Station Comms were specific to each Fortress Station and I hadn''t set mine up yet. It worked like a two-way radio. Kate had been at the station for a few months, and she got the radio blast from one of the director''s men.


    "Possible suspect fleeing from the Residental Corridor, Ring 6, Third Floor. Guards are checking the rooms near where the suspect was found. The director wants your team on the pursuit. Suspect was headed down to the main floor and possibly towards the outer edge of the station."


    "Confirmed, we''ll head that way," Kate said.


    "There''s no point in going back for your armor. Let''s continue to be discrete, and I''ve got enough magic to subdue almost anyone," I said.


    "Follow me then."


    I hadn''t really learned the station''s layout yet, but it seemed to have most of the entertainment, shopping and commercial functions in the inner area, with the mid-rings being filled with residential areas as well as industries, maintenance. Supplies needed by arriving and departing ships were on the outermost ring. I thought there were probably unused sections there, part of the most recent expansion that were either filled with low value things, or were unused at all.


    Kate seemed to know her way around. We headed into one restaurant and left by the other exit to bypass a more roundabout path.


    We passed through most of the central entertainment and services area, but Security suspected the suspect was headed for the fringe rings It would be easy to hide something if there were a lot of unused areas.


    "There''s no one out here."


    It was in between residential and central areas, but the long hallway connecting modules of the station was eerily empty.


    We were running out of time until this suspect ducked into a residence or hid in an empty part of the station.


    The flow of Arcana on the station was smooth and steady. It was just a speck of power compared to his homeworld, but I knew what magic was, and how it was powered now. Drawing on the arcana surrounding us, I sent it wrapping around my pointer finger, then consumed in, transformed it really.


    Arcs of lightning formed around Kate''s black boots, and after a moment, my loafers as well.


    "Let''s hurry."


    Kate didn''t say anything about my unauthorized use of magic. I hadn''t asked for specific clearance from the director, and I didn''t think he would give it. Forgiveness is better than permission. It wasn''t much more than a cantrip really. We were running as fast as a track star could run a 400 meter, but it felt like a casual sunday run.


    The connecting hallway ended as we passed into the vast high ceilings of an atrium. Must be a central gathering space for this residential block.


    "We don''t know exactly where he is now," Kate said.


    "We can only take chances and hope to find someone."


    "There''s a massive storage area on this side of the last ring. Let''s check that."


    They saw two guards in the distance in the atrium, but they weren''t staying to chat, and the guards ducked into a hallway leading to a row of staterooms.


    The lightning speed wore off as they were leaving from the other side of the atrium.


    He had never had a master like Kate apparently did on her world. He picked up bits of knowledge and wisdom about magic from many different people. One of the pieces of advise was not to use lightning speed multiple times within an hour.


    This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it


    It''s basically tricking your muscles, increasing their ability to fire, but when it wears off, reapplying the spell right away tends to cause muscle damage.


    The next module over was dark, except for the hallway that lead straight to the last ring. In the absence of sight, I tried to listen to any sounds, but it was silent. I attached my visix smart goggles, adjusting the light sensitivity to get a bit of thermal imaging. Everything was cold as we jogged down the long hallway.


    i swung my head around, checking to the left and right wherever the hallway opened up into another room. I was trying to spot anything incongruous.


    "Can you transmit the visix to my processor?" Kate asked.


    I fiddled with the holographic menu, finally finding the setting as we reached the end of the hallway.


    The outer walls of the last ring were transparent and looked out into space beyond the station.


    "My fellow exiles call this Acausal or Anti-causal magic," Kate said.


    I couldn''t see or directly detect Holy, only Arcana. The hallway filled with a soft blue light, and then nothing happened. Kate was looking around the room, and so he just waited, and watched, until a few minutes later a holographic figure entered the area and passed right through Kate and beyond, turning left.


    Kate followed the figure, and I followed her, watching as the figure outran her before turning into one of the storage bays along the outer edge of the ring.


    "Be ready," Kate whispered as they crept up to the bay they thought the figure had entered. The blue tint of the magic effect made it hard to tell what this person had looked like.


    There was a large rollup door which lead into the bay, so no easy way to be sneaky about this.


    I gathered a large amount of arcana around me, and activated flaming fingers with a small portion of the total.


    The flames that engulfed my fingers weren''t hot, they wouldn''t be until I released them at a target.


    Kate fiercely pushing the rollup door up, and they spotted the figure in question.


    He tried to run and I launched a line of fire from my fingers in front of him, as a warning and to prevent his escape.


    "You might want to sit down," Kate told him.


    "Ok, Let''s talk," the stranger said as he flipped the knife closed and put it in his pocket. "I''m on an official job from the Director''s top assistant. I realized halfway through that he''s being dishonet with the director and planning on framing me and taking off with the Jester. Everywhere knows we steal the funny juice, right?"


    ~o~


    They had caught the thief, and now Kate and I were waiting outside the security director''s office, with the thief as our new third team member. It was awkward even if I bought the guy''s story.


    Kate''s radio had been a point in his favor. Station Security announced they had found what was missing, and claimed it was an accident. This station was a mess, and I didn''t want to stay for a moment longer.


    Keith muttered, "that''s the director''s top guy," when another man left the Director''s office.


    "Come on in," said the director.


    His office was only big enough for a single extra chair, so he and Keith stood behind Kate.


    "Sorry about the runaround. Turns out it was all a big mistake. There was a big sovereign buyer looking to purchase Jester from us, and my team got confused."


    The director wrung his hands nervously. "There''s another job, if you''re going to add a Jester as your third, which I really don''t recommend, at least you chose a pilot."


    "This is something off the station then?" Kate asked.


    "Something that could pull all the exile fleets together. It''s just a rumor at this point, or I would be making those calls myself. I want you three to chase own this rumor, and if it''s fake, bring the liar to local security. It looks like the Rumor starts in Virgo sector, at the Logos Muse station. There was an exile community meeting there years ago, don''t ask me why the station still has that name. Anyway, if it really is true, I want you to broadcast that shit. Widely."


    The director had been through a lot, with the theft, and now having to send someone out to look into this issue. But what was the rumor?


    "What is the horrible rumor that could bring all the fleets together?" Kate asked.


    "Most planets are formed and only have one dominant element, these are all the worlds you''ve been exiles from. Sometimes, extreme stellar weather, or alternatively a collision of two planets, can cause a Hybrid world scenario. There are three Hybrid scenarios that force the exile communities to come together and evacuate a planet."


    "Why don''t you just tell us exactly?" Keith blurted out. "It''s Arcana Jester isn''t it?"


    "Well-- I was going to send an email so we don''t have more rumors spreading, but yes. The most volatile scenario imaginable. Anyway, now that that''s out in the open, there''s a corvette in dock. It''s Maxine Security property, and it will remain Maxime Security property, but your team may use it for the duration."


    "What are the payment details?" Kate asked.


    "The first lump is half now, half when you determine the situation in Logos Muse. If it''s even possibly true, the job will continue after, and we will provide additional payment while you try to track down this planet."