By David C. Daoust
Ryland Mulch was from Callistopore. He was the youngest son of a powerful crime-family within the darker quarters of said city-station. As the youngest, he quickly found himself being cut out. Being pushed aside, being forced under. This was the norm for most of his life. Two of his brothers had almost been killed by questionable ‘accidents’ that seemed to become that much more frequent as their mother aged. Coming closer and closer to her death—someone would have to take the reins of the entire family when she inevitably died. His was a ruthless family; as the youngest this put him highest on the list of who may have attempted such acts. Given that he had five older brothers, the competition was quickly becoming insane.
Truth was, he had no interest in the life. Not in the least. Ryland went into hiding. He’d spent his days in the corridors, pretty much pretending to be anything but what he was. His life up ‘til then, was only lightened by his friendship with Oaklan. Oaklan was a Tithelord, which was a local Corridor Crew that such families as Ryland’s used to find employees; thieves, criminals, or just muscle. He was also a madman; For the most part, growing up, this fact added a bit of fun to their lives.
It was not until Ryland had met Jihyo, that Ryland got a clear look at the levels his friend could go.
Oaklan had witnessed their meeting– and the time they had spent together under the Xu Xian. He also saw Ryland pine for Jihyo once they had parted ways. Ryland did not stop thinking of her, talking about her, nothing.
Oaklan knew Jihyo wanted into his crew; he could make this happen. Oaklan was enthralled at the thought, just to have this beautiful relationship form from his intervention. He planned to test her. In the end, to give them both what they wanted. Jihyo would finally have her place in the crew, and Ryland a life with his girl.
Oaklan had an image in his head, a picture, a plan. He decided if she really loved Ryland, which Oaklan believed she did, there was no way it could play out any other way then the way he saw it playing out. According to this picture– Jihyo was meant to stop Ryland from being pushed off the bridge; she was supposed to become emotional and stop them from killing him. In Oaklan’s vision she would suddenly declare her love and the couple would have this happy life together.
All thanks to Oaklan.
Jihyo had, instead, shutdown—this was actually painful for Ryland. He quickly found himself with a sudden need to exit from the situation. Once she was no longer able to look at him, he had his friends remove the bonds. And when she still did not leap forward to intervene or plead, he did not climb down from the rail. He could not stand that he had let this play out. He was crushed, he was devastated– Ryland just said fuck it, and threw himself off the bridge. The drop down into the water might have killed him, but that prospect was a relief from his current situation.
The idea that Oaklan might turn on Jihyo, did not occur to him, even as he swam back up, out of the drink. Though when her form suddenly dropped like a rock from up above, he dove back into the water without a second thought. He pulled her up, he freed her from her bonds… he found out quickly that she was free of whatever had stopped her from loving him, before.
Ryland never explained the full story, any more than Jihyo had explained that she thought he was with a rival Crew.
Jihyo was content with the puzzle. Ryland was content with his new wife.
They fled everyone that ever knew them, content that the world they were from, thought they were both dead.
Their new lives were a far cry different—all the way up until that rogue Battle Drone had left his wife a bloody mess, which he had to push off of himself. He sat in a daze, unable to rise for a good long while.
Ryland got up. He was not a trained pilot. He had some experience, however. He intended to blast every invading drone that he could, or die trying. The man may just kill himself afterwards anyway…
—
The Great Dragon of Twin Crown, is.
The dragon swooped down hard, spread his wings back, thrusting his mechanical body forward—surging through the air. A new threat had emerged. The dragon decided that it was time for him to get involved. He had dropped down into a dive the very moment he spotted the small wing of starfighters exit the forward hold of the massive starship. The small Squad of Starfighters turned back, angling for the main cargo hold of the Dirty Damsel.
The very ground seemed to speed towards the dragon as he dropped; he flipped up from a vertical dive just as he was on par with the nearest starfighter. He stretched out his wings wide, catching the wind, and bringing himself to a momentary holt– the burst of fire surged from his mouth just as the fighter suddenly thrust forward.
The flames licked at the passing starfighter, yet it was too late to end the starfighters run.
The starfighter vanished within the hold, following the rest of its squad. The dragon was not about to follow them in, his wings needed the open air to maneuver properly. While the hold was vast, it would give the enemy a huge advantage against him.
Moments later, dataflow reported the Dragons’ minions had been routed. Routed from their newly formed mission to purge the signal coming from the Rover. More than that, to purge the entire starship of human life.
The swarm of Battle Drones flooded out of the cargo hold, some being shredded by weapons fire, even as they retreated. The dragon surged upward, forcing his wings down, he lifted his body back up into the air, it circled as more and more of the battle drones exited the massive ship. He waited for the Enemy squadron to chase them out…
—
Ryland had joined up with Commander Gale’s Squadron, they did not argue. He did not expect them to. All he need do, according to them, was follow in tight, and blast as many as he could when the opportunity provided itself.
The surprise dragon, and the sudden blast of flame that scorched his starfighters backend, certainly got his blood pumping. He had no real choice but to follow the rest of the squadron into the hold. He did not know what to say over the comm- he stammered ut some sort of explanation. Ultimately, he was not sure that he even saw what he thought he saw.
He had to say something, they pretty much just told him to focus on the task at hand.
Ryland chased the squadron into the vast hold, blasted any drone that moved, well, tried to. His missiles did not actually hit his target, though they did manage to destroy a couple drones. Firing into a swarm was kind of like shooting fish in a barrel, however.
The swarm seemed to part with their arrival. He was ready for anything, his display indicated him as a target more than once as he continued his shooting spree. The trained squadron kept peeling them off, protecting him, so he kept powering through, blasting drone after drone.
Chasing the vile drones wherever they may go.
Until he found himself back outside… back in the open air.
Back to where the dragon swooped down onto him like a bird of prey.
He spun away, heavy metal tail narrowly smashing his ship, and his life, to smithereens; his heart was thundering as the exhilaration overtook him. He punched it, best he could he tried to spin around, turn the tables on the dragon. He could not get a bead on it. It moved like the wind. It moved with the wind… he just did not have the experience.
The rest of the squadron, however, finally making sense of the nonsensical jargon he had tried to report on the way in, were suddenly dealing with the dragon’s presence as well.
Those wings –incredible wings! No matter how many missiles were fired, they would be slapped away, by what was quickly proving to be– invincible wings.
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