Conspiracy 6

PART THREE: UNDERGROUND LAB

Chapter 8: Capture

The dragon leapt from the craft, his wings spreading and gliding over the subzero currents as he stayed on the outskirts of the crash. The small fighters were landing and figures were running around in the snow to look for an entrance to see if there were any survivors. The dragon landed in the snow and he lurked around the craft; it had taken quite the hit as fires burning all along the skin and a few small explosions sounded. The craft would never fly again or even be repaired since the damage was that great.

Small yells could be heard as the dragon looked over to the activity, the Environ-Suit clad figures had found two survivors and they loaded them quickly into a craft. It shot off to the underground lab and the rest of the figures left as well.

Now is my chance… The dragon thought and he leapt out of the snow as his powerful wings lifted him off the ground. He shot to the small opening and landed. The dragon pried apart the metal and he used his brute strength as it peeled back with some effort. He slipped inside the ship and it was truly a mess as panels were fallen, wires sparked, liquid covered some floors, and the like. He stepped quickly through the wreckage and sniffed the air; death reached his muzzle as he quickly ran on all fours deeper into the craft.

He passed a room but then stopped, a scent reached him and he poked his head inside. A figure lay on the floor, blood pooling around him as there was a massive wound to his stomach. The dragon kneeled down and he placed a paw on the hare's head, his body was cold and the dragon saw a blood trail. He followed it and it led to the bridge. Blood marked the walls and he sniffed around for any traces of life.

A small noise made itself known underneath a pile of broken equipment and he walked over to it. Something seemed to be reaching out to him, touching his mind and pleading for help. He removed the equipment and a cerulean paw was revealed; he dug more and the form of a partially crushed vixen was under the rubble. The dragon lay her on the ground and he checked for a pulse, strong but fluttery.

"Who are you?" He asked and the vixen managed to open her eyes.

"Krystal…help…wounded." She managed to say. The dragon thought it was odd that she wasn't afraid of him. Her clothes were mostly ripped and a few sections of her outer vest had gone missing but otherwise, she seemed ok. He lifted the vixen up and she clung to him as tears ran down her muzzle, an anguished cry sounded and she cried hard as he cradled her in his arms.

"Why are you crying?" The dragon asked and Krystal looked up at him, tears staining her muzzle fur.

"They…they took him…" She managed and cried harder as the dragon looked around for any other life. More blood had pooled under a wrecked console and he lifted it slight; the corpse of a crushed frog made itself known and the dragon looked away. He held the crying female closer and walked the length of the craft and she shivered as the cold whipped into them.

"It will only hurt for a moment." He leapt into the icy air and Krystal immediately started to shake as her ripped clothes offered no protection from the cold. The dragon tried to fly as fast as he could and he landed on Markal's commandeered craft. Markal walked over and Krystal's body was already freezing, she had fallen into a sleep despite her convulsions.

"Is this one of the survivors?" He asked and the dragon slid the vixen into a small pod, it would warm her and bring her vitals back to normal.

"Yes. The ship is totaled, everything was a mess." The creature replied and Markal nodded. "I found two crewmembers dead but she said that they took him; whoever that is we can't leave behind." The dragon said Markal walked over to Krystal. Her convulsions had stopped and the machine beeped as the hatch slid away. Her eyes opened slowly and she sat up as Markal rested his paws on the edge of the pod.

"You must be a survivor, I am-"

"Markal." The wolf stopped and his jaw partially dropped.

"How did you know my name?" She wrapped her arms around her and lowered her head.

"They took him from me, they shot down his ship, killed my friends." Krystal whispered.

"Who are you?" Markal asked and the dragon stepped up.

"She's Krystal, the only one I could find alive." He answered and Krystal looked up. She looked at Markal and into his eyes; her ESP ability allowed access to his mind and she sorted through his thoughts.

"So you two are from the lab on this planet…used for experimentation, the Nemesis Project."

"How do you know this?" Markal asked.

"I am a telepath; I can read animal's minds and hear their thoughts." She stood up and walked over to the dragon. "Although I cannot hear yours." Krystal whispered and he kept a solid face. The dragon turned away and he walked to the cockpit and sat down in a chair.

"He was taken away from his parents at a young age and experimented on.' Markal explained and Krystal nodded. "So who were you talking about?"

"My friend…Fox McCloud. We were on the bridge along with a hare, frog and a falcon; artillery hit us and our ship went down. I remember my head hitting something and then alls I saw was black. When I opened my eyes, I felt a paralyzing weight on me. I saw Fox alive, he struggled as they took him away and I was helpless to do anything about it." Krystal lowered her head and a small rivulet of tears ran down her muzzle. Markal walked up to the cockpit and the dragon turned to him.

"We need to rescue her friend." He stated bluntly.

"I am not going back to that lab Markal. I want you to pilot this craft off this planet."

"No, we need to save the lives we can and try to destroy the lab." Markal replied and the dragon stood up, eyes flashing.

"You will get us out of here…now." Markal plucked up his courage and he looked up.

"How many animals do you want to be captured like you? How many more lives do you want to risk to Kariston? The things he will do to them? DO YOU!" Markal asked and the dragon sat back down. He closed his eyes and lowered his head.

"No, I don't want that to happen." The dragon looked at the wolf and he stood up, a light shining in his eyes. "Kariston, I am coming for you." He walked into the other room and Krystal locked eyes. "Let's rescue your friend then destroy the lab." The dragon said and Krystal stood up.

"How are we going to do that? I mean there are only three of us and we are severely outnumbered."

"You let me handle that." The dragon replied as he looked out the cockpit window to the snow covered entrance.