I was thirty five and looked maybe sixteen when I left Mage Seth. He had been my master since I entered puberty at ten. Now I was a master and a mage and going out into the federation. Mages were not popular so I did not use my mage name when I left. I did use a little magic to change a few things when I decided to join fleet as an officer.

The training was physically demanding but not as bad as mage training. I went through basic and the basic officer course before going to a company as a second lieutenant. The federation was at war and had been for a couple of years. The mages had stayed out of it so far because it would have brought imperial mages into it which meant a mage war.

A year as a second lieutenant and I was promoted to first lieutenant and given a combat platoon. We were on a transport with ten thousand other troops heading into a system called Gallant. It was supposed to be covered by fleet with ships patrolling the system as we tried to take the planet.

The huge battleship that appeared ten kilometers off our starboard side had alarms ringing all over the ship. They were calling for our surrender, not that they could take us prisoner unless they flew the ship out. The stupid ship captain and the regiment commander were negotiating the surrender when I used my magic and called them with an idea they approved.

It was not mine, it was my platoon sergeant's. We used our armored suits and linked the squads together before going out the airlock. I used long range glasses to find the other ship before we used grav shrouds to cross to it. We split into teams once inside the warship. We took the bridge, CIC, engineering, weapons control and damage control.

We sealed the men that were manning the weapons after killing the power. Of course the aftermath was not good, the captain and the general were both extremely embarrassed about agreeing to surrender. Even though we had taken the enemy battleship I was told by my entire chain of command I would never be promoted.

They even gave me negative reviews on my after action evaluations with a reprimand. I was at attention the whole time they chewed me out for saving the ship and capturing the enemy. When they finished I left my bars on the captain's desk and took a copy of the meeting minutes. I went to my tiny platoon office and started packing, "I am done sergeant Dempsey."

He stood up behind his desk, "you are kidding?"

I smiled as I took the engraved fourteen millimeter plasma pistol I had taken from the enemy ship captain, "we embarrassed them by capturing the enemy."

He snorted and I grinned and tossed the chip with the disciplinary board minutes. I headed into the back where my sleeping quarters were. I packed and carefully took the long tube that held my ivory staff. I put everything on the baggage float and headed out. When I stepped out the platoon was called to attention.

I hesitated before saluting, "take care of my men sergeant."

He nodded as I turned and headed for the shuttle bay. It had been long enough since we captured the other ship that we were in orbit above the planet. When they heard the battleship had been captured the enemy on the planet had surrendered. I signed up for a shuttle down and sat to wait.

Five hours later I was walking away from the fleet section at the port. I took a room in a hostel and sat in the bar to decide what to do. I was thinking of just returning home when the vid screen went blank and then a special announcement came on. Bombs planted by unknown men had killed every known mage in the federation.

I sat up and almost let the magic come before listening to the next part. The federation declared mages outlawed and were to be killed on sight. Now I knew who the unknown men were and stood. I returned to my room and stared at the tube before crossing and opening it. I had not touched my staff in over a year.

As soon as it slid out and into my hand the warmth and tingle of strong magic coursed through me. The staff was two inches across at the foot and almost four at the head. It was carved from foot to head in runes and glyphs and symbols. I turned and murmured the simple spell that would keep people from seeing or noticing me.

I pulled the float after me and left. I headed back to the port and to an empty shuttle. I walked aboard and went onto the bridge. I sat before reaching out with my magic and then bringing the shuttle online. I lifted and turned it before heading away and up. If the federation wanted a mage war they just got it.

I headed for the Imperial battleship my platoon had captured. It was in high orbit with federation specialists going through everything. I docked and put the shuttle on standby before heading to the airlock. When I stepped aboard the battleship I stopped and sent my float towards the captain's quarters.

I touched the foot of my staff to the deck and began to chant. Within minutes men began walking past me blindly as they boarded the shuttle. I closed the airlock and sent the shuttle away before heading to the bridge. I stopped at the scan station and put my hand on the display before beginning a spell.

When I lifted my hand there was a shimmer and the battleship disappeared from every ships scan. Two weeks later the huge ship slowed as it went into orbit above what had been my home. I looked down at the devastation and whispered a spell. I was shocked at the answer, they had not just killed the mages, everyone on the planet was dead.

I went to sit in the captain's chair and think. I finally turned and moved to the pilot chair and plotted a course towards the sun and a high orbit. I went to engineering and used the large ship computer. I began to design a mage ship, from the secret mage reactors and engines to the large gardens.

I even designed the weapons and everything in between. When I was done the ship was in orbit but the shields were straining. I went to the bridge and set the foot of my staff on the deck before I began pulling power from the sun while chanting spells. No mage had ever attempted something like this and never using the power of a sun.

The ship shifted and spread as the top and bottom became closer. Three hulls emerged with weapon blisters and large thick windows. It was several days before I stopped and the shining hull of a huge mage ship took the place of the battleship. I was tired and turned towards the large opening off the bridge, "Ren, head for Calvin."

Ren was the name I had given the ship and it turned and moved away smoothly and a lot faster than any other ship could ever hope to match. In moments it began to skip towards the heliopause. Once off the bridge I walked down the wide spiraling stairs to a meadow with small trees bordering it.

A metal framed area held a very wide bed with a gauze curtain around and over it. I stripped and leaned the staff against the bed before climbing in and pulling the covers over me. I woke two days later and sat up. I reached out around me before moving off the bed and walking to the pool of water to one side with a small waterfall.

I walked into the pool and under the falling water and unseen hands began to wash me. When I walked out warm scented air swirled around and dried me. I glanced into the trees where my float was and clean pants and a comfortable shirt drifted to me. Socks slithered onto my feet when I lifted them and then soft boots.

I walked to the bed and bent to put on the weapon belt with the pistol. I walked through the trees and into another meadow where a large kitchen sat. I ate before heading back to the bridge and sitting in the large comfortable command seat. Holographs sprang up around me and I gestured to bring one to me and enlarged it.

I was calm now with the anger of what the federation had done a cold thing hiding inside me. One week later Ren emerged from jump on the edge of Calvin. Warships patrolled the system and were everywhere. I sat and looked at the huge holograph of the system before turning to gesture.

Another holograph moved to cover the first and I began touching warships. I turned to another smaller holograph, "open comm on wide spectrum broadcast."

Ren's quiet voice answered, "open."

I nodded, "since the federation has declared war on my people I am here to answer. My name is Stalker and I am a mage. You have one hour to surrender or I will destroy every warship in this system. I will destroy every power sat and generating system until you are left in the dark."

I gestured and the comm shut off before I turned, "put us in cloak."

I sat and leaned back in the chair as the system came alive. Of course battleships and cruisers and every other warship headed towards where they had seen my ship. I waited the full hour before standing and walking to the large holographs, "fire."

Forty six weapons fired skip missiles which the federation said no one could ever make. As each struck a ship it exploded and shimming magic spread through the hull and into the ship. Men or women in the ships screamed as they were consumed by fire. I began touching those ships I had not targeted before, "take us in. Head for Assembly station."

The ship began to move as I stepped back, "fire."

Another forty six missiles launched and began skipping until they struck a ship. By the time Ren slowed and began docking with the station only dead ships, dead power sats or dead fortresses were behind us. I spun and walked off the bridge and followed the balcony around and then down to a set of stairs and strode though the outer hull corridors to an airlock.

When I walked onto the station I stopped and set the foot of my staff down. I murmured an avoidance spell before I began to walk again. People were running around in panic as I walked through the main corridors towards Assembly hall. A dozen men guarding the huge hatch with weapons were not really a threat but I was looking with more than just my eyes.

Magic spells swirled around in the huge outer chamber. I shook my head, an apprentice must have set the trap. I whispered and an invisible thread sprang from the head of my staff. Each bit and swirl of magic it touched was sucked into the thread. When the chamber was clear of magic the thread withdrew back into my staff.

I set the foot of the staff on the deck and murmured a spell. The men shifted before looking terrified as they slowly changed to stone. I strode across the chamber and touched the large doors and they shattered. I walked into the huge chamber beyond to see one councilor and a young man with a tall staff.

I smiled as I walked towards them, "so you kept a tame mage."

He gestured and raw magic swirled as it sped towards me. I ignored it as I raised my hands and chanted. The bolt of magical energy sparkled when it hit my shield. I pulled the magic in as a shimmering curtain appeared around the edge of the room, "where are the other councilors?"

The councilor stepped back, "in other systems where you will never reach them."

I ignored the next two bolts of magic as my shield absorbed them and pointed my staff as I murmured a spell. A thread appeared and grew into a thick worm until it was a dozen feet long. It broke off and slithered towards the other mage as I pointed my staff at the councilor, "surrender or die."

He stepped back as the worm surged larger when a bolt from the other mage struck it. I nodded and set my staff to the deck, it made a loud bell like sound that echoed in the huge chamber. The worm grew larger as it was struck again and then it coiled and struck as the mage tried to back away.

The worm hit his shield and stuck before beginning to grow much larger. The councilor frowned as his feet became stuck and then he was screaming. Slowly his feet began to change to stone and then it started up his legs. The other mage spun to run but his shield failed and the worm struck him in the back.

I watched as the councilor was slowly turned to stone and the mage was sucked dry of magic first and then vitality and then life. I walked to the worm as the husk of the mage fell and touched it with the head of my staff. It was sucked into the staff and I bent to pick up the fallen staff.

I touched the head of mine to it and there was a loud tone that I knew would echo through every mage. The other staff shimmered before turning to ash. I looked around and murmured and the body of the mage was consumed by fire as I turned to walk out. I started back towards my ship and stopped when I felt another pull.

I turned and headed through the station and the crowds of panicked people. In a wide shopping area I stopped to look around. The pull came from a shop and I walked closer to look in and saw two girls in their early teens. They were in a corner and I walked in and glanced at the other people.

I crossed to the girls and reached out to lift the oldest one's face. She gasped as she saw me and I smiled, "you are an emerging mage."

She shook her head as the other girl started to move away. I gestured and she froze before I looked at the first, "your name?"

She trembled, "Olivia."

I nodded, "well Olivia the federation law is to kill all mages."

She looked around, "but..."

I caressed her face, "you and your sister may stay and try to hide or come with me and learn to use your power."

She looked at her sister and I smiled, "she has potential and sooner or later will emerge like you."

Olivia hesitated as I let her go and turned, "wait!"

I looked back and she took a breath, "take us with you."

I gestured and her sister started moving. Olivia caught her hand and pulled her after me. Outside the shop I glanced around before going straight across and into a credit bank. I moved around a counter and whispered and the large vault opened before stacks of credit notes floated out. I led the girls out with the credits following and began going into the dozen jewelry shops.

The girls followed me when I finally returned to my ship the credits and jewelry floated in. I closed the airlock and then led the girls into the ship and stopped in the meadow. The jewelry and credits settled to one side of the bed as I walked up and onto the bridge. I crossed to a holograph, "move us away from the station Ren."

I moved to one side and expanded another display as I chanted a finding spell. Eight systems glowed and I nodded before touching one, "head for Alexandria Ren."

I turned to walk back to my seat and sat as we began to skip out of the system. Once we opened the wormhole and jumped I stood and walked out. I found the two girls beside the pool of water and undressed before reaching out. I stripped them as they gasped and walked by them and into the water, "welcome to Ren."

I waded across and under the falls to let the water flow over and around me. I walked out as the girls came into the water. I laid back to float, "so Olivia what is your sister called?"

She smiled, "Paige."

I smiled, "welcome to my ship."

Paige reached out to rub my cock, "are you going to fuck us?"

I looked at her, "why? Did you want me to?"

She grinned as Olivia looked at her, "yeah. I thought you were going to and my pussy got wet."

I stood up and reached out to cup a breast and rub her nipple, "want it now?"

She shuddered as she wrapped her hand around my cock, "yeah."

Olivia giggled and gave her butt a swat, "horny slut."

She looked at me and bit her lip, "um ... me too?"

I smiled as I took Paige's hand off my cock before pulling her after me. I absently dried us as I pulled her to the bed and sat her on the edge. I pushed her onto her back and knelt as I opened her legs. I leaned in to look at her puffy aroused pussy and then opened it and licked. She shuddered and lifted her hips, "mmm!"