The cool breeze that travelled across the sand filled land left a slight tingle against the skin of her bare arms. She looked to the west, eyes narrowing slightly at the sudden intrusion. It wasn't normal for cool breezes to sweep through Sigma-6, almost completely unexpected. But at this time of year, it wasn't a complete surprise. She moved away from the bottom of the RV-2070 series bike she'd been working on, wiping a bit of sweat from her brow as she did so.
The top of her suit was lying on a bench nearby, it's dark blue leather-like material being stained with various oils and greases from the past few years. One could barely make out the gold Berk Guard symbol that was on the right breast of it. The bottom of her suit was made of a similar material, save for it being a pair of black combat bottoms with burgundy boots and a silver belt. She wore a cream colored tank top while working, avoiding the heat as best she could while working.
This bike, aptly named Stormfly due to its weapons systems and enhancements, was her pride and joy. It's all she took joy in during these days. Ever since the fall of Berk, all she'd loved was gone. The RV-2070 was similar in design to a Dodge Tomahawk, save for the actual tires being replaced by anti-gravity rotation systems and nitrous boosters. She loved this bike, it's smooth metallic blue and gold color palette was a beauty in the Sigma sun. And to date, no one has surpassed her racing out here.
And no matter how much dust or dirt was collected into the compartments, she'd spend hours on end cleaning it out. She was proud of it, proud of the title she'd held here. She was taken out of her thoughts by the sound of footsteps approaching her, and she turned towards the source. A smile soon grazed her face at the sight of an old friend. "What's up Thug?" She asked, watching as Thuggory approached.
"Not much, not much at all." He responded while running a hand through his short cut brown hair. "I see Stormfly's getting ready for her next big run eh?" He said with a smile.
"Damn right. And I can't wait for the next circuit."
"Well I can!" Thuggory called with a chuckle. "Save some prize money for the rest of us woman, geez." He sat down in a nearby chair and began to fiddle with a wrench.
"No can do." Astrid responded with a chuckle of her own as she finished up her maintenance. Finally setting everything aside, she moved away from the bike and slapped a hand onto Thuggory's shoulder.
"I'm saving up for the Deus Turbine." She said. His eyes went wide and he almost immediately jumped up.
"The Deus Turbine?!? That would make Stormfly the fastest racer on the planet."
"Second fastest…" she corrected with a scowl, drawing his attention yet again. "I still have to beat that Mystery Rider."
"Ah, right. Razorwhip and her Windshear." He realized with a sigh. "You'll get her one day."
"Yeah, I hope." Astrid responded dejectedly, moving to put away her tools. "Hey Thug.."
"Yeah?" He asked as he sat back down.
"Do you ever...you ever miss the Guard?" She asked. She mainly asked due to his lack of any clothing pertaining to their past, he opted to wear the clothing of the Sigma-6 foreigners- acquired through different trade markets.
"All the time. I miss my family the most...never thought that before the rescue mission would be my last interaction with them. It hurts to think of them, think of my mom and my little sister...things were tough enough when dad left but-" he paused, taking a breath as tears began to fall from his eyes.
"I never..never thought they'd die so soon."
Astrid merely nodded at his answer, turning back towards her bike. "Me either…"
Galactic Rest Stop Cantina
Hiccup sat slumped over the bar, an empty glass in his hands. The heavy smell of cologne mixed with the various alcohols that rested in the four story bar left him nearly senseless. This had been his seventh, maybe eighth drink? He hadn't known. It had been like for years now- drinking himself into a stupor to forget all that's plagued him. This is how he kept control- over his emotions, over his mind, over his sickness.
No doctor had diagnosed it, and he'd dealt with it for years with various medicines. But sometimes the best medicine was a bottle full of Archerian Mead. Best the bar had to offer in his opinion.
"At it again eh?" Called a familiar voice, Hiccup turned to face the owner of it. He smirked at the familiar blonde mustache that dangled from his lips.
"Best medicine known to man Gobber. And you serve it up quite well." He replied to the aged former soldier with a smile. Since the destruction of Berk, Gobber asked to be dropped off at the Rest Stop- claiming he'd figure something out from there. A formerly respected officer in the Archipelago's most powerful military had been reduced to a bartender for the galaxy.
It had sickened Hiccup to see. But he understood it. There was very little care for a military resume away from Earth, so this was likely one of his better work options. He honestly couldn't blame him, as he'd be facing the same fate had he not decided to go against everything and become something else- a Scavenger. Scavengers are renowned for their cunningness, will to accept any mission and their tenacity.
So far, the Night Fury crew had risen in the non existent ranks of the Scavengers, being renowned for their antics, their quests and their ship. The Mighty Night Fury struck fear into the hearts of many who saw it, and they all took pride in that fact.
Hiccup's life as a scavenger was truly the bandage he needed after the Fall of Berk. And he honestly hadn't come to regret it yet- not fully. Anytime those feelings of remorse did creep up they were quickly washed away by the bottle.
He looked over as Gobber catered to another customer's needs, then felt the urge to get out. As he moved from his seat, he nearly lost his footing- the alcohol finally taking effect. He stumbled slightly, but trudged along in a careful and slowed pace. He had a lot of stairs to go down if he chose that route, and moved towards the Elevation pad that was a mere twenty feet away.
That wasn't the hard part. The hard part was bringing himself aboard his ship with no issues, and without bothering anyone inside. It was too early for them to be asleep, but not too late for them to be wrapped up in some sort of focused game. Nights like these usually found Eret challenging Fishlegs to a game of Talons and Maces- the score was almost always even in the end. Sure Fish was smarter, but Eret was more cunning in his strategies, often taking the larger man off guard to gain points for himself.
Hiccup felt around for the pressure pad on the outside of the ship's hull, then gave a triumphant smile as he felt the sensor run along the palm of his hand- followed shortly after by the sounds of the doorway opening and the ramp ejecting.
Eret's ears perked up at the familiar sound as he and Fishlegs sat across from each other at the dinner table- he turned promptly towards the kitchen door as Hiccup entered.
"Ah, he's off his arse again." Eret commented as Fishlegs' eyes moved towards the stumbling form of their leader.
"Hic, you gotta stop doing this." The husky man said as he and Eret left their table to assist Hiccup in his attempt to reach his room.
"I-I'm fine." Was the auburn haired man's response as he leaned against the kitchen counter, reaching for an empty glass to fill with water.
"No you're not. Drowning the past in alcohol isn't healthy mate." Eret said as he held his friend up. He cast a pity filled look over the thinner man, resting a hand upon his back to keep him steady.
"You have your ways of coping. I have mine…" was their captain's response, much to the men's chagrin.
"We do, just as we all see one way as right and one as wrong. And your way is just the wrong way." Eret responded as he handed his friend the glass of water, watching him chug it down before setting glass aside.
"Well, sometimes the wrong way works better." Was just the final answer as he began to stumble off to his and Heather's quarters. He knew she'd be out tonight with Ruffnut and Camicazi, lounging around the Rest Stop's shopping complex.
As he entered the room, he didn't even waste time trying to find the light panel- instead launching himself onto the bed and landing in a heap. He allowed his left arm to dangle over the edge, freely swinging as he began to count down from one hundred.
"Again?" A voice asked, drawing his attention upwards- the light suddenly turning on. He was met with the disappointed face of Heather, one he'd grown too familiar with in the past few years. He placed his face into the pillow and mumbled something unintelligible, leading her to walk over.
"What?" She asked him, watching as he lifted his head to meet her eyes.
"Best medicine in the galaxy."
"No...no it absolutely is not." Was her response as she walked over into the bathroom. She returned a moment later with a fresh glass of water and set it down beside him on the bedside table, along with a small red capsule. "Take that." She said, even though he knew the drill by now.
"Thank you nurse…" he muttered as he reached over and plucked the capsule from the table, popping it into his mouth and swallowing it down with some water.
"You need to stop doing this." Heather began as she sit down , Hiccup moving his head to allow her to occupy its previous resting space. He then rested his head onto her leg, mumbling absentmindedly.
"What's that?"
"It's the best therapy…" he said aloud, leading her to sigh before running her hands through his auburn hair.
"No baby, it's not. The best therapy is therapy…" she responded as she leaned down to kiss the top of his head, causing him to smile.
"I'll try that...maybe.." he said, only for her to glare at him in return.
"Okay, I'll do it." He said with a chuckle as he finally sat up, a bit too fast admittedly. She held onto him to help him keep focus and balance in the moment, then laid her head onto his shoulder.
"Good. I'm gonna get some rest, and you should too." She said as she gently moved his head back onto his pillow and walked to the closet, grabbing some sleeping clothes to change into. He watched as she did this with hungry eyes, being MWR with a similar look as she turned back towards him.
"Oh no, we'll do that when you're sober. For now-" she began, pausing to throw a tank top into his face. "Go to sleep."
He let out a groan before rolling over and changing shirts. She moved back into the bed and reached over, turning off their lamp before laying down.
Hiccup laid his head down once again, closing his eyes to meet the darkness that awaited.
"We need to get back now!!" He shouted at everyone in the pod, all of his focus going to the gash across his fathers torso. He could feel his tear ducts breaking at the sight of it all- the blood staining his gloves.
His eyes bulged at the sight of his father gasping for breath on the table beneath him. He backed away, and found himself hitting something hard. As he turned around, he was met with a cloud of red smoke- and a red eyed large figure stalking towards him. "W-what the-" he stuttered before falling onto his butt- the figure showing clear as day.
It looked like a Night Fury, not the one he'd captured. But like the primitive ancestor of it. Walking on all-fours with large wings, but no teeth. The beast stalked over to him before stalling and opening its maw. A sickening red energy filled its mouth before shooting out at him.
Hiccup woke up with a start, looking around the room in a mixture off ear and anxiety. He looked to the sleeping Heather and released a breath before rushing out of bed. I need to get my mind off this
The Lab
"Okay so- you see these?" He asked as he held up a red and silver pod- about an inch long and a quarter inch wide, watching as Fishlegs nodded. "They're oxygen cells- used in various breach suits for outer space reparations. They gave an air time of 12 hours in each one." He went on to explain , Fishlegs nodding along subtly. Hiccup moved to a bag nearby and picked up a blue and silver pod of the same size.
"And these are LPG pods- compressed propane gas. These pods contain propane typically used in furnaces and grills- I've modified my hilt prototype using the X-12, to forge a contained blast. Now, when insert the LPG on one side-" he inserted the blue pod to the left, "and the oxygen cell on the other side-" he placed the oxygen cell.
"I get this result." He concluded, sliding his thumb over a special pressure sensor on the hilt. Fishlegs jumped back for a moment- as the air was suddenly filled with a burst of flame and left in its wake, was a blade of pure plasma.
"Holy Heimdall...y-you actually did it! A fully functional plasma saber!!" Fishlegs shouted as he marved at the handiwork.
"Yes...and that's not all I've managed to do Fish." Hiccup said with a smirk as he looked to his friend, then switched the hilt's settings. The blade turned blue, and translucent. Fishlegs felt a sudden chill.
"It doubles, as a controlled ice emitter." He smiled at the newly formed weapon, with Fishlegs still gaping in awe.
"Holy….h-how?!? What?!? I have so many questions."
Hiccup smirked. "And I've got answers."
"And ever got a job." Eret called as he entered the lab, carrying a tablet. "It's a smuggling operation."
Fishlegs sighed upon hearing that, with Hiccup placing a hand on his shoulder.
"What are smuggling? Spice? Weapons?"
"A person. A racer from Sigma-6 is trying to get away from captivity, says she's not been enjoying her success there as it comes with a massive price."
Hiccup's tone shifted as he heard this. "This isn't just a smuggling op….it's a rescue."