Star Force: Starchaser (SF69) (11 page)
Read Star Force: Starchaser (SF69) Online
Authors: Aer-ki Jyr
“This is how I see things,” Ginsi explained. “How are
your emotions now?”
“They’re…gone.”
“Not gone. Look closer.”
“They feel gone…and I feel so badass, like I could
take on the galaxy myself.”
“Close,” Ginsi admitted. “And what about your
attackers.”
Mina looked down at the man she’d tripped, no longer
seeing an overpowering monster but rather a poorly trained thug that was all
weapon and little skill. “They don’t seem dangerous.”
“Because I know how to handle them. To you they’re an
unknown, but sharing my, call it knowledge, you can see them in a different
way.”
“This is so cool,” Mina said, genuinely thrilled for
the first time in what felt like years.
“Think you can trust me now?”
“If you’re inside my head you already know the answer
to that.”
“Say the words please, so you’ll remember them later.”
“I trust you,” Mina said, reveling in this…whatever it
was. She didn’t even have a word for it.
“And just remember, I’m not the top Archon. So this
isn’t as good as it gets,” she said, letting Mina soak in the sensations a bit
more.
“I’ll take your word for it, because this is nutsy
awesome.”
“Everyone lives in their own little ship otherwise
known as your body and mind. You can customize and upgrade them in an insane
number of ways. Some good, some bad. This is a peek at my mental customization.
Take a good look and remember to trust me.”
“I’ll remember.”
“It’s going to change when I let go. So I need you to
make a memory now that you can choose to trust in later.”
“Meaning what?”
“You feel and see through the customizations you
currently have. Mine are going to disappear from your mind.”
“Five more minutes?” Mina pleased, looking around at
the ship and everything, drinking in the context, for she even knew what all
the little buttons and switches in the cockpit did.
Ginsi laughed and let go of her hand…with the world suddenly
shrinking and becoming a lot less stable.
“Hold onto as much of it as you can,” Ginsi prodded as
Mina stumbled a step with her emotions ramming back into the forefront of her
mind. Everything around her also felt dull and colorless, with the badass feel
gone. Looking down at the unconscious man she was afraid again, but just a
moment ago she hadn’t been. Which was real and which wasn’t?
“Trust me,” Ginsi said, waving a hand in front of her
eyes to get her to focus. “Remember? Even if you can’t feel it, choose to trust
me based on the memory.”
“I trust you, I trust you,” Mina repeated
unnecessarily. “What do you want me to do?”
“Quit worrying. We’ve got this.”
“But you don’t even know who’s sending them yet?”
Ginsi glared at her, raising her chin slightly but
saying nothing.
“Trust…right. If the badass says so, then that’s good
enough for me.”
“Make it happen, girl. Words are cheap. Put them to
use.”
“How?”
“Start living and let me worry about your security.
Seriously, don’t even think about it. Trust that I’ve got your back.”
“You won’t be with me forever.”
“I’ve got your back on this threat. The rest are yours
to deal with.”
Mina felt something ironic with that statement, but
the memory betrayed her and she couldn’t put her finger on it. Was it one of
hers or something from Ginsi left over?
“That feels reckless, but ok. I’ll try.”
“Good,” Ginsi said, lightly kicking the guy on the
floor. “Security team is on the way to pick them up. Should be here in a few
minutes, then we’ll get going. Time to get you back on tour.”
“Tour? That takes more than a simple call to set up.”
“Never said it was simple. But it’s what you’re going
to do.”
“
Wanna
come with?”
“Until we find the source of this threat I’m sticking
with you.”
“Really?”
“It won’t take that long.”
Mina frowned. “Can you sing?”
“Not really. More of a yeller.”
“Yeller?”
“Yeah, like being loud and guttural.”
“That’s not singing.”
“No, but it’s useful in training.”
“It is?”
“Helps to get your combat emotions on your sleeve.”
“I thought you had trouble with that?”
“Combat emotions, no. It’s the rest that are locked
down. When I’m fighting I’m loose and freely flowing.”
“Interesting.”
“How so?”
“Ever stripped in public before?”
Ginsi laughed. “No.”
“Scared?”
“Archons aren’t scared of being naked.”
Mina shrugged. “If you want to get your non-combat
emotions on your sleeve, I’d suggest you start there. Sounds like you just need
to get exposed. If you stick around long enough, come on stage with me and try
it out. People would like to see an Archon naked.”
“I’m sure they would,” she said with a smirk.
“Just a thought,” Mina said, looking down at the
unconscious man. “Can I?”
Ginsi nodded. “Sure.”
Mina took a step towards him and kicked him in the
gut, then stepped back and did it again harder.
“Feel better?”
“Yes, thank you,” Mina said, trying to hold to her
word and not worry anymore.
“You are an odd one.”
“Me?”
“Yeah you. You’re not what your publicists make you
out to be.”
“Disappointed?” Mina asked sheepishly.
“Not a bit. You’re actually more intelligent than I
thought. Still a youngling, but that will solve itself with time and
experience.”
“How old do I have to be to stop being a youngling?”
“Ha…that’s a good question. Taryn still calls me a
youngling sometimes.”
“Taryn?”
“The trailblazer.”
“What’s a trailblazer?”
Ginsi’s
eyes went wide.
“Wow. You really don’t know?”
“No,” Mina said innocently.
“The trailblazers are the first Archons and the ones
responsible for building Star Force along with Director Davis.”
“Oh. Didn’t know they had a special name.”
“Damn, I’ve got a lot to teach you in the next few
days.”
“Or you could just leave me ignorant.”
“Oh no. Ignorance has to be destroyed. Like Death Star
destroyed.”
“What’s a Death Star?”
Ginsi face-palmed as footsteps became audible outside
as the security team arrived. “Tell you what. I’ll help you get up to speed
with what’s going on in the galaxy outside the civilian realm if you let me
soak in your unrestrained emotions and work on loosing mine up.”
“Sounds fair. Boy you like?”
“No,” Ginsi said as a female security officer walked
in on their conversation and she threw the Archon an odd look. “I just need to
be able to relax on cue so I can be more efficient in my downtime between
workouts.”
“That’s what they all say,” the security officer
quipped.
“There’s another one in the cockpit,” Ginsi said,
pointing as two more security officers walked into the ship. “Get them tucked
away then get the ship impounded and searched,” she said, motioning for Mina to
follower her outside.
She shared a smile with the security officer then
followed the Archon out and the two began walking one of the trails back to the
facility, with Mina having a small spike of fear at not knowing what was out
there but making herself forget about it like Ginsi had told her to.
“Can Archons really get laid only once a year?” she
asked after they were out of earshot.
“Ugh. How many stupid rumors like that are there?”
“Twice a year?” Mina asked.
“Archons don’t date,” Ginsi said simply.
“At all?”
“Nope.”
“Why the hell not?”
“Long story.”
“My ignorance is calling,” Mina said, feeding into the
playful conversation as a way of avoiding the lingering fear as well as toying
with what seemed to be her new friend.
“Fine,” Ginsi said with a bit of mock disgust before
beginning a long conversation explaining the realities of life and debunking
the myths about Archons that had built up in pop culture over the centuries.