Fugitives of Xen

By Ian Shlasko

The war is over, but even victories have consequences. While the factions recover from the years of conflict, and prepare for the changes ahead, long-forgotten enemies have returned to reshape the Frame in their image. The Guardians may be the only ones capable of saving the Frame from this menace, if they can first save themselves.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Ian Shlasko
• Release date: Apr 3, 2012
• ISBN: 9781476024783

Book preview

Fugitives of Xen

By Ian Shlasko

Smashwords Edition

Copyright © 2012 Ian Shlasko

Some characters created by Kate Sinclair, and used with permission.

For more information on this and the rest of the Guardians saga, visit http://www.serpentooth.com

Smashwords Edition, License Notes

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each person you share it with. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

The characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author.

Contents

I – Soldier

II – Commando

III – Assassin

IV – Infiltrator

V – Detective

VI – Insurgent

VII – Witch

VIII – Traveler

IX – Prisoner

X – Apprentice

XI – Avenger

XII – Invader

XIII – Champion

XIV - Guardian

I - Soldier

Stars shone down on the ravaged village of Ka'Loen, clouds of smoke hiding them from the people below. The pinpoints of light in the night sky were mirrored by the orange glow of fires creeping through the remaining buildings. Leathery wings cast haunting shadows in the moonlight as the dragons circled above the town, ready for the next assault.

The old magician stood on a hillside, overlooking this battleground, and couldn't help but feel sympathy for the people he had lived with for so many decades. Even though he shared no blood with them, this planet had become his home. Now that his birthplace was gone, this was all he had left.

Nice night for a battle. Don't you agree? The sudden voice was unexpected, but Mallus hid his surprise. Even after all this time, he could not forget that voice.

Beniri? Is that you?

Hiding among the mortals, Mallus? That's not your style.

You've been gone a long time, Beni-

I go by 'Piarien' now.

Mallus arched an eyebrow, glancing sideways at the other man. Wordplay was never your style. 'Wise Leader?' Arrogance. The translation was imperfect, but his chosen name seemed to be a combination of two Aeotian words. 'Piar' commonly translated to 'leader' or 'master,' while the rest was best interpreted as an abbreviated form of 'mahien,' meaning knowledge.

As you said, Mallus. I've been gone a long time, thanks to you. There was malice in his voice, but it was well-controlled. Beniri Vanekishi had always been quick to anger, but that was long ago.

You know I had no choice, Beniri. You and your kinsmen had to be stopped, before you-

"Before we what? Destroyed our world? You seem to have done a good job of that without us." The recent war with the Empire had not been without cost. Cyari's so-called 'Nova Missile' had caused their sun to explode into a supernova, and wiped out the entire planet of Aeos in a matter of minutes. Many lives were extinguished that day.

We were not responsible for that disaster. The Empire-

"Would have been crushed beneath our heels if you had not locked away those of us with real power. You let yourselves be defeated by a machine slave, Mallus. It sickens me to admit that we share a bloodline."

Winged shapes approached from the nearby mountains, signaling the attack of another wave of demons. Mallus and Piarien were unnoticed, but the dragons and villagers had already moved to repel the assault.

If you're here, Beniri, then where are the others?

Which 'others' do you refer to? The thousands who died of old age, imprisoned in that worthless dimension?

Mallus avoided the other man's glare, watching the village below. So you alone discovered the secrets of immortality.

Oh no, magician. I have my brother to thank for that. I see why you kept it from us, the solution being so simple and easy to replicate.

And how is Coriel?

Do not act as if you care, old man. You left us to die, and I intend to return the favor. You were foolish to imprison us, but to free us after so long? The height of stupidity.

Mallus made no effort to defend himself, as it would have been pointless. The other man had the powers of an Aeotian Sentinel, and centuries of experience in their use. Maybe it would be possible to talk him down from this confrontation.

How did you escape?

Your little pets did it for me. Yes, I know all about that little battle at the Xen Pedestal. Was it you who told them how to widen the flow? The extra surge of magic was more than enough for us to leave that prison.

The old magician sighed, silently cursing himself for not anticipating that. The old Sentinels had been sent away so long ago, that he had assumed them all long deceased. If you plan to kill me, then you may as well do so.

Patience, Mallus. A quick death would not properly repay you for all those centuries of isolation. First, I plan to wipe out all of your little pets and disciples. Everyone you care about. Then, once we control the Frame, I'll grant you passage to oblivion.

A portal opened and closed, and Mallus was alone once again.

***

Look, this portal is for your own good! Just stand back and let us do our jobs! Trellia sighed as another brick was thrown against her energy shield. She looked over her shoulder at the white-coated engineers installing the new device. You know they're just going to rip that thing up as soon as we leave.

The men ignored her, but she could probably guess their response. They would say that the Gateway Portal was made of some sort of unbreakable alloy or something. They would assure her that nothing short of a supernova could destroy it, and that these primitives would just hurt themselves trying. Well, that last part was probably true, but unless that thing was made from Xianite, it was far from indestructible.

Another brick was deflected by her shield, and she tried again to lecture the angry mob outside the dome. It was pointless, but she tried anyway. The Gateway Portal really was here for their benefit, even if they couldn't understand its purpose.

It had only been a few days since the aptly-named Battle of Xen, when she and the other two Sentinels used the amplified power of the Pedestal to wipe out the Empire. They had learned that the Pedestal was a conduit through which magic flowed into this Frame from somewhere beyond, and Xentor had been able to widen that conduit and increase the magic for a short time. In consequence, the supply was now exhausted, and the magic was beginning to fade. No one knew how weak it would get, but it was a safe bet that it would no longer be strong enough to travel between dimensions. The worlds would be isolated from one another, possibly forever.

That was the purpose of the new Portal Network. Xentor had worked alongside the Evassians, the Myconians, and the Xen Institute in order to design them, and supposedly they would operate even if the magic was nearly wiped out. First, though, they had to be installed.

Aren't you guys finished yet? This was her fifteenth escort trip today, and she needed a break. Akto was supposed to take over for her after this installation, so she was eager to get back to the mansion on Tavni Kintara.

Maybe, when she got back, she would find that Rikket had made a miraculous recovery. Maybe it was just wishful thinking. Many had died at the Battle of Xen, and many more had been wounded. Somehow, Rikket was counted among the latter. Xentor had warned them not to look directly into the flow while it was increased, but Rikket had done it anyway. Trellia had never seen such power, but he had paid the price for it. It was a little like sending too much energy into a computer. He had just overloaded, and no one knew how to fix him.

It's done, one of the engineers finally said. The men stood and gathered their tools, and Trellia took them home.

***

So how is he? Trellia asked when she reached Rikket's chamber at the Guardian Mansion. The next installation team wouldn't be ready for another hour, so there was time for a quick visit before she had to locate Akto and send him out with them.

Tizra looked up from her book as she sat beside the other Sentinel's bed. The young vampire woman was a bit out-of-place on an Evassian world, but she and Rikket had been an item for some time now. The same.

You could talk to me directly, Lia. He didn't even open his eyes, but that hardly mattered in his condition.

Well I didn't know you were awake, Rik.

I wasn't, but I sleep light. He turned his head toward Trellia, and his eyelids fluttered open. Aside from his eyes being stationary and unfocused, he looked just fine. They say when you lose your eyes, your ears get stronger to make up for it.

I think it takes more than a few days of being blind. Besides, mother says your eyes are just fine. The problem's in your mind.

Eyes or brain, the result is the same, he grumbled. I'm sure I could fix it myself, if I could just reach the magic, but I can't even see the clouds.

Trellia casually slipped into her secondary vision, examining the colored mists swirling around both Sentinels. The magic was there, but something was preventing Rikket from communicating with it. Have you talked to Belryn's people?

No way! I'm not letting any of those tech-heads near my brain. My magic will fix itself eventually. Hopefully, in time for the next major war. It's been a few days since the last one, so I think we're overdue. At least his sense of humor was intact.

I'll let you know when the first shots are fired, Trellia joked in response. Anyway, I better go find Akto. It's his turn to babysit.

Tizra looked up from her book again, but only briefly. Treloc was looking for you.

So much for getting some sleep, Trellia muttered, and made her exit.

Lord Treloc's office was on the second floor of the mansion, decorated simply with the same wooden paneling that permeated the rest of the building. Stacks of paper covered most of his desk, and he seemed to be in the middle of doing three or four things at once, so she was a little hesitant to break his concentration.

Father? You wanted to see me?

How did the mission go? He met her gaze, setting his work aside for the moment.

Trellia sighed, conjuring a chair and sitting down in front of his desk. Father, you didn't call me in here to ask if I was able to open a few portals and hold up a few shields. Lord Treloc, being the second in command of the Guardians under Xentor, had more important things to do than have an idle conversation with his daughter, but something was clearly on his mind.

No, I didn't. I have another- He broke off as a servant knocked on the open door, carrying a small stack of papers. Are those the mission reports from Fenid? He barely waited for the servant's nod.. Good. Leave them on the table, please. Treloc looked back to his daughter as the servant complied. Sorry, what was I saying?

You were going to deny me another night of sleep, Trellia knowingly replied.

I'm afraid so. My brother asked that I send you out as soon as you returned. Apparently, Belryn needs a hand with something. Treloc spared a glance for the servant, who had knocked a stack of paper to the floor and was hastily gathering it up. Think you can handle it?

If anyone can handle it, it's probably me, father. She sighed and rose to her feet, dissolving the conjured chair. When this portal network is finished, I'm going to sleep for a week. A portal burst open behind her, and she was gone.

My Lord, the servant said softly. Did you want to look at these? He approached with the papers, and Treloc waved him off, turning back to the half-finished mission reports on his desk.

Just leave them over there, and I'll- He looked up, and the man was standing right next to him. No, over there, on the table!

He never saw the knife.

***

The capital city of Calris was cold today, but would have been comfortable with a warmer cloak or a sweater. Trellia opted for neither, her magic doing the same job with only the slightest thought.

Welcome to the Calrean Federation, the uniformed greeter began. My name is-

She held up a hand to silence him, not in the mood for the tourist speech. Which way to the Institute headquarters? She knew Belryn's new base of operations was somewhere in this city, but hadn't thought to ask Treloc for the specifics.

I'm sorry, but only military personnel are permitted-

"Do I really have to pull out my Blade Staff to get a simple answer?" Alright, maybe she was a little cranky, but she hadn't gotten a decent night's sleep since the day after defeating the Empire.

Apologies, Guardian, but-

Sentinel.

S- Sentinel. Now he was a little nervous. I'm sorry, but I'm not permitted to-

Forget it. I'll find it myself. Pushing past the glorified tour guide, she strolled out into the streets of the capital city. Her golden bracer activated at her mental command, reaching out on all of the standard frequencies until it established a connection with the Calrean planetary network and began a search.

"New theater under construction in the Daver Hills quarter-"

No, that wasn't it. The news bulletins zipped through her mind, uploaded directly from the bracer to the same implant that let her control the magic. It had taken her several years to train her mind to work so closely with this piece of technology, but now it felt completely natural.

"Pedestrian traffic halted along-" No. Protest zone for latest legislature session designated on- Definitely not. City workers arrested for pornographic- Amusing, but not what she was looking for. Residents complaining about military presence- That was probably it.

Trellia accessed a map of the city, and stepped through a spatial portal to the intersection mentioned in the news bulletin. Sure enough, the first group she spotted were decked out in Xen Institute infantry uniforms.

The young recruits recognized her immediately as she approached. Trellia made no effort to disguise her identity, but she hadn't realized she had become such a celebrity, even among the foot soldiers. Perhaps the red dress and gold bracer were a bit too distinctive.

Excuse me, she said casually, not in the mood to be worshiped right now. Could you point me to the base? I need to see Belryn.

All five of them tried to speak at once, but one was a bit faster. Right away, Sentinel! This way, please.

Much to her surprise, the military base was right around the corner, using a combination of holographic emitters and natural camouflage to blend into the surrounding cityscape. The Calrean Federation was conquered by the Empire during the war, so maybe the defensive measures were warranted.

General, Sir, her impromptu escort said with a salute when they reached the command center.

Ah, Trellia. Belryn looked almost as busy as her father, but wasn't limiting himself to ink on paper. He stood among a number of computer consoles, each displaying various maps of different parts of the city. Thank you, private. Dismissed.

Nice place you got here, she commented once the young soldier had left. Expecting the Calreans to invade?

You should know by now, he said in a lecturing tone, that allies and enemies can shift faster than the weather. General Belryn, formerly Researcher Belryn, was a mere apprentice back during the unification of Xen. After taking over for Caltoren, his old master, he had quickly ascended to become the right-hand man of Empress Qinami herself, and was now taking over as she attempted to retire. Some assumed that he had gotten this far based on sheer talent, but his close friendship with the Xen Guardians had certainly helped.

I wouldn't worry about the Calreans turning on us. They don't have much of a military left, thanks to Cyari.

You've gotten too used to thinking in terms of armies and fleets, Trellia. There are still some sects who oppose our presence, and it only takes one person to set off a bomb.

Is that why you called me here? To stop a bomber?

Belryn set down his data pad and moved to one of the consoles, hitting a few keys to project a large city map on a wall-sized screen. Not exactly. Something a bit more subtle.

Urban redevelopment? Yeah, she was definitely cranky. A little magic could keep her alert and energetic, but it was no substitute for real sleep.

Recovery of stolen property.

Trellia hesitated, trying to think of exactly how to respond to that. Belryn, did I really come all the way from Tavni Kintara to help you catch a pickpocket? I should be asleep right now.

The scientist-turned-leader frowned. Are you here to help, or to complain? I'd expect the latter from Rikket, but not from you.

Belryn, I've been working for three days straight, babysitting your engineering teams. If you need my help with something, please just skip the slide show and get to the point.

After a brief look that seemed like a mix of annoyance and sympathy, he decided to do just that. One of the Gateway Portals has been stolen, we think by a group of Empire operatives. They're trying to hack into its control systems to take over the entire network.

Alright, that was definitely important enough for some magical intervention. In a few days or weeks, the magic was going to be so weak that only the Gateway Portals would allow travel between dimensions. If they were compromised, a small group could hold the entire Frame hostage.

I thought you had some sort of security to prevent that. Don't they wipe their memory if they're removed after installation?

"It was stolen during installation, before the security protocols could be activated. The engineering team is missing, too. It was being installed in friendly territory, so there was no Guardian escort."

Trellia nodded, calling up the magic around her and trying to decide on exactly how much force to use when crushing the opposition. I'll handle them. Where are they?

If we knew, this would have already been handled, Trellia. He tapped the large map on the screen, and a blue circle appeared over one part of the city. They're sending out signals as they try to hack the network, and we've used those signals to narrow down their location, but there's too much interference to get an exact fix. If we move openly, they'll just take it into Trans-D, and we may never find them.

If they had a way to transport it, wouldn't they be long gone by now?

Belryn shook his head, highlighting three other points on a world map. The more nearby portals, the faster they can decrypt the signals, and there are three other Gateway Portals on Calris, plus ten more elsewhere in this dimension. It's to their advantage to stay here, as long as we don't tip our hand and let them know we're onto them.

With a casual thought, Trellia's bracer started to scan the frequencies again, searching for anything that might hint as to the location of the enemy hideout. If I go hunting with magic, they might detect me. They're smart enough to hack your network, so they're probably smart enough to scan for Xen Magic.

I was thinking of sending a few commando squads to sweep the area.

A military sweep-and-clear is pretty obvious. One security camera pointed at the street, and the bad guys would have enough warning to skip town.

Belryn smiled, probably glad to see her thinking tactically instead of complaining about her lack of sleep. Stealth, then.

You'd never find them. I'm scanning the communications channels, and there are over two hundred complaints about suspicious-looking people hanging around on street corners, fifty-eight people whining about their holo-receivers being jammed, and dozens of noisy neighbors. And that's just in your target area. Checking all of those locations would take days, and that's assuming even one of the reports is pointing to the right bad guys.

Then what do you suggest?

Trellia thought for a moment. How could she find the enemy hideout without using magic? Then it came to her, and she couldn't help but smile as she described her plan.

Brilliant, the General replied when she was finished. They'll never see it coming.

That's the idea. I'll need a few good soldiers, though.

Now it was Belryn's turn to smile. I have just the squad.

***

Another one of these, barkeep! The night is young!

Hey, we're on guard duty in the morning! Go easy on the booze. Yarz flashed the cut gesture to the bartender, pointing a Mioro, eliciting a grumble from his friend.

Dammit, Meat, you're no fun at all.

Just take your shot already.

Corporal Blaze Mioro lined up his shot carefully, drew back his stick, and knocked the trigger ball right into the center pit. He was definitely drunk.

Another point for me, Yarz said with a smile. You should stop betting money on this game. You know you can't beat me.

It's not my fault! I need another drink. I can't aim when I'm sober.

You're a long way from sober, man.

Only compared to you, Meat. Corporal Meat Wagon Yarz wasn't proud of his call-sign, but he had learned to live with it. He had taken a hit in one of their early missions right out of boot camp, and someone had yelled, Call the meat wagon! Yarz is down again! The rest was history.

It was nice to be stationed on a planet for once, as living on battle cruisers and interstellar transports wasn't exactly luxurious. Basically, you got three square meals a day, a cramped gym to train in, and a sleeping cot barely long enough to stretch your legs. You rarely got a decent night's sleep, because people were always stomping through the metal corridors right outside your door, and the loudspeaker would blare out notices every time the ship jumped in and out of Trans-D.

After the Battle of Xen, the squad was relocated to Calris, the home world of the Calrean Federation, and assigned to security and counter-insurgency duty at the new Institute headquarters. Yarz really couldn't complain. Comfortable quarters, good food, good nightlife, and plenty of Calrean women who couldn't resist a man in uniform!

Yarz! Mioro! Wrap it up! We're due on base in twenty. And what man could resist a woman in uniform? The squad leader was a battle-hardened killer who would probably look incredibly sexy in a-

Dammit, Dinalla! We're supposed to be off tonight, Blaze grumbled, missing yet another shot. Too bad they were out of time, because Yarz was sure he could have won a week's pay from his inebriated companion.

Deal with it, the squad leader replied sternly. If you two aren't outside in five, I'll come back in here and drag you out by your-

Understood, ma'am. Yarz tried to diffuse the situation, before Blaze got himself beaten up again. Sergeant Deathbringer Dinalla, though she hated it when people used that call-sign, had been promoted after the Battle of Xen for Battlefield Excellence. That was the politically-correct term for killing a ridiculous amount of bad guys. Her call-sign was quite accurate.

Of course, the first time Dinalla joined the squad, she was something else entirely. That was back during the civil war, when General Kessin had turned on the Empress and sent a few fleets out to capture demon lords. The Deathbringer that joined Yarz's squad, though identical to the real one in appearance, was actually one of the Sentinels in disguise. Apparently, Trellia had a crush on one of the demon lords, and needed a ride. When the real Dinalla showed up soon after, she was in quite a bad mood.

Come to think of it, she was still in a bad mood. Yarz tried to think of a single time he had seen her smile. Nothing came to mind.

Your shot, Meat.

Another time, Blaze. You heard the Sergeant.

Well how the hell am I supposed to win my credits back?

Come on, man. Yarz slid his credit chip through the table's payment slot, and went outside to meet Dinalla. After gulping down the last of his drink, Blaze followed.

So what's the mission, D? his drunk companion asked when they joined up with the Sergeant. Battle cruiser? Frigate? I hope it's not another damned comet hopper. Using her call-sign was a sure way to get a beating, but Blaze liked to push his luck by keeping it ambiguous. One time, he had actually referred to her as Ribbons, referring to the colored ribbons in her hair. They made her look like an innocent schoolgirl, but she used them to keep track of her confirmed kills.

"Search and destroy. That's all they told me so far. General Belryn will be briefing us himself."

Now there was a joke! General Belryn was nothing but an arrogant techie. He had no right to even wear the uniform of an officer, but somehow he was now the head of the Institute's military. The man would probably wet himself if he was ever in an actual battle!

Well, at least we get to shoot someone, Blaze said with a shrug. Are we getting a replacement for Cobber? A squad usually consisted of four or five soldiers, or twice that when deployed on a starship. Private Cobber had been assigned to them when they first arrived on Calris a couple days ago, but he proved himself completely incompetent and was transferred to a non-combat unit.

We'll see, she replied.

They turned down a side street, approaching the undecorated back wall of what looked like a factory. After a quick glance to make sure no one was watching, the three soldiers stepped through the holographic facade and into the Institute base. Even before their eyes adjusted to the brightly-lit interior, scanning beams flashed over their faces to confirm their identity. It was pretty impressive security, for such short notice.

The entry hall was relatively empty at the moment, aside from a few soldiers and techs on guard or maintenance duty. The woman who approached them seemed to be a bit of both.

Sergeant Dinalla? She asked nervously.

Yes?

The woman snapped a salute, unintentionally showing off a surprisingly decent figure. The red hair and freckles were a bit odd, but under that loose-fitting uniform, she looked to be pretty well-proportioned. Blaze had noticed, too.

Private Amira reporting for duty, ma'am. Ugh, a rookie!

Put your damn hand down, Private, Dinalla responded with more than a hint of annoyance. I'm not in the mood to babysit.

Amira hesitantly lowered her arm, glancing at Yarz and Mioro. But... ma'am... I've been assigned to your squad.

Is this some kind of joke? The Sergeant was keeping her temper under control for now. Do you even know how to fire a weapon?

I... passed the training course, ma'am, but I'm a signal analyst.

Yarz and Mioro exchanged a glance. Technically, it was Mioro's turn to move first, since Yarz had gotten with those Calrean hotties last night, but the other man wasn't usually into freckles. After a brief moment, Mioro shook his head.

The question was whether Yarz really wanted to take the techie girl home with him. That is, if she didn't get killed on the upcoming mission. He would have to wait and see.

Well, come on then, Private. Dinalla led the way to the command center, where General Belryn was waiting. The mission overview didn't take very long, but it didn't make much sense either. As Yarz understood it, the situation was this:

One of the techie squads had been ambushed while setting up one of those new portal things, and some Empire idiots were trying to break into it. Yarz and the others were supposed to find them and either retrieve the portal or destroy it. Finding them was going to be the hard part, and that's why Amira was on the team.

Sir, what if we're detected? Dinalla asked, hiding her disdain for the General.

Don't worry about it. That's why we're only sending one squad.

Sir?

They'll be unlikely to consider you a threat, Belryn clarified. If they engage, call for the cavalry and fall back.

Dinalla went quiet, but