by Regine Abel
I grinned from ear to ear, having so easily found a partner for one of my less traditional passions. Combat training was one of the requirements for Operators and Soulcatchers in the Vanguard HQ, but not for Operators in the Coalition HQ. While such training would be provided to those who qualified for the Vanguard, we’d all taken the compulsory basic classes included in the Psychic Training Program. I’d fallen in love with the art and taken all the available advanced classes.
“You’ve got yourself a deal!” Making a buddy this quickly definitely constituted a first for me, but I’d take it. So far away from home, it would be nice to have someone who could grow into a friend. “Excited about becoming a Soulcatcher?” I asked.
Shereen snorted. “I highly doubt I’ll make Soulcatcher. My ESP scores are high, but I lack the mental stamina to hold a soul for very long. According to my teachers, my boat is leaking,” she said making a face.
My innards twisted. Although Shereen had not attempted to hold an actual Xian Warrior’s soul, she had used the technology that simulated a Xian soul transfer. Soulcatchers possessed what we called vessels; they housed the soul of a Warrior fallen in combat until it could be transferred into a new body. Leakers were people like Shereen with strong enough ESP to catch a soul but unable to hold it safely for extended periods of time, causing the soul to gradually lose its integrity and slowly die.
The few times I had tried—as expected—I failed to find any vessel within me. And this largely fueled my fears that, despite being on my way to Khepri, I wouldn’t make it into the Vanguard.
“I’m sorry,” I said with genuine sympathy. “I don’t think I’ll qualify either, to be honest. Black and brown people don’t have vessels. My own tests didn’t label me as a Leaker but as Hollow. People back home have such high expectations, I—”
“Fuck that,” Shereen interrupted, her friendly face taking a sterner expression. “You will be whatever you are meant to be. Other people’s dreams and aspirations are not your burden to bear. We’re going to have enough stress with our training in the upcoming month; you don’t need to carry that baggage with you. Just do you.”
“But—”
“Tsk, tsk. No buts! Worst case scenario, you and I will be the most badass Operators in the Vanguard. We may not be able to hold souls, but we can catch and relay a message like no one’s business. Well, okay you can, but I’m right behind you.”
I burst out laughing, finding myself really liking her no-nonsense attitude.
“Whatever makes you think you’re behind me?” I asked.
“Because the word on the street is that you channeled Legion during your test,” Shereen replied, a look of awe settling on her face.
Yes, and…?
“Is that true?” asked a pretty brunette, with startling green eyes.
To my utter dismay, I realized all other conversations had stopped and eighteen pairs of eyes stared at me with unabashed curiosity.
“Well, uh… yes? Didn’t any of you also get him?”
Eighteen heads shook to the negative.
“The only time anyone has channeled Legion was when he visited Earth,” the brunette said.
“Wasn’t he here?” I asked, stunned. Granted, I hadn’t seen him at the conference hall and knew he avoided the media circus, but I’d figured he’d been holding some secret meetings with high-ranking dignitaries.
“No,” said a dirty blonde with hazelnut eyes. “The minute the Xian’s were overheard saying you were channeling Legion, everyone and their brother tried to find out where he was because all communiques stated he wasn’t coming. Legion is indeed still on Khepri. No one has ever been recorded making a connection from such a long distance and for such a long time. Whether or not you turn out to be a Soulcatcher, you’ve just broken the intergalactic record.”
* * *
The shuttle from Earth took us to the battleship Odyssey, then onto the three-day journey at warp speed to Khepri. The trip required two jumps through wormholes, an experience I hoped not to repeat any time soon. However, something altogether different had my stomach all up in knots, my head spinning, and my knees feeling weak.
I waited nervously, alongside my very excited peers, for the ship’s ramp to be lowered in the docking bay of the Vanguard HQ. Janie, the green-eyed brunette, stood in front with a few of the other girls as a buffer between us. Moira, the brown-eyed blonde, huddled up near Shereen and me, feeling as intimidated as we were.
For all that, a single thought kept replaying in my head; I would meet Legion in the flesh.
My obsession with the man struck me as borderline unhealthy, but I couldn’t help it. It shamed me to admit that thoughts of Legion had affected my personal relationships, comparing my boyfriend of the moment with an alien I’d never even spoken to. Yet, seeing him on static ads, or better yet on TV or any other video media, I could swear he was looking straight at me, seeing me, talking to only me.
And his sexy-as-hell voice telling me with utter confidence that I will want to die for him still had me tingling in all the right places, despite the arrogance of his words. The soft whine of the ramp getting lowered finally reached our ears. It settled on the floor with a clang, and the ship’s doors opened at last.
A vast, state-of-the-art, ship hangar with steely-blue walls and dark-grey metal plated floors sprawled before us. But the impressive collection of vessels within, from small skiffs, to chasers, and battleships, didn’t hold my attention. The four or five hundred Xian Warriors, divided into three units before our vessel, had me mesmerized. Chaos and Legion—the faces of the Vanguard—stood in front of the units. One of them had me utterly entranced.
“Welcome home, Ayana.”
I jumped in surprise at the unexpected voice in my head. Thankfully, the other girls were too enraptured with the spectacle before us to notice my jerky reaction. Although he didn’t look at me, Legion’s sinfully appealing lips stretched in a discrete smirk.
“You’ll need to learn better control, young lady.”
“You need to not barge in uninvited and without knocking first.”
Before I could berate myself for my snarky come back, Legion’s barely there smirk blossomed into a full on smile.
“Touché.”
We filed down the ramp under the heavy stares of the Warriors. Nervous smiles and giggles escaped us—or rather my peers—as we settled in two more or less even rows in front of our hosts. For some reason, my conversation with Legion had made the whole deal a lot less intimidating.
“Welcome to Khepri and to the Vanguard Headquarters,” Legion said, pretending his smile to be in greeting rather than in reaction to our secret banter. “We are deeply grateful for all your hard work and the courage that has led you here today. The Vanguard is only as strong as its Operators and Soulcatchers. You are the reason we will succeed in defeating the Kryptids. Thank you for volunteering to serve within the Coalition and for being our voices and vessels.”
He glanced around the room at the three divisions behind him, all sexy as sin, clad in their skin-tight, black uniforms and boots.
“The Soulcatchers among you will be paired with one of these men. The Raiders behind me, to which Chaos and I belong, are the suicide squad. We are the first into battles and the outcome is rarely pleasant for us. We require the most powerful Soulcatchers with the longest ranges.” His eyes flicked towards me so briefly, I wondered if I’d imagined it. “This division, with the red insignia, are the Intelligence and Communications unit, and this one with the blue insignia are Science and Engineering. They are the second wave into combat, right before the Coalition enters the fray. Most of you will join those two divisions and either remain here at the HQ or follow the fleet into combat.”
“Are you ready to die for me yet?”
I barely managed to repress a disbelieving snort, but I couldn’t resist smiling.
“Not even remotely.”
“Over the next few weeks of your training, some of the Warriors may approach you if they
feel a psychic affinity with you. Please take the time to get to know them as a close bond is essential for this to work.”
“We’ll have to work on that.”
I was looking for some smart reply to his cocky comment when whispers of two dozen minds brushed against mine. A shiver ran down my spine at the odd sensation. Greetings and hellos resonated in different voices. From the frazzled looks on the other girls, I guessed they too were getting first contact from some of the Warriors.
“This is Myriam and Tabitha,” Legion said, pointing at two pretty humans standing a bit off to the side. “They are my and Chaos’ Soulcatchers. They will give you a tour of the premises, show you your personal quarters, and answer any questions you may have. Also feel free to ask any of the Warriors for assistance at any point in time. Once again, welcome to the Vanguard and may this experience prove to be everything you imagined.”
The Warriors all pressed their fists to their hearts, and Myriam gestured for us to come forward. I felt numb as I approached her, my smile stiff on my lips. Obviously, Legion would have a Soulcatcher and, not surprisingly, she would be beautiful. Slender, but with all the right curves in all the right places, an artistic mess of auburn hair elegantly framed her heart-shaped face, capped off with a cute bud nose, and seductive pouty lips. They had probably been together for years, too. The worst part was remembering the words from Professor Winfield that had made me so giddy back in my early ESP training classes.
Contrary to most military organizations, the Vanguard highly encouraged fraternization as intimacy and affection helped strengthen the mental bond between the Warrior and his Soulcatcher. Even Operators were incentivized to bond but only with their main Warrior. They often worked with more than one at a time, and polyamorous relationships didn’t sit well with the Warriors’ possessive ways.
I followed in silence while Myriam led us past the security check and down a long corridor into an impressive transport hub. The circular room, all white with black and gold accents, had six large archways, three on each side of the hover train tunnel situated smack in the middle. The archways were in fact tubes through which high speed bubble transports carried a maximum of six passengers—but ideally four—to various sections of Khepri. Each tube split into five or six additional destinations which the traveler selected from the navigation panel once inside the bubble.
The train could transport much larger groups and stopped at all the official buildings at the massive headquarter campus. I would have loved nothing more than to hop into one of the bubbles with Shereen so I could wallow in self-pity, but Myriam had other plans.
We entered the sleek, bullet-shaped train under the assessing stares of veteran Soulcatchers and Operators, looking smart in their formal black uniforms. No sooner had the last of us entered than the doors closed. The train immediately set off, reaching insanely high speeds within seconds. We didn’t feel anything and could only hear a gentle hum from our transport. With no one else but us on board this car, there were plenty of comfortable-looking chairs with their own monitors should passengers wish to watch entertainment, the news, or browse their version of the Internet.
Yet, none of us took a seat. We’d done enough of that on our way here.
Forcing myself out of my funk, I paid attention to Myriam’s instructions on train and class schedules, the important stops for us, and the landmarks worth visiting. Having no desire to play tourists right now, Myriam’s next words were music to my ears.
“As you must all be fairly exhausted from the long journey here, we’re not going to stop anywhere, but go directly to the Aspirants Residence. You each have a private room where your personal belongings are currently being transferred.”
The train emerged from the tunnel and a series of oddly-shaped, towering buildings appeared on the almost Earth-like landscape but for the ghostly silhouette of the planet’s three rings visible in the clear blue sky. If not for them, you could almost think yourself in the technological center of Dubai. Myriam gave us a quick overview of the buildings located at the first two stations the train stopped at; the Vanguard HQ, which also served as a Conference Center, and the Vanguard Residence. The third stop was in front of a large off-white building that reminded me of a seashell.
“This is the Training Center where you will spend most of your time,” Tabitha said, finally sharing the burden of guiding us as well. “You will need to report here at 0900 hours sharp.”
Where Myriam had been soft and gentle, Tabitha was curt and tough. Beautiful in her own way, her high cheekbones could have been chiseled with a blade. Her pixie haircut accentuated her pointy chin, and yet, she made it work; it emphasized her dark blue eyes. I didn’t quite know how I felt about Tabitha but chose to give her the benefit of the doubt.
“The next stop is the Aspirants Residence,” she continued. “We will lead you to your respective quarters where you can freshen up and take a nap if you wish. All your suites are equipped with a full bathroom, small kitchen, living area. However, most of your meals will be served in the common dining area. Tonight is no exception. Dinner will be served at 1900 hours on the dot. Please be on time or let us know in advance if you decide to skip.”
Yep, I don’t think I’m going to like her.
I had no problem with discipline, but I didn’t do well with rigidity. The train had resumed its course while Tabitha talked and soon arrived in front of our residence. The three towers forming the building reminded me of dancing flames on top of a turtle’s carapace, the whole thing made of glass and steel.
Although our quarters had been pre-assigned to us, it seemed obvious they had based their selections on the relationships that had formed between us over the trip. It struck me as both thoughtful and creepy. I didn’t like knowing we’d been observed this closely. As a result, Shereen, Moira, Janie, and I each received one of the five quarters of the west wing.
My quarters were nothing like what I had expected. In my mind’s eye, I had pictured a room with a bunk bed, maybe a table and a couple of chairs, but this qualified as a luxury condo. The muted white and light grey colors made it look even more spacious. They had spared no expense on the fancy, king-sized, platform bed, the comfortable white leather couch set, and the gourmet kitchen.
I liked that we could cook our own meals. While I intended to enjoy the common meals prepared for us, I wanted to be able to prepare some traditional Haitian recipes from time to time to remind me of Mom’s cooking. To my delight, the Vanguard Coordinators had confirmed that we would be able to find pretty much any produce we needed in their food markets. Anything missing, we simply had to flag it and they’d handle it.
A welcome package had been left in the center of the round dining table. From the gold and black bag, I plucked out a variety of chocolates and sweets both familiar and alien; a map of Khepri and another of the transportation network; random gadgets bearing the Vanguard’s emblem, from a scarf, to a wrist watch; and a small black box tied in a bow with a pretty, golden ribbon.
I picked up the box, untied the bow, and lifted the lid. A small handwritten note sat on top of twenty-five Zylandian pralines. The fancy delicacy cost a fortune. I couldn’t believe they would give such luxurious treats to Aspirants not even confirmed yet. Picking up the note, my chest constricted as I read the words.
‘These are definitely to die for.
Welcome home.
Legion’
Dragging my feet to the dark brown leather couch, I let myself flop onto the heavenly cushion, feeling utterly confused. My gut told me the others wouldn’t have that box. What was he up to? What did he want? Was he some kind of player? Surely, he wouldn’t risk antagonizing his Soulcatcher by cheating on her with some new recruit. But then, she seemed sweet enough that she might be fine with it.
Or maybe they’re not together…
Could it be?
Heaving a sigh, I dropped the note back into the box, grabbed one of the pralines, and tossed it into my mouth. An unexpected moan tore out of my throa
t. Holy cow! He wasn’t kidding about his ‘to die for’ statement. Sweet, both chewy and crunchy, with a tinge of salt, they gave my taste buds quite the orgasm. Unable to resist, I popped another one into my mouth before forcing myself to close the box. I could easily picture myself gorging on the whole lot in one go.
Getting back up, I resumed the exploration of my new home. The bathroom proved to be a delight. Gleaming, off-white tiles covered the floor and walls, with black and gold accent tiles strategically placed in a decorative pattern in the middle of the wall, and in a stylized shape of a Gomenzi Dragon in the center of the bathroom floor. I hesitated between relaxing in the Jacuzzi-style bathtub and hurrying through a quick shower in the separate stall.
The shower won.
I made quick work of it before wrapping myself up in one of the blanket-sized, fluffy towels from the linen closet. The doorbell rang as I padded back into the bedroom, startling me. Tightening the towel around me—not that it needed it—I went to see who was calling; Shereen, no doubt.
Wrong.
The door swished open, revealing the tall and broad frame of a Xian Warrior. Although heavily burdened with my luggage, he beamed at me, not frazzled in the least by their weight.
“Hello, Ayana,” he said with the same gravelly voice that seemed to be the standard among the Warriors. “My name is Raven, and I come bearing gifts. My timing is either very poor, or couldn’t have been better,” he added, eyeing my ‘outfit’ in the least subtle fashion.
My cheeks all but burst into flames, and I once more envied my brother’s darker skin that prevented his blushes from showing. Unsure how to respond, I reverted to my go-to tactics whenever faced with awkward situations.
“Your timing couldn’t be more perfect.” I ostensibly pointed at my belongings. “Please kindly put them down by the door. I can’t wait to spend quality time with the gifts you brought.”
He chuckled. “And what about me?”
“What about you?” I asked with false innocence. “Don’t you have places to be? Heads to bash in? Evil to crush?”