Outlaws, Soldiers and Complications - Part 1

XENIAN HOMEWORLD – XEN-2

A golden rift ripped a hole in the sky, bursting into existence, widening until a lone figure sheathed in bright energy exited the rift. It wobbled violently as the man flew further away from it, eventually collapsing in on itself in a flash of yellow light, leaving no trace of its existence apart from the wisps of golden light that wandered off into the gradually shifting indigo hued early morning sky.

Elyisaus smiled contentedly as he witnessed the first rays of light shine from the horizon as two different sized orbs of pure light rose into the sky from the east, he felt the light from the two suns caress his face, bathing him in white light. He inhaled deeply as he hovered in the sky, high above the already active city below. He twisted the brooch out of its locked position on his cowl, and pressed inwards on the sides; a column of light rose from the brooch, projecting a minimized hologram of Sai’edra. She was pressed against the internal matrix and had curled in on herself, screwing her eyes shut as she lay still. Elyisaus shook the brooch, chuckling darkly as Sai’edra was shaken awake. She glared at him as he smiled.

“Look up and witness, a truly wondrous sunrise. The sunrise you have witnessed on that, diseased rock, pale in comparison to this does it not?”

Sai’edra glared daggers at him as she stood up, turning slightly as she looked out towards the rising stars. For a moment she allowed herself to enjoy the sight but the sound of Elyisaus’ voice soon forced her to remember the situation that she was in as she turned back around, suddenly a lot closer to the High Consulman’s face.

“Enjoy it while you still can, when the processes required have been completed you will never witness another.” he stated.

Sai’edra looked at him, a look of incredulity dominating her features, quickly shifting to a much darker expression as she spoke.

“You can’t treat me like this; I’ll have my innocence proven. Mentella is on her way and if I can’t free myself, she’ll help me and we’ll make you pay for this.”

A wide smile spread across Elyisaus’ face as he neared the towering building, a large ‘T’ shaped symbol emblazoned on the east face, lighting up brilliantly as the rays of the suns hit it. Sai’edra frowned, slightly unnerved by the lack of impact her threat had on the High Consulman.

“Terra has made you incredibly deluded; this lack of proper thinking is exactly why I agree with isolation from ninety-nine percent of the species in the universe. Do you really believe I, Elyisaus, would allow a plan of mine to fail? Stop filling your head with stupid thoughts; I have planned for every possible outcome, every problem, anything detectable on the current and several alternative time streams. I own you. I have several measures in place to ensure this.” He replied.

“You are lying. They’ll find a way. Not even you can override the justice system.”

“What do I stand to gain from lying? Am I not the one in the position of power?" he snorted.

Sai’edra looked up at him and narrowed her eyes, the hologram wavering as it fought against the draining effect she exerted upon it. Elyisaus shook his head as he touched down on the smooth surface of the building.

“The device is designed to suppress and confine creatures like you. It is the technology of our people, so it cannot fail.” He sneered.

“I’ll make sure everyone knows how I've been treated. I’ll tell them all!”

“Who will you tell? Who will believe you?” he asked.

“The rest of the High Consul, I will tell them everything during the trial.” she replied.

Elyisaus released a genuine shout of laughter as he floated towards the entrance. Amusement danced across his features as he focused in on her, lifting the brooch projection even closer to his face.

“Oh yes, my fellow High Consul members and the trial! I do hope you brought your best clothes!”

Sai’edra ignored Elyisaus’ mocking remark as she mentally rewound what he said; the word “plan” standing out from everything else.

“Plan? What are you planning? You can’t sway my trial, the High Consul wouldn’t allow for it.” she said cautiously.

Elyisaus stood still, moving the brooch away from his face as he came closer to the buildings entrance; a security field noted his presence and shot out a beam of light. He watched as the thin beam of light passed over his body, it withdrew from him moments later; each ribbon of light folding itself back into the security mechanism on the wall. The device flashed and the entrance wavered slightly as the security field deactivated as the entrance slowly opened. Sai’edra watched as Elyisaus made his way through a series of corridors and passage ways, working his way deeper into the building’s core. Elyisaus stopped as he came to a dead end, he sighed deeply and locked his gaze with Sai’edra and spoke evenly.

“There is no trial, Eli’dahon. And before you open your mouth to claim that the Summerstone or the Ramin’ov will save you, remember this. I have planned for every eventuality. Their adherence to The Code of our people is endearing but also blinded them to my true intentions; she never read my mind, to do so would have been an offense. She knew this and relied on the fact that I would live up to ‘the standards of a High Consulman’. But as you will soon come to understand, there is no way to get ahead without bending a few of the rules. You look confused, let me put it simply: No one is coming to save you.”

‘No one is coming to save you.’ Sai’edra’s heart dropped at hearing those words, she swallowed thickly as the dark space of the brooch enveloped her as Elyisaus shut off the hologram; her voice went on unheard as he re-attached the brooch to his cowl, all the while smirking to himself as he closed his eyes and pressed his body into the wall, the wall melted around him; engulfing his body as he entered the room. Elyisaus opened his eyes as he was deposited on the other side of the wall; he walked over as several parts of the room lit up, a green hue blossoming on the walls as various pieces of technology activated. He placed the brooch containing Sai’edra on the nearby desk and relaxed into a chair. He allowed a small smile to appear on his face as he eyed the brooch.

The first key component of my plan is within my grasp. Soon I will gain the power and status I so richly deserve.

A holo-screen materialized in the room, interrupting his musing. He sat up, activating a mechanism on his helmet, the ‘T’ symbol on his helmet disappeared from view as he frowned, recognizing the three partially shrouded faces within the holo-screen.

“Lord Krolos, we are in position as requested. What are your orders, sir?”

A thin smile spread across his face.

One step closer.

---

OUTER SPACE – THE CLASS 7

Psion removed his hands from the cylindrical mechanism in front of him and turned to face Mentella. He focused on her chair, spinning it around to face him. She looked up, a slightly irritated look on her face as he moved his chair closer to hers, a wide grin plastered on his face.

“Well?” he asked

“Fine, hold on to something, this will probably be…intense.” Mentella sighed.

Psion nodded and placed his hands on the armrests on his chair, he watched as the gloves of her costume peeled themselves back to reveal her hands. The fabric migrated to her shoulders as she reached out and placed her hands on Psion’s temples. Mentella closed her eyes as her telepathic manifestation appeared, five arcs of magenta light formed on her head and Psion’s as she entered his mind. As Mentella lifted the psychic barrier; Psion’s grip on the armrest tightened considerably as he felt an incredible surge in power; his eyes snapped open as his full power returned to him, swirling around his mind, almost as if it were greeting him. Psion took a deep breath as he willed away the accompanying emotional rush, his hands still welded to the armrest. The telepathic corona faded from both their heads as Mentella left his mind, removing her hands from either side of his head; the black fabric swirled and moved down her arms, assuming its original position as it encased her forearms and hands. Mentella righted her chair, turning back to face the device but not before glancing over at Psion who for the moment seemed to be in his own world.

An hour later, Psion sighed audibly as he went through the crimes Sai’edra had been accused of, alongside the witness testimonials. A distinct feeling that something was not right pooled in his stomach as he read through the eyewitness accounts.

“Have you read these eye witness accounts? Something about them, to me, seems wrong.” He mused.

“Yes, I had a similar feeling when looking over them. Eye witness testimony alone is hardly grounds for a case against Sai’edra, so I’m not too concerned but the footage I've been going over…seems convincing but something is amiss. Without being at the actual scene, I cannot determine what exactly feels wrong about it, aside from the fact that Sai’edra would never do something like this.” replied Mentella

Psion frowned and turned back to the displays in front of him; he sighed tiredly and dug his hand into a hidden pocket and produced two silver packets, he smirked as he opened his palm; one of the two packets rose into the air, enveloped in a cyan telekinetic energy field as it floated towards Mentella. He wiggled his index finger as it traveled towards her, lightly pressing into her face. Mentella pulled away from the pressing sensation as she remained fixed on the device she held in her hand.

“I’m busy, just set it down.” Mentella stated.

“You need to take a break…and eat. You haven’t eaten in at least a week.”

Mentella looked up from the device and frowned at him, as he lay back in the chair.

“And how would you know?” she asked.

“I can read your mind.”

Mentella's eyebrow arched elegantly and Psion smirked and raised his hands up.

“Okay, I've been watching you. Whilst I admire your dedication to all the various activities you are tied to, being stressed and malnourished at the same time is a horrible combination, especially in this situation, so eat.”

The silver packet nudged her face once more and she sighed, grabbing it from the air as the cyan energy slipped away from it. He watched carefully as she set the device down and tore open the packet; she squeezed the base and a purple substance oozed out of the top as she brought it to her lips. Satisfied that she was eating, Psion ripped into his own packet, steadily drinking down the substance; he wiped his mouth clean moments later as he folded the empty packet. Psion smiled as Mentella placed her empty packet in the waste disposal, she looked up as he watched her.

“Satisfied?”

“Come a little closer and I definitely will.” he grinned.

Mentella rolled her eyes and shook her head, turning back to the device in her lap. Psion pulled out a small micro pad and slotted it into the control panel, following it up with a series of commands. He stood up placing his hands on his hips and nodded knowingly.

“You’ll have to give into my undeniable charm soon, because I’m…” he started

He snapped his fingers and Mentella’s eyes widened as the control panel lights started flashing in sequence as the cockpit took on an indigo hue, moments after, Rick Astley’s Never Gonna Give You Up, blasted through the sound system. She turned around and saw Psion miming the song lyrics as he pointed at her.

“El’sai…” she sighed.

Mentella snapped her fingers as the music faded and the control panel and cockpit returned to their normal state. Psion smirked and sat down.

“Just the two of us, just like the old days, isn't it?”

“I don’t recall working to prove the innocence of a student of mine against the word of a power crazed High Consulman in ‘the old days’.” Mentella stated.

Psion wrinkled his nose as he pulled his head back slightly.

“Mentella, you are taking this way too seriously.” he scoffed.

Mentella’s eyes flashed as she directed a heated look at Psion.

“And you are not taking this seriously enough. This isn't some leisurely trip, the life of a student and friend of mine is at risk. If she is found guilty then she will die. I promised to protect her and now she is in another galaxy at the mercy of Elyisaus and his wild claims. I can only assume that because this isn't about you, you couldn't care less.”

She sighed quietly, schooling her features as she sensed the anger building within Psion. He narrowed his eyes at her stoic expression as his anger threatened to spill over.

“You know that is not true, I care for things other than myself.” he ground out.

Before she could respond, he continued.

“What is the matter with you? I’m trying to make conversation and you act as if I am the enemy. Why are you adopting the mind-set of the humans?! In case you haven’t noticed, I've helped you more than they have. I’m here. They are not!” he shouted.

“You are blowing things out of proportion, I’m not adopting anyone else’s mind-set; I’m simply focusing on the task at hand. I agreed to you accompanying me as gratitude for your assistance thus far and under the assumption you would realize the gravity of the situation. Delta is not here because they don’t want to be, they are fully aware why they cannot accompany me and they accept it, whether it was to their liking or not.” She replied.

“You know they don’t believe that! Half of them didn't even take the time to understand the gravity of the situation and instead ran off! Most of them don’t even trust you!” he retorted.

“You think I am oblivious to their lack of trust? If you are able to discern that, how much more so do you think I am able to? This turn of events has done nothing to help that, in fact it likely has torn to pieces what little trust in me they may have had. But that does not concern me in the slightest, Sai’edra’s innocence and safe return does. Stop trying to make this about you.”

“No! It’s always about someone else! Never me! I've turned around, bent over backwards to try and please you. I've been the subject of ridicule and hatred by both your allies and the super villain communities, I've overcome my pride to offer restitution to humans and yet you still treat me like this! Why do you not give me the attention I deserve?! You lavish everyone else with respect and attention, even when they don’t deserve it! But never ME!! WHY!?”

“I’m not having this conversation. I’m leaving this area until you've regained enough control over yourself to calm down.”

Mentella stood up to leave, pressing a button on the control panel as her chair lowered itself into the floor. She stepped forwards, stopping abruptly as a solid cyan construct materialized in front of her, blocking her path. She looked over to Psion who stood, eyes burning as he glared at her.

“No. You don’t get to walk away this time. It’s just you and me, there’s nothing stopping you. Not your sisters, nor your allies on Earth, so explain.”

Mentella frowned as her eyes flashed dangerously as she stepped towards him; they narrowed as they burned a fierce magenta. The intensity of Psion’s eyes wavered as he backed up, his expression faltering slightly as she locked eyes with him. Mentella’s tone was icy but had an undercurrent of intense emotion;

“I could make you forget this conversation ever started, or I could shut you down with a simple thought, but I’ll humor you since you want an explanation. These past years, I've worked tirelessly to make you into a better person, the person I knew, not the twisted version that you presented yourself as on Earth. After I left PSI, do you remember what you let happen? You let an utterly pathetic excuse for a human into your head and you allowed her to twist your thoughts as if you were one of her lackeys, a piece of oarei. She made you believe that I…I can’t even bring myself to say it, the thought alone disgusts me. But you believed it. You made yourself vulnerable and together with Psimon, they actually made you hate me.”

“I know-” Psion started, as he looked down.

Mentella’s eyes flashed in warning, magenta flashes swirling in her eyes. Psion promptly shut his mouth.

“Do you have any idea what it feels like to work around ‘allies’ who suspect your every move and have a file on someone you've…? Having to fight you at every turn? Sensing that you truly hated me? No. You do not. Well, here’s some insight for you, to label the feeling as ‘heart-breaking’ would be comparable to saying the Xenian Empire was ‘sort of strong’ at its prime. When I discovered that Medusa was behind your feelings of hatred toward me, I could have killed her where she sat. Just like that. I had absolutely no reservations about obliterating her but not before forcing her to endure immense suffering. I decided against it, and crippled her instead, humiliating her in the process. You promised, to support, listen and never leave me, and I promised the same. But instead of listening to me you turned your back on me. You. Destroyed. Us!” Mentella explained angrily.

As Psion listened to Mentella’s explanation, a wave of overwhelming guilt hit him hard and fast. His expression softened, changing from anger and defiance to one of sadness and regret. He lifted his gaze towards her, meeting her eyes, seeing the pain and anger within the icy blue orbs. He dismissed the construct and it dissipated instantly. Mentella composed herself, steeling her jaw, once again adopting a stoic expression; her eyes narrowing slightly as she continued in her normal tone.

“So, to answer your question, I do not give you the attention you desire now because you never allowed me to explain my reasons for leaving that lifestyle behind. You opted to abandon me instead. Now, if you’ll excuse me I have defense documents to re-read in preparation for Sai’edra’s trial.”

Psion moved closer, closing the distance between them; he looked at her intently and slowly placed both his hands on her arms. Mentella averted her gaze momentarily, meeting with him once again as he spoke.

“I…I am truly sorry. Truly, I am. For the way things turned out, for…everything. I had no idea you felt this way. You should have told me sooner.” he admitted.

“After I corrected your mind…I still didn't trust you and you didn't trust me for a while. Looking back, if I’m honest, I think we both widened the gap between ourselves.” Mentella sighed.

“We allowed the lives we had fallen into to come between us. I will not allow that happen again. Although I would never admit this to anyone…I can be honest with you…I was lost without you.” sighed Psion.

Mentella's eyebrow arched elegantly as she tilted her head upwards.

“You were ‘lost without me’? What movie did you steal that line from?”

He hesitated for a moment, searching for a response when he noticed the edges of her lips curving upwards as she looked at him; he decided to throw caution into the wind and pulled her into an embrace. She started but returned the embrace as Psion grinned triumphantly.

“Imagine what your Delta friends would think if they saw us like this.”

Click here for Part 2