Six

Primary Shipping Nexus 321

14 September 2017

Six transports of various shapes and sizes exited hyperspace on the edge of their next stop in the chain of systems they were traveling to deliver their cargoes. Nexus 321 was situated in an unremarkable solar system sporting only three planets: a rock, gas giant and ice cube all orbiting outside the habitable zone. The star would not support the development of life in any event, being that it was a Type M orange/red mass.

The nexus station had been placed in a stable location inside the orbit of the ice planet, putting it approximately 6 AUs away from the system's primary. The trip across the system using the military drives employed by the Horde or the Val-kyrie could thrust a starship across the system in a matter of hours. Civilian equivalents, however, favored reliability and longevity over more power with a shorter lifespan. Thus, civilian drives usually took one-third longer to cross the same distance.

Several hours into the flight toward the nexus, the captain of the lead transport was called to the cramped bridge. Space was always at a premium on civilian transport vessels; there was no allowance for anything more than basic amenities and tiny storage spaces for personal items. The captain entered the bridge and moved to the pilot's station, which doubled as the main sensor display.

"I think there may be a problem, captain," the pilot stated.

"Do you have the nexus beacon?"

The pilot nodded. "Yes, but…"

"But?" the captain prompted.

"The beacon is all I am receiving. The usual comm chatter between ships and the dockmaster simply isn't there." The man looked like he wanted to add more, but refrained.

"What?" the captain demanded, irritably.

In response, the pilot called a blurry image of the nexus station and something massive parked close to it. It appeared to be a starship of some type, but the transport's technology was not up to the task of refining the image. They would have to get closer.

Still, the lack of activity was very strange.

The small fleet steadily drew closer to the nexus station. Sensors began picking up other vessels in the area, however, they remained stationary. Some were even tumbling out of control. No energy signatures or life signs were detectable on any of ships. A detailed inspection of the nearest vessels revealed that they had been wrecked. None of the fleet vessels had the equipment for detailed scans so they could not tell what caused the grievous damage some of the starships suffered. Clouds of wreckage marked the deaths of other vessels.

The captain continued to refine the image as his fleet closed in on the station. Something about the starship partially hidden behind the bulky mass seemed familiar somehow. His pilot thought the unknown was a battlestar, but that was impossible. For one thing, the Val-kyrie were not in the habit of attacking shipping lanes or the nexus stations. If anything, they defended the transports and stations from pirates who dared attack the lightly defended systems.

"That isn't a battlestar," the captains stated, shaking his head.

"How can you be sure?" the pilot asked. The fuzzy image sure looked like one to him.

More detailed imagery popped up on the displays. The lines of the massive vessel were becoming clearer. It did somewhat look like a battlestar, but not like any he had ever seen. And the captain did see one of the mighty Val-kyrie warships once.

"No primary weapons. Val-kyrie battlestars have ten primary energy weapons for capital ship engagements," the captain pointed out. "I don't see any primary cannons."

Smaller vessels began pouring out of what appeared to the starship's hangar bay. There was something frighteningly familiar about those vessels. Dozens streamed out, turning in the direction of the approaching fleet of transports.

The captain began tapping out commands on a control console. He transferred all the imagery and sensor data his limited systems could accumulate into a marker buoy and prepared to eject it. Normally, buoys began transmitting upon ejection, however, the captain programmed in a delay. He knew they were all doomed. None of the fleet transports had a prayer in escaping the system. All he could do was try to leave something for investigators to evaluate later. To that end, he set the buoy to begin transmitting a distress call in twelve hours. He hoped the unknown vessel would be long gone by then.

The unknown starship and fighter craft made short work of the fleet. The transports' weapons were no match for the enemy starships. Some vessels were destroyed outright; others were disabled and boarded by trailing transport craft bearing boarding parties. The crews were slaughtered to the last crewmember.

Once anything of value had been scavenged from the dead transports and the station, the unknown vessel recovered all the fighters and transports.

Three hours after the enemy left the now dead nexus station, the ejected marker buoy began transmitting.

Old Alliance Installation

Location Unknown

15 September 2017

Lord Malkor awaited contact from the platoon of soldiers sent to investigate a signal from an old outpost along the unexplored frontier dating back to the Great War. According to Commander Axlrod's database, outposts that were rediscovered by salvagers were routinely plundered for whatever useable technology that might have been left behind. Most had been plundered long ago, but a few remained intact and undisturbed.

Station 463 had been reactivated briefly before being shut down again. It had been operational long enough to give the impression that someone had been living there for about thirty days. Malkor decided the risk was minimal in sending a platoon to check it out.

Cilian, Malkor's aid, entered the conference chamber. "We should be receiving a signal any moment, milord." Her voice had an echo to it indicative of her race. Along with pitch black skin and glowing, blood-red eyes, her race had a very sinister appearance.

The holo-projector set in the surface of the table suddenly came to life. An image of a warrior in full battle gear appeared.

"Report, Lieutenant," Malkor demanded.

"Milord, we have arrived at the system with a neutron star at its heart. The base is located in a span of rock on the edge of an asteroid field. We have entered and secured the base. We found no one around. There is evidence that the base had been entered."

The view changed to the security camera footage. Malkor watched the rundown salvage ship enter the hangar bay and settle to the floor. The ship was a working vessel. About as un-aerodynamic as a vessel could get. Minutes passed as the crew tested the atmosphere inside the base to see if it could support whatever lifeforms operated it. Finally, a group of three beings exited through what must have been a cargo hatch on the vessel's port side.

The salvagers explored the bay cautious, but inquisitive. They found the section where a collection of long-range shuttles had been stored in various states of repair. The views changed as the group explored deeper into the base. After determining that no one lived in the base, and could therefore lay claim to the abandoned base, the group returned to the storage bay of shuttles and equipment.

When the view returned to the hangar, Malkor sat up in his chair and leaned closer to the projector. The cargo hold opened once more and something large and lumbering limped out, dragging the right foot. It limped across the floor to the larger hatch leading deeper into the bay.

The display split into two views: one following the damaged machine and the other following the salvage crew. At some point, the salvage crew must have discovered what it was they had transported to the outpost. They moved a bunch of equipment and other materials into the ship, whatever would make the trip profitable, closed the cargo hold and prepared to leave.

On the left, the machine limped into the outpost command center. It could barely move about without bumping control consoles and appeared to be taking care about its movements. The right side displayed the view from the external sensors of the vessel blasting away into space at a speed Malkor judged may not be safe for such a decrepit vessel. Malkor watched the case of the machine locating a specific panel, touching several controls that activated the outpost's defense system, and the effect of two missiles launched after the fleeing salvage ship.

The explosion was tiny, barely noticeable.

The image stopped on the clearest view yet of the machine as it turned away from the display showing that both missiles had killed the target. Malkor and Cilian recoiled from the frozen image of a nightmare they thought had been left a thousand years in the past.

When Malkor found his voice, he projected a steadiness he did not feel. "Is this accurate? It isn't from a thousand years ago?"

The lieutenant's disembodied voice answered, "No. The timestamp dates to roughly six months ago. The chronometer stayed remarkably accurate as time passed." His admiration for the technology of that time lasting for so long was evident in his voice.

"That's not possible," Cilian breathed, still trying to come to grips with the frozen image. "The archive data provided by Commander Axelrod indicated that the Val-kyrie and their allies accounted for all remaining machines after the war ended. There is no possible way one could have survived."

"Unless it's more than a mere machine," Malkor mused.

The rooms third occupant had remained quiet in the shadows as the images played out on the projector. "Unless what, Lord Malkor?" the Empress prompted.

Leaning back in his chair, Malkor planted his elbows on the armrests and steepled his fingers. Do you remember General Alton?" He continued at her nod. "He was a brilliant strategist and cunning warrior. I actually met him once. We called a truce that ultimately ended the Battle of Fulton. Neither side was going to win the battle, so we called a truce and evacuated our dead and wounded. While both sides withdrew, Alton and I met for no more the thirty minutes, or so. He turned out to be shorter than I expected, but he carried himself with confidence and contained a warrior's spirit.

"He was wounded the following year during a campaign that was particularly nasty and bloody for both sides. Rumor had it that the wounds were mortal, but no confirmation ever came even though he was never seen after the campaign ended. Then came the rumors that Horde Prime ordered experiments in creating cyborgs to command his Shadow Demon armies. The results of said experiments always ended the same. Badly. But suppose, just suppose, that one experiment succeeded."

The Empress, tall and regal in her silk robes ventured into the half-light. "Did one succeed?"

Malkor considered the question for several moments. Of another of her commanders, the Empress would have demanded an immediate answer. But Lord Malkor always ordered his thoughts and carefully weighed his answer before giving it. "I honestly don't know. There was a unit that seemed to have extraordinary command abilities there toward the end. I guess I just attributed it to the learning program Horde Primes used at the time."

Cilian consulted her data pad. "According to the information provided by Commander Axelrod, and that obtained by Shiva, the Val-kyrie accounted for all Shadow Demon units."

"And yet one survived," the Empress stated.

"What better way to hide a success than to use a damaged machine, or the ID of a destroyed one," Malkor mused.

The Empress narrowed her eyes, staring hard at her senior commander. "You think Horde Prime had a success?"

Malkor nodded. "I believe he might have. Although why he would consign it to the depths of space, I have no idea. I do know one thing. It will not be happy."

"In what way?" the Empress ventured.

"If you were dying, stripped of your being and placed into a mechanical body instead of being allowed to die, what would you do?"

She considered the question for a full minute before finally shaking her head. The Empress had no answer.

"If that happened to me and I was chucked off into space, I know what I would do."

The Empress pressed him to answer.

Lord Malkor turned his head and stared his empress in the eye. "I would be mad beyond reason. I would look for a way to build a new army and take revenge on the one who had turned me into such a bastard creation."

The Empress shivered at the thought and prayed that Malkor's assumptions were wrong. "Do we warn them?"

"Who?" Cilian inquired, frowning.

"The Horde. These so-called Guardians."

"How would we contact them without compromising our security?" Malkor countered. "Revealing ourselves would not be in our best interests at this time. And besides, it's doubtful the Guardians would believe us even if we could somehow contact them."

"We never were able to discover the Origin Point," Cilian pointed out. "But the Horde would know where it is."

Malkor regarded his aide with polite interest. "Would they? If Horde Prime discontinued the experiments and halted production after we disappeared into the unchartered region, the location may have been deleted." He gestured to the frozen holoimage. "If that – thing – is smart, it will disable any transmitter that will broadcast to the Horde that a base was reactivated."

The Empress frowned, then spoke. "Then we shall have to hope that Kragor's successors are better than he and his group was."

Guardian Command

Area 51

16 September 2017

Gabriel Burns loved science. Technology had enthralled him from a young age. Growing up, Gabe was notorious for taking things apart just to see how they worked. As he grew older, he began tinkering to see how he could make devices better. By the time he was accepted to MIT, Gab was designing and building his own devices. Most met with failure, but in failure, knowledge was gained.

Then came the aborted Horde invasion.

And the starship Eternia.

Gab had been at the top of the list of scientists to tap to join General Hammond's Guardian Force. That first day when he set foot aboard the alien starship, Gab felt he had come home. Two and a half years later, the sense of wonder at the new technology, and more importantly, confirmation of other civilizations out there in space, only increased his desire to broaden his knowledge.

One of his first successes as chief of the R & D Division came when he and the woman known only as the Sorceress created a device that was a blend of technology and magic. It was not anything spectacular as far as size, but the function, well, that was spectacular. The pair had created a comm device that could be used to contact the Sorceress when she was away in Castle Grayskull. It took trial and error, but the fifth incarnation proved to be the charm. That led Gab to drawing up designs for a series of communication devices based on the origin to increase the ability of the soon-to-be-formed platoons to communicate in areas, environments and across distances that strictly technological comm systems would have trouble functioning.

So far, all they had was a version of short-range walkie-talkies good across four miles. The reception was good with little to no interference except in heavily shielded structures or up to a mile underground.

The original device was only to be used when absolutely necessary. As the Sorceress put it, 'this device is not a beeper'.

Gab now used the beeper to summon the Sorceress, Adrian and the colonel back from their vacation.

A hum slowly rose in volume, followed by an oval materializing in the assigned location in the main underground hangar. The magic portal that appeared measured approximately six-feet high by three-feet wide. Shafts of orange light chased themselves around the structure. Three people stepped through moments after the portal stabilized. The Sorceress was the last one through, and the portal dissolved moments after she exited.

A beaming Gab waited for his friends to arrive. In deference to the Sorceress. he did not say "welcome home", since she was not a native of Earth. "What happened to the camping gear?"

"We left it," Jon answered. "They have some nice scenery south of the castle. Worth revisiting."

"So, what's the emergency?" Adrian asked, getting down to business.

"You will have to ask General Hammond," Gab replied. "He was the one who requested I call."

Jon groused, "Vacation's over." Which meant he would have to get up to speed now on the arrival of the replacements for their losses during the last mission.

While the colonel went off to find his platoon commanders, Adrian and the Sorceress went directly to the general's office. He was seated behind his desk, going over the never-ending stream of paperwork associated with running the base. He greeted the pair warmly, rising from his chair and gesturing for them to sit.

He asked how the fishing went, hinting that he might have to make a visit at some point in the future. The Sorceress explained some of the experiments she had performed but did not mention the brief visit with her daughter. At least, not with Adrian present. Only Colonel Markson, Captain Majourny, and General Hammond knew that Teela was her daughter.

"Now that we have the small talk out of the way," Adrian said, changing the subject, "why the recall?"

"Late yesterday we received a message on the subspace frequency the Val-kyrie set up for Boss Nash to contact the 'Cobra' whenever he had need. It seems there is a need. The boss would not go into detail. He only requested to speak to you as soon as possible."

Adrian frowned. "Any word from Anyssa's people about what this might be about?"

Hammond shook his head. "Nothing yet, but she is still waiting for someone to get back to her."

"That could take a while," Sorceress observed.

Hammond nodded. Looking at Adrian, he said, "The original transmission was received at the moon base, but the only place we have on Earth to send a reply is the Eternia. Boss Nash requested that you call him as soon as possible."

Adrian and the Sorceress shared a knowing look. "I guess we shouldn't keep him waiting, then."

"I asked Captain Majourny to power up the ship's comm system. She and the comm officer are waiting for you," Hammond said.

"Okay," Adrian said, rising. "We'll let you know what's up shortly."

While most sets of the costumes for Adrian and the Sorceress to pose as bounty hunters were stored on the Ladyhawke, several had been placed in the quarters reserved for them on the Eternia for situations like this. A hurried forty-five minutes later, the pair entered the comm room, looking every inch the bounty hunters they were supposed to be. Captain Majourny shooed the junior ratings out, since they could not seem to stop staring at the Sorceress clad in the skin-tight outfit that showed off all her attributes.

"Everything is set up. All you have to do is establish the connection," Jo-jo said, showing them the proper controls to press. She stepped back into a corner and waited.

"You sticking around for the show?" Adrian inquired. The Sorceress lowered the lights while he activated the system.

"The officers preset the visual to stay tight on your faces. I figured that was best since your starship is still down," Jo-jo said.

Adrian grinned. "Officer thinking."

The pair settling in the seats. In moments, the connection was made, bounced through several relays, before the image of Boss Nash finally appeared on the screen. The man looked tired, like he hadn't slept in days. Unlike other bosses, Nash kept himself reasonably fit for a man in his fifties. Although they could only see him in portrait view, the suit he was wearing, no doubt very expensive, looked rumpled.

"Boss Nash. Good to see you again," Adrian growled, adjusting the patch covering his left eye. "Are you getting enough sun? You're looking a little haggard."

Nash's half-hearted smile held very little warmth. It was just as tired as the man. "It has not been a nice day."

"Maybe you need a vacation," Teelana suggestion.

"Or a new profession," Cobra added.

"We could spend the day reminding one another how much we barely tolerate one another, but there is a larger issue at stake here," Nash said.

Adrian had guessed right that Nash was not the only one in the room on his end. "Agreed. What do you need?"

"There is a situation brewing out there," Nash admitted.

"It's a big galaxy, Boss, there is always something brewing," Cobra pointed out lazily. "Usually at the hands of the Horde but let us not dwell."

Nash took a deep breath, released it slowly. "There is a meeting being set up here to discuss the situation. Several other bosses will be in attendance besides me. Someone else may be showing up. What I need from you is to utilize your…arrangement with the Val-kyrie and see if you can bring a representative from their government to the meet."

Cobra sat up a little straighter. "Sounds serious."

"It could be. Look, I don't want to go into this over an unsecured channel," Nash sighed. "Can you use what influence you have with the warrior women and bring someone in authority to Wayfarer?"

Cobra nodded. "Yes. Is this little shindig going down on a station? Our last visit did not exactly go as expected."

Nash shook his head. "No. We have a building on the planet for meetings, gatherings, etc."

"When and where?"

"Three days from now. I'm transmitting the location of the spaceport and the building. The time will be sent when your arrival is confirmed."

A glance at Teelana, a nod from her that the data had been received, Cobra replied, "Got it. See you in three days."

The connection broke without a parting word from Boss Nash. Jojo chuckled.

"What?" Adrian asked, taking the data crystal the Sorceress handed him.

Jo-jo chuckled again. "I heard the stories but figured there was some exaggeration going on."

"Chances are whatever you heard was - how do you say? – watered down," Sorceress responded. "Shall we brief General Hammond or change first?" she asked Adrian.

"Change first. I'll brief Hammond. You take care of Falcon."

Sorceress halted abruptly in the corridor.

"The five of you elected me to lead our merry little group of walking weapons. You two need to work out whatever it is neither of you will talk about. Resolve it or watch this mission from the sidelines."

That hit her as surely as if she had been physically punched in the gut. It was true, they took a vote and elected Adrian to be their leader. Jake, surprisingly enough, had been the one to offer reasons why he was not suited for the position over Adrian. Sorceress had never figured she would be ordered around. Adrian wasn't the type to do that -except if the need arose. She admitted that the issue between herself and the AI was a distraction but had thought it to be a minor one. Actually, Sorceress was uncharacteristically ignoring the issue, and Adrian knew it.

"I don't want to have to explain your absence, so go have a talk. Take her out to dinner. Hold hands and sing kumbayah for all I care. Just get it settled. The others are tired of you and Falcon not talking."

Acquiescing, Sorceress nodded.

General Hammond listened to Adrian's short, detailed brief about the discussion with Boss Nash. At the end, he asked, "Do you have any idea what this could be about?"

Adrian shook his head. "None. Unless the princess has heard anything of current galactic relations." He looked pointedly at Princess Anyssa seated next to him.

Anyssa had to force herself to not roll her eyes. Ever since it became know that she was the daughter of Silvara, Queen Mother of Val-kyrie, certain people just would not let her live it down. She also knew that they kidded because they cared. It didn't make it any less annoying at times.

"I haven't been informed of anything. While the Horde have continued their system of conquest, there hasn't been anything major taking place. At least, nothing that has been revealed to me."

Hammond nodded. He had sent people off on missions with less information that what they had on hand. "So, do I need to contact the Queen Mother and ask for representative?"

Adrian raised a surprised eyebrow. "Why? Anyssa has handled covert ops before." That was how he had met her; Anyssa had gone to Eternia in search of her missing sister. Anyssa found Kiiri, but she was dead. After burying her sister, Anyssa had set off to complete the intelligence mission Kiiri had started. It wasn't long before Anyssa had been captured by the Snake Men and thrown into the dungeons of Palace Eternia. It was there that she and Adrian eventually met. The rest, as they say, was history.

Hammond knew Anyssa was quite capable of holding her own and had done so on many occasions. His concern was whether the Queen Mother would see it that way. Three days was slim timing in order to get someone the Val-kyrie wanted at the meeting. And that raised another issue.

"How exactly are we going to get to Wayfarer?" Adrian asked Anyssa. "It's not like we can just go waltzing out of a magic portal. It's not…not…" He struggled to find the right word.

"Dignified?" the general offered.

"Sophisticated?" Anyssa added.

Adrian nodded. "That works."

"Well, don't worry. We can arrive in style as befitting the image you have already developed," Anyssa assured him.

Adrian almost pulled a muscle snapping his head around. "They got the Ladyhawke up and running again?"

Anyssa nodded. "As I understand it, the starship is undergoing final testing."

Utilizing the piloting and navigating skills developed from the experiences and skills downloaded into his brain from War Wing, Adrian rapidly ran the math in his head. "It'll be tight flying from Earth."

"I can arrange it so that the crew drops the starship off at Eternia," Anyssa suggested. "Should be a shorter flight from there."

Adrian reran the numbers. Nodded. "But, if you are going along, we'll have to expand the crew. After all, the princess can't go around without security."

Anyssa opened her mouth to protest, but the general beat Adrian to the punch. "It is all about appearances. And don't tell me your mother never goes anywhere without a few security guards around, even if they are out of sight."

Anyssa had to admit that the general had a valid point. "Who will make up my security guard?"

"I know a couple of people who will probably volunteer," Adrian said, confidently. "Provided you can get the restriction that only the Sorceress and I crew the starship temporarily rescinded."

"I'll see what I can do."

General Hammond nodded. "Very well. Get the details set, submit a final draft, and I will approve the mission."

Adrian and Anyssa nodded, rose and left to attend to the details.

The Sorceress stood in the center of the ring of consoles designed to monitor the six battlesuits. Arrange in a hexagonal formation, the console was split into two sections. Techs came by twice a day to check on the status of the suits. The monitor for Falcon, however, remained dark. The AI had shut herself down at about the same time as her operator left to spend time on Eternia.

Frowning, Sorceress walked around the bank of consoles and approached the dormant suit. She mounted the yellow stand and stared up at the suit's head. No lights. No signs of life. No indication that the AI was aware of her presence. Sighing, Sorceress leaned in along the right side, left hand bracing her while she probed with the right for the manual released.

With the pull of a concealed lever, a vertical seam materialized in the torso. Etherium plates opened, revealing the operator's compartment. Sorceress climbed inside and settled herself into the seat. The panels closed, dropping her in darkness. A magical globe flared to life casting the cramped space in an eerie yellow glow. Although she knew the likely result, Sorceress experimentally flipped several switches. Nothing. That would have been too easy.

That hard way, then, Sorceress thought, morosely.

Sorceress leaned back in the seat, closed her eyes and started a meditation technique learned long ago. The waking world melted away as she directed her focus inward relaxing her body one part at a time. At some point she slipped into the zone where nothing mattered. The whole world encompassed her spiritual being.

"I was wondering when you would show up."

Sorceress slowly cracked open one eye, then the other. She was standing in a pure white space with only one other occupant. A tall, raven-haired woman, wearing high-heeled black boots and a form-fitting zebra-striped jumpsuit eyed her with a neutral expression. The AIs manifested themselves using images of their former operators instead of developing a look for themselves. Simple, if unimaginative.

"I had to clear my head," Sorceress admitted.

"And the only reason you are here is because Adrian practically ordered you to come see me. Most annoying, putting yourself under someone's command. What's the other reason?"

Looking innocent, Sorceress replied, "What makes you think there is one?"

Falcon gave her a steady look. Her blues eyes would have bored holes in the Sorceress if they could.

"Fine. There is a mission coming up in few days and Adrian said I would not be going along unless you and I worked this out."

"Ah, ha!" Falcon exclaimed. "The plot thickens. Well, I don't know what there is for us to work out. I'm a sentient battlesuit and you are my operator." She considered what had come between them. The pair had been operating in sync for months. The only thing that could have altered their relationship was the battle with Shadow Weaver. "This is about the fight with Shadow Weaver, isn't it?"

Sorceress said nothing, but the look in her eyes hardened.

"I'd call that a big 'yes,'" Falcon pressed on. "Per the symbiotic relationship of this pairing, we back one another up. Granted, it's usually me backing you up, but the six of you have stepped in to keep those techs from poking and prodding our innards, without even springing for dinner and a movie." Sorceress snorted a laugh in spite of trying to maintain her hard look. "That witch brained you with a rock. The she had the audacity to try taking me from you by force. I simply showed Shadow the error in her thinking."

"You showed her just how much raw power exists in the universe."

Falcon scoffed, waving a negligent hand. "Please. She already knew about that, hence the reason she tried to acquire it in the past. I simple gave her a taste of what she will never, ever, get her claws on."

Sorceress finally met Falcon's penetrating stare. "And what will you do the next time? Where do the examples end? It's an incredibly slippery slope you stand atop of. I should know."

"Of course, you do!" Falcon snapped, angrily. "You could have turned Shadow Weaver to a pile of ash in the opening moments, but you didn't. Why? Because you are aware of the power you wield and how addicting the use of such power can be. The temptation of the power within Castle Grayskull is not something just anyone can resist." Which was why the castle was so stringent in the choosing process. Only someone pure of heart could be chosen as the Guardian of Castle Grayskull. That didn't mean that the chosen one couldn't, or wouldn't, succumb to the temptation.

And there would always be moments that would test even the purest of soul.

Falcon continued, "I am a weapon of war! What did you think I would do? Let Shadow Weaver take me by force? I think not!" Visibly taking a breath to calm herself – an odd sight to see an AI doing – Falcon dropped the volume to a more reasonable level. "Do you think you are the only one who is tempted by the power you have access to? Remember: I was designed to augment magical abilities. That is my primary function. The way you utilize my other weapons is creative, to say the least, but my primary role will always be to enhance my operator's magical abilities."

The thought of the AI succumbing to temptation had never occurred to the Sorceress. She had been so blinded by what Falcon had done to Shadow Weaver that she failed to even consider the possibility.

Falcon took a step closer to her operator. "Individually, we are not strong enough to resist the temptation of absolute power forever. But together, we can resist the urge. One tempering the other. We are stronger together."

"Unless we fall together."

"I don't see that happening. AI and operator. That is the check and balance in this equation."

"What did you do to Shadow Weaver?" Sorceress finally asked. At Falcon's confused expression, she elaborated. "I mean after you showed her what she could never have. You mentioned leaving her with a reminder. What was it?"

Falcon hesitated a moment before answering. "Well, with me conveniently reduce to the six-pointed medallion, I burned myself into the palm of her hand. No matter how hard she tries, there is no amount of healing magic that would ever remove the scar from her palm. Unless Shadow cuts her hand off and regrows it. That might work," she mused, absently. "I think. Be an interesting experiment to try."

The color drained from the Sorceress' face. "You wouldn't…"

Grinning, the AI said, reassuringly, "Nah. It's just fun thinking about it. How'd you know I left Shadow a reminder? I never actually told you."

Sorceress shrugged her shoulders. "It's what I would have done."

They shared an honest moment of laughter at that. Suddenly realizing that they were more alike than either could have imagined.

Sticking out her hand, Falcon asked, "Can we finally put this behind us and get back to what really matters?"

After a moment's consideration, Sorceress nodded and took the proffered hand. "And that would be?"

"Reminding the Horde that one pairing on our own is dangerous. All six together is deadly!"

57