A/n: Alright, so I'm finally letting this fic see the light. It's been sitting on my computer for awhile, slowly growing. So here's the first chapter. Hope you have as much fun reading it as I did writing it, and please review. :D
The sky was a clear crystal blue, the only substance that blocked the sunlight was fluffy white clouds, punctuated by a few floating blocks of earth. The air was quiet; there wasn't much wind, and no ships could be seen whizzing around to tear up the cloud banks and leave trails of pollutants behind them.
This gave the impression that nothing was going on in this particular region of Skyland, but that would've been an illusion. There were, in fact, two ships in the area. They were all but invisible, less due to any use of technology, than to their placement near blocks of similar size to each ship. They were difficult to see. And, from a certain angle, they would be difficult to locate on radar, due to the 'shadow' cast by the blocks they had chosen as their hiding place.
"So… where's this water carrier?" Mahad took his finger off the Hyperion's radio, and leaned back in his chair.
"Be patient, Mahad," Cortes' voice came back over the connection.
Mahad rolled his eyes, and stretched. He was getting bored. He was sitting by himself in the Hyperion; he could just see the Saint Nazaire floating a short distance away.
"The Sphere water carrier was supposed to come past here nearly twenty minutes ago," Cheng put in from the Saint Nazaire. "Are you sure it's coming Cortes? We've hit quite a few water carriers on this route… maybe the Sphere decided to change it?"
"The Sphere wouldn't change their route. They'd just give the carrier an escort and blast anything that came after it."
"Then we take out the escort, easy," said Mahad, prodding his radio again. Taking down a few patrollers would be much more fun than just the water carrier.
"No, Mahad. Once an escort shows up we're out of here. The Sphere doesn't muck around, we can't risk it."
"You're no fun at all, Cortes!"
"It's not supposed to be fun," Cortes snapped. "If we didn't need this water so badly we wouldn't even be here. I'm surprised the Sphere hasn't had these carriers escorted before. Cheng's right, we've hit this route too many times."
Mahad waited to see if Cortes was going to continue, before hitting the radio again. "So are we going to take this ship down or what?"
"Yes, Mahad. If it's not escorted. But this is the last one we hit on this route. Escorted or not."
Mahad sighed. "Yes, sir." He took his hand off the radio before he continued. "Can't see why we can't just hit them for all they've got. They do it to everybody else…" he trailed off as a gleam of metal emerging from the clouds ahead caught his eye. A smile played at his lips as he put the Hyperion into gear.
"The Sphere water carrier's approaching!" said Cheng. "… and I'm not picking up any patrollers."
"Alright…" Cortes stood up from the captain's chair and moved forward to the wheel. "Let's go get them."
----
"Well, we've got another whole tank full of water… we'd be able to get more, seeing as the Sphere's so stupid… except Cortes thinks it's too dangerous!" Mahad grumbled.
It was some hours after the Saint Nazaire had returned with its load of water. The water had been unloaded and added to what was already in the storage facilities. Mahad, Lena, Dahlia and Cheng were in the tavern, taking a break.
Dahlia rolled her eyes at Mahad's comment. "Well, if you want the Saint Nazaire to get shot out of the sky…"
Mahad sighed. "Saint Nazaire… warship. Sphere water carrier… overloaded bulk carrier…"
"Saint Nazaire after loading… also overloaded bulk carrier…"
"… with weapons…"
"… and no manoeuvrability… look, Mahad; Cortes knows what he's doing."
"Of course he does…" Mahad rolled his eyes and Dahlia glared back at him.
"I'm sure we'll be able to find some more water anyway," Lena put in quickly.
"Yeah, because there's just plenty of water floating around Skyland! … wait those are clouds!"
"Clouds are water…" said Cheng half-heartedly. He had has arms folded on the table, and plonked his head into them as he finished his sentence.
"That was my point…" muttered Mahad.
"You alright?" Dahlia asked Cheng.
"I don't think my stomach agrees with the tavern lunch…" Cheng groaned.
"Hmm… I don't blame you," said Mahad.
"Maybe you should get some sleep?" Lena suggested.
"I'm alright… I might just go back to the Saint Nazaire. Cortes wanted me to try hack into the Sphere's water transport schedule. It'd make it easier for us to find a water carrier to attack, as well as help us figure out if it's safe to do so."
"We already know where one is…" Mahad muttered.
"I'll come with you," said Lena, getting up along with Cheng.
"Okay."
Mahad looked slightly miffed as he watched them leave. He turned back to Dahlia. "See… if we didn't have to find a new route to attack, Cheng wouldn't have to go and do that when he doesn't feel well…"
Dahlia groaned. "Do you really care about how Cheng's feeling? Or do you just want to complain?"
"It's true!"
"He'll be happier hacking anyway. Maybe it's all your complaining that's making him feel sick."
"I'm not complaining. I'm being serious! There's no reason why we can't keep getting water when we know where it is!"
"… and the Sphere knows where we keep hitting them."
"Fine. So we run when they show up. If you have to, seeing as you appear to be so scared anyway…"
"Look, Mahad. It's too late anyway. Cortes has made up his mind, and his word is final."
"Well, you know what? Maybe I'll just go tell him what I've been telling you."
"Oh, you will, will you?" said Dahlia, smirking slightly.
"What, you don't believe me?" Mahad asked, offended.
"He won't listen. You'll just irritate him, like you're irritating me. Besides, he's right."
"No, he's not! I've got a point. Why should we just listen to him without even questioning!?"
"Because, in this instance, he's right?"
Mahad groaned in frustration. "Right, I don't need to argue with you…" He got up from the table. "I'm going to find Cortes."
Dahlia shrugged. "Fine. Don't let me stop you."
"I won't," said Mahad. He stopped behind his chair, as if he expected Dahlia to say something in retaliation. She just looked at him. Mahad blinked. "Well then… I'm going… now."
----
Cheng stared at the display screen in front of him. The central console of the Saint Nazaire would be much better than his laptop for examining the routes, once he could figure out how to access them. Problem was the screen kept blurring out of focus, at the same time a blinding headache cut across behind his eyes.
He blinked it away, and wiped a hand across his eyes. He'd figured once he sat down, and got himself distracted with the hacking, he'd be okay. But it hadn't worked. He was feeling worse than he had in the tavern, and was having trouble concentrating.
He flicked up another screen, figuring he might be able to find some sort of back door there.
"Didn't we already look at that?" Lena asked. She was standing behind him, looking over his shoulder.
"Um… I can't remember…" Cheng replied. He blinked as the screen again lost focus. Why had it suddenly gotten so cold on the bridge?
"Cheng… are you sure you're okay?"
Cheng pushed her hand off his shoulder. "I said before: I'm fine."
"You look worse than you did before…" Lena continued, pulling her hand back to herself.
"I'll be okay. I'm supposed to be working on this."
"Cortes wouldn't want you working on stuff if you don't feel well, Cheng. Look, I'll go get him and ask. I'll be right back." Lena headed towards the door.
"You don't have to…" Cheng started, but she had already gone. The effort of trying to get up and stop her had sent his head reeling and he was feeling even sicker in the stomach. He looked back up at the screen, but it just wouldn't come back into focus. Instead everything in front of his eyes was fading to a fuzzy black. Which would've really freaked Cheng out had he not been too tired to care.
----
"We are not going to hit that water carrier route again, Mahad. How many times do I have to tell you that?!"
"How many times do I have to try and get you to hear what I'm trying to say!? I've got a point!"
Mahad followed Cortes across the loading bay, almost irritatingly close. He'd been trailing behind him for the past few minutes, trying to convince him that attacking the same Sphere route was still viable. Cortes had waited, impatiently, for him to finish, before telling him he'd already made up his mind. But then Mahad had just started arguing, his exact same argument, again.
"I heard you the first time," Cortes sighed.
"But you're completely ignoring me! You still haven't budged!"
Cortes stopped, and turned around to face Mahad. Mahad had to take a step backwards.
"Since when does listening necessitate I agree with you?"
"But you're not!" Mahad insisted. "You're just too scared the Sphere is going to jump out of nowhere and grab the Saint Nazaire!"
"You're suggestions are fine, Mahad," Cortes growled, causing Mahad to take another half a step backwards, "but you can keep those sort of guesses as to the reasons why I make those decisions to yourself."
"Um…" said Mahad, suddenly unsure as to what he had planned his next argument to be. He was saved the trouble however, as Lena came off of the Saint Nazaire and up to Cortes.
"Cortes!"
"What is it?" Cortes asked. He seemed glad to get his attention off of Mahad for the moment. Mahad didn't mind either.
Lena paused as she came up to them. She looked a little worried. "I think something's wrong with Cheng. He said he felt sick earlier, but that he'd be okay on the computer… only I don't think he is, but he doesn't want to get off and have a rest or anything."
Cortes sighed. "That'd be right. He'd stay on that computer all night if I didn't tell him to go to bed."
"He wouldn't have to be on it, if we were sticking to the same route…" Mahad muttered.
"Alright, enough!" Cortes growled, glaring at Mahad. He turned back to Lena. "Where's Cheng?"
"Up on the bridge. Centre console."
"Right, I'll tell him to get off." Cortes strode off, giving Mahad one last warning glare.
Mahad paused for a moment, and then went after him.
"You're not bothering him about that same water carrier route thing, are you?" Lena asked, following her brother onto the Saint Nazaire.
"He has no good reason to cut off our attacks. He's just scared."
"Oh, he told you that then?"
"No. But I'm not stupid. What does he expect is going to go wrong?"
They stepped onto the bridge at that moment, right behind Cortes.
"Cheng!"
Cheng was still at the centre console, his head resting on his folded arms. He hadn't responded to Cortes.
Cortes was now starting to look worried. He strode up next to Cheng and knelt down beside him. He put a hand on his shoulder and shook him, perhaps a little too roughly. "Cheng!"
"Huh?" said Cheng, waking up. "Cortes?"
"Are you alright, lad? If you don't feel well you shouldn't be trying to do this."
"I'm fine, I just…" Cheng trailed off, suddenly seeming to lose his train of thought.
"Cheng…?" Cortes prodded.
"Actually… don't feel that good…" Cheng groaned, and let his head fall against Cortes' shoulder.
Cortes grabbed him before he could topple off the chair. As he fell against him Cortes could feel he was burning up. He could feel Cheng struggling for breath as he leaned against him. And suddenly he felt far more worried than he had a few moments ago. He turned to Lena. "Why didn't you come and get me sooner?!"
"I…" Lena started, taking a step back at Cortes' tone. His voice was strained, and he sounded angry. But there was more than anger in there.
"Hey, it's not her fault!" said Mahad, taking a step in front of his sister.
Cortes dropped his eyes to the deck, suddenly looking very unsure.
"He was okay when I left!" said Lena, gently pushing Mahad aside. "I just thought he looked a little tired… but he kept saying he was okay."
"Alright, alright."
"Is he going to be okay?"
"I don't know," Cortes swallowed. He scooped Cheng up in his arms and stood. "I'm taking him down to the infirmary."
"I don't need to go to the infirmary…" Cheng muttered, his voice muffled against Cortes' jacket. Despite the protest, he didn't try to get Cortes to put him down.
"Don't argue, Cheng," Cortes growled. "Mahad, open the door so I can get out will you?"
"Ah… sure." Mahad pulled open the door to the bridge and stepped aside.
"Thanks." Cortes was gone in a second.
Lena and Mahad exchanged glances for a moment, somewhat in shock. "We should make sure he's okay…" said Lena.
"Yeah, I'm with you there." They both left the bridge, walking quickly to try and catch up with Cortes.