Greetings,
            As the headers says this is part of Ops. It's a teaser of 
sorts. I wrote half of this a year ago in school the other half today. 
Comments and suggestions are welcome.This is a work in progress. Flame 
away!






        	Phantom Riders:
        	Forbidden Ops:
        	The Future�
        	By R. Bentley
        	Created by R. Bentley
        	� 1996 Robert Bentley



	Weapons were charged along the ready line, the sound of the 
trooper's boots resonated off the mud laden ground. Thunder echoed in 
the distant future, dark clouds ran across the sky, chasing the sun, 
smoothing the light. 
      The distant stars and blackness of space is given a deaf ear, 
black angry clouds move over the horizon, closing off all relation with 
space. Rain would seem to be the next course of action, the clouds 
unleashed their worst across the countryside, hail storms and small 
tornadoes begin to form. Winds that only bang themselves against the 
troop carriers as they race across the mud, their large tires barely 
hanging onto the ground.
	The largest of these large behemoths carrying driven by one but 
only carrying two is in the lead. It's infrared hydrogen lamps slash 
through the rain, sleet and soon snow, it's six large tires hug the 
ground as best they can, for only brief stops on the ground would be 
fatal. It's gun metal gray painted body is smothered in mud and rain, 
it's markings bearly seen, it's once proud white, green and purple flag 
now nothing but a soaked rag in the rain storm.
	The drive grips the wheel with a death grip, keeping the control 
wheel in a straight line, keeping one green eye on the mud bowl road 
the other one on the ever snow filled scanner, the sound being emitted 
is interrupted by the drivers cursing. Her eyes sweep back only for a 
second to the read display as another one of it's convoy is nearly 
destroyed by the elements. Her near white hair, matted to her forehead 
by sweat and the rain matches her nuckles under her blue driving gloves 
while they grip the wheel, her right foot firmly all the way down on 
the accelerator. Her blue jumpsuit is soaked through by the rain, the 
environment controls already shot to hell, her helmet has been thrown 
on the passenger seat the tac net microphone still on.
	"I've got her.....arghgdkdjksdhfkjd"
	"Skant three cover Ghost ten, I've nearly got her in....oh 
my....ftttttttzzzzzz"
	"Oh my god! She just....I don't believe she just ki-----kckjdsk 
jkfhsk"
      Hands grip harder, her expression of hatred nearly masked by the 
darkness of the cabin, except for the one red set of lights that 
illuminate the console panel.
      "This is Ghost Ten, she just took out Team leader base, she 
hasn't seen me yet....repeat...base do you copy....."
      Behind the driver only one person moves, a green colored hand 
enters the light for a moment going for the tac net comm set but 
receives a look from the other side of the cushioned back seat. Both 
eyes meet for a moment and nothing is said, the hand continues to go 
for the comm set, it picks it up, bringing the microphone back to it's 
mouth.
      "Ghost Ten state your position and target's?" The eyes continue 
to stare each other down, the moments between the message being sent 
down the wire and up into the air, down into the soldiers tac net. The 
soldiers response is quicker, although time is still seems to be pulled 
out into a slow drip.
      "Ghost Ten reporting. I am at least one klick away from her. 
She�s running towards the ruins. I don�t think she sees me."
      The eyes narrowed. "Repeat her destination." The voice asked.
      "I think towards the ruins on the south side of the complex. I�m 
not sure though, her trac systems seem to be inop. She�s trying to cold 
start her trac systems. Request orders." The cadet�s voice is drowned 
out by thunder.
      The set of eyes on the other side of the cabin look out into the 
snow storm and try to look for their prey.
      "Follow target but do not, repeat do not engage reinforcements 
are en route."

      She ran.
      Her legs burned her blood stained her legs, the falling rain 
slapped against her stained skin. The steam from her blood is bearly 
seen as she slides down a large mud embankment. She tripped and falls 
head over heals. She tried to roll out it but to no avail. She slams 
into the mud side of the hill and rolled down to the bottom. She landed 
on her hands and pushed off only to topple onto her side. She stayed 
there for only a moment until the pain from the mud sent shock waves 
into her system. Her feral eyes looked up towards the Gods and watched 
for only a moment and then she was gone.
      She tried to calm her breathing as the building came into sight. 
Her brain starts to over load with images which make her scream in 
pain. She�s on one knee, the other leg convulsed greatly under the 
great pain. She screamed, she covered her ears but she heard it all. 
She doesn�t see the buildings in front her quake while her mind opens 
and tentacles of light blasted out of her. The buildings become 
nothing, the ground around them become hotter then sun, the sand now 
dried becomes glass. She opened her eyes and saw the future, it stood 
before her. She rose up slowly, her body shook as snow started to fall.
Her eyes traced over the body of it, the sleekness, the coldness of it. 
She walked towards the ruins of her ship while the snow started to fall 
harder. The combination of the wind and snow covered her walk as Ghost 
Ten came down the embankment. He tucked and rolled and landed on his 
feet. He stopped when we saw the large glass rectangles where buildings 
used to be. His brain stopped when he saw her walking into the ruins. 
He doesn�t hear himself scream halt, he doesn�t know that he fired off 
one warning shot or the fact that she did stop.
      The fact that she turned, in all of the wind and the snow.
      Her eyes lock with his and something stirs.
      He dropped his rifle on the glass remains of the buildings and 
stared as the snow and wind covered her. He swear he saw something so 
dark and ferocious����

      Ghost Ten woke when he heard the sound of the troop carrier�s 
engine as she rounded the north side of the ruins. The snow was still 
falling, the dark clouds were off on the horizon. The soft rumble of 
thunder is the only reminder of what has happened at the complex. The 
sole person responsible is named and her face and picture is posted on 
every wanted sign. She has become the hunted.
      Ghost Ten watched as the area is scanned and re-scanned for the 
escapee. No one ventured into the ruins of the ship, no one mentioned 
the ruins in their report, no one will ever know about that ruins. 
While the twin suns rose at dawn and the patrols called it a day the 
ruins of the ship disappeared back into mud. He said nothing as the 
ruins vanished.
      As they vanished he heard something, her scream. His teeth 
chattered as the scream slowly became a laugh.
      He would have nightmares to come. Nightmares of a black rider 
with a horned helmet and diamond red eyes��

      Days afterwards.
      While the stars are out and the wind is quiet.
      A full moon sat high in the sky, the stars sing to themselves 
while the burn.
      Down in the ruins of the city.
      Just a few feet from the glass remains of the ruins. A soft chant 
is heard.
      As soft as a cry for help.
      The wind picks up for just a moment. The sand twirled up into a 
bubble and a large shape is deposited on the ground as soft as feather. 
The shape rests there for a moment while the planet and the moon fall 
out of place. The one glorious moment has passed. Nothing to show for 
it. Nothing��at�..all��
      The shape uncurls from the ball and rolled over, a soft moan is 
bearly heard. The shape breathed in and out for a moment and then 
slowly stretched. The wind blows softly through her blue fur. Her tail 
lazily pushes some sand back and forth while her eyes opened.
      Sapphire slowly got to her feet, her cargo still on the sand, now 
empty. She walked up the embankment and headed towards the lights on 
the horizon while clutching her side��


      Fin.

      Bentley4@ix.netcom.com