* * *
"So what's the plan, Sal?"
"Sonic, I've gone over it three times!"
"Well I couldn't hear over my growling stomach! I need chilidogs!"
"Then maybe you'd better pay attention this time so we can complete our mission and go home."
"Fine, fine. So what's this great plan of yours?" Sally shook her head.
"Okay, once more from the top. The Overlanders have developed ultrasonic weapons designed to drive the creatures out of their hiding places and into the open. Tomorrow morning we use the devices to smoke them out. Once they're out in the open, we use a variant of the weapon to lure them to this spot here," Sally pointed at one of Nicole's holographic maps "And ambush them. The maps Uncle Chuck gave us indicate that there's a sealed mine there. We can open it and once we lure them inside, blast it shut again."
"That's cool, Sal! Way past!"
"So glad you approve." Sally drawled. "Now, there's one last thing to do before we can get started."
"What's that?"
"Arrange for our weapon delivery system." Sally said enigmatically.
"Our WHAT?"
"You'll see."
Ten Minutes Later-
"Absolutely not!" Sky Lynx roared. "You want me to do WHAT?!"
"We want you to carry one or two of our people over the jungle while they drop the sonic charges." Sally repeated, sounding much more patient than she felt. "I really don't see what the problem is."
"You expect me to carry people around and be some, some beast of burden?" Sky Lynx cried out in disbelief. "I'm a dragon, not a pasha!"
"Dulcy has never given us trouble when she's been asked to ferry us around." Sally said reasonably.
"Yeah, look at her now." He shot back. "What she does is her own business, but I will NOT act as a personal carrier to anyone! It's a disgrace!" Sky Lynx turned and stomped off, his tail swishing behind him.
"That went well." She sighed to herself. "Now what?" She asked aloud.
"I guess you'd have to talk to someone who Sky Lynx listens to." A voice from behind said. Sally whirled in surprise to find Major Cadwaller standing behind her.
"And who would that be?" She asked the Major.
"The only person Sky Lynx ever let ride him." Sally raised an eyebrow. "Misha."
"Misha?" Sally repeated. "Why did Sky Lynx let Misha ride him."
"Well it so much wasn't an issue of him LETTING Misha ride, he kind of caught him when he fell off the barracks roof. Caught him a split second before our favorite Russian would've become street pizza." Sally winced at the mental image.
"So, would Misha be able to convince Sky Lynx to let him carry us over the jungle?" Sally asked, trying to move past that...colorful thought.
"Perhaps. Or perhaps not. As I'm sure you noticed, Sky Lynx can be very obstinate. But by all accounts, so can Misha. I'd say you have a fifty-fifty chance."
"Where is he now?" Sally asked.
"Asleep." The Major answered. "I just spoke with Olivia. She said she just got him to bed, said he wasn't feeling well. I guess you'll have to talk to him in the morning."
Sally couldn't help but frown. The raid on the refinery was at dusk and given the time they would need to trap the jungle beasts and then rest up for the raid...It would be cutting it close, Sally decided. But since she felt that Misha's "exhaustion" was partially her fault, she wouldn't begrudge him his much needed rest.
"Tomorrow morning then." Sally agreed.
The first thing Sally did the following morning was to immediately look for Misha. Unfortunately, she had trouble finding him, he almost seemed to be avoiding her. "No, scratch that ALMOST." She corrected herself. He WAS avoiding her. "Three guesses why." She added sardonically. She shook her head, she didn't need this. After a near-frantic half hour of searching, Sally found him casually sitting on the steps of the administration building.
"Dobroye utro." He said, perfectly nonchalant.
"Misha, we have to talk-"
"I know, I already spoke with Colonel Franklin. You need me to convince Sky Lynx to carry your people over the jungle, da?"
"Well, yes but-"
"No buts! Now, you've spent the entire morning looking for me, correct?"
"Yes." Sally sighed, this was going to be harder than she thought.
"I thought as much." He shrugged. "I suppose that's why I convinced Sky Lynx to go along with your plan an hour ago."
"You what?" Sally said in disbelief. "But I thought that you-"
"Hated you?" He finished. "I thought I did, tried to convince myself that I did. But..." Misha shook his head. "Look, I'm not proud of how I acted yesterday. For me the monarchy will always be the beast that killed my brother, the monster under the bed, the demon that haunts my dreams. But that doesn't include someone who was as young as I was when all of...it happened. It's not your fault, never was. And I'm sorry I blamed you for my hardships."
"There's nothing to apologize for." Sally said, a bit taken aback. "I-I don't know what to say."
"If I may make a suggestion, perhaps you should head over to the main courtyard. Sky Lynx is waiting for you and your people. I suggest you don't keep him waiting."
* * *
"So what's the plan, Sal?"
"Sonic, I've gone over it three times!"
"Well I couldn't hear over my growling stomach! I need chilidogs!"
"Then maybe you'd better pay attention this time so we can complete our mission and go home."
"Fine, fine. So what's this great plan of yours?" Sally shook her head.
"Okay, once more from the top. The Overlanders have developed ultrasonic weapons designed to drive the creatures out of their hiding places and into the open. Tomorrow morning we use the devices to smoke them out. Once they're out in the open, we use a variant of the weapon to lure them to this spot here," Sally pointed at one of Nicole's holographic maps "And ambush them. The maps Uncle Chuck gave us indicate that there's a sealed mine there. We can open it and once we lure them inside, blast it shut again."
"That's cool, Sal! Way past!"
"So glad you approve." Sally drawled. "Now, there's one last thing to do before we can get started."
"What's that?"
"Arrange for our weapon delivery system." Sally said enigmatically.
"Our WHAT?"
"You'll see."
Ten Minutes Later-
"Absolutely not!" Sky Lynx roared. "You want me to do WHAT?!"
"We want you to carry one or two of our people over the jungle while they drop the sonic charges." Sally repeated, sounding much more patient than she felt. "I really don't see what the problem is."
"You expect me to carry people around and be some, some beast of burden?" Sky Lynx cried out in disbelief. "I'm a dragon, not a pasha!"
"Dulcy has never given us trouble when she's been asked to ferry us around." Sally said reasonably.
"Yeah, look at her now." He shot back. "What she does is her own business, but I will NOT act as a personal carrier to anyone! It's a disgrace!" Sky Lynx turned and stomped off, his tail swishing behind him.
"That went well." She sighed to herself. "Now what?" She asked aloud.
"I guess you'd have to talk to someone who Sky Lynx listens to." A voice from behind said. Sally whirled in surprise to find Major Cadwaller standing behind her.
"And who would that be?" She asked the Major.
"The only person Sky Lynx ever let ride him." Sally raised an eyebrow. "Misha."
"Misha?" Sally repeated. "Why did Sky Lynx let Misha ride him."
"Well it so much wasn't an issue of him LETTING Misha ride, he kind of caught him when he fell off the barracks roof. Caught him a split second before our favorite Russian would've become street pizza." Sally winced at the mental image.
"So, would Misha be able to convince Sky Lynx to let him carry us over the jungle?" Sally asked, trying to move past that...colorful thought.
"Perhaps. Or perhaps not. As I'm sure you noticed, Sky Lynx can be very obstinate. But by all accounts, so can Misha. I'd say you have a fifty-fifty chance."
"Where is he now?" Sally asked.
"Asleep." The Major answered. "I just spoke with Olivia. She said she just got him to bed, said he wasn't feeling well. I guess you'll have to talk to him in the morning."
Sally couldn't help but frown. The raid on the refinery was at dusk and given the time they would need to trap the jungle beasts and then rest up for the raid...It would be cutting it close, Sally decided. But since she felt that Misha's "exhaustion" was partially her fault, she wouldn't begrudge him his much needed rest.
"Tomorrow morning then." Sally agreed.
The first thing Sally did the following morning was to immediately look for Misha. Unfortunately, she had trouble finding him, he almost seemed to be avoiding her. "No, scratch that ALMOST." She corrected herself. He WAS avoiding her. "Three guesses why." She added sardonically. She shook her head, she didn't need this. After a near-frantic half hour of searching, Sally found him casually sitting on the steps of the administration building.
"Dobroye utro." He said, perfectly nonchalant.
"Misha, we have to talk-"
"I know, I already spoke with Colonel Franklin. You need me to convince Sky Lynx to carry your people over the jungle, da?"
"Well, yes but-"
"No buts! Now, you've spent the entire morning looking for me, correct?"
"Yes." Sally sighed, this was going to be harder than she thought.
"I thought as much." He shrugged. "I suppose that's why I convinced Sky Lynx to go along with your plan an hour ago."
"You what?" Sally said in disbelief. "But I thought that you-"
"Hated you?" He finished. "I thought I did, tried to convince myself that I did. But..." Misha shook his head. "Look, I'm not proud of how I acted yesterday. For me the monarchy will always be the beast that killed my brother, the monster under the bed, the demon that haunts my dreams. But that doesn't include someone who was as young as I was when all of...it happened. It's not your fault, never was. And I'm sorry I blamed you for my hardships."
"There's nothing to apologize for." Sally said, a bit taken aback. "I-I don't know what to say."
"If I may make a suggestion, perhaps you should head over to the main courtyard. Sky Lynx is waiting for you and your people. I suggest you don't keep him waiting."
* * *