Galaxy GX-400

Aboard Talon, orbiting over the planet Vaire

It has been two weeks since the second Battle of Caelum. The first battle, waged several centuries ago between the Consortium and Lumagom, ended badly for the latter. This time the battle between the Consortium and Insurgents ended badly for the former. It surprised me how easily they were routed on their home world, but Embeth suggested their fractured alliances caused them the greatest harm. Our alliance with the Timeless certainly played no small part in our victory. How long they will continue to be our ally remains to be seen.

A hand fell upon my shoulder. “How are you holding up?” I knew who it was before she even spoke. Her perfume, a faint musk combined with the scent of cloves preceded her entrance into my room.

I replied with a wry smile. “I’m just peachy.”

Her feline eyes studied me. They flashed with an emerald brilliance and I realized my apprehension had broke through my facade. “Something troubles you.” It wasn’t a question.

I sighed and swept my hand across the lavishly decorated room. Vayne, our host and captain of the Talon, was fond of the riches gathered from the far reaches of the universe. My eyes drifted to a golden urn perched on top of a mahogany desk, also inlaid in gold. Talon explained that he had won the urn from a Drith gambler playing a game of Orgellian Chance. Talon at the time attempted to explain the rules of the card game but I failed to grasp it. It seemed to be some sort of mutant form of Gin Rummy but the stakes were much higher. Apparently people had lost more than golden urns.

“What troubles me is our allies,” I replied with a grimace. “How long can we depend on Vayne? How long can we depend on the Timeless for their support?”

Lianne removed her hand from my shoulder and rubbed the back of her neck. My questions, rhetorical in nature, caused her brow to furrow nonetheless as she searched for the answer. “For as long as our goals are the same, I guess.”

A moment of silence passed between us until Vayne entered the room. He took one look at Lianne and smiled. Instead of eyes, his helmet—adorned with many lenses of various shapes and sizes—gave him sight beyond that of any normal sentient being. Not long after our first meeting he explained that he could see across a wider spectrum than others. During our battles together I had witnessed his abilities both in extreme darkness and blinding sunlight. Neither affected him in a negative manner thanks to his goggle helmet.

“Well speak of the devil,” I grunted.

His smiled faded when he turned toward me. “Wouldn’t be the first time I was accused of that,” he replied with a shrug.

“I believe it is just an Earthly figure of speech,” offered Lianne.

He gave another disinterested shrug. “I just stopped by to let you know we are now orbiting Vaire.”

Lianne looked relieved and threw her arm around my shoulders. “It’s been a long time since we have seen Satou, let’s not keep him waiting.”

Vayne stepped between us and the door. “I have my orders, we need to remain here.”

Lianne’s smile faded. I did not find Vayne’s statement particularly comforting. “We have orders from Embeth,” I argued. “We need to collect Satou and his forces.”

Vayne’s hand fell to his sidearm. The gesture was done in a calm, nonchalant manner, but I still did not appreciate his hand lying there ominously. Lianne removed her arm from my shoulders and dropped her hand to her sword. The two combatants squared off in an old fashion Wild West showdown for several minutes, staring at each other in tense silence.

Vayne had a crew of roughly seventeen highly trained soldiers and mercenaries aboard the Talon. I had Lianne. Vayne was an ageless warrior with the ability to infiltrate and destroy entire armies. I was a teenager in charge of a map.

Checkmate.