“Shetanna has come,” Naero announced.
A nanoportal irised within the dome’s entrance surface. She stepped in, and it closed behind her. She was alone within the shielded dome, a hundred meters in diameter.
A perfect, level platform for a duel awaited her inside. Within was sparsely decorated and supplied, only with a few furnishings and pods of equipment and gear here and there.
Her mysterious opponent rose up from a concealed nanolift and hatch, near the center of the dome’s floor.
Of course she was taller than Naero.
Wasn’t everyone?
“I am Riel.”
“I am Shetanna.”
They circled each other slowly like predators.
Species unknown. Riel looked female, by all appearances. Near-human, or at the very least humanoid. Riel was, in fact, a hand taller than Naero, although that wasn’t difficult to manage. Sleek. Athletic, with superb muscle tone. Riel looked strong, agile, and fast.
Riel was a warrior, warrior-born, or from a warrior people, and she looked proud of that.
She had an odd skin coloration pattern, blazing white up to her neck, supple and shiny.
Yet only through the middle third of her body. The outer thirds of her form were sleek, shiny, and black, including her dexterous hands and feet. She wore thin boots and gloves of what appeared to be a black nano material, similar to Naero’s own flight togs.
Riel’s head was round on top, her face humanoid and shiny, jet black. She had large, attractive sapphire blue eyes, the hue of gleaming, light blue steel.
Small nose, expressive mouth with bluish lips and white, omnivore teeth, within the human range. If Riel had ears, they were small and recessed into the sides of her dark head, or perhaps concealed under her coat, or fur, or whatever it was that covered her body. It was some kind of protective layer.
Naero had spotted the thin nanogloves and boots right off. Now she noticed that Riel wore a tight pair of shorts, and some kind of sleeveless bodice top over a high, mid-sized bosom, under her coat.
The nanomaterial of her clothing barely covered her hips and shoulders, exposing most of her front torso, perhaps her back, and her arms and legs.
Riel touched some kind of preset on her waist on the shorts, and her garments, boots, and gloves included, began shifting and shimmering–flashing with strange, almost hypnotic patterns of black and white, which became very distracting.
The thin, black leather belt at her hips was set with bright metal squares or some kind of control buttons. At a closer look, there were strips of material up the sides. The outfit was not so much a garment as it was a harness from the hips to the shoulders. Both hips held what appeared to be finely shaped sword hilts of intricate design, without blades or scabbards needed.
Are those energy weapons, Om?
There was something incredibly odd about those hilts and their energy signatures.
Naero, there are indeed strange Cosmic energy signatures around those sword hilts. And they are made of a rare substance–Ur-metal. The power levels of those weapons are being well-concealed, as long as they are not activated.
“I sense very well that we are warriors of honor,” Riel said. “Know that I bear you no ill will, Shetanna. I offer you my hand, before our contest begins. Champion to Champion.”
Naero took the hand, firm and strong; strength enough to match her own.
They pulled back.
With her biomancy, Naero had some fleeting insights into Riel’s species.
“You have a layer of insulating skin…and something like…fur? It covers your entire body, including your hands and feet. Intriguing.”
Riel smiled slightly. “Even my eyes are protected, by an insulating layer of clear film. Almost my own natural EV suit. All I really require is a sealed helmet and a source of breathable air.”
“A shame I didn’t get to finish my perception analysis of your genotype and species.”
“So, you are a biomancer as well? You are indeed quite formidable, Shetanna. Very much so. Now I am curious. Can you phaze, or transport, or both?”
Naero grinned. “Does it matter right now? When the time comes, you shall know these things.”
Riel smirked. “I suppose that is fair.
Something else. Riel wore a wide, golden nanotek collar, padded on the inside. A very hi-tek collar from what Naero and Om could detect. Almost constricting.
Om, suggestions? Is that some kind of throat protection, or is it really a control collar? Our enemies are forcing her to do all of this?
Both, as it would appear. The tek is highly advanced–on par even with the KDM. Without being able to study it, I cannot fully identify or determine its makeup or function. Yet it is also neutron detonation device, similar to the suicide device you wear upon your wrist.
So, Om, do we think someone among our unseen enemies is controlling Riel against her will? Are they making her fight for them? If she disobeys or tries to escape, I’m guessing they can blow her up?
With a yield that will take out half a kilometer in all directions.
Then they must want to be very sure that she is dead, if she steps out of line.
Control collar or no, she is obviously a hired blademaster, sent here from far away to slay the great Shetanna.
Shetanna spoke aloud. “Tell me, Riel. Where do you and your people hale from?”
“From the Gamma Quad–”
The golden collar around her neck suddenly flared and flashed.
Riel’s eyes bulged and she winced, grinding her teeth suddenly together in pain. She hissed and clenched her teeth again and looked down for a moment.
“It…it doesn’t matter where my people are from, Shetanna.”
“I…suppose not. My people were descended from mammalian rodents and primates, and came to the stars after purposely, genetically altering their sub-species in order to thrive in space. Now they are a people of warriors and poets. Are you descended from polar sea mammals who gained sentience, Riel?”
Riel smiled, and felt her collar for a moment. “A close guess, Shetanna. Not mammals–avians.”
“Birds? You’re descended from birds?”
Riel nodded. “Yes. Flightless, polar sea birds, actually, who mostly took to land, at some point, becoming fishers and hunters, and then warriors, singers, and dreamers. First we sailed the seas in ships, and now the stars. Very similar to you and your kin.”
“So, you are not covered in dense fur?”
“No. Dense feathers.”
“Despite that, it seems that we have much in common, Riel. In another situation…we and our peoples could be friends. Perhaps even allies.”
Riel shook her head sadly.
She winced again as her golden collar jolted her once more. “Yet not today, I fear. Today we must do battle, Shetanna. That is why we are here together, and neither of us can avoid that now. One or both of us shall know death this day.”
“It does not have to be this way, Riel. By all that I see, you seem very honorable. You are clearly being forced into this. To serve those who are controlling you. Why must we fight? I would much rather us be friends, and comrades.”
Riel sighed heavily and rested both hands on the elaborate sword hilts at her sides. “I’m afraid that is impossible, Shetanna. I have no choice in this matter. My will is not my own. We have been brought together to duel. How then, shall we begin?”
Naero nodded. Om and the fixers still required more time.
“Very well, Riel. Let us square off in the center, salute one another–and test our prowess.”
“Very acceptable. Proceed.”
This was a formal contest.
To the death.
Naero summoned her bloodred Chaos katanas, sizzling and crackling. She saluted her opponent with great formality and respect and puled up her Mystic battle mask.
“By my family name, I am Mystic Adept Naero Amashin Maeris of Clan Maeris of the Forty-Nine Free Spacer Clans. Yet in combat and war, I am also known as Shetanna
, the Dark Angel of Death. I have never known defeat in single combat with blades. Let us match swords.”
Riel drew forth her two blades in one fluid motion, igniting them in her hands. The two long swords were a marvel.
One blade seemed to be fashioned out of black lightning. The other sword blade blazed blinding white.
Naero instantly recognized those Cosmic energies.
The Darkforce and the Lifespark.
Riel saluted her in return, striking a fighting pose. “I am Riel, daughter of Shuno and Glaithel, swordmaster of the star children–the Pelani. Wielder of the swords of Death and Life–Nohk and Laha. I salute you, Shetanna. Prepare to do battle!”
They clashed in a blur, all four swords crackling and crashing together. Sparks and Cosmic lightning erupted.
Naero wheeled, struck, cut, thrust, and kicked.
Riel flipped, twisted, and lashed out with several intricate combinations and techniques of her own.
They tested each other, time and time again.
Riel probed for a weakness, and found little that she could exploit.
She’s extremely good, Om. I just might be in trouble, here.
Naero waited patiently for Riel to make a mistake.
There were none. Riel was flawless.
Both of them sprang further away, parting briefly.
They saluted each other once again.
“I commend your skill,” Naero said. “You have had exceptional training.”
Riel nodded. “I have never faced such a champion as yourself. Truly impressive. You are indeed a worthy opponent!”
Riel sounded excited, eager.
Naero felt the same way.
“Again, Riel?”
She nodded. “Again, Shetanna.”
They clashed once more, lashing and striking and swinging and thrusting in a blinding fury. Their clashing weapons showered sparks and flared.
After similar results, they circled each other.
“Do not hold back,” Riel told her. “I can take it.”
“Don’t worry. I’m not.”
They clashed for another long exchange, and then broke one more.
“Might I suggest a way to accelerate this challenge?” Riel said.
“How?” Naero asked.
“Would you at all object to fighting in zero-G?”
Naero grinned like her characteristic self, raising one eyebrow. “I was born in null gravity.”
Riel showed her teeth eagerly, a characteristic expression apparently for her. “As was I. Very well then.”
The gravity in the dome ceased.
Naero activated her gravwing.
Riel switched on gravitic filaments laced throughout her battle harness, accented and guided by telekinetics, flight, and repulsion deflection.
The two combatants slipped through null gravity like sharks through water, slicing and jabbing at each other. Their weapons crashed. More sparks and lightning ripped through the air in several directions.
They parted.
Naero came to a grim conclusion.
Om put it into words. N, you are almost evenly matched, but her reach is slightly greater than yours, and she is a bit more maneuverable.
He was right. Riel had the barest advantage, but it would eventually win out. She flipped, twisted, and rounded as if part of her body were made of nanoflex rubber. She was…amazing.
N…that will eventually give her the decisive edge.
I know, Om.
No one said a word yet.
She knows it too, Om.
Then why is she hesitating? What are you going to do?
I–I don’t think she really wants this. I’m going to try to end this, fast. Before she’s forced to wear me down.
Naero launched herself at Riel in a blistering, all-out assault.
Riel wisely retreated, feinting, dodging, and withdrawing–her defenses perfectly timed and executed.
Then they switched suddenly, and Riel pressed Naero relentlessly in every direction. Naero tried to get away and break. Riel cut her off with a stunning reversal.
A thrust, and then a twist cut passed through Naero’s flowing hair and arced toward her neck.
Completely unblockable.
Naero transported…in the last split instant before Riel severed her head from her shoulders.
Excellent, N.
No. Not excellent, Om. She’s better than me in zero-G. I can’t keep transporting. She’ll just wear me down.
Naero, get in close with her. She doesn’t know about me. I can take her out.
No, Om. Promise me you won’t.
What? You can’t be serious, N. You’d rather have me stand back and watch her kill you? Kill us?”
Yes. That’s what I’m saying. It would be dishonorable to defeat her that way. I don’t want you to help me. I forbid you to interfere! Wait…I just thought of something. Riel might have been trying to tell me something. Send me a message. Let me try something.”
Riel circled in for another attack.
Naero focused all of her efforts on attacking Riel’s forearms, wrists, hands, and fingers.
Riel read the attack and responded with the appropriate defensive techniques, and then she always went back to reaching for and striking at Naero’s neck.
This left Riel’s own neck and head open to attack.
Riel hesitated a fraction too long.
Naero got in a lightning-fast snapkick that rocked Riel’s head back.
Riel whirled and head-spiked Naero full in the face. For a split second Naero saw stars.
They cut, sliced, and broke away. They charged back in at the same time, just as fast.
Naero distracted Riel again with kicks, taking a light cut on her left thigh. Her Spacer smartblood quickly sealed up the wound.
She blasted Nohk out of Riel’s left hand with a sonic attack, and pierced her opponent’s right hand with a few Chaos spikes, causing her to let go of Laha.
A Chaos blast right between them flung Riel away, slightly scorched, blistered, and staggered.
Riel’s swords extinguished shortly after being released.
Naero scooped them up and attached them to the nanomaterial on her thighs. She flew over and brought the gravity back up slowly, and she and Riel floated slowly back down to the dome floor.
Riel stood up defiantly from crouching on her hands and knees. She clenched her fists, spread her stance, and lifted her head high. She swallowed slightly. ‘It is done. I am prepared.”
Naero spoke. “Hold. I’ve figured out a few things. Except for your swords, you don’t actually have any of my Cosmic abilities…do you, Riel? Although I sense great power within you…yes. You have not learned either to awaken or use them–have you?”
Riel lowered her gaze slightly. “That does not matter now. You have won. My life is forfeit.”
“It matters to me.” Naero tossed Riel’s sword hilts at her feet.
“It was wrong for me to use Cosmic attacks against you when you cannot yet respond in kind. This is a sword duel. From now on, we will just rely upon our blades, and our skill.”
N…we won. Are you sure of this?
I’m sure, Om.
Riel grinned and blinked, looking more than a bit surprised. “You…you greatly honor me, Shetanna.” She bent down to pick up her sword hilts.
As soon as Riel had them in her hands, Naero sliced both of her katanas at the back of the Pelani’s exposed neck.
She cut off Riel’s control collar.
Om transported the device out beyond the dome in that same exact instant.
The resulting detonation from the enemy control collar took out the area close by, rocking and damaging the structure.
Naero took down her defensive shield from around herself and Riel, after the blast wave and the thermal effects swept by.
Riel gasped suddenly, and felt around the burned and blistered ring encircling her neck where the control collar had repeatedly tormented her. She sobbed, and a look of disbelief was
hed over her face.
Then she knelt down and burst into tears.
“You got my clue. That I wanted you to find a way to remove my collar. I knew you would figure it out.”
Naero nodded. “I did. You attacked my neck repeatedly and exposed yours. I used my abilities to transport your collar away from us just as I sliced it off of you. And by the way, you’re welcome. You know, I trained for years to learn how to do something just like that.”
“Shetanna, I–”
Naero put her hands on her hips.
“Haisha, Riel! Dammit all. Don’t you dare tell me that you still wanna fight me to the death?”
“No…I–”
Naero breathed a sigh of relief. “Whew! Good. And please, call me Naero, or N.”
“You can’t possibly know what this means to me, N. There is so much to say, and no time to say it all. I am free now. The Pelani are not, and now they are in even greater danger. Forgive me, but I must depart immediately. My homeworlds are in peril. I…I must free my people in the Gamma Quadrant.”
Naero thought her eyes were going to pop out. “So, you really are from the Gamma Quadrant?”
That put the Pelani on the far side of the galaxy.
“I must reach the enemy ships, Naero. They specifically captured me and brought me here…to eliminate you. But I must make it back, or they’ll depart, and I’ll be stranded with you here in the Alpha Quadrant. I must get back, but we’re about to be attacked by an invader battle group, sent along to make sure we’re both dead, if something like this should happen.”
Om?
Riel is correct. A full Ejjai battle group is closing in on this position, at this very moment.
Om, I just assumed. I never asked. Did you get–”
Way ahead of you, N. Company 36 is not only free, they are fully awake and ready to fight. They’ve even set up a little surprise for that incoming battle group, with all of those captured fusion bombs.
You mean–
Exactly. They’re going to put all of those explosives to good, practical use.
A massive chain link of explosions rocked the ice shelf, annihilating most of the Ejjai battle group, even as it closed in.
Naero and Riel jumped on the black, enemy stealth ship–a unique design that Naero had never seen before.
“Riel, what kind of vessel is that?”
Naero's War: The Citation Series 2: The High Crusade Page 10