Imperial Renegades

She leaped from the platform and the calm voice of Jonah came through over her head set, that was imbedded in her ear drum.

"I’ve been chosen to advise and guide you through this mission. I swear, I’ve never seen so many plans in my life Sal’." She smiled and swooped up, hovering silently over the Plausinate’s Headcraft. "Try landing in the exhaust. It’s not very glamorous but it’s the only thing I can find that won’t be covered. Probably. As long as they haven‘t got any extra guards because of the monarch they‘ve abducted. Are you sure you can do this, they‘re pretty big Sal"

"I love the support. Really keep it coming, It’s really helping. Of course I can do it, don’t you remember who your talking to Jonah?"

"No need to get full of yourself now is there. Found it yet?"

"Yes, and its just the right size, before you ask. And stop worrying, I‘ll be fine." She folded her wings behind her once again and crawled up the exhaust of the craft. It loomed over Eagle Bay like a cat, waiting to pounce on their treasured capital. As she reached the top she pulled a clear stone out of her pocket and drew her sword. She placed the stone in the slot made in her blade and felt the affects take hold.

"Clever girl; just pray they’re not so good with heat sensors. Right then your currently situated three floors below the Queen’s supposed chamber. I’m sure you can get there easily, with the wonderful little bits of heaven in your pocket, but be wary of guards. And don’t worry about them hearing me, the communicator triggers the small bones in your ear, only you can hear me."

"Yeah, like I’ve never heard that before." Sally pulled a small square green stone out of her breast pocket and pushed it into her left arm cuff. She tightened her grip on the sword and gracefully flew to the ceiling, pushing her head up through with the Magyk from the green stone. She may have been invisible from the affects of the clear stone in her blade, that pulsated a white light that only she could see, but it seemed the blue visor in front of the guard’s eyes was a dreaded heat sensor, that would have picked her up.

Even the most advanced Magyk could not hide the heat it produced, or, for that matter, the heat from the body of the user; Sally also worked, with the Queen’s permission, for the Senate’s Magyks department, that was situated in Owl Cove, just 400 PDUs from Eagle Bay, testing new breakthroughs the Head Warlocks made all most every week on the Plausinates in the field. And still they were working on a heat masking spell to solve this problem, but until then Sally would have to make do on her own. She flew effortlessly out of the floor and drove her sword into the heat sensors control panel, at the back of the guards head. Sparks spat from the electronics, burning the guard’s neck, and the panel died, leaving Sally completely undetectable.

She soared up through the next floor to find nothing at all, but when she tried to pass through the ceiling she found it was lead plated, something she could not pass through, and so, cursing, landed back on the floor and asked for help.

"Jonah, The Queen’s cell is lead plated, I can’t get in. Is the someway other than the door?" Paper rustled and she heard him mumbling to himself.

"Oh Sally can’t you just cut through it? There’s only one entrance to the Queen’s chamber and that the door. I don’t think even the Plausinates are stupid enough to put the Queen in a room with more than one entrance and the only guard the most obvious. You can try the door but It will be guarded. I suppose you could take the guards out if you really wanted though, couldn’t you."

"But of course." Sally pulled another stone out of one of her many pockets, this one was black and about the size of her fist. She clicked the hidden clasp and opened up the stone casing, to reveal the silver powder glittering beneath. She slid up through the wall, to the floor above the Queen’s Chamber. She checked her position once again and poured the silver substance into one steady, ivory hand, as she dropped through the floor. Once she reached the level of the guards eyes she held her hand out toward them and created a gust of cool wind with her wings. She wrapped her wings around her whole body and fell to the floor in an impenetrable ball of silver feathers. The cloud of silver dust danced in the faces of the unsuspecting guards, like a butterfly on a spring morn, as they moved to shield the door from their petit intruder.

Thirty long seconds later Sally straightened up between the two victims of her deadly silver spores and brushed the remainders off her clothing. She walked up to the door and ran her sword slowly down the metal, that was as dull and lifeless as the staring eyes of the guards behind her. The shining blade in her hands sliced through the lock of the heavy door and it slowly slid away from her. She pulled the Magyk stone out of her blade and blew the few strands of hair out of her face.

The Queen stood in front of Sally, her golden wings stretched out in defense from her paper white skin. The long robes that hung from her pallid shoulders had a quality that made them shine like the sun, and her flowing crimson hair framed her bold features with an elegance that could only be imagined, by those who had never witnessed it for themselves. Her orange eyes had glowed with hope, when she saw Sally coming down the steps and as she set one silver boot into the gloomy chamber, the Queen ran to embrace her rescuer. Sally bowed before her Queen, and offered her greatest sympathies that she had had to go through such an ordeal.

"My dear child, do not bend before me; stand, for I am honored to have such a gracious warrior at my aid. I am proud to proclaim you as my savior, and the savior of our people, as you once again represent the power of stealth and intelligence in the face of such clumsy and brutish adversity." The Queen looked down to Sally and smiled.

"You highness thank you, but we have to get you out of here quickly, there will probably be…" Before she could finish her sentence they heard voices from down the corridor.

"Yes," The Queen ran from the chamber with Sally on her heels, "I think it best if we do leave," she stopped between the two still bodies of the guards that had stood outside her door earlier and sighed, muttering a last blessing.

"Death comes on swift wings your highness, to those with and without them." Sally said, hinting that they might leave hastily. She took the ghostly hand of the towering Royal and pulled her gently through the metal floor. They emerged as a guard turned the corner. Sally drew a black gun out of it’s holster, just behind her right shoulder, and with a fluid movement she fired one white ball of pure energy straight through the bridge of the guard’s nose. He fell to the floor dead, before he could even move his hand to his own weapon.

"Oh nice shot!" exclaimed the Queen.

"Why thank you." replied Sally, slightly surprised by her Queen’s reaction. "This way your Highness. We can fly out through this wall and back to Headquarters."

And as they flew out over the shore the amethyst moon set over the water leaving them with only starlight to guide them home. As they approached the spires and turrets of the Pixian city, that emerged darkly out of the rock face, the remainder of the Imperial Defense, that Jane had once been Captain of, came out to greet them. Victory bells rang throughout the streets and up through the towers of Headquarters, which caused every face in Sally’s city light up with the return of their Queen.

Sally was congratulated by every person in Headquarters as she walked with the Queen to The Bridge. A celebratory feast was held in their honor and the Queen thanked Sally again for her rescue. But as the cheers died down and the thanks were finished, a lingering pain throbbed in Sally’s heart. She pulled her hair out of it’s knot, to mask her tears and asked to be excused from the celebration. She ran through the dimly lit corridors of The Queen’s Brigades apartments back to her rooms. She collapsed onto her bed and gave into the overwhelming grief. Jonah found her there later, lying still under her long wings, her steady hands trembling, and her lilac eyes shut tight, still weeping for her lost sister. She seemed inconsolable and every sob shook Sally’s fragile frame and tore at another part of Jonah’s heart. No one deserved to go through such misery, and no one could repair the void left in Sally’s sole. And as the City and it’s inhabitants basked in the glory of victory, they paid no attention to the winner of this victory. The woman that had achieved their glory lay heart-broken in a dark room, as the nation danced in the light that glowed from the rising sun.