DragonZ Chapter 7 --End of Act 1--
--Call of Duty-- "Chancellor Black. For too long have my kind sat in the shadows and rotted. Well no longer shall we hide! Our GOD has commanded us to retaliate and we are too happy to oblige. Our GOD has commanded that The Ark be destroyed. He will bring his BLACKNESS onto you and fire will rise from the depths of hell. ALL HAIL OUR BLACK LORD! " ~General Galrog~ The dropship danced wildly through the Ark atmosphere. Kiddo and Wolf couldn't stay still but I had ridden in a dropship before so I was used to the bumpy ride. The clouds cleared as we entered the vacuum of space, we looked out the side windows and saw an entire fleet of carriers, frigates, star-runners, flagships and the mother of all ships the 'Sword of the Star'. Kiddo, Wolf, and I stared at the size of the capital flagship. It looked like it estimated around 1,870 football fields long and at least 645 stories tall and the main cannon could probably rip through the Ark with ease even 700 plates of Adamantium. Kiddo spoke first "Oh wow! so thats the Sword of the Star it's freakin' enormous!" "You have this right. Look at the cannon, Oh how I would love to have one of those!" Wolf commented. "I don't think you have that kind of money." the soldier joked. "Which one is that? I never seen that one before?" I asked and pointed to a star-runner below the Sword of the Star. It was hook shaped at the bow and had curved wings on the port and starboard sides, and its jet engines looked too big on the small elegant ship. "That is classified information sir sorry," the soldier replied "D-59 to Sword of the Star, the package is secure and heavy two over." As soon as he called us in the hanger blast doors opened up to let us through. The dropship passed through the doors and a kinetic-drive barrier then touched down on to the hanger floor. The blast doors on the dropship opened up and let us see the awaiting crowd standing at parade rest, two single lines that ran from the dropship to a anthro Grizzly Bear and a anthro Horse. We disembarked off the dropship and the bear announced, "Battalion! Attent-ion! Senior Officer on deck!" both rows came to attention, "Pre-sent Arms!" I started to walk down the lane and motioned Kiddo and Wolf to follow. The crew were standing firm and tall with their right arms up to their eyebrows and knife hands that angled left. We finally came up to the bear and I saluted him. The grizzly returned the salute, "Care to do the honors Raines?" He motioned to the crowd. "Sure. Battalion! At-Ease!," the crowd spread their legs shoulder width apart with their hand over laping behind their backs, I looked back to the bear, "So Talieus. Your Commander now." "Yes I am. And proud of it. Adrian I would like you to meet Chancellor Black." "Hello Adrian," Black walked up to me he was a fine made steed. Standing tall and proud and reached out his hand to mine and shook, "It's a honor to finally meet you." "The honor is all mine Chancellor. By the way this is Wolfgang.." "Call me Wolf your honor." Wolf snapped a smirk and took Blacks hand and shook as well. "And this is Kiddo." I pointed to Kiddo and told him to come step up. "Hello sir." He was extermly shy. Black chuckled, "It's ok Kiddo. I wont bite. Come we have a lot of explaining to do AND you have to meet the others as well." We didn't reply to the statement but we did look at each other in confusion as we followed Black into a teleporter with Talieus close behind. We zipped through and came to a room with a few others, all looked like they have seen plenty of war until I saw her. "Adrian?! What are you doing here?" She asked "I could say the same to you...Sasha." I came back. Sasha McHardy was a anthro rabbit and was perfect size and shape, like Adams Eve, she had a small coat of brown fur with black 'tattoo' like blots of fur scattered all over her gorgeous body, and hair like a metallic purple that shimmered and shined in the lights above. Her eyes a bright neon lime that caught the eye of any male. Sasha was dressed in worn down blue jean pants, white tank top and a Tech-8 burst-fire side arm by her side. She was a amazonian-like woman and she had apparently had been a special case in order for her and Gun Bunny to be here. Gun Bunny is also a anthro rabbit and is her step sister/bodyguard, she was well built, but still held a feminine appeal. She also had brown fur with electric teal hair and worn the same clothes as her furry counter part, Gun was armed with a XM8 Assault Rifle with a double drum clip and front grip. Both looked ready for a fight. "What is HE doing here?!" Gun out bursted. "Hey hey hey...no need to be rough with him and besidesss nobody wantsss to here you blabber about." A viper slithered into the conversation, literally. She turned and looked at me. "Hello Adrian, my name'sss Kelsssey SSSillian. Vipress Assassin from Exatlia. At your ssservice." "Please to meet you Kelsey." I answered. Black started to speak, "Now that we are all here. As you may know we have been threatened by a force beyond imagining, a force we thought to be dead, we have declared war on the Dinosaurs." "But how? How is that possible?" a fox dressed in a war suit that had seen many battle already announced. "We don't know that Mr. McCloud but, we have confirmed that they have already took over the dragon homeworld of Ragnarok and are fighting with the Wolf clans of Snowforge. But I have assembled all of you because you are the best at what you do, and that is fighting. Im putting together a team, a team with special talents and skills to help make a major push against the Dinosaurs. You are that team, Officer Raines you are in charge of the team," my heart skipped a couple hundred beats at that and I stood dumbfounded and wide-eyed. "Now if there are any quest.." he was cut off by a falcon "Yeah I got one," He was sharpening a bowie knife the size of half an arm. "The Dino's dont go on the war march for unknown reasons, they have to be lead by someone very powerful...perhaps even supernatural. So my question is...where did you get all this bullshit your spilling?" Kiddo was enraged at the remarked question, "BECAUSE THOSE ARE MY PEOPLE BEING SLAUGHTERED OVER THERE! That bullshit he is "spilling" is news from my homeworld THAT I HAVE NOT HEARD OF ALL MY LIFE!" The room fell silent as they stared at the angered blue and white dragon, a few of them started to whisper about him being a dragon. Kiddo, to my surprise, started to calm down without my help. "Then in that case why should we help fight someone elses war?" the falcon was really pushing his luck. Kiddo marched toward the falcon and took the knife from him. Kiddo held firmly the blade end in his hands cutting into his scales and unflinching. "All my life I have never known if there where others like me because I was raised by a Wolf clan, all my life I have been pushed around and beaten for who and what I was. And now, for the first time in my life I heard word of my homeland being attacked and all you can ask is why should you care?" Kiddo stared deep into the falcons eyes. The falcon backed down as a sign of respect and Kiddo handed him back the red stained blade and stepped back behind me. "You should care because there are tens and thousands of dragons and wolves dying on both those planets, and once they are done with those them they will hope to the next planet and the next one and the next one until they reach the Ark." Black added. "He is right Falco, no doubt about it." Fox said "Of course he is right! The Dino's are creating a mass genocide of and entire race, we can't just sit back and watch it come here. Look at Kiddo...he is the first dragon I have ever met and he has been through so much more than any of us combined...and I have made a promise to him that I intend to keep but, I can't keep to it on my own. So I need you, ALL of you...will you help not only me but, an entire race from becoming extinct?" I spoke. No one said anything, it seemed like days they stood there thinking long and hard about the quest that they must fulfill. And finally Kelsey spoke, "I have done ssso many horrible thingsss. Ssso bad that I have been exiled from my homeworld, not sssaying that I relate to Kiddo in this manner, I jussst want a chance at redemption ssso I many return to Exatlia. And with that I give you my sssword and my unique ssset of ssskills." Kelsey slithered toward me and turned to stand by my side. "And I Fox McCloud." Fox stopped. "And I Falco Lombardi." Falco added "Give our team of soldiers and our skills to this team." The both of them walked toward me. All of them were with us except Sasha and Gun. "Please Sasha...for Kiddo. We need you...I need you." I pleaded Sasha stared into my soul and me to hers. We stood there just looking and speaking not by words but with feeling. Please Sasha. This is bigger than us, I need you here with me. I told her. I need you... And with that Sasha and Gun walked toward me and joined the group. Sasha stopped in front of me and looked into my eyes, "I missed you Adrian." she whispered "I know." I whispered back. "Thank you..." "No...thank you Adrian. please forgive me." I looked deep into her eyes and leaned forward and kissed her ever so passionately. I broke away from the kiss, "I do...forgive you Sasha." she smiled brightly at me and came close for a loving embrace. A few hours later and more introductions, the gang and I gathered to the star-runner's forward bow or command deck below the Sword of the Star. "Well Adrian what do you think? Fine vessel isn't she?" Talieus asked me. "Yes sir she is. Im honored to serve beside you once again sir." "No no you are not taking orders from me. You take orders from the Chancellor himself! Though do not let it exit your mind that you are the right hand of the Chancellor and if you mess up, It could have massive repercussions. So watch where you shoot please." He joked but still serious on the matter. "Hm Don't worry I won't let him down nor will I let any of the Arks residents down." I spoke with pride in my voice. "I know you won't Adrian. Now I will leave the ship to you and your team to lead us into battle." He said "WHAT?! I'm the captain AND commander?" I had to double take on what I had just heard. "Yes and no. This is YOUR ship and YOUR crew now and no your not the Commander but, you are a higher rank than I at the current moment." I was struck with awe. The thought of me being the captain of my own star-runner and in full control of the UGAC star fleet just was too over whelming. I sat down in a chair near me and rested my heavy head on my shaking hand. "Aw perfect fit." He spoke. I looked up at him then looked down on the chair which I had just sat in, The Captain's Helm as the UGAC puts it. I caressed the arm rests of the helm, buttons with tiny words that signified which either one does printed under each, the cushion was like foam that shaped its self perfectly to my body. I couldn't speak, I was breathless and off in my own world. I didn't even see or hear Talieus leave the ship nor see or hear my crew walk in. I looked back up to see Fox McCloud, Falco Lombardi, Slippy Toad, Peppy Hare, Sasha McHardy, Gun Bunny, Kelsey Sillian, Wolfgang Rasputin, and Kiddo Garrus looking at me, with smiles of appreciation. "Adrian. There are two things you have to do before we leave Ark Space," Peppy spoke. "What is the ships name?" I thought long and hard on the name and I finally spoke, "The Soul Calibur." "Very nice. I like it! now the second...the comm is open to all UGAC vessels. Now's the time to say something if you like." "I do have something to say," I leaned back into the chair, pressed the megaphone button and spoke. "This is Captain of the starship Soul Calibur, We are up against a army that we thought to be extinct...Dinosaurs. I know what your thinking too what does this have to do with us? It has everything to do with us. The Dino's are trying to wipe out an entire race of Dragons. They have taken Ragnarok and have almost taken Snowforge, their primary goal is the Ark and we cannot allow this. Commander Talieus has asked that this team lead us into battle, and Chancellor Black has put us together for this very task. This marks a new beginning for all of us. I am Adrian Raines and here with me are 9 of the most elite soldiers and assassin that the Galaxy has ever seen. We are the first and last line of defense the Ark has. We are torches to light the way. We are the shield and sword of the Ark. We are the galaxies peacekeepers. WE....ARE....DRAGONZ SQUAD!" I released off the button and rested my head back on the chair. "Now what?" Wolf asked "Now...We fight...Peppy signal out to the Fleet that we are prepped and ready to go." "Aye Aye Sir! The Soul Calibur to all UGAC Fleet prepare for Jump." Peppy announced over the megaphone. Outside the window we saw the entire fleet move to position, all one on top of the other and all behind us. We were the head of the snake as some would call it. Over the intercom we heard all the flagships call in. "This is Valiant, Ready for Jump." "This is Revenge, Ready for Jump." "This is White Knight, Ready for Jump." "Shadow of Intent, Ready for Jump." "This is Hammer of Thor, Ready for Jump." "This is United We Stand, Ready for Jump." "This is Sword of the Star, Ready for Jump. We are all behind you Adrian." Talieus finished off I felt an overwhelming proudness in my heart, I couldn't believe this was happening. And it all began when Sasha left me there at the restaurant. I can still remember her face then I saw Kiddo's face from the basement and how greatfull he looked when I rescued him, Then I saw Vanessa as she looked when I held her in my arms so closely. I had a sudden realization...everything is connected it all leads up to one big event and this is one of those events. I was brought back by Kiddo asking me, "Adrian you ok?" I whispered, "No I'm not, I'm better," I spoke normally, "Ready for Jump in 5...4..." A blue hole started to open up in front of us. "3...2...1..." the ship felt as if it was being stretched forward like a rubber band about to be flung, the engines roared and pounded like a bull about to be let out of the cage. "JUMP!" I shouted. The Soul Calibur shot forward with a force of a million rail guns, and the other flagships were close behind us inside the hole. Like surfers in a ocean tidal wave we road, skimming the edge of the stars. Kiddo faintly spoke, "I'm coming home..." * * *
Act I Complete