CHAPTER 8

"Jesus! It's good to see another Commander and a Shipmaster!" Morrison said as he saluted Kilosomee and Anders. Morrison had a slight black outfit and cleanly shaven head. He turned his brown head and asked, "So! What's this plan of yours? I saw those dragons out there and thought 'Now the shit's really hit the fan or I've gotta stop drinking so damn hard!'" The three laughed. Anders and Kilosomee briefed Morrison about what had happened while AI Kakashi and the Summer in Hell AI Appachéte, who was more like a scary-ass samurai, greeted each other and shared the info and opinions of what went down. After the debriefing, Morrison stared and laughed, "Damn! If anybody but you two had told me all this, I'd call them insane and order a psyche exam. But since I see a bunch of dragons nearby… It's enough to make people think that this is some fairy tale!" Anders and Kilosomee smiled. Morrison straightened up and became more serious, "Still, this is a bit disturbing, the "Drakemaster" controlling our own ticket home. I'd be surprised we haven't seen him using it as a threat over our heads. But let's hope he keeps it that way. Now, usually, I'd like to go in there, guns blazing and being the hero and T-bagging that asswipe. But this is going to be troublesome… I've already got five things that I would've used to my advantage if I was him. That includes destroying whatever the heck he's got that brought us here. But he's too stupid to think he can lure another UNSC ship to help him. Especially when the ship appears right over your heads! I think we can call this in the bag!" Anders nodded but then said, "First, we've got a little situation going on, the Drakemaster's got two dragons, one fully grown and he has a grudge against, and a hatchling. That black dragonelle over there?" Anders gestured to Cynder, "She's wanting them both alive because that's her family being threatened. Now I don't know about you, but I'd like to have good relations with her, cuz if her family's dead, we're good as dead. I've been reading that a dragonelle's wraith is worse that facing ten raging Brutes at once. I don't want to see if that's true."

"So you're saying this is a search and rescue mission? As well as a searching our ticket home?" Anders nodded. Morrison leaned back a little. He stared at the ceiling when a Jackal came up and said, "Sirs, we have a message from old Arsemaster." He produced a letter and the three read it:

"I must say that this is a very fine game to you all, but this ends now! I demand you to surrender your allegiance to me or I shall destroy the mechanism that is what you seek. Send your reply. Signed, the Great Drakemaster."

"Uh-oh…" Morrison muttered, "Now we've got nowhere to go now." Anders smiled, "This is what I planned for him to do, in case he ever got the ideas." Anders produced a small bag that contained a letter, "This is the letter that makes him believe that we are surrendering to him. But this also means that we've got to move quickly." He read the letter aloud:

"I hereby surrender to your rule for the sake of our ticket home. We will send our ships to go over to your castle immediately." For the first time in Anders life did he see an Elite, a Jackal and a human look thunderstruck all at once. Kilosomee had his split-jaws hanging loosely while the Jackal, outside, had his jaw wide open, Anders could see every teeth in his mouth. Morrison looked like he could've pulled his pistol out and shoot Anders right there. He certainly made a slight move for it before checking it.

"That-That's insane!" Kilosomee sputtered.

"The bigger question is: Is it insane enough?" Anders asked. Everyone closed their mouths and thought about what Anders was planning. Then Morrison said, "It could work!" Kilosomee looked at Morrison, then to Anders and then said, "… OK, I'm coming with you two. I this fails, at least I don't have to be the one that suffers from Cynder." The men nodded and Kilosomee ordered the Jackal, "Get the troops ready! We're going on a road trip!"

2 HOURS LATER

They had finally arrived at the Drakemaster's castle, which was floating up on a mountain. They set up Wraiths, Scorpions, and basically every vehicle they had and loaded them all. They even hauled down one Scarab. Anders looked at the sight from his small group of Pelicans and Seraphs that would lead him, Kilosomee, Morrison, the Master Chief, Fred and a few Elites, Grunts, Jackals, and Hunters to strike the place while the ground team below would pummel the fortress to pieces. He noticed a figure up on top of the battlements. It was him. The Drakemaster himself.

"Found him! He's being smug about having an unstoppable army right now!" Anders used a nav point to tell everyone where he was. He heard Morrison say, "Damn that's one ugly sunuvabitch!" He then heard a "Hoo-rah!" out of another Pelican filled with ODSTs and Marines.

"Remember, make sure you find the dragons first, and then get them on the Pelicans. Then find that mechanism and bring it back in one piece!" The replies "Yes, sir!"s came.

Now was the time.