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This chapter is dedicated to Sennet. Thanks for your support.
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Chapter 5: Into the Fire
Ryan could only stare at Ragnarok as it stood there on top of the garage. He watched as it lept down, standing in front of him with it's back to him, ready to fight off anymore attackers. He was so dumbstruck by the site, that he didn't hear the monitor in front of him.
"Ryan! Ryan! Listen to me Ryan!" it was the general.
Ryan shook his head to wake himself up. "General! What's going on?"
"Ryan. Just listen to me... you need to get Edward and yourself out of there now!" General Everett had a stern look on his face. "Knight will cover your escape, so get out! Now!"
"But general..." Ryan started.
"No buts! This is an order! Move it!"
"Yes sir!" Ryan got his AC up and moved closer to Edward's AC. "I can't move his with mine is such shape... soooo..." Ryan opened his hatch and jumped over the Edward's AC, looking up at Ragnarok as he opened the hatch. Ragnarok was quickly dispatching a couple of Ravens. Knight made it look so easy, his moves flawless, without error. Ryan thought such moves could only be made by someone who was completely enhanced with human plus upgrade. He looked back down at Edward who was lying there unconcious. There really wasn't enough room for two people, but Ryan managed to move Edward enough to get to the controls. He started the AC back up and got it moving back to the garage. He looked back at Ragnarok for an instant, seeing it boost off to continue the fight.
Inside the garage, medics came to take Edward to the infirmary. Ryan climbed down the ladder where General Everett was waiting.
"Just what do you think you were doing? You are not qualified to pilot in battle."
"I'm sorry sir, but I couldn't stand there and do nothing. I had to..."
The general cut him off. "Enough... I could have you expelled for this, but we have more important things to talk about now. Come, follow me." The general walked off towards the control room, Ryan quickly following behind him.
As they reachd the control room, Ryan could hear that the fighting outside had stopped. The Ravens had either retreated or been destroyed. The general looked at Ryan, "Sit down young man."
"Yes sir" Ryan quickly took a chair and sat down, watching the general pace the room.
"Listen hear son. We can't have any hotshots here. This is a war we are in. We want soldiers, not martyrs."
Ryan looked down at the floor. "Yes sir."
"But you did good for your first fight. Most students would have either run or frozen when fighting against a fully trained Raven."
Ryan looked back up at the general. Was he actually getting praised?
"So I guess it's time to let you in on something."
"Sir?"
"Listen Ryan. You are more important to this war than you know."
"Me sir? How can I be that important?"
"Because you have no upgrades."
"How does that make me important? Thought that would make me ordinary."
"Perhaps, but this not an ordinary fight we are in. The Raven's have made a new weapon. One that only you can fight against."
"Me? But how? What can I do against any kind of weapon that an enhanced pilot couldn't do better?"
"It's because of the enhancements that they can't Ryan. The Ravens have developed a type of radar that maesses with human plus upgrades. You saw what it did to Edward"
Ryan gave a stunned look as he began to understand. He remembered Edward screaming before going down when it seemed that nothing had happened to him, then he remembered the strange radar that he saw on that AC.
"But the radar was destroyed by Knight in the fight."
"No. That was just a prototype. I believe that this fight was just a test for the radar. There are many more just like it being made. That's why we need skilled pilots like you who aren't upgraded." General Everett stopped pacing in front of Ryan and stared into his eyes. "Ryan. We always knew you would be a good pilot. You've had the right stuff from the beginning. If you think we've been hard on you, it's because we needed you to be the best without getting the upgrades. Without a non-upgraded pilot, we would easily lose the war."
Ryan stood up. "I won't let you down sir!"
"Easy son. You're not ready yet. You still have a long way to go before you're good enough to take on the Ravens. As you are now, you probably wouldn't last 10 seconds against their elite pilots. The ones we fought today were probably no better than the students here."
Ryan sat back down with a glum look on his face. He looked up as he heard someone enter the room.
The general looked over as well. "Ah. I see you're here. Ryan, since my daughter was injured, I got you a new instructor. I'd like you to meet Knight." Knight stood there in the doorway, looking no different than he had in the picture that Ryan loved so much. Ryan jumped to his feet. He couldn't believe it, Knight was standing there right in front of him.
"K-Knight... s-sir... i-it's an honor to meet you." Ryan couldn't tell if Knight was looking at him becuase of the helmet he wore, but Knight gave no acknowledgement of Ryan.
"You'll have to excuse young Ryan here," the general came up, putting a hand on Ryan's shoulder, "he's a big fan of yours. but more on that later... were you able to get in touch with them?"
Knight turned his head to the general. "Yes," his voice was emotionless and cold, almost like a robot's "The 4 Horsemen will ride again."
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to be continued...
This chapter is dedicated to Sennet. Thanks for your support.
*********************************************************************************************
Chapter 5: Into the Fire
Ryan could only stare at Ragnarok as it stood there on top of the garage. He watched as it lept down, standing in front of him with it's back to him, ready to fight off anymore attackers. He was so dumbstruck by the site, that he didn't hear the monitor in front of him.
"Ryan! Ryan! Listen to me Ryan!" it was the general.
Ryan shook his head to wake himself up. "General! What's going on?"
"Ryan. Just listen to me... you need to get Edward and yourself out of there now!" General Everett had a stern look on his face. "Knight will cover your escape, so get out! Now!"
"But general..." Ryan started.
"No buts! This is an order! Move it!"
"Yes sir!" Ryan got his AC up and moved closer to Edward's AC. "I can't move his with mine is such shape... soooo..." Ryan opened his hatch and jumped over the Edward's AC, looking up at Ragnarok as he opened the hatch. Ragnarok was quickly dispatching a couple of Ravens. Knight made it look so easy, his moves flawless, without error. Ryan thought such moves could only be made by someone who was completely enhanced with human plus upgrade. He looked back down at Edward who was lying there unconcious. There really wasn't enough room for two people, but Ryan managed to move Edward enough to get to the controls. He started the AC back up and got it moving back to the garage. He looked back at Ragnarok for an instant, seeing it boost off to continue the fight.
Inside the garage, medics came to take Edward to the infirmary. Ryan climbed down the ladder where General Everett was waiting.
"Just what do you think you were doing? You are not qualified to pilot in battle."
"I'm sorry sir, but I couldn't stand there and do nothing. I had to..."
The general cut him off. "Enough... I could have you expelled for this, but we have more important things to talk about now. Come, follow me." The general walked off towards the control room, Ryan quickly following behind him.
As they reachd the control room, Ryan could hear that the fighting outside had stopped. The Ravens had either retreated or been destroyed. The general looked at Ryan, "Sit down young man."
"Yes sir" Ryan quickly took a chair and sat down, watching the general pace the room.
"Listen hear son. We can't have any hotshots here. This is a war we are in. We want soldiers, not martyrs."
Ryan looked down at the floor. "Yes sir."
"But you did good for your first fight. Most students would have either run or frozen when fighting against a fully trained Raven."
Ryan looked back up at the general. Was he actually getting praised?
"So I guess it's time to let you in on something."
"Sir?"
"Listen Ryan. You are more important to this war than you know."
"Me sir? How can I be that important?"
"Because you have no upgrades."
"How does that make me important? Thought that would make me ordinary."
"Perhaps, but this not an ordinary fight we are in. The Raven's have made a new weapon. One that only you can fight against."
"Me? But how? What can I do against any kind of weapon that an enhanced pilot couldn't do better?"
"It's because of the enhancements that they can't Ryan. The Ravens have developed a type of radar that maesses with human plus upgrades. You saw what it did to Edward"
Ryan gave a stunned look as he began to understand. He remembered Edward screaming before going down when it seemed that nothing had happened to him, then he remembered the strange radar that he saw on that AC.
"But the radar was destroyed by Knight in the fight."
"No. That was just a prototype. I believe that this fight was just a test for the radar. There are many more just like it being made. That's why we need skilled pilots like you who aren't upgraded." General Everett stopped pacing in front of Ryan and stared into his eyes. "Ryan. We always knew you would be a good pilot. You've had the right stuff from the beginning. If you think we've been hard on you, it's because we needed you to be the best without getting the upgrades. Without a non-upgraded pilot, we would easily lose the war."
Ryan stood up. "I won't let you down sir!"
"Easy son. You're not ready yet. You still have a long way to go before you're good enough to take on the Ravens. As you are now, you probably wouldn't last 10 seconds against their elite pilots. The ones we fought today were probably no better than the students here."
Ryan sat back down with a glum look on his face. He looked up as he heard someone enter the room.
The general looked over as well. "Ah. I see you're here. Ryan, since my daughter was injured, I got you a new instructor. I'd like you to meet Knight." Knight stood there in the doorway, looking no different than he had in the picture that Ryan loved so much. Ryan jumped to his feet. He couldn't believe it, Knight was standing there right in front of him.
"K-Knight... s-sir... i-it's an honor to meet you." Ryan couldn't tell if Knight was looking at him becuase of the helmet he wore, but Knight gave no acknowledgement of Ryan.
"You'll have to excuse young Ryan here," the general came up, putting a hand on Ryan's shoulder, "he's a big fan of yours. but more on that later... were you able to get in touch with them?"
Knight turned his head to the general. "Yes," his voice was emotionless and cold, almost like a robot's "The 4 Horsemen will ride again."
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to be continued...