BTW, that reminded me.... the rewrite of DSC
The Darkstarr Chronicles 2.0
Decided to drop the first person perspective, which seems to have helped the
flow of the story immensely. So, without further ado.
The Darkstarr Cronicles copyright 2004 Lance Shawn McGill. All rights and
characters reserved.
Chapter One: Jessie
The woman in the corner of the bar was easy to tell from the rest of the
crowd. Even a glance would tell a stranger that she was out of place.
Between the uneasy glances of the other patrons, and the fact that she was
the only woman who wasn't serving drinks, her incongruity fairly screamed "I
don't belong here." The fact that she seemed to be enjoying her oddity just
accentuated it.
In appearance, she was dressed far more provocatively than even the skimpily
clad waitresses, her semi-transparent top cut in a deep v that exposed her
generous cleavage, the wispy white material doing nothing to hide her full
breasts, instead highlighting them, and her pale skin. Her skin tight pants
were similarly translucent, a deep obsidian color that seemed opaque in
certain lights, nearly transparent in others. The body so teasingly
revealed was well formed, curvy, yet muscular, with long legs accentuated by
a pair of high stiletto heels that appeared to be made from crystal. Long
chestnut hair framed a face with high cheekbones that highlighted her warm
brown eyes and full lips. By all local standards, she was pretty, but the
well used pistol in her hip holster was ample warning not to take her for a
playtoy despite the outfit.
And that, more than anything, was what set her apart, that aura of
dangerousness and competence. The other patrons of the bar were all
military types, whether in guard uniforms, or those of the local militia, a
mixing mostly of lower level troops and a few officers, but despite her lack
of a uniform, the woman seemed far more dangerous than any of the soldiers.
So the men's resentment wasn't just due to her being an outsider, an
intruder in their little safe haven of male exclusion. No, it was due to
the fact that this _woman_, who to their way of thinking should have been
eager to be a man's play thing, had instead proven to be capable of outdoing
their entire military machine.
Combat Specialist Jessie Landers had been the response to the planet's plea
to the Imperial Mercenaries Guild. The planet's trade routes had been being
disrupted by a nest of pirates. The local military had proven unable to
deal with the hit and run tactics and had been unable to find their refuge.
After six months, the politicians had petitioned the Guild to send a
detachment.
However, the planet was outside Imperial space, in the loose hegemony of
scattered worlds between the Andromedan Empire and the Empire of Terra, and
could not afford the squad of marines they desired. Rather than simply
decline the request, the Guild had contacted someone they had felt could do
the job for the price offered.
And Jessie had. Two weeks of analyzing the attack data and hunting had led
her to the base and eight hours of combating a group of incompetent bully
boys with guns, none of whom would have passed the first year training
course for the Mercenaries Guild. If they hadn't forced her to take out
their reactor and hunt them down on the surface, she'd probably had let them
live, but they'd been determined to fight to the last man. After she'd
cleared the base, she'd let the local gunboys clean up the mess.
That was when the planet had decided that since she had been only one
person, and a woman, that they would only pay the fee they had allocated per
man for the hundred man squad they had requested. Jessie had not been
pleased. Replacement for the munitions she had used and the repairs to her
ship wouldn't have even been covered, let alone reimburse her for her time
and skills.
The Guild had of course stepped in, and demanded payment in full, and the
planet's leaders had been in council for the last two weeks on how to deal
with the Guilds ultimatum. Jessie really wasn't worried about her expenses,
since the Guild had paid her in full, but the fact that the locals had dared
to try and cheat a contract had annoyed her. She had been playing with
them since, killing some time while she waited for a new contract.
The bar she was in today was across the plaza from the government building,
the primary hangout for the various security forces and military guards for
the local bigwigs. Being a male dominated society, culturally primitive
compared to the cosmopolitan Empire of Terra, the bar had been a place for
the men to hang out when off duty, and ogle the barely dressed waitresses.
Jessie's presence had disrupted that, the local gunboys not comfortable with
their usual activities with her there. She was too much a reminder that not
every world shared their cultural prejudices.
Jessie found that almost as amusing as their resentment with her having
shown them up in their specialty. She could only have imagined how they
would have reacted had she not been human. Their humanocentricity was
almost as bad as Andromeda, the few other races she had seen primarily
having been contractors at the spaceport.
She'd been having fun compounding their irritation by flirting exclusively
with her waitress, despite the presence of several males she would have
ordinarily found interesting. Bi-sexuality was an exception on this world,
instead of the norm it was in the Empire, and same sex exclusivity
objectionable. So was the outfit she was wearing, the transparency going
against their unspoken nudity taboo, though it was rather tame compared to
typical imperial civilian fashion. But, as most places Jessie had visited
outside the Imperial boundaries, her status as an exotic made her
interesting to the curious and immune to many social restrictions. Making
the waitress blush had been her game for the last hour. She figured
another hour or two would have the girl interested enough to invite back to
her ship, and score a point against the gunboys who were watching the whole
affair jealously.
That was when a newcomer entered the bar. Another woman, and one as
obviously foreign as Jessie
She was striking, very young looking, with a body so perfect there was no
doubt it had been sculpted. She was dressed only in a transparent neon
green skinsheath, the faintly glowing fabric as sheer as glass and very
striking in the bar's dim light. The main piece covered her entire left arm
and plunged down diagonally across her body to her right hip, leaving her
right breast uncovered. It also covered her left leg only, the bottom of
the central section curving up from the joint of her right leg up and across
to high on her left hip, leaving her pubis unclad as well. Her right arm
and left leg were covered by more of the glowing fabric, the cloth clinging
to skin despite being unattached to the rest of the outfit. Her hair was
cut into a short pixie cut around her face, but was pulled back into a crest
that fountained out in a cloud of neon green hair as vibrantly luminescent
as her clothes, and hung down nearly to her waist. Her eyes were a deep
emerald, and her eye shadow and lip color were complimentary shades of green
as well, all of it making a dramatic contrast with her pale peach skin. But
her most striking feature was a pair of slim golden horns that arched up
from her temples in a graceful curve to end in sharp points nearly a foot
above her head. Her only other clothing consisted of matched pairs of ear
and nipple rings and a clit ring, all of which supported long diamond shaped
charms that reminded Jessie of throwing knives These matched a belt of dark
green joined discs that angled across her hips the opposite direction of her
skinsheath. Despite the fact that she stood as if she was wearing heels as
high as Jessie's, her feet appeared to be bare, her carefully manicured
toenails tinted the same green as her long oval nails. Jessie smiled,
noticing the glow from her hair and clothes chased any shadows away from
her, leaving every inch of her body revealed for scrutiny. It was a nice
effect.
But the effect she had on the entire bar, including Jessie was far more
dramatic than her clothing. The instant she had entered, every eye had been
locked on the newcomer, and the lust in them had burned high. Jessie found
herself entranced, her mind immediately creating idle fantasies of the girl
walking over to her, kissing her, laying her down on the table and taking
her...
She blinked and forced the fantasies from her mind, trying to focus. The
woman's eyes had been searching, and Jessie was fairly certain who they had
been searching for. As the woman's eyes locked on to hers, she knew she had
been right.
The newcomer smiled and began to walk towards her, to the obvious
disappointment of the male libido's. One brave officer stepped up to the
girl, and Jessie saw that for all her presence, the woman was only a little
over five feet, only her horns brought her up to the height of the man who
had stopped her. She couldn't hear what was said, but the flat refusal the
woman gave the officer suggested what the content had been. The officer
wasn't too pleased, and reached out to forcibly stop the woman as she
started to step around him.
_Bad idea._ Jessie thought.
The officer didn't even have time to react as the woman blurred. There was
a sharp crack as the bones in his arm broke, the woman suddenly behind him
as she twisted. She kicked the screaming officer in the rear, sending him
sprawling. A couple of others started from the bar, but stopped at the
glowing ball of plasma that appeared in the woman's outstretched hand. They
reluctantly sat back down and left the stranger alone amid grumbles.
Jessie nodded. Cybernetically enhanced and at least an adept level mage.
It just added to the nagging familiarity the woman had triggered in her
brain. Something about those horns...
As the woman sat down across from her, the fantasies resurged even stronger
than before, leaving Jessie nearly breathless as she fought the overwhelming
desire to throw herself on the table and beg the other woman to take her.
She barely registered the fact the woman spoke her name. She nodded dumbly,
then cursed herself for not being more cautious. Survival instincts honed
on a thousand covert operations kicked in and drove down the raw lust as she
tried to regain control.
"Yes, I'm Jessie Landers."
"The Mercenaries Guild informed me that I could reach you here. I am Arika
Draco. I have been sent by my employer to contact you."
The name Draco rang bells in her head together with the horns, but she still
couldn't place the reference. However, the fact that the Mercenary Guild
had led Arika to her was somewhat reassuring. The Guild would not have
given out the location of one of it's members unless a verified contract had
been offered. It was unusual that she would have been sought out by name,
but then the guild only had a few thousand solo operatives, all of which had
at least some reputation somewhere. Maybe Arika had heard she had a
reputation as a great lover....
"What are the details?" she asked, forcing her mind back to business. Why
was it so hard to focus? Why were her hormones on overload?
Arika removed one of the discs from her belt and put it on the table. A
holo screen showed above it with a Mercenaries Guild contract.
"My Employer directed me to contact you with an offer for certain
information you possess."
Jessie raised an eyebrow. "Okay. What kind of information?"
"My employer believes that you can contact someone she needs for a very
important mission. She informed me that you are the only person in the
local group who knows how to contact this person."
Cold gripped Jessie's insides in icy talons. Dreading the certain answer,
she asked anyway.
"Who."
"Jason Lombardi. Former CEO of Lombardi Enterprises on Jamsona."
Jessie forced her heart to keep beating, even though she had been expecting
it. His name hadn't crossed her ears for nearly seventy years.
"He's dead."
"My employer believes he is not. You are the contact I was given to pass
along the contract my employer is offering to Lombardi."
"I see. So suppose I do know where to contact Lombardi. What's in it for
me?"
Arika smiled, her gorgeous lips curving softly as she did, glistening in the
dim light of the bar. She tapped the disc. "My employer is prepared to
offer you two things in exchange for your aid in this. The first is your
standard contract fee multiplied by twenty."
Jessie raised her eyebrow again. Twenty million was intended to make the
offer too tempting to refuse. She had been lucky to have twenty contracts
in the last five years. Mercenary work paid extremely well, but it had a
very high overhead too. She could afford to buy a new ship for that amount,
or rebuild her current one from the ground up.
"And the second thing?"
Arika reached back down to tap the disc again. Jessie looked over the new
document. It took her a second to realize what it was. She looked back up
to see Arika studying her, faint apprehension in her eyes.
"This is your ownership contract, Arika."
Arika nodded.
"Your owner is offering you to me in addition to the fee."
Arika nodded again.
The slave contract had finally put all the pieces together. The horns, the
name Draco, the cybernetic enhancements. Arika was a Draconian warrior, a
young girl who had been sold to an Andromedan Magister and rebuilt into one
of their private soldiers. She had given up her freedom to allow her family
to survive. And if she was being offered as part of the price...
Jessie sighed. Arika's owner had done their research. By adding Arika to
the contract there a no way Jessie would turn it down... if for no other
reason than to release Arika from the slave contract.
She touched the disc again to close the contract. "What does your employer
want Lombardi for?"
Arika's eyes were still on the disc under Jessie's fingers. "Do you accept
the contract?"
Jessie closed her eyes and mentally chanted the Mercenary Code. _We have
accepted your gold_. "I accept the contract."
The disc under her finger grew warm as it momentarily shifted color from
emerald green to florescent and back. Arika let out her breath. "Thank
you, mistress."
"That is going to change as soon as I file your release from contract,
Arika. Your ex-boss is rather insistent on getting my aid."
The Draconian nodded. "Yes, Mistress. I have the information for
Lombardi's mission, but was directed to only give it to you in private."
Once more the fantasies surged to the front of Jessie's mind at the thought
of having Arika alone, but she fought them down. She stood, barely forcing
her legs to support her weight, Arika's presence making her so aroused the
simple friction of her clothes nearly drove her to orgasm.
Arika had stood as well, and stepped closer. "I- I want to thank you for
accepting me, Mistress. H-had you refused, I would have been..."
She leaned forward and Jessie didn't stop her as their lips touched. A jolt
of fire seemed to run down her spine as her body shook slightly, the kiss
being the spark that drove her over the edge into climax. As Arika stepped
back Jessie took several shallow breaths to steady herself. She looked at
the softly smiling girl with an amused grin.
"At least wait till we get back to the ship before you do that again."
* * * * *
The ship was large for a fighter, a planetary bomber retrofitted with living
quarters in the old ordinance bays, and numerous modifications to increase
it's speed, armor, and firepower. While not quite as agile as a small
fighter, it's engines were more than sufficient to outrun all but the most
speedy of interceptors, and the added armor and shields could withstand most
ordinance below that mounted on a capital ship. Several scorch marks still
showed on her hull, but the primary damage from the recent firefight had
been repaired days ago. Jessie looked around the field and noted the
absence of any new vessels.
"What ship did you come on?" she asked Arika, glad that being out in the
open had seemed to lessen the impact the girls presence had on her libido.
Arika shook her head. "I didn't. I was dropped by a fellow Draconian. I
don't have a bond."
"Bond?"
"To a dragon. I- I'm just out of reconstruction and imprint. I was created
for you, so I was not bonded as other Draconians are. I am incomplete.
Jessie nodded, remembering the main reason Draconians were so feared. It
was not just because Arika had been rebuilt into a sophisticated killing
machine, but because a normal warrior was psionically and cyberneticly
partnered with a dragon, the rarest of all the intelligent races. Andromeda
possessed their home world, and had immediately seen the military value of a
forty foot tall creature capable of ripping apart hull plate like it was
tissue, and able to breathe superheated plasma at will. When outfitted with
a weapons harness, a dragon could carry the firepower of a small battleship,
in addition to their skills as mages. No doubt Arika had been assigned in
full knowledge that Jessie would release her, and Andromeda would never
allow a dragon to go so easily. Jessie had only ever met one, her aerial
tactics trainer in the guild. She could still remember the intimidation
his sheer size had made on her.
"I don't consider you incomplete, Arika. Nor do I consider you a slave.
As I said, as soon as we're aboard ship, I'm transmitting your release from
the slave contract."
"It makes no difference to me, Mistress. Whether I am slave or free, my
programming is to be your companion and servant in any capacity you desire
of me. I have been imprinted to you, and to you alone. Had you not
accepted my contract, I would have been destroyed. If you had initially
refused my contract, that was my final card to play."
Jessie stopped and looked at Arika. "You had to succeed or die?"
"It is the way of the Draconian. I have but one master, and that is you,
Mistress. I was employed by my maker, but I did not serve her."
Jessie shook her head. "You're hardwired?"
Arika nodded. "Yes, Mistress. In most situations I am free willed, but in
these areas I cannot deviate. You are my Mistress, and I must obey any
command you give, and protect you. My memory banks have been wiped of any
data that might compromise Andromedan military intelligence, but my combat
programming and my tactical AI is fully functional. I am aware that the
Empire of Terra does not allow slave ownership, and that my contract will be
released, but I beg you, do not dispose of me. I have no other purpose than
to serve you."
"I thought you were a cyborg... a modified human."
"Yes. I was born an equuis. All Draconians are rebuilt as humans. The
majority of us come from the lesser races."
Jessie sighed. "You're not a lesser race, Arika. Only Andromeda views
humans as superior. I'm sure we can get you restructured back to your
original form if you desire."
"I cannot, Mistress. My systems will not allow it. I am programmed to
defend against such invasions. I am comfortable as I am now, Mistress. In
truth, I have no memory of my existence as an equuis. I am only five years
old, Mistress. I have no memories before I was made a Draconian."
Jessie blinked. "I see." She touched the ident plate on her ship and waved
Arika inside the opening hatch.
The intensity of lust she had felt in the bar returned full force the moment
she followed the Draconian inside. She glanced at the atmospheric controls
as she closed the airlock and noted the warning of an unknown airborne
contaminant.
"Okay, Arika. Do you have any way of controlling whatever it is you're
doing to overload my libido?"
"Yes, Mistress."
"Then please turn it off? I'd like to be able to think."
Almost immediately the desire to throw the girl on the bed and bury her head
between her legs dropped to manageable levels.
"My apologies, Mistress. I merely sought to increase my appeal to you. I
have reduced my pheromone output to minimum level."
"Those are some damn effective pheromones." Jessie noted.
"I am equipped for covert data collection and infiltration operations,
Mistress. My pheromones are designed to aid in these tasks, as well as to
cause distraction in combat. I can adjust my output from nearly triple what
I was producing, to my baseline. I did not seek to offend, merely increase
my desirability, Mistress. I am programmed to attempt to be pleasing in all
ways."
Jessie dropped into the seat before her terminal. "Okay. Rest assured I
find you appealing without them, okay? And now that I know what's been
done to you, I won't send you away either. Just let me get used to you.
Your slave contract is still going to be terminated, but you're free to
stay. Just remember, I'm a mercenary, not a politician. I can take care of
myself in a fight."
"I understand, Mistress. I will seek to support you as needed."
"And please, don't call me Mistress all the time."
Arika nodded.
Jessie leaned back in the chair and rubbed her eyes. "Now, how about the
details on why I'm supposed to contact Lombardi for you?"
Arika nodded. "Yes, Mistress. The assignment is simple. My creator needs
Jason Lombardi to effect an extraction of someone with information my
employer desires. His task is to get close to this person and exfiltrate
him out of the security net to a waiting pickup point. Once the target has
been delivered, his assignment is fulfilled."
Jessie groaned. "Great. Let me guess, it somehow involves Jamsona and
Darkstarr Industries."
"Yes. The target is the current Chief of Operations for Darkstarr's
holdings on Jamsona."
Jessie cursed. Would she ever be free of that damn planet?
Arika held out another disc. "The contract is for three times the monetary
amount you have already received, an additional sixty million added to the
twenty million contract for simply considering the contract."
Jessie gave Arika a raised eyebrow. "So... you know."
Arika nodded. "I am programmed to serve only you, Mistress. I could not do
so were I not aware of your identity."
"I haven't been Jason Lombardi for over seventy years. I arranged to fake
my death for a reason, you know."
"Yes, Mistress. I am aware of your past difficulties with Darkstarr
Industries. My creator believes they make excellent incentive, above and
beyond the financial ones, as well as an irresistible lure to the target.
The contract is under the name Jessie Landers, and the data trail that led
my creator to you has been disrupted even further than you had managed. The
mission cannot be successful if you are capable of being found once the
mission is completed. Darkstarr must have no trace that my creator was
behind the extraction."
Jessie sighed again. "You realize, I'm going to have to have the Mercenary
Guild examine you for time traps."
"I am aware, Mistress. As stated, my systems have been purged of any
sensitive data. My combat protocols are only activated if attempts to
reprogram my core components occurs. Examination alone will not trigger
them." Arika paused. "Please, Mistress, I know this must be done to
reassure you of my loyalty, but I beg of you, do not allow them to reverse
engineer me."
"Whatever you may have been told, Arika, the EOT is not a barbaric place.
You are a thinking being, and have rights under Terran law. By your
statements, I would suspect they will classify you as a type two sentient,
free willed with overriding instincts. That means you cannot be forced to
go against your programming, nor can you be held responsible if your
programmed responses are triggered deliberately. Trust me, you won't be
disassembled simply to study your cyber systems."
"Thank you, Mistress."
Jessie called up a screen on her terminal. "JL Zero Niner to Flight
Control."
"Flight Control. Go ahead JL Zero Niner."
"Request clearance for lift off."
"What is your destination JL Zero Niner?"
"City of the Rings."
"Confirmed. We have a freighter inbound on the Hyperstream. It is expected
to emerge in twenty minutes standard."
"Affirmative, Flight Control. I am jump capable. The Stream Gate is not a
necessity."
"Acknowledged. Checking local traffic. How long will your preflight take?"
Jessie touched another screen into existence and tapped a few icons.
"Preflight boards are green, Flight Control. Autonav available for your
signal."
"Confirmed, we have you on system. Please prepare for flight in ten
minutes. Onboard control will be available once outside fifth orbit.
Estimated time to manual control one hour twenty minutes."
"Acknowledged, Flight Control, JL Zero Niner out." Jessie tapped the
hologram closed. "Okay, we're outbound. The trip to The City of the Rings
is going to take about a hundred and eighty hours from this far out, even
via the Stream."
Arika nodded. "Is there anything I may assist with, Mistress."
Jessie shook her head. "It's all controlled from their end until we get
outsystem. The jump drive won't work this deep in gravity well. We're on
electrogravitics until then. Of course, I'm going to have to get the
reaction drives fueled at the City of the Rings if we're going to Jamsona.
The magnetic field there plays havoc with electrograv."
Arika nodded. "Are you accepting the contract, Mistress?"
"Not yet, Arika. I'm sorry, but I have to have you checked out first. I
have no doubt of your personal sincerity, but I don't trust an Andromedan
Magister. Many of them were banished from the Mages Guild for a reason."
Arika nodded, and stood, pressing the disc on her hip. Her skinsheath
vanished, revealing it had been entirely holographic, and obviously
generated by the belt, which then released and was set aside. "Then may I
offer my mistress entertainment to while away the time?"
Jessie smiled as she eyed the nude girl, admiring the way her still
luminescent hair illuminated everything as she laid back on the bed. Picked
up the slave contract, she placed it on her terminal desk activating the
uplink to the Guild computers. The release took only a few seconds, as did
submitting the initial contract for contacting an unnamed third party. Once
they were logged with the Guild, she turned back to Arika. "You are now a
free woman, Arika. And I can file a request for citizenship in the Empire if
you wish."
Arika nodded. "Acknowledged, Mistress. It does not lessen my desire to
please you."
Jessie kicked off her heels. "No, I suppose not. But it at least gives me
the illusion you might be doing it because you really want to."
Arika gave her a sultry smile. "That I can assure you of Mistress. While I
will admit I have been programmed to find you overwhelmingly appealing, my
programming does not specifically command further interaction, and you have
not commanded me to pleasure you." She rolled on her side, elevating one
leg as she patted the bed next to her. "But I do wish to show you how happy
I am that you have accepted me, Mistress. I hope I can make you as happy as
you have made me."
Jessie smiled as she stood, her top and pants joining Arika's belt on the
floor. "Somehow, I don't foresee that being a problem..."
* * * * *
"One thing I don't have in my data banks is why you attempted to disappear."
Arika said several hours later as they lay tangled on the bed.
Jessie stretched languorously, careful not to pull her thigh from under
Arika's head. She grabbed a pillow and propped her head up so she could
look down at the other girl. "I'm not surprised. I doubt Darkstarr
Industries let the real story out. I suppose you know I was a mercenary
before I decided to retire and settle on Jamsona. It was an out of the way
ball of rock on the edge of the local group, about as far from the Empires
as you can get. That was its sole appeal; otherwise, it's a snowball. Mean
average temperature never gets above zero. It's just on the edge of
habitability without special environmental enclosures, and it's primarily a
water world, so you'd think it would be the last place trouble will find
you."
"I take it you found trouble?"
"Yeah. I started up a small business. Took a design for a wind powered
transport I had seen on another planet and modified it for local conditions.
Made a killing since they proved to be the most practical way to transport
goods on planet. The business didn't need much to run smooth, so I had a
lot of time on my hands. Used it exploring the planet. More or less became
the best ship pilot on the ice ball." Jessie sighed. "And that's what got
me into trouble."
"How so."
Jessie leaned back to look at the ceiling, idly twirling Arika's curls with
her fingers. "Found something one day. A big ruin under the ice. Stumbled
across it by sheer happy accident. When I made inquires into salvage
rights, all of a sudden, I had Darkstarr Industries breathing down my neck.
When I refused to sell, they bought my company out from under me, and tried
to force me to tell them where the ruins were. That's why I faked my death.
They can't get to the ruins without me, and I'll be damned if I'm just going
to hand them over. Sooner or later, they'll realize they're not going to
find the place without me. That's probably why your creator wants me to
play bait. I can get close to the target by dangling the location in front
of him. Then, while he thinks I'm taking them to the ruins, I simply direct
him to the pickup point, and extraction gets made. I disappear again as
Jessie, and no-one knows what happened."
Arika nodded. "Yes." She shifted her hips slightly to allow Jessie's
fingers more playing area. "I shall aid you in any way I can, Mistress.
Darkstarr should pay for hounding you so."
Jessie shrugged. "Oh, I think this little assignment will fulfill that
nicely."
* * * * *
They came out of Hyperstream at the edge of the Imperial system, Jessie
smiling as Arika got her first look at the City of the Rings.
"Why is the star so faint?" Arika asked. "And why does it seem to be
divided into bands?"
Jessie tapped a few spots on the holo display to link up to the Imperial
traffic net, then called up a system map.
"The City of the Rings hides most of the star. From this far out, you're
basically seeing the central two rings covering about a third of the star."
"Why are there no planets on the system map?"
"Theory is that they were broken up to make the city. You have to remember
that the City is a First Empire artifact. It was rediscovered five thousand
years ago by Ruby Darkstarr. It's more or less what got Darkstarr
Industries started. The Emperor moved the central government here and
began repopulating the City, but even now, less than ten percent of the City
is inhabited. The City itself consists of ninety rings, each a thousand
miles thick and nearly a million miles wide. It is the single largest
structure known in the local group. We're going into Ring 45, the lower
central ring, That's where the Guild base is located."
Arika had been staring out the cockpit screen. "It seems I only see
activity around the four central rings and the two polar caps?"
"Yeah. The Imperial Court is on the north cap, the Imperial Fleet is
headquartered in the south cap. Most people live in the two rings to either
side of the equatorial gap. If we're lucky, you'll get to see one of the
really interesting things about the City. There is one planet in this
system, a planet with a single moon about one sixth its mass. It's unknown
why the First Empire put it there, unless it really is a park, like it's
used currently, but it orbits inside the equatorial gap. The computer
records in the city call it Terra, which is where the Empire gets its name,
but most of the city's computer data was unrecoverable, so much of the city
and First Empire history remains unknown. There was some kind of war, but
with who and who won is a mystery. All we know is that it seemed to have
been built about six hundred thousand years ago, before the beginning of
current recorded history."
Arika smiled. "Very intriguing. I do not have any information on the EOT
other than basic diplomatic protocols and cultural analysis. Would it
surprise you to learn that Andromeda considers the EOT a honorless society
that reduces it's people to the lowest common denominator rather than
allowing those with superior abilities to rule as is natural?"
Jessie laughed. "No, not really. In truth, in the EOT, everyone is treated
as equal in regards to rights, but everyone is also free to excel in any way
they wish. I just happen to be a really good mercenary, a mediocre mage,
and too restless to stand normal society for longer than a few months at a
time."
"You have had mage training?" Arika asked. "Does not the EOT require all
mages to be marked?"
Jessie smiled. "Yeah, anyone who is at least apprentice level has extended
canines. Adepts and above have a hair streak, and master mages will bear an
emblem, usually tattooed on their right hand. I never really learned enough
to make apprentice."
"The ability to use psionics is merely a matter of discipline and some
talent. I am mainly gifted in the area of pyrokinetics and shielding,
though I have been trained in all disciplines."
"Shielding is the only thing I picked up decently. I can block a couple of
direct hits from energy based weapons, but I don't have a lot of strength,
and can't block kinetic weapons at all. Luckily, I'm really good with my
rapier. We'll get you outfitted while we're here."
"I am in no need of new weaponry, Mistress. I am already armed. All
Draconians are taught to create dimensional pockets. When my weapons are
needed I can retrieve them."
Jessie shook her head. "Okay. I don't have that gift, and I have to get
some male clothing. You're welcome to anything in my wardrobe you want to
wear, and we'll get cold weather gear too."
"Thank you, Mistress."
"And please stop calling me mistress all the time."
"Yes, Mistress."
Jessie sighed as Arika giggled.
* * * * *
Jessie was surprised to find Rylar, the dragon who was the Guilds chief
instructor in aerial combat tactics, waiting the Guild hanger, fully armed
and with a couple of heavy marines in full combat armor. He waited as
Jessie finished her landing shutdown before opening a com channel.
"Combat Specialist, will you please ask the Draconian to exit your ship
without her belt?"
Jessie looked at the monitor showing Rylar's face. "May I enquire just what
the hell is going on?"
"It is simple security precautions, Combat Specialist. I am aware the
Draconian has been imprinted to you, and will obey your commands. We must
insist that you comply. Until we have thoroughly scanned her as you
requested, she remains a major security threat. I have a fifty man unit in
backup, fully armored, and even then I am not certain we could restrain your
partner."
Jessie blinked. "Okay. I think you're going overboard here, Rylar, but
will comply." She looked over at Arika. "Sorry for the reception. Rylar
there used to be paired with one of you. He had to kill her to escape
Andromeda, and that cybernetic arm and wing he's got are reminders of it."
Arika nodded. "I understand, Mistress. He is only taking reasonable
precautions." Arika smiled. "He has a much better grasp of my capabilities
than you do, Mistress. I am not offended." She stood and followed Jessie
to the airlock, leaving her belt on the chair by the bed, and following
Jesse out unclothed. She stood unconcerned as the Dragon held a massive
cannon trained on her.
"Please retrieve and hand over your personal weapons." The dragon rumbled.
Jessie would have sworn the dragon's finger was twitching on the cannon's
trigger, and doubted if he did pull it that even her ship would survive the
blast. It looked like a modified battleship cannon.
Arika held out her hands, deliberately not pointing at anyone. A brief glow
manifested and then a pair of pistols appeared in her hands. Jessie noted
they appeared to be tri-barreled energy weapons, the rotating barrels likely
allowing an excessively high rate of fire. Both weapons appeared to have
power cells of a type she had not seen before, and long curving blades
mounted under the barrels allowing them to double as hand to hand weapons.
The two armored marines advanced and took the weapons, placing them in a
large locker that appeared heavily shielded.
"And now the heavy weapon too." The dragon added, his gun still not
wavering.
Again Arika's hand glowed briefly as a much larger weapon appeared. It
appeared to be a much heavier variant of the pistols, six rotating barrels
around a much heavier gage central barrel, and an under slung weapon that
appeared likely to be an explosive projectile launcher. The power cell
seemed similar to the pistols, but much larger, emitting a distinct hum that
Jessie could feel as much as hear. A large blade extended from the rear of
the weapon, and Jessie saw it could be wielded with either end forward. One
of the Marines took that as well and placed it inside the locker.
"The vibroblades too."
Arika smiled and reached up to remove her ear, nipple, and clit rings,
handing the set to the marine to be placed inside the locker. Rylar finally
raised the cannon.
"I know you possess several more built in weapons that I cannot remove. Be
warned, if you should attempt to use any of them, you will be executed
without warning. And do not seek to communicate with my cyber systems. You
cannot override me, nor can you reactivate my link. You shall also be
monitored and any attempt to link to Guild networks shall be met with deadly
force. Do you understand this, Draconian?"
Arika nodded. "I understand, Rylar Dracos."
"I am only Rylar, Draconian. I have escaped my captors and am no longer a
slave." The massive dragon pointed his wing to the marines. "You shall be
escorted to the examination room by these warriors. Do not attempt to
escape their custody."
Arika nodded and stepped behind the first marine, allowing herself to be
escorted to the hanger's security door. Rylar seemed to deflate as she
exited and turned back to Jessie.
"My apologies, Jessie, if I seemed a bit rude, but I could not take any
chances."
Jessie nodded. "I understand, but is she really that dangerous?"
The dragon nodded. "The Shadowmage created them to be in all ways the
physical match of the dragon they are bonded with, and then some. One on
one, a Draconian bond pair is more than a match for your average cruiser,
and harder to destroy than a dreadnaught. You've got one hell of a war
machine there."
Jessie raised an eyebrow. "I released her from the slave contract. She's a
free being."
Rylar looked down, his muzzle revealing a toothy smile. "And I'm sure she's
told you that means nothing to her. The only way she'd even be with you is
if she was imprinted to you. Unless you kill her, she will never stop
serving you, and you alone. The Shadowmage would not allow them to ever
rebel. If she could do the same to dragons, she would have never bothered
with the Draconians, but she couldn't, so we were bonded, enslaved to the
will of our rider, who in turn is forever loyal to her master. The only
reason I managed to escape is because the link between my rider and I was
damaged. I killed her before it was repaired and rebooted, but not with out
nearly dying myself. Her weapons are shielded because they are as much a
part of her as her hands are."
Jessie whistled. "Okay... I am now impressed at how badly the Shadowmage
wants my services."
Rylar nodded. "I still wouldn't trust it, Jessie. Akara has to have some
ulterior motive against Darkstarr. You're a good merc, I'd hate to see you
dead because you got caught up in a feud between Archmagi."
Jessie looked up at the dragon. "I take it that you've looked at the
contract."
Rylar nodded. "The Guild has to approve all contracts, Jessie. When the
Draconians slave contract came in, the Guildmaster contacted me for further
information. It's a legitimate contract, and as Jamsona is outside of
Imperial bounds, it's on Darkstarr's head to protect its employees. It's no
different than any other extraction contract, though I personally prefer
open combat to these covert ops."
"Yeah, yeah. Well I'm good at covert. I'm still alive aren't I?"
Rylar nodded. "I know, but you're also a damn good combat pilot. Not the
best I've ever trained, but up there. There aren't many students I'm
friends with."
"I know. Until I got sent her, I could have sworn you and the Guildmaster
were the only ones who knew. Now I have an Archmage I have to worry about."
"I know neither of us ever told, and your data trail's pretty obscured. My
guess is if you don't cross her, the Shadowmage isn't going to have any
further use for you, and won't bother you again. And Darkstarr hasn't found
you in seventy years. Don't get caught with your hand in the mix and you
should be safe again, with a wad of cash and a damn good bodyguard."
Jessie nodded. "Well, I have some things to take care of."
The dragon nodded. "I'll contact you when she's been cleared. Your ship
should be serviced and ready in twenty four standard hours."
"And then it's back to hell." Jessie smiled. "A frozen ball of ice on the
backside of nowhere. What fun."
Rylar laughed as Jessie turned to go.
* * * * *
It took Jessie only a couple of hours to purchase the equipment she needed
for the mission, including a visit to a secure holding facility to retrieve
an item she'd never thought she'd use again.. Seventy years ago, it had
taken weeks to find a renegade Andromedan body sculptor and have her DNA
rebuilt to make her female, a process that the EOT had once banned. She
mused on the whims of a populace that had once decried DNA manipulation as
cruel before reversing itself and demanding it as a right. She had no
problems finding a sculptor, one far better equipped and less expensive than
her previous one. She had simply had to give him her DNA matrix crystal,
and in less than an hour she was looking as Jason's face once more.
_My face. My face and a different gender. I'm a *he* now. Have to get
used to it._
He smiled at himself and shook out his hair before pulling it back into a
pony tail. He exited the sculpt shop and got a table just down the balcony
from the Guild entrance and indulged in his favorite hobby while waiting for
the call that Arika was finished.
The City of the Rings never failed to amaze him. As he sat at a table at
the edge of the balcony, he looked out at the vast mall that had grown up
over the centuries and watched the hustle and bustle of civilian life. So
many people of all races so oblivious to the battles, treacheries, and
espionage that occurred on so many worlds to give them the comfortable lives
they led.
His communicator finally beeped several hours later and he headed back into
the guild hall. Arika was waiting for him in the hanger along with Rylar.
Jason blinked to see the Draconian's hair had completely changed color from
softly luminescent neon green to a polished mirror silver. He did have to
admit the silver strands made for an interesting play of light, especially
among the tangled curls that crowned her pubis, but he hadn't expected the
scans alter her in any way.
"We didn't modify her, Jason." Rylar rumbled at his raised eyebrow. "She's
simply been asked to shut down her phototropic systems. That's her normal
hair. Like most everything else about her but her brain, it's a synthetic."
"I am undamaged, Master. The guild technicians were far more pleasant in
their examinations of my systems than I expected. I am pleased to report I
have not been unknowing trapped."
Jason looked to Rylar. The big dragon nodded. "She's clean. Surprising as
it may seem, it looks like Akara is playing this one straight so far as the
guild is concerned."
"So the contract appears to be legitimate in all respects?"
"Yes. But let me add one word of caution, Jason. You've avoided Darkstarr
for nearly seventy years, so I don't know if you've kept aware of them or
not. It's not something that made the newscasts, but something big happened
between D.I. and the Shadowmage about fifty years ago. No-one seems to know
what, but D. I. has been changing the way it does things. Don't go in
expecting business as usual. A lot of really good talent has been recruited
lately, some of the best of the best. Don't underestimate them."
Jason nodded. "Okay. I will keep that in mind. But is there any reason I
should refuse the contract?"
Rylar shook his head. "Nothing beyond a gut instinct that the Shadowmage is
never up to any good. Then again, I used to be her slave, so I'm more than
just a little biased." He chuckled, the deep booming laugh vibrating the
air. "Pay no mind to me Jason. It's a good deal from your end, and the
Guildmaster has judged the payment is fair for the difficulty of the task
set. We have found no evidence of double dealing to refuse the contract."
Jason smiled. "Good. I will formally accept the contract."
Rylar nodded. "Final details are being downloaded to your secure terminal.
You may access them once aboard. If you need anything before you leave, let
us know. I only ask that you do not allow Arika to leave your ship
unescorted as she is not a guild member, and as a type two sentient, she is
not eligible for membership."
Arika smiled. "Since I cannot overcome my programmed "instincts" I am not
deemed in sufficient control of my own actions to be a mercenary." The
twinkle in her eyes showed amusement. "I did, however, excel in all areas
of combat skill they tested."
"There's a full readout in your terminal." Rylar added. "Should keep you
busy for a while."
Jason noted the look Arika was giving him, and doubted he'd have a chance to
read before they hit Jamsona'a atmosphere.
"Thank you." He grinned as Arika latched onto his arm. "I will get to it
as soon as she's done making sure _I_ work correctly."
Rylar laughed as the Draconian dragged her now male owner back to the ship.
Turning, he made his way out of the hanger into one of the huge hallways of
the main guild. He paced along for quite some distance before coming to the
large ornate door to the Guildmaster's office. The door slid aside without
a challenge, showing the Guildmaster had been tracking him. The huge dragon
nodded to the large figure of the Guildmaster, a stocky, equine headed male,
built like a draft horse. A long spiraled horn adorned the center of his
forehead.
"I take it he has accepted the contract?" The unicorn asked.
"Yes Guildmaster."
"Very good." a feminine voice replied from an alcove. A figure stepped
forth, a tall-redheaded female human, dressed in a grey uniform accented in
black. A white streak split her hair down the middle and framed both sides
of a very pretty face with intense green eyes. The dragon nodded.
"Good day, Milady."
"I'm not that formal anymore Rylar. Ruby will do."
"Umm. Yes Milady Ruby."
The redhead smiled. Turning to the Guildmaster, she nodded towards the
display above his desk. "Is that the data I requested?"
The Guildmaster sighed. "Yes. The profiles of both Lombardi and our tests
of his Draconian."
The redhead looked over the data, scrolling through it quickly. "Good. I
hope he will meet my needs. His profile so far is better than any other
candidate."
"Agreed. How do you plan to overcome his likely objections?"
The redhead sighed. "The only way I think I can. The truth."
The unicorn gave the redhead a measured look. "I am trusting you in this
Ruby. Jason is my friend from long before I rose to be Guildmaster, from
when he was a green cadet under my command. I do not like deceiving him in
any matter."
The redhead hung her head. "I know, Andre. But he had to take the contract
to satisfy Akara. So long as the attempt is made, he has fulfilled his end
of things. Once he's done... then I have my shot at him before he vanishes
back into the fringe worlds. It's Jason I need... not Jessie."
"So much reliance on a reputation?"
"Sounds silly, I know, the persons the same either way, but Lombardi has a
reputation Landers has carefully avoided. I need that edge if I hope to
finally bring everything together."
Andre nodded. "I hope you are correct. Hard as it is for me to do so, I'm
trusting you in this, trusting the changes you've displayed are in truth,
and not some game you are playing. You have a reputation yourself."
The redhead nodded. "I know. I have a lot of sins on my soul, Andre.
Jason is one of them. Let me make my amends."
The Guildmaster popped the slim crystal from the display and handed it to
the redhead. "I just pray you do, Ruby, that's all. I will never forgive
myself for handing Jason over otherwise."
The redhead nodded as she took the crystal, then turned on her heel and
left, her steel heels chiming on the cold metal floor of the office. The
dragon waited till the door closed behind her before looking back down at
the Guildmaster, who had fallen into his chair in a slump.
"What other choice did we have, Andre? Akara would never have allowed Jason
to live unmolested once she tracked him down. She's the only person in the
universe who can keep him from being the target of every assassin in the
local group. The Shadowmage doesn't allow her pawns to go without a fight."
The unicorn sighed. "I know Rylar. I had hoped somehow to avoid it, but
when the acceptance of Arika came in, there was no other way."
The dragon nodded. "He'll be on his way in a few hours. She'll have plenty
of time to get to Jamsona first. I know it's hard, Andre, but people do
change. I believe _she's_ changed."
"I hope so, Rylar. I hope so. Just as I hope Jason can forgive us for
handing him over to Ruby Darkstarr."
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