Rowdy Dead Productions

By David C. Daoust

While Charles the First was the last to hear of the massive starship’ arrival to the small moon Twin Crown, he and his grandfather were actually the first to arrive on the scene. He had no sense of scope of just what to expect when he arrived. Considering he had left the wreck of a decent sized saucer in his wake… he did not expect any more chaos. What were the chances? He did not expect the battle zone, he found, in any way, shape, or form.

By the time Charles and his grandfather managed to make it over the ridge, the aerial battle was in full swing. The fray seemed to fill the skies; Charles once again witnessed the swarm of battle-drones. The Dirty Damsel, like a mountain of starship, sat parked amidst the desert sands. Speeding Starfighters, a sight Charles had only dreamt of, tore through the skies, firing missiles and blaster fire—drilling into the armored, spider-like, drones. A scene of pure chaos over the picturesque backdrop of Neo Ver’ees, the gas giant the small moon orbited, taking up most of the clear blue skies.

Yet, what truly caught the teenager’s eye, was the robot dragon soaring through the fray– outstretched wings of solid light. It was fierce—and clearly unstoppable. It cut through blaster fire as easily as the winds. Missiles slapped away, exploding directly off the seemingly impervious wings, or sailing off as it knocked them from their trajectory—erupting geysers of sand, leaving craters in the surrounding desert.

The two Charles Hauls had no real choice but to stay on the outskirts of the battle, making their way forward would be akin to walking into a meat grinder. They flew low to the ground, just in case. This effectively silenced the shrill scream of their rigged engines. Made them less noticeable to the swarm of battling machines… hopefully.

The pair flew their vehicles around to a large outcropping. They landed, his grandfather hopped off his vehicle and approached. Comms were still open—Charles struggled with what to say. He had to report something, as far as he knew, he and his grandfather, were the first ones there. He wanted to find his brother, he could only wonder, only worry, but he could not let others fly into range—they could be blindsided. The fact that their Skyscreamers were such small vehicles, was surely the only reason they were not targeted immediately. At least, that was Charles the First’s reasoning.

Turned out the First Wave teenager need only begin, for once he knew they were listening on the other end, he reported everything he saw. He did not know what they would do with the information, but if it kept them from stumbling into a battle zone, unprepared, then he, surely, did his duty.

He found his grandfather shared his relief, as the voice on the other end confirmed that they had eyes on the battle already, though they appreciated the heads up… Charles nodded to Grandpa Haul as they were relieved of responsibility to those incoming.

Charles turned his attention to the mountain of a starship…

The question– where could his brother be? No sooner had he thought the thought, then the familiar rover came tearing out of the Starships hold. The rover! That was what he was looking for, exactly. Charles pointed it out to his grandfather; he almost fell off his screamer with excitement.

Could his brother be at the helm? Yet, no sooner had he thought that thought, then the dragon suddenly swept down like a bird of prey, and ripped the rover’s hull free from the frame.

Charles could not see the full picture, he did witness the dragon take in a full gust of air, maw filled with flames, just before the wing of starfighters converged on him aggressively! Blasters blasting, missiles coming in a tirade– Pure havoc erupted around the scene… The dragon retreated to the air!

The battle vanished high up in the skies, it became just specs. May as well been birds in the distance. Charles looked back down at the ripped open rover, just as another small ‘spec’ flew up out of it… Charles could only guess what the object may be. Of those guesses, none of them would ever be the ‘Brain Stealer,’ the two were hunting, nor the holobot, they had tussled with. Just a spec from Charles point of view– a spec that shot up into the fray.

The aerial battle seemed to move back down, into sight. The dragon, wings pulled in tight dropped from above, a whole cloud of battle drones streaming around him… protecting it.

What exactly happened, Charles would have to be told much, much later, but he did see the massive blade suddenly erupt into being. Moments later it sliced, quick and clean, through the less then impervious dragon’s neck.

The horned head separated from the body, the wings flickered from existence, and both parts plummeted straight down to the ground…

The Battle Drones, however, the battle drones did not fall. If anything, Charles would say they retreated. Though not even in the same direction. Full retreat, in Charles mind, would be a unified effort to get as many out and away as they could. Yet, with these Drones, they all scattered… they all went their separate ways… They abandoned the dragon as soon as it hit the sands.

The skies cleared in mere moments.

Including the Starfighters. Charles could only imagine that the starfighters were hunting as many as they could once they vanished from sight as well.

Charles was back up and onto his vehicle in moments… he had to get down there. He had to see about his brother… where could they be, what could they be doing? The two of them were up their vehicles cutting in quickly, engines screaming, to the now seemingly abandoned zone…

The rover. At long last, they had found it! His brother must be within! No sooner had he thought that thought, then a crimson ship, with an incredible wingspan, soared in.

“The Reds…” Charles said aloud, barely audible over the shrill scream of his engine. He accelerated at the sight.

He felt the pit form in his stomach… the Red Faction.

The Reds got there first.

Before the people of Grady… before the First Wave. They got there before even Charles and his grandfather could get all the way to the Rover.

Below, the hold to the Rover opened… They could see Ratchet, held tight from behind by a soldier in red, two more stood to either side, each with a massive device on their back. Vincent’s massive mining bot form appeared from within… his younger brother was dragged to the crimson ship… Vincent did nothing but watch as Ratchet struggled against.

The ship did not even bother landing, just opened its hold to allow the soldiers to climb aboard a quickly descending ramp with their captive.

The hold closed and the ship jetted into the skies…

Charles watched as his brother captured by the Red Faction— unable to so much as protest.