A/N: Changed the story's name from Clear Skies to something more appropriate.
Pain, that was the first thing Rayner noted upon waking. It sting his eyes, clouded his thoughts, and made him feel like his skull was cracking open. At this moment he was wishing for the gentle caress of death so that this agony would no longer be able to torment him.
After a few moments of cursing alcohol, and a certain blizzarian who seemed immune to it's debilitating toll; Rayner slowly sat up and tried to focus his thoughts through the haze. He recollected the last nights events and clenched his fists.
Lucy-Lu had opened up to him about one of her chief insecurities last night. He had tried his best to assuage her worries but he didn't think he had gotten through to her. If he had trusted her as much as she apparently trusted him, he would have opened up to her in turn. She along with Gorman were the only friends he had left now. Ever since the Ghost Claws had disappeared, he had been more closed off than usual, not quite willing to let anyone get as close as he had let them.
But that backfired, how would Lucy-Lu take all of this? He trusted her sure, but his past was best left buried. She knew what he was before he met her on that fateful day three years ago, before he was born again. But she didn't know who he was, the true depth of the life he had lead back then. It was better for both of them if she only thought of him as a kid that had fallen in with the wrong crowd, only to grow up into a better man. If she knew the truth...
He got out of bed, put on his leather flight-suit, lamenting silently that the energy crystal that powered the suit's temperature regulation system was nearing the end of it's life. If he did not get it replaced, he would be roasted in his suit under the sun's unforgiving heat. Then again, Lucy had to have spares for her own system...
He nudged that little thought out of his head, it may seem cowardly but he did not want to bother Lucy right now. He needed to focus on other matters, such as Darius. The smuggler turned mercenary was coming here today. Rayner knew that he would, even if he did not announce it before hand. After all he was Rayner's co-conspirator in this operation, he had helped him amass the funds and resources to make this operation a reality.
Technically what they had done bordered on illegal, but Rayner could not bring himself to give a shit about bureaucracy, especially when there was a job to be done. The end justifies the means his father used to say. And in the end nobody would care if he and Darius broke the law to get it all started.
Rayner picked up his telescoping escrima sticks and his backup weapon, an energy dagger from the nightstand. These three weapons meant a lot to him, the sticks had been gifted to him by his mentor and could be joined together at the ends to form a bo-staff, the dagger he had picked up himself after losing his staff in combat for the first time, but unfortunately he had yet to learn how to channel his ultimate attack through it, if it was even possible that is.
Ignoring his discomfort, Rayner stepped out of his room and into the hall. Making his way downstairs he took extra precaution lest he loose footing and tumble down, thereby making an ass of himself to any who might be in the commons at this moment.
Emerging into the commons he took note of it's occupants, besides the few patrons he immediately noticed Lucy-Lu who was talking animatedly to another face he recognized, Anju, fellow Sky Knight and the co-leader of the squadron.
Anju was a friend from his days of training on Terra Solarion, they had maintained a friendly rivalry since that time, she had agreed to serve as his second flight leader.
He walked up to them, it was Lucy-Lu who noticed him first. She turned around and narrowed her eyes while holding her nose.
"Jeepers Rayner! Ya smell riper than a Murklin' in a sweat shop!" she said obviously repulsed.
"Sorry about that Luce, but the shower is out of order," he replied almost sheepish.
The Blizzarian sighed and dug into her crystal satchel, producing a shining white crystal after a few moments. She then held the crystal up at chest level, pointing it towards Rayner. A white ray of light poured out of the crystal and onto Rayner's body, making his hair stand on end and his skin tingle. The light then dissipated and Lucy-Lu returned the crystal to the satchel.
"That was a cleansin' stone, I use it ta clean da grime outta my Ice Grinder's engine. But ya will still need a right proper washin' first chance ya git." she explained.
"Don't get your ears in a twist Lucy, I'm all over it," he assured her.
She rolled her eyes and turned back around to face Anju.
"Welcome to Terra Termina Anju," Rayner said to his fellow Sky Knight politely.
Anju smiled wickedly, "Glad to be here Ray. But I will be even more happy when we get official. So when are we heading out to see the carrier? Lucy-Lu here won't tell me any details."
Rayner turned a knowing eye on the blizzarian, "She's been holding out on me as well, apparently it's a big surprise. But I can tell you we will be heading out after lunch."
Anju adopted a relieved expression, "Good, I can use the rest, flying up against those headwinds coming up here was murder. Now then before you ask I completed my task."
The raven haired Sky Knight nodded, "Excellent, how many bodies?"
"Fifty-two, all of them in passable shape and having some degree of experience working an airship. A few of them are really skilled."
"That much huh? Hope the airship will be big enough to fit all of them." Rayner said.
Lucy-Lu chuckled, "Trust me, that is not gonna be a problem."
"I hope that doesn't mean you overshot our budget," a calm voice said from the other side of the commons towards the entrance.
Lo and behold, it was Darius.
In Rayner's opinion, Darius was the epitome of a sneaky bastard, he was hard to predict and everything he did usually had veiled intentions attached to it, and there were other times he did things out of a genuine sense of either goodwill or malice. You could never tell with someone like him. But all things considered, Rayner was happy to have him along. If anyone could smooth out the wrinkles in this operation, it was Darius.
Lucy-Lu as predicted was less than pleased to see him, and was doing her best to ignore that he was there. Anju on the other had was looking at him curiously, Darius had an ever present air of charm that many found pleasing, he had a way with people. His smooth talking was in the end just as valuable as his proficiency as a flight engineer and mechanic.
"Darius! Glad you could make it," Rayner said, walking up and shaking his outstretched hand.
"You are? Well that's a switch. Anyways I couldn't help but overhear while I was eavesdropping on your conversation. And I am personally concerned as to the reason our furry friend is hesitant on the details."
A low growl could be heard from the Blizzarian, she obviously did not like being referred to as a 'furry friend' that much.
"There is nothin' ta be concerned about, everythin' was right in da price range ya set," she said sternly. "And if ya don't like that explanation, ya can just stay right here, eh?"
"Not a chance, I am interested to see my investment. I spent years working with Rayner for this day and I am not about to spend it on the sidelines," he said with his signature grin while flashing a thumbs up, Rayner swore he saw and heard his smile sparkle with a proverbial ping.
After scooping Gorman off the street outside the Brothel, and sharing a semi-leisurely lunch together (Lucy-Lu insisted upon remaining sour about the whole situation between her Rayner and Darius), the five of them mounted their sky rides and took to the air away from Terra Termina.
Three hours later, the large form of Terra Detriton became visible. And boy was it ugly.
Detriton was a massive airship breaking yard covered in the partially disassembled hulks of old airships, all lined in neat little rows.
Rayner looked upon the sheer number of dismantled ship carcasses littering the terra, all of them assigned the ignoble fate of being scrapped. Rayner had his doubts ever since he heard that their carrier was lying in inactivity on Detriton, this was where ships were sent to end their careers. That said he feared for the condition he might find the ship in.
"Okay Gorman, where is it?" Rayner said through the vox.
"Heh, heh hic!... don't be sho impashunt Shhky Knight. We gotta shee the yard mashter before we do any shnoopin' around, hic!," Rayner facepalmed, of course Gorman would be drinking even through an unfinished hangover. But what really puzzled Rayner is that despite his almost perpetual inebriation he could still fly his skimmer in a straight line.
They followed Gorman down towards the terra, aiming for a series of buildings on the eastern rim of the mesa-like landmass.
All of them landed smoothly, transforming their skimmers to bike-mode just before touching the ground. With the exception of Lucy-Lu, who did a midair flip while her ride was transforming, and then slamming the wheel and blades of her Ice Grinder into the earth and turning hard left to perform a sidways drift before slowing in a stop, she then stood in her seat hand in the air.
"WOOOOOOO!" She shouted out at the top of her lungs. Rayner smiled at her antics, Lucy-Lu was never one for long flights, and must have been bored out of her skull for the entire trip.
"Is she always like this?" Asked Anju, idling her purple hued sky-ride next to his.
"Yes," said Rayner simply.
"Did'ja guys see that?!" Lucy-Lu exclaimed jumping out of her Ice Grinder's seat, "Full ten fer me an' Baby!" she said patting her so-named personal vehicle.
"She's a cheerful one, I will give her that," Anju said with a slight smile while getting off of her skimmer. Their surroundings were dirty and barren, a pair of tumbleweed rolled in between their parked sky rides, pushed by a wind laden with dust.
"Alright Gorman, where is the yard master?" Darius asked, brushing the dust off his sleeve.
"He's coming, so stop yer whining penny pincher," Gorman growled as he walked towards a large wooden house to the left.
"Hey Lister! I'm back and I brought my buddies along!" Gorman shouted at the house.
The door slammed open and there stood a large man in patched coveralls, large black boots, and a tight gray shirt, from his lips dangled a lit lho-stick, illuminating his unshaven face shadowed by the wide brimmed hat perched upon his head.
"Gorman, I thought I smelled you out here," the man, apparntly called Lister, said in a voice that vaguely sounded like two stone slabs rubbing together.
"Heh, heh, I knew ya liked me," Gorman shot back with a happy smile.
Lister removed his lho-stick which was nearly burned down to the butt, he tossed it to the side and stepped towards them with a pondering gait. "I only remember your friend there with any fondness, but only a little," he said shooting a glance at Lucy-Lu.
"I aim ta please Mister Lister," Lucy-Lu replied while leaning back on her Ice Grinder.
"Anyway, we are back to see the Hellbender," Gorman explained, gesturing to Rayner, "This boy here is Rayner, the Sky Knight I was tellin' you about."
Lister glanced at him, "There is only five of you here Sky Knight, you are going to need more sets of hands to handle an airship like the Hellbender, that is if she will even make it to a sky-dock the condition she is in."
"We have a crew hired already, they will be coming here as soon as the deal is finished," Rayner said, "But first I want to see this Hellbender."
Lister nodded, "That's fine, I will have Pocky fly you over there, on the shuttle."
"Thanks for the offer, but we can fly ourselves over to it," Rayner said.
Lister's face darkened, "Non-negotiable son, if anything other than the shuttle flies through the junkyard, the defensive blaster turrets will shoot it out of the sky, it's our deterrent against scavengers." Lister explained, pointing to one of the nearest of the many towers set into the breaking yard, upon it was mounted a large blaster that panned slowly left to right.
"Alright, no skimmers," Rayner said, "So where is this Pocky fellow?"
Lister smiled, "Pocky isn't a fellow."
The door swung open again, and out of the house stepped a tall feminine form in a slinky green flight suit, Rayner immediately recognized her as a Merb, as evidenced by her yellow colored skin, three towed feet, and elongated head with large pointy ears, her lone lime colored hair flowed loosely down her back, and her bangs covered her right eye, the left eye was angled and colored a paler yellow than the rest of her skin, upon her left brow were two ring piercings. She was wearing a sinister grin that sent shivers up Rayner's spine.
"Welcome to Terra Detriton, I am Pocky, to what honorable death may I deliver you today?"
They followed Pocky to a shuttle that was parked behind the house, "Come! Death and glory await us!" the Merb exclaimed, opening the hatch on the side of the small but bulky ship. Looking between themselves for a moment, the team of five slowly followed her in.
"I gotta say, she's a few bottles short of a two-four, eh?" Lucy-Lu said as she sat down in one of the seats.
Rayner had to agree, Merbs were supposed to be skittish people prone to obsessive paranoia, but Pocky was apparently different. She seemed a little too gung-ho for one. Rayner took a seat next to Anju, and firmly locked the seat's harness in place, he had a feeling he was going to need it.
Pocky stepped into the pilot's seat at the front of the shuttle, she flicked a few switches on her dash board and the shuttle hummed as it's crystal combustion chamber came to life.
The shuttle slowly rose into the air over the house, and gently accelerated towards the ship breaking yards. Against expectations, Pocky was an able enough pilot so far.
"All right," said Gorman, "The Hellbender is right on the other side of the terra, as long as we stick to the pathways we should be there in about twenty minutes."
"Pathways?" asked Anju.
"Areas within the fly-zones that allow salvage teams easy access to the airships, less obstacles to fly around." answered Darius.
"Well that seems good," Rayner said, reaching up to loosen his overly tightened harness.
"Boring!" said Pocky, "I know a better way!" she spun the shuttle around and dove for a dense clutter of ships. Darius shouted in alarm as she darted between two wrecked airships.
"Fasten your harnesses!" she called back, "We fly to a glorious death!"
"ROCK ON!" Lucy-Lu cheered, both arms raised in the air. Everyone else dug their fingers into the armrests. The shuttle continued to duck and weave through the wrecked ships. Pocky skimmed the hull of an old bulk freighter before darting up between the twin hulls of a carrier wreck. Pocky gripped the flight controls with a feral leer on her face.
"There!" she pointed. A large super-freighter lay in front of them. It's bow cargo doors had been opened, and the interior had been so totally gutted it was completely hollow. Despite the protests of everyone besides Lucy-Lu, who was content to support Pocky's actions, the disturbed Merb pilot pulled the shuttle through a barrel roll then aimed right for the cavernous opening. The shuttle flew into the super-freighter and performed another barrel roll before screeching to a sudden halt that threw everyone against their harnesses, the shuttle spun around and shot back out of the ship again. Darting past a partially dismantled sky-liner Pocky skirted the hull then spiraled around the long engine nacelles of another super-freighter.
"I'm gonna be sick!" Groaned Darius as he watched the sky, terra, and assorted ships spiral around outside the viewport.
"Weaklings!" Pocky snapped back, "For the safety and convenience of my more pathetic passengers you will find barf bags beneath the seat which your squeamish ass is seated! Now let's make things interesting!"
The shuttle pulled into a loop de loop, Gorman, and Rayner whose constitutions had been weakened by alcohol, grabbed for their barf bags. Thinking there was some sort of prize inside, Lucy-Lu grabbed for hers as well.
"Hey!" complained the Blizzarian, "What'sa big idea hoser! There is nothin' inside!"
"Strange human tradition!" Pocky laughed back. Lucy-Lu noticed Gorman and Rayner heaving into their bags as Anju scrambled for her own.
"Oh...," she said, "Weird."
"And here we are! The Hellbender awaits!" Announced Pocky after what seemed to Rayner an eternity of adrenalin fueled terror. Anju slowly pried her fingers off the armrests. Rayner looked over to see Darius and Gorman gripping each other in fright. They shoved themselves away from one another.
Lucy-Lu stood up from her seat and stretched, "That was one heck'uva ride! Let's go fer a second run, eh?"
"Don't encourage her!" Darius cried out.
Still a little weak from puking his guts out earlier, Rayner released his harness and slowly stood up, he stumbled slightly but was quickly assisted by Lucy-Lu, "Yer lookin a lil' polluted der Rayner, maybe ya should stay in the shuttle fer a while."
"Thanks but no thanks, I am good to go," he said, gently pushing past her towards the hatch. He pressed the button right next to it, and the door cycled open.
He was never happier to see his feet back on the rust stained ground of the terra once more, he fought the urge to fall to his knees and kiss the ground reverently.
Instead he looked up and beheld the Hellbender. And his blood went cold.
Towering over the shuttle was the immense form of a Cyclonian Battlecruiser.
The Hellbender was old. It was among the first of the Mark IV models the Cyclonian Empire put to service. It was the last remaining example of the Block 0 production line, the others had been either destroyed or scrapped for spare parts for updated versions of it's class, such as the current Block 9 production. The reason why it has lasted this long was because up until now it had been resting where it had fallen into the Wastelands after a battle with the now deceased Storm Hawks squadron.
Miraculously, the ship was mostly intact, save for some battle damage and a large rent in the starboard hull from where it had slammed against a rocky crag during it's descent into the Wastelands. The blood red paint job had faded away, leaving only isolated patches of red, and wide expanses of bare grey metal.
"Ugliest damn thing I've ever seen!" Gorman said proudly.
"It's a freaking Cyclonian cruiser! Do you have any idea what the other squadrons will think when they see us cruising around in that thing?!" Anju demanded harshly.
"Heh, heh! They'll be like, 'Oh no! What big teeth they have!' heh."
Lucy-Lu watched the heated exchange from the sidelines while sucking on an apple flavored lollipop. She didn't care one way or another about the battlecruiser, but sadly it was the only ship here that fit the criteria of what they needed. Not only did it have the firepower to easily trash any ship in the sky aside from others of it's kind, but it also had a large cargo capacity and it had an enclosed flight deck. Say what you want about Cyclonians, but they knew how to build their airships.
"No, they will either attack us on sight or treat us like shit," Anju corrected slapping him atop the head angrily.
"That's assuming it can even fly in the first instance," Darius observed, "And besides, how in the Three's names are we supposed to pay for this junker in the first place?"
"Well that's easy!" Said Pocky from off to the side, "It's a really simple thing actually, and if you are lucky you will die a most honorable death in the process!" she chirped excitedly.
Rayner sighed explosively, "I think I am going to regret this, but what simple thing are you talking about?"
The Merb adopted a sly smirk, "That big old cruiser over there has been causing problems the moment we pulled it from the Wastelands and settled it here. You see the whole damn ship is infested with Shalks," she said.
"Shalks?" Rayner asked.
"Giant beetles that stand about a meter tall, are five feet long, and possess mandibles strong enough to tear a man's leg off, they infest the cave systems in the Wastelands, but luckily they are not particularly bright," Anju answered for him.
"You fought them before?" Rayner said.
"No, but I always wanted to," she said with a hopeful smile.
"Good, because Lister wants them dead. The Shalks have been coming out at night for three days now, attacking anyone they come across, we have already lost eight people to those scrummy bastards," Pocky said, "If you can kill all of the Shalks, the big man will let the ship go for thirty-thousand."
Rayner pondered for a moment and stared up at the enormous ship, "There are no other ships here that will do?"
"None," Lucy said, hoping she would be able to get through this day without resorting to the puppy eyes.
"Well then, I guess we are going on a bug hunt." Said Rayner, cracking his knuckles.
"I was hoping you would say that," Anju said.
Lucy-Lu, simply drew out her staff, this day was going to be a long one.
Atmospedia
Rayner: Not much is known of Rayner's past, beyond the fact that he is a native of Terra Cyclonia and had been a Talon until his fourteenth birthday, his reasons for leaving the Talons are undisclosed, when asked he brushes it off as having 'professional disagreement with the newest Master's policies' whatever the reason Rayner is wanted for treason on Cyclonia, and his status as a former Talon make his fellow Sky Knights leery and suspicious of him, making it hard for him to find any friends.
Despite leaving the Talons, he still sticks to the ruthless and pragmatic tactics promoted by the Cyclonian Military, he favors attacking without warning and without mercy, and is certainly not above resorting to cheap shots in a sky duel. His disregard for the rules of engagement have earned him scorn from a number of his peers.
Rayner fosters close ties to the Ghost Claws Sky Knight squadron, having spent a year with them prior to undergoing training to become a Sky Knight himself.
Combat wise, Rayner is an expert warrior and pilot, utilizing everything including his environment to gain an edge on any opponent he might face. Ruthlessly capitulating on any weaknesses, and brazenly holding onto any advantage he can, just like any Talon would.
Rayner flies a customized Switchblade Elite with a revamped engine that greatly improves it's fuel economy.
Lucy-Lu: Native to Terra Edmontonia, the sister terra of Blizzaris, Lucy-Lu is a highly talented crystal adept and inventor in addition to being a skillful pilot, though this was not always the case.
Until her fourteenth year of life, Lucy-Lu led a typical life for a Blizzarian, cohabiting a dwelling with her cousin Suzy-Lu's family. Living with her more accomplished surrogate sister was hard on Lucy, who constantly struggled to gain recognition in her family with little success.
Her home terra was raided one day by the Cyclonians, an attack that Rayner took part in. she along with much of Edmontonia's population were captured, and bound for a life of slavery in one of Cyclonia's many crystal mines. Fortunately for them, Rayner instigated a mutiny in the Cyclonian ranks, giving the Blizzarians a chance to escape Edmontonia. While in the beginning suspicious of Rayner's motives, Lucy-Lu aided him in repelling Talon attacks on the escape convoy.
Since that day, she and Rayner had remained in contact, keeping their friendship alive through letters and the occasional vox transmission.
A year afterwards, Lucy-Lu broke her leg when her Ice Grinder flipped over on it's side during a particularly dangerous stunt. Deprived of her favorite activity until her leg mended, Lucy-Lu turned to various pursuits, one of which was crystals and she discovered much to her joy, came to her very quickly. Since that time, and long after she recovered from her injury, Lucy-Lu has been fascinated by crystals, and enjoys collecting both crystals and books pertaining to them. Lucy-Lu's skill has only grown with time and practice, and has proven to be highly proficient in transforming raw crystals into more refined and useful ones. But unfortunately, she still struggles in any other field.
Her friendship with Rayner has become strained lately due to his overly guarded nature.
Lucy-Lu flies a customized Blizzarian manufactured Ice Grinder colored black with blue stripes that she has named 'Baby'.
Anju: The daughter of two traveling big game hunters, Anju spent most of her childhood accompanying her parents from one terra to another in search of the next greatest hunt. When she was ten, her life changed forever when her parents got lost in Cyclonian territory after trying to escape a storm. They were captured by a Talon patrol and accused of spying on a nearby Cyclonian military base.
Both of her parents were ruthlessly interrogated and executed, Anju herself was sold into slavery and she spent the next three years of her life toiling in a mine.
She helped instigate a slave revolt, and used the chaos to escape her captors, she was one of only a few to get away with her life. Since then she has nurtured a glowing hatred for the Talons, it was this need for vengeance that prompted her to become a Sky Knight.
She trained alongside Rayner on Terra Solarion, and developed a rivalry that over time became friendly, although she still remains wary of Rayner's previous occupation as a Talon and has stated on numerous occasions that she would kill him if he ever tried to go back.
Anju rides an Air Skimmer III Ultra, with a few aftermarket adjustments to increase it's maneuverability.
Rayner's Escrima Sticks: Constructed from high strength tritanium alloy, and powered by powerful and somewhat uncommon green concussion crystals. They are capable of telescoping from six inches to twenty-four, the ends of the sticks have a special attachment that allows them to join together into a powerful staff, an advantage when facing numerous opponents. Despite being blunt and lightweight, the weapons are nevertheless fully capable of killing people, the concussion crystals magnify the force of impact in weapon strikes by a factor of five, and the pressure waves produced by the crystals discharge is capable of rupturing organs making hits to the head and upper torso deadly. When joined together Rayner can build up momentum to perform his signature Sky Burial maneuver, a 100% lethal attack that causes it's target to implode.
Lucy-Lu's Energy Staff: Created through a year of trial and error, Lucy-Lu's staff is customized to suit her fighting style and tastes. One end is a deadly blade ideal for slashing and stabbing attacks, the other is a port for fitting whatever crystal she chooses. Depending on what she uses, Lucy-Lu's staff can create any number of effects or blasts, for example a fire stone would allow her to sheath the blade in searing hot energy, or shoot a blast of fire, incinerating her opponents.
Anju's Energy Bow: Modeled after a reflex bow, Anju's bow was given to her by her Sky Knight mentor Anvarik. As a Sky Knight, Anju uses this bow as her primary weapon, and because of it's crystal charged nature, it allows her to shoot arrows farther and faster than a normal bow could, just shy of breaking the sound barrier. The quivers on her back and thighs are filled with various crystal-tipped arrows, each one designed for maximum speed and accuracy. Anju favors explosive tipped arrows for shooting down enemy skimmers and reducing her enemies to charred bloody mess. When she builds enough momentum, Anju can perform her devastating Power Lance ability, firing an arrow sheathed in destructive energy that destroys everything in it's path.
A/N: So now the Black Legion almost has a ship. Next chapter will feature a lot more time with Anju. Stay tuned for the Bug Hunt!
And also, feel free to give me feedback on my OC's, I am still frightened that one or two of them might devolve into Mary Sues. R&R.