Chapter 13
There were a thousand reasons for Kayleen Rax to feel bitter, but at the top of her list were these cursed insects. Ever since leaving whatever planet Nakmar Dren had taken her to, Kayleen had been in their company almost constantly. Aside from the fact that they had too many limbs, they seemed incapable of speech beyond the most straightforward messages – either that or they regarded Kayleen with the same level of contempt that she felt for them and simply saw no reason to speak normally. In any case, what really bothered her were their eyes. Without seeing an actual face, Kayleen had no way of knowing whether her new subjects were feeling loyalty, determination, or fear, or whether they were just waiting around for the chance to throw her out an airlock. Not that that would necessarily be a problem, given her current state. But she was quickly starting to believe that being alone would be far better than being surrounded by all these thoroughly alien creatures.
Her current state, of course, was another problem. In spite of the power Dark Viper had given her, Kayleen was having trouble enjoying anything. All her senses seemed dulled and devoid of actual sensation. She had tried eating once, even though Viper had assured her it was unnecessary – “The Plasma itself will give you everything you need.” Whatever that meant. But the food had just been another substance in contact with her crystalline surface. She could only imagine what had happened to it once she had swallowed it.
When she let herself see past the sick joke her old master had played on her, Kayleen was able to see certain advantages. The Plasma, after all, was hers to command, and her control over it was actually more acute than before. She could feel it around her, and she could manipulate it in much subtler ways than the Blast Crystal had allowed. And as much as she resented having her body transformed like this, there was a certain beauty to her new look. After Viper had introduced her to her new starship and crew and sent her on her way, Kayleen had immediately retired to her quarters, eager for a moment of solitude after such a traumatic experience. The room was equipped with the usual facilities like a bed and restroom, vestigial though they were, and Kayleen had spent some time looking at herself in the mirror. Although she would have preferred her original form, she could only imagine that her current appearance would be troubling to her enemies when she finally caught up with them, and that gave her some satisfaction.
In fact, Kayleen had learned that her appearance was largely up to her. In the same way that her arm had reformed after the Vortak had cut into it, she was able to manipulate the crystal that made up her body to some degree, changing her hairstyle or clothing appearance, for instance. That had been good for an hour or so of distraction; since Viper had taken her battle armor, it seemed prudent to pick an effective appearance for her new persona. Her first instinct was to emulate the armor, and the icy version had looked impressive. But somehow that option felt weak, perhaps because it was another futile attempt to regain a past she had lost. And besides, there was no need for a bulkier form – she was no more vulnerable in normal “clothing” than she was with fake armor. And so Kayleen had settled on a more casual look, modeling the opaque part of her surface after the jogging attire she had worn when Nakmar had found her. To her, the message it sent was “I’m as strong at my most vulnerable as you are fully armored.” Of course that claim would have to be tested in battle, but at this point a battle would feel like a vacation.
Eventually Kayleen had run out of excuses to be alone, and she had made her way to the pricom of her ship, and that was where she had spent most of her time during the couple of days’ travel back toward Anacronian space. The ship itself was certainly an impressive asset, and even in her worst mood Kayleen had to admire it. White Mercury had the appearance of a large conglomeration of ice crystals, seemingly thrown together randomly or grown in some chaotic environment. The icy look was purely aesthetic, as far as Kayleen could tell, but Dark Viper had left her with plenty of practical resources as well. The shields and weapons were formidable, as one would expect of a Plasma Master’s flagship. There were some new, Plasma-enhanced particle beams, and a few structural features that Kayleen had only taken a moment to glance at but which looked promising in battle. Viper had also told Kayleen of a Plasma-enhanced warp booster, which could create a vortex to a remote location and push the ship through instantly. It would expend all of its stored energy in a single use and would take weeks to fully recharge, but Kayleen looked forward to being able to jump directly into her mission when the time came.
But the timing, of course, was not exactly to Kayleen’s liking. Viper had instructed her to stay behind the battle lines until Nakmar had had a chance to draw Ned and Mirana out, assuming of course that the Anacronian fleet survived the initial battles. She had been given no way to contact him, but once the war had started she had started receiving tactical reports. If the Vortak had a reaction to what they were hearing, they certainly gave no indication.
Now, finally, Kayleen had received a report that was interesting. Apparently Ned and Mirana had made it onto Nakmar’s ship. From the sound of things, Nakmar had nearly killed them both, but they had escaped and abandoned Marnax to another crushing defeat. The report had a recorded message tacked on, and although Kayleen’s first instinct was to watch it privately, she supposed she would just have to come back and articulate her orders to her crew, and it seemed easier to just play it here. She gritted her icy teeth as Viper’s scaly face appeared on the forward viewscreen.
“Our plans are progressing, Kayleen. Our enemies have taken the bait, and although they survived, Nakmar’s attack has had a rather unexpected consequence: I believe Nedward Simmons has destroyed the Shield Crystal. A foolish, desperate act, and a truly lamentable loss. But it is also an advantage, for without that power he will be easy to kill, when the time comes. For now, though, your mission is the Shadow Master. And make no mistake: although she was not able to stand against Nakmar in battle, she is a threat as long as she lives.
“Fortunately, her motives are clear enough. She will be looking for information on how to defeat us. She will probably start with Nakmar and perhaps the Vortak themselves. Find her, or let her find you. Do not return to me until she is destroyed.”
Kayleen rolled her eyes as the message ended. “Oh, and we’re just supposed to fly into Anacronian space and bump into her? She’s the invisible one!” Before, she would never have dared complain about Viper publically, but something told her that the Vortak were not going to blab. And besides, it was no secret how Kayleen felt about this.
But it would be okay. Viper was right about one thing – Mirana would only have a few options open to her if she wanted to learn anything quickly, and she could only keep Nemesis hidden for so long before the battle demanded it back. If nothing else, Kayleen knew how to get a Plasma Master’s attention. It had been a long time since she had been on an active hunt, and the challenge made her smile. “Pull up everything we have on Nemesis,” she ordered the horrible creatures huddled around the dark pricom. “And tap into all long range sensor relays. Our prey is waiting for us.”