Neverending Webs

The sunlight shone brightly as it danced upon flame red hair that waved gently with the breeze of Eversong's eternally pleasant weather. Laughter rang out, echoing across the smooth paving stones of the enclosed courtyard and traveling far into the warm air. The joy of a child at play was a sound that seemed almost out of place at the Sunfire Estate, after all of the dark times that had befallen the family.

Biara smiled, taking a sip of her tea as she sat and watched her daughter Astariel dance and twirl, the young Sin'dorei chasing after some butterfly or flight of fancy as she enjoyed the day. For far too long this had all been nothing but a daydream to be had in the rare moment when Biara was able to avoid the many pressing duties she'd had. For forever a child's laughter was something that she'd resigned herself never to hear again, given the nature of her work and her past failures with various suitors over the years. It felt almost like a guilty pleasure to now sit and enjoy this moment, as if she was stealing something that wasn't rightfully hers and that she'd snatched from fate itself.

Not entirely inaccurate if one were to delve deeply into the situation.

Unfortunately, as all pleasant moments must, this moment came to a sudden end when a male voice spoke softly over Biara's shoulder, "She's a beautiful child. You are truly blessed, Lady Biara Sunfire."

In a flash Biara was out of her chair, her teacup flying from her hands and shattering on the stones of the courtyard as she whirled around to face the source of the voice. This deep within Sunfire Estate's grounds there should be no one and nothing but those staff members that Biara had specifically assigned to duties there. For an intruder to make his way past all of her guards without alerting them or setting off any of her magical wards meant he was far more than he appeared.

The elf, if it was really an elf, smiled and raised his hands in a gesture of peace, "I mean you no harm, Lady Sunfire. I simply wish to talk, and wished to view the child as well."

"Astariel, Circle Room," Biara said, her eyes never leaving the intruder.

Behind Biara, the young Sin'dorei instantly stopped playing as her mother uttered the code phrase they had established. To the astonishment of the elf standing before Biara, the eight year old blood elf reached into a pocket sewn into her robes and pulled out a very deadly and real magic wand, pointing it at him before she began to carefully circle the outskirts of the courtyard and make her way towards the door. The young elf never took her eyes off the intruder, and never once did the wand's tip fail to point towards him until Astariel was out of sight and dashing further into the structure towards the magical safe room Biara had established for defense of the Estate.

"You will explain who you are, and how you got here to my full satisfaction. Immediately." Biara said with a bit of menace in her voice.

"And if I do not, what will you do, Lady Sunfire? Stick me with the daggers that now ride your hips? You understand the power it took for me to arrive here, at one of your most protected and secluded locations within your domain. I did so to demonstrate that we watch you even now, and that we can-" the elf's words were abruptly cut off as Biara lunged towards him, one of her hands encircling his throat, her manicured nails digging into his flesh. To the elf's everlasting surprise, an immense amount of arcane energy was building up in Biara's free hand, and the wards on her face, which had been a dull blue, blazed brightly with arcane energy.

"Allow me to explain to you exactly what will happen to you if I have to ask my questions a second time," Biara purred. In her voice was a sense of release, as if something held deep inside her was finally being given freedom. The intruding elf came to understand in that moment that he had best be extremely forthcoming with his answer if he wanted to avoid becoming a pile of ash.

"Be at ease, Magistrix Sunfire," the elf began. "I am, as you have surmised I am sure, not a Sin'dorei and am of the Bronze Flight. I come here in truce, and swear that I will do you and yours no harm."

The grip on the elf's throat tightened slightly for a moment, five perfectly razor sharp nails digging in further as Biara responded, "Even more reason for me to destroy you where you stand. You know full well that I cannot trust your kind."

"I came to parlay, not to do battle, Magistrix. Please, release my neck and let us talk like civilized beings. I have been told that you are capable of negotiations, at the very least," the elf said in a calm tone.

For a moment, Biara kept her grip on his throat and then released him, shoving him away from her slightly. The dragon's senses tingled as he watched her straighten, the wards that were on her body and hidden beneath her dress glowing so brightly as to be visible through the fabric. He nodded and then offered her a formal bow, keeping his hands carefully away from his robes.

"I am glad that what I have heard is not untrue, Magistrix. I am Varlistraz, and I wish to discuss your...situation," the elf said.

"Speak your peace quickly, and justify your continued existence," Biara responded with hate in her voice. "I've little patience for your kind and I know that we are mortal foes. Regardless of what you say, you will not take her from me and if you try, you will not see the next dawn. I swear it by my blood."

Again the elf that was not an elf held up his hand in a sign of peace, "Your blood...that is something we should discuss, as well as your daughter. There is a divide amongst my kind, and some feel that things such as what you have done may not be as detrimental as first believed, while others feel that any deviation, no matter how small, represents a major concern."

The elf nodded and then moved slowly towards a chair, Biara's eyes watching him like a hawk the entire time, "There are two issues with you and yours; the first being your own contaminated blood, and the second being the child. In the first case, we do not fully understand the ramifications of what has happened to you or why it affected you as it has. You Sin'dorei siphon magic, this is well known, but how your blood came into contact with temporal magics is beyond our current knowledge."

"It was an accident," Biara said a bit sullenly. "A...friend was trying to stop me from doing harm once, long ago. In a time when I had much more to learn of the world and about myself. I did not even understand the nature of my contact with his temporal wards myself until recently. What will become of me, or of that magic, I do not know. I can honestly tell you though that it is not something I can use to simply alter the fabric of time."

The elf that was not an elf nodded, a smile crossing his face, "I believe you, although others will question this given that you did not actually surrender your magic as all the world believes you did."

Biara smiled at him, the look almost predatory, "I'm a politician, a Magistrix, not a priest. If you wish to seek someone whose words never carry a lie in them go to a temple."

The elf laughed, "Indeed, indeed Magistrix Sunfire. And I appreciate your candor. I wonder though if you will slay me for knowing your secret."

"No," Biara said. "Take it as a lesson back to the others, and also as a token of my truthfulness in this matter. I cannot alter the temporal magics I have absorbed,  nor interfere with your precious timeline beyond what I have done. If you leave me be, I will be no threat to your goals. Challenge me, and you will find that I am very capable of slaying dragons however."

The elf held up his hand again, "No need for that, Magistrix. As I said, some of us are divided on such issues, and those who are not are rather busy dealing with far more significant matters. In fact, my purpose here is quite the opposite of what you might imagine. It is simply this, leave our kind be, and we will leave you be."

"And my daughter? What of her?" Biara said. "You cannot approve of her existence, not after what I have done. What will you do to her?"

"Actually, I cannot see her. I mean, I can physically see her, but I cannot see her path," the elf replied. "She is outside of the bounds of the regular order of things. I suspect, if she is raised properly and trained, that she could be an asset to us in the distant future, rather than a danger. This is something we can discuss with her, when she is an adult and can choose her own fate. More of us are in agreement with this, and thus, we shall leave her be provided you abide by your side of such arrangements."

Biara paused, and seemed to consider the words for a long stretch of time. Just when the elf was about to speak again because so much time had lapsed, Biara finally nodded and replied, "It is agreed then. I shall leave your kind be, unless they breach this agreement."

The elf smile and rose from his chair, offering Biara a polite bow, "Excellent, it is agreed then, Magistrix Sunfire. I shall tell the others, and of course, keep your little secret for you."

As he turned to go, he sensed magic rising behind him. He turned to see Biara staring at him, her fel green eyes glowing with power and the wards on her right cheek and along the left side of her body flickering with deadly magics. A cold breeze blew across the courtyard, stirring the hem of her red and gold dress and ruffling her hair.

"Understand this, dragon," Biara intoned. "Should you breach this agreement, should I come to regret this for any reason. Should anything befall my daughter that has to do with your kind, you will quickly find yourselves becoming extinct. By my blood, I swear that if I am betrayed, I will spend the rest of my many long years hunting your kind wherever they may hide."

For a moment, the smile faded from the elf's face and he shivered, understanding the full weight of the elf's words. She had slain many dragons in her day, and while such a threat might be boastful from some adventurers, he knew full well that the Magistrix Biara Sunfire would attempt to do exactly as she said. He gave her another nod, this one of respect, before his body changed shape, his form growing. Wings sprouted from his back, and a moment later a bronze dragon took to the air, leaving Sunfire Estate far behind. Leaving the deadly secret that Biara had not surrendered her magic at all hidden deep in the recess of his mind.

Light help those who get surprised by THAT little gem of information...

Business As Usual

The door banged opened as Lord Horace Whitevale forced his way past the portal, scattering the servants who had been in the entryway with a flailing, golden-handled cane. "Step aside at once! I'll see her here and now!"

The aging lord was on a rampage, not even bothering to take off his cloak as he stormed past the flustered servants. Ahead of him, an equally old and well dressed man attempted to step into his path, his arms spread wide and an almost apologetic look on his face as he opened his mouth to speak. Lord Whitevale would have none of it however, brushing by the Steward of House Aldridge as if he were not even there.

"My Lord, she's taking her morning tea and hasn't scheduled any appointments for the da-" the Steward began, his voice carefully measured so as not to offend. He didn't get to finish though as Lord Whitevale stormed down the corridor ahead at full speed, replying over his shoulder.

"She'll see me immediately dammit! I'll not be made to look a fool!" Whitevale yelled.

"Indeed not..." the Steward said in a low voice before hurrying after the furious lord. He sighed once, knowing it was going to be one of 'those' kind of days.

*************************************

The door to the small dining parlor burst open, startling the occupant of the room as Lord Whitevale entered in a fury. Behind him, House Aldridge servants bustled about, attempting to look busy so as to avoid any part of what was unfolding in the private chambers of House Aldridge's heir.

Lord Whitevale paused after taking ten steps into the room, his poor eyesight quickly taking in the lushly appointed private dining area with its elegant hardwood table, twin chairs, and set of delicious looking cookies piled on a silver platter in the center almost as a decoration.

Beyond the lush carpeted floor and hanging paintings of lords and ladies of bygone years, sunlight streamed into the room from a large sun window set into the far wall. There, sitting comfortably across the natural bench that the window provided, sat Lady Brithany Aldridge, looking rather startled with a book laying open in her lap. Lord Whitevale could tell just from a glance at the pages that it was some arcane nonsense as the words seemed to crawl across the paper if he looked too closely, giving him an immediate headache.

"How dare you!" he began diplomatically. "And here I thought that our agreement would hold for at least a few more months!"

The red-headed woman sitting near the window blinked once, her green eyes wide as she replied, "My Lord Whitevale, what an...unexpected surprise. Please, do calm yourself and take a breath before explaining to me exactly what causes you such distress."

The words, while spoken politely, hinted at the woman's displeasure at Lord Whitevale's sudden arrival. This pleased him immensely given his mood, and he practically growled at the woman as he strode further into the room. "Do not pretend ignorance with me, Lady Aldridge. Our families have been conducting business together since before you were a glint in your father's eye. You have taken funds from our mutual trust and invested them in a weapon-producing smithy without my permission or knowledge!"

Brithany nodded, carefully marking her place in the tome she'd been reading before closing it and setting it aside on the bench. She shifted, rising and adjusting her skirts so that the elegant green dress fell smoothly around her legs, complimenting her fiery red hair. "My Lord, let me first say that I appreciate your concerns, but I must tell you that they are unfounded. The smithy which we now own has secured contracts with Stormwind's military for the next three years for weapons and repair services. Not only will this investment grow the trust we share, but we will be serving Stormwind's armed forces in the process; something that is dear to my heart and interests."

Lord Whitevale slammed his hands down on the table, rattling the platter of cookies as he glared daggers at the woman, "Investing in military arms after the Horde has been defeated at Orgrimmar! What need have we of arms when their Warchief has been deposed you foolish little tart!"

Brithany straightened, her own face now a mask of tightly controlled rage. Ignoring his insult, she spoke calmly, her tone firm, "For how long, Lord? For how long will the beasts remain at bay? Until the next orc decides that the Horde should be run as he sees fit? Until the Forsaken decide that they need fresh corpses to expand their empire? Or perhaps when the blood elves decide that we of Stormwind should not be practicing the magic that they so jealously guard? For how long will peace hold until we once again wallow in sorrow after too late realizing they are still a threat to us all?"

"That is the king's responsibility to worry after!" Lord Whitevale shouted, furious. "He has seen fit to end the fighting in our enemy's capital. Who are you to decide that war will go on?! Who are you to invest my coin in an industry that will see only decline over the next few years?! You will ruin both our Houses!"

This time when Brithany responded, her voice had a hint of fire in it and there was a look in her eyes that gave Lord Whitevale pause, "I am the Lady Brithany Aldridge, heir of House Aldridge and majority holder of the funds in that trust, my Lord. You would do well to remember that with my father's untimely demise, it is I and I alone who will decide how those investments are made. If you wish to see your funds removed from the trust, you will pay the fees to me that you are contractually required to pay, plus interest for early termination of our agreement, my Lord. I would think very carefully about what you wish to say next."

For a moment, silence reigned in the room as Lord Whitevale studied the young woman. Easily thirty or more years her superior, there was something in her that hinted that she was more than the small slip of a woman she appeared to be. He could see a passion within her, likely the same passion that had first attracted his only son to court her and then later caused him to withdraw from the Lady's affections. Even so, the young upstart had to be put in her place.

"And you would do well to take care how you speak to me, my Lady. House Whitevale is not to be trifled with, and if our funds are lost there will be a reckoning between us," Lord Whitevale said ominously. "You are not in such a strong position that you are unassailable, Lady Aldridge."

Brithany looked at the man standing across from her, her face now clearly showing her coming ire like a storm in the distance, "Then assail me, Lord Whitevale. I seriously doubt you will enjoy the consequences or brag about such to your peers."

Being threatened by what was essentially a girl who had just passed her legal name-day made Lord Whitevale quiver with rage. His hand naturally slipped towards the top of his cane where he secretly kept a dueling sword concealed, "You dare to-"

Brithany had seen the movement of his hand and in a moment she stepped forward, arcane energies blazing to life in the air around her. One of her hands lashed out and an ornate vase to Lord Whitevale's right exploded, sending fragments of broken glass across the carpeted floor, "Our audience is at an end, Lord Whitevale. I will take your words into consideration when next I consider our mutual business. Remove yourself from my estate. Now."

Lord Whitevale had paled at the demonstration of Brithany's power, coming to realize just how close his temper had brought him to engaging in what would likely be a deadly duel with the young woman. The fact that he had even been considering assaulting a Lady combined with the fear he felt in his gut made him flush with embarrassment. He quickly turned, releasing his grip on the top of his cane as he hurried from the room with as much dignity as he could possibly save. Behind him a gaggle of servants stood in the corridor beyond, all of them suddenly extremely busy cleaning things in the hallway that didn't look all that dirty. None of them with even a hint of a smirk on their faces as the furious lord stormed past and headed for the estate's main entryway.

Once the huffing old man had left, the Steward entered the room, bowing before Brithany, "I apologize, my Lady. He pushed his way in here in a most uncouth manner. I will have guards added to the foyer to prevent such disturbances in the future."

Brithany smiled and waved a hand at her servant, shaking her head, "Do not apologize, Walter. It's not your fault that his is a blustering old fool who cannot see the future that is plainly spelled out before us."

She turned, looking out the window for a moment and speaking over his shoulder, "He is wrong about the Horde. They will come for us again and again until they are destroyed. Until every last orc, blood elf, and whatever else is disarmed. His bluster will only last as long as it takes for the first profits to reach his coffers, and then suddenly he will be smitten with me I am sure."

The Steward bowed, "And with good reason, my Lady. Will you be needing anything else?"

Brithany turned and smiled at her servant. Walter had served her family since she was a baby, working first for her parents and now for her. Loyalty such as his was impossible to purchase and worth more than its weight in gold. Her voice was soft when she spoke with him, "No thank you, Walter. I think I will return to my studies; they may be difficult at times but at least the pages do not typically tend to shout at me."

"As you wish, Lady Aldridge," the Steward said before bowing once again and leaving, closing the door behind him.

Alone in the room, Brithany stared at the shattered vase, the broken pieces a pointed reminder of the shattered life that the Horde had left her. She waved her hand, her magic curling around the glass and picking it up, setting each piece back in place on the table where the vase had sat, sealing them back together. Like the vase, she would pick up the shattered pieces of her life and make things whole once more. Even if no one else believed in her causes, she would see them through to the end. The fate of her people might one day rest on her dedication to such duties.

With that, she turned, heading back towards her alcove and the magical text that called to her. 

Protectors of the Realm

The blood elf sat nervously picking at a chip on the surface of the old table, the chair he was sitting in having seen better days with its upholstered surfaces torn and frayed. The small room in the tavern at Booty Bay was lit by only a single candle, the guttering flame casting harsh shadows across the wooden walls and briefly highlighting the tattered paintings that were supposed to give the room 'character' now and again.

The door to the room opened softly, the low sound almost enough to make the blood elf dart up out of his seat, his fel green eyes studying the newcomer closely. To hide his discomfort, he shifted in place, adjusting his red and golden robes and moving one of his pouches of spell components slightly, keeping it in easy reach.

The newcomer, a human male that was getting on in years, held up his hands with his palms outward as a sign of peace, a bleak smile hiding beneath his long gray beard as he walked over to the table and sat down. The blood elf dipped his head once in acknowledgement of the newcomer, gesturing to an unopened bottle of wine and two glasses nearby.

"No, thank you," the old man said. "I feel it best to conduct our business quickly and without any muddy-headedness that such swill might bring. We are in a goblin run town after all."

The blood elf nodded, no smile passing across his own face as he replied, "As you wish; I'd as soon be done with our business as well. It is a shame that times are different and we are forced to hide in such hovels."

The old man nodded, his face dour now, "It is indeed dark days for those who once lived in Dalaran. That old colleagues must meet in secrecy is a crime against the Art itself I think. Regardless, we still live and can continue our work. We simply must do so in...unfortunate settings. I have brought the artifact that we discussed. You can take it to your own laboratory and we'll compare notes once you have analyzed it yourself. I feel confident that our temporal shielding spells are far superior to those now in existence."

The blood elf nodded and a brief smile passed across his lips, "Let's see it. I'm eager to continue my work, regardless of the fact that the Sunreavers are no longer welcome amongst the others. We will prove that we can still do some good with our studies."

The old man nodded, reaching into a belt pouch and removing a small necklace with an amulet attached to it. The magical artifact glowed dimly in the darkness of the tavern room, and the blood elf leaned over it, studying it thoughtfully, his long blonde hair falling around his face.

Just as he reached for it, a sizzling sound began to grow in the room. Starting as a low hiss, it rose in volume, attracting the eyes of both human and blood elf to the closed door. There, strange blue lights began to flicker around the edges of the portal, the hissing and popping noises increasing.

"You warded the door as we agreed, yes?" the old man murmured in concern.

"Just as we discussed. Only the pass-coin I gave you would allow anyone to pass through the doorframe while we are both in here. Someone is trying to deactivate my wards," the blood elf replied.

The old man opened his mouth to reply when the light around the door blazed brightly once and the door suddenly burst open, slamming against the wall with a great deal of force. A figure moved in the doorway, and both human and blood elf rose as it advanced into the room, the blood elf pulling out a wand menacingly.

The person, for it was a human woman, advanced through the doorway, a hand reaching out and manicured nails digging into the wood of the door as she forcefully slammed it behind her, sealing the portal once more. The candle nearly went out from the wind of the door's closing, weird shadows dancing around the room as the woman stared at the two.

Red hair framed a face that was lightly tanned from the sun, the locks artfully arranged in one of the latest styles seen in the House of Nobles in Stormwind. Green eyes studied the two figures, ruby red lips curled into a smile as she observed the damning evidence of the amulet that still rested on the table between them.

"And so it comes to this; where once there was loyalty to magic and all it could produce, now there is treachery with those who have proven themselves time and again to be incapable of handling magic with any degree of safety," the woman intoned harshly.

"Brithany..." the old man whispered. "B-but how did you track me here? W-why..?"

"I have suspected you for some time, Master," the woman replied, the smile leaving her face now. "Did you think that I would fail to notice your sudden disappearances? Your late-evening appointments that you didn't think to notify me about? Do you think the others have not seen, do not know? We are learned men and women; you cannot fool us easily or, in this case, at all. And here I find you, engaged in treachery."

The old man's face grew stern as he stood before the young woman. Although she was fully trained and a mage in her own right, she was in her early twenties and brash as they came at that age, especially given her noble bloodline. "There was a time when conferring with our brethren amongst the Sunreavers was not something that would be called 'treachery', and I do not believe that you've the right to judge me as it is; you left my service last year so my business is none of yours."

The woman smiled, the expression devoid of all humor as she studied the older man, "When you engage in activities that could threaten the realm, it becomes my business. The Sunreavers are criminals who aided in genocide. To parlay with them is to incriminate yourself. You will surrender to me and be taken before the House of Nobles where they can see the facts and evidence and judge your guilt or innocence."

"I will do no such thing. You will leave this place, Brithany, and allow us to conclude our business," the old man said sternly. "You have no authority here."

The red-haired woman frowned, her eyes wide now and staring, as if madness gripped her, "I was not asking you. Last chance, Master."

Tension built in the room, as the three squared off, the two humans staring at each other and the blood elf aiming his wand. In a fraction of a second, the peace was shattered as the woman moved her hands outward abruptly, causing the blood elf to discharge his wand.

Bolts of magic flew across the space between elf and human, magic flaring to life around her as wards sewn into her expensive looking dress flickered into existence. The magic bolts were absorbed and their energy forced down into the floor, burning the wood around her feet. Her own spell lashed out, a blast of arcane energies slamming into the old man and throwing him backwards. His own wards flared to life and absorbed much of the spell, but the force of the blast threw him over his chair, slamming his back into the floor and forcing the breath from his lungs.

The blood elf moved to fire his wand again, but the woman was faster, a second spell slashing out and striking the weapon. The wand detonated in the elf's hands, the blast mangling his fingers and arm and causing him to drop to the floor, howling in pain.

Gasping, the old man struggled to untangle himself from the chair, his vision blurry from the forceful impact with the furniture and then the floor. He heard a noise and squinted, his eyesight coming back into focus on a pair of designer shoes, the hem of a red dress hanging just above them and a golden ankle bracelet glinting in the dim light. He looked up, and Brithany stared down at him, cold fury in her eyes.

"Those who betray Stormwind betray the King and all he protects. You betray humanity itself, Master. Your time has come to an end," Brithany stated, her voice flat. "Go to the afterlife, where relics of the past must rest."

Her hand came up and bolt of arcane magic struck the man in the chest, killing him instantly. Brithany stepped over him, circling the table, her manicured nails dragging ominously across the table's surface as she loomed over the wounded elf. He looked up at her from where he had fallen on the floor, his mangled arm bleeding profusely.

"You'll never get away with this madness! You cannot just slay two mages in the middle of the town like this! Your own people will execute you when they find out!" the blood elf yelled at her.

The woman smiled, bending low so she could examine the wounded elf's arm. Her tone was almost cheerful now as she replied, "And yet, I did nothing wrong. I am home at my estate, about to have my afternoon tea even now. I do wonder why you had to go and kill my Master however. Typical evil behavior from one of your kind, and not at all unexpected. He should have known better than to deal with you and yours."

With that she brought her hand up again, another bolt of magic flaring to life in the room. The blood elf's corpse thudded against the ground lifelessly, and she stepped over him, her hand reaching out to grab the amulet that had sat between the two.

She held it up, studying it for a moment before slipping it into a pouch, her gaze returning to the two fallen mages in the dim room. "And so now you know the price for treachery. What the blood elves did will never be forgotten, never be forgiven for as long as I draw breath. I will kill every last one of them if need be, until they can wield magic no longer, until they cry out for mercy. Rest well, Master, and know that the skills you taught me as a child will be put to use for justice."

With that, the red haired woman reached out and snuffed out the candle between two fingers, her heels thudding on the floor as she casually strolled out of the room. Behind her in the darkness she left a familiar crime scene in a place like Booty Bay; two mages with a deal gone bad had killed each other, and the goblin pirates would care not a wit as they looted the corpses and dumped them in the ocean.

Such were the things Brithany had to do for her people, to keep them safe from themselves.  

Arrivals- A Nexus Tale

*Close Nexus Orbit, Arrivals Queue*

"I'm sorry, Lady Solarius, but your ship's manifest does not list that equipment, and some of it is rather...out of the ordinary," the Mechari's voice sounded through the ship's intercom. The robotic voice, normally tinny anyway, was made more so by the way it was altered by the intercom's speakers. Not that Cassandri could hear the voice very well with the heavy metal music she has blasting in the Starclaw's cockpit.

"Are you serious right now? You do realize that this ship is bloody Highborn property and that I've been waiting in queue for three hours right?" Cassandri replied, glaring at the ship that hovered a few hundred meters away from the glass of the Starclaw's viewing port.

Although she sounded angry, Cassandri was reclining in her pilot's chair, her combat-boot clad feet up on one of the control consoles as she idly filed her nails. She frowned as she looked at them, realizing that the waiting had made her impatiently bite some of the black nailpolish off; she'd have to fix them later.

"We apologize for the delay, Lady Solarius, but as you can imagine a lot of equipment is being offloaded from the Destiny right now," the Mechari replied in a monotone voice. "As you can see by the line of transport ships ahead of you, we are a little backlogged. That being said, Class 5 weapon pods are not standard issue for your vessel and we need to examine them and your licenses before you can proceed. I'll have a security vessel dock with you shortly so it can be sorted out and you can be on your way."

Cassandri shook her head, her eyes rolling as the Mechari's voice continued to chitter on. She brushed some of her long black hair out of her face in frustration before setting her nailfile down and giving the patrol vessel out in space a lewd gesture. Even as she did so, a flash of light flickered from the corner of her view and streaked across space, the laser beam striking the patrol craft and blowing it into pieces in a second.

Startled and wide-eyed, Cassandri nearly jumped out of her seat, sitting ramrod straight as the sound of broken bits of what was once the patrol craft pinged harmlessly off the Starclaw's hull. "Bloody hellllllllll....."

Even as she murmured to herself, the shape of another ship drifted down, maneuvering thrusters steadying it as it took up the position that the Dominion patrol craft had just recently occupied. Compared to the gold and red, sleek ship that had just been communicating with Cassandri, the craft she now viewed was an abomination of scrapped together parts and improvised weapon systems. Floodlights came on as the marauder vessel examined Cassandri's ship, several of them shining into her cockpit and making her eyes water. She held a hand up to block some of the light, muttering more curses.

"Well well, a cargo ship full of plunder, and a little lovely thing flying it," a rather gruff voice came through the comm. "Looks like this little raid is gonna pay off big time."

The floodlights dimmed and Cassandri could see the blue-gray alien that was piloting the other craft clearly now, the two vessels only a few dozen meters apart. In the distance, more streaks of lights showed additional marauder ships closing in with Dominion vessels in what appeared to be a full scale pirate raid. The comm buzzed again and the voice was mocking now, "Prepare to be boarded little lady. We'll be takin' what we like."

Cassandri smiled through the glass of her cockpit, offering the pirate a demure little wave before jabbing a finger down on a red button on the console in front of her. Her voice was almost a lustful purr when she responded, "This is going to be fun."

To the pirate's surprise, the sides of the Starclaw opened in several places, more than a dozen weapon systems folding out into space. There was a heavy whine as laser capacitors began to charge, and on the bridge of Cassandri's ship a beeping sound began to repeat over and over again until becoming a solid tone as her ship's missiles locked onto target.

For a brief second, neither marauder nor Highborn moved, the two ships menacing each other at point blank range. The pirate's voice, when it came through the intercomm, was shakey now, "Look...this don't need to get violent little lady. Just take it easy now and we-"

"Goodbye!" Cassandri said cheerfully, pressing another button on her console.

In a second lasers flashed from the Starclaw into the marauder's vessel, the first few hits dissipating on the raider's shields. Return fire from the enemy ship was harmlessly reflected by Cassandri's own shields, both ships losing some power as their vessels struggled to maintain their protections. Unfortunately for the raider, Cassandri's ship was equipped with the best engines, shield modules, and weapons that money could buy, and her ship effortlessly reconfigured the shield to full power, deflecting additional shots.

The third barrage from the Starclaw disabled the raider's shields, allowing the barrage of missiles that followed to strike its hull directly. The ship disappeared in a glowing ball of expanding gasses as it was vaporized, metallic pings ringing through Cassandri's ship for a second time as more debris struck her hull.

Cassandri quickly sunk back into her pilot's chair, her hands grasping the control stick and yanking back on it. She had no time to warn the rest of her crew as the Starclaw lurched into motion, and she could hear cursing and the crash of unsecured cargo falling deep within her vessel. There was no time to worry about that though as another laser streaked through space, narrowly missing the tail end of her ship as she quickly accelerated. Bits of the destroyed marauder vessel bounced off her hull as she pass through the debris field, a second raider vessel hot on her tail.

Cassandri grinned, the thrill of the chase making her heart pound in her chest as she gunned her ship's afterburners. Behind her, the raider struggled to catch up, a barrage of laser fire flickering in space around her. Cassandri threw her ship into a barrel roll, the enemy fire narrowly missing the Starclaw's stubby wingtips.

Ahead of her, a large transport ship was struggling to break formation from the arrivals queue as another raider attempted to board it. With a wicked smile on her face, Cassandri pressed the firing stud on her control stick, watching as half a dozen missiles flashed through space and collided with the slowly moving raider vessel. It exploded, and Cassandri brought her ship down low around the edges of the blast, hugging the side of the transport ship even as laser fire from her pursuer burned holes in its hull.

With a grunt Cassandri yanked the stick hard to the right, sending her ship into a roll around the edge of the transport ship and narrowly avoiding one of the protruding control towers on the vessel. Behind her, the raider attempted to follow her, the less maneuverable vessel flying out wide and losing sight of Cassandri's ship as it flew around the curve of the transport vessel again.

As she reached the 'horizon' of the transport ship's curve, Cassandri pressed a second button on her control stick, sending out thousands of inert flechette rounds out of a port just below the Starclaw's tailfin. As the marauder attempted to catch up with Cassandri and rounded the curve of the transport ship's hull, it intersected with the fast moving projectiles, the little bits of sharpened metal shredding the nose of the pirate ship and sending it into a roll as it lost all control. Secondary explosions rocked the vessel as Cassandri cut back on her ship's throttle and let it sail past her. With a triumphant shout she put a few laser rounds into the already-doomed vessel before turning the nose of her ship.

In space around her, the raiders had already begun to disengage from the fight; they were not there to fight a huge space battle and with three of their ships destroyed and Dominion security likely on the way in force, they had to cut their losses. All that is, except for one marauder that had attached itself to a large transport ship some distance up the line of queued vessels. Cassandri engaged her thrusters again, heading towards the pirates.

She found the vessel snugly secured to the outside of the Dominion transport, and when she scanned the ship, marauder comm signals were detected throughout the ship's bridge and main cargo holds. Cassandri pressed the firing stud on her control stick, sending thousands of laser rounds into the docked marauder vessel and detonating the small craft where it lay against the transport's side. Although the transport would have serious scorching and one of its airlocks was now non-functional, the ship was still intact and, provided the marauders could be removed, would still be valuable to the Dominion.

With a grin, Cassandri brough her ship closer, her display screen showing that there were no marauders in the engine rooms yet. It was time for a boarding action....

*********************************

The captain of the marauder vessel was having a bad day. It had started out well enough of course, what with the destruction of the Dominion patrol craft and the successful boarding of what was likely going to be a loot-rich transport ship. They'd taken out the crew on the main decks and bridge with no problem, even capturing a few of the choicer Dominion citizens for sale later.

No, the problems began when a loud explosion rocked the vessel and threw everyone to the deck. Since then, the emergency airlock doors had closed, cutting him and his men off from their ship; a ship which now was not answering any hails on their comms.

To top it off, the transport ship's engineering crew had sealed themselves in the engine room, and now they had to cut through a solid bulkhead to reach them. He and his men crouched in long corridor that lead to the engine rooms, one of the marauders using a torch in an attempt to cut through the thick metal. It was taking too long, and they were running out of time. If something had happened to their vessel, they needed to complete their capture of the transport ship and get out of this area of space quickly.

Just as the pirate captain began to become really impatient, the bulkhead door that his men had been trying to cut through slid open, the locks activated from the other side. Standing in the doorway was a Cassian woman, her body clad in a mechanical, armored Exo-suit designed for ship boarding exercises. Surrounded by what could almost be called an army of combat bots, she held a heavy gun in her hand.

Through the holographic display screen that painted targeting markers on all of the marauders, the pirate captain could see the woman smile, a glitter of joy in her blue eyes as she pumped a round into the chamber of her gun. Targeting lasers played over his men from the woman and her bots, weapons whining as they powered up.

And then the firefight began.

*********************************

Hours later Cassandri reclined in her pilot's chair, one leg draped over the armrest as she casually ate an apple. Around her space began to lighten, the atmosphere of Nexus beginning to burn off around the Starclaw as the ship descended towards the surface below. It had been a good trip from Cassus, and an eventful one. Fun enough to take Cassandri's mind off her romance troubles back home, and profitable to boot as well when she was thanked personally by the Dominion strike force captain that had come too late to rescue the transport vessels in space. She'd brought honor to the Solarius family name, and she saw it as a good omen for her adventures on this new world.

Besides, the Dominion captain had been pretty cute, and she'd gotten his number. With a grin she tossed her apple core into the trash incinerator beside her and sat up in her chair, grasping the control stick and guiding her ship towards the piece of land she'd purchased. There she would have a base constructed, and begin her work for the Dominion in earnest.