“Check your notes and assignments. If you have any questions, ask,” says Eira the Valkyrie. All of us have electronic documents to look through that include terrain maps and information about the creatures we’re here to fight.

  It’s clear Thystora was established for two reasons. First, as a research outpost looking at how high Mana environments affect technology and materials. And second, but no less important, as a manufacturing station specializing in products that require high Mana environments to be created. The facilities seem well defended with emplacements, shields, and weaponry. Inside are important scientists and highly valuable equipment. And… our job is to repel the enemy from the outside in a blitz, not defend against a siege. They can’t afford to let down their defenses to let us in.

  Creatures like you see in your nightmares have been arriving through wormholes. Based on the briefing documents, they’re tough and have combat related Powers that are probably amplified by the high Mana saturation. They’re not organized and they don’t have a hive mind - they’re simply powerful, feral beasts who roam in packs and have already destroyed the thinly protected space port facilities. Now, their attention is on the colony for some reason I’m not clear on - why would feral beasts attack a place like this? I can only conclude it’s something to do with whatever Mana experiments they’re running. So far, the main Settlement has held, but they don’t know how much longer they can hold out now their trading has been scuppered and the territory around them is extremely hostile.

  The colonists refer to the beasts that have arrived on the planet as Thystoria Marauders which isn’t creative but probably makes sense. A few different species have come through wormholes, but the main ones have charcoal skin and are hunched with long forearms, clawed feet and hands like a werewolf. They have thick, spiked spines and powerful hips that drive them forward at high speed to snap or claw at their targets; Marauder jaws hinge wide like a snake and have shark-like teeth that are coated in a highly toxic poison.

  Marauders tend to roam in packs of 4 to 12 and attack with brutal savagery. In general, packs have at least some ‘Rippers’ with sickle-shaped claws that are highly agile and can scramble up vertical surfaces. ‘Brutes’ have shorter legs with massive hips and backs; their necks almost disappear in upper body armored plates. And last, ‘Mages’ that use ranged magical attacks that are reported to be mostly either fire or toxic gas. Occasionally a ‘Boss’ creature emerges, or perhaps is mutated by the high ambient Mana. The Bosses take all kinds of crazy forms, but all of them have tentacles and strong Powers that range into Tier 3 Major and sometimes even Epic.

  “Come on,” says Dalib to Paul and I. I’m grateful to learn that we’re in a group of three, and especially happy not to be with Bobby or even Kate or Brad. It’s not the kind of shit I want to be dealing with while in combat, wondering if they’re about to backstab me. No doubt we’re with Dalib because he’s the highest Ranked here, and a big part of our specific team mission is to help Paul create kill zones for our teams. Aoife would be fantastic to have also - her Power is unbelievable - but she’s needed for some other mission I’m not privy to.

  While I follow Dalib with Paul, I channel my Mana and try to push the small piece of metal I’m holding to a place that’s not a place, trying to replicate Dalib’s Power every time my Mana ticks up. I’ve learned a lot from him and think it’s only a matter of time, but I haven’t managed to do it yet. I feel like maybe it’s close and the increased ambient Mana here above Thystoria is definitely helping me to push past the boundary because the pattern is brighter and clearer in my mind’s eye, so I can find the areas I’ve messed up more reliably.

  “Might get a bit chaotic down on the surface,” says Dalib as he strides through the spaceship to the armory. “I’ve arranged for both of you to get an upgrade.”

  The armory, which my access hasn’t allowed me to get to before, sits just off the spine of the Birchcombe, tucked behind a double airlock and a pair of quiet, watchful turrets that track our movement to remind us we’re being watched. Dalib opens the first door with a palmprint, a retinal sweep, and a short range biosignature ping. The second door we stand in front of for a few heartbeats before it opens, as if it’s deciding whether to let us in.

  Inside, the lighting is clinical and harsh. There won’t be any hidden movements or chance for deception. As we enter the hair on my body stands on end as we pass through what I can only guess is some kind of ionization field. Beyond a force field in front of us that’s behind a barrier, racks line the walls in precise modular bays. Each bay has a readout of the contents including their condition. For ones that are damaged, autonomous repair machines work on them along with the occasional technician. Everything from standard issue gear in the main portion to specialist gear marked and heavily protected in lockers is here.

  I’m not surprised to see Mark grinning at us while Dalib motions us to stay put and goes to chat to someone at one of the desks.

  “You guys feeling good about the surface?” he asks, smile coming out along with a tinge of concern. “I heard it’s a nightmare down there. Although, neither of you is F Ranked anymore.”

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  “Also depends on what kind of gear we get here,” says Paul, and I agree. His armored jumpsuit is rated for D combat at best, and I’m not sure what we’ll encounter but D Ranked might not be enough, even with Dalib along. I actually have more enhanced physical Attributes than Paul does, especially Constitution with my Power and Agility. The excitement about being in a big battle where I can collect Soul Sparks is currently battling against my concern I might get killed with one shot.

  “You have anything that can help me see patterns that Mana flows in, Mark?” I ask. I’m not really hopeful he’ll have something so specific, but he does have a Tier 1 Epic Innovation Power so it’s worth an ask.

  “I have a trap detector that can probably do the job,” he replies. “It can even create a representation of the Mana patterns that trigger the trap, if they’re not too complex. I built it to help people disarm Mana-related traps by disrupting the patterns, if their Power is capable of that. Most mages have at least some latent talent in detecting or disrupting patterns, I’ve found.”

  “That’s fucking awesome, mate! Can I borrow it for a minute?” I ask. He rummages through his gear and workbench for a few seconds before returning with a set of glasses.

  I pop the glasses on and look around. The air is thick with Mana and I can see the currents of it swirling all over. My Mana ticks up courtesy my Regeneration and I billow it out to sense what’s around me, and try to make sense of what I can feel through my Mana sense compared to the pattern I see when I open my eyes and get the output from Mark’s invention. Surprisingly, they’re easy to align.

  “Let me see?” asks Paul. I glance at Dalib and he seems almost done, so I pull the glasses off and hand them to Paul. He looks around with wide eyes. “I don’t see half the stuff that these show. You should integrate them into armor HUDs.”

  “That’s the plan,” agrees Mark.

  Paul takes them off and hands them back to me as Dalib is returning to our group. He stops and looks around before addressing us.

  “Based on the parameters of this mission, I’ve convinced them to give both of you C Ranked armor. It should be enough if we don’t get in the thick of things and outnumbered.”

  “Thanks Dalib,” I say as put the glasses on. “And… do you mind pulling out a dagger and putting it back a few times? The last times? Sorry, I think these might help.” I tap the glasses.

  Dalib shrugs and pulls a dagger into his hand then makes it disappear three times in quick succession. I take off the glasses and hand them to Mark; there’s no extra information than I’ve had before, but it does feel like I’ve had enough exposure to Dalib’s Power after all this time to replicate it.

  With hope I channel Mana and repeat the pattern I’ve seen, and this time I try to hold it by looping the Mana back in on itself. I feel a pocket of space open up just like many times, but this time I’ve tied off the flow and kept feeding it, forced by the manipulation of Mana and my will. This time, the pocket of space doesn’t collapse and I know inherently what its properties are and that it’s empty in a way I can’t really explain, but is totally real. With a push of effort, I manage to send the chunk of metal into another dimension and then release the channeled Mana flow to my Inventory space. As I do, it collapses again - and this time I get the message.

  With another attempt, I push Mana into the pattern and then tie off the flow and keep my Mana feeding it, then since it looks like I’m about to get an upgrade, I put one of my blasters into my Inventory space. I don’t stop feeding it Mana this time, but I close off the Rift. Even so, I can sense it still and when I push with my Mana against the barrier it opens again and I mentally pull my blaster out back into my hand. Success! I almost laugh, and also realize keeping it up means I essentially reduce my Mana regeneration by some amount I haven’t calculated yet.

  High on victory, I add to my grin when Paul and I get outfitted in new armored jumpsuits that seem to have more density and higher powered shielding than the ones I’m used to. It’s a far cry from the PowerSuits, but I’m grateful, and we also pick up some more powerful weapons and I trade my swords in for ones made of a special hardened and sharpened alloy that should be more than enough for the Marauders.

  A few minutes later we gather in the troop deployment bay and a Birchcombe crew member hands us each a small jetpack for the drop, then motion to all of us to put one on.

  “I’ve never used one of these before,” I say quietly to Dalib, who looks over at me with a glint in his eyes. It seems like he’s getting worked up and excited for combat.

  “Point your feet at the ground once you’re a couple hundred feet up and it will take care of itself. But even if it doesn’t, it won’t matter for you anymore. Get up and start fighting.”

  I blink; the thought has never crossed my mind. I’m not keen to test it, but he’s probably right. I look around and see even most of the Birchcombe crew are loaded up and ready for combat. I haven’t seen Grace Corvin and I’m glad. Maybe she’s been released from the ship now that there’s less belief I’m a danger to humanity and I’m not going to steal her Power.

  “Deployment in two minutes,” Eira shouts over everyone and the same notification flashed up inside my HUD. I didn’t expect it to be so quick. Everyone else seems to be used to the pace and straightens out into lines I didn’t realize we were loosely standing in. I check all my equipment; I’m as ready as I can be. Paul gives me a nudge and points, a grin on his face. At the far end of the bay the doors open and the shield drops. Wind whips through the bay and I can feel my pulse quicken a bit, anticipating the fight ahead.

  A green light appears in my HUD and the ESF troopers at the front pour out of the Brichcombe, Bobby and his team mixed in with them. By the time we get to the front it’s a constant stream and I leap out of the spaceship beside Paul and Dalib, high above the planet's surface.