Sovereigns game

Reset. Where are we even going with this?

Int. The wide room. The grand hall. Visitors Center to the right, gift shop attached. Some cafes, probably; this is civilisation, after all. Hallways leading off. Wide doors. Staircases. The entire second floor is a conference venue. This is the base floor of the Atlas Tower of the Magi. There are five towers in total, rising above the great city covering the plains, between the forested mountains. Seres, Gorgon, Torrent, Calcutta, and at their center, Atlas, the main one. The tall one. There are other floors below this, but they are not typically open to the public. The floors above vary. Most of the libraries have hours. The restaurants, the overlooks, the gardens, these are all open when they are open. Anyone could probably walk into one of the meditation chambers at any time, if only they knew where they were going, and as long as they didn't make trouble, nobody would mind.

Nissa is in the base now, getting coffee, or whatever their local equivalent is. Whatever her equivalent is. Something sticky and unpronounceable. Boba. She's that kind of student, not that most of the folk around her would take her for a student. She's not really dressed like one, but nor is she dressed like a master. Mostly she's just dressed like a random person, surrounded by random people, chatter filling the space.

She finds a table, sits down, pulls out a tablet, pulls up some spells. Their forms hover over the table, the accompanying text appearing on air, backed in opaque white. She reads them carefully, mouthing the forms, trying to shape them in her mind. There are rooms set aside for exactly this higher up. Quiet rooms. Fireproof rooms. Rooms with serene views and carefully constructed soundtracks and no distractions, carefully designed to facilitate learning and retention.

Nissa doesn't want facilitation. She wants the real world. She wants to learn in the same chaos and cacophony she'll be using it in. She wants her damn boba.

Her fingers spark, and she shakes it off onto the table. That wasn't even remotely related to the spell she was trying to do. She peers at the notes, flicking through the pages - has she stumbled upon something else, perhaps?

The problem is, Nissa is brilliant. Among the Magi, she's considered a prodigy, a sensitivity to the Source unlike anything they've seen before. But it's not true. She might be good, rather better than average, even, but her skill is not talent, and she isn't some sort of magical nexus. It's all skill, trained by an intellect ever seeking answers, with a focus born of practice and discipline. If it were the same discipline employed by the Magi, it would be fine. But it isn't. She made it all up as she went, following the mathematical patterns of the physics of the rest of the universe, assuming there would be parallels with the magic of the Source itself.

And, though she doesn't fully understand it yet, she was right.

Int. Elsewhere. Ciphreya: another city, another world, another galaxy. Civilised, but differently. This is much smaller, and isolate. A sanctuary in crystalline architecture, away from the troubles of the rest of the universe. They consider themselves the apex of development, here, the heart of a monumental organisation. They're right, to a point. Their influence is huge, and spans across the local clusters. Beyond that point, they're not so right. It's too far away. They don't even know what's out there. The void. The abyss. Dark beyond of the universe. Other civilisations, perhaps, with other apexes. They haven't made contact, and the gods have been vague to a fault.

But their gods back them. Their gods are among them. That makes it all right. Right?

Rahah doesn't think so. She wants everyone to just leave her alone, let her grow up, play, make friends and be ridiculous. She's only six. She's a god, or at least the reincarnation of one, or so everyone keeps insisting. She doesn't want to be a god. She wants to be normal.

She's incarnated as a Deresi, but passes for Nissai: an elf apparently in her adolescence, adult proportions, but lanky, short. Her control over her magic betrays her most of all. A teenager would be able to cast a light without setting it on fire. A teenager would actually know how to cast in the first place. But everything Rahah tries comes out wrong. She can't shape the spells at all. Mostly she can do tricks with force, pushing and pulling at a distance. Sometimes she manages to control the flow of raw energy. But she can't shape it.

So mostly she doesn't. She pretends not even to be a caster at all. It's easier than to admit the truth: as Deresi, her connection to the Source is different. She is her own source, her own nexus. And so the general hatred and mistrust of Deresi passes her by, but so, too, do opportunities. Opportunities to learn and grow. Opportunities to understand.

The Source. One of the lingering mysteries of the universe. Every great civilisation has, if they progressed far enough, tried to tap into it at some point on a global scale. It is, after all, a source of power, a connection between worlds, the exception that makes Darstaddian physics work. Like the ambient matter that holds galaxies together, it is the ambient energy that pulls all forces together, and so it is used to power entire civilisations, to reinvent travel, to rebuild the foundation of the very concept of existence. The downfall of many, in time, has been taking this too far. The cenva, the first ones, remade their very selves upon this, and thus unmade themselves. The gods were reborn of these fragments. The Artiil, the humans, launched themselves into the cosmos on the tails of their own unmaking, destroying their homeworld, but not, at least, their own being.

To engineers and architects, it is but another tool, another constraint, to use and work around.

To casters, those born with an innate sensitivity who choose to pursue its more personal application, or who have it engineered into them later in life, it is a wellspring of power and madness. Most remain at the surface, only pulling small amounts of power, for simple things: to ease the day to day, complement other skills, perform some tricks, but stick to the known, written spells, and never go too far. But some delve deeper. The madmen, the visionaries, the sorcerers. These are inevitably the pioneers, those who discover its applications, who write up the theorems that form the basis for new spells, and for the more global applications of the civilisations themselves. Some of them become gods. Many destroy themselves. Others skirt disaster at every new reach, only to find themselves changed no matter how careful they were, for it always changes its users, the more so the deeper, the darker, they go.

There are speculations as to how deep it goes. There are speculations as to there being another side: a dark side, an existence far stranger, that mirrors our own, perhaps, or something else entirely. But these are only speculations. There are no hypotheses, not that can be tested.

Even the gods don't know, save, perhaps, for one. The Spirit of the Universe. She's not even a god anymore, not really, but she was, once. Long ago. Before she changed. Maybe, just maybe, she reached that other, darker, side. Maybe this was what changed her. The Deathgods, after all, call her their Dark Sister. But she doesn't speak with mortals. She doesn't even speak with gods anymore. The Deathgods act as her liaisons on the rare occasion she deems anything worth communicating, and she doesn't accept questions.

The man sits down across from her, and Nissa looks up in surprise. It's Damorin, one of the Magi masters. "I missed you today," he says. "You need to practise."

"I do practise," Nissa replies. "I'm practising right now."

"What?" Damorin asks. "The lessons give structure. If you don't practise the key foundations..."

"Your key foundations don't work," Nissa says, cutting him off. "There's structure here, but it's all arbitrary anyway. Isn't it more important that I have a structure, rather than conflicting it with contradictory bases?"

"You're a magus," Damorin says. "You can't just make up your own basis. It doesn't work that way."

Nissa stares at him, dropping a half-shaped spell in a small flash of colour. She doesn't know what to say to this. She's already said too much. Unaffiliated magic is illegal in the Commonwealth, but it's hardly safe in the Union, either, the neighbouring militaristic state with which an uneasy truce is maintained purely out of necessity: an all-out war would devastate both parties, and leave the galaxy in ruins. So she'd joined the Magi, the Commonwealth mages, and tried to get along with their particular approach. She'd found it utterly stifling.

"What I mean to say is I can do all that already!" Nissa says. "Why do I need to go to these lessons? They're pointless."

"Really?" Damorin asks. "Show me a common star."

Nissa holds up her hand and a pinpoint of light appears above it.

Damorin nods. "Make a purification."

Nissa gives him a slightly surprised look, and then pulls up the spell on her tablet, before shaping it out according to the instructions. She drops it over the table, and it sparkles, clean.

"You need to know the spells," Damorin says, frowning. "That won't work in the field."

"Why would I need to clean something on the spot without time to look it up?" Nissa asks. "What possible situation could mandate that?" What she doesn't mention is that she already has another cleaning spell - a much less pristine version with a more variable scope. Hers looks natural, unlike this. Like cleaning by hand, it takes multiple passes, multiple castings, to make anything actually pristine. She uses it daily when no one's looking, to avoid having to clean things up by hand.

"I can think of a few," Damorin says.

Begin original

INT. Ciphreya: a wide hall - day

Tall, sweeping windows line a well-lit hall, overlooking an elaborate city floating on the ocean beyond, the outside architecture fashioned after ice. Lights on the ceiling complement the light from outside, illuminating architecture that is a nice cross between futuristic and fantastical, but also clearly just a hall, with some doors off on one end and another, and some potted plants serving as decoration.

A deresi girl, RAHAH, is sitting on the crenalation over the far door, pulling her hair back, looking totally at ease and on top of things. She is also very small, despite appearing nearly fully grown.

A man, JERDALIM, enters, pauses a moment in surprise, and then proceeds over to Rahah, passing some yaks. He stops a respectful distance away, and eyes Rahah consideringly for a moment.

Rahah pulls at her hair, trying to get it up.

JERDALIM

Sovereign? Are you all right?

Rahah stops, finally looking down and noticing Jerdalim.

RAHAH

Yeah, it's just my hair. You know.

JERDALIM

That's not what I meant.

A yak nudges at Jerdalim in search of treats.

The floor is a total mess. Stuff is everywhere, broken furniture, doors, an entire shredded notebook. Yaks are also around, several just lying on the ground, and others standing about, eating the junk and plants.

RAHAH

(shaking her head)

Oh, er, this wasn't me.

JERDALIM

(skeptically)

Riiiight.

Is this a bad time? Should I... come back later?

RAHAH

What? No, no, that's fine. What's up?

JERDALIM

It's about your proposal. The Committee would like to discuss it with you, and since you put for your availability 'whenever'...

RAHAH

When?

JERDALIM

Well, now, really. It's just that they couldn't get you on comms, so...

Look, in light of all this, it would be completely understandable should you want to... reschedule.

RAHAH

No, no, no, that's fine! I can do now. Just give me a moment... untangle my hair...

(twisting about to untangle her clothes from the wall)

Agh!

She pulls her hair free and falls to the floor, landing in an undignified heap in front of another yak.

The yak sniffs at her.

INT. Ciphreya: more hallways and stuff - day

These halls are in much better order. An obelisk thing is mounted in the middle of a circle at the end of one, and in a flash of light, Rahah and Jerdalim appear next to it.

Jerdalim immediately marches off, and Rahah follows, but lags behind a bit finishing putting up her hair for real this time. It winds up in a huge bun tied at the back of her head, with a fair bit of it just randomly sticking out in every direction.

She hurries to catch up, and then has to continue to hurry a bit just to keep up. She's much shorter than he is.

Other folks pass by, of various species.

RAHAH

So what's the verdict? Is it a go? Did they accept it?

JERDALIM

That's what we need to talk to you about.

RAHAH

But is it a yes? Is that why you're actually talking?

JERDALIM

Patience.

Rahah unhappily quiets, falling a bit behind again.

Some of the passersby eye them curiously. A few of them make respectful gestures.

INT. Ciphreya: Arbitration Committee chambers - day

It's a wide room, with more windows overlooking the city, but from higher up, here. A large horseshoe-shaped table takes up most of the space, the opening facing the door. At it (or on it) are seated the Committee, of various species: VELORIUN COMB, MASASSA ANALI, TERSULLES, SHICHIRI MIUSUKE, HADALLIS RAN AKORE, NAIJE, and KANUNN. Several other seats are empty. A few of them are talking. Others are working at data pads. Masassa Anali is at the head, looking imposing and somewhat irate at her pad. Tersulles is staring off out a window, tapping a pen on her nose. Naije is a cat, and sitting on the table. Veloriun Comb has what looks suspiciously like a bottle of bubbles in front of him.

Jerdalim goes and takes his seat. The others glance at him enquiringly, and he sighs and gestures toward the door.

Rahah enters a moment later, and stops uncertainly at the opening of the horseshoe.

Masassa Anali stands.

MASASSA ANALI

Sovereign. On behalf of the Arbitration Committee of the Hadris Citheldryn, welcome.

RAHAH

Hi. Sorry I'm late and smell like a yak.

MASASSA ANALI

(sitting)

I am pleased to inform you that your proposal to initiate formal diplomatic relations with the Magi of Edo has been accepted.

RAHAH

(brightening up)

In full?

MASSASSA ANALI

There are matters to discuss, of course. Questions to be answered.

NAIJE

Who will lead this venture?

RAHAH

I covered that in the proposal. I'll be taking a team of agents-

NAIJE

(interrupting)

You?! You are a child.

Veloriun blows some bubbles. They drift colourfully over the table. Nobody acknowledges them.

RAHAH

I am a qualified agent of the Citheldryn.

Naije snorts a laugh.

SHICHIRI MIUSUKE

You lack experience. This would be your first mission.

RAHAH

Because you won't let me go on any!

KANNUN

(talking over Rahah)

She raises a valid point. She passed all her qualifications. We have little reason not to let her go.

NAIJE

She is the reincarnation of the sovereign. Her endangerment is reason enough even besides.

KANNUN

Bring her as an agent. Protectors will accompany her, and can sequester her in the voidship if needed.

Shichiri shrugs.

HADALLIS RAN AKORE

I see no harm in it.

NAIJE

I suppose...

A bubble lands on Naije's nose. She hisses at it.

RAHAH

But...

SHICHIRI MIUSUKE

Who do you want to head this up, then?

JERDALIM

Tersulles?

Tersulles glances over at him enquiringly, twirling her pen.

JERDALIM

You're our best diplomat.

TERSULLES

Oh, very well. But since you volunteered me, you get to sort out the paperwork.

INT. Ciphreya: hangar - evening

It's a room much like the rest of the city, well-finished, full of light, but bigger, with huge windows, and full of ships. In the darkening evening, the city outside glitters and glows.

Some folks by a sleek-looking sports craft. One of them is juggling knives. Another has a cat on his head, but neither he nor the cat are doing much.

Rahah skates past them, in the black ciphreyan guard uniform, now with weapons holstered on her thighs (they're basically cylinders, about a 20cm long each), headed for the Voidship: a strange contraption of spheres and rings and pointy bits, with some stairs coming out. Tersulles and six agents (VARRAS, TULL, AMANSTANI, TENENBAUME, KEKE AMA, and LHORYS) are in front of it, with another two in and out loading things (AA and TAJIRA LOS). Several agents are also in uniform, and noticeably armed.

TERSULLES

Ah, you came. Did you bring your mask?

RAHAH

(holding up a small gem)

Mask and three backup shields.

TERSULLES

Very good. Keep that on at all times.

RAHAH

Why? The Edo are fairly peaceful.

Rahah puts the gem on regardless, sticking it to the middle of her forehead. A faint glow spreads over her and then disappears.

TERSULLES

Just in case. You never know when you might get stampeded by yaks.

RAHAH

That only happened once!

TERSULLES

And aren't you glad you had a shield on?

Rahah grumbles.

The other two agents come out again and come over.

TERSULLES

Everyone, thank you for signing on. As you may know, if you read the brief...

(she pauses)

How many of you did read the brief?

Three agents raise their hands, one very hesitantly.

A couple of others just look confused.

VARRAS

There was a brief?

TULL

Usually is.

VARRAS

But you didn't read it either?

Tersulles sighs.

TERSULLES

I must honestly wonder what those who hold our organisation in high regard would think if they saw this.

TULL

Oh, we're totally professional. We just need to put on our professional faces first. Isn't that right?

AMANSTANI

Unequivocally.

Arbitrator, come on. Tell us what we need to know to pretend to be professionals.

TERSULLES

As you all would know if you had actually read the brief, this is a diplomatic mission to the Magi of the galaxy of Edo. I will be acting as ambassador. You all will be acting as assistants and guards, and generally pretending to be real professionals. Is this clear?

The agents nod.

AMANSTANI

Sure.

TERSULLES

I also want you to observe the Edo while we do this. See what stands out. See what feels off. There may be undercurrents in their worlds that we do not yet know, and it is your job to follow up on them.

Lastly, be aware that we have the Sovereign with us.

(she indicates Rahah)

She is here as an agent like you, but should things go... awry, her safety is our first priority.

Rahah gives Tersulles an annoyed look.

Tenenbaume raises a hand slightly.

TERSULLES

Yes?

TENENBAUME

Awry how?

TERSULLES

Awry. Wrong. Problems. Catastrophic failure. Anything from and up to rabid squirrels to imploding planets. Completely overreacting regardless of the situation is fine.

TENENBAUME

(raising his hand again)

How 'completely' is 'completely overreacting'?

TULL

Like if we implode the planet in reaction to rabid squirrels.

AA

That seems excessive.

TULL

Exactly!

TERSULLES

We do want to avoid excessive loss of life, damages, or anything up to or including starting a war.

Tenenbaume raises his hand again. Tersulles just stares at him flatly.

TENENBAUME

Define 'excessive'.

Tersulles sighs heavily.

INT. Voidship: main chamber - night

They eventually get going, piling into the main chamber. Aa is in a poofy armchair piloting. Tersulles is seated at a table pointedly ignoring everyone else. The others are mostly just standing around, the walls around them acting as windows to the city falling away from them outside. The chamber is otherwise full of sofas and tables of very random heights, with some screens floating midair.

They quickly get out into space, and Rahah stares out at the dwindling planet in fascination.

A moment later, the stars blur and disappear.

KEKE AMA

(miming utter horror)

Oh gods what is this we're in space how how how is that even whaaaaat?

She flails a bit to emphasise her point.

Tull just stares at her.

KEKE AMA

(stopping)

You people are no fun.

Oy Sovereign. This your first time offworld?

RAHAH

Naw, I've been in games.

KEKE AMA

Real ones, or online?

RAHAH

Both.

KEKE AMA

(nodding)

Those your weapons?

Rahah pulls out one of her weapons and turns it on as a double ended plasma sword and twirls it a bit like a baton.

VARRAS

So what happens if you drop it?

RAHAH

Er...

Rahah hastily turns it back off and puts it away.

KEKE AMA

Cool. Never seen that outside of games before.

RAHAH

Yeah, I had them made based on my Sarathi spec.

Keke Ama looks a bit skeptical, but nods.

AA

This'll be a few hours, kids. Get comfortable and stop freaking out our resident Tersulles, please.

Tersulles looks up, and then hastily goes back to her pad.

INT. Gorgon Tower: training room - afternoon

A class is going on. It's a large room, but they're not really using the space: several apprentices are standing around a master Magi, DAMORIN. One apprentice, NISSA, is off the side, leaning against a wall.

MASTER DAMORIN

Hold the shape in your mind - picture it, know it, feel it.

A few of the apprentices look confused. A couple start making the shape of a ball with their hands. Nissa just remains as she is, watching.

MASTER DAMORIN

(nodding)

Now make the shape with your hands. Feel it fill them - guide the energy to become.

The apprentices shape out a ball. Some of their hands fill with light. One of them draws his light up and tries to throw it at the ceiling, but it fizzles out first. Another, ZHANA, has nothing happen for a bit, before her hands suddenly catch fire. She shakes them out, trying to get rid of the fire, and then starts screaming for help.

APPRENTICE ZHANA

Agh agh ow agh get it off get it off!

Damorin hurries over to the burning apprentice and grabs her hands, putting out the fire and healing them.

APPRENTICE ZHANA

(staring at her hands)

Ow.

MASTER DAMORIN

(turning toward Nissa)

Nissa?

Nissa holds up a finger and a point of light appears over it.

MASTER DAMORIN

Good.

He turns back to the others.

MASTER DAMORIN

Let's all try that again. Know what you want, and form the shape in your minds...

Nissa sighs and stares off out the window. Billowing clouds thread their way through the high towers of the urbanised valley, while the deeps below glow strangely. Ships and planes buzz about like insects. In the distance, forested mountains, though huge, are only barely visible behind it all.

NISSA

(softly, but like thunder)

Dream.

Her perspective shifts, drifting slowly, then flying out the window at speed, among the ships, through the clouds. Towers blur past, and then the mountains rise up around, full of ragged faces and grasping trees.

EXT. Tavakind mountains - afternoon

Nissa is in the forest, standing amidst the trees. Her form is wispy, not all there. She reaches out to touch a nearby tree, but her hand goes right through it. She glaces at the ground, but she's floating a bit above it.

MASTER DAMORIN

Nissa.

The voice is too loud, but also not there. It echos through her mind like an unwanted thought.

MASTER DAMORIN

Nissa!

INT. Gorgon Tower: training room - late afternoon

Nissa turns around in surprise. Damorin has a hand on her shoulder, looking concerned.

The other apprentices are all gone.

MASTER DAMORIN

Are you well?

NISSA

Yeah, sure. What...

(she looks around)

How long was I...?

MASTER DAMORIN

The class just ended.

NISSA

Oh. Uh...

MASTER DAMORIN

What were you doing?

NISSA

(turning bright red and looking away)

Nothing. I... nothing.

Damorin frowns.

MASTER DAMORIN

I understand your desire to move on to more advanced magics, but the rules are the rules. You must complete your basic training.

NISSA

Why? I can do all this already. It's just... basic stuff. I could not show up at all and still ace the tests.

MASTER DAMORIN

But you do. And you must. For control.

NISSA

I have better control already than some of the advanced apprentices.

MASTER DAMORIN

True. But your impatience does you no credit, either.

NISSA

At least you understand. Some of the masters just get so mean about it. It's not my fault this all comes so naturally!

MASTER DAMORIN

You are a Magi, Nissa. Your power is your burden, and you must shoulder it as such. If your power is greater, then so your control must be even more so. Where others may scrape by with acceptables, you must exceed, or you place us all at risk. Do you understand?

NISSA

Uh...

MASTER DAMORIN

You don't need to follow the lessons exactly. But show up. Witness how the others learn. Practice yourself. That will still be worthwhile.

NISSA

For things I could do in my sleep? How can that...

An explosion shakes the tower, and a somewhat horrifying creak rumbles through its frame a moment after.

Nissa nearly falls over before quickly recovering herself. Damorin sticks out a hand to steady himself, and cocks his head.

NISSA

What was that?

MASTER DAMORIN

I don't sense anything.

NISSA

Warlocks?

Damorin gives Nissa a look, and then hurries off toward the door. He sweeps a hand in a circle off to his side, summoning a disk under him, which lifts him a bit off the ground.

Nissa runs up and hops on the disk as well as it carries him off.

INT. Gorgon Tower: exploded area - late afternoon

The area is somewhat exploded, with chunks of things and various whatnots around, but nothing terribly structural seems damaged. Wounded people are also around, with Magi healers tending to them. A few are outright dead.

Master Damorin and Nissa fly in through a window, Damorin standing confidently in place and Nissa sitting next to him clinging kind of desperately to his legs, totally ruining the effect.

Damorin glides over toward some folks who don't seem so busy as the others. One of them is a bit singed.

MASTER DAMORIN

(stopping in front of them)

What happened here?

Nissa stops clinging to his legs as soon as the disk stops.

SINGED GUY

(gesturing really big with his arms)

Like boom.

NISSA

We figured that much out already.

SINGED GUY

Well, like, I dunno. Everything was normal. And then boom.

MASTER DAMORIN

No sign of anything amiss prior? Anyone acting suspicious?

SINGED GUY

No, man, it was normal. Normal!

NISSA

Someone could have put an explosive down before and...

We're in the wrong place. This was just the distraction.

Damorin guides the disk on away from the others.

Nissa barely manages to avoid yelping and clinging to his legs again.

MASTER DAMORIN

I agree. But from what?

NISSA

I dunno, if you were blowing up Gorgon Tower, what would you be trying to distract from?

What's rather distant from here and generally full of magi?

MASTER DAMORIN

Many things, I fear.

NISSA

What is all that and has anything warlocks might be after?

MASTER DAMORIN

Why do you suspect warlocks?

NISSA

You don't sense anything, I don't. No intent, no malice. Nothing. Aaaaagh.

(she cowers down on the disk a bit, clinging to the edge)

It's like there's nobody here, and the only way you get that is if you're actively shielded. Why would anyone not magic shield themselves?

Damorin nods, but Nissa is not paying any attention whatsoever to him, and instead squeezing her eyes shut and barely managing to avoid panicking.

MASTER DAMORIN

Very good.

NISSA

(opening an eye)

So that leaves a few obvious options, right? The council, the archives, engineering, that thing nobody ever talks about in Seres Tower.

MASTER DAMORIN

Let's take a wild guess and check the archives.

He zips the disk back out anther missing window.

Nissa shrieks and grabs his legs again.

EXT. Magi compound - evening

They fly out over the open air between towers, headed for an even taller, bigger tower, rising quickly to regain the height they'd previously lost. All of the Magi towers are much taller, fancier, and bigger than the surrounding city, but this one, the Atlas Tower, is the tallest of all.

It's a bit like Nissa's dream vision, but much windier, and for this she spends the entire time clinging to Damorin.

Damorin raises a hand as they approach the Atlas Tower, and then opens a portal through the wall. They zip in through it and the portal closes behind them.

INT. Atlas Tower: archives - evening

The archives look normal enough: shelves of books, scrolls, and other things cover the walls. Tables with terminals take up much of the rest of the space.

Damorin and Nissa glide in through one of the side rooms out into the main room, before Damorin finally dismisses the disk and drops back to the floor. Nissa falls on her arse and just sits there in relief for a moment, looking around.

NISSA

Well, nobody's here.

DAMORIN

Shh. Listen.

They stand and sit, respectively, in silence for a moment. The soft buzz of the terminals fills the silence, covering other sounds in the structure of the building: a vague creak as the structure shifts, sounds of mechanical parts, and plumbing. Footsteps in another room. Breathing: one heavy, one rapid, one perfectly, deadly calm. Another, slightly less calm. Heartbeats. A voice. The rapid one.

LIRIEN MAYASU

We're in, master.

Nissa glances up at Damorin inquiringly.

MASTER DAMORIN

They're here. Three of them.

(he glances down at Nissa, smiling slightly)

Warlocks.

NISSA

(starting out kind of happy and then just sounding disappointed)

Uh... oh.

MASTER DAMORIN

You may follow, but stay back, and keep a shield ready.

Damorin heads off toward the sounds.

Nissa follows after him, brightening up considerably.

INT. Atlas Tower: collections - evening

Lirien Mayasu is opening a case.

Yoishe is kneeling by the wall, holding herself perfectly still.

Dazroth is holding a glowing blue sword to Yoishe's throat.

Horgon is standing a bit off to the side, holding a very large gun like a cherished child.

Damorin stops at the doorway, and Horgon cheerfully points his gun at him.

HORGON

(grinning)

Looks like it's a party!

YOISHE

Damorin...

Dazroth silences her by moving his blade slightly closer. A tendril of smoke rises off the edge.

DAZROTH

Shhh, my sweet.

(to Damorin)

You would be wise to come no closer. Let us finish what we came to do, and there will be no more suffering.

MASTER DAMORIN

And what is that, exactly?

Dazroth smiles slightly.

Nissa pokes her head in around Damorin.

NISSA

Hi. Can I watch?

DAZROTH

Of course.

MASTER DAMORIN

(warningly)

Nissa...

NISSA

Hey, if he's fine with it...

Nissa scoots inside and stops a short distance from Lirien Mayasu.

NISSA

Whatcha doing?

Horgon gives Nissa a considering look, and then points his gun at her, instead.

LIRIEN MAYASU

These cases are rigged to remove all items if they detect improper opening. I need to find the correct methods working backwards and then execute them exactly.

NISSA

By scoping it out with magic?

LIRIEN MAYASU

Yes.

NISSA

Cool.

Credit

GUY

Sovereign. This may be of interest to you.

The guy holds out a golden card.

RAHAH

What is it?

GUY

Currency. Credit, specifically.

He hands Rahah the card, and she turns it about, catching the light on it.

GUY

You just tap that to pay, most places. Spend it on whatever you want. We have plenty.

RAHAH

How much is plenty?

The guy smirks.

GUY

Plenty. Just... if you want to buy a planet or something, do let us know first, okay?

Rahah looks at him in surprise, and then the card.

Tersulles sighs disapprovingly.

Pick up job

INT. Somewhat seedy restaurant - day

Rahah and Nissa sit down at a free table and look around a bit in bemusement.

A HOLOGRAM of a generic waitress pops up on the table.

HOLOGRAM

Anything to drink, ladies?

RAHAH

Uh, yes. We'd like... drinks.

NISSA

Yes.

HOLOGRAM

Could you please repeat that?

RAHAH

Drinks.

HOLOGRAM

Item is not found on the menu. Would you like a list of all available items?

NISSA

Are any of them full of bees?

HOLOGRAM

Could you please repeat that?

A well-dressed but somewhat scarred man, COMNEN, slips into the spare seat.

COMNEN

I understand you have a job for me.

HOLOGRAM

Could you please repeat that?

COMNEN

Shut up.

HOLOGRAM

Could you please repeat that?

COMNEN

Bottle of vodka and five glasses.

HOLOGRAM

(brightly)

Coming right up!

NISSA

Five?

COMNEN

You have anyone else coming?

NISSA

No?

COMNEN

Oh. Well, whatever. You looking to hire me or not?

NISSA

Well, yeah, maybe.

RAHAH

You any good at transporting... questionable items?

COMNEN

You know that's basically my entire job description, right?

A totally legitimate transport enterprise, of course, but sometimes with problems. Solved. In the process.

Nissa nods skeptically and looks at Rahah for help.

RAHAH

Er, we don't really get out much.

COMNEN

And what exactly did you want me to do?

NISSA

Pick up and transport.

COMNEN

And the problem?

RAHAH

The pickup is from the Atlas Tower of the Magi compound, and the transport is kind of in... Union space.

Comnen stares at them blankly.

COMNEN

(finally)

What.

NISSA

We'll get the item to you. We simply need a pickup after.

COMNEN

Wasn't there a... situation there not a few days ago? Some sort of robbery then too? Did that have anything to do with you?

NISSA

Why? Does this worry you?

COMNEN

Yes?

RAHAH

It's okay. They like us there.

NISSA

No they don't.

RAHAH

(giving Nissa an annoyed look)

Well, they like you.

NISSA

(uncertainly)

Er...

Rahah gives her a worried look.

RAHAH

Okay, look. The initial thing wasn't us, wasn't even related to us. This is just another thing. You show up, pick us up. If we don't show up in an hour...

(she turns to Nissa)

It is an hour, right?

NISSA

Huh?

RAHAH

The parking permits. They're an hour, right?

NISSA

Oh, yeah.

(to Comnen; catching on)

You'll have a permit and stuff. Just show up, park, and we'll come out to you. If we don't come out before it expires, just leave.

RAHAH

Perfectly legal.

COMNEN

How are you getting me a parking permit, exactly?

RAHAH

Let us sort that out.

COMNEN

No, really. Not everyone on my crew is strictly legal, if you know what I mean, so it's going to have to be a real permit.

NISSA

No, no, it's real. We're Magi. Sort of. It'll work. I mean, it might be stolen, but...

Comnen sighs.

COMNEN

(skeptically)

Do you even have credit?

Nissa looks at Rahah uncertainly.

RAHAH

Yes.

COMNEN

I'll need 50 thousand.

RAHAH

Okay.

COMNEN

Half of that up front.

RAHAH

That's fine.

Nissa gapes.

COMNEN

(surprised)

Well. Then I suppose we have ourselves a deal.

Pickup

INT. Atlas Tower: collections - morning

EXT. Atlas Tower: lot - morning

Comnen is standing outside his ship, having a smoke. A ROBED MAGI approaches him.

ROBED MAGI

Evening.

COMNEN

Hey.

ROBED MAGI

What brings you here?

COMNEN

Job.

ROBED MAGI

Oh?

Comnen shrugs.

COMNEN

Didn't ask.

The Magi nods and goes a bit past to look out over the view. There's a view.

The door to the Atlas tower opens and Rahah and Nissa run out, Nissa manhandling a large floating crate, and Rahah lagging a bit behind.

The door closes behind them, and then reopens a moment later.

A RUNNING MAGI comes out after them.

RAHAH

Shit shit shit shit shit!

Rahah runs faster, getting ahead of Nissa, and then, weaving her arms over her head, casts to hurl the crate up and over them at Comnen.

The running Magi chasing them throws a ball of lightning, which Rahah ducks.

COMNEN

(backing up)

What the...

The crate nearly hits a the ground a few meters in front of him, before its levitating supports get it back up again, and it slides toward him.

RUNNING MAGI

Hey!

The robed Magi stops the crate with a wave of his hand, draws his sword, and advances on Rahah and Nissa.

ROBED MAGI

Stop.

NISSA

(slowing)

Oh crap...

Rahah pulls out one of her weapons and makes a sword with it as well, not stopping.

Comnent pulls an earpiece out of his pocket and hastily puts it on.

COMNEN

Sokar. Sokar?

He fiddles at the earpiece a bit.

COMNEN

(backing toward his ship)

Sokar!

...fuck. Right.

The robed Magi stops and gestures a symbol in the air in front of him, and a beam of light spears down out of the sky at Rahah.

The running Magi chasing them nearly grabs Nissa, but she twists away and retaliates with a blast of pure force, shoving the Magi back.

NISSA

(recoiling)

...oh gods. I just did that. I just did that!

Rahah holds her sword up over he head, turning it into a shield, which absorbs the force of the beam as she runs through it.

COMNEN

(yelling at Nissa)

Hey, girl! Get your crate!

Comnen turns and runs into the ship.

Nissa startles and recovers herself, finds the crate, and runs for that, instead.

The robed Magi moves to block Nissa's path, but Rahah jumps at him, drawing her other weapon too, attacking all out with two double-bladed swords, forcing him to fend her off instead. He parries and ripostes with his sword, and then knocks Rahah back with a blast of energy when she blocks with one of her swords.

Rahah shoots at him instead, and dances around him as he whips a chain of crackling lightning at her, still guarding with his sword.

ROBED MAGI

Stop this nonsense. I have no wish to harm you.

RAHAH

Yeah, well...

Rahah jumps back, swinging the swords at him and turning them on and off as needed, but he deflects each attack with a flick of his fingers.

Nissa gets to the crate and shoves it back toward the ship, and then gives chase after it.

The robed Magi jumps toward Nissa, and Rahah jumps in front of him, blocking his path, swinging her swords in tandem. He knocks the blades aside unnaturally quickly with his own sword, and turns it into a thrust right at her, which she blocks with one, but only barely. He presses the advantage, pushing both his sword and Rahah's plasma blade closer to her face. She turns off her spare and braces it against the other in attempt to push back.

Nissa shoves the crate up the ramp into the ship, just as it starts to take off, and jumps onto the ramp after it.

NISSA

Rahah!

Rahah dodges to the side, letting the sword fall past her, and then swings back at the Magi as he comes around for another one-handed swing as well, black flames tricking down his free hand, and a series of impossible swings and parries and blocks ensue as the flames begin to build.

Nissa gathers up a ball of swirling energies in her own hands as the ship continues to slowly rise.

NISSA

(insistently)

RAHAH!

Rahah jumps up, sailing into the air, and the Magi throws the black flames after her. She casts her swords out to the sides, forming the blades into a shield around her even as she continues to rise, and the flames hit a moment later, exploding over this bubble.

Nissa hurls her own ball of energy down at the Magi, and he drops to the ground, covering himself in a shield. The running Magi hurries toward him.

Nissa grabs Rahah and yanks her onto the the ship's cargo ramp as well, and they run inside.

INT. Shades Softly: cargo hold

Nissa and Rahah find themselves in a cargo hold full of random stuff, past an inner door for the airlock. The crate has bonked into a heap of stuff and stopped.

COMNEN

(over the intercom)

Are you idiots on? If so, shut the door and get up here!

RAHAH

(putting her weapons away)

What?

Nissa bonks a large button by the door, and the door closes and the ramp retracts.

NISSA

(sounding resigned)

This way, I think.

INT. Shades Softly: cockpit

The cockpit is a cockpit with windows, screens, and consoles. A pilot and copilot seat are in front, with two seats behind them. Comnen is in the pilot seat, taking the ship rapidly up into the upper atmosphere.

COMNEN

Nice of you to join us. Now strap yourselves in before things start to get interesting, eh?

NISSA

(taking the seat behind him)

Interesting how?

Rahah takes the copilot seat and tries to figure out the buckles for a moment before getting it.

COMNEN

No way your Magi friends aren't reporting that. We have a few minutes, maybe, but... ever run from cops, girls?

They slip into a lane of ship traffic headed offworld.

NISSA

Er... no?

RAHAH

Is it fun?

COMNEN

(yawning)

Tremendously.

They get further out into space without much issue over the next few minutes. Comnen mostly just sits there letting the ship drive itself.

NISSA

Rahah?

RAHAH

Hmm?

NISSA

How screwed are we?

RAHAH

Well, as much as my people aren't going to be terribly happy about this, we did just formally break off all relations anyway. Yours are probably going to be double annoyed.

An incoming transmission causes something to notify, and Comnen flicks the button to turn it on.

TRANSMISSION PERSON

Transport address e695.db43.2158, you are witnessed and registered for illegal activities. Return to port now for proccessing.

COMNEN

(bonking at the button)

Ah, shut up.

TRANSMISSION PERSON

Transport address e695.db43.2158, excuse me? Return to port, or you will be disabled. This is your final warning.

COMNEN

Oh, I'm sorry, did I hit the wrong button? What I meant to say was...

(he leans really close to the mic)

GO FUCK YOURSELF. WITH A FISH.

Comnen hits the correct button this time, silencing the comms.

NISSA

(scrunching up a bit, uncertainly)

Er... that... shouldn't we do what they say? They know the ship, there's not...

COMNEN

(leaning forward and shooting them out of traffic)

Nah, this happens sometimes. Rejig the paint, set a new registry address and they'll never know it's us. Course we need to get out of their worlds first, buuut...

The police boats start shooting at them, and Comnen dances the ship about, evading.

NISSA

What, it's that easy?

COMNEN

(sarcastically)

Sure, if you know what you're doing! And can even get really unlucky...

His words are punctuated by an explosion as something actually on the ship gets hit.

COMNEN

(wincing)

...and wind up with a registered bad one.

A crew of some sort, CITHANDRA, pokes her head in as Comnen wheels the ship about in yet another direction.

CITHANDRA

Boss, did I just hear a...

(she notices Rahah and Nissa)

Who are these... people?

COMNEN

(yanking the ship in another direction)

Job, Cith!

CITHANDRA

(barely clinging to the doorframe)

And you didn't think to possibly consult your crew before endangering us all?

COMNEN

They had a parking permit. Didn't seem that dangerous.

CITHANDRA

(sarcastically)

Oh, well if they had a parking permit...

COMNEN

(he glances at the monitors before choosing the next dodge)

'Sides, I didn't want to wake you.

Comnen is still flying very erratically, while the police boats continue to try to shoot them down.

Cithandra loses her hold momentarily and winds up half-sitting on Nissa. She grabs onto Comnen's chair instead.

CITHANDRA

You really thought this flying, and I shudder to even call it that, you thought it wouldn't wake everyone on board?

COMNEN

Dammit, Cith, can we have this conversation some other time? Say, when I'm NOT trying to keep us all from getting killed.

And sit down, for fuck's sake. Inertial dampening's only so good.

He drives them on in squiggles, vaguely approaching another large planet.

Another crewmember, JONAS, yells from somewhere further back in the ship:

JONAS

Ey, what is going on?!

Someone else yells something incoherent.

Cithandra manages to get herself into the remaining seat, and activates the ship-wide intercom.

CITHANDRA

Everyone, please remain calm and strap yourselves in. It seems we've taken a job, and as long as we don't all die from it first...

(she shoots Comnen an irate look)

...things should calm down shortly. And then we'll get paid.

(turning off the intercom)

Also we should probably pick up the rest of the crew before we leave, yes?

COMNEN

One thing at a time!

He takes them into the planet's rings, dodging hunks of rock and ice and... other things at very alarming speed. Stuff blurrs past as they zig and zag between things.

NISSA

How are you not hitting everything?!

COMNEN

(pulling his hands off the console)

Magic!

CITHANDRA

That's not him. That's the Shades doing it.

We solid, boss?

COMNEN

If we see anything big enough, yeah...

RAHAH

(pointing a bit to the side)

There.

COMNEN

What? Where?

RAHAH

You just need something bigger than the ship, right?

47 seconds, 18 degrees off, no, 23 degrees off...

Comnen gives her a skeptical look, but directs the ship in the general direction.

COMNEN

Ah, I see it.

(gesturing)

On my mark, hit that button.

They squiggle a bit around things, and then a rock slightly bigger than the ship suddenly looms up in front of them and they rapidly slow.

COMNEN

Mark!

Rahah smacks the button, and the rock explodes in front of them.

Comnen yanks the ship to a stop.

Cithandra pulls a lever, and the ship suddenly goes dark, everything turning off all at once. Even the artificial gravity goes off, though a few minor things stay on.

KHALEMI

(over the intercom)

Boss? What in the world is going on?

COMNEN

(replying)

Oh, nothing, my dear, just evading the law of the worlds.

Cithandra unclasps her seatbelt and heads back into the rest of the ship, guiding herself along expertly.

KHALEMI

(over the intercom)

Should I put out some bots?

Comnen sighs, considering.

COMNEN

Yeah, give us a full scrub. Let's go with... Destiny's Reach.

KHALEMI

(over the intercom)

I'm on it.

Comnen turns and starts typing at a red screen. The ship is totally dark around them.

RAHAH

So... now what?

COMNEN

Now we wait. Khalemi's going to put out some bots to scrub the hull, make us look like a different ship, and I'll reset the registry address, and then...

(he gestures vaguely with a hand)

Sooner or later someone not cops'll come near here, we follow them out, essentially.

NISSA

Sooner or later? So how... long does that usually take?

COMNEN

Usually under a week. Give or take.

NISSA

What?!

RAHAH

We really don't have that kind of time.

COMNEN

That's how long it takes. If we want to get out of this system, we have to look legitimate, and that means not randomly coming out of these rings right after the same kind of ship just illegally went in and supposedly exploded.

NISSA

(standing up)

I have a better idea.

NISSA

Hidden. They will not be able to find us with their technology, or their eyes.

COMNEN

(over the intercom)

New plan, kids. Get the basic scrub done and make sure you're all on floor in ten minutes, and we're heading out.

KHALEMI

(over the intercom)

Have you been eating those beans again?

CITHANDRA

(to Comnen)

And you didn't think it was perhaps relevant that the ones hiring you were Magi? That that might make things a little more dangerous?

COMNEN

Why would that possibly make things more dangerous in Commonwealth space?!

Cithandra just stares at him.

CITHANDRA

You mean besides what just happened?

COMNEN

Well I didn't exactly expect that.

NISSA

(holding up a hand)

For the record? Neither did we.

RAHAH

Honestly had me or that Magi not been trying desperately to not actually kill each other, one or both of us would probably be dead.

NISSA

Er, what?

RAHAH

I mean, I'm totally rubbish in a real-life fight, but flailing madly has won me a few even in-game, so...

You got two dumarses attacking each other with magics and swords and weird-arse other things, how in the world could that possibly end well for either if they're actually trying to kill each other? Think about it.

NISSA

What were you trying to do?

RAHAH

Distract him.

NISSA

And him?

RAHAH

Stop me from doing something really regretable, probably.

NISSA

So basically we just pissed off the good guys. For no real reason.

RAHAH

Possibly. We'll have to see what's even in the box first, of course...

Union space

They open the box. A glowing, not quite right object is inside. It looks a bit like a glassy seed.

They all sort of stare at it a bit.

COMNEN

So what is it?

RAHAH

I have no idea.

NISSA

It's a seed.

JONAS

A glowing one.

NISSA

A glowing seed.

Infected hand

DAZROTH

Don't touch him directly. The contagion may spread.

RAHAH

Right. But if it's magical in origin, could not magicking it do the same?

DAZROTH

Do you not use safeguards?

RAHAH

(a bit surprised, but quickly covering)

They may only work against known vectors.

SANTANA

That's a good point, really. We still don't know how the plague was spreading.

The others start discussing this.

RAHAH

(quietly)

Comnen, were you shielded?

COMNEN

Yeah. I thought you said this would protect me? That stuff went right through it!

RAHAH

What happened? Was there a flash or anything?

COMNEN

(shaking his head)

It went all dark. Just all over. And then my hand...

RAHAH

Hrnng...

Rahah takes his affected hand at a distance, holding it up by magic, and inspecting it, indirectly, with more of the same.

The discussion around the rest of the cubicle dies down a bit as folks watch.

COMNEN

Well?

RAHAH

I... have no idea.

DAZROTH

Not related to the plague?

RAHAH

It's unlike anything I've ever seen.

Comnen manages to avoid snarking at this, but only barely.

RAHAH

It's like...

But though she clearly recognises something, she doesn't finish the thought, instead hastilly dropping Comnen's hand and leaning away.

Hopeless

COMNEN

(turning to the guy behind him)

Agh, these people are hopeless.

The guy behind him turns out to be Dazroth.

DAZROTH

Now you know how I feel.

COMNEN

Er... sorry.

End thing

A courier hands a package to Rahah and leaves.

Rahah opens it. It's some sort of note, and she skims through it quickly.

Nissa leans over.

RAHAH

It's from Dazroth.

NISSA

What is it?

RAHAH

(handing the note to Nissa)

An invitation.

Metadata

Characters:

• Rahah
  • telekinesis
  • weapons - swords, blasts, shield
  • very basic magic
  • slight foresight
• Nissa Velei
  • general magic, but especially explosions, blasts, bursts
  • ???
  • passive ability to cause people to like her for no apparent reason (often causes the opposite reaction if they actually notice)

Crew:

• Comnen - boss, smuggler/merc, pilot, 'public relations'
• Cithandra - brains of the operation
• Sokar - second pilot, 'public relations 2'
• Khalemi - medic, tech handler in general, bot operator
• Jonas - 'public relations 2'
• Torkora Ma - wanton thief, 'public relations'

Union:

• Dazroth
• Horgon
• Lirien Mayasu