Hey guys, sorry for the change to the chapter title, I got to thinking about what would be the best kind of chapter to put in between what has come before and what is to come now and decided that a little family reunion was in order.
DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN ANYTHING OR ANYONE IN THE SPYRO UNIVERSE. ONLY MY OCS.
Chapter 30: A Long Awaited Reunion
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Josh and Anne stood in Admiral Carver's 'office' while he eyed them sternly. News of their proposal and subsequent engagement had made the rounds among the ships and crews faster than the bets over the fleet boxing match. They had been waiting for a while and Carver still said nothing but Josh get the feeling he was just searching for the right thing to say. Admiral Carver was not a strict man, nor was he a traditionalist. In fact it had been Admiral Carver who had put Josh's name forward to command the Beowulf in the first place.
He thought about the dry-docked battlecruiser and inwardly sighed.
(Is that it? Getting my ship shot up during an engagement? We were outnumbered, outgunned, and unprepared to face a fleet of that magnitude. We had some casualties, yes, but then again, I'm just happy we didn't have more than we did.)
Josh's thoughts were interuppted when Carver coughed and stood, his eyes losing the stern demeanor and regaining their usual light.
"I suppose congratulations are in order, Commander? I usually don't like my subordinates having romantic notions behind my back but this time I'm making an exception because I'm afraid your time under my command has come to an end." Josh heard this and went wide-eyed.
"Sir? Have I done anything to warrant this?" Carver realized he made the news sound graver than he intended and ammended his previous words.
"Rest assured Commander, no disciplinary action whatsoever, is to be taken. It's just that, you showed yourself well yesterday and the report has already been sent to Sanijo and Royalis. Fact is that, because you are a skilled officer, we can ill afford to lose you to half-baked missions like this one was. We were expecting a simple search and rescue but that went belly up as soon as you arrived." Carver stood and walked to the porthole and gazed out fo it before turning back to Josh.
"You found yourself smack in front of an enemy fleet coming to surprise us and you held your own. Heh, and gave them a few black eyes and bruised egos to show it." He returned to his desk and removed a folder and set it on the desk.
"Now, word of warning, I have absolutely no idea what the Admiralty plans to do. Perhaps give you an instructor position at Harbortown, or maybe they plan on giving you a new command, that's all up in the air at the moment. Needless to say is that you, Commander, your XO, and a few select others from your crew and fleet will be going home on the next flight." He checked his watch.
"Flight leaves at 11:45. Which gives you, two hours to stow your gear, load it, and get to the airfield. Dismissed." Josh and Anne saluted and turned before Carver called after them a second.
"Almost forgot the most important thing and the reason I called you in here." He handed Anne a small box and smiled.
"Congratulations, Anne, Josh. I wish you all the best."
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(Launces)
George de Launces sat in the chair in his room at home. He had been recovering from injuries sustained at the Battle of Ursa and was just now beginning to get up and move around. He tried to concentrate on the sheets of music in front of him and tried to come up with the correct notes. While recovering, he thought the opportunity to complete one of his most complex works was presenting itself and he was hard at work trying to combine the pieces.
The song was untitled, there were numerous pieces for strings such as violins, cellos, and harps; woodwinds including flutes, clarinets, oboes, and even a few bassoons; brass instruments like baritones, tubas, trumbones, trumpets (oh good grief the trumpets), and spiral horns. Not to mention percussion pieces. There was even a piano, harpischord, and a possible segment for a grand pipe organ.
Finding the right notes was often tiring so he rose and put on another song, Correlli's Adagio in G minor and let the music echo through the all but empty halls. Looking out the window, he saw the Launces Home Guard on drill as well as the Launces 1st Wing, his brother's wing, minus Jake Havvers, who was with his Mother as she grieved, preparing for yet another boring patrol. There were also some units of the Dracocorps patroling around the city and even a few units from the Iron Legion rumbling back and forth.
The 412th Heavy Armored Corps, also known as the Iron Legion, was the new unit George was to be assigned to. A tank unit comprised exclusively of heavy tanks, this unit was only called into action if the fighting was to be particularly heavy. He had already recieved orders to assume command of the tank squadron in B Company and was even assigned a brand new HT-29 heavy tank fresh from the factory. He turned from the window and sighed.
(Thinking about work and this blasted war isn't helping. Perhaps I'm overthinking this but I can't help but feel like something's happened.)
George couldn't explain why he was on edge but he managed to force the feeling down and picked up the violin he had been given for his thirteenth birthday and began playing the notes to his music sheet, wincing slightly as the notes seemed to fail meshing together.
Either the string section was too sharp and high or the bass section was too flat and low he couldn't tell. He'd been hiding it from both his parents as well as his friends and soldiers but the explosion which had blown him from the tank had indeed damaged his hearing. Thanks to his dragon abilities he could read lips and understand them if he focused but in a room with only soft music playing, he could just barely hear the music and tried to adjust the violin as best he could. To be clear he was not deaf, just hard of hearing. A military radio, a loud noise, or voice still reached him. He just had to read lips when people spoke in low or hushed tones and sometimes in normal conversation.
He didn't even hear footsteps nor the door open as his nurse, Angela, entered and paused at the door while he sawed away on the violin, eyes shut, straining to use his instincts to hear the variations. Naturally, Angela had found out he was suffering from extended hearing loss but at his request she had kept quiet. She stood there, listening to him play. When he reached the break in the music, she cleared her throat which caused George to jump is surprise.
"A-Angela?! When did you? How did you?...How much did you hear?"
Angela smiled. As a student at Ross Medical University in Graspiere, she had often times taken up music in her spare time between classes listening to masterpieces such as Fereton, Correlli, Mannlicher, Svalynia, and she had even heard (and performed) a few of George's early works which had grown in popularity only recently. She had to blink away tears as she approached him, smiling.
"It is a beautiful piece Your Highness. Is it finished?" George shook his head and stared at the papers before him. Though people had been calling him Your Highness for quite some time, it still felt odd and out of place.
"No. Far from it. I began this work six years ago and it still is not finished. One thing or another has always obscured my path." He angrily set the voilin down and rubbed his ears as of expecting them to magically 'pop' as they did when flying at high altitudes and voila his hearing return with a vengeance. Yet, it didn't
"Now with this I doubt it will ever be finished. I can't seem to place it, I know something is amiss but I just can't find out what it is. It is so...so frustrating!" George rubbed his forehead and ears again and shook his head.
Angela hated seeing him like this. She had taken a liking to George while he was in the hospital in Royalis. So much so, she had requested permission to be his nurse exclusively while he recovered. Every day he was getting stronger and stronger but she knew he feared what awaited him once she declared him fit for service. He would be placed before a medical board, they would discover his hearing problems, and that would be the end of his military career as well as her nursing career for hiding a patient's disability in her reports was an great offense. Still, she could at least help him as much as she could while she was still able.
Going to her room for a moment, she returned with the cello she took with her everywhere. When she was younger, before nursing, she had been a musician on a national stage. She doubted George had heard of her but that didn't stop her, she pulled the bow across the large string instrument and began playing the bass portion of the song, much to George's shock when he heard the cello.
Not to be unfazed, he paused for a moment to listen to her, then raised his violin and began to form the harmony with her. As the song took shape, George realized what it was he was missing. A partner. Someone who knew music and loved it as much as he. Their harmony was so complete, he didn't even realize they had played past the break in the song on instinct, his mind recording every single note they played.
Clapping got his attention suddenly and he turned to see his mother standing in the door, beaming like she did whenever she heard him play. Angela quickly rose and curtsied but Lysa waved it away with a smile.
"Congratulations on a wonderful piece, my son. I trust this means your long awaited masterpiece is finally ready?" George reviewed the notes in his head and eyed the paper but shook his head.
"Not yet. I'd estimate I still have a ways to go before it is even close to complete. This song, it is to create in song what the people express with words and emotions every single day. How can I put all that raw emotion into song in one day?" Lysa laughed at George's frustration and nodded.
"Your father often said the same thing when he was inventing. Now then, when Bertram returns, I want the two of you to come to the main chamber. There is a surprise waiting for you both." Before George could ask, his mother turned away and vanished down the hallway. He chuckled as he turned back around.
"For a dragon she can be pretty stealthy when she wants to be."
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"Attention Flight IJ-01, this is Launces Aerial Command, spotted anything?" Bertram did a quick scan, then checked in.
"Negative Command. Nothing but birds, clouds, and a few civilian airliners. Even spotted an airship and a Dracocorps formation a while back."
"Copy that, that's what we like to hear on our end. The time is 12:45 p.m. and all's well. IJ-01, proceed to heading 155 and return to base, you're done for the day."
"IJ-01 copies, glad to have you along with us Terrance."
The radio operator for the Command, Lieutenant Terrance Hauser, was the youngest son of one of the five de Launces vassal families, and was the designated coordinator for Bertram's flight.
When Union City fell, James de Launces, now offically recognized as King of Syllia, took it upon himself to ensure that the Royal Air Force Home Guard would not be taxed or exhausted by constantly flying the entire border patrol. He did so by taking a map of Syllia, Northumbria, and the Blue Isles and drawing sectors within each part. Each sector was assigned a two letter/two number flight group that would rotate every eight hours. To further allow more pilots to be ready, each wing was then divided into four groups: Red Group, Blue Group, Gold Group, and Silver Group. Each group was identified by their ID numbers and also by the coloring of the wings, red for Red Group, blue for Blue Group, etc., etc.
Bertram's flight of planes, P-32A4s, were designated IJ-01 Silver Group. They had affectionatley been nicknamed 'the Silver-Winged Angels of Launces', by the local paper, a nickname that brought nothing but smiles from Bertram's mother and father. His group flew the old propellor planes more often because the new jet aircraft were in comparison tests with the Rotarian jets surrendered by Dieter and his men, who, in a complete spur of the moment by James and a surprise to Bertram, assigned Dieter and his men to Bertram as 'E' Squadron.
The running joke was they were 'E' for 'Experimental'.
The tests were only part of the reason. The other was that the fuel for the jets was still too expensive to produce in vast quantities and that there was simply not enough time to build enough jets to equip the entire RAF.
Still, the A4's were almost as fast as the jets thanks to the new engine, and they were a joy (and in Dieter's words, a pleasure) to fly. Voss had said flying one was like dancing with the girl of his dreams. The plane was fast, sleek, beautiful on the eyes, turned on a dime, and was armed to the teeth.
With a tailwind with them, the group made excellent time returning to base. Bertram gazed below and saw the Launces Train Station, busy as always. The city seemed bustling with activity. You'd almost never suspect that there was a war on.
No sooner had Bertram landed than a runner came up to him.
"Sir, you're needed at the castle. Something about having a surprise for you and your brother." Bertram looked towards the castle and back to the messenger.
"What kind of surprise?" The boy shook his head.
"No idea, sir. The Queen, er, your Mother said it was urgent." Bertram nodded and then looked to Ayatane and explained everything to him. To his surprise, Ayatane nodded.
"Go, I'll debrief the squadron." Bertram got to his runner, started off, and puzzled over why Ayatane was so calm all the way to the castle.
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George came down the stairs from his room to the foyer as instructed just as Bertram came in, flight uniform still dusty from the ride from the airfield. George smiled at his youngest brother and chuckled.
"What the bloody hell did you do? Take a detour through a desert? Seriously Bertram, you've enough dust on your jacket to fill a sandbox." Bertram chuckled at the good-natured ribbing from his older sibling and faced him.
"To be honest brother, I think you should do something with that violin of yours. The chief mechanic swore someone was trying to strangle Mr. Whiskers, the base mouser." George snorted and offered a quick reprisal.
"And how has your latest attempt at writing gone? I hope it's a sight better than that last piece you wrote...what was it again? Oh, yes, The Black Raven. Contridictory, irrelevant, and utterly obsene were just the nicest of the reviews your critics gave it."
They were interupted by a cough from the door and turned to see what they both guessed was the surprise their Mother had mentioned.
There, standing in the doorway, was Josh, the middle of the three brothers, and beside him stood Anne, fighting hard to hold back the laughter at the brother's antics. Before George or Bertram could say anything, Josh spoke up.
"Do pardon my brothers, Anne. They are usually not this foul mouthed in the presense of a lady...then again, I take that back when it comes to my younger brother. He's like sandpaper, naturally abrasive." Bertram harrumphed and then as he looked closer, his eyes widened.
"Well, my my my...George, take a look at this, it looks like Josh managed to get someone to actually fall in love with that ugly mug of his." George looked closer and spotted the gold rings that both Josh and Anne wore and, without preamble, strode over to Josh and wrapped both his brother, and his future sister-in-law, in a hug that Bertram joined in on, laughing all the way.
When they finally broke free from each other, Bertram remembered something and looked to Josh.
"Umm, Josh? Forgive me if I'm wrong but, isn't Miss Anne here your XO? I thought regs frowned upon relationships between male and female officers serving aboard the same vessel?" Josh coughed but nodded.
"Normally they do but, well...when you've been through three near-death experiences, spent an entire day of dodging shells that could take you apart, and, in Anne's case, watch her CO shift into dragon form and rip apart a battlcruiser with claws, fangs, and tail blade, well...we just kind of grew closer." Anne smiled and then wrapped her hand in his.
"Of course it's not like a walk on the beach and then me having to help him unknot his muscles didn't also have anything to do with it."
For the first time in Josh's memory, he saw both his brothers at a loss for words as he said the last occurance and was all but forced into regaling them with how he attacked the Rotarian battlecruiser.
"To be honest, I was completely out of control. I never felt more alive and yet, I was never more frightened in all my life."
"That's because you know, my son, that as a dragon you can destroy an entire city without remorse, without mercy. That is the burden we shapeshifters carry. Though we are not able to use elements, we are naturally gifted with raw physical strength and an inate desire to protect those dear to us, be they family or comrades. It is our experiences as humans that grant us humanity and allow us to understand how people feel when confronted by a creature from the depths of their worst nightmares."
The brothers turned to see their Mother and Father coming into the foyer. Then, they saw their Father smile and then motion for Bertram.
"Josh coming here wasn't the only surprise we had." He turned to the large dragon-sized door in the castle.
"You may come in now."
Bertram saw the doors open and his jaw dropped when Flaire came walking into the foyer, Her eyes still bandaged but nevertheless she walked with dignity and grace as befitting a dragoness of her beauty and upbringing. He walked forward and lay a hand on her snout and embraced her. Flaire chuckled for a moment before speaking.
"I told you I would be arriving soon. I've heard you've done quite a few things since we parted ways, my dear." Bertram turned to see George slack-jawed and Josh beaming from ear to ear.
"So, my little brother also found someone. I'm really glad for you Bertram." Bertram smiled and nodded to Josh and repeated the sentiment. Moments later, Angela arrived and came close to George. Gone were the hospital clothes and in it's place was a dress that amplified every curve of her body. George couldn't help but smile as he embraced her and then looked back to his brothers.
"What can I say? I fell in love with my nurse." Bertram and Josh laughed as Angela blushed slightly. Then, once Bertram got a look at the dress he looked at his brother in shock.
"George, isn't that the dress that Father bought Mother several years ago?" Before George could answer, Josh snapped his fingers and got a mischievious glint in his eye.
"You know something Bertram? I just figured something out. You're a Major, I'm a Commander, and George is still a Captain. That means we actually outrank him!" George coughed nervously and glanced at James to get his attention. Smiling broadly, James coughed to get their attention.
"There will be time for that later. Now then, let us go to the dining hall. Bertram, I've also invited your squadron to come dine with us because I have some questions for Captain Muntz. Plus, I believe Ayatane has had something he's been wanting to tell you for some time."
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The dinner was no grand affair yet nor was it dull. Bertram and his brothers, as well as James, found themselves enthralled by Dieter's stories about flying in the Callinar Incursion. Josh once again spoke of his actions during the Battle of White Sands. He was rewarded by Dieter going wide-eyed in shock before speaking.
"I'd count myself lucky then. Tyrann-class battlecruisers are second only to the Zerstörung-class battleships. Their crews are trained for most any situation. Although having a dragon land on the deck and start ripping the ship apart is new to me, I have little doubt that Mechanos may consider adding dragon tactics to the training regimen. If I were you, I would not attempt such risky actions in the future."
Gazing away from Josh and Dieter's conversation, Bertram noticed Ayatane and Sahne looking sheepish and the decided to ask what was going on. Sahne went scarlet in color and Ayatane took a sip of wine to steady himself.
"Well, Bertram...you have no doubt that Sahne and I have been seeing each other since before the Avalon Campaign, right?" Bertram nodded, refraining from saying that he'd nearly come several times to telling them to 'get a room'. Ayatane took a deep breath before continuing.
"Well...Sahne recently...I mean...what I'm trying to say is that..." When Ayatane's words failed him, Sahne spoke up, laying a comforting hand of Ayatane's shoulder.
"Major, I must ask your permission to leave the squadron...for the sake of the cubs I now carry inside me."
Bertram was in the middle of a sip of his drink when she said this and nearly choked himself in surprise. All around Ayatane, words of congratulations passed from members of the squadron and even James and Lysa passed their's along. Bertram finally managed to recover and then smiled to his best friend and nodded, then turned to Sahne.
"Of course you have my permission. I must say though we'll be hard pressed to find someone to replace you on short notice. Ayatane, have you told your parents yet?" Ayatane sheepishly shook his head.
"I...I want to wait until the war is over then I can marry Sahne and make my being a Father known without suffering repurcussions. It would cause my family great shame if they discovered I fathered children out of wedlock. Also, Sahne told me that, if all goes well, she should be having the cubs sometime in Reveran." Bertram nodded that he understood and then looked to Josh.
"So, Josh. I suppose it's too much to hope that you'll be staying here for a while?" Josh sighed and nodded.
"Yes, I'm to report to Eastport, the Navy's largest port, but once there I suppose I'll have to soak my head while waiting word from the Admiralty for what they want me to do." At that moment, James smiled and rose to look at his son.
"Josh, I believe I can safely tell you now what you will be doing. You've heard of Project Leviathan, correct?" Josh nodded, unsure of what his father was getting at.
James removed a small box from his coat pocket and handed it to Josh who opened it and nearly fell back with surprise. Inside the box were two gold stars, each emblazoned with an anchor and crown.
The rank of Captain.
James smiled and then handed Josh a folder from behind his chair.
"The Admiralty spent a long time looking at your record. From the time you were the XO on the Prince Obël, to your time as Commander of the Interceptor, and later the Beowulf, you have shown great strategic knowledge as well as foresight and courage. Therefore, the Admiralty has promoted you to the rank of Captain, and you are to report to Eastport to take command of your new ship, the RNV Leviathan, the first of the new Leviathan-class supercarriers. These carriers are large enough to allow for jet aircraft to takeoff and land and the deck is wide enough that, if the situation calls for it, we can even launch land-based, twin-engine bombers from the deck. Otherwise, we can send and recieve entire squadrons."
Josh looked absolutely thunderstruck as James smiled and then finished what he was saying.
"Furthermore. With the sudden death of Admiral Cheshire in that vehicle accident last week, the Fifth Fleet has no senior commanding officer. Most of the men and women of that fleet are fresh from the Academy or from Basic and most of the ships are all newly launched from dry dock. That's why I had your senior most officers and crew pulled from the Beowulf and sent to Eastport to ready the Leviathan and the fleet for your arrival. I have also ordered your old XO, Commander Walker, and his ship, Aurora, to Eastport as well. He is to be reassigned to command one of the four new battlecruisers in your fleet, RNV Rampant Lion. In short, the surviving vessels of your old Task Force, along with the newly raised and rebuilt Prince Obël will be deploying soon to watch the waters between Peninsula City and Schildhaven."
James turned to his sons and then eyed the members of the 1st Wing of Launces and frowned.
"From what Major Muntz has told me about this so-called 'Emperor' Mechanos, he is not one to accept failure. We have crushed his plans in Avalon, we forced Callinar to quit the war, our ground forces have liberated the Tullinar capital and are now forcing Damoneni to retreat. The supercarrier that was sunk was confirmed to have been my apprentice, Albert Reed's, masterpiece, FNV New Horizon. I have little doubt that we are wearing on Rotiart's patience and they will soon do something drastic. We need to be ready, no matter what may come."
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(10 miles from Schildhaven Border)
Mechanos gazed upon the force arrayed before him with grim satisfaction. Though it meant that Rotiart would no longer be able to support Damoneni, in his opinion, they had served their purpose. He pulled his pocket watch from his jacket and gazed at the time.
8:22 P.M.
He turned to the commanders standing before him on board the Chimera and then pointed to the map of Syllia, Northumbria, and Schildhaven with markers in various places representing the forces Mechanos had prepared.
"Gentlemen. We attack one hour before dawn's first light."
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To be continued...
Next Chapter: Blitzkrieg.