‘So, may I ask what brings you out to Axia?’ Lusha asked.
‘I’m here to address the Nexus Council tomorrow on behalf of the Magi Council of Earth. There are a few matters which need to be discussed.’
‘Is that right?’ Lusha answered.
‘Playing coy with us, are you? Very well. You’ve got me interest, that’s for sure.’
‘Good,’ Amanda answered. ‘May I ask your opinion on something?’
‘Yeh may,’ Gorthon answered.
‘Please do,’ Lusha added.
‘The Crux…’ Amanda said, and let the word hang in the air for a moment.
‘What of them?’ Gorton shrugged.
‘As I understand it, they lay on the far side of the Arcturus, Septhian, and Valk Dynasties when viewed from Earth. Do you see them as a threat?’
‘The Crux were defeated long ago,’ Lusha began. ‘There are Nomads throughout the Nexus Dynasties, and these Nomads are always problematic, but they have not been a threat to the Nexus or the Dynasties as a whole for millennia, and I don’t see that changing any time soon.’
‘The Crux are broken. Weak and would never be able to stand up to just one Dynasty, let along more than one. They’re no threat.’
‘I would disagree,’ Valerya said, stepping into the conversation.
‘Aye, you would. Are you still spreading your propaganda?’ Gorthon asked.
‘The Crux are building their power, they are massing their forces unchecked. They are a bigger threat now than ever before,’ Valerya continued.
‘Is that right? You’re not listening to her, are yeh?’ Gorthon asked Amanda.
Amanda smiled. ‘I’m not going to get into the details of it right now. These are matters for a more formal setting,’ Amanda said.
‘As you wish. I’ll look forward to it,’ Lusha commented, her tone hauty.
‘Aye, me, too,’ Gorton added accusingly. ‘See you tomorrow.’
Amanda bid the pairs of ambassadors a good evening and left the conversation, moving away from their vicinity.
‘You see what you’re up against?’ Rane asked.
Amanda nodded. ‘I do, but I knew it wouldn’t be easy. They clearly have their own ingrained prejudices and ideas about the universe.’
‘I’ve been trying to tell them about the danger the Crux present for years now, and they’ve never changed their view,’ Valerya said.
‘You’re obviously a valuable part of this team,’ Rane replied, ‘but I do wonder if having you there beside Amanda might taint their view. They know you, they know your story, and it worries me that it might make them disregard us even more.’
‘That’s possible,’ Valerya shrugged.
‘I think they’ll do that whatever. They clearly don’t think much of Earth,’ Amanda added.
Rane shrugged. ‘I hope this doesn’t discourage you.’
‘Far from it,’ Amanda shot back. ‘Actually, it might work in our favour. They won’t see us coming. They’ll think we’re inconsequential.’
‘Or a weak foe that they can crush all too easily,’ Rane offered.
Amanda sniggered. ‘Yeah, well, whatever. It’ll be fun to see how things play out.’
‘You have a funny idea of fun,’ Valerya commented.
‘I’ve learnt to take the rough with the smooth over the years. Even the small victories should be celebrated,’ Amanda answered with a thin smile.
‘I couldn’t agree more,’ said a male voice from behind them.
Amanda turned to see the Valk ambassador, Sortheen Vysh, standing close to them, his head held high and his hands behind his back.
‘I’m sorry to interrupt,’ Vysh continued. ‘I saw you talking with Ambassadors Druk and Ultris and thought it best to come over and introduce myself. I’m Ambassador Vysh of the Valk Dynasty,’ he said, offering his hand.
Amanda took it in hers and gave him a firm handshake. ‘Amanda-Jane Page, representative of the Magi Council of Earth,’ she replied. ‘It’s a pleasure to meet you.’
‘Earth? My word, what brings you out here?’
Amanda smiled. ‘I will be addressing the Nexus Council tomorrow, so you’ll find out then.’
Sortheen nodded with a conspiratorial smile. ‘Of course, I understand. I’ll certainly look forward to that. I hope Ambassadors Druk and Ultris weren’t too dismissive of you?’
‘They acted very much as I expected them to, based on everything I’ve heard,’ Amanda answered with a slight smile.
‘That would not surprise me. Well, it’s wonderful to see the Earth Magi taking an interest in the Nexus finally.’
‘Indeed. We feel we can no longer remain on the sidelines. Tell me, Ambassador, given that the Valk Dynasty lies between Axia — and Earth for that matter — and the Crux, do you think the Crux are a threat?’
‘The Crux were defeated by the Nexus a long time ago, my dear. They retreated, and while we still deal with individual Nomads, the Crux themselves are of little threat. Like you say, out territory lies between you and them. You can rest assured we would stand and fight them should they ever pose a threat again.’
‘That’s comforting to hear,’ Amanda smiled.
Sortheen nodded. ‘I’m glad you think so. Well, I will leave you to enjoy the night, but should you wish to talk to the Valk about these concerns, we would be happy to meet with you and any other Earth Magi,’ he offered.
‘That’s very kind,’ Amanda smiled. ‘Good evening to you.’
The ambassador smiled at her and the others and walked away. Amanda watched him go. ‘He was a little more courteous,’ Amanda commented.
‘Slimy, if you ask me,’ Rane replied.
‘That too,’ Amanda agreed. There was something about his demeanour that felt fake to her, despite how polite he was. Like a used car salesman or something. Still, that didn’t mean he was working with the Crux.
She watched him walk away and scanned through the crowd as he did, noticing that the Septhian and Arcturus ambassadors were looking back at her. They had probably seen the Valk ambassador speak with her. She smiled at them, and they looked away. Amanda shrugged. There was no pleasing some people, she guessed.
Suddenly, her eyes passed over a face she recognised, and she had to do a double take, looking again to see if she might have imagined it.
There, standing in the crowd was Ulrich Pascal. She’d not seen him in hundreds of years.
She turned to her friends and excused herself before walking over towards him. He looked up as she approached and watched as he suddenly recognised her.
‘As I live and breathe, Amanda, is it you?’
Amanda smiled. ‘It is. Ulrich, it’s been so long, how have you been?’ she asked, reaching out to hug him. He returned the gesture and pulled her in for a hug before letting her go.
‘Wow, you look stunning,’ he said.
‘Thanks,’ she smiled, suddenly aware of how much skin she was showing, and feeling momentarily ashamed before the thought passed. Damn Catholic upbringing, she thought, pushing those childhood feelings away. They were precisely why she liked to show herself off a little more as an adult. She guessed it was Ulrich’s roots as a Templar in the church that dredged those repressed feelings back up again. ‘How long has it been?’
‘About seven hundred years,’ he said with a wry smile.
‘Jeez, that long? I remember you coming to tell us that they were rounding up the Templars and arresting them. That was a fairly crazy day.’
‘It was, and thank you for helping me free my brothers; I couldn’t have done it without you. Is Astrid here? I’ve heard talk of her and the Wraiths, but I’ve not seen her since she ferried us from Earth to Axia.’
‘I’ve not seen her for a while either, actually. I’ll see her soon, though.’
‘Say hello from me when you do see her,’ Ulrich asked.
‘I will. So, tell me, what are you doing? Are your brothers here as well?’ Amanda asked.
‘No. It’s just me. My brothers a
nd I formed an organisation. We call ourselves the Templar Knights. We’ve since grown and I took the position of ambassador to the Nexus.’
‘The Templar Knights. Bringing your faith out to the stars, I see?’
‘Well, that’s debatable. We’re not really a religious organisation any more. I’d guess you’d say we’re more of a warrior society. A knightly order of fighting men and women.’
Amanda nodded approvingly. ‘Sounds awesome. Well, I’m glad you’ve done well.’
‘Thanks. You should come visit us sometime at our homeworld.’
‘I’d love to,’ Amanda answered with a smile.
‘Good, we should arrange that. So, what brings you out here?’ he asked her.
‘I’m here on Council business,’ she answered him. ‘I’ll be addressing the Nexus tomorrow. Will you be there?’
‘I certainly will,’ he answered with a smile.
‘Excellent.’
Lion’s Den
Red City, Axia, Proxima Centauri
The next day, Amanda walked beside Rane and Valerya with Aris slightly behind through the dome at the base of the Nexus Spire.
‘Are you ready for this?’ Rane asked.
‘As I’ll ever be,’ Amanda said, smoothing down her more business style dress. It was a simple one piece, knee length white dress with some red detailing. In her head, she ran through some of the memories she had of the Dragon attack. She had guessed the Nexus might want proof, but she also thought it would be a good idea to actually show the Council what had happened.
She could easily conjure a holographic version of her memory to show the assembled officials.
‘You’ll do fine,’ Rane replied with a smile.
‘I hope so.’ The four of them walked out of a corridor into a gigantic chamber that was in the centre of the dome below the spire above. The walls were formed from enormous ornate colonnades that ran around the entire chamber, and in the middle, hovering in mid-air, was a vast sphere. Intricate filigree patterns covered the orb, but other than that, there were no other features and no obvious entrance, either.
‘What’s that?’ Amanda asked.
‘That is where the Nexus Council meets,’ Rane said. ‘The only way in is to Port.’
Amanda could see the intense Magic keeping the sphere aloft, and guessed that it probably made sense for the Nexus Council to meet in a place only accessible via Magic.
‘Impressive,’ Amanda whispered, looking up at the vast sphere that was probably as big as a small town in diameter.
‘Here we go,’ Rane said. Amanda saw and felt Rane’s Magic surge and reach out for her. Amanda allowed it through her Aegis, and with a whip-snap of air, they had suddenly Ported into the sphere.
They stood at the edge of a large chamber, surrounded by tiers of seats leading down to a central forum. To one side, a podium and raised area marked the area for the chair of the Nexus to sit, and she could see Elden Tempus standing near to it, talking with some other people.
‘This way,’ Rane suggested, leading her down the stairs towards the central forum. Amanda looked around. There were already plenty of people in here, including some of the ambassadors she had met the previous night. Amanda quickly spotted Ambassadors Druk, Ultris, and Vysh from the Arcturus, Septhian, and Valk Dynasties respectively. She saw and nodded to Ulrich as well before Rane led her to a seat down near the forum.
Looking around, Amanda saw that the circular chamber had the ambassadors down at the front, and then the section behind them seemed to be reserved for their aids and such. Further back, other politicians and representatives had their places to sit, but there was room in here for a huge audience. The fact that there wasn’t one today made it feel quite empty.
It was something Amanda felt quite happy about. She didn’t mind public speaking, she had done it a few times now, but it certainly wasn’t her favourite thing to do.
As more Magi arrived and took their places, Amanda sat beside her friends and watched everyone arrive, noting some of the curious looks she was getting from people. She wondered how many of them knew about the reason for her visit.
Ylena and the Ormond contingent arrived next and came over to greet them before moving to their seats. Rane went with them, which she had warned Amanda she would have to do.
Elden made his way around to them and leaned into her so he could speak quietly. ‘We’re about to bring the meeting to order. Are you ready?’
Amanda smiled at him. ‘I am.’
‘Good. Let’s have a meeting in my office after this, okay?’
‘Of course,’ Amanda answered. She guessed they would have a few things to talk about once the full story was public. A few more minutes passed before Elden was back at his podium.
Above the central forum, a golden sphere that hovered up there rang out once like a gong, bringing the meeting to order. Everyone sat and the noise faded to nothing as Elden looked out over the assembled crowd.
‘Welcome, everyone,’ Elden began. ‘I bring this meeting to order. Firstly, thank you all for attending the gala event last night. I’m pleased to say it was a great success. But, we will come back to that matter later. To start with, we have a very special guest with us today. The Magi Council of Earth have sent a representative to speak with us,’ he explained. Amanda could hear some hushed whispers come from a few places around the room as he mentioned Earth.
‘So, without further ado, I present to you, Amanda-Jane Page of Earth,’ he finished and waved for her to come down to the central forum.
Amanda got up with a smile, walked down the last few stairs, and entered the open, circular area in the middle of the room. Her heels clicked on the polished stone floor. It looked like pristine white marble shot through with gold. As she reached the forum, she looked up at Elden with a smile.
‘Thank you, Overseer Elden, it’s a pleasure to be here,’ she said, before turning to address the row of stony-faced ambassadors that sat all around her, their steely gazes boring into her and making her feel about thirty centimetres tall. ‘I'm here on behalf of the Magi Council of Earth, partly to bring you news of an event that should concern all of you, and also to inform you of developments within the Sol system as a whole.
‘A few days ago, a flock of around fifty Void Dragons appeared above Earth and attacked one of our major cities. They destroyed buildings and killed many innocent Riven and Magi,’ she said, glancing at Valerya.
‘This was not some random attack; this was a carefully planned assault. They also attacked Ultima Thule, the Magi Council’s building on one of the moons of Saturn, and Sol Prime, the space station run by the Ormond Dynasty and the Sol Protectorate. I saw, with my own eyes, one of the recently freed Archons ride one of these Dragons up and away from Earth. We believe that at least some of the other Archons went with the Dragons as well. As I mentioned, this was not some random attack, this was a rescue mission. Meaning the Archons are allying with the Crux.’
‘Nonsense,’ called out one of the ambassadors. Amanda looked up to see it was the Solidaire representative, Ember Xol. ‘The Crux are defeated.’
‘Were,’ Amanda interrupted him. ‘Were defeated, and have been left to grow unchecked ever since.’
‘The Crux were defeated a long time ago,’ Sortheen of the Valk said. ‘They are no threat to us now.’
‘We’re stronger than we were back then, the Crux are no threat to us now, even if they have grown,’ Ashr of the Larzentus added. ‘We do not fear them.’
‘What proof do you have that this even took place?’ Phenix Zallam of the Palashain asked.
‘I’m glad you asked,’ Amanda answered, and summoned a floating hologram of her memory of that day, showing the Dragons erupting from the clouds above New York and swooping down before showing Lilitu leaping onto one of them as it passed by the building she had been stood on. ‘Please, examine my memories if you want to be sure,’ she said as the hologram showed the destruction the Void Dragons had wrought on Earth.
‘We will
take you at your word for now,’ Elden interrupted as the ambassadors watched the memory play out in the hologram before Amanda finally cancelled the effect.
‘What do we have to fear of the Crux? The Earth is weak compared to us,’ Arana Rast of the Wraxleith asked.
‘I think that fact that these Dragons, a whole flight of them, managed to pass through Dynasty territory, twice, and reach Earth, just a few lightyears from here, should be enough to concern you,’ Amanda continued.
‘Axia isn’t Earth,’ Gorthon Druk of the Arcturus Dynasty added. ‘We’re far more advanced, and would be much better suited to fight off such an attack. The Earth Magi probably didn’t even know the Void Dragons existed beforehand. Besides, fifty is not a large force of Dragons.’
‘Agreed,’ Valerya interrupted, standing up in her seat. ‘It’s a small fraction of the amount of Dragons I have seen massing in Crux Space.’
‘Who invited you?’ the Valk Ambassador asked.
‘I did,’ Amanda answered, her tone defiant. ‘She tried to fight off the Dragons, putting her own life on the line to help Earth. She has more than earned her right to be here, and she knows what she's talking about.’
‘Are you sure?’ Sortheen of the Valk asked her.
‘Quite sure,’ Amanda answered, her voice steely. ‘Ultimately, I always doubted I would be able to convince you here today, and frankly, whether I have or not, is beside the point. We know what happened and it’s clear that the Earth cannot sit by and rely on you to defend us. Your record speaks for itself on that front. No, the Earth Magi will be taking a much more proactive stance from now on. I’m here to announce that the Magi Council of Earth will be merging with the Sol Protectorate and the Sentinels to form the Terran Alliance, and it is our intention to join the Nexus.’
‘What?’
‘You can’t do that.’
Who do you think you are?’
‘There’s procedure and protocol to follow.’
The protests came thick and fast as the ambassadors made their feelings on the matter felt quite clearly.
‘The Sol Protectorate is part of the Nexus,’ Amanda protested in return.
Star Magi: A Space Opera Fantasy Adventure (Star Magi Saga Book 1) Page 18