It's time for another glimpse into the lives of the magical super soldiers of the Magic Realms series of short stories! This installment was written by my dear wife who is responsible for the creation and much of the development of the Solar Storm faction.
If you haven't read the other "Tales of the Solar Storm" stories, I suggest you do so because this one is a bit of a continuation.
A stiff cold wind bit in vain at the side of the sleek silver craft as it descended into a deep depression carved out of several feet of hard packed snow and blue ice.
Tune, a strange human hybrid looked out a small window at the swirling snow with gloom plastered on his weatherworn face. “Why’d ya have to take a mission on a ice ball, darlin’?” He turned his brown eyes to the tall, armor-decked woman standing beside him. “Couldn’ ya have chosen somethin more … tropical?”
Lora smiled down at him. “Because there are valuable resources here and it will be good training for our men.”
She stepped back from the window and faced the back of the craft where thirty men and women sat in attentive silence, waiting for the order to disembark.
They were a far cry from the warriors and paladins of old they emulated, being decked out in a combination of electro-mesh suit, woven cybernetic armor, and plate. Even so, they bore themselves with the dedication of the best, the determination to do what was necessary in the face of overwhelming odds.
They were a small force, having only the advantage of advanced armor, specialty guns, and uniquely refined hand weapons the likes of which would make a Weapon Master jealous.
Lora herself wore a spear and kite shield on her back in the place of any other weapon. She only carried a Storm Shot pistol at the insistence of the High Templar.
Tune’s drawl brought her out of her musings on the strange entity that was the Solar Storm. “Yeah, I know we need the metal from below for them Piercer guns, but couldn’ Dreg have taken the job?”
An amused smirk formed on Lora’s face. “You could’ve gone with Jake. He went with his group to scout a desert planet.” The teasing tone in her voice was plain to hear.
Tune cringed like he’d been slapped. “Jake don’t know how to play cards.”
Lora laughed. “Is that the only reason?”
He shot her an embarrassed glare as the craft came to a jerky stop at the bottom of the depression.
Lora turned to the men and women sitting in the back and took a breath before stepping towards them.
“Everyone gather up your gear and disembark!” she commanded in a voice of authority. “The entrance to our base of operation for the next seven months is directly in front of the cargo bay door! Move out and get situated! I want it up and running within the hour!”
As the teams moved to obey, Lora turned to Tune and gave him a grin. “Just think of it as a winter vacation.”
He groaned and ran a gloved hand over his eyes. “A seven month long winter vacation … with no holiday.”
“Oh there will be a celebration in there somewhere,” Lora reassured him.
She put her helmet on and secured it in place as Tune lowered goggles over his eyes and pulled up a woven shield over the rest of his face. Their two other teammates, a quiet Elvish cleric named Helen and a Dwarven weaponmaster named Keg, joined them at the doorway. They watched in silence as the last teams march out into the cold between the craft and entrance.
The interface in Lora’s helmet showed her that those inside were carrying out her orders seamlessly, each tending to the tasks assigned to them before take-off from their home station.
“Time ta go freeze our whiskers off?” rumbled Keg in a deep voice filled with amusement. He knew exactly how much Tune hated the cold and would enjoy teasing him about it the entire time.
Helen shook her head and pointed with her white staff. the tiny golden bells tinkling crisply above the murmur of the engines as they wound down. “I’m sure it will be plenty warm inside. Let us go and not linger where our dear rogue will be miserable.”
“Thank the Creator,” Tune grumbled as Lora lead the way inside.
This coming week will bring some more updates, so don't despair! As always, enjoy and read on!
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