Stolen

Alone. Char sat in the waiting room waiting for her turn. She had not long seen Lore disappear into the mines and was waiting for her turn. Her stomach was tied in knots as the progressing time and silence ate away at her confidence. She noticed the tablet was flashing. She checked to see what was going on. This did little to soothe her nerves. The receptionist entered the room and pointed towards Syd’s office. She nodded and pointed at the seat across from her.
“We’ve got a problem.” Syd started, turning her display towards Char. “Your ship has drawn itself some attention. And not just from the locals.” Syd took a sip from her drink. “And according to your friend, and your file, you’re one of the best problem solvers.”
“Where’s Lore?” Char tried her hardest to sound confident but found her voice waver.
“You’ve brought the Inquisitor to our front doors. Now you’re going to make them leave.” Syd leant in. “Preferably leave this mortal plane but the planet would be a good start. From your records, you were good. Good enough to hide. I want them gone.”
“What’s an Inquisitor even doing in the Rexel system? Aren’t most of the planets independent?”
“Most. The UEP have an investment to protect. Reid has a contingency of twelve soldiers with her. You’re going to get rid of them.”
“Not to sound stupid but what makes you think I’m going to take out an Inquisitor and their squad for you?”
“You’re not doing it for me. Lore is in my mine. I have no problems with the Protectorate.” Syd sat back in her chair. “You can have anything from my armouries, as long as you return it.”
It clicked. Char had her mission, Syd transferred the maps over. Syd’s armoury was much bigger than Char was expecting. Three rooms, all with walls adorned with various instruments of death. Char glossed over most of them. At the centre of the room, a pillar. On the pillar sat a switch. Char flicked it on. The room was engulfed by the sound of gears grinding and hydraulics hissing as the far wall fell into the floor. Newly revealed, the impossible.
“Beautiful isn’t it.” Syd had her hand on Char’s shoulder.
“That’s…” Words had failed her as she approached the secret room.
The hidden area wasn’t large, but it served its purpose. Inside, a single case. Char approached it hesitantly, hoping that she was wrong about what it contained. Hoping that it was an illusion. Syd walked with confidence to the case and nonchalantly removed the cylindrical device from inside. All the colour drained from Char’s body.
“I like your style.” Syd broke the silence. “If you’re going to do a job, best do it properly.” She held the weapon out for Char to take.
“ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR MIND?” She had more questions than she could possibly express. “How did you even get that?”
“The previous owner gave it to me for when I met the right person.” Syd smirked. “I assume you know how to use it. I will be getting it back once you’re finished.” While Char wasn’t looking, Syd forced the device onto her wrist.
It was a familiar pain. The device completely encased the hand and forearm of her right arm, latching on with serrated spikes. It started out with a diameter close to fifteen centimetres but was now close to skin tight. Char pulled back the barrel to free her hand and wrist.
“A little warning wouldn’t have hurt you.”
“Nothing about that hurt me.” Syd was trying to examine the device from as many angles as possible. “Never seen one in action before.”
“Good.”
“You best get going. Have fun and happy hunting.” Syd left the armoury and returned to her office.
The weapon now protecting her right arm was one she had not expected to encounter again in her life time. A relic of the three year month. With the device firmly attached she knew what she must do. She removed the wiring from her holstered pistol and carefully snaked it into the device. Upon insertion, golden light poured from the cable into the weapon, charging it. Char ascended to the top of Syd’s building and began to make her way to the compound Reid called home. She couldn’t deny that it was a useful tool, allowing her to traverse the city’s skyline with ease but its true purpose still unnerved her. Quickly reaching the base, she hid herself from view.
“Two shots.” She grimaced. She knew that was more than enough. The only solace the weapon gave her was that while it was with her, it wasn’t floating around the black market.
She whipped around the corner, weapon ready to fire on the square below but it was already gone; replaced with an Eastern camp. The filth of Rexel Five had been cleaned from her sight and all that remained was Quatarr. She gave her surroundings a thorough inspection. The orange sand whipped around her face as she knelt into a firing position. The camp below had thirteen members of the Eastern Traditionalist group moving throughout it. Her first blast had to hit as many as possible for her to be able to launch the second. Cannon aimed, she held her breath. Pain. The weapon made use of her people’s ability to rejuvenate themselves, to release the energy that held their bodies together temporarily in order to heal themselves. She felt as energy surged from every cell of her body and into her wrist. The resulting blast tore through the air, dilating time itself with its magnitude. Char’s arm recoiled, nearly breaking. The energy ball made contact with the camp. Splitting, it rampaged through the camp like a water balloon to an ant hill, flooding the site with its golden glow. Anything it touched withered and died; tents and people alike aged thousands of years in the fraction of a fraction of a second. That’s when Char realised what she had done. Frantically retreating from the coming wave, two faces she recognised. They had been assumed dead on the previous day but now they cowered, very much alive with wide eyes staring into Char. A single tear fell from her eye and the façade was ended. The Inquisitor’s forces were long dead and if Reid was in any of the surrounding buildings, she would soon be following them. Char turned to leave, only to see Lore stood in her path.
“It wasn’t your fault” Char had heard those words before but not from Lore, they reached over to stroke her cheek. “I’ll always be there for you.” Their hand felt warm against the cool of her face.
Char stood speechless as Lore faded into the smog. Joining the first, Char’s eyes began to water. Inspection.