"I wish we didn't have to match pace with the rest of the Cyclonian escorts. We could have been there by now," a crewman on the bridge comments to himself as they are now six days into traveling to Cyclonia, and they have been at only twenty-five percent engine power the entire time to keep pace with the escorts.
"If we did that, we might get in more trouble if we do show up early," Dustin notes humorously as he picks at his map to make sure it's working well.
Cyclonis decides not to comment as she is also annoyed by how slow the escorts were being. "Hey, captain," one of the crew calls.
"What is it?" Dustin sighs as he wipes down the table map.
"Got something on the radar," the crew member informs.
Dustin hums. "What's the tag?" he asks, walking over to a console before kicking the side panel open.
"No tags. At first, though, it was something like a sky shark pack, but they are flying in a formation, not a hunting pack," the crew member informs.
Cyclonis tries to lean a little to the side to see what is happening. "Is there something wrong?"
Dustin hums as he pulls out a length of wire and carries it back to his table map. "Our systems are state of the art. It can tell what time pulse code you have and which tag you have for, for lack of a better term, the flag of the ship. The problem is we haven't got blank sides such as merchants and civilians quite ready yet. So…we have to guess in the way it's being handled. Fortunately, no civilian or merchant flies in formation. This is something else," he notes as he connects the wire to the table. "And it might be those who are risking it all by ripping out the time pulse system out of their ship," Dustin adds before hitting his fist with a pound onto the table to allow it to shine. "This can tell more. We were planning this upgrade for a radar system. But it's ready as it can be," Dustin informs.
Cyclonis watches in fascination as the table lights up and morphs into a map-like setting in three dimensions. "Hello. They are risking flying in the…border of the badlands, and we got a ship on what is almost beyond our sensor range," Dustin says, clearing his throat as he heads over to the pipe. "All hands! Battlestations! We have unknowns approaching us at high speeds from below the clouds. From the speed and signal strength, they are most likely skimmers," Dustin yells into the pipe with authority.
Cyclonis frowns as everyone starts to run around to their stations. "Didn't you say you have no cannons?"
"We have defenses, but no cannons," Dustin informs as Snipe and Ravess run onto the bridge, having heard the announcement.
Cyclonis watches as he walks to where the skimmers are coming from. "Then, what do you have to combat them?"
"Viper, they are just below. When you see them, open up with the rest," Dustin instructs as Snipe and Ravess stare at the map, forgetting what is going on.
"That should be it," someone says as they look between a photo and the ship. "Obvious blind spots under the ship so we won't have a problem."
The cyclonians ride their skimmers in the clouds, trying to get into position as they get ready to attack. An influential count had ordered them to attack the ships on their way back to kill one of his political rivals. They have acquired skimmers and outfits of the sky knight squadrons for this attack to shift blame, with no one being the wiser.
"We can use the nearby cliffs to fly below them without being seen. Radar shouldn't pick us up going straight down," the lead rider calls back to the others.
"They seem to be flying far lower than expected!" another rider calls.
"Then we will keep following," the lead orders as they turn and dive behind a cliff edge. "We have to reach some kind of place to attack it. Ignore the Cyclonian ships for now."
"Well, we better pull up now. We are approaching the wasteland cloudline."
The five skimmers pull up and ride along the cloud line. The puffs of thick clouds sweep by as the skimmers ride over the top of the wasteland clouds. As they approach the group of ships, they start to aim upward and glide towards the Tailwind. Their sights are set on the bottom half, where they have been told there should be no firepower to deal with them. And if they can get their first hits in, then by the time skimmers come out to fight them or canons are ready, the Tailwind would be down and out for the count.
Then one starts letting out a cry of pain. The others didn't even have time to look at what caused it as purple crystal energy starts to fill their vision.
Dustin watches as four of the five blips disappear as they rise and turn to look out the front window, seeing that the fifth one was about to pass past it. Cyclonis and her two guards watch as a barely operating skimmer passes by, and it was only hanging on by his legs as the rest of him is hanging back in the wind, chucks of his torso missing, and one arm was barely attached to his body. What once was a man, resembles something like cheese from all the holes in him.
"Worked well enough," Dustin comments as they focus attention on the ship outside of the normal range. "Now, what should we do with you? Should we send one or two of our escorts to capture it?"
"Snipe, Ravess, see to it personally," Cyclonis orders.
Dustin turns his head back in time to see the two guards exiting the cockpit. "You have a plan, I am guessing?" he asks Cyclonis.
"Mostly want them to be away from me for a bit, so they don't start asking questions," Cyclonis informs.
Dustin hums. "Very helpful when the people who work for you listen without question, doesn't it?"
"As long as they are useful. You would not believe how many idiots are trying to win my favor or even trying to marry me," Cyclonis remarks.
Dustin scoffs. "As if they can win you. From just talking to you, even being near you would be a headache for them. Maybe they would keep throwing gifts you can use."
"It's all the formality stuff. Now, if you give me this ship's design when it is finished, then you will have given me much more of value than all of their gifts combined," Cyclonis says a bit cheekily.
Dustin chuckles. "I'll leave on a white bow and put it on your wedding gift table," he jokes.
Many of the crew look at the pair, scared, not sure how the young heir will react. The air is tense, and the only ones who don't seem to notice are their captain and the heir who starts laughing.
Ravess and Snipe soon come back with a prisoner; it is a cyclonian agent. Needless to say, Cyclonis is not surprised. After all, it hadn't been the first attempt on her life.
"Snipe, kill him," Cyclonis orders, turning away as the agent becomes terrified.
Snipe smiles as he raises his hammer, about to crush the cyclonian skull when Dustin speaks up, "Hold for a moment."
Everyone now freezes as they turn to Dustin, who doesn't seem that bothered about stopping an exact order from Cyclonis. "And the reason for stopping a clear traitor to the empire?"
"If you are going to kill him, at least get as much use out of him as possible beforehand. I am sure he is working for some noble as this is clearly a hit on you, and judging by what we recovered, those who attacked you had sky knight squadron emblems and equipment. Also, I just asked that you don't dirty my ship with his blood. It would be a pain to clean that up," Dustin says, seemingly doing bookwork, surprising both Ravess and Snipe.
Cyclonis hums as everyone, even the traitor agent, tries to understand how she isn't yelling that much to him. "Fair enough. It would be useful to see who is coming after me next," Cyclonis muses. "Snipe, Ravess, secure him," she orders.
Snipe looks confused before Ravess smacks him on the back of the head and gets him to help her drag the agent off. "A risky move doing that to me in front of my guards," Cyclonis comments.
"Not really. You are reasonable and offer an argument that makes sense and would benefit you, and you will listen," Dustin comments back, continuing to work.
Later that night, Cyclonis is discussing with Dustin in private after having eaten some simple meals as there is no official cook.
"So, as you are highly intelligent, what can you do for skimmers?" Cyclonis inquires, wondering if he could give her something else.
"You want my advice on a skimmer for your empire…vastly scale back on them or outright scrap the production," Dustin informs after a moment, shocking Cyclonis with his answer.
Cyclonis tries to understand his mood, thinking he might be pissed off with something. But as she reads his expression, it doesn't seem that bad and only genuinely looks to be in thought. "What makes you think all of that?"
"It's mostly logic. The organic body can only take so much before shutting down, like going unconscious. To skimmers, for the most part, they already push to that threshold, so increasing speed would only lead to that, same to maneuverability on that front for the most part as well," Dustin says before getting the blackboard in the room and starts drawing on it for an example. "The only way I can see to mitigate such things at this point would be like having something like a canopy, but the problem with that is it goes against the main purpose for the skimmer with the sky knights and talon fighting. That being hand to hand fighting with sky-fu," Dustin explains. "You can see the dilemma with such an idea?"
Cyclonis sweat drops and gives a wry smile. "Yes…so what do you suggest out of this? Besides cutting an entire division of the army."
"Well, if you are asking to improve on that despite fundamentally changing it. I would suggest you cut out sky fu all together, seeing as, let us face it, the way skimmers are, they have reached the zenith of what they can be quality-wise. So with that, make a cockpit that insulates the pilot so it can travel at greater speeds and focus range weapons like blasters and bombs. If you insist on making sky fu remain a thing, then at best, I could probably come up with a way to increase fuel efficiency. Still, as it is, I see no real future for the skimmer with the introduction of the weapons the Tailwind has installed, besides that of a scout," Dustin explains.
Cyclonis sighs and leans on her chair as Dustin keeps drawing on the board. "All because you made this ship, you have turned the tides against both sides."
"That is true, but all sides have been in a rut in technological advancement so long that it has drawn out the lifespan of the sky knights as a whole," Dustin says, starting to erase the drawing.
Cyclonis slowly swirls around the glass drink in her hand. "You are talking about the Rex Guardians even."
"Their gear belongs in a museum. I know that for a fact as no one makes parts for them anymore as no one, but those guys use such skimmers," Dustin informs.
Cyclonis huffs. "What a fantastic thing elbow grease is doing to keep those going," she almost notes sarcastically.
"Plus, they are unbelievably cheap. Don't want to pay that much because of their over-inflated egos," Dustin adds, remembering his father's dealings with them.
Cyclonis hides a smile behind her hand. "I can recoup losses that you might have experienced from them as you are still a merchant, are you not?"
"Um…am I, is the question? Also, I never dealt with them. It was my father who did," Dustin clarifies.
Cyclonis shrugs as that trouble is one less expense to put down. "So what can you do now? Especially for us? I will hire you to help finish your designs and give you a proper team to speed things along."
"Hum…what job are you thinking for me to do specifically?" Dustin inquires.
Cyclonis now smiles that has a sinister smirk behind it. "Become my star engineer for R&D. I will make sure you are accommodated quite well for your work and time."
Dustin hums as he considers it for a long while before looking at her. "Maybe if you can clean up your empire a bit. After all, many still want both of us dead—you for being the heir to the throne and me for saving you. Besides, I have a bit of wanderlust still dictating a few of my actions, and I still wish to explore," Dustin says.
Cyclonis chuckles. "I'll be sure to leave a skimmer and ship at your doorstep. Just don't go down into the wastelands unless necessary."
"Maybe. After all, there is some good salvage down there at times. Including a lot of Cyclonian destroyers that have yet to be reclaimed," Dustin points out, making the gears in Cyclonis's head start to spin.
"…how about, if you do find some, report them. I will send salvage crews to pick up the pieces, and you can grab what you need from them. Maybe use the extra metal and parts for your own sake. After all, we are still building new ones to this day," Cyclonis suggests, holding up a finger.
"…officially reporting to Cyclonia when we find their destroyers in the wastelands for salvage," Dustin says, writing that down.
Cyclonis keeps smiling and drinks some more as she watches him write down on a large thick piece of paper. "So, what do you say?"
"To engineering. Give me time for that one and give yourself time to set your empire in order. But I am willing to do jobs for you, just not yet full-time ones," Dustin informs.
Cyclonis hums. "It will take some time. But it will be quite an experience for both of us."
"Yes, it will," Dustin says, smiling.
The rest of the trip, Dustin didn't see much of Snipe or Ravess as they were guarding the prisoner and the rest of the escorts were on high alert. When they landed on Cyclonia itself, many onlookers were staring and taking pictures of the Tailwind, having never seen a ship of that design. Many began to speculate on the vessel before the royal presentation arrived for Cyclonis herself, who exited the Tailwind.
Dustin was requested to escort Cyclonis with her entourage, prompting him to have Rorack, Viper, Daria, and Condor go to the shipyards to buy some high-quality cannons to outfit the Tailwind with on top of it's existing weapons. Dustin followed the procession to the palace. He never got to the throne area as they set him up in a lovely room to wait. Dustin stayed there for hours, passing the time by doing paperwork or working on projects in his head.
'Will it be better as a bowl or specialized…but then the ship is locked to that one area if it happens or not as detailed,' Dustin thinks as he taps his chin. He watches the ceiling as his view only becomes filled with images from his mind of how to go about his many ideas and upgrades.
As he considers this, Cyclonis enters with an older man, probably twenty or more aged, in Dustin's thoughts. A somewhat average looking guy, if Dustin saw him in the streets, he wouldn't be able to discern him from a Cyclonian or Atmosian lifestyle. But the darker blonde short cut hair and simple clothing with a long dirty white lab coat over him tells Dustin that he can expect this guy to be working on something important. And one very important enough for Cyclonis herself to pull him away from.
"Dustin, this is Angus Alden. He is from R&D, and I would like for you to explain the concept of your new weapon to us in detail," Cyclonis introduces.
Dustin looked at her for a bit before sighing. "You will want examples, I assume?" Dustin asks.
"As much as you can," Cyclonis clarifies, nodding.
"I will need a blackboard and a few water balloons," Dustin informs.
"Water balloons?" Angus questions as Cyclonis whistles to some people outside the doorway.
Soon Talons bring in a blackboard and a few water balloons. "Alright. Now, I will need a volunteer who is willing to get paid to be hit with water balloons?" Dustin asks the talons.
All the talons look to each other as Cyclonis snarks quietly to the side at what Dustin just asked.
"Now. The crystal cannons that are in use are made to attack ships, and the way they hit spreads out the impact over an area. Case in point," Dustin says, taking one of the water balloons and throwing it at the volunteer. "Now, as you can see, the water exploded out over an area and not concentrating on a single spot. Cannon shots from the crystal cannons react the same way, thus reducing the damage with an organic body as it spreads the impact area far beyond a target's body. Thus, they only get hit with a fraction of the total power and are not locked in place, so it's like being hit by a wave of water. Ships, on the other hand, can't take such a hit, and, since the hull can't move, it takes the full brunt of the damage over the entire area, thus dealing more damage. That is why we see hulls having damage over an area when hit and skimmers go down usually after a single hit," Dustin says, drawing diagrams including calculations as he was doing a profound explanation.
Angus and the talons stare in shock as Cyclonis smiles at the reaction he has garnered from the group. "Now, what is the difference with your weapon exactly?"
"My weapon takes the same concept and inverts it. They are far more focused, and because of this, the energy bolt is far smaller. Still, the trade-off is that when it hits, it doesn't disperse like water to put damage over an area. Rather, it stays concentrated, so when it hits, it's like a piece of metal on impact, so it has piercing damage. You got a glimpse of the results briefly when we were attacked on the way here. Thus it's range is also around 30% to 40% further than average cannon shots as well as two to three times faster in firing intervals and speed of the shots depending on the power setting so far. The biggest downside is that it can't do significant damage to destroyer class sized ships structures unless it hits the engines. It can do damage to unarmored crew on the outer portion of a ship. So, in turn, this is a weapon designed to be an anti skimmer, crew, and creatures like, and the size of sky sharks," Dustin informs, drawing the difference sizes calculations and examples.
"Amazing…" Angus silently whispers.
"So, I take it from your reaction that he is correct, and it is possible?" Cyclonis asks.
Angus slowly nods as he looks at all the calculations and drawings on the board. "Yes. It is another way to fight and fend off attacks."
"It also makes skimmer's far less of a viable option with the guns massed around the vessel and firing at the same time," Dustin points out.
"I can attest to that. The wing that came out at us didn't even reach within firing range of their weapons alive," Cyclonis adds.
"This is unprecedented. If mass-produced, these weapons can give us a wide edge, especially if placed on the terras themselves," Angus suggests in some horror.
"Yes, that is why if word gets out, all four of you will be executed," Cyclonis says, looking at Angus and the three talons.
All the men sweat profusely at the threat of death as Dustin works on cleaning the board. "So right now, control is needed as if even early designs get out, it could explode in the user's face or worse."
"Thank you for your time. You three escort our guest back to his ship. Angus, follow me," Cyclonis commands.
Dustin hums as he grabs one of the foods left behind on a plate as he follows the three soldiers. "I will see you soon, Cyclonis."
After he was escorted out, Cyclonis walked with Angus. "So, what do you think?"
"It is as you have said. He is brilliant. We can not lose him to the rebel sky knights," Angus says, walking behind her.
"I can assume you will talk to your father, the head of our R&D, and convince him to let you and others be relocated for a bit if it means learning from him?" Cyclonis asks.
Angus nods as he seems to be thinking. "It would take little doing to get the resources and property. But we might need help from the crown just in case."
"I will handle my grandmother. You focus on your father and pick out who you will need. Even if we don't get him, I want you all to learn as much as you can from him and his way of thinking to improve on our technology," Cyclonis informs.
"It shall be done, Lady Cyclonis," Angus agrees as he gives a small curt bow of his head before walking away to meet his family.
'Now to meet with grandmother and to convince her to allow this and not touch Dustin or his crew,' Cyclonis thinks.