“High Priestess. The transport has resumed its course. Her captain sends her thanks.” Artie relayed as we watched the ship slowly pull away.
“So what now, High Priestess?” Chairman Englert inquired.
“Now we get you back…”
“Chance! I’m getting an emergency transmission from Kane! They’re reporting an unidentified spacecraft entering orbit with no communication or permissions!” Dell announced excitedly.
Could this be another decoy? Something else to draw us off Bovidovich’s trail? I thought to myself.
“This is real, Keke.” I heard in my head.
“Set course for Kane.” I ordered.
“Aye! Course transferred to helm. ETA seven standard hours.” Charli reported.
“Got it.” Mom announced.
“Engage. Hope you don’t mind going on a longer demo ride, Chairman?”
“How far is Kane from ‘here’?”
“Eleven hundred, thirty-four thousand LY’s, Chairman.” Charli answered.
Englert gasped in shock.
“Please follow me, sir.” I asked as I motioned to the door and the passageway.
“Excuse me. High Priestess?” Serangetti Sonya interrupted. “My Lady, might I request a return to my original form?”
“Lady Sonya.” I turned to see the eight-year old on my heels. “There has been a request from one of our more senior members for you to remain in your current form until this mission concludes.”
Sonya immediately glared at several of our sisters, daring them to come forward!
“No, Lady Sonya. I requested of our High Priestess to keep you in this form.” Lyra jumped from her seat and quickly approached her flabbergasted ‘sibling/mother’.
Sonya’s face fell.
“Why? Why would you want me in this form any longer than necessary, Lyra?”
Lyra shied away a moment before taking a deep breath and looking back- her resolve now cemented. She hovered a few inches off the deck to look eye to eye with her mother’s eight-year old form.
“Because I like having an older sister, Lady Sonya!” Lyra said as she looked intently into her mother’s eyes. “There have been so many times in our past that I’ve wanted…needed to have you with me…near me,” she took another deep breath, “Poppy and I both miss you in our lives, momma!” Lyra glanced to the deck for just a second.
“Earlier, when we were…um…practicing…down stairs…I felt…um…,” she took yet another stratifying breath, “I felt amazing! It felt like we were really sisters.”
“Plus, I thought you were having fun too, momma. You are always so serious and never seem to have time for me and Poppy…” Lyra added as tears began matting her facial fur.
“I just wanted you to forget about your commitments for a while and have some fun.”
“Damn! So which one of them is the adult again?” Chantell stage whispered to Simone.
I shifted my attention to my two adult Coven sisters momentarily then looked back down at the two kittens. Sonya had wrapped her arms around her daughter/sister and both were sniffing and shivering against each other.
“Have them both come up to observation when they’re ready.” I told Simone. She nodded and I proceeded to show Chairman Englert our observation Lounge.
As with any of our guests, he was immediately taken by the blue-shifted streaks of light overhead.
“Unfathomable!” He finally whispered. “I never thought it possible to travel this fast!”
I got right down to business.
“So… what’s actually going on above Kane, sir?”
“High Priestess?” He asked, looking at me in surprise.
“I was just on Kane three days ago and we detected no unidentified craft in the vicinity. What do you know that I don’t?” I inquired in a staunch tone.
“I am as much in the dark as you, M’lady.” He replied innocently.
“Bovidovich only wants the Current, sir. There is no reasoning with it on that. It is a deal made with the devil and can only go one way.” I remarked as I sat down on one of the comfortable chaises. “Furthermore, you would be sealing the fate of the entire galaxy…maybe even the entire Universe.”
Englert regarded me for a minute or more.
“Suppose I had made a deal with this ‘Devil’ as you call it…theoretically, of course?”
“The Hobgoblin formerly known as ‘Bovidovich’ has existed for over a thousand years, sir. That has left more than enough time for it to plan and scheme.” I paused to let that sink in.
“Theoretically…the worlds in any agreed upon compromise would be left devoid of life and all ‘lifeforce’ existing on them consumed by it- Bovidovich- for its own greed and hunger for power. The species can only lose in any compromise or deal, Chairman Englert. I hope you understand the full ramifications any ‘theoretical compromise’ could have on our freedoms.”
I observed the man for several seconds, noting his change in facial expressions, behavior of his eyes, and changes in his breathing. I also observed his Current.
“Have you ever met one, sir?” I asked. “Really met one of them…as they really look, I mean.” I shivered at the thought of my first encounter. “Have you ever been conscripted by them?”
“I’ve only dealt with de Sallenger, and no, I haven’t been…conscripted, High Priestess. Are you somehow insinuating that I am not who I claim to be?” He asked, taking offence immediately.
“Not at all, sir. I guarantee you are the real McCoy, sir, but I WAS inferring that you have no idea what you are dealing with! Except for the big three- two of which have been dealt with- Hobgoblins are mindless drones that are incapable of resisting or fighting against their Master. Most are mere pawns in Bovidovich’s ‘grand scheme’ to control ALL the Current in this and all the other galaxies! With every planet it consumes, it grows bigger and more powerful. Soon, not even Witch Corps may be able to stop it!”
“You speak as if this species is an infection, virus, or plague, High Priestess. Does it not deserve…”
It IS a plague, sir! The Hobgoblins are no ‘sub-species’, but came into existence because of wanton greed- nothing more! One Terran corrupting two of his comrades into a scheme to horde and enslave Current, sell it to the highest bidder, and achieve both financial AND political power!”
“Financial and political pow…?”
“All important and viable ‘physical’ pursuits on early twenty-second century Earth, Chairman Englert. Oh sure, there have been others in the farther past and certainly this won’t be the last. The concept known to us as ‘evil’ must always be balanced out by good, you understand. Witch Corps has been trying to keep the balance since just after the Hobgoblins came into being. We are the ‘light’ to its ‘dark’. Do you understand, sir?” I explained.
“You speak as though you were there, High Priestess.” He countered.
“No, but I was, Jameson Englert!” Mom said as she stepped closer from the elevator. “Uri Chekov Bovidovich was a member of my crew.”
Englert turned to her voice and I noticed his mouth drop open.
“It was June 3rd, 2107. The crew of Orion-Explorer 34- Pegasus, NASA’s first manned probe to the outer reaches of the Sol system- my crew- strapped ourselves into the Earth’s newest ‘Deep Space’ Capsule. It utilized the world’s first Ion Propulsion Emitter system, an entirely new and untested ‘concept’ unit that almost didn’t happen because of a fatality early on in development. It was theorized to get us out and back from just past the Keiper Belt in one Earth year.”
“Six Astronauts: Denison, Guan, Evans, Bovidovich, Anderson, and Summers rocketed into the heavens at 0735 EDST. Our first stop was the aging ISS- International Space Station, due to be decommissioned and scrapped for any usable parts the next year. We celebrated a picture perfect launch with the current ISS rotating crew, and topped off our fuel cells for the start of our mission the next day.”
“Engaging the new propulsion system exactly one hour after we departed the ISS, we set course for the Keiper Belt. Our first indication as to the superior performance of the new system came hours later as I needed to make several critical course changes as Pegasus navigated the asteroid belt between Earth and her outer planets. We entered that minefield twice as fast as had been anticipated.”
“We missed the planned slingshot off Jupiter’s gravity well because Pegasus had picked up too much velocity! Our conventional directional quads were becoming ineffective.”
“The planned six-month journey out to the outer reaches of our solar system ended up taking only three months. I vividly remember Charlie Anderson excitedly reporting our velocity after calculating our current position and speed. Point seven-five of Light Speed…what we now simply abbreviate as LY. Such speed was completely unheard of in those early days!”
“Before we knew it, we were well past our system’s Ort Cloud and found ourselves in the deep darkness between systems. I made a command decision to disengage our new propulsion system and began- in vain- to slow our momentum.”
“It took a month and a half to slow Pegasus down to where our maneuvering quads could again be effective. By then we had penetrated almost to the inner planets of our closest neighboring system.”
You can imagine our surprise at being completely surrounded by alien spacecraft as I finally brought Pegasus to a halt three million miles from what we found out was the Lynxin’s home planet; FeLane.”
“You!? You made first contact!? With the Lynxin!?” Englert choked!
Mom nodded.
“We were taken aboard their flagship, searched, decontaminated, searched again, and questioned- though it took several months for us to be able to understand each other.”
“After three months Queen Libra finally understood English well enough to understand our predicament and our unintentional trespass into their system. She offered to modify Pegasus’ retro-thrusters in exchange for our ion drive system so that we could get home. During that refit time we got to know her and her society and became very good friends.”
“It was on FeLane that we first learned of ‘Fer’luc-gi’ or ‘Current’ as we call it today. Libra offered to teach us about what she touted as ‘a great source of renewable, sentient energy’. It was then that the six of us began seeing ‘things’.”
“Now, by ‘things’ I mean wisps…luminous phantoms of orange, usually moving in fixed lines under, over, around, to, and from their machines. Libra was astounded and asked if we might participate in some basic experiments. She believed that we ‘Terrans’ were more sensitive and therefore could ‘see’ the Fer’luc-gi. It was believed that Terrans were of the rare Fer’luc-ma’gi class of Lynxin- what were at one time called Shaman on Earth.”
“Unbenounced to Queen Libra, Chantell, Charlie, and I had noticed strange occurrences happening around us- occurrences that coincided with gestures, verbal suggestions, or even strong thoughts. Wishing not to unravel our new friendship, I revealed the mysterious occurrences to our hostess. She was far from surprised and even more confident we were Fer’luc-ma’gi.”
“Lifeblood or Lifeforce magicians if my ‘Lynxin’ is correct.” Englert inserted.
“User of Forceblood in the old FeLane Courtesan language, but your translation is correct for modern Lynxin.” Mom corrected then continued.
“After a series of ancient ‘tests’ it was confirmed that the six of us all fell into the Fer’luc-ma’gi class, but in varying degrees. Evans, Denison, and Guan showed the least ability while Anderson and Bovidovich showed moderate talent. I was the standout though. After only a few hours of instruction I was able to levitate small items, conjure of all things, a wand, and I could see and feel the Fer’luc-gi more than any of us.”
“Upon our return to Earth, we first debriefed then presented Queen Libra’s official proclamation of welcome to the NASA Brass. We were proclaimed heroes and ‘courageous explorers’ for not only being the first to leave our solar system, but the first explorers to make contact with another race. Once the parades, speaking engagements and talkshow appearances were over, that’s when things started to change for Evans, Guan, and Bovidovich.”
“Somehow, Bovidovich began entertaining the idea that, since he could use and somewhat absorb Current, he might be able to create a market to trade it like the Stock Markets of Earth at the time bought and sold commodities and shares of stock. He convinced Evans and Guan that there was financial gain to be had and easily talked them into collecting and storing as much current as they could hold. I don’t have to tell you what happens when you constantly add to a container of finite volume. Only in this case, subtle changes first began to appear in their personalities.”
Our three fellow astronauts became studious, withdrawn, and easily enraged. They began to ‘horde’ any and all Current they could find. They eventually began to fight and argue amongst themselves, and even steal Current from one another.”
Mom took a moment to look to the deck, wiped her eyes dry and stared straight at our guest.
“About three months later we had gathered for a one year anniversary gala to commemorate our historic mission. An argument ensued that escalated into Bovidovich, Evans, and Guan attacking several international dignitaries. Further, Bovidovich and Guan began beating mercilessly on Evans- their animalistic shrieks and growls resembling nothing human. That’s when the unspeakable happened!”
Mom stared up at the blue-shifted star streaks a moment, wiped her eyes again then glared at Englert.
“Before our very eyes my three comrades began to give off a bluish glow. As the seconds ticked by the glow became even more brilliant until we could no longer look at them! The blinding blue light ceased instantly and what it revealed could only be described as hideous! Oval bodied monsters covered in sickly, scaly, dead, grey skin; long, spindly limbs that defied their apparent strength; grotesquely distorted faces not even remotely recognizable, they resembled nothing ever seen on Earth prior. Though they looked for all accounts, disoriented, the party devolved quickly into panic and chaos by those thinking it was a full-blown terrorist attack.”
“Chantell, Charlie, and I hurried over, but before we could get close enough to assess the situation Bovidovich, Guan, and what appeared to be a dead Evans vanished! Denison, Anderson, and I were immediately and unceremoniously ordered into isolation and sat there for six long months under observation. I won’t say that we didn’t continue practicing and broadening our Current talents, or that we could have easily escaped if we wanted to. We did though; experience every conceivable test the so-called experts could think up as the doctors tried to explain the horrific transformation witnessed by over three hundred high-level guests. Having the most ‘special abilities’ of us three, I received even more specialized ‘tests’ after Charlie and Chantell were released.”
“Almost a year to that day, I finally gained my freedom, but the embarrassment and ridicule had yet to begin in earnest. Everywhere I went I suffered attack, persecution, and discrimination! I was treated like an alien on my own planet…in my own country…by the very people I pledged to protect when I enlisted in the Marines! I became the planet’s biggest pariah. Thank goodness that was when the Lynxin finally arrived.”
Technologically superior to anything existing on Earth at the time, Libra dared land her royal shuttle on the White House’s South Lawn. The Secret Service, Army, Navy, Marines, not even the Air Force could do anything about it either! I even heard rumor they called in the Coast Guard! Adding insult to injury, Libra ordered two more patrol ships to land on the mall to either side of the Washington Monument!”
Mom giggled.
“Her only demand? To meet and talk exclusively with Hope Summers! I never felt so vindicated in my life! Suddenly here was an alien queen demanding private talks with the world’s most notorious pariah!”
“I heard the President pissed herself when she looked out the window of the West Wing and saw a spacecraft the size of a football field on her lawn!” Mom smiled brightly at that memory.
“In the ensuing talks that Libra insisted be conducted in English, she explained my transformation and took complete responsibility for it, again referencing her apology letter we had brought back originally. Negotiations took several months and in the end an alliance had been forged between FeLane and Earth. One caveat of that alliance though created, formed, and funded a new Spec Ops unit tasked to address the newest threat to the fledgling alliance- Hobgoblins.”
“Though believed to be unique to Earth, Libra thought it necessary and crucial that an EFMC Spec-Ops unit be formed. Initially designated Earth/FeLane Marshall’s Corps, Libra redesignated us the Earth Force Marine Corps. It was actually her idea to dub us ‘Witch Corps’ after viewing several campy ‘B’ grade horror movies while still on Earth.”
“Chantell, Charlie, and I left a month after the Alliance ratification for FeLane to begin cooperative training. There we developed our abilities and found newer, interesting facets to them.”
Mom observed Englert for a few seconds.
“So ends the ancient history lesson, Jameson. Any questions?”
“So you are over twelve hundred years old?” He looked in awe of her then shifted his eyes to me.
“Chance is only twenty-seven, but she harbors more power in her little finger tip than any of us as a whole to date, Jameson. Crossing her…or any one of us would not be recommended.”
“A threat, Lady Hope?” He asked with a serious glower.
“An ‘experienced suggestion’, sir. Never underestimate what my daughter is capable of.” Mom smiled confidently.
“Now, getting back to my original question. What awaits us high above Kane, sir?” I asked as I gazed into his eyes once more.
“I made a concession, as you have deduced.” He said sadly. “Kane for de Sallenger to leave the rest of the Galactic Alliance alone.”
“And pray-tell, did you consult the residents of Kane before making this ‘concession?” Mom asked sarcastically.
Englert shook his head sadly. “Collateral.”
“You stupid, stupid man!” Mom shouted. “You gave him exactly what his master wanted! You FRELLING MORON!”
“Chance to Bridge! Full AfterBoost NOW! Stand on it, Sam!” I ordered and the ceiling above us blurred and became a light pastel blue; Pegasus began to vibrate as it had the last time I pushed her to her limit.
“Recalculated ETA to Kane is two hours, High Priestess.” Charli reported.
“I want Simone and Keats to watch those engines like expectant Viperhawks!” I continued as I stood and headed for the elevator. “Englert! My Bridge, Now! No other options!”
 
 
“Status on the engines!” I shouted angrily as Mom, Englert and I hurried onto the Bridge.
“All emitters are at one hundred percent AfterBoost, M’lady. Emitter temperatures are still within designed limits, but barely. Fuel economy has dropped to eighty-four percent. At this velocity we will have fifty-three-point-eight percent fuel reserve when we arrive.” Simone reported
“Tap and divert Current storage nacelles on Clean-up to Pegasus. Run all current through our purifiers prior to storing in Pegasus’ main reserve.”
“Aye, Ma’am! Bringing purifiers online now.” Keats acknowledged professionally.
“Lady Sonya! You’re to guard Chairman Englert. He is to be seated and remain seated. If he moves…I’ll leave the consequences up to your discretion.”
“High Priestess? What did he do, My Lady?” The eight-year old kitten asked in shock.
“He threw Kane under the bus, Miss Serangetti!” I snarled as my Coven all turned to stare at the man in question.
Sonya looked flabbergasted at her boss and failed to move as fast as I wanted.
“Lady Sonya!” I shouted to get her attention. “While you wear that uniform you take orders from me, young lady! Is that understood!?”
Aye, High Priestess!” Sonya snapped to attention.
“Good, now do what you were told. If he moves, shoot to kill!”
“High Priestess?”
“Those are my orders, M’lady!”
“Chance? Isn’t that a bit extreme?” Lokust asked as she stood and approached me.
“Two billion people are about to die because this man made a deal with the Hoblin devil, buddy! How else should I handle that type of arrogant, reprehensible action?” I posited.
“Did he really understand what he was getting into, Chance?” She asked, stopping directly in front of me.
“Does it really matter? He just condemned those people…the whole planet to the ultimate pain and torment until that ‘thing’ consumes them!”
“What if he had the power to help stop it?” Lokust proposed.
I thought about that suggestion. Something about it made sense and I realized it was completely feasible.
“His taint is very slight, Buddy. Easily purified by any of us. The High Priestess just needs to complete her.” Lokust winked slyly.
“Chairman Englert.” I called out as I spun around. “It has been suggested that, in order to repent for your crime, you might be able to help prevent it. Would that be acceptable or would you rather spend the time in our holding cell?”
“We have a holding cell?” Keats asked in shock.
“Small storage closet right next to the solid waste recycler.” Simone informed our reservist.
“Oh. Shit.”
“Yeah, exactly.” Simone giggled.
Of course their conversation was loud enough to be heard throughout the compartment.
“How can I be of assistance, High Priestess?” Englert inquired uncomfortably.
“Lady Sonya. If you would step back beside your little sister, please.”
Sonya’s eyes went wide as she suddenly began to comprehend what I planned to do.
“High Priestess? Is it wise to do this?” Lyra asked maturely. “What if he decides to abuse the privilege?”
“A pact should be made, I take it, My Lady?” I asked for clarification.
“For the Coven’s protection and the protection of the Kanen people.” Lyra verified with a nod.
“Acceptable. Why don’t you make the pact with our guest, Lady Lyra?”
The kitten smiled brightly at me and she extended her hand to Englert.
“Please, Mr. Chairman, sir. Take my hand so we can seal the pact.”
Englert smiled and gently took the junior witch’s hand.
“Do you, sir, promise to help our Coven and the people of Kane or any other world dispatch or dispel the evil-doers and bad men that would do the innocent harm?”
Englert seemed surprised that the young Lynxin could speak so fluently.
“I certainly do promise, Lady Lyra. I promise to help the Coven protect our freedoms from any wrongdoing within my power and capabilities.” He answered solemnly.
“And do you promise to abide by and execute any and all orders and commands our High Priestess may give? Accept assignments and complete them to the best of your ability?”
Englert looked curiously at the kitten.
“I do so promise, M’lady.”
“And if you don’t or won’t follow the Coven’s rules and practices, will you submit to any and all applicable punishments or prosecution?” Lyra continued.
Englert’s eyes narrowed as he continued to examine our young Lynxin carefully.
“I-I do, My Lady.”
Lyra produced her wand and began waving it over their joined hands.
“The pact has been set forth and agreed upon. So shall it be sealed in good faith,” she finished as a bluish glow flowed through their handshake.
“Okay, High Priestess. He’s all yours.” Lyra giggled as she stepped back and took Sonya’s hand. Englert stared, dumbfounded, at his hand.
“Please stand, Mr. Englert.” I asked, offering my hands to him.
“What will happen now?” He asked nervously.
“Something wonderful.” I said flatly.
“Wow! That never ceases to amaze me!” Lokust exclaimed as I now looked down into our newest recruit’s hazel eyes. I had taken the liberty of dressing the new five and a half foot girl in one of our uniforms. The girl’s pixie style haircut looked adorable under her wide-brimmed pointed hat.
“A six o’clock. Interesting.” Mom commented.
“What’s a six o’clock and why am I look…” the new brunette’s eyes bulged and she began to lose palor.
“What did you do to me?” She squeaked as she began to wobble, but at the same time felt herself up and down.
“Welcome to the Corps, Chairman.” I giggled.
“We don’t have to keep calling her that do we, Chance?” Artie wondered.
“That’s her callsign, so until she can come up with a viable name, we can call her that.” I replied with a shrug of my shoulders.
“Well she certainly looks comfortable in the uniform, Chance.” Chantell complimented.
“I assure you, M’lady, I’m anything but comfortable at the moment.” Chairman groaned.
“So how does it feel, Jameson? Not laughing now are you?” Sonya questioned in a catty tone. “Or should we call you Jamie Quincy, now?”
“That’s as good as any, Chance.” Kitty observed as she eyed our new girl ominously.
“Charli, enter Lt. Jamie Quincy into the roster. Specialties to follow at a later date.” I requested.
“Done, High Priestess.”
“Now we give you a crash course on being a Current Mage.” I told her as I began instructing her in the conjuring of her wand and address of her latent Current.
 
 

 
 
“Kane in four LY’s, High Priestess.” Mom announced.
“Take us to sublight and keep dynamic camo active. Charli? See anything unusual?”
“One intersystem transit overflowing with tainted Current, Chance. Parking Orbit directly over WhiteCliffe.”
“Weapons. Bring wand mode online, enable the purifier, and target that transport.” I ordered.
“You’re just going to destroy it? I thought we were here to help these people?” Our new girl, Jamie, questioned excitedly.
“Wand mode purifies the conscripted Hoblins and safely recovers them if applicable.” Kitty explained.
“If applicable?”
“Conscripts begin to degrade the longer they remain transfigured.” Kitty answered.
“Chance? I’m picking up a small trace amount of tainted Current on the planet.” Charli paused a moment. “It’s coming from Hopewell Field!”
“”Bring Pegasus’ 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 AI’s online and ready for immediate departure. Keats you’re back on the engineering console; Sonya and Lyra, weapons; Sam, helm. Aunt Cora, you and Savanna get up here. You have the Bridge.” I ordered.
“Beggin’ your pardon, Chance, but I’d like to go too. I’m the ‘expert’ when it comes to the hangar.” Keats spoke up.
“The only way you would be going on this mission is if you were activated, and you seem to have some very strong aversion to that. Sorry, Keats.” I told him sadly. He immediately glared at Mom.
“Listen, Keats! I haven’t said a thing to her about that little tryst between you and that Ventralian Slave Handler. She figured it all out on her own…I guess!?” Mom admitted heatedly.
“Yeah, Hope…thanks for letting everyone here know now.” He scowled in a flat tone.
“Sonya and Lyra, wand mode on all weapons unless absolutely necessary. Major, you, Fairy Godmother, and Seeker go with Kitty, Huntress, and Lokust. Chairman is with me.” I continued with my orders to get back on track.
“Yer brooms are initialized, Ma’am. Ready when you are.” Keats reported in an irritable, but somewhat professional tone just as Aunt Cora and Savanna entered.
“Keats? How many reservists do we have at Hopewell Field?” I asked as I thought of something.
“Just let me think a minute now…hmmm, that would be me, but if I’m not goin’ then the place should be empty, Chance. Why?” Keats answered sarcastically.
“I take it you enabled security before we left?”
“Corps S.O.P, ma’am.” He growled.
“Good. Janet, please relieve Charli. I want us notified of even the tiniest bit of taint anywhere on, below, or above the planet!”
“You got it, High Priestess.” Simone’s mom said just before she entered Dad’s vacated station tube.
“I’ll be back as soon as I can, Sweetie.” I said as I leaned down to kiss my daughter’s forehead. She gurgled and frowned a few times in response.
“Of course I’ll be careful. You keep Auntie Cora intent on her job, alright?” I answered.
Savanna giggled.
“Don’t have too much fun, now.” I smiled at her then at Cora before I turned to leave.
“Good hunting, Ma’am.” Keats said flatly.
A blue light filled the Command deck.
A shriek from the engineering console almost pierced my eardrums!
“Fine! You’re with Simone!” I said to the redhead now sitting at that station. She was still checking herself out and probably wasn’t paying any attention to anything other than her modest boobs!
 
 
“Pegasus 1, you are cleared for departure.” Porno alerted.
A near inaudible ‘clunk’ signaled our docking clamp’s release.
“Dynamic Camo mode, Hope and a Pair. Let’s go get the bad guys.”
“I’m with you, Chance.”
We began our descent to Kane.
“High Priestess? Back on the Bridge…you were talking to your child as if you understood her.” Jamie asked nervously.
“I do understand her. She’s a very intelligent girl.” I answered as I enabled Hope and a Pair’s heat shield and began piercing Kane’s outermost atmosphere.
“How?”
“I don’t expect you to understand so soon after activation, but you just have to listen. Listen with your heart and not your ears, Jamie.” I advised.
My passenger remained quiet the rest of our trip.
 
 
Just after my canopy opened, I released my harness and hovered up and out of Hope and a Pair.
“You going to push the envelope or just get out the old-fashioned way, Chairman?” I asked as my feet touched the old-style tarmac. We had landed just outside EFMC’s hangar. If we had been watched, the observer would have seen me suddenly appear out of thin air.
“Remember to ask and not demand of your Current.” I reminded.
Chairman hit the ground quite hard, but she had succeeded in flying herself out of my broom’s second seat nonetheless.
“Very good! I hope you’re getting a feel for this.”
“I’m starting to understand, yes, Lady Chance. Where are all the people? I thought a municipal port like this would at least have support personnel on the ground.”
“EFMC Witch Corps protocol: Always bait and set the trap.” I explained. “Once the trap is sprung, warnings go out to keep away.”
“Wand at the ready, Lady Jamie.” I recommended as I materialized mine.
“Lokust, Chance. We’re in position, Buddy. Wrench acknowledged that the system’s been tripped and we have one on ice.”
“Copy. Work the exits then close the circle. There may be more. On my mark. Go.”
With my Current sight enabled, Jamie and I entered the large building and began clearing the main hangar space.
“You might want to enable your Current sight, Jamie.” I suggested in a whisper.
“My what? Current sight? You mean to tell me that you can actually see Current?” She responded in kind.
“You can too. Just kindly ask your Current to help you see Current. You blink it on and off when you want it, but…” I paused for only a second, “you might not want to look at me when you have it engaged. Our sisters have complained that I shine too brightly when first using that talent.”
I knew she had figured it out when she began looking about the building- her mouth open, and a look of sheer wonder on her face.
“This…ttttthis is incredible, M’lady! Who would have thought such beauty existed…” She began to say before looking to me and instantly covering her eyes.
“Why are you so blindingly bright?” She asked as she quickly looked away.
“Haven’t figured that out yet. I’ve been this way since I reached my threshold.” I giggled as I motioned for us to continue our search.
“Seeker, Chance. The taint seems to be confined to a small storage area back by the kitchen. Huntress, Wrench, Simone, and Kitty are watching it carefully. Major and I will continue to clear the other areas.”
“We’re clean out here so far, Seeker.” I answered.
“Threshold, M’lady? I don’t understand.” Jamie looked confused.
“Let’s just say that when I had gathered and stored enough Current, something in me triggered and I went through a big change. Lady Hope calls it my threshold. As far as I know, the two of us are the only Coven sisters that have done that; maybe one other now that I think about it… It…it wasn’t a change I was expecting.”
“And it was far from pleasant.” I added. “All three times for me.”
“So…I have not reached my threshold then?”
“No. I’ve only ‘activated’ you so you can know and use your latent Current. Typically, those Lady Hope or I activate don’t seem to reach a ‘threshold’…more like they seem to bypass it.”
“Pegasus, Chance. I’ve detected another small bit of taint. It’s moving toward you and Chairman.” Mum alerted. There was a concerned edge to her voice.
I shouldn’t have worried though as a second later Jamie let loose a shrill, blood-curdling scream.
“We found it, Mum. Chance, out.”
“What is that hideous thing!?” She demanded as it lumbered closer. It was at least three conscripts in size.
“That is a Hoblin, Lady Jamie. It probably has three conscripts in it.” I told her.
“It ate three people?”
“No. It’s made up of three conscripted individuals. Our job is to recover them from the horror they are enduring in that form. Now; point your wand at it and ask your Current to help you purify and recover the conscripts as completely as possible.”
“I can do that?” She asked in an unsure and shaking voice. “Oh, God! What is that smell?”
I nodded to the creature.
“That. You want to take care of that before it gets close or do you like the smell of death?”
“I…I don’t know if I can do it. I’ve never killed before.” She lamented.
“Neither had I until I witnessed my friends getting conscripted.
A blast from a weapon it suddenly had in its disfigured hand stuck Jamie dead center in the belly and she flew back several feet hitting the floor hard. Surprisingly she quickly stood back up and pointed her wand menacingly.
“Why am I not dead from that, High Priestess? I should have been dead.”
“The uniform you wear is highly tolerant of their weapons and strikes, though not entirely impregnable.”
“Oh.” She nodded and took aim with her wand. “Take that, you monster!”
As her blue beam faded, several large pieces of ‘flesh’ were all that remained of the Hoblin. I had seen more disgusting results.
Apparently she hadn’t.
Jamie dropped to the floor and wretched repeatedly while choking and crying hysterically.
“The first one is always the hardest, M’lady. Unfortunately, they do get easier to stomach.” I confided.
“How do you stand it? Does it ever bother you? How-how can you be so callous? These were…” she started to choke again but was able to repress her nausea. “These were people!”
“Actually, they were the people that you declared ‘collateral’ just a few hours ago, Chairman, remember?” I corrected, glaring at her. “You sacrificed them when YOU gave permission to exchange their lives and planet for peace in the Galaxy.”
“Not much left of that one, was there, Buddy.” Lokust said as she and Mom approached. “Is she going to be okay?”
“Chairman just had an epiphany, M’lady.” I stated.
“Is that what we’re calling it now?” Mom asked with a cock-eyed grin. “Hmm. I’ve had quite a few ‘epiphanies’ in my long life- saloons and bars notwithstanding.”
Lokust and I glared at ‘Lady Hope’.
“Come here, honey. This will help some.” Lokust said in a gentle tone as she pulled the girl to her shoulder and began rubbing her back slowly. “They don’t all turn out that bad. Most of the time you recover a whole person or the Hoblin gets completely absorbed. This was a worst case scenario. Well…almost.”
Jamie leaned back and looked up to my second in confusion.
“There is another sister that was just learning. Blood and little bits flew everywhere. I mean it was ALL over!”
Jamie dropped to the floor again and wretched a few more times.
I glared at Lokust with contempt. She was just as bad as mother!
 
 
“Seeker, Chance. The building is secure. You want to come back and greet our guest?”
“We’ll be right back. Chairman had an issue on her first go-around.” I answered.
“I thought we decided to call it an ‘epiphany’, Chance?” Mom smiled impishly.
“I hope she’s okay, Chance. We’ll be waiting for you. Seeker, out.”
 
 
“She going to be okay, Chance?” Artie asked as we arrived at the small storage closet that served as a holding cell for our unwanted guest.
“It wasn’t a very pretty sight.” I hinted.
“Like Courtney…I mean Morgana?”
“Nearly.” I answered.
“Buck up, kid! They ain’t nearly that bad normally. It’s only on occasion we get a double dipper” Chantell coached. I glared at her to stop.
“Ready to see what kind of rodent we caught?” She added with an evil grin to change the subject.
Everyone pointed her wand at the heavy permacrete door as Wrench entered the disarm sequence.
“And you thought I wouldn’t be useful.” She mumbled.
“I never said that, Lady Kaitlin, nor would I ever consider anyone in the Coven ‘useless’!” I chastised. “And I don’t care what happened on Ventra thirty-five years ago. That’s your business.” I exclaimed as I glared at her in anger.
Keats…Kaitlin gulped as she shied away from me in fear while staring into my eyes.
Blinking on my Current sight, I could see what made this room ‘escape proof’. Not a speck of Current came anywhere within twenty feet of this closet. That made it perfect for trapping Hoblins. I suspected it could also contain most of the species if needed.
As Kitty urged the door open a few inches, I could see the red glow of the constricting room.
Edging my wand in a fraction of an inch, I preceded to drain and purify some of our guest’s taint.
“Who’s out there and what was that?” a man’s voice exclaimed in terror.
Jamie immediately began to lose color.
“De Sallenger?” She gasped quietly as she leaned heavily against the hallway’s opposing wall.
“Decontamination beam.” I answered the unseen voice. “Who are you and why are you in our private hangar?” I asked in return without giving our guest any more information.
“I was walking past when some kind of bright blue light hit this building. I hurried in to investigate and found myself trapped in here. Can you let me out, please?”
“I’m sorry, but you’ll have to wait for the authorities. You set off our alarm system, Mr. de Sallenger.
An inhuman growl escaped the room and I repeated my drainage of our ‘guest’.
“How much ‘decontamination’ must a person endure to satisfy you people?”
“Oh, I’d say several more cycles- if not more, Mr. de Sallenger. Feeling more like yourself yet?”
Another inhuman growl emanated from our holding cell.
Once more I began to drain our prisoner- this time I drained off quite a bit more.
The growl that escaped the cell was more human sounding, but not by much. Something heavy bumped against the door, but Kitty held her ground.
“Let me out of here! I am a member of the Galactic Alliance Defense Committee! I demand you let me out!”
“Well, see that’s the crux of the problem, hun. You’ve trespassed on the only property at this spaceport that doesn’t fall under Alliance jurisdiction. Sucks to be you.” Mom informed him.
“Everything is under my…Alliance control! Now let me out!”
Instead of capitulating, I drained off even more taint from the entity in the holding cell.
A gut-wrenching shriek rang out and echoed though the hallway!
“The Captain’s doppelganger was all tainted Current, M’lady- him and the first officer. I purified both with nothing left to recover.” Kitty informed me. “What is different with this one?”
“There’s an awful lot of taint in this one. Someone wanted it to stay around awhile. Wait…” I answered but my Current was telling me something wasn’t right.
“Mr. de Sallenger? Can you still hear me?” I called to our mysterious prisoner.
“Let me out of here! You cannot hold me in here!” The voice demanded.
“I’m afraid we can. Unless you are powerful enough to jump twenty feet; through three feet of reinforced Permacrete, I think you’ll be staying a while longer.” I informed ‘it’.
Another long, inhuman growl and something heavy hitting the door several times seemed to be the response.
“The door isn’t going to budge, dear!” Mom smiled. “You’re outnumbered and outgunned. Now be a dear and give up the conscript.”
“I will never surrender to you or any of your Coven whores, Hopewell Summers!” The voice declared venomously. It’s pitch going slightly deeper.
Mom, Chantell, and Charli looked to each other in horror then looked to me.
“Welcome back from the dead, Nate. Where have you been these last thousand years?” Mom asked happily as she pulled her revolver and checked her ammunition. Chantel and Charli did the same thing while Kitty’s shurikens floated out of their pouches and began orbiting the brim of her hat.
Again, whatever was behind the door tried to jar it open and escape. However, Kitty didn’t budge an inch.
All eyes turned to Simone as she clicked off the safety on her weapon and took a few steps back then raised and aimed it at the door.
Kaitlin materialized what looked like a huge, old-fashioned, double-barreled shotgun, broke the breech, and produced two shells in her free hand. She placed them smartly into both barrels and closed the breech again then moved into position and took aim.
I thought Jamie was going to pass out!
“You still insist on using that old four gauge?” Mom groaned and rolled her eyes.
“It’s served me well over the years, Hope. Don’t knock it.” Lady Kaitlin smiled.
Once again I used my wand and tried to purify an even larger amount of tainted Current from the thing in the closet.
I laughed to myself as I thought about that.
“Sweetie? I wouldn’t call this a humorous situation.” Charli said quietly.
“I just thought it humorous that Evans- if that really is who it is- just wants to come out of the closet. Is that what you want to do, Mr. Evans?” I called out. “Come out of the closet?” I giggled.
A hideously sickening roar echoed through the hallway!
“You always were a ‘homophobe’, weren’t you, Nate?” Mom said as she too giggled.
“Artie? You want to help siphon off more taint?” Sooner or later he’s got to run out.” I invited.
Both of us stuck our wands back through the crack in the door. We nodded to each other and a blinding blue light escaped enough to project a thin, blue, vertical line ten feet down the hallway.
Again the sickening screams/growling filled our ears.
“About ready to give up, Nathaniel?” I asked. “We can do this all day if you want.”
“Guan didn’t want to play nice either, remember?” Chantell reminded. “Would you like to see her?”
“Like you could do anything, Denison! Let me out of here!”
“Oooooh! I see how it is! The big, Collegiate All-American Quarterback turned NASA’s ‘god’s-gift to women’ wants his way! News flash ‘Tebow’ you weren’t that good…I’d say even worse than your grandfather. What’d he do…last almost one season in that defunct WFL?”
The ‘thing’ banged against the door several more times.
With another nod to Artie we administered another ‘treatment’.
More pain-filled screaming resulted this time. I decided to ask my Current what it could find out.
It remained silent! Quickly, I re-enabled my Current sight…or tried to. It wouldn’t work!
“Something is very wrong”. I whispered. “Huntress? Can you scan me with your Current sight?” I asked Artie.
Her eyes went wide in terror.
“Chance?” She stared in fear. “I can’t get it to work!”
“Mom?” I asked.
“Sure thing, Honey.” Mom said as she blinked and opened her eyes slowly then opened them wide. Her mouth opened wide also.
“Your purifier must have failed, honey. You’re full of taint. The dark red stuff.” She looked at Artemis. “You are too, Artie.”
“So he infected me?” I wondered out loud. “As I…we were purifying him, he was infecting us.”
“Why?” Artie questioned. “How could he do that?”
“Because I wasn’t paying attention when I should have been in close communication with my Current!” I lamented. “We have to find some way to purge it before we…”
A severe, cramping, burning hit my feet and I found myself on the floor- Artie right next to me in a similar situation.
“Quick! Get them outside! Kate, relock that door and follow us.” Mom said as I felt myself levitate then hover a few feet off the floor. I suddenly had a very strong urge to fight her; I tried to fight that urge.
Cruel, deep, inhuman laughter emerged from the cell just before Sinae forced it closed and Kaitlin re-activated the holding system.
“Artemis, honey, you have to let us help you!” Chantell warned.
“Dell, don’t fight them! Fight the taint!” I found my voice more of a growl than my now familiar higher feminine tone. “Do the hexagram, mom…on both of us. Quickly!”
“Simone? Put a force shield around Chance. She’s really starting to fight my levitation spell. Charlene? Any ideas to purify a demigod…two demigods?” Mom said taking charge.
“What’s happening to them?!” I heard Jamie cry out.
“The taint from that thing we think is Evans…it’s starting to transfigure them.” Mom answered.
“NNNOOOO!” Something inhuman growled ahead of me. “Not conscript sssssssecond time!” It cried.
Oh, Gods! Was that Dell?
Apparently it was and I assumed I wasn’t far behind. The cramping and burning that had started in my feet had now progressed to my abdomen and I fought harder against the change the taint was forcing on me. I didn’t know how long I could hold out.
‘Threshold’
What? I thought to myself.
‘Threshold” It said again. My earings?
“Need to threshold.” I growled out slowly. I didn’t know if I could even be understood now.
“Threshold?” Jamie repeated, confused. “What does she mean by threshold, Major.”
Mom seemed to come closer to me- something I was very wary about- she visibly blinked.
“Her earrings. They’re glowing bright orange. Charlene, I need conformation.
Dad came into my now distorted view for a second.
“Confirmed. What do you think it means?” Charli’s voice asked.
“Bring them closer together.”
A hideous looking Hoblin came into my ‘view’. The clothes left on it were ripped and almost shredded beyond recognition.
Dell?
‘Threshold together.’ I heard faintly.
With my sight so distorted, I wasn’t sure, but it looked like we were outside of the building housing our hangar.
“Take her with me to threshold.” I wanted to say, but it sounded more like a growl than words.
“Chance?” Mom asked as tears streamed down her face.
“Bottttttttthtttttthresssssssshold. Get bbbbbbbbback!”
“You sure about this?” She cried in despair.
“Goooooooonowwwww.”
“Everyone get away from them! I think Chance is going to risk a fourth threshold and take Artemis with her. Artie? If you still understand me, Thresholding is not pleasant! To me it was almost unbearable. Good luck girls.” Mom informed my infected sister.
With the terrific pain I was feeling at the moment, I doubted hitting another threshold would even be felt!
Fighting this change with everything I had, I reached out and grabbed what was left of Dell’s hand…or arm. I really didn’t know or see what I had grabbed, I just felt the pain increase- if that were even possible.
I began pleading with my Current to threshold one more time. I needed it to help me fight this! I needed Dell to survive- to be alive- to be Dell again…to be my Coven sister…
‘Call upon Grandfather Zeus.’ My earrings suggested barely above the pain and ringing in my ears.
“Zeus! Help Her!” I shouted.
It came out some shrill inhuman scream!
“What the shit?!” Someone exclaimed, as some kind of light seemed to appear and blind me.
Whatever was said and by whom didn’t really matter anymore to me! I would not let the taint win! I would die before giving up on Dell! I had to fight thi…