Magi Nexus, page 15
part #2 of Star Magi Saga Series
“Thank you for coming,” Elden said to her. Amanda smiled back. “For those not in full possession of the facts, here’s an update to what you should already know. The Valk are still blockading the primary trading hub into and out of Valk Dynasty Space. We have people in there, and they’re still in control of one of the Gates into the system from deeper into Foundation space. They’re using the Gate to relay messages back to us, and we’ve just received word from the Purrlea system that the diplomatic force we sent in seems to have been destroyed with, as far as we can tell, everyone killed.”
“What happened?” Amanda asked.
“According to the data we have, the ships arrived and the ambassador was granted an audience with the Valk admiral—Admiral Orlan. They were taken to his flagship and allowed to land. We think the diplomatic delegation went into the ship to meet with Orlan, but we’re unsure what happened to them.”
“I think we can guess,” said one of the Tempus Dynasty Magi that was in the room.
“Perhaps, yes. Because the next thing we knew, the ship that landed in the docking bay of the Valk flagship was attacked and blown out of the bay. To the best of our knowledge, this killed the entire crew. The remaining ship in the small diplomatic group opened fire and was soon overwhelmed by Valk forces.”
“When did this happen?” Amanda asked.
“Less than a day ago,” Elden replied.
“And where’s your military?”
“We don’t have a big military force, and what we do have is spread thin. We could maybe get a force to the Purrlea system in something like four days, maybe five.”
“That’s not quick enough,” Ylena said, voicing Amanda’s opinion.
“Send some Magi,” Amanda added.
“It’s not that easy. Authorising the use of force without oversight from just the Foundation Elders and Senate will not be easy. And that’s not even considering the Nexus Union. The other Dynasties will not take kindly to the Foundation taking military action against a Dynasty. We’re meant to be neutral.”
“Which is why the Valk are doing this,” said another of the Tempus Magi, a stately looking man who looked wise beyond his apparent years.
“That’s ridiculous,” Amanda said. “So, you can’t stand up for yourself, but a Dynasty can attack you?”
“The Foundation was always meant to be neutral, no matter what. It’s why we only have a small military. We have enough to keep the colonies within the Foundation in line, but nothing on the scale of what the Dynasties have, especially the Valk.”
“This has never happened before,” a prim and proper looking Tempus Magus said. “This is unheard of, but there are laws that dictate what the process should be..”
“Let me guess, that’s going to take weeks to get through, at least,” Amanda guessed.
The woman shrugged and gave her an expression that told Amanda that this is just how it is.
Amanda sighed and rubbed her forehead with her fingers. Politics, she thought to herself. They were a nightmare at the best of times and moved at a snail’s pace.
Shite, a snail moved faster than a government. Saying that Politics moved at a snail’s pace was insulting to the snail.
Sitting there, shaking her head at the labyrinthian nightmare that the Tempus Magi were stuck in, she had the feeling that they were looking to her for a solution.
It was as if they were hoping she’d have some insight into this and how best to proceed. She took another deep breath and looked over to Ylena and Trevelyan.
~They want me to help, don’t they?~ she sent to them through a private Link.
~I think that’s the reason for this meeting, yes. Their hands are tied. Ours aren’t.~
~Alright, fine. I have to say, I am getting a little fed up of this kind of politics. We had it back on Earth, and it was a nightmare then. And, don’t get me wrong, I want to help. I just hate this fecking shite.~
~I know,~ Trevelyan replied, his tone consolatory. ~I sympathise, but you can help with this. You can act where many of us cannot without jeopardising our positions.~
~I know,~ Amanda answered, closing her eyes and sighing.
~We try to keep you as far from this kind of stuff as we can, but it’s not always possible, not when you’re one of the few people who’s in a position to actually do something about it.~
Amanda looked up at the people in the room and noted their expressions. They were waiting on her, and in all honesty, that part felt good. At the end of the day, one of the main things she always wanted to do was to help people. She was a glass-half-full kind of girl, always looking on the bright side and giving people, even Nomads, the benefit of the doubt. Always giving people a second chance.
It often meant she didn’t press the attack when she knew she could, and let some horrible people get away from her when she could have stopped them right then and there. But it was always because she secretly hoped, deep down, that they might do the right thing.
There was a line, though. There was a line for most people, and when someone crossed that line, then the benefit of the doubt stopped and they were no longer getting any more chances.
For Amanda, when someone crossed that line, then they were swiftly introduced to how angry and dangerous this redhead could be. They say never cross a redhead, and they’re right because then you’re playing with fire.
This Admiral Orlan had crossed that line by killing innocent people, and a burning need to show him the error of his ways was growing inside her.
“Alright, let me ask you. Do you want me to deal with this?”
“Yes,” Elden answered quickly.
“Well, hold on,” one of the other Magi cut in. “What do you mean, deal with it?”
“End the blockade,” Amanda answered, her tone flat as she tried not to sound patronising.
“Well, that would be helpful.”
“Yes, of course, we do,” Elden added. “Ideally, with as few deaths as possible.”
“We’ll take the blame,” Trevelyan spoke up.
“I think it will be fairly obvious who did this unless I hide my appearance,” Amanda commented.
“No, we want them to know,” Trevelyan replied.
“This is only going to solidify their view of us being upstarts,” Ylena suggested.
“What’s wrong with that?” Amanda asked. “We are. We’re new to this, but I’m not going to sit around listening to you guys talk to politicians for days on end trying to fix this when we can just stand up for ourselves. People’s lives are on the line here, and that’s a big red flag for me. If we’re going to do this, if we’re going to join the Nexus and stand up to the Crux, we need to set an example and show people we will not be bullied. This is our chance to show the Dynasties what we stand for,” she finished, feeling a steady build-up of determination and energy to get out there and put her words into action.
Elden smiled at her, and then looked to the other Tempus Magi. “I love this girl. Didn’t I tell you I love this girl?”
“Alright, do what you need to do,” the older man standing beside Elden said.
Amanda nodded, a genuine smile spreading over her face.
Attack the Blockade
Inisfail, Quantum Realm, beyond our universe.
Amanda appeared back on the Arkady, the Essentia from her Port back to the ship fading around her, Sabine, and Rane.
~Welcome back,~ Jinx’s voice said over the ship's systems.
“Thanks, Jinx,” Amanda answered absentmindedly, her mind on what was to come.
“So, what’s the plan?” Sabine asked.
“We’re going to show this admiral that the Terrans will not be bullied, and neither will the Foundation,” Amanda replied. She’d already formed an idea of what she wanted to do, and her plan was more of a surgical strike than a large offensive, but she wanted back up ready in case things went a bit squiffy.
She was reasonably sure this would work, though, and didn’t want to implicate anyone beyond herself, ideally.
“Awesome,” Rane replied.
“I’m going to head in there alone, at first,” Amanda said to them.
“What?” Rane replied.
~Excuse me?~ Jinx asked. ~What’s going on? Where are you going?~
“The Valk Dynasty have sent a fleet into a Foundation System and blockaded it, cutting it off from the Valk sector. It’s the primary trade route in and out of Valk space, and they’ve done it to highlight their opposition to us. But they’ve taken things a step too far, and the few reports we have gotten suggest they’re killing people and not just occupying the system. I’m going to show them the error of their ways,” Amanda explained.
~And how are you going to do that?~
“I’m going to pay Admiral Orlan a visit,” she answered.
~Oooh, so I get to have a bit of a fly?~
“Maybe in a bit,” she answered. “I want to try out something Void was telling me about first, though.”
“Are you sure going in there alone is a good idea?” Rane asked.
“I’ll be fine, Rane, and I want all of you ready to join me as soon as I say. But, if all goes to plan, it’ll just be for clean up.”
“We’ll be waiting for you,” Sabine answered.
“Thanks, Sabs,” Amanda answered.
“Sabs? Is that my new nickname now? Not Voodoo?”
~Oooh, I like Sabs, reminds me of Sabrina,~ Jinx cut in.
Amanda shrugged. “Is that okay?” Amanda asked.
Sabine laughed. “I guess.”
“Awesome. Alright, let’s see what we can do,” Amanda said, and reached out with her Magic, focusing on her Quantum Realm and impressing her will onto the Essentia around her that she wanted to be there. Essentia flared, and she pushed it out to envelop the whole ship.
With a BOOM of displaced air, the Arkady suddenly appeared in its hanger bay in Inisfail.
~Whoa, those little hops between universes always feel a little strange. My sensors went haywire there for a moment.~
The feeling of dislocation when she jumped between universes and came here was always more intense than a simple Port, and Amanda had to take a moment to steady herself as the world seemed to tip sideways for the briefest of moments.
She reached out and gripped the back of a nearby chair as Sabine and Rane did something similar.
~Holy Crap, Mandy,~ Matt cut in over the Link he had with Amanda from somewhere on the ship. ~Let me know when you’re about to do something like that, okay? I nearly lost my lunch.~
Amanda chuckled to herself and smiled. ~Sorry. I should have warned you. I’ll probably be shifting the ship again in about ten minutes or so, just to let you know.~
~Sure. Thanks for the heads up.~
~Anytime,~ she answered slightly sarcastically as she closed the Link.
“Alright, you do what you need to do,” Rane said. “We’ll be waiting for you.”
“Thanks,” Amanda answered, and stepped away, gathering her thoughts and focusing her control over the local Essentia. She sat herself on a sofa and reached out. The Purrlea system was right on the edge of Foundation space, and as a result, right on the edge of her reach when it came to Porting or scrying from the Quantum Realm.
It took her a while, sitting there concentrating, to push out far enough to reach into the Purrlea system. As she sat there, scanning through the system to find the flagship and the admiral, she found she really needed to concentrate as it was easy to lose her focus and have to start again from scratch, something she did several times over the new few minutes. But, despite this, the Magic worked, and she was able to reach farther than ever with her ability.
She ended up hunting through the system for nearly twenty minutes before she managed to find the Valk flagship. It was holding station far out from planet Puria, the primary world in that system, surrounded by groupings of other ships. Finding the bridge of the ship once she’d found the ship itself was a breeze, and within the next few moments, she was looking at a man in an admiral’s uniform. The bridge was naturally surrounded by some well-crafted Aegises, which she was able to bypass because she was looking into the universe from outside of it. Amanda also quickly spotted several Magi in the room, who quickly reacted to her Magic. Essentia flared from a couple of them suddenly, as they worked to cancel her Magic.
She didn’t resist. She let them think they had been successful. She’d found what she wanted to know anyway and withdrew her senses. That was more work than she had thought it might be, but she’d gotten there in the end. She felt confident that scrying like that would only get easier with time and practice.
Feeling better, Amanda stood up. Sabine and Rane turned back to her with expectant looks on their faces. “Well?” Rane asked.
“I found what I was looking for, I’ll be back shortly,” Amanda said. “I’ll tell the admiral you said ‘hi’. Be ready, as I might just shift the ship through rather than come back here first. You okay with that, Jinx?”
~I did. I’ll be ready.~
“We’ll be ready, too,” Sabine answered her.
“Excellent, don’t come in guns blazing, though. I want to see how this plays out.”
~Understood.~
Amanda nodded, and concentrated, focusing on the bridge of the flagship she had found. Her mind was already split into its hivemind state, and her defences were up and ready.
Essentia flared all around her; light flashed behind her eyes and the feeling of dislocation rushed through her as she Ported back into the universe she called home. With a snap of air and a burst of Essentia, she appeared on the bridge of the VSF Rampart.
The bridge was huge compared to the ones on her own ships, with banks of consoles, all with people sitting at them. Before her, sitting in a chair in the middle of the bridge, Admiral Orlan was talking with one of the Magi who had been in the room when she had looked in on him moments ago. They were speaking in hushed tones, but looked up in surprise when Amanda appeared out of nowhere.
“What the…?” Orlan asked, shocked. The Magus beside him and the two further back looked up as well.
With several simultaneous thoughts, Amanda brought her Magic to bear. An Aegis sprung up around the entire bridge on her command. She didn’t want anyone else getting in here and causing her trouble. She could have created it a little smaller than she did and placed the two Magi at the back of the room outside the shield, but she’d decided against it as she wanted to deal with them directly. The second Aegis she created closely enveloped Orlan and was more of a force field that kept him from either running away or being Ported out by another Magus.
Meanwhile, Amanda divided up the rest of her minds between the two Magi standing at the back of the room and focused a pummelling series of attacks on both of them. Essentia strikes mixed with devastating lightning bolts flashed between her and the two Magi, smashing the pair of them into the wall behind in a shower of sparks.
The Aegises of both Magi were tested by her surprise attack, with them barely surviving under the sheer power of the energy attack.
The Magus beside Orlan reacted on instinct. A ball of fire and plasma rushed out from him and exploded against her Aegis. Amanda staggered backwards, but caught her balance as she released another pair of massive energy attacks at the two Magi at the back who were both trying to pick themselves up. This time, their Aegises disintegrated under the assault as the energy attacks hit flesh.
The life signs from both Magi flatlined as she watched the lifeforce of their Anima drain to nothing in a second.
When the closer Magus worked his Magic again, Amanda was ready for him and released a wave of Essentia that dissipated the Magi’s Magic before it hit her.
“What is the meaning of this? Who are you?” Orlan bellowed, fury in his voice. “No, wait, I know you…”
Amanda ignored the admiral and hit the Magus with a kinetic ram that sent him flying backwards, like a ball hit with a baseball bat. The Magus hit the far wall with a sickening crunch and dropped to the floor with a groan. He didn’t move again.
“I’ve seen you before,” Orlan continued.
“I’d be shocked if you hadn’t,” she replied as she stalked forward. Around her, she heard sounds of movement as guns were drawn.
With a single thought, she expanded the Aegis that was encasing Orlan so it protected both of them.
“You’re that Terran redhead, Amanda.”
“Yay, I’m famous. Space famous,” Amanda joked sarcastically, before she looked back at the admiral, her face becoming serious once more. “Stop this blockade and return to Valk Space.”
“Working for the Foundation, are we?”
“The Foundation has been accepting of our desire to join the galactic community and have helped us realise our goals. You, however, are causing problems and invading Foundation space. I think the Foundation are very much within their rights to protect their territory.”
“Not when they’re not fit to run the Nexus, they’re not,” he responded. “Now, get off my ship. You’re invading Valk territory by setting foot on this bridge.”
“Hah! That’s rich coming from the leader of an invasion force,” Amanda replied.
“Every Magus on this ship and every other ship in this fleet is on their way here right now. Think you can take them all on?” he asked.
“I guess we’ll find out because I am not leaving here if you’re still enforcing this blockade. So, I’ll give you one warning. End this farce right now, or face the consequences.”
“You don’t scare me, Miss Page,” he replied.
“Don’t I?”
The admiral turned to reply as she worked her Magic and they both Ported off the ship. They appeared floating in space, protected by an Aegis that kept the air breathable, the temperature pleasant, and the radiation out. They floated in the void, the flagship, the Valk Space Force Rampart, a short distance below them. Around the flagship, other Valk ships were closing in on it, responding to her appearance on the bridge.
