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  "The survey vessels were a pretext to hunt for magical power?" Banok asked.

  "They modified my Orcs," Astra said flatly. "That is how they got so smart. They were mine." Her chair caught fire, but the flames flickered out after she directed a scowl at them.

  "That sounds very subtle. Orc vessels aren't. What changed lately?" Vanwyn asked.

  "The other faction. The one we think raised Urania from the dead. They were getting closer to their goal—and Baxtech's faction grew more bold, rising up to meet them," Astra said and she slammed her first into the table. "The insolence."

  "Forgive me for asking the inconvenient question, but if their entire purpose is to counter the Lady of the Void, couldn't they be regarded as being on the right side of history?" Vanwyn said.

  Astra glared at her. "No, it couldn't."

  "They destroyed the Druid order. Whatever bad things you could say about the Druids—and oh, I had plenty to say—they weren't evil," Banok said.

  "You just stole a fortune from Baxtech. They nuked the Druids. They almost killed Cleo on Rockholm. These people are your enemies and they will stop at nothing to wipe you out. Even if you are so deluded as to think standing against the other me is wise, they are still against you," Astra said, enunciating each word with force.

  "She's right," Cleo said with a nod at Astra. "I don't know what the future holds for any of us, but these fuckers tried to kill us first. We put them down."

  "Hitting their finances will have hurt them," Banok said.

  "It is a blow, but if we don't follow it up, it's one they'll recover from in time," Cleo said.

  "So we hit them, and nothing fancy. Not this time. We take out their shipyard," Banok said.

  "You're good, I'm better, you're still just one ship," Delilah said.

  "We've one very large fortune. We visit Yeltor," Banok said.

  Yeltor, a world of clans perpetually at war. A place mercenaries always had work, and could always be found looking for something even better.

  Cleo considered a moment and nodded. "That will work. I'll set course. Let's go buy some friends."

  31

  There was a large price on their heads now. As soon as the Catspaw was scanned in the Yeltor system, vessels began closing to collect a bounty. The first to attempt a kill were the ones with the most cash and all those vessels were especially speedy, well-armed, and aggressive. More thoughtful commanders were opening up comm channels to the Catspaw to see if they were willing to make a deal.

  Dodging three warships, the Catspaw made it into the midst of a dozen more accelerating towards them. These belonged to the Steel Drakes who had just accepted a healthy payday to provide protection.

  By the time they reached Yeltor they'd picked up twenty more defenders, all in a loose formation around the Catspaw.

  Yeltor had originally been home to a large number of Dwarven clans constantly at war with each other. Everyone hired mercenaries to fight those battles alongside them. Over time those battles created new grudges between the mercenary companies, and even when the last of the clans were dead the war continued. It had now been going on for over two thousand years.

  The war was often more a simmer than a burn, long periods of tense quiet punctuated by occasional bursts of bloody violence. Several strong alliances of mercenary companies held to the old clan factions, while others were less fixed in their loyalties drifting back and forth between them.

  You never really knew who you'd be able to hire at Yeltor. Not everyone was willing to work together, and none involved in an active conflict would be prepared to spare any forces.

  Cleo had been monitoring comm traffic since they entered the system. Vanwyn was calling around to get impressions from those ships that were already their guardians.

  Cleo called a meeting of the crew to discuss their options.

  "This planet gives me a headache," Cleo said.

  "Too complicated even for you?" Banok asked.

  Cleo grimaced and shook her head. "I can keep track of it all. I just don't get it. Who passes up good money to do some killing, just because they want to kill some other people more—for free? Take the cash and settle your grudges later."

  Banok agreed. His greed had always been bigger than his anger and he wondered if, now with Astra, that had changed. There hadn't really been a chance to test it.

  "You'll want Elves. Even the younger ones are going to be a better choice against Orcs," Vanwyn said.

  "We've seen younger Elves in a fight. Dwarves demolished them in thirty seconds," Cleo said.

  "This isn't going to be a person-to-person fight. Elven ships have superior technology, and offer better range. They are the superior vessels," Vanwyn said.

  Cleo held up a hand to forestall further objections. "There are four major factions we can work with. That is our real choice. Choosing one will cancel our option with the others."

  "Do they actually break down on racial lines?" Banok asked.

  "Somewhat, it isn't quite that bad. There are the Tuskers, mostly ground-pounders, but they've got some big-ass, well-armored ships with heavy shuttles. I know, they seem a weird choice to take down an Orc navy, but the heavy ships would let them get close enough to the shipyard and we could try to capture it," Cleo said.

  "To do what? Go into business for ourselves? That sounds like something dummy would think of," Nyx said.

  "We're out to deny them the shipyard. We do that by blowing it up, and we do that by capturing it. Having Tuskers on the payroll would also let us do more than just engage the navy," Banok said.

  "What is our second option?" Vanwyn asked.

  "The Stone Gnats. They are the newest of the major clans. They started out weak, and they're still weak, but there are a lot of them. They might be farm boys and farm girls from the back worlds in hacked-together ships, but they're brave enough and have gained some acclaim for pulling off surprise victories," Cleo said.

  "I don't know if "young and dumb" is really what we need here," Banok said.

  Nyx said, "Why not? You might not be the dumbest person in a room for once. I like it. People underestimate little things, but we can be pretty badass."

  "I do hope we get to some Elves soon," Vanwyn murmured.

  Cleo told them, "Option three. The Vanguard. The oldest of the factions and the most distinguished. Mostly Elven, although there are some Dwarves as well. Solid magic, old technology. Without question they're the most skilled and well-armed of any of the factions, but they're also the fewest in number."

  "You don't need a massive army when you can win the battle with a single perfectly placed shot," Vanwyn said.

  "There are a lot of Orc ships and they pack a punch. How much of a punch, if the battlefield the size of single system is going to let skill come into play?" Banok asked.

  "As someone who has fought more battles than any of you, skill always comes into play," Vanwyn said.

  Cleo moved on. "Option Four. The Prophets. They're a tiny bit culty, but every squad is headed by a seer. They're supposed to be able to see a little bit in the future and use that to their advantage."

  "Useful," Vanwyn said, not sounding happy about admitting it.

  "If they can see the future, are they going to really take the job? We know we're going to be sending them into a killing field. Hopefully we can win, but they'll lose something," Banok said.

  "I remain in favor of the Vanguard. Skill matters in a thousand ways during a battle. The right choices must be made in an instant," Vanwyn said.

  "The Prophets would help there," Cleo said.

  "Perhaps, but are their soldiers going to really be capable of executing on that? It is tempting to just throw men at a problem, but those aren't the forces you want at your back in a battle," Vanwyn said.

  There was a burst of flame and Astra appeared, seated on the table edge. "Not that any of you are asking for my opinion, but as someone who waged an unsuccessful war on the galaxy I'll tell you my Orc hordes lost out to skilled soldiers."


  Banok studied Astra, then Vanwyn, "Our ancient here might be a bit racist, but in this case I don't think she's wrong."

  "The Vanguard it is then," Cleo said, rubbing at her eyes. "At least we've got the money to throw around and I can do a lot of hiring of independents too. There are factions there as well, but not as many."

  "You'll want heavy cruisers, something that can get in close and take a beating. You don't need skill for that and it is something the Elven vessels will lack," Vanwyn said.

  Cleo rose from the table and gestured to Vanwyn. "Come on. I'm smart at putting together a plan for a heist, but not a war. You can help me with the hiring decisions."

  The two left the room.

  "Guess you aren't good for anything, dummy. She finally figured it out. Maybe if you beg a whole lot you can win your way back into my affections," Nyx said, as she took off from the back of a chair.

  "Like I ever left them. You're only mean when you care. You regretting all this? Cleo has the scent of a kill and I have to avenge the Order, but you don't have to fight this battle. We can drop you off somewhere with a pile of money larger than you are," Banok said.

  "Size jokes? That is beneath you, dummy," Nyx said, landing on the table before Banok. "You guys are all I have. If I didn't run away from a dragon, I'm not going to run away from a fleet of stupid Orcs."

  "Your friends don't lack for boldness," Astra said. The table was already blackened around where she sat.

  "Why are you here anyways? Everything you say, it's like you want to just go and hook back up with the other you and form some giant happy army of burning-void-touched hussies," Nyx said with a glare at Astra.

  "I'm here because this is my place. Because I bound myself to Banok in a way closer than you ever can. Yes, I want him to pick the winning side and I know what my ... darker half is capable of. Because Banok cares about all of you, and I want you to be a winner as well," Astra said.

  "But if it was us or her, you wouldn't pick us," Nyx said.

  "No, she would," Banok said. It wasn't even a question really. She was bound to him and Banok to her. So far that bond had mostly seemed to work in her favor, but it wasn't one-sided.

  "You worry too much about things a long ways in the future. For now? We want to slaughter the same people," Astra said.

  32

  When they arrived in the Carripool system they found over one hundred Orc warships waiting. It was a fleet that could threaten empires, and despite the mercenaries they'd recruited they were greatly outnumbered.

  The Vanguard had only provided seven vessels, but what a seven they were. Thousands of years old they were battle-worn and battle-proven. While they looked almost fragile, made of wood and silver, intricate Elven scrollwork across the hulls layered defensive magic that shielded them from harm. Escorting them were blocky Dwarven vessels, slow-moving but durable, and some faster human-made strike craft.

  Orc vessels moved to intercept, but were held back by energy beams fired from the Elven ships. Their beam weapons were almost instantaneous compared to ballistic projectiles. That allowed them to be accurate even at long range. Evasive maneuvers that could normally mitigate much of weapons fire were useless.

  Banok was on the bridge along with the other members of the crew. Astra had materialized to take a seat on the arm of his chair.

  Cleo had her holographic displays up and was flipping through long-distance scans of the shipyards. Vanwyn had one of her own, a display of the battle.

  Banok was focused on the ship itself, drawing power from within and through Astra to create a magical shield around the Catspaw. The Catspaw and the Elven vessels were the only ones in the system shielded like this.

  "We don't have long," Vanwyn said as she tapped at her display. "They'll never match us on range. The right answer here is to build a formation, accept losses, and get close enough. They're already forming up."

  That was bad, but typical of what they'd seen of these Orcs so far. They weren't just aggressive, they were smart soldiers.

  Cleo said, "Nothing vulnerable so far. Fuel shielded, magazine shielded, reactors shielded."

  Their easiest victory would come from their enemy's overconfidence. Often when in territory perceived to be friendly corners were cut, and vital installations that should be secured weren't. If they could find something volatile and destructive that they could hit at range, it could destroy the shipyards and allow them to retreat from the system.

  "We'll have to try it without. Risky, but we have a chance," Vanwyn said.

  "Do it," Cleo said. "I'll update you if I have something more."

  Thirty Orc vessels had formed up into a tight wedge and were advancing on their line. Vanwyn urged the Dwarven vessels to intercept them, holding them off while the Elf ships could advance further into the system and open fire on the Starport.

  It was a challenging maneuver. The Elven vessels had to be aware of the exact positions of the Orc ships, plus the distance to the shipyards and where they'd focus their fire. And there was the effective range of the defenders and how the Elves should continue to keep themselves safe from that. This is where their skill really mattered, and why they'd been selected as allies.

  So far the battle was going their way despite the enemy not having made any big mistakes. The Dwarven blockers were taking a beating, but that was what they were there for. They were successfully keeping the Elven vessels safe, and the Elves were landing hits on the shipyards. A half-built vessel had already broken out of its supports and was drifting free, tumbling through the system.

  "Problem," Cleo said, swiping a hand to the side and bringing a set of sensor readings forward.

  There were vessels entering the system behind them.

  "Those aren't from in system," Vanwyn said, studying the tactical display. She sounded worried.

  "There are only five of them. We can take them," Nyx said, shaking a tiny fist at the display.

  "They limit our movement, which is a major part of the fleet's defense right now," Vanwyn said staring hard at the screen. "We've lost. We need to withdraw."

  "That is surprisingly cowardly of you," Cleo said.

  "It isn't cowardice, it is experience. I have seen thousands of battles. An inexperienced commander might try to fight this one out and lose forces needlessly, but I know better. We paid those mercenaries, they'll die for us, but we've no need to ask them to be killed in a battle they can't win."

  "We took them by surprise this time. We won't have the option again," Cleo said.

  Banok turned his attention to Astra, who was busy polishing her nails. "We have to be able to do something."

  "You're the most powerful being in this system. Of course we can do something. What we can do isn't free and isn't nice," Astra said, lowering her hand and tossing back her fiery hair.

  "I need something more than that," Banok said.

  "And soon, the clock is ticking," Vanwyn said.

  Astra said, "You haven't fully realized it yet, but we're in a tug of war, you and me. Me and me. You really don't know that you're winning. That Spellweaver? Before you went and spawned that Grove you'd have been hitting that for days," Astra said.

  "Druid power versus your power," Banok said.

  "Creation versus destruction. Call it what you will. You killed a lot of people and it was gorgeous, but in doing so you built something that will live for a very long time. I sucked in a lot of that. Astra, and Urania, got weaker and some other parts of me got stronger," Astra said, before she poked Banok in the chest. "Those parts can't help you here. A star elemental though ..."

  "Why are you playing this out like it's some sort of choice where I might possibly decide something else? I'm going to make the hard call that lets us win. I'm always going to make the hard call that lets us win." Banok said.

  Astra beamed a smile at him then turned her attention to the others on the bridge. "We need to get closer to the star. We're too far. And Banok can't keep our shield up, because I'm going to be drawing on his power."


  "The bulk of the Orc ships are in closer," Vanwyn said with a frown, pulling up a battle map and quickly sketching out a new battle plan.

  The fleet advanced. The remaining Dwarven vessels continued to hold the Orc wedge formation at bay as the Elven and Human ships guided the Catspaw deeper into the system.

  The Elven vessels no longer fired on the shipyard. Their beam weapons were reserved for those Orc vessels further in, focusing fire when and where they could to hold them at bay.

  Astra took both of Banok's hands and he felt a thrill of power from the contact.

  "What do I do?" Banok asked.

  "It isn't about control, not this time. You can't do what needs doing, but I can. You need to trust me, open your power to me. Our conduit flows both ways," Astra said.

  Trusting her wasn't an easy thing to do. Yes, she was on his side. Banok didn't so much believe that as he knew it. Their bond wouldn't allow them to betray each other. It didn't mean that they couldn't be at odds. The power of the Druids was far different than anything Astra had access to, than Urania had ever had access to. Putting Druid magic into her hands was quite literally placing his life under Astra's control.

  The battle display showed a blue blip vanish. They'd lost another defender. The red dots of Orc vessels were growing closer. Close enough to open fire on the Elven ships.

  Their shields would last awhile, but they weren't infinite.

  Banok reached out magically for Astra. It was something he hadn't done before. She wasn't hard to find, she was like a sun. A sun with a cold empty spot of the Void buried within.

  "There you go. You see me," Astra purred.

  "Your parts don't fit well together," Banok said.

  "Well enough," Astra said, and Banok felt a wrenching from within him. It was an unpleasant feeling, like a hand squeezing at his heart. Astra wasn't gentle in pulling upon his power.

  The magical strands she wove to the nearby star were more intricate, more complex than anything Banok had ever experienced. This was similar to the art of the Spellweavers, yet while they wove pure magical power into organized constructs, this was a weaving of elemental power. It wasn't just fire. There were strands of earth and air as well.