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From: J R D <jrdss@pobox.alaska.net>
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Subject: {ASSM} Change of Power [5/14]
Date: Fri, 30 Nov 2001 11:10:04 -0500
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Had to get a new email, so I'm reposting my old works under the new 
addy to get it out.

Change of Power pt 5

Now, onto the boring stuff

-------------------------

DISCLAIMERS

-------------------------

This story contains scenes of an erotic and/or controversial nature, 
and is not intended for the perusal of minors.  Further if perusal of 
such material is considered illegal in your area or immoral by your 
religion or personal beliefs, you should likewise bypass this story.

This story remains the property of the author.  Permission is granted 
to download, photocopy, copy and repost so long as any such action 
contains these disclaimers, and no attempt is made to profit from 
this story.

All characters in this story are the creation of the author, and any 
resemblance to real persons, alive or dead, are purely coincidental.

This story may contain aspects of fantastic science or magic.  The 
parameters of what this science/magic can accomplish are completely 
at the discretion of me, the author, and, as such, I make no 
apologies for any rules of "real" physics, chemistry, biology, or 
magic that may be broken within the story.

-------------------------

Now onto the fun stuff

-------------------------

CHANGE OF POWER pt 5

Jacqui was in her room after a day full of classes.  Her classes, as 
an undecided Orphan, consisted of attending most of the basic classes 
for the other groups, so she could find her own path.  Her load was, 
resultantly, not as intense as someone who had chosen, but there was 
a lot more of it.

She was taking a short break before heading to the cafeteria to get 
something to eat.  She heard a knock on her door and part of her 
hoped that it was Marcus.  She had been trying to get him alone to 
talk with him, but he had been avoiding her.  At first, she thought 
she was imagining things, but as time went by, more and more she was 
sure of it.

With a tremulous voice, she said, "Enter."

The door opened, and in walked a beautiful woman, the Verbena 
Mistress.  She was (or at least looked) to be about 35, with a 
perfect body (as a Life Master anything less would've been 
surprising).  She was clothed in plants, like a bathing suit woven 
out of leaves.  Jacqui stood quickly.  "Ma'am."

"Please sit, youth."

"Thank you, ma'am."

"I hear the disappointment in your voice, Miss Donovan.  Perhaps you 
were hoping that I was your young lover?"

Jacqui blushed.  "Is it that obvious?"

"Afraid so.  But that's not what I came here to discuss with you."

"Then what?"

"Would you tell me of your Sisterhood?"

"Well, I don't know a lot.  Being only an apprentice there, I wasn't 
given a lot of the secrets before coming here.  Mostly history."

The Verbena Mistress contemplated that.  "I know your organization's 
history.  That won't help."

"Help what?"

"Solve the mystery of our Akashic Master."

"What do you mean?  Maybe I can help."

The Verbena Mistress sighed.  "I assume you have heard the stories 
about the... mercenary attitude?"

"Yes, but I didn't see it, myself.  He seemed stern and devoted, but 
all I had to do was ask, and he agreed."

"He used to be that way with us.  But we... made a mistake."

"What happened?"

She considered it for a few minutes, not sure whether to tell the 
youth.  Finally, she said, "I assume you've heard of the Marauders' 
immunity to Paradox?"

"Yes, the Akashic Master explained it."

"Did he also explain that he has the same immunity?"

"You mean he's a Marauder?"

"No.  He wouldn't have mastered the Soul Blade if he was."

"Soul Blade?"

"No one but the Marauders is sure how they maintain their immunity to 
Paradox.  But, about 100 years ago, a Marauder, in a moment of 
self-loathing, forged the Soul Blade.  The Soul Blade interacts with 
whatever grants the Marauders their immunity and burns them. 
Unfortunately, it also burns anyone with the slightest Paradox build 
up, something almost all of us have to a greater or lesser degree. 
He's the only person to manage to dominate and control the Soul 
Blade."

"But if he isn't a Marauder then what?"

"He's what's known as a Spur.  Some people, after Awakening, have 
abilities that far outstretch their spiritual power and Sphere 
mastery.  Normally, these abilities fade as Sphere knowledge is 
gained, but in a few cases it doesn't, and nobody knows why.  These 
people are called Spurs.  Problem is, we didn't know he was a Spur 
till he dominated the blade."

"So what happened?"

"Sixteen years ago, he walked into the dojo of the previous Akashic 
Master, carrying nothing more than a backpack full of clothes and a 
baby in a bassinet.  The Akashic Master was stunned.  The dojo was 
just a Sleeper training place, and in walks this young man, fully 
Awakened, but totally unaware of his potential.  The Akashic Master 
sounded him out, and found out that he was running from someone, he 
wouldn't say who.  He was taking martial art classes because he felt 
he might have to defend his child against someone who might destroy 
him."

"Who?"

"He refuses to say, refuses to talk about his past.  He proved to be 
an avid student, absorbing the training like a sponge.  The Akashic 
Master then introduced the young mage to us.  The young one wasn't 
happy, but accepted his new life.  He felt that being here was a 
better protection for his child than any hand to hand combat training 
he could take.

"We discovered early on about his immunity to Paradox.  Most figured 
that he was just a Marauder on the right side.  But his immunity made 
him the perfect weapon against the Marauders.  We sent him against 
Marauder after Marauder, each stronger than the last.  Then, about 13 
years ago, we sent him against one of the worst we had ever seen, a 
Marauder intent not only in blowing the consensual reality apart, but 
in destroying all of mankind.  The Marauder was destroying the Amazon 
rain forest, and he and our Akashic Master-to-be clashed in its 
deepest part.

"For three days they fought.  So much energy was loosed that we 
couldn't even scan the area, and we lost track of him.  We finally 
felt the Marauder's life force destroyed and disrupted, and knew our 
man had won.  But we couldn't find our man.

"It was about a year later when another powerful Marauder attacked. 
A Marauder that made the last look like a kitten.  Nothing we could 
do affected him.  But then, our Akashic warrior returned to the base. 
The Akashic Master went to him to tell him about the new enemy he was 
to fight.  He found the young Akashic packing his bags and preparing 
to leave with his child.  The Akashic Master ordered him to go after 
the Marauder, but he refused.  They almost came to blows when the 
Master interposed himself and demanded an explanation.

"He left the base, the anger pouring from him like light from the 
sun.  Being as that we had been casual lovers, I went after him, but 
as soon as he returned to the consensual reality he had teleported 
somewhere and scrambled his trail.  It took me a day to hunt him 
down.  I found him in a bar in Seattle with a young woman of South 
American descent.  I attempted to convince him to fight the Marauder, 
but nothing I said worked.  It seems he was rather upset that we had 
not found and healed him after the battle and refused to accept the 
orders of any from this realm again.  No matter what the cost."

"But if you thought he was dead, and found no evidence to the 
contrary, surely he could've forgiven that?"  The Verbena Mistress 
got a guilty look on her face, and remained strangely silent.

Jacqui put it together, the fear, the guilt, the anger of the then 
Akashic warrior.  She said, "You didn't find any evidence to the 
contrary because you didn't look for any evidence to the contrary. 
When he didn't seem to survive his last fight, you figured it would 
be better to let him be dead."

"Your intuition serves you well.  Yes, that's exactly what happened. 
The Akashic Master and the Virtual Adept Master both wanted to go 
looking for him, but by a vote of the rest of the council they were 
forbidden from using realm resources.  The Akashic Master was too old 
to risk a return to the consensual reality, and the Virtual Adept 
Master was involved in other things, so they couldn't do it 
personally."

"And the Akashic Master, the one I know, was so pissed that he 
abandoned you.  But you needed him desperately, so you agreed to do 
anything for him."

The Verbena Mistress nodded.  "At first I tried to seduce him, but 
the woman on his lap nearly knocked me through a wall.  I was going 
to knock her out, but the Akashic defended her.  That was when I 
learned that they were married.  She was a warrioress from a tribe 
deep in the Amazon who had seen the fight between the Akashic and the 
Marauder.  She found him, broken and dying, and nursed him back to 
health.  They were married and she was even pregnant.  He told me 
that his first and only priority from that point on was his family 
and REAL friends.  Not those who abandoned him when it was convenient.

"But we needed him.  So, in return for his service, he had me perform 
a service for him.  The details are not necessary, but since then, he 
has been a mercenary, selling his services for a price.  Even, at 
times, working for both the Technocracy and some of the less 
psychotic Marauders.  The only group he refuses to work for is the 
Nephandi."

"But now he's your Akashic Master.  How are things going now?"

"Only slightly better.  At first, nobody fought his appointment 
because we thought we would be able to control him.  We thought we 
could say, 'Obey or risk our censure.'  First time we tried it, he 
resigned his post, and walked from the council room.  And the rest of 
the Akashics made it very clear.  He was the first choice of the 
previous Master, and to accept another would be disrespectful.  So, 
once again, we had to kiss his ass, or we'd lose the entire Akashic 
faction.

"Don't get me wrong, as the Akashic Master, he is judicious and fair. 
If we need the Akashics, he chooses those who are appropriate and 
sends them to do the job.  But if we need his personal involvement, 
it's right back to paying his fare."

"And you're wondering what I did or said to get him to help me 
without payment?"

"Quite frankly, yes."

Jacqui thought about it.  "Well, he didn't seem too keen on the idea 
until I asked him what he would do if it were his mother who needed 
protecting."

"What did he say to that?"

"He said, 'I'd like to think I'd protect her anyways, but far too 
much of me wants to say I'd leave her to her fate, no matter how bad 
it is.'"

"So he has problems with his mother.  It's not much, but it's 
something to start with.  Thank you, little sister."

"Mistress?"

"Yes, dearie?"

"If the Akashic Master would only do things for payment, why'd he 
come after me?  What payment did he ask, and from who?"

"Didn't anyone tell you?  The Goddess herself asked him."

Jacqui was stunned.  "The Goddess?  She's real?"

"Of course.  Nice woman.  Can be a bit of a bitch sometimes, but can't we all?"

"But what did he ask for?  Or did he just do it gratis?"

"No, he didn't do it gratis.  Although most of us feel he should've. 
As one of the greater spirits in this universe, she could've made 
things very hard on us."

"But what'd he get?"

"No one is quite sure.  He asked for a favor and... something.  No 
one is quite sure what that something is.  The rumors run the gamut 
from an increase in power to the ability to seduce any woman he 
meets.  But I doubt that's it.  He's never had a problem with finding 
sexual partners before.  Besides, he hasn't been with a woman since 
his wife died about 5 years back."

"How did she die?"

"At the hands of some very bad men.  Apparently, they tortured her to 
death.  He's somewhat reluctant to speak of it."

"I can understand that."

"Well, I've taken enough of your time."

"Miss?"

"Yes?"

"Why is this so important to you?"

"To be honest, I'd like him back.  Or if that's not possible, to at 
least repair the damage we did by abandoning him."

"I wish I could be more help."

"Thanks."

"Miss?"

"Yes?"

"If you know of my problems with Marcus, can you give me any 
suggestions for handling it?"

"I'll talk with the Euthanatos Master.  Till then, the only 
suggestion I can offer is to give him time."

"I'll try."

************
------------

The scientist, head of the Brotherhood's Research and Development 
division, entered the final lines of code into the computer.  He made 
the back-up, and ejected the disk.

It was then that Jeremy Lancaster walked into the room.  "Sir, what 
can I do for you?"

Lancaster said, "We seem to have a problem.  The bitch that my 
brother was watching, Jacqui Donovan, is gone.  Replaced by a young 
man of approximately the same age."

"She found a way to return?"

"Possibly, but why before giving birth?"

The scientist shrugged.  "Unknown, but it definitely bears watching."

"Agreed.  How many Sisters do we know about now?"

"Upon the... defeat of your brother, we identified the four involved 
in his destruction.  By carefully watching those four, we have 
identified one hundred and twenty-four others."

"Four Sisters defeated our entire base.  Astounding."

"Sir, may I comment?"

"You may."

"The reason your brother was defeated by the Sisterhood was that he 
underestimated them.  He assumed that since the entire Sisterhood 
consisted of once-men, they no longer had the power to effectively 
stand against him."

"Your point?"

"These women spent their entire formative years as men.  The fact 
that they are now women may mean they have lost most of the 
aggressive drive that has allowed men to dominate the world around 
us, but we cannot discount their history altogether."

Lancaster considered this.  "Agreed.  We have mistakenly assumed that 
since they lost their manhood, they lost everything male about 
themselves.  Our defeat at their hands proves that cannot be.  Your 
recommendation?"

"We need to test the Sisterhood's abilities, particularly in the 
realm of combat."

"Are you suggesting skirmishes against the bitches?  Seems too likely 
to tip our hand prematurely."

"Only if we use members of the Brotherhood.  There are always 
mercenary groups that can be hired.  There won't be any risk of 
anything slipping, because we won't tell them anything that could 
lead back to us.  And, in the unlikely event that these mercenary 
groups do eliminate a few Sisters, that's a few less we have to deal 
with."

Lancaster smiled.  "Agreed.  Make it so."

Lancaster left, and the scientist looked at the computer disk with 
the modified virus on it.  "Idiot," he thought.  By the time he was 
finished, both the Brotherhood and the Sisterhood would be eliminated 
as a threat, gone from the consensual reality.

------------
-- 
"This is reality, not T.V.  Can't you tell the difference?"
"Sure.  I just like T.V. better."

J R D
jrdss@pobox.alaska.net

-- 
Pursuant to the Berne Convention, this work is copyright with all rights
reserved by its author unless explicitly indicated.
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