The Outcast.

Chapter 2

The Archaen flag was lowered over the coffin as the empire's sovereign anthem was played. Archaen and Traqian troops stood at rigid attention
on either side of the cherrywood casket. Archaen First Officer Rembrant 'Remmer, Jordan concluded the songs final notes on his Cirrillian Warhorn
before lower his instrument.

"AT EASE!" barked Lieutenant Julius Grasius, his Traqian Counter part. The troops fell into that casual pose. Victor Drake walked up to the podium
and placed his nano-pixel log-pad on the reading structure. He surveyed the troops and found it difficult to read the look of his own soldiers faces. There
was neither sorrow, or indifference, only cold disciplined expressions, all save Julie's. Her bandages did little to hide her feelings. In time, he supposed would
know how they all truly felt. Victor glanced down at his notes, and cleared his throat.

"I'll keep this short, but meaningful," he said.

He looked back to the troops.

"A great man once said...'The moral arc of the universe is long, but it curves towards justice'.
Yesterday, Acting-Ensign Caressa Madelynn Wolfe was...MURDERED!"

His voice boomed long and hard through out the chamber.

"...and despite what many of you may have thought about her, or your reservations on her past,
she was still one of us, an elite member of the Unit. If that means anything to you, then you
know that a blow against the Unit is a blow against us all, never forget that!..."

His hard eyes took in every face.

"This is not the time to talk about investigations, or a list of suspects, but understand this ...I will
not rest until I have her murderer in my sights! I hope you all will join me in that cause. Justice
be served!"

"JUSTICE BE SERVED!" repeated the troops as one.

Victor turned and nodded to his first officer. Remmer activated the dockingbay doors and gravity runway. The Archaen Funeral March began, played
by a trio of Istata Sisters. Caressa's casket was lifted off the deck and made its way towards the open docking portal, sealed with a transparent, porous
mag-shield. It passed between the troops, The Commanding Officers, and the Istata Sisterhood's medical and engineering staff, passing through silent thoughts
and prayers. The coffin soundlessly floated through the magnetic veil of the shield and was cast a drift into the endless regions of space. The Troops snapped
to attention as the final notes of the march was played.

Victor stepped back from the podium,and stood shoulder to shoulder with Cato. He lowered his head out of respect along with the rest of the troops until
the March ended and silence filled the room.

"Dismissed!" order Colonel Pompei.

The troops, as if broken from a trance, filed out in silence. The funeral was over.

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Drake entered his personal cabin, waited for the door to close behind him before removing his ceremonial cape and tossing it on his bed.

"Shouldn't you be resting?" he asked the woman standing by the porthole window. Caressa Wolfe turned to him and raised a brow in a
Dreamer's frown.

Her upper body and ribs were tightly wrapped in medical bandages. Her left arm was supported by an orthopedic sling, while her head was studded
with several nano-compresses and dermal regenerators. Despite the array of medical accouterments, she still maintain an aura of regal beauty. She was
young, about twenty six in age with chestnut colored hair, spiky black eyebrows, and light blue eyes. A single dimple marked the light skin of her left cheek
giving her a pixish appearance. She turned back to the window. Her reflection was like a ghost on glass.

"It's not everyday you get to see your own coffin cast into space. I wanted to MINDRACE the event," she said.

"It was a lovely funeral, everyone cried," said the 'Sin-Guardian.

Whether the Dreamer believed his joke or not he couldn't tell. Her face showed nothing. She faced him again.

"What, may I ask, was in the coffin?"

"Your Funeral Mask, and a full body cast filled with Kissaki flowers."

Caressa raised her eyebrows and nodded her head in approval.

"My favorite. Very thoughtful."

Drake crossed his arms and shrugged. "It was in your will, just not in that exact arrangement"

"Still, it's a nice touch. Any chance I can get my Funeral Mask back? I have a feeling I'll be
needing it again at least once more in my life time."

The 'Sin-Guardian cut a sly grin. It seems the Dreamer had a sense of humor after all.

"Take a seat, Caressa, it's time we talked."

The Acting-ensign nodded slowly and made her way back over to his bed. Though her face would not show it, he could tell she was in pain.
With six broken ribs, a broken arm, a fractured skull and a major concussion it was hard not to. She sat near the head of the bed and leaned on
what the Fleet jokingly called a pillow against the head board. Victor grabbed a chair, turned it backwards and straddled it.

"As I'm sure you've guessed there's a very good reason why your death was faked after the explosion," he began.

She nodded. "To make the assassin..."

"...Or assassin's." he added.

"No, sir, only one...and it was to make 'her' think she succeeded."

"One?...She? It seems you know a lot about this. Let's hear more."

Caressa gathered her thoughts.

"Before we start sir, may I ask how many people know I'm alive?"

"Just two others. Dr. Rhodes who treated your injuries, and Colonel Pompei."

"And you trust them, sir?" asked the Dreamer

"Any reason why I shouldn't?"

The Dreamer looked away and her eyes were lost again in inner thoughts.

"I...I don't know." For an instant the 'Sin-Guardian could swear she shivered. A near impossibility for an emotionally inhibited Dreamer.

"Caressa, I think you better start from the beginning," he asked.

She blinked and her thoughts returned to the here and now.

"Yes sir, but what I'm about to say may sound...complicated."

"So try me."

She nodded. "Are you aware of the circumstances that lead to my expulsion from the Empire?"

Victor smiled.

"There aren't many people in the empire who are, but I happen to be one of them."

The 'Sin-Guardian closed his eyes and recited from memory.

"Several years ago the Empress's older sister, Marka Juray was fatally wounded in an assassination
attempt by Red Klan members. She was dying. Somehow you managed to sneak into her hospital
room through tight security and administer a drug into her system, throwing her into a deep coma.
You then used your Dreamer abilities to nest her 'mind' into yours. You were found passed out on
the floor. Eventually you were brought before the Empress herself, and when questioned about you
actions you simply stated that you were acting for the good of the Empire. You also threatened to kill
yourself with a self induced stroke if any attempt was made to probe your mind. As punishment, the
Empress exiled you from the Empire until you were willing to come back, explain your actions and
have Marka's mind removed from yours."

The 'Sin-Guardian paused for dramatic effect and opened his eyes.

"Did I leave anything out?" he added.

Caressa shook her head. "Only my side of the story." Despite the fact that they were alone, the Dreamer shifted closer to the 'Sin-Guardian
and lowered her voice.

"What I'm about to say you must never divulge to the Empress, the Emperor ...anyone."

Victor sat up straight. "Caressa, I don't think I can make that kind of promise"

"You will, once you hear the truth."

The 'Sin-Guardian took a deep breath and refolded his arms across the back of the chair.

"All right, let's hear it."

"The assassination attempt, Marka's injuries, they were all an elaborate set up."

Victor's eyes narrowed. "What do you mean?" Caressa continued.

"Marka's 'Sin-Guardian, Haegan, set the who thing up, and made it look like a Red Klan hit.
Her own injuries were surgically created ..created specifically as a ruse."

"Why?" said Victor.

"To trap the Empress. Since supposedly Marka was dying she had requested that her mind
be nested in that of her sisters, the Empress. In reality, she was going try and subjugate the
Empress's own conscious with her own. To mentally assassinate her, if you will."

Victor shook his head.

"What you're saying is Impossible. Empress Cavery is too strong. She's the Supreme True
Dreamer of the Empire for Goddess sake."

"Not impossible, and very likely," countered Caressa. She explained.

"Originally, Lady Marka was arranged as a match for the Emperor. At that time she had
just recently gone through Pyoor'ga'shun, the Rite of Pure Thought and became a True
Dreamer, a very powerful one indeed. But the match was not good and the Emperor did
not select her."

"He selected her younger sister instead," added Drake.

"Yes, Lady Cavery, a powerful Dreamer herself. The two met quite by accident. At that time
she was only a Dreamer, and a year below the age of courtship. Nonetheless, the Emperor
broke with tradition and began to see her. Within a year the two were betrothed."

"Well know history, but that doesn't explain why Lady Marka would want to mindkill her
own sister," said Victor.

"Lady Marka is a ruined Dreamer, sir. Ruined from the moment of the Emperor's rejection.
Ruined more by the Emperor's interest in her own sister."

"Impossible! Marka's a True Dreamer. All emotion bearing chemicals have been purged from her mind."

Caressa shook her head.

"Nevertheless, the ember of jealously was planted in her. An ember that grew over the years, driving
her insane, driving her to obtain the one thing she wanted all her life. To be the wife of the Emperor,
to be the Supreme True Dreamer of the Archaen Empire."

Victor was silent for a long moment. The hum of the ship could be heard in the background.

"Okay, if all this is true, how did you know? How did you find out about Marka's true intent."

Caressa stood up, perhaps too quickly. Her eyes twitched with pain. She walked back over to the porthole and looked out for several long
moments. Finally she turned and spoke.

"I... had a dream, sir. A vision..."

"Come again?"

"I saw it all as a vision. Her plot, her deception. I had to act based on that."

"You stole the mind of the Empress's sister all because you had a Vision!"

There eyes met for several hard seconds. Caressa's were steadfast and tranquil.

"Yes sir," she said.

"Ishtar, kid, that's thin," said Victor

"I know, sir, but the vision wasn't mine; it was sent."

"By who?"

"I was exiled rather quickly once the deed was done. I never found out," she replied.

"And this is why you never revealed your reasons to the Empress? All because of some
vision you acted on?"

"You said it your self, sir, it's thin. Who would believe me? But it is true. Marka Juray exist
within me..." And she touched her forehead. "I know her thoughts as much as I know my own.
She's ...insane."

The 'Sin-Guardian rested his chin on his fist and thought long and hard, all the while never taking his eyes off of Caressa.

"All right, Caressa, I'm willing to give you the benefit of the doubt, and take everything you've
said at face value, for now," he said

"Because of the assassin." she added.

"Exactly. How does...'she' play into all of this?"

Caressa looked back out the window and spoke.

"For the past few years I've been studying magic on New Asgard, specifically, to find a way to 'free' Marks's
essence from my mind, and to take her back to the Empire for her crimes. I was actually quite close to succeeding,
sir, when Commander Jordan approached me about joining the Unit. At first I had no interest in the proposal, but..."

Victor smiled. "Jordan can be very ...persuasive," he said. Her brows raises in a Dreamer's smile.

"Yes sir. He has a way of putting things. He informed me that I would have to get into shape,
that training would be quite grueling. So, I decided to start training. One night I pushed myself
too hard by running fifteen miles. I had collapsed from exhaustion when I got home to my
bedchambers. That's when Marka took over."

"What do you mean by 'took over'?" asked the 'Sin-Guardian.

"In times of severe stress, or fatigue, Marka has been able to take control of my consciousness ...and my body."

"Ishtar! You never mentioned this before!"

"It doesn't happen very often, sir, or for long. When it does, Marka will do anything to try and return home
to Archada. She has control of me until she herself falls asleep. I have no memory of what she does when she's
...me. Having no recollection for a Dreamer is very...unsettling. Many's the time I've awakened aboard a merchant
ship heading back to the Empire, or in the bed of a ship captain ...or other men. Sometimes I think she simply
does that to humiliate me."

Her voice was far away. She turned and faced the 'Sin-Guardian.

"This time though she didn't go far. I awoke in my bedchambers, but I knew I had gone out. My shoes where
muddy and sticky, and my clothes smelled of tobacco. There was something in my hand."

She reached into the pocket of her robe and produces a ring. Victor stood up and walked closer to examine it. He didn't touch it, he simply looked at it.

"A 'Sin-Guardian signet ring," he said. He had one of his own, only long ago had given it to his wife to keep. Caressa nodded.

"It's Haegan's, Marka's 'Sin-Guardian. He had followed me to New Asgard, his way to keep an eye on me, or Marka, I suppose.
The Asgardian authorities knew about him, but could never catch him. He was like a distant shadow. When I found his ring it was
caked in blood..his blood."

"I'm not sure I follow." Victor crosses his arms about his chest.

"Haegan's dead, sir. Killed by the assassin. The signet ring was to symbolize that. There was also a message written in my hand.
It said ...'You're Next!'... "

A cold shiver went through Victor. Archaen 'Sin-Guardian's were a hard lot to kill, hard by a long shot.

"Are you saying Marka did something to make her a target of assassination?" he asked

"No, sir. Marka hired the assassin herself," she answered

"What?!"

Her lips pursed tightly.

"I'm..I'm feeling a bit dizzy," she said

"Here." The 'Sin-Guardian gently hooked an arm around her and helped her back to the bed.

"Thank you," she said as she sat back against the pillows.

"Drink?" Caressa inclined her head twice. Victor stepped to the foot of the bed where a small table was set up with a pitcher of water and
two glasses. He poured one and handed it to the Dreamer. She finished half and handed it back.

"You should rest now, we'll talk later."

The tired look on her face was her answer. She began to lay down.

"Caressa, one more thing?"

"Sir?"

"Who is the assassin?"

"A Dakka, sir."

"Damn." Drakes face harden in serious thought.

He headed for the door and turned off the lights. The door slide open, he went through and was gone.

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I adjusted my form on the cushion again. The Sister was silent on the other side of the screen. I asked a question.

"Do you know what a Dakka is, Sister?"

I waited for her answer, but for half a moment I thought she was gone.

"They're ...they're magical being, aren't they?"

"Magical assassins. They have the ability to cloud peoples minds. In some cultures they're called demons or devils."

"I...I see," she answered.

"I'm not sure you do. A Dakka can make you forget things, short term memory loss, or cast your thoughts with illusions.
You could be talking to a Dakka, and think it's your best friend. Then you get a shive between your ribs, ...or worse.
That's probable what happen to Haegan."

A long moment before she said: "And ...this is who was killed", she asked.

"So I thought," I answered.

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