Sorry this is a bit later than normal. I was running late and hadn't written up the Author's Notes in time. And there was a lot to say this week, let me tell you.
SECTION 04
THE LEARNING MAN
DATE: NOVEMBER 22, 250 A.D.E.
TIME: 1623 HOURS
LOCATION: THE DOME, MILITARY POLICE ACADEMY, LECTURE THEATRE S.12
I ignored the amused and surprised glances I got from my comrades as I trudged into the large theatre, soaked to the bone, my hair clinging to my skull and trailing water up the stairs. It was bad enough my squad mates were sniggering amongst themselves, save for Astrid, who only gave me a disapproving glance, but the fact the other four squads that had been selected for AF training also filled up the seats, all staring at me in bemusement and muttering to each other at the sight of the drenched soldier in civilian clothing…it was embarrassing to say the least.
Gobber thankfully decided to ignore me as I slumped up to one of the unoccupied chairs near the rear of the lecture theatre (as far from Nu Squad as I could get) choosing instead to chew out one terrified girl, one poor Sarah 'Waif' Andrews of Lambda Squad, on some technicality that running around in circles from the Gronckle screaming her head off was hardly good survival practice for a soldier of the Military Police. Review sessions that were supposed to take place at the end of every workday, something I'd inconveniently forgotten about when I'd set out to find the Night Fury and its co-pilot. Not that I needed to be reminded of how badly I'd done this morning.
"…Movin' on then," the major turned his eyes on Nu Squad's leader as Waif burst into tears, her nearby friend putting a consoling arm around her shoulders. "Can any of ye bright sparks in Nu Squad tell me where Sergeant Hofferson wen' wrong this morning?"
"I don't remember the Sarge doing anything wrong," I rolled my eyes as Snotlout tried to score points with his 'girl', grinning like an idiot in the blonde's direction. "She was just so Astr…"
I smirked as Astrid slapped her devoted comrade round the back of the head into the chair in front of him, her face grim and set as she stood up.
"I intentionally placed a soldier under my command in danger," I looked up slightly at my superior's calm tone, "It was stupid and careless. Private McKrillen was almost killed partly because of my actions," she shot me a dark glare over her shoulder, "but if he'd been out on the battlefield instead of hiding like a coward, I wouldn't have felt the need to coax him out in the first place."
I scowled back, letting my head fall onto my open hand against the armrest. I didn't rise to the debate. I had made a conscious decision to avoid the Gronckle for as long as possible after all (Hiding from the flying death machine seemed like a good idea at the time), and I could see arguing was exactly what Astrid wanted me to do. She held my gaze for a moment more before turning back to the major.
"Sir, I will not deny that my actions this morning were childish on my part, but McKrillen's own actions this morning merely accent what I told General McKrillen the morning before he left; his son is not a soldier. And no amount of training, with weapons, drills or Assault Frames will change that. Putting him on the battlefield will be a danger to us all, and nothing will change that."
I stood up angrily as Ruffnut and Tuffnut broke into whoops and applause, Snotlout smirking darkly as he tried to stop the blood dripping from his nose. I didn't even look in her direction as I strode out of the theatre, my throat burning and my ears deaf to the protests of Gobber as I slammed the door behind me. If Astrid didn't want me there, fine. I had something better to do with my time now anyway.
TIME: 1647 HOURS
LOCATION: THE DOME, CENTRAL TOWER, MILITARY POLICE HEADQUARTERS, MAIN COMPUTER ARCHIVE
:::STAND BY:::
I drummed my fingers against the desk as the two words blinked at me on the screen, Astrid's words repeating over and over again in my mind.
The large room that held the computer archive was dark for this time of day, the large obsidian columns that housed The Dome's largest archive casting long shadows in the information screen's dim light. To be honest, I preferred it this way; with no one else about, I could freely access what I wanted with no one around to ask questions, like 'What are all these pictures you've got?' and 'How'd you get such good audio samples of the Dragonoid Language?'. I was already taking a great risk by bringing the Night Fury manual into Central Tower (even if it was just scanned jpeg files on a USB flash drive), let alone the Dictaphone with everything I had recorded held within its memory. But I wanted to answers. I wanted to know what had made the Night Fury crash again, especially with the EMP stinger knocked out of action. A little bit of education into what we knew of Dragonoid technology wouldn't go amiss either.
Finally, the computer pinged as it completed its start-up routine.
/WELCOME TO THE\
/MILITARY POLICE CENTRAL ARCHIVE\
\HOW WOULD YOU LIKE TO PROCEED?/
First thing was first, I had to make sure no one traced my research back to me.
/ISOLATE INFORMATION TERMINAL
\AUTHORISATION CODE REQUIRED/
/STOIC SIGMA SEVEN VICTOR TWO
:::PLEASE WAIT:::
As a general and the head of the Military Police, some of my Dad's work needed to be confidential. Nothing illegal of course…not usually…but some information might be dangerous if found by the wrong people. This code, changed at the start of every month, was my father's way of ensuring such data never left the computer it was programmed onto.
And if his son just happened to find the new code hurriedly scrawled on a scrap of paper in his father's coat pocket every month, it was just as useful to hide what he was doing from everyone else just as well.
/CODE ACCEPTED\
/INFORMATION TERMINAL ISOLATED\
/WELCOME GENERAL GREGORIO MCKRILLEN\
\HOW WOULD YOU LIKE TO PROCEED?/
/RUN TRANSLATION MATRIX: AUDIO/VISUAL
:::PLEASE WAIT:::
/TRANSLATION MATRIX READY\
/PLEASE CONNECT AUDIO DEVICE TO TERMINAL\
\PLEASE SELECT VISUAL FILES/
\FOR TRANSLATION /
I felt the anticipation growing within me as I connected the Dictaphone to the terminal via a long cable, the flash drive already in its proper place as I selected every file on it.
/FILES FOUND\
/DRAGONOID LANGUAGE CONFIRMED\
\HOW WOULD YOU LIKE TO PROCEED?/
/BEGIN TRANSLATION: ALL FILES
/CONFIRMED\
\TRANSLATING ALL FILES/
:::PLEASE WAIT:::
I cast a nervous glance behind me as the terminal hummed contentedly, the audio transcripts forming words and their meanings on one side while identifying portions of text from each scanned page on the other. It would take around ten minutes or so for the files to be fully translated, but I had another question on my mind to fill up the time in the meanwhile. Putting the translation program off to one side, I accessed the database proper, intending to try and find something attached to other Dragonoid models that resembled the mystery device that had apparently worried the co-pilot.
?ACCESS DRAGONOID MECHA DATABASE: VARIANTS IN SERVICE: 240-250 A.D.E.
:::PLEASE WAIT:::
/ACCESSING REQUESTED\
/DRAGONOID MECHA DATABASE\
\PLEASE SELECT MACHINE/
A list of a twenty or so Dragonoids seen within the last ten years appeared before me, each with a listing of ratings that Fishlegs loved to quote so much. Blueprints and general information filled the screen with the selection of each name, my eyes flitting through the basic info as I tried to find what I was looking for.
/GRONCKLE\
DRAGONOID DESIGNATION: GRO'KELE
UNIT TYPE: GENERAL PURPOSE
DIMENSIONS: 12.3 METRES LONG
WEIGHT: 5.9 METRIC TONS
FIRST KNOWN DEPLOYMENT: DECEMBER 22, 233 A.D.E.
FIXED ARMAMENTS: MID-POWER ENERGY TURRET X2, PLASMA MORTAR X1
THREAT LEVEL: UPSILON (DESTROY ON SIGHT)
/NADDER\
DRAGONOID DESIGNATION: NAR'DAER
UNIT TYPE: SCOUTING AND RECONNAISSANCE
DIMENSIONS: 14.8 METRES LONG
WEIGHT: 7.5 METRIC TONS
FIRST KNOWN DEPLOYMENT: AUGUST 3, 242 A.D.E.
FIXED ARMAMENTS: LOW-POWER ENERGY PULSE BLASTERS X2
THREAT LEVEL: UPSILON (DESTROY ON SIGHT)
/ZIPPLEBACK\
DRAGONOID DESIGNATION: ZIPP'RELBEC
UNIT TYPE: ASSAULT TANK
DIMENSIONS: 18.5 METRES LONG
WEIGHT: 43.4 METRIC TONS
FIRST KNOWN DEPLOYMENT: JUNE 28, 227 A.D.E.
FIXED ARMAMENTS: HIGH-POWER DUEL BARREL ENERGY TURRET X2, PLASMA MORTAR X2, ANTI-PERSONAL MACHINE GUN X2, GRAPPLE GUN X2, SMOKE SCREEN DISPENSER X6
THREAT LEVEL: UPSILON (DESTROY ON SIGHT)
/NIGHTMARE\
DRAGONOID DESIGNATION: CA'VEROPA
UNIT TYPE: COMMAND
DIMENSIONS: 19.7 METRES LONG
WEIGHT: 68.9 METRIC TONS
FIRST KNOWN DEPLOYMENT: NOVEMBER 20, 229 A.D.E.
FIXED ARMAMENTS: HIGH-POWER ENERGY CANNONS X2, MID-POWER ENERGY PULSE BLASTER X2, ANTI-PERSONAL MACHINE X1, PLASMA DISPENSER X1
THREAT LEVEL: UPSILON (DESTROY ON SIGHT)
I scowled irritably, my eyes skimming down the lists. Each was more of the same; menacing machines of various sizes, all armed with various yields of energy cannons, pulse blasters, machine guns and plasma mortars, all marked with the same threat level.
Upsilon, Upsilon, Upsilon. Destroy on sight, Destroy on sight, Destroy on sight…
Until I came to the last model on the list.
/NIGHT FURY\
DRAGONOID DESIGNATION: CA'FUROR
UNIT TYPE: UNKNOWN
DIMENSIONS: UNKNOWN
WEIGHT: UNKNOWN
FIRST KNOWN DEPLOYMENT: MARCH 26, 245 A.D.E.
FIXED ARMAMENTS: UNKNOWN
THREAT LEVEL: OMEGA (DO NOT ENGAGE UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES)
I slumped back in my chair as I took in the virtually blank data sheet. The Military Police considered the Fury to be so dangerous, they'd given it the highest threat level possible to make those that read the report understand what they were up against.
And now one such machine was lying in a crater not five klicks away.
The terminal pinged as it finished the translation, the Night Fury's blueprints coming up over the almost blank data sheet. A machine both Dragonoid and Humanoid, the most dangerous machine we had ever faced…
And I currently knew more about it than any other human alive.
DATE: NOVEMBER 27, 250 A.D.E.
TIME: 1808 HOURS (LOCAL TIME)
LOCATION: NORTH ATLANTIC OCEAN, SEVEN KLICKS SOUTH OF GREENLAND, CMF DAUNTLESS, COMMAND CENTRE
It was getting dark as the Dauntless and her escort continued onward toward the Dragonoid outpost. Stoic sat in the Command chair, only vaguely aware that the night shift was changing around him. He'd been on duty since midnight the day before and was suffering for it. His eyes were tired and drooping, dark rings encircling them. He was fighting desperately to try and stay awake, the combination of coffee and energy boosters slowly beginning to ebb away as the sun dipped below the horizon.
"We're so close," he smiled wearily. "This will be just the first step towards victory. I can almost taste it!"
"General McKrillen?" Gregorio almost jumped as Colonel Egil Jorgenson, call sign Spitelout, shook him by the shoulder. "Sir, It's my watch. You should get some sleep. You'll be fit for nothing by the time we reach Greenland otherwise."
The general frowned slightly at his comrade's boldness, before reluctantly nodding as he hefted his bulk out of the chair.
"Wake me at 0600 sharp," he wagged a finger the amused Colonel's way. "Do not move this rig within tracking distance of the installation without me understand?"
Spitelout smirked as he snapped off a salute, "Wouldn't dream of it, sir."
"Good. Then the Bridge is yours. I'm going to bed."
A few hours sleep was what he needed, of that he was sure. When the time came, he and his crew would be ready to start the end of this war…
"Colonel Jorgenson! We've got incoming! Five…no six…ten…"
And in a single moment, Stoic felt his hope for the future drain away with the first energy blasts to the Dauntless' side.
DATE: NOVEMBER 29, 250 A.D.E.
TIME: 0812 HOURS (LOCAL TIME)
LOCATION: ENGLAND, MILITARY POLICE ACADEMY ASSAULT FRAME TRAINING ARENA
"System online. Primary start-up engaged. Oxygen Supply System stable, Hydrogen Filter Control active, Fuel Flow Rate within acceptable levels, Counterweight System ready, systems all green."
The Viking's cockpit thrummed with energy around Astrid as her gloved fingers danced across the consoles before her, a grim smirk passing across her face as she heard her comrades stumble through their own start-up operations over the radio, trying to keep up with her. She was finally here, where she knew she should have been from the start. The cockpit was cramped; A chair of cracked leather surrounded by three large screens to the outside world and consoles of various functions, (start-up procedures on her left, communications and radar selection on her right, weapons and miscellaneous options on a smaller retractable console that sat between her legs), and control stick on each armrest (the left for movement and camera manipulation, the right for weapons aiming). But she felt alive in here; like she was supposed to command the massive walking weapon platforms known as the Viking Assault Frame, even if this was a training model. From here, Astrid could show them all who she really was.
"Tadey, ye lot are finally gonna be put through ye paces," Gobber's voice crackled through Astrid's helmet's speakers as the screens cleared of static to reveal the Arena beyond. "Seeing as this is ye first time out with the Vikings in actual combat, we're gonna start off light with the Nadder Scout-class Dragonoid. But ta make things a bit more interesting…well, ya can see for yerselves."
Astrid smirked again as the major chuckled. The Arena looked as though it had been rebuilt from the ground up. Giant walls of steel that dwarfed even the Viking rose up on either side, the short path before her leading into a mech sized maze, hiding the others from view. From somewhere within, she could hear the sound of a Dragonoid's ion engines echo through the passageways. She let a grin spread across her face, eager to begin.
"Hey, Gobber before we start, I have some questions regarding the Dragonoid database," the grin quickly faded as Hiccup's voice came over her radio. She hadn't been surprised when he showed up for training the day after her 'speech' in the lecture theatre. Rile that private up enough, and he'll always come back to try and prove you wrong. Just this once, she really wished he would just give up. "I noticed we don't have any information on the Night Fury-class. Has the General classified it for some reason, or is it in a separate file or…"
"Focus McKrillen!" the irritation in the major's voice was obvious. Clearly, he hadn't forgiven Hiccup for walking out on his review session, especially when he came in late. "Ya wanna ask questions? Ask yerself how close the Nadder might be ta ye while ye've been prattling on!"
The smirk returned to Astrid's face as Hiccup's comm. Frequency went silent…until Fishlegs screamed from the other end of the maze.
"I COULD USE SOME HELP OVER HERE!"
Astrid grinned as she pushed her Viking forward, "This is Valkyrie, moving to intercept."
"Hiccup…heading out."
She felt a moment of surprise that Hiccup was the first to speak up after her, Snotlout and the twins still struggling to finish starting up their Assault Frames. But she quickly put it out of her mind. After all, Hiccup was still Hiccup.
She wasn't far into the maze before she caught sight of her target, chasing a certain chubby corporal's Viking through a T-junction by jumping over the tops of the walls themselves.
Of all the Dragonoids she'd ever seen in person, the Nadder was definitely one of Astrid's favourites. A streamlined machine cast in a silvery metallic blue, with a long graceful neck leading up to the arrow-shaped head, a large RaDOME mounted just behind foldable wings doubling as a balancer with the adjoining tail for ground assaults. She watched with mild fascination as the Dragonoid almost hopped across the tops of the walls with the large claws that adorned its powerful legs, its shoulder-mounted energy blasters raining orange globs of destructive light down on its target from above as Fishlegs tried desperately to lose it in the maze.
Time to get to work.
"The Nadder-class, as so perfectly demonstrated by Corporal Ingerman, is as light on its feet as it is fast inna air," she barely heard Gobber as she blasted the Dragonoid with a trio of training shots from her recoilless rifle. "It's only equipped with energy blasters, but that won't stop it from takin' ye out by the counterweights if ye underestimate it!"
The Nadder turned its crimson gaze on Astrid's Viking as the training shells impacted against its side, the mech almost blurring on her cameras as it tore towards her. She was out of its sight by the time it reached her corner, however, the blip on her radar that was Fishlegs showing he had fled in the opposite direction.
"A Nadder's primary role on the battlefield is reconnaissance from the air, but they've been known ta take ta the ground for hit and run attacks," Gobber's commentary continued as Astrid watched the red blip that was her target suddenly take interest in a pair of Vikings belonging to the twins at the opposite end of the maze. "But because they were designed primarily for the air, tha' RaDOME on its back gives 'em a large blind spot directly around the mech, specifically around the back where the beastie has no cameras. Most Dragonoids will have blind spots if they're grounded, so find it, hide in it, and strike!"
Astrid was already pushing her Viking forward as the Nadder neared its new target, Snotlout's mech coming round the corner as she pushed her machine into high gear. She was surprised that the twins had the brains to hide on either side of a T-junction as the Nadder sped by, only for her eyes to roll up to the artificial ceiling as the two yellow dots collided behind their target with a faraway metallic clang.
"Hey! I was here first!"
"No way! Get your own damn blind spot!"
"Yeah? How 'bout I give you one!?"
Astrid's Viking rounded a corner in time to see the Nadder snap round at the sound of Ruffnut attempting to swat her brother's machine with the end of her cannon, its camera flashing bright red with warning, the twins managing to dodge back down their respective passageways before it began spitting bursts of bright orange energy through the aisle they'd occupied from its shoulder mounted blasters.
"Perhaps I should've mentioned a Dragonoid doesn't need ta see ya if ye make enough noise."
The Nadder had moved down into the maze now, the edges of its wings scraping against the metal walls as its camera darted to every possible junction and corner a Viking could hide in. Slowly, Astrid adjusted her forward screen to the weapon cam and raised her sights before the Dragonoid's head, the recoilless rifle rising with them. She was perfectly angled, her Assault Frame just out of sight. By the time the Nadder realised she was there, the win would be…
"Watch out babe, I'll take care of this!"
Astrid cried out in anger and alarm as her Viking was shoved roughly by Snotlout's mech, her foot slamming against the self-righting jets pedal before her own Assault Frame toppled to the ground. She forced down a string of unladylike curses as her Viking staggered to regain its footing, swinging her camera around just in time to see the shot from Snotlout's smoothbore cannon miss the Nadder's head by a good two feet.
The mech's camera glanced in her direction sheepishly, clearly not seeing the glare she was trying to burn through its armour, "The light glare screwed up my sights Sarge! I can't be held responsible for faulty light compen-"
Her mood went through a series of highs and lows in a split second as the Nadder suddenly tore around the corner, a wing clipping her subordinates mech and sending it skidding back down the path with a spray of sparks and a satisfying burst of static over her radio. The low came when the crimson camera turned its gaze on her, the Dragonoid's blasters heating up for another barrage as her console lit up with warning lights. She didn't have time to think, all she could do was push the Viking into a rapid run, the legs gears screaming in protest as she took off with the Nadder hot on her heels. She watched as the numbers climb on the speedometer, another warning light appearing on her console as a steel wall rushed up to meet her stampeding Viking and the bestial Dragonoid behind it. With no time to stop or alter her course, the Sergeant turned her Viking's shoulder to the wall and prayed the counterweight attached to it would hold.
The sound of metal on metal screamed in her ears as the steel partition gave way under the combined weight and speed of her machine, her momentum carrying forward into the next wall and the next. Astrid wasn't one to just turn tail and run…not anymore…but with barricades of steel in front of her and an alien war machine behind, it was all she could do to keep up the pace as damage lights began going from amber to red across the board…
"Astrid!"
She caught Hiccup's cry too late. As her Viking burst straight through another of the walls, she barely caught sight of his own Assault Frame in her cameras on the other side before the two machines collided with a horrible metallic crunch. She shut her eyes tight as she felt the Assault Frames crash together against yet another of the partitions, the slab of metal falling flat under their combined weight as they collapsed in a tangle of limbs and locked together weapons.
"…Ow…"
"…Yeah…my thought exactly…"
The Viking's cameras were rife with static, the status console filled with red or amber warning lights. But Astrid had to get up. She could hear the sound of the Nadder's engines as it soared over the remains of the maze, like a bird of prey watching for a good meal. But the jets refused to push her up. The two Assault Frames were locked tightly together by weapons and legs. every time she tried to move, Hiccup's Viking moved with her. Sparks were flying from the weapons mounts, and she knew if she wrenched them too hard either her cannon or rifle could come clean away.
"Astrid, you have to eject!" it didn't help that the radio seemed to be the only thing that hadn't been broken in some way by the fall, Hiccup's voice like an urgent tick in her ear as she pulled down the maintenance console from above to try and get the jets back online. "You can't…you have to get out of here!" She tried to block him out, forcing her hands to concentrate on the console and away from the eject command switch. "Astrid please, just eject before it gets here! Astrid! ASTRID!"
"SHUT UP!" she brought the smoothbore to bear near his Viking's head, "JUST STOP TALKING! I'VE GOT THIS!"
As the cannon exploded, his rifle broke away from the Viking's body, the two machines blown clear apart as the Nadder swooped overhead. With Hiccup's weapon dangling uselessly from the remnants of the Cannon, Astrid unloaded shot after shot from her rifle into the exposed underbelly of the metal beast, pouring all of her rage into every blast, red paint splattering its body until it collapsed out of sight into what was still standing of the maze on the other side of the Arena.
"Alrigh' simulation over," Gobber's voice sounded satisfied in her ears. "Good thinking on ya feet there Hofferson. Could've done without the property damage though…"
She didn't hear him finish. She was already halfway out of the broken cockpit, helmet cast angrily aside and hands clenched tight enough to almost draw blood.
I was only glad I was already halfway out of my safety harness when Astrid decided to pull me free of my Viking. I didn't have time to wince against the artificial lights as she opened my cockpit from the outside, her hand pulling me aggressively out into the cold air of the arena by the front of my armour as she gave me a look that could have killed angels.
"Why. Didn't. You. Move?"
Each word was laced with venom, her eyes narrowed to slits as she stared down at me from the lip of the cockpit hatch, letting me half stand on the back of my chair. I scowled darkly, pushing her hand away from my neck.
"I'm sorry," I snorted sarcastically. "I wasn't aware you had to have ESP to pilot Assault Frames."
"I was coming straight at you," her voice was a deadly calm as I pulled myself out of the cockpit, but I could see her fist shaking at her side. "You even gave me warning…with the wrong call sign, I might add."
I glowered at her as I stood up on the cockpit hatch to my full height…which did little to intimidate her since we were both around the same size. "What can I say? Astrid is easier to spit out than Valkyrie when your sergeant is about to crash into you through a steel wall."
Her scowl darkened if that was even possible, "Is this some kind of a joke to you?"
"No. But I do find it kind of funny that standing still makes me the bad guy here," I spat back. "I might also find it kind of amusing that you're taking our first time out with the AFs as though it was our final exam! But you know what I really think is unbelievable? The fact I'm even having this conversation with Arthur Hofferson's daughter of all peop-"
I knew I'd gone too far, even before her fist to my face sent me careening off the edge of the Viking. I was just lucky the Assault Frame was on its back, although I certainly didn't feel like it as my armour plate dug painfully into my back with the landing against hard concrete.
"Oh yeah…that was stupid…"
I sat up painfully as Astrid landed beside me, avoiding eye contact.
"We're at war McKrillen, in case you haven't noticed," I winced at her cool, quiet tone as I rubbed my jaw, "and pretty soon, me and you are going to be stuck in right in the middle of it." She glared at me coldly. "My Dad chose the wrong way to fight. Which way are you going to go?"
I didn't reply. I knew she didn't even expect one, walking away as calmly as she could without even a backward glance.
TIME: 1018 HOURS
LOCATION: ENGLAND, SIX KLICKS SOUTHEAST OF DOME TERRITORY, NIGHT FURY LANDING SITE
Her words were still playing over and over in my mind as I found myself back on the broken roads of the village, a fresh medical kit in one hand, the dictaphone ready in my tunic's pocket and a week's worth of ration packets in a small rucksack on my uninformed back. I was nursing a Dragonoid pilot back to health and trying to it get back home. Somehow, I doubted this was a path even Arthur Hofferson would have considered.
Once more the forest opened up to the open area of the village centre, with everything pretty much the same as I had left it. The long grass of the playing field still swayed in the brisk wind, the buildings were still slowly decaying, there was still an oak tree in the middle of the school hall…and the Night Fury still lay in the bottom of the crater, right where I'd left it.
As the rain had begun to fall the last time I was here (currently hard to believe with the bright blue sky above my head), I had dragged the co-pilot's still sleeping body to rest between the shield/landing plate and the closed cockpit hatch to keep it dry, silently praying that the thermal blankets I'd wrapped around it and the alien's pilot suit would keep the cold at bay.
As I scrambled down into the bottom of the crater, however, I gradually noticed several small differences to when I'd last been here. The dying ashes of a small fire smouldered quietly in the shadow of the Dragonoid, the smoke trailing up in the calmness of the crater only to be blown away once it reached the top of the lip. A shallow yet long mound had also been dug a little ways away near the edge of the pond, the soil still dark from being recently unearthed. I only had to notice the slightly bloody helmet that rested on its peak to realise it was the Pilot's grave.
But the most important difference was the one concerning my 'patient'…or rather the fact it had disappeared. The make-shift campsite was completely deserted, and I suddenly realised it had gone incredibly quiet within the crater.
It didn't help that I couldn't shake off the feeling I was being watched.
I had no weapons, save for the hypoinjector in the medical kit, but to set it up would take time, and I didn't want to distract myself at the moment. Hesitantly, I shrugged the rucksack off. If I needed to run, I didn't want any excess baggage holding me back.
"H…hello?" I tried to call out as I glanced around the crater. "Um…are you still here?"
I couldn't imagine the co-pilot would just leave the most powerful Dragonoid The Dome had ever faced to the elements. Would it really try to just walk back to Washington Crater? I turned away from the Night Fury, my eyes scanning the grassy lip above my head, a thick feeling of dread developing in my chest. Hesitantly, I decided to try a different approach, my mouth struggling over words I'd tried my hardest to learn.
"Co…co…paani…gar…ogir?"
Are you there?
"Elek."
The voice came from behind me, high above on the Night Fury's back. And as I turned, I realised how incredibly stupid it had been to turn my back on the only non-earth made thing in the area.
With a blur of onyx, I felt pain spasm up my back as I found myself on the floor for the second time that day. At least last time I hadn't had the pleasure of an alien's combat knife to my throat. The co-pilot had landed perfectly, its knees embedding themselves in the soft earth on either side of my legs, its chest armour pressing against my body as my terrified face stared back at me in the fractured visor, its single visible eye narrowed to a slit.
I swallowed thickly, all the time aware of the cool metal of the blade lightly pressed against my skin.
"H…hi…"
"Ni jorhaa'ir gar aht shekemir ni, lenedat."
"Yes, don't follow you." I smiled shakily, the central computer's translations quickly coming to mind. "You said that before, but…I'm here to help." I felt around for the medical kit I'd dropped, the co-pilot's eye watching my movements carefully. "See? It's like the other one. I came to check on this," I pointed to the bandage, just visible through the rip in the pilot suit sleeve and slightly dirty, but not the bloody crimson of the one it had replaced. "I want to help…oh what was that word…gaa'taylir!"
The eye's dark glare lessened, thankfully along with the pressure against my neck.
"Gaa'taylir?"
"Erm…yes?" I'd only self-taught myself a handful of words, and the central computer was hardly a wonderful teacher. What had the co-pilot said before? "E…elek? Is…is that yes?"
The co-pilot seemed to frown, clearly confused by this small human being struggling to speak its language.
"I-I brought food too." I slowly reached for the rucksack, thankfully close by. "I didn't know if you can stomach our food but…"
"Vaabir'naas nari!"
The pressure returned as my hand reached into the bag, the glare returning with it. Clearly, the paranoid pilot thought I was trying to find a weapon.
"No No! Really, it's just food!" I pointed wildly to the bag, "Just rations honest just…oh, why didn't I learn the word for lunch!?"
I felt a light rumble through the pilot's armour, something I could only compare with an amused chuckle. Clearly, the alien was getting some kind of laugh out of watching the strange mammal beneath it babble like a maniac. But it still remained suspicious. Not taking its eyes (I presumed it had two) off me, it slowly slid its free hand along the ground to where the rucksack lay, long fingers opening and reaching in, only for surprise to grace what I could see of its face as it pulled out a short ration block clothed in silver wrapping.
Once again, the pressure lessened.
"See?" I smiled shakily as the co-pilot examined the packet beside my head. "Just rations. I can't guarantee it'll taste good but its probably better for you than the birds or squirrels around he…"
"Ne'johaa."
I had the distinct feeling I'd been told to shut up. Just in case, I quickly complied.
"Sorry."
The co-pilot ignored me, more content to study the ration packet. It seemed to try and sniff the strange block, only realise its helmet was in the way. It looked at me. I smiled warily back. A mental war seemed to be going on behind that cat-like eye. I sincerely hoped killing me wasn't on the agenda.
Gradually, the knife left my throat entirely, a sigh of relief escaping my lips as the Dragonoid pilot slowly pushed away from me to sit back on its legs (And with it, my own legs). The knife was still in hand though as it continued to examine the ration. Clearly, I wasn't out of the woods yet.
Suddenly, it dropped the packet on my surprised chest, the tip of the knife pointed towards my Adam's apple as it stared down at me.
Oh yeah, not even near the wood's edge.
Slowly, the alien's free hand reached for the bottom of its' helmet, eyes never leaving mine.
It was only when the seal broke and the helmet came free did I realise what it was doing.
And in that same moment, I realised why the co-pilot's voice had been so high and…feminine.
It…her youthful face was long and narrow (looking slightly too small for her body due to the thick armour plate around her neck), coming to a blunted point at her chin, cat-like eyes set just enough into the skull to be noticeable either side her surprisingly pert nose, her ears nothing more than small slightly guarded holes on either side of her head, a small ridge of bone where the outer ear might have been around it keeping the area clear of hair. Her skin, as I'd seen before, was a bone white, contrasting heavily with her thin jet-black eyebrows and long hair; back length locks pulled back into a single slick ponytail held tightly together by woven strands of silver ornamental string that she pulled free from out of the back of her armour and flowed down to the small of her back, a few short bangs allowed to grace her forehead. The co-pilot obviously caught me staring, a dangerous grin spreading across her face revealing a rather deadly looking set of long, sharp-pointed teeth behind her pale lips.
"Vaabir'naas pir dajun, lenedat."
I really wished I knew what she was saying.
She sniffed tentatively at the ration packet, not entirely sure what to make of it.
"It won't taste like much," the co-pilot glanced at me as I spoke. "Just basic supplements. Everything a human body needs in a meal without any of the bodily waste."
She stared at me curiously, before turning back to the packet. Hesitantly, she tore the silver wrapping away with her teeth, her eyes taking in the greenish block with an almost childlike curiosity.
"Kai'tome?"
"Err…kai…tome?"
"Kai'tome," the co-pilot opened her mouth, pretending to eat the block. "Gar epar ibic, vaabir'naas gar?"
"Oh! You mean…ye-er…Elek…Kai'tome…I think." If these meetings were going to continue, I really needed to write that Dragonoid/English dictionary.
The co-pilot gave me a strange look, before returning to her study of the rations. Cautiously, she bit into the corner, chewing it slowly while looking ready to spit it out at any moment.
Finally, she swallowed with a shrug, "Ni haa'taylir. Yai'yai. Ni eparde dush'shya."
She gave me a cautious look as she took a larger bite out of the ration block, probably sizing me up.
"Tion'jor copaani gar olar?"
I knew that one: Why are you here?
I frowned. Surely we'd been over this? I straightened my shoulder (difficult seeing as I was still on my back)
"Gaa'taylir." I spoke as calmly as I could. "I want to…gaa'taylir…like here…"
I reached up to indicate to the wound I'd bandaged the other week, only for the co-pilot to flinch away, getting to her feet with such speed it was as though she'd just been burned.
"Nayc. K'oyacyi be'chaaj," I never realised how tall she was as she glared down at me; seven feet at least, maybe seven and a half! "Ni kar'taylir gar chakur ner Ca'furor dajunes. Shi…ba'slanar ni solus."
Dajunes…plans. The word had been plastered across the front of a certain document I'd read recently. As she turned away from me to walk over to Alor's grave, I realised she must have known I'd stolen her impromptu Night Fury manual from the cockpit. Looking back, perhaps taking it without asking hadn't been the best idea, considering I was trying to help this…woman.
So. I'd possibly screwed up an extraterrestrial's first opinion of me. Time to see if I could make a better impression on her second.
Ruusaan was feeling…uncomfortable.
For the most part, the co-pilot blamed the little human thing; with its incessant babbling mixed with words she understood. Its' actions…confused her. First, it threatened to shoot her, then it set Ca'furor free, only for it to find her again and knock her out and steal her schematics. She shook her head suddenly, her knife-wielding hand coming up to touch the bandages hidden beneath her pilot suit. It had redressed her wound, then stolen her 'cheat sheets'…
And now it was staring at her.
She chose to ignore it, tearing another bite out of the tasteless ration block as she came to a stop before her Superior's grave.
When she'd awoken, surprised to find herself sheltered from the rains by her own machine and tightly wrapped in a sheet of warm flexible silver, the first thing Ruusaan had done was bury Ca'furor's true pilot. She had been sick before, her wound probably infected with some microbe of this cold, wet place. She'd had little strength as a result, and the second crash after her liberation didn't seem to help matters.
But then that human thing came and knocked her out. And when she'd awoken, her strength had returned, her sickness no more.
The first thing she did was bury his body. With Ca'furor dormant and no way to reach her home, letting her Superior's body become one with this place was the best thing Ruusaan could do for him. She knelt down before the mound, passing a gloved hand over the empty helmet with a small smile as she closed her eyes and recited the prayer under her breath so the human thing wouldn't hear her:
"Superior, I'm still alive, but you are dead. I remember you, so you are eternal."
She would repeat this small tribute to the departed before her over and over for around an Earth hour each waking cycle to sooth the spirit as its body slowly released it back to the Universe, hopefully to be used again.
"Superior, I'm still alive, but you are dead. I remember you, so you are eternal. Superior, I'm still alive, but you are dead. I remember you, so you are eternal. Superior…"
She glanced over her shoulder discreetly. The little human thing had sat up, still watching her with curious eyes. She turned away again, trying to focus on her prayers.
"Superior, I'm still alive, but you are dead. I remember you, so you are eternal. Superior, I'm still alive, but you are dead. I remember you, so you are eternal. Superior…"
She stopped again. She didn't need to turn around to know he was still staring at her. Normally she would probably have shot at the stupid creature, or thrown rocks in its general direction to scare it off, but right now all she felt was…exposed. It wasn't as though she thought she couldn't fight the human thing off, it was the fact it seemed to be analysing her like a science experiment. No, that wasn't right…more like a scientist studying a wild animal in its natural habitat. She glanced back again. The human thing was being a bit more discreet, its legs pulled up to its chin, face towards Ca'furor yet still looking her way out of corners of its eyes. She rolled her own green orbs. The planet's star may be high in the sky, but she wasn't completely blind.
Her species was normally nocturnal, a by-product of evolving on a moonlit world where the night was longer than the day by almost two thirds for most of the year. Even when the Ruus beh Tsad Droten had landed on this word, High Superior Zearaan insisted on keeping a similar waking cycle. On a sealed ship, where lighting could be kept at constant levels, this wasn't much of a problem to emulate. But Ruusaan wasn't on a sealed ship, and the darkness of Ca'furor's cockpit was marred by the faint smell of her Superior's blood that hung in the air.
At the time, a change in waking cycle to rise with the local star seemed logical, and sleep with the warmth of the fire. Now she was worried the fireball's heat was frying her brain and dulling her senses. The human thing shouldn't be such a bother; an itch easily scratched. So why, why couldn't she face the problem head on?
She looked down to the ration block, half-eaten in her hand. The reason why became apparent almost immediately.
Ruusaan sighed bitterly, her shoulders sagging inside her armour as she turned to face the little human thing fully. She could finish her Superior's prayers later…
Only to find it was missing.
The co-pilot blinked in surprise, her emerald eyes darting around the crater uneasily. Had it left? Was it hiding in ambush? She cocked her head to one side in alarm as Ca'furor suddenly groaned to life, followed swiftly by a metallic banging sound coming from the opposite side to her a few moments later. Immediately she scrambled to her feet, her mind filled with images of that evil little creature tearing her only chance at getting home apart.
As she rounded the mech's head, her eyes widening in bewilderment at what she saw.
Once again, I was cursing my own ingenuity.
Even with one of its grappling legs missing and the device itself most likely disabled, the EMP stinger remained firmly clamped to the Night Fury's side, tiny claws buried deep into the mech's armour. With my curiosity about the co-pilot severely dampened by the evil looks she kept trying to subtly send me over her shoulder, I decided to make better use of time figuring out why the Dragonoid had crashed…again.
The A.I. was dormant, for reasons I couldn't understand. With the pressure Gobber had put us through recently, I'd been lucky to find time to glance through the blueprints to try and figure out why. Although we knew what the A.I. was capable of once the pilot ejected, what its functions were the rest of the time were unknown to us. If the co-pilot hadn't even been able to get down the road from the original crash-site, perhaps there was more to it just going crazy when its pilot wasn't around.
With so little information to go on, I could only conclude that the EMP was still active in some form, weak enough to let the Night Fury recharge, yet powerful enough to reach the A.I.'s personal power core.
This was why I'd started the Dragonoid up (the only procedure I'd truly burned into my brain) and once again I was pounding against the legs and body of the stinger, sweat pouring down my face despite the cold weather, trying desperately to get something to budge while at the same time wondering why removing the damn thing with bolt cutters in my original plans had been such a wonderful idea.
Sparks flew through the air as another leg broke clear, a feral grin crossing my face as I tore the poor spindly limb away from the machine. I was determined to remove this thing, even if it killed me.
And if it wasn't the problem…I'd cross that bridge when I came to it.
I didn't even realise my alien companion had been watching me until I felt her shadow across my back, and even then I didn't turn to look at her. I was just focused on the task at hand. I had to break this damn stinger off the Fury's side. Because then…
I paused suddenly, the rock held high above my head. Why was I doing this? Letting the co-pilot go was one thing, but why was I trying to help her get away? I'd bandaged her wounds, given her (hopefully non-poisonous) food, and now I was actively trying to help her escape. Dragonoids were the enemy. Almost nine billion people had been killed because of them.
So why…
"Hukaat dayn."
I could have sworn I jumped around a foot into the air as a new, larger rock came down on the stinger, sparks flying as the leg I'd been working on and the one below it jarred themselves loose.
I glanced at my machine's attacker, the co-pilot staring stonily at the half-wrecked machine and purposefully avoiding my gaze. She indicated to the stinger.
"Gar'ra riye."
I felt a smile cross my lips as I turned back to the device, bringing my rock down hard against the limb. I lost track of time as we continued to toil, painfully pounding away my poor EMP's legs until they jarred almost completely loose, the co-pilot then finishing the job with a swift slice through the last few springs with her combat knife. The sun was reaching its peak by the time we came to the last two legs, the stinger hanging limply from its remaining limbs. It had been hard work, but between the two of us, we'd probably taken the job down in half the time. Now the two of us held our respective rocks high above our head, breathing laboured and faces sweaty from the hard labour we'd endured, and both (probably) agreeing I would never build something so small and sturdy again unless I had too.
The limbs came completely away with one last pathetic moan as the rocks came down, a spray of sparks standing out starkly against the Night Fury's armour as the EMP stinger finally fell to the dry ground with a satisfying thump.
I looked up at the Dragonoid expectantly. Any moment now I expected to see some kind of indication the A.I. was free. The Night Fury stayed dormant, however, only the hum of energy coursing beneath its armour breaking the silence.
"Damn."
"Haar'chak."
I checked inside the cockpit, just in case, but the globe within was still dark. The A.I. hadn't reactivated. I slumped down against the Night Fury's side dejectedly, the adrenaline quickly draining away as I examined the broken EMP. Now that I looked at it, it was clearly dead. Had I really so eager to get rid of this recent problem in my life I'd just thought the first idea that came into my head was the right one? I sighed again, letting my head rest up against the armoured plate.
"Well, scratch that idea."
I was too tired to be surprised as the co-pilot settled down beside me, making sure to keep a decent space between us as she stared out across the crater. We sat there for a moment, not looking at anything in particular and letting the fact our hard work had been for nothing slowly sink in.
Then…she laughed.
It started off as a light snigger, something she quickly tried to cover up with a gloved hand clamped across her mouth. The more she tried to hide it though, the more it seemed to want to get out, her shoulders shaking with silent mirth…
…and it was contagious.
The more I tried to scowl at the co-pilot indignantly, the less I felt inclined to do so. The stupidity of the situation just felt…funny somehow. Two members of battling species had worked together for possibly the first time in three hundred years…only for all their effort to be completely pointless. It just seemed…funny.
So I started to laugh too. I just lent my head back and laughed until my sides hurt, the co-pilot doubling over beside me as her own fit of giggles overwhelmed her. It felt so…normal. Like it didn't matter what species we were, or what side we were on. We were just two people…finding something funnier than it probably was.
Eventually, the moment began to die down, our hard laughs smoothly making way for the odd chuckle as we wiped the tears from our eyes. I glanced at the alien with a tired smile, watching as she lent up against the side of her machine with a satisfied grin, her eyes closed. It was then I realised I didn't even know my companion's name.
"Alex," the co-pilot glanced at me quizzically as I spoke up. I tapped my chest. "Alex."
"Hal-lax?" she frowned as she tried to sound my name…wrongly I might add. Maybe it was the teeth.
"Alex," I frowned myself, tapping my chest again. "My name is Alex," I tapped her shoulder gently. "What's yours?"
The co-pilot cocked an eyebrow in puzzlement. Hesitantly, she tapped me on the shoulder.
"Hallex?"
I opened my mouth to correct her, then thought better of it. I could work on her pronunciation later. I merely nodded. The co-pilot looked down at the hand that had touched me. Slowly, she tapped her chest plate, looking to me for confirmation, "Ni naas Hallex, serim?"
I assumed she thought I was referring to my species or something. I shook my head.
"No, it's my name. I'm Alex." I tapped my chest again, admittedly starting to feel a little irritated, before tapping her shoulder. "So if I'm Alex, that makes you…"
The co-pilot smiled suddenly, realisation dawning in her eyes. She brought an arm across her chest, closing her hand into a fist over her heart.
"Ruusaan."
"Ruusaan," I repeated, smiling confidently as she nodded with a tooth filled grin. After all, I was the first human being to talk make proper contact with a Dragonoid without a weapon in either of our hands since this war began.
What wasn't there to smile about?
Dragonoid Translation
Note: Dialogue in bold is dialogue that the speakers understands but isn't speaking in English. If Dragonoid was a series or movie for example, Ruusaan would be speaking the Dragonoid's language.
"Copaani gar ogir?"
(Are you there?)
"Elek."
(Yes.)
"Ni jorhaa'ir gar aht shekemir ni, lenedat."
(I told you not to follow me, target.)
"Gaa'taylir?"
(Help?)
"Vaabir'naas nari!"
(Don't move!)
"Ne'johaa."
(Shut up.)
"Vaabir'naas pir dajun, lenedat."
(Don't get ideas, target.)
"Kai'tome?"
(Food?)
"Kai'tome. Gar epar ibic, vaabir'naas gar?"
(Food. You eat this, don't you?)
"Ni haa'taylir. Yai'yai. Ni eparde dush'shya."
(I see. Rations. I've eaten worse.)
"Tion'jor copaani gar olar?"
(Why are you here?)
"Nayc. K'oyacyi be'chaaj. Ni kar'tayl gar chakur ner Ca'furor dajunes. Shi…ba'slanar ni solus."
(No. Stay away. I know you stole my Night Fury plans. Just…leave me alone.)
"Hukaat dayn."
(Watch out.)
"Gar'ra riye."
(Your turn.)
"Haar'chak."
(Damn it.)
"Ni naas Hallex, serim?"
(I'm not Alex, correct?)
Author's Notes
Ruusaan (reliable one in Mando'a) was to Toothless' personality what the Night Fury mecha is to his body, or at least she was at the start. Originally, she started off as just a name in the prologue, and was fated to die the same as the pilot, with Toothless' personality portrayed by the mech's AI. It's relationship to Alex was to be inspired by that of Sousuke Sagara and the AI of the ARX-7 Arbalest, AL, from Full Metal Panic, but I found it hard to convey the same emotional levels of the equivalent scene when Hiccup tries to kill Toothless in the last chapter. It's one thing to aim a gun at a living being, and the scene just seemed to lose something when Alex was trying to smash a dome at the back of the cockpit. As such, Ruusaan got to live, largely due to her level of skill compared to the experienced pilot, who while I thought would make a good big brother/mentor type figure to Alex risked making the story boring by simply telling him exactly what to do when piloting the Night Fury (assuming I could give an excuse to have him pilot it at all)
That was the original plan anyway. The end result is a bit more complicated, as by the end of the story Ruusaan had become a character in her own right, hence why we've got an OC character tag. I'm not really sure how it came about. Maybe Toothless' animal traits just didn't translate well into humanoid traits. Maybe she slowly grew into her own character as I rebuilt scenes and I just didn't notice. maybe it's just because I made her a girl and the genderswap was enough for my brain to consider her a new character as I wrote. All I know is that Ruusaan isn't Toothless and Toothless isn't Ruusaan. They are, much to my own surprise as much as yours, completely separate characters.
With the appearance of an actual Dragonoid alien as a part of the main cast came an evolution to the Dragonoid species (Tsad Droten) that I didn't expect. In my original plan, once the Dragonoids were an alien race rather than just alien machines, they were akin to the Hirogen from Star Trek: Voyager; a race of ruthless nomadic hunters who had come to Earth for new sport. Ruusaan's appearance made me reconsider this, and through her I evolved the species in ways I hadn't considered.
Her design is the most obvious. It would have been incredibly easy to make the Dragonoids a race of lizard people (Officer Limeskin from WorldEnd would probably be a good indication of how they might have looked), but it was never my intention to make the aliens very lizard like (Remember Dragonoid is the name humans gave the mechs. Because no Human alive knows the aliens real name (Tsad Droten), humans just refer to both species and machine by the same name.). The more humanoid looks was originally inspired by Mass Effect's asari (older readers might remember Ruusaan originally had no defining ears), but in the end it was a fanart of Gundam Unicorn's Marida Cruz I found on safebooru (Go to the site, go to a random picture, then replace the numbers after view&id= with 205077 to see it) plus some messing about with Star Trek Online's character creator that led to Ruusaan's final design and general character height. The only thing she truly inherited from Toothless was her eye colour and teeth sharpness (they don't retract in case you were wondering). I've got more to say on Ruusaan, but I think I'll leave it for another day for now.
Speaking of designs, Zakeraz asked me via review where the inspirations for the other Dragonoids came from. Unlike the Night Fury, the other Dragonoids didn't get nearly as much thought, largely because outside of the arena fights the Dragons aren't actually seen all that much in the film. As such, the basic inspiration for all Dragonoid appearances was "Dragon, but metal". That is to say they adhered more to their respective dragons shape than the Night Fury does. Of the mainstay dragons though, only the Nightmare completely adhered to that line of thought (although its definitely more streamlined than a monstrous nightmare. The Gronckle for example took some visual inspirations from Halo's Pelican troop transport, while the Nadder...well...the Nadder took some inspiration from the Blue Eyes White Dragon jet from Yu-Gi-Oh. Yeah. The RaDOME on its back was inspired by the MVF-M11C Murasame Reconnaissance Type from Gundam SEED Destiny. I can't remember what the Zippleback's inspiration was, except that it might have been a tank unit from a strategy game. If I remember, I'll let you know. Due to the oddness of the dragons' naming when compared to the Nightmare and the Night Fury, I simply corrupted the spelling of each and threw in a few apostrophes to put it in line with Mando'a.
I think that'll do for today. I'm already late posting this and I these notes were longer than I expected them to be.
Thanks for reading!