War Magi Read online

  WAR MAGI

  Star Magi Saga

  Book 3

  By

  Andrew Dobell

  Booklist

  Star Magi Saga – Space Fantasy

  Star Magi – Book 1

  Magi Nexus – Book 2

  War Magi – Book 3

  Star Magi Saga Tales – Space Fantasy

  Maiden Voyage – Prequel

  Epiphany – Book 2

  Quantum Legends

  Anomaly on Cerka

  The Magi Saga – Urban Fantasy

  Magi Dawn: The Magi Saga Book 1

  Magi Rising: The Magi Saga Book 2

  Magi Omen: The Magi Saga Book 3

  Magi Edge: The Magi Saga Book 4

  Magi Odyssey: The Magi Saga Book 5

  Magi Descent: The Magi Saga book 6

  Magi Rebirth: The Magi Saga book 7

  Tales of the Magi Saga – Urban Fantasy

  Angel of Tarut

  His Love

  Hack Imperfect

  Casino Red

  Uprising

  A Thoroughly Modern Witch

  Pilgrimage

  Wasteland Road Knights – Post Apocalyptic

  Liberation

  Exploration

  Revelation

  Determination

  The New Prometheus - Cyberpunk

  The New Prometheus

  The Prometheus Gambit

  The Prometheus Trap

  Prometheus Vengeance

  Anthologies I am part of:

  The Expanding Universe – Sci-Fi

  The Expanding Universe 3 – Sci-Fi

  Pew Pew – A fist full of Pews

  Bobs Bar 1

  Bobs Bar 2

  Sign up to my Mailing List.

  www.andrewdobellauthor.co.uk

  Acknowledgements

  Thank you to my wife and family for joining me on this crazy adventure!

  Thank you to my editor, Ed, for this hard work.

  Thank you to my cover model, Vicki Blatchley, for being the face of Amanda.

  Thank you to Tania Claire for your help on my cover shoots.

  Would you leave me a Review???

  Thank you for taking the time to read my book. If you enjoyed it, please consider posting a short review on Amazon.

  Word of mouth is an author’s best friend and much appreciated.

  Thank you.

  Andrew Dobell.

  The best place to keep up to date with this news is in my Facebook group.

  https://www.facebook.com/groups/MagiSagaFans/

  So, come on over and say hi! I’d love to hear from you.

  Table of Contents

  About this book

  Lexicon

  Organisations & Locations

  Characters

  Previously…

  Un-Sundered

  Unstable

  Doubts

  Laying the Foundation

  Fracture

  Last Bastion

  Getting Away

  Deployment

  The Balance of Power

  A light in the dark

  First steps

  Negotiations

  Interruption

  Conclusions

  Sunguard

  Intel

  Opening Moves

  Hold the Line

  On The Edge

  Strike Redux

  Death Reveals

  Front Lines

  They’re Coming…

  An enemy within

  Epilogue - To the Wasteland

  Author Note

  About this book

  Thank you for reading book 3 of the Star Magi Saga.

  This series chronicles the continuing adventures of Amanda-Jane Page, and this series follows on from the seven-book Magi Saga series.

  Star Magi is part of a wider universe of books that is growing all the time, and there are events and characters in this book that have come from elsewhere in the universe, and even from outside of this universe.

  While you don’t need to read any of the other books that contain events that are referenced in this book, they do add depth to the story.

  Firstly, you might consider reading the first Magi Saga series to learn more about where Amanda comes from and her history.

  Secondly, you might want to look at reading the Quantum Legends books, which detail Amanda’s adventures in the universes of other writers. At the time of writing this, I have three planned with authors M D Cooper, Barry J Hutchison, and Michael Anderle.

  Along a similar line, the BOB’s Bar Anthology features Amanda and is where she first meets characters from other universes.

  Another series of mine that’s referenced in this book is Wasteland Road Knights, a post-apocalyptic adventure series in the style of Mad Max, but with zombies and daemons.

  Thank you for reading this book.

  Andrew

  Lexicon

  Terms

  Magi – (Pronounced “Mah-Guy”) Humans who can harness Essentia and bend it to their will to work ‘Magic’.

  Scions – Creatures of nightmare and legends. Vampires, werewolves, and more. Created by the Archons.

  Nomad – Magi who serve the Archons or Crux. Magi who walk the dark path.

  Essentia – An extra-dimensional exotic energy that when used to fuel the wishes of a Magus. Creates Magic.

  Aegis – The Magical shield that Magi use to protect themselves.

  Aetheric Realm – The Spirit World.

  Riven – Humans with no Magical ability.

  Initiated Riven – Riven who are aware of Magic.

  Archons – Ancient creatures of god-like power, creators of the Scions. They once ruled Earth, and they want to rule humanity again.

  Crux – Ancient alien creatures of immense power who fought the first Star Magi and lost. They retreated to an area of space close to the galactic core.

  Aeon – Beings that live between universes and outside of time. Amanda’s mother, Sophia, is an Aeon.

  Organisations & Locations

  Nexus Arcadia – The central group of Magi in space. Primarily made up of Dynasties

  Dynasties – Ancient, aristocratic, and powerful Magi families.

  Terran Foundation – The merging of several pro-Sol groups: The Foundation and the Terran Alliance. The organisation grew out of the old Sol Protectorate.

  Created by the Tempus Dynasty, the Foundation was a neutral Magi group based at Proxima Centauri (The Star closest to Earth’s Sun) who hosted the Nexus Council.

  The Terran Alliance was a collection of smaller groups, including the Ormond Dynasty, the Magi Council of Earth, the Wraith mercenary group, and several systems close to our solar system.

  The Accord – A group of Dynasties who oppose the Magi of Earth joining the Nexus and gaining as much power as they have so quickly. They see the swift rise to power of the Terrans as a threat to their own power and are fighting back. Their actions are bringing the Nexus closer to war.

  The Sol Protectorate – The exclusion zone around Earth, the rules that prevent Earth joining to Nexus, and the governing body that polices this.

  The Earth was left to advance at its own rate by the Magi of the Nexus, so that while the Earth is still in the early twenty-first century, out beyond the solar system, there is a vast interstellar civilisation of humans. The Ormond Dynasty managed the Sol Protectorate with help from the Foundation of the Nexus, and the Sentinels of Earth.

  Sol Prime – A huge city-sized space station about two hundred AU from Sol (Earth’s Sun).

  Ultima Thule – A large castle on Saturn’s moon, Enceladus, the location of the Magi Council of Earth.

  Axia – The city planet at Proxima Centauri, home of the Nexus Council.

  The Quantum Realm – Amanda’s pers
onal magical realm located in the space between universes just outside of our universe.

  The Sentinels – An Earth group dedicated to keeping Magi and Riven affairs separate, they were also the former prison guards for the Archons.

  Crux – Ancient god-like creatures of evil who want to destroy the Nexus. Also, the group of Nomad Magi, dragons, and Scions who follow them.

  Dynasties of Note:

  The Ormond Dynasty – A small dynasty based at Sol Prime, led by Ylena Ormond.

  The Tempus Dynasty – Leaders of the former Foundation, and custodians of the Nexus Council. They have a pro-Sol stance.

  The Valk Dynasty – The first dynasty to oppose the Terran Ascendancy. Tend to be isolationist and authoritarian.

  The Wraxleith Dynasty – Allies of the Valk, between them they form the backbone of the Accord. A proud, fierce, and expansionist dynasty.

  The Septhian Dynasty – A part of the Terran Foundation, they are elegant and egalitarian with a focus on the natural world.

  The Arcturus Dynasty – A part of the Terran Foundation, they are strong, stoic, and viewed as a little rough around the edges.

  Characters

  Amanda-Jane Page – A Magus from Earth. The daughter of an Aeon (extra-dimensional being) and human, she’s been marked as someone with a destiny in the fight against the darkness.

  Sabine – A Magus from New Orleans, trained in special ops. She’s a sensation junkie and occasional lover of Amanda’s.

  Rane Ormond – Daughter to the matriarch of the Ormond Dynasty and the wild-child of that family.

  Jinx – AI from another universe.

  Matt Walker – A Riven human from Earth and a bit of a computer wiz.

  Samhain – Amanda’s sabretooth cat familiar.

  Trevelyan – Ancient Magus. Chair of the Earth Magi Council, and a member of the assembly leading the Terran Alliance.

  Elden Tempus – Head of the Tempus Dynasty, speaker of the Nexus Council.

  Dasha Ormond – Foppish brother to Rane.

  Ylena Ormond – Magus. Mother to Dasha and Rane. The matriarch of the Ormond Dynasty

  Crystal – Leader of the Sentinels.

  Valerya – A Riven human woman who’s been fighting the Crux for thousands of years.

  Aris – A stoic Riven soldier, undercover agent, and companion of Valerya.

  Astrid – Magus leader of the paramilitary group, the Wraiths. Friend to Amanda.

  Anastasia – Nomad Magus from Earth with plans to gain power.

  The Demiurge – Ancient, powerful creature who first banished the Archons to their spirit realm prison ten thousand years ago. Has been missing ever since.

  Sophia – An Aeon and Amanda’s mother.

  Theletos – Powerful leader of the Crux.

  Previously…

  Freed from their prison in the Aetheric Realm, the Archons were liberated from Earth by the Crux during an attack by a flight of dragons.

  Having successfully covered up the attack, hiding it from humanity, the Magi of Earth realise that the Magi of the Nexus cannot protect Earth, and take matters into their own hands.

  Much to the displeasure of most of the dynasties of the Nexus, who see the Terrans as a threat to their power, the Terrans join the Nexus, helped by a few within the Nexus who support them, such as the Foundation.

  Amanda and the new Terran Alliance know that the Archons have joined with the Crux and are a growing threat to the Nexus. Amanda wishes only to unite the Magi to fight the Crux and Archons. The dynasties, however, don’t see the danger. They defeated the Crux once before, thousands of years ago, and don’t understand why they couldn’t do the same again.

  As the Terran Alliance ascends to the Nexus, several dynasties who oppose them, and disbelieve their warnings about the Crux, join forces to create the Accord, an organisation of Magi whose goal is to stop the Terrans.

  Violence breaks out, and Amanda is forced to deal with these incidents.

  Meanwhile, growing frustrated with the politics of the Nexus, Crystal chooses to travel to Crux Space to follow a lead.

  The Archons were defeated once before, ten thousand years ago by the being known as the Demiurge. Crystal wishes to find this Demiurge and convince him to fight the Archons once again.

  Back in the Nexus, tensions escalate and result in an outright conflict on the edge of Foundation Space between the Accord and the Terran Alliance.

  Concurrently, the Foundation discovers that the dynasties have infiltrated the Foundation and work to expel it.

  During the fight with the Accord, Amanda discovers that a Nomad from Earth called Anastasia has infiltrated the Accord and grown in power. She’s now a weredragon. The Alliance defeats the Accord when Amanda suddenly reaches a new level of understanding about Magic and uses that power to win the battle.

  Following the battle, the Terran Alliance and the Foundation join forces to become the Terran Foundation.

  Elsewhere, the Crux are expanding their territory now that they have the Archons to help them. Following an attack by the Crux, Crystal meets with a Magus called Anka, who knew the Demiurge and knows where he is now…

  Un-Sundered

  Deep Space, somewhere in the Nexus

  Anastasia stood on the bridge of her Aether ship, the Obsidian Fire, as it dropped out of Flux and returned to a more sedate speed. On the main viewer, the scene before the ship revealed a bright orb in the distance with glaring jets of light bursting from its poles that appeared to be rotating, making the steamers of light wobble around, illuminating the gases all around it. The vista it created was beautiful.

  “It’s still here,” Glass said over the ship's speakers. “Dead ahead. Shall I set a course?”

  Anastasia smiled at the ships AI’s pronouncement. “Intercept course. If they flee, let me know.”

  “As you wish,” the AI replied as the Obsidian Fire boosted forwards towards the dark speck on the screen before her.

  “You’re sure this is going to work?” Sapphira asked from across the bridge.

  Anastasia smiled as she looked back at her second-in-command. She was a tough, strong person who looked imposing in her dark armour, but this nervousness didn’t suit her. Although, given the task ahead, she could understand her apprehension. “But of course,” she replied.

  “It’s risky, taking on an Un-Sundered.”

  “Nothing in life that’s worth doing is without risk, Sapphira. Not getting cold feet, are we?”

  “Of course, not, my Baal,” Sapphira replied, suddenly puffing out her chest to look a little more confident. “I’ve just heard talk about the power of these Magi.”

  Anastasia nodded. The Un-Sundered were legendary, that was true. The first Magi to leave Earth behind before the Archons enacted their global Magical effect of separating all Magi from Essentia, turning all Magi into normal humans. It didn’t go entirely to plan, though, and while the Magic didn’t neuter all Magi, it did weaken their connection to Essentia. Suddenly, a lot less Magi were appearing, and the Sundered Magi were no longer able to rely on having Magi children. It also took longer for the Magi to learn their Magic.

  Those that had left the Earth before the Sundering were spared these effects and went on to create the dynasties of the Nexus. That was over ten thousand years ago, though, before the Demiurge banished the Archons to their prison deep in the Aetheric Realm.

  Some of these Un-Sundered still lived with their dynasties, but others did not. Time was a cruel mistress, and even as powerful as these Magi were, they were still human and prone to hubris and madness.

  The Aether ship before her was home to one such Un-Sundered, and he’d been here, orbiting this pulsar for years now after leaving Concord Prime.

  She smiled to herself. It was a mistake he would regret.

  “They can indeed be formidable,” Anastasia said, her gaze fixed on her Coven-mate as she spoke. “Do you wish to stay aboard the Obsidian Fire?”

  “No. I was merely expressing concern for your safety, my B
aal.”

  “Cute. Very well, get everyone ready,” she said, and looked back at the viewer as they closed on the target ship, manoeuvring to match speed and direction.

  Behind her, Anastasia felt Sapphira reach out and contact the rest of the crew. It only took a moment, and with a series of magical bursts of energy, the other members of her Coven appeared on the bridge. Ebony the vampire, Azerrad and thorne, both of them Sage Magi, and Lyka, the mysterious Arch Master and Scion who had accompanied her from Earth.

  “We’re ready,” Sapphira said as Magic flared from the Magi in the room.

  “Commence attack,” Anastasia said, and reached out, summoning Essentia to her and sending it lancing out at the Aether ship just ahead of them. She could feel the other Magi doing the same, and as she watched, the two dragons aboard the Obsidian Fire, Kragen and Tallon, took off from the hull and flew towards the ship, blasting Essentia laced fire at the Aegis that surrounded it.

  The shield did not last long under such an onslaught, and the moment it flickered and died, she reached in with her senses to find her target. It didn’t take long to find the most potent concentration of Essentia on the vessel. She smiled to herself as she looked upon the mighty Un-Sundered.

  She was not impressed.

  With a thought, she Ported herself and the rest of her crew across the void and into the Aether ship.