Side Quest 11: Taming the Hound, Pt.2
Dragon Combat Refresher Course
Afghan Desert, 1200hrs
Cpt. Jack Haddock
I can't believe I let her talk me into approving this activity.
I was originally against this; it was a sunny Saturday morning, and I had wanted to take a good rest this weekend, but she had insisted on it – she was rambling on about the soldiers not having enough discipline, and not taking training seriously enough.
Personally, I think she's just trying to find an excuse to get back at Ilena for that night.
Observing the soldiers as they practice their dragon combat manoeuvres in the air, I can only cringe as I hear Astrid's constant harsh orders as she pushes them to their limits, taking on them one after another in short aerial dragon-on-dragon sparring matches. Verbal and physical punishment awaited those that weren't able to match up to her standards. Sorry guys, she had threatened to set Toothless on me.
Speaking of which, the Night Fury seems to be enjoying this. Showing off his agility and firepower seems to be one of the things Toothless enjoys the most, especially when it comes to asserting his superiority over the other dragons. Lately, though, it seems he has developed some sort of rivalry with Ilena's dragon Stormfly. The two are always at it; given that the Mood-dragon species rival the Night Furies in speed, power and agility, I suppose Toothless' ego does need some assurance that he's still one of the best.
Slowly ascending towards the sparring zone, Toothless and I observe the ongoing match between Astrid and Ilena. Never failing to impress, Astrid's combat abilities truly test her opponent to his limits. Her dragon Lightning flits swiftly across the sky, dodging attacks gracefully and speedily placing her rider and herself in the ideal attacking positions. Her speed is amazing, even for a Nadder. I have to admit, Astrid and Lightning do have a close bond, teaming up to become one of the most formidable pairs I've ever seen.
They dodge yet another barrage of projectiles, weaving between the flaming arrows, and disappear swiftly from Ilena's field of view. Confused and frustrated, she brings Stormfly around, searching desperately for her target. The look on her face is one of irritation, greatly annoyed at her repeated failed attempts at surpassing the Lieutenant.
"Bang. You're dead." Without skipping a beat, Astrid had flanked her from below, slipping stealthily into her blind spot. Her finger and her thumb shaped in an 'L', forefinger pointed straight at Ilena's head, indicated her loss this round.
"I've told you before, I'll tell you again – get it into your thick skull; protect your blind spots! What you can't see can kill you!" She drills her lessons into the others, making sure that they got her point.
Moving on to the next soldier, Astrid resumes the practice session. Ilena, however, isn't so spirited. Slumped over, she seems dejected, and maybe a little beat-down.
"Harsh as always, isn't she?" Sighing, I nudge Toothless in his side, instructing him to bring us over. He grudgingly complies; he doesn't like being near Stormfly, for egoistic reasons. Despite hovering right next to her, Ilena doesn't notice me. Damn, Astrid must have really given her the thrashing of her life. I give her a slight wave to attract her attention.
Looking up, she sees me, and manages out a quiet, "Zdravstvuĭte, kapitan."
"So… how's it going, Ilena?" I don't know what else to say. What do you say to a depressed Russian ex-mafia leader?
"… Fine, judging by the number of defeats I've suffered today." Her voice is dripping with sarcasm, still aching from the losses.
"I don't understand, kapitan. Why is she the second-in-command? How can a person so… harsh and so cold be so… respected? Back in Russia, I was never held with such… dignity. It wasn't respect that I got back there… it was strah… fear…" She is confused, lost.
In a flash, I understand what she wants. Inside, she just wanted to be respected by others. Smiling, I try to lift her spirits.
"Ilena, can I share a secret with you?"
Puzzled, she turns to me. "…Da, what is it?"
"Well, it's a complicated thing, but Astrid is special in her own way. Sure, she may be harsh and cold on the outside, but once you realise why she's doing this, you'll understand. She just… clicks with others. Trust me, I've been on the receiving end of her rage, so I know what it's like," Pausing, I collect my thoughts, "But when it gets down and dirty, she's the first out there, fighting to protect us. She doesn't do what she does for the prestige, or recognition; she truly believes that there is something worth protecting in all of us, human or dragon. She's special that way, and that's what makes her a true leader, in my opinion."
Ilena has this look of incomprehension on her face, and I can only silently laugh. "Well, you'll understand it someday. For now, just concentrate on passing this course, okay?"
I look down at Toothless. He seems excited, observing the skirmishes with great interest. A smile creeps across my face. "I know what you're thinking buddy. Let's do it!"
Growling in enthusiasm, Toothless brings me into the sparring zone, wings flapping energetically. I open communications on my radio. "Odin Squadron, do you read me? This is your captain speaking."
Sporadic replies, tired and exhausted, sound through my visor. Can't blame them; Astrid's been pushing them too hard again. "Guys? I know you're tired, you've been at it since three in the morning. As your commanding officer, it's my responsibility to reward you for your hard work-"
Out of the corner of my eye, I see Astrid giving me an incredulous look, mouthing out to me silently. Jack, what are you thinking? I'm not done with them yet!
I just smile evilly at her, and continue speaking, "The past few hours, you've been drilled and beaten again and again by Lt. Astrid here. Just so you know; it's for your own good."
"However," I pause for dramatic effect, "maybe now is a good time to see what are HER weaknesses are instead, eh?"
Murmurs spread across the hovering soldiers. Catching my drift, she returns my open question with an understanding shrug, and readies Lightning. A confident smirk on her face, she locks eyes with me. Opening our private comms channel, she taunts me under her breath, "Man, you don't know who you're messing with here."
"Hey, it's my Saturday, I do whatever the hell I want with it."
"Alright then, Captain. Shall we tango?"
"Yes, let's put on a good show!" Digging my heel into Toothless' side, I take off towards the midday sun in a flash. I switch gears effortlessly, my bionic leg synchronising its actions perfectly with Toothless' movements. Tailing close behind, Astrid presses on with the chase, she and Lightning not giving up at all.
Like a complex, choreographed dance, Astrid and I weave through the sporadic clouds, outmanoeuvring and dodging each other. Toothless roars in delight at the exhilaration of the moment, as we are lost in the adrenaline rush. Cheers sound out from the rest of the soldiers, rejuvenated by the sight of the two legendary dragon warriors duking it out with each other.
Landing Bay, Installation 83-RK, 1400hrs
Cpt. Jack Haddock"Good fight, Astrid." Getting off Toothless, I make my way over to Astrid, who is now handing a few slabs of dragon food over to Lightning as a reward. She notices me, and smiling, she extends her hand for a handshake, "You too, Jack."
"Lyeitenant, may I request… one more sparring session with you?" The question catches me off guard, as I see Ilena approach Astrid tentatively.
"No, Ivanova, I told you to go brush up before challenging me again. You and your dragon need more work together."
"Nyet, I wish for a hand-to-hand sparring."
At that statement, all activity around us freezes. Low whispers spread across the area, as the realisation of what was about to happen dawns upon everyone. Stunned, I try to get Ilena to reconsider. She was going to get wiped on the floor! This was definitely not what I had in mind when I spoke to her just now! "Ilena, I… um, I think now's not the best time…"
"Oh, it's alright Jack; I've got nothing to attend to for now, anyway," Astrid calmly brushes me aside, to my shock. Not her too! I'm left there blabbering like an idiot as Astrid takes off her flight jacket and throws it over to me. Turning to Lightning and Toothless, I try to get them to intervene. The stupid reptiles just look on nonchalantly. Not our problem.
Around the scene, a ring of spectators has formed, made up of all the onlookers and members of Odin Squadron.
The murmurs grow louder as the two women face each other off in the makeshift ring. I've given up trying to do anything, and I can only watch in exasperation. Christ, here we have the two most fearsome women on this side of Earth, staring each other down; it's like Ground Zero at Nevada.
They take their opening stances – Astrid with something from boxing, and Ilena with Russian combat sambo, and all time seems to stop.
Ilena makes the first move, lunging towards Astrid. Calmly sidestepping, the blonde counters with a throw, grabbing the Russian's fists and using her momentum to slam her onto the ground. Landing hard on the floor, Ilena winces from the pain, but she gets up.
Resuming her attack, she executes a flurry of punches and kicks to Astrid's torso, but all are swiftly deflected away, before Astrid sneaks in a painful blow to her face, knocking her off her feet with the force.
"$50 on the Lieutenant."
"Does she even stand a chance?" The onlookers are taking sides now, placing their bets and making comments on the match.
"NO NO NO; WAIT, WAIT! Shit, those two are getting really violent! They're going nuts, guys! How can you let two women do this to each other? !" I'm astounded at the scene, utterly shocked at what was happening. It was turning into a bloodbath here, what with the blows becoming harder. Both Astrid and Ilena were now covered in bruises, and were bleeding from the nose and mouth.
A hand on my shoulder, Snotlout calmly speaks to me, "Well, then go ahead and stop them."
"Wha-?"
"Look, does it really bother you that much? Then go and stop them. We're fine either way."
Swallowing my fear, I slowly walk towards them. My hands are still trembling. "U-um… Hey, you two? Why don't you stop fighting, huh? Then you can… uh… compliment each other's… uh… fighting spirit… and stuff…"
"PISS OFF, JACK."
"… Okay."
Returning their attention to each other, the two bruised, bloodied girls face one another again. "Give up, Ivanova."
"Nyet, I'm not done. I want to know your true power, lyeitenant. How can a person like you triumph over me?" Wiping the blood from her nose, Ilena retakes her opening stance.
Astrid narrows her eyes, "Is that it, Ivanova? I'm afraid you've got a long way to go."
Gritting her teeth in furstration, Ilena rushes in, mustering all her strength behind the next blow.
Strangely, Astrid just stands there, letting the fist go right past her defences, and straight into the side of her face. There is a sickening crack as contact is made.
But she still stands her ground. Her hand slowly moves to Ilena's fist, gradually prying it away from her now-bruised face. Shocked, Ilena is unable to react. "Why… Why…?"
"Ivanova… I have something to tell you. I didn't get to where I am today by fighting battles and winning them. Respect isn't something you earn with your fists; it is gained by a strong heart and a determined, pragmatic soul. To be a leader, you must respect those you lead first. Only then can you truly gain their trust and respect."
Shaking, Ilena falls to her knees, her voice wavering, "How… how… am I not good enough to be finally accepted?"
I move forward, wanting to comfort her, but Astrid puts her arm out, stopping me. Kneeling down, she continues speaking to the trembling girl in front of her.
"Ilena," She is taken aback by the use of her first name, "I know you have the strength to fight on. I truly respect and admire your abilities. I would love to have you working alongside us; but are you willing to do so, for these men and women that now stand around us?"
Looking up, the Russian sees in front of her not an officer, but another soldier just like her, extending a warm, welcoming hand. A smile spreads across her face. Taking the extended hand, she is lifted off the ground by a confident, grinning Lt. Astrid into a warm embrace.
"We're all willing to accept you here. Remember my words, and I'm sure you'll be a respected commander in no time, Ilena… or should I say, Second Lieutenant Vladilena Ivanova." Smiling widely, Astrid hands her the rank insignia, the one that would finally mark Ilena as one of us.
"… Spasibo, lyeitenant." Eyes shining with gratitude, she firmly salutes.
Sighing in relief, I walk towards the two of them, "Great! Now that that's cleared up, let's all go get cleaned up! The weekend's not over yet, guys! Move it!"
Laughter and friendly chatter fills the landing bay once more, as the members of Odin Squadron resume their business.
Placing a hand on Astrid's shoulder, I make an offer, "Hey guys, how about a drink? My treat, just to reward you guys for your hard work!"
"Alright, I should be free for now. Plus I need something to numb this bruise on my face."
"O bozhe! I'm so sorry!" Blushing, Ilena sheepishly apologizes for the unintentionally hard blow.
"It's okay. I've had worse." Astrid just brushes it aside, as the headstrong, infallible soldier I know and love.
"Right! Who's up for some VODKA~?"
THWACK "OW!"
"Remind me one more time and I'll stick a blowtorch up your ass, Jack."