball from her right hand disappears as she blocks the kicks. The ground beneath their feet cracks and indents. Kat feels the shock wave in her chest as it brushes past her, almost knocking her to her feet.

  “Retched human, who to you think you are to touch me? Me, the Solar Queen!?”

  “I am the black raider your people call Devourer, nice to meet you Solar Queen.”

  Gwen’s eyes widen, “You, I’ve heard of you. You killed Gaia.”

  Gravan takes a step backward, still in a fighting stance, he nods. “Aye, and it was either me and my squad or him. I chose, he lost.”

  Her lips curl up her cheeks, “I kill you, and all doubts about my superiority will disappear. You will die here today Devourer.”

  In front of Kat are blurs where two people once stood. Their bodies flash in and out of view as punches and kicks land, followed by shockwaves of force drumming against her chest like a concert. The only thing that she can think were the last words that Gravan told her, look for an opening. How was she supposed to look for an opening when she couldn’t see the two in the first place.

  “Whisper, can you make out what’s going on, I can’t see a thing.”

  “Not really, I’m trying to place their trajectories, but everything isn’t matching up.”

  Fury wakes up, “Hey Kat, what’s going on?”

  “Fury! Are you ready to go?”

  “Yea I’m ready and loaded. The only thing left is to choose the load-out.”

  “Kat, I just found a file that’s locked while I was looking for something to help with my projections. I need your ok to open it.”

  “What is it Whisper?”

  “It’s a new weapon configuration for me and Fury.”

  “Go for it.”

  “Accessing file, thank you monkey.”

  Gravan appears in front of her, blocking a fiery blast. Flames scorch the ground on either side of her as she can feel the heat emanating off Gravan. He turns to look at her, and she can see the pain in his eyes. Steam flows off his body, and out of his mouth as he exhales. His once soft eyes seem hard and distant.

  “I can’t do this much longer Katrice.” His voice comes out as exhausted as he looks.

  “How can I do that, the two of you are moving too fast.”

  “Wait for it. I’ll make the opening, I promise.”

  His form blurs as he heads back toward Gwen to continue the fighting. Followed by flashing lights cycling through every color of the rainbow, and with each new color a shockwave. Her body starts to feel beaten down by the repeated blasts.

  “Kat I’ve finished opening the file and loading it, unlatch me from your wrist, and hook me around the center of Fury.”

  “How do I take you off without loading you into Felicity?”

  “Oh right, let me change over for you.” Whisper expands around Kat’s wrist, and retracts the probes back into herself. “There you go, just slide me off and onto Fury.”

  Kat follows the instructions, and with Whisper wrapped around Fury, Whisper extends out her probes into Fury. Each connects with a snap, and begins to take Fury apart, allowing her access to his nanite chamber. Whisper starts to spin with a blue glow.

  Both Whisper and Fury’s voice say in unison, “Wrath online. Loading level one Magi-tech gravity shells.”

  “Wrath, what happened to Whisper and Fury?”

  “We still are, we are one.”

  Kat takes hold of Wrath’s grip with both hands, taking a marksman’s stance, waiting for the opening. Blurs of motion are flying around the outside of the barracks almost faster than she can track. Gravan stops in place, watching Gwen circle about him. Foam dribbles down his chin as he snarls at her. His head snaps toward Kat, and they lock eyes. The soft blue had been replaced with a dull rainbow. His lips part, showing his teeth like an animal, and takes a few steps toward her. Attacks from every direction come in as Gwen lays out a barrage of beams and lances of magical power. Gravan keeps his pace, slowly advancing toward Kat. Gwen stops behind him.

  “Ha, you are nothing more than a beast. The more of my power you consume, the more it consumes you. Go ahead, kill your partner like you did your squad during the Black Raid, Devourer.”

  Gravan’s pace and attention did not waiver. Kat looks into his eyes, and she doesn’t see the man that she had gotten to know over the last few weeks. Her heart aches thinking about what she should do. Should she shoot him or trust him. She didn’t know enough about him or his abilities to make an educated judgment. She goes with her heart, and lowers Wrath.