Magician's Blood

2-Glimmering Spear

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-2/Glimmering Spear

Magician's Blood-Kisho

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July 19th, 3094 GSC—09:24 Standard Time—19:38 Local Time

Madinus—Candella System—Moza Sector

Thames Base—Dock 2

Elicia met the Dock Chief alone, leaving Renault in the ship to do a final shutdown inspections check and convene with the crew. She sheathed her sword as the boarding bridge lowered from the ship base to the metal-paneled floor below, shifting into stairs in front of her.

When she reached the bottom, the Dock Chief was already stepping in through a high-grade blast-sealed door, two bodyguards behind him with heavy assault rifles. The Dock Chief's polearm, and the short sword sashed to his belt, meant he must have been a magician.

He approached without a word, and Elicia waited in the shadow of the Golden Seraph without a word either, her stance relaxed, one hand hovering around the wrapped pommel of her sword. He was a tall man, charcoal-coloured hair in a crew cut just long enough to form spikes, and sported stubble around his hard, square jaw. He wore a disarming smile, but his heavy crimson body armor and the long polearm with huge hooked ears warned Elicia to tread lightly.

After a silent eternity of walking closer, he drew up to Elicia, stopped, looked her in the eye, and put out a gloved hand for a handshake. She took it, and he shook warmly.

"Captain Vasavilli," he said, "it's an honor to meet the one and only. Thame Dock Chief Erus Kaines, at your service."

"The honor is mine, sir," she said. "Thank you for your assistance in our mission."

He put a hand to his heavy armored chest. "We have the same blood, Sister. I couldn't turn down a mission from the Church. Even though, truth be told," he said with a smile, "it is a little worrying having the Raven fly in."

"Contrary to popular belief, I've gone plenty of places without inviting disaster," she said. "It's just a major disaster when one does show up."

"I suppose that's reassuring," he laughed. "Let's get to business, though. It's not just you, I take it. That's not a single-flier."

"We have a crew of twelve, myself included," Elicia said, "but I'm the only magician. The rest of our crew is convening inside the ship."

"Strange for you to be the only magician, Captain," he said. "What's the nature of the mission? We're at your assistance as much as we're able. Though, the ongoing battle is keeping us—well, a little occupied. Speaking of," he said with a casual half-salute, "heard you took down a cruiser on the way in. Thanks for your help."

"It's only our duty as those with the blood, Brother," Elicia said. She glanced either way and lowered her voice—of course there weren't spies, but ingrained habits of secrecy were hard to suppress. "Tell me about the battle that's been going on."

"Nothing we can't handle," he said, his voice boisterous. "In His Name we'll put them out..." He grinned. "Or something like that. Seriously, though, we get these ruffians from time to time. Madinus is a danger world, even though we're close to the Moza core. Lawless bandits like these just live on ships drifting around, plundering and robbing to live. Sometimes they band up and do something like this. It's grisly work having to deal with it, but it's standard fare all the same."

"How long has it been going on?"

"Three days, ma'am. Things were grim in the initial onrush of attackers, but we're pushing them back now. Give us three more days and they'll either retreat or be routed."