The morning sun rose over the orbiting region of Sauria, awakening the slumbering natives. The Snowhorn of the ice-covered area slowly woke up from the first good sleep most of them had had in a long time. Being enslaved by the Sharpclaw gave them little in the way of reprieves. One particular group was still asleep, however, exhausted by the events of the previous day.
Fox was the first of his team to awaken, as he was used to getting up early for demanding missions. Yawning and stretching his limbs, he glanced over at his sleeping friends. Each of them was still fast asleep, barely even sturring. Even Krystal was still dozing off.
Fox saw no reason to disturb them, though. After everything they had been through, each of them deserved the rest. They would likely need, too, given how they probably had another long day ahead of them.
Fox walked a bit further away towards one of the Sharpclaw-constructed buildings, seeing as those would provide relief from the cold and had actual chairs to sit on. Inside, he found a bench and table, likely some kind of break room. Setting his bag down, he fished out a few energy bars, as well as some dried fruit and assorted trail mix. Not his absolute favorite, but these never failed to keep the todd full while on missions. Though he did wish he had access to the typical amenities, one might usually find in a modern kitchen.
"I would kill for a donut and some coffee right about now."
Shaking the thought and finishing his breakfast, the vulpine figured now was a good time to contact Slippy and inquire about the Arwing modifications. He glanced at his PDA and flipped to the clock on it. The screen flashed and displayed the time: 6:30 am. Slippy was generally up this early, working on his projects. It gave the mechanic some peace before the other team members would usually be awake. Fox navigated to Slippy's comms on the PDA and called him. The audio was transferred to Fox's earpiece.
"Fox to Slippy, you awake?" The sounds of some mechanical clanks and wielding emitted from the other end for a few seconds before the sounds stopped, and Slippy's voice sounded from the other end. "Clearly, as you guessed from the sounds. Good morning, by the way."
"To you as well. I take it you have been busy."
"Yep. I've almost finished the modifications you requested. I am currently working on a way to make the bottom hatch a bit more comfortable for those two young dinos with you. I will send the Arwing back down to you when I am finished. And I did run the updates on your mission by General Pepper. In light of that, he authorized the use of at least the blaster pistol and your reflector."
"Thanks, Slippy. I can always count on you." A thought then crossed the fox's mind. While the 'stomach juice' had dried out by now, Fox knew he would need a spare set of clothing while he washed his flight jacket at Thorntail Hollow; so would Krystal. "Slippy, can you see if you can find some spare clothes for Krystal and I? We need to wash our current outfits back in the hollow."
"Sure, I will see what I can find. Though I don't know about Krystal, we don't have any ladies' clothes lying around. Though I think it would be weird if we did." The toad stated. Fox shifted uncomfortably at this.
"Of course, we wouldn't do that. Just see if you can send down some of my other clothes. Just leave them in the cockpit of the Arwing when you transport it down."
"Copy that. Slippy Out."
Fox then hung up and glanced at the clock. He figured there was no point in rushing it. The Arwing would take awhile to be ready, might as well let the others rest. He simply sat back in his chair and kicked his feet up. "Might as well enjoy quiet." Fox thought.
(Meanwhile, in the Golden Plains)
General Scales at been awake since the crack of dawn. He rarely slept in, always preferring to get only the necessary amount of sleep. (which for him, was only a couple of hours). He was always scheming and preparing the next stage of his plan; it was, of course, what was expected of a general like him.
He required the same standards in his soldiers. For him, it was about maintaining his image of power. He always wanted his army on the move and at the ready, only granting the bare minimum in necessities to keep them going. This project of power extended to his appearance. He never removed his horned helmet or armor in the presence of his soldiers or in private. He only ever removed it when he slept, however sparse that was.
His quarters were very basic, much like the troop's barracks in the other parts of the war camp. He only had the bare necessities: a table and chair in one corner, as well as a map with his battle plans laid out on it. He slept on a mere cot adorned with whatever soft material the Sharpclaw could get their hands on. Such things were of little importance to the tribe; whatever got the job done worked for them. The only personal items visible in the room were his sword and a few trophies he had taken from his foes, such as tusks or horns.
Being awake early was a part of his daily routine. The general did not lack in endurance or stamina and often went days on end without rest. Some members of his species rarely needed it to sustain themselves with sleep by this point as well, given the horrors they were used to living through for their daily lives. The tribe had spent decades enduring hardships and barren lands to call home.
And yet, his lower ranking minions could never seem to adapt as the strongest had; they. The higher ranked Sharpclaws could endure plenty, but their weaker grunts could never seem to stay awake for as long as Scales and his lieutenants. Scales remedied this by having them work in shifts out of pragmatism. They were afforded few breaks, though; the Sharpclaw offered little in terms of respite. These were the lives must of the Sharpclaw had known for decades.
Word of the defeat at the Dark Ice Mines had reached the general the previous night. A lower-ranked grunt had been sent to inform Scales. The grunt had entered the tent; a group of Sharpclaw waiting outside, bracing themselves for the general's fury. They heard a furious yell before the grunt they sent in stumbled back out with a nasty slash across his face, likely from Scales' metal claw. The general himself followed shortly after this, shoving the grunt out of the way furiously.
"HOW COULD YOU IDIOTS LOSE THE MINES!? I GAVE YOU THE SIMPLE TASK OF MAINTAINING THE SECURITY OF THE OPERATIONS AND SPELL STONE! AND YET YOU COULDN'T EVEN DO THAT!" Scales yelled at his subordinates before adopting a slightly calmer yet still furious tone.
"Now a Spell Stone has fallen into enemy hands, and we lost the valuable resources that the mines supplied."
The former foreman could barely glance at his leader, but he composed himself as best as he could. "A thousand apologies, sir. I will prepare a counterattack at once." The foreman could barely spit out.
Scales shook his head. "That wouldn't be worth the cost. Though the mines gave us valuable ore, it was hardly our only supply. We should have what we need for this next phase of my campaign. Besides, we suffered many losses there. Sending a counterattack could thin out our main forces and give the enemy an opening. For the number of soldiers it would take to retake the mines, we would be spread thin. We still have what we need to see the plan through, even with one of the Spell Stones in enemy hands. The Snowhorns are of little importance now, anyways." Scales finished with a growl.
"I will be reassigning you to another task; the ambush on the Cloudrunners. But mark my words, I will have your head if fail me again. Now get out of my sight and report to the captain. He should be readying the attack group soon."
The foreman bowed. "Yes, sir." He said before he ran off. His group of fellow Sharpclaw followed suit.
Scales frowned. He had no doubt the Dark Ice Mines would be returned to the surface soon if the Spell Stone was returned. And he guessed the Krazoa and Gate Keepers would take extra measures to ensure the Spell Stones stayed in place. His plans hinged on the scare tactic: The imminent threat of the world's destruction keeping the tribes in line. Scales would return the Spell Stones himself; once all the tribes were under his boot.
Scales pushed aside the thought for now. He still had the other Spell Stones hidden away. The plan would proceed as intended.
Soon after this, Scales surveyed the camp from a watchpoint, high up on the walls. After word of the Sharpclaw's defeat at Dark Ice Mines had reached them, via long-range communications, the general had ordered double shifts for the development of his new weapons. Below him, Sharpclaw labored away, constructing the new ships he ordered. Special attention was given to finishing Scale's personal craft. The outer hull had been completed; now, the inside was being finalized. It amazed Scales' at the kind of technology that had been on this planet, undiscovered by other tribes.
He thought back to his initial discovery of the technology.
Months back, he had encountered his supplier, a Kamerian Dragon. This Kamerian had approached Scales after a raid on the Earthwalker patrols out in a jungle region of Sauria, far away from any other tribe. At the time, the Sharpclaw had been encamped in the jungle and were stumbled upon by the Earthwalker wide patrol.
The Kamerian claimed to have seen the fierce ways. Scales and his elite guards had slaughtered the Earthwalker patrol and claimed to be impressed at their strength. The Kamerian had told Scales of the powerful technology he possessed. Piquing the Sharpclaw's interest, the dragon directed Scales to a strange structure nearby.
It had been a metal structure, unlike anything the Sharpclaw had built or seen before. It had been cloaked in some sort of camo, which blended it in with the environment. Yet the Kamerian had been able to remove this illusion, through means the Sharpclaw did not understand at the time.
Within, they had found advanced weapons and metal crafts, the likes of which Sauria had seldom seen. The only times anyone had seen things like this were the few visits outworlders made on this planet.
The Kamerian Dragon had promised to give Scales the secrets to understanding this technology if the general had helped him in a plot to strike back at the Krazoa in return. The Kamerain had explained little of what his plan would entail, but it was hardly relevant. For Scales, there was only one answer he could give. Only a fool would refuse an offer like this.
And so, in exchange for aid in his plot against the Krazoa, the Kamerain had supplied Scales and his elite Sharpclaw with schematics and instructions on how to construct and operate these new weapons and crafts. The process of adapting to them had taken many months, as did the implementations of this technology across the Sharpclaw bases around the planet. The Sharpclaw's campaigns had mostly been halted during this period, focusing on the new training. Scales had been given personal instructions from the Kamerian on how to operate the crafts and proved adept at doing so.
As for the kinds of weapons that were supplied, those varied. The Sharpclaw had been instructed on the usage of new, electric-enhanced weaponry and how to construct more blast-resistant armor using a new weave technique. Like the rest of the new technology, it took time for the Sharpclaw to adapt to, but the smart among them got it down. But what was most curious of all were these projectiles weapons the dragon showed Scales, called 'blasters.'
The Sharpclaw mostly had failed to adapt to these. Most of these weapons had proved ill-suited for the Sharpclaw's bulky hands, and most soldiers had difficulty using them. Only the more intelligent Sharpclaw used these, but most preferred the melee weapons they had been used to their whole lives, Scales included. There were many other factors included in the lack of these weapons amongst the Sharpclaw military, though. The Kamerian had explained that this facility was mainly meant to house ships; and that there were few of these blasters left behind to begin with. The facility lacked the necessary amount of ammo to supply armor. Adding to this, it lacked the tools and facilities needed to maintain these weapons. The Sharpclaw lacked the means, themselves, to maintain and produce ammo for the blasters as well.
As such, the tribe mostly took to upgrading their melee weapons with the new technology they had access to, rather than adapt to blaster usage.
Of special note was the belt Scales' had been gifted, which gave him abilities far beyond any other dinosaur on Sauria. Things like optic camo, teleportation, and a personal shield, as well as other abilities, were at his disposal now. No other belt like this was produced, however. It had been unique to Scales, likely being the only one on hand at this base they discovered.
With all these new tools at his disposal, Scales had conquered much of the planet with ease. He knew that the Kamerian likely had an agenda behind backing the Sharpclaw, but the general was hardly concerned. His sights were set on conquering the rest of Sauria.
"If he betrays us, he will be dealt with. He must think me some lackey to do his bidding. I will play along for as long as it befits me." Scales reminded himself. "For now, lets us see how Drakor's agenda unfolds."
He then refocused on the task at hand. Soon, the Cloudrunner tribe would fall into his trap, and Revallos would leader the ambush. If everything went as planned, they would have Queen Saffali at their mercy.
If he proved his worth, Revallos would be given command over Cloudrunner Fortress. As a vassal, under Scales' command.
"The fool will do anything to satisfy his lust for power over his tribe. Let us see how well he performs."
With that, the general continued his observation of the war camp's operations.
(Elsewhere, in the mountainous regions of Sauria)
Queen Saffali was coordinating her royal guards, preparing for their assault. She and her guards had awoken a half-hour ago yet were already planning out their attack runs. He had located a Sharpclaw convoy in the Moon Mountain Pass area, carrying a Spell Stone with them. It appeared that they were on their way to some kind of Sharpclaw stronghold. The queen had wasted no time in preparing her troops for the ambush.
Amidst the planning, another scout had flown in and informed her that her brother, Kree, was en route to her location. Since yesterday afternoon, he had been flying there but was forced to stop for the night when his party got caught up in a storm. The scout had been sent earlier in the morning to inform her of their impending arrival; and that he wished to speak. After she thanked the scout for the information, Saffali stopped for a moment and pondered something.
"So Kree made it out after all. Thank the Krazoa; if he made it, then maybe he and Krystal managed to rescue Kyte. But why didn't the scout make any mention of them?" Safari pondered before shaking her head. She would be able to ask Kree directly in a bit. She opted to try to wait calmly, yet she could not deny the eagerness she had felt at seeing her brother again and hearing how his mission went. While she awaited the captain's arrival, the rest of her guard did as they had been instructed and made went over their plans.
After about another half hour, the queen spotted the shapes of at least two other Cloudrunners soaring towards the queen's perch on the mountain top. Eventually, Kree and another soldier came into view before landing directly in front of the Safari. The two siblings glanced at each other, then exchanged a hug. Each Cloudrunner soldier bowed respectfully before the soldiers were dismissed.
"It is good to see you are alright, brother."
"Likewise, my queen." Kree said respectfully. Though he was speaking to his younger sister, he still maintained that he must address her as his queen. Especially in the presence of his soldiers, it was important to maintain formality.
"I trust you have news of Kyte? Though I was hoping she and Krystal might be with you now." Safari said a bit disappointed not to see her daughter with him.
"Of course I do. She is alright; Krystal and I rescued her from Scales' galleon. We were on Krazoa palace when the planet broke apart."
"But where are the two now?" Safari focused the question on her daughter's whereabouts.
Kree hesitated for a moment, knowing Saffali would not like his answer. "I left Princess Kyte in the care of Krystal, after
I encountered one of my soldiers at Thorntail Hollow."
The queen frowned, trying to wrap her head around what she had just heard. "You dumped my daughter into the hands of a stranger? Of course, Krystal has proven herself trustworthy, I know, and I did send her on the rescue mission to begin with. But that's not the same as having her play babysitter for us, Kree." Safari said, a bit irritated.
"I had little choice, my queen. I had nowhere that would be safe for Kyte to be left behind. I had to fly through many hazards and dangerous areas to reach the other patrols. We even had a few skirmishes with some Sharpclaw along the way. I wasn't even certain if this area would be safe for her. Until we found you, I could not risk Kyte being injured on our flights across the world." Kree explained his actions. "At the Krazoa Palace and galleon, Krystal proved her skills and resolved to help us save this planet. I could think of no one better to leave her with."
Saffali pondered this for a moment. "I see your logic; maybe it is safer with this woman than where you would have had to drag Kyte, but still. As a mother, I remain concerned. You say Krystal is setting out the help aid this planet, right? Wouldn't Kyte be dragged along with her?"
"I know Krystal can protect her, my queen. Besides, maybe it's a good opportunity for the princess to learn a bit more about Sauria." Kree replied calmly.
Saffali again pondered his words. She had always been protective of each of her children, especially after the death of her husband, King Regis. It had come so soon after she had laid the eggs of their younger children. She had made a promise, internally, that she would never let anything happen to her remaining family and ordered that a guard monitor her young daughter at all times around the palace. This order carried over to the birth of her other children as well; she could not bear the thought of losing any of them. Even when she had brought Kyte with her on trips to visit the other tribes, Saffali still kept Kyte close by her side the whole time. She was not against her daughter learning new things, but this little adventure she was going on was still worrisome to Saffali.
And yet, she still trusted Kree's judgment. He never made a foolish decision, and she doubted he would have started now. After pondering his explanations for a few moments longer, she affirmed to herself that perhaps it was for the better.
"Very well, Kree. I trust you made the best decision you could. We will have to make contact with them later. For now, we have an ambush to plan." And with that, Safari had explained the situation to Kree. After that was done, he was instructed to lead the ambush and bring the Spellstone back to the queen, who would follow and remain hidden in another part of Moon Mountain Pass. After the explanations were out of the way, the royal guard captain ensured preparations were finished and ordered the group to head out towards the Moon Mountain Pass. As the region they were in was not located too far away from the pass, combined with their flight capabilities, the flyers knew it would not take long to reach their target.
(Back in Dark Ice Mines.)
Krystal had awoken about a half-hour after Fox did, awakening with a yawn and a few stretches, as she usually would. She had sensed Fox over in one of the Sharpclaw structures nearby and padded over to join him. With Belina and her young wards asleep, Krystal thought she would enjoy a moment with Fox. And besides, the todd was the one with all the breakfast food on him.
Entering through the doorway, she saw Fox on a chair; his feet kicked up on a table. It seemed as though he was just enjoying the quiet. He had heard Krystal's footsteps and glanced at the vixen as she walked in, a smile forming on his face. He quickly subdued his expression, though, as if not to give any hints or ideas. His smile faded slightly, but he still greeted Krystal warmly.
"Good morning, Krystal. I hope you slept well." He said, maintaining his position on the table.
"To you as well, Fox," Krystal said, sitting down across from him. Fox had taken his feet off the table by now and assumed a more 'proper' position to sit in. He then pulled out his bag and offered the vixen some breakfast: energy bars and dried fruit.
"Want some?"
"Gladly," Krystal responded, taking the food from his hand and begging to eat. After a minute or two, she stopped and looked back up at Fox, figuring they should talk a bit.
"So what's the status on your ship, Fox? Is your mechanic done with the modifications?" Krystal asked, hoping she wouldn't have to sit cramped behind a seat again.
"Yes. He should be done in a few hours." Replied Fox.
"So we have some time to kill then. Ok, well, anything you wanted to discuss while we are alone?" Krystal asked, looking for ways to pass the time.
Fox scratched the back of his head, trying to dream up something. "Well, I guess we could go over the plan I came up with. I am requesting my blaster, some other weapons, and a change of clothes be sent down in the Arwing when it's done, seeing as these still smell like a monster's stomach. I should have some for you as well." Fox added
"Thank you, but you aren't sending down the panties and such of the former owner of this parka, right? That would be kind of weird." Krystal inquired, a bit wired out at the prospect of that.
Fox looked embarrassed. "No no no, nothing like that. Why would we ever keep her undergarments? What I meant was my clothing, like a spare flight jacket and such. Not…" Fox could barely contain his embarrassment.
Krystal laughed, then sighed in relief. "Good. However, I am grateful for the spare clothes, Fox. I don't really have anything else to change into. The Sharpclaw captured my ship shortly after I landed on this world. All of my spare clothing was on that." Krystal frowned. "And all my undergarments." She recalled, with frustration.
Wanting to get off this topic for the moment, Fox changed the course of the conversation to something else out of embarrassment. "So, what I am wondering is how Tricky and Kyte's parents will react to them setting aside their differences. Because, from what Belina told us, it doesn't seem like their parents will be very happy to see this."
Krystal shrugged. "Queen Thera seemed to be pretty understanding. She didn't bear any ill to Kyte when she and I met her. I don't know how the King Earthwalker or the Queen Cloudrunner will react, though. That being said, the Queen Cloudrunner seemed nice when I met her shortly after landing here." Krystal noted.
"Guess we will figure it out when we get there. For now, let's just enjoy the quiet while we can."
And with that, the pair of foxes resumed breakfast, enjoying each others company for a while until their young friends had woken up. Kyte and Tricky had awoken, a bit surprised to be buried in Belina's hair, but we're thankful she had been keeping them warm. Fox had given each of them a Dumbledang pod to feast on, which they did with glee. After breakfast, Fox told them of the time they had to kill, so the two of them played with each other while Belina and the foxes chatted.
After a few hours, Fox figured he should call and check up on the Arwing. Dialing Slippy on the PDA comms, he put his finger to his earpiece and tried to raise the toad.
"Fox to Slippy, you there?"
"Yeah, I'm here, Fox." Slippy's voice came from the other end. "Before you ask, the answer is yes. The Arwing is all ready to go."
"Awesome. And do you have the supplies and weapons I requested?"
"Affirmative. You should find them in the seat of the Arwing. Just punch in some coordinates, and I will send it down."
With that, Fox turned to his campions and explained the situation. He then led them a bit out of the village, towards a wide-open spot in the valley. When he found the spot he wanted, he marked the coordinates and sent them towards the Great Fox.
"Everyone stay back." He warned.
Before the group's eyes, the Arwing materialized right in front of them. Fox had been used to the sight, while Krystal was impressed but not surprised. She had been aware of such technology.
The Saurian natives, on the other hand, were completely baffled at what they were seeing. Sure they had teleportation, through means of magic, but only in certain areas of the world and not too well known. To them, it seemed as if the Arwing had materialized out of thin air.
"What was that?" Kyte asked, bemused by sight before her. Tricky and Belina, meanwhile, just stood there gawking.
"The wonders of modern technology. Now, I believe there should be a few things inside we need." Fox replied. He then walked up to the Arwing and opened the cockpit. He noted how Slippy had managed to install twin seats by downsizing the chair sizes in it. In the seat, he found the spare clothes he had requested: an extra flight jacket, as well as some extra pants and shirts. The shirts were blue and red, while the flight jacket was white, as was the uniform for the Star Fox team. He figured he could put those on later when they had privacy. His eyes then gazed down at the blaster pistol and reflector in the pilot's seat, a large grin forming at the sight of it.
"Oh, how I missed this thing."
Krystal then spoke up, breaking Fox out of his over-enthusiastic trance. "Don't get too excited about getting your blaster back, Fox. I, for one, am just glad to see I don't have to cramp behind you anymore. Though a proper change of clothes is nice too."
Fox then glanced down at Tricky and Kyte. He had hoped Slippy had installed something to make them a bit more comfortable. He put the new clothes in his bag without wasting much time, for when they arrived at Thorntail Hollow, and holstered his new weapons. Before he got in the cockpit, he figured he should say goodbye to Belina.
"Looks like this is goodbye, for now, Belina. But hopefully, you and your tribe will be back on your planet's surface soon."
Belina than spoke. "Thank all of you again for freeing my tribe. Because of you, we no longer have to live as slaves." She then turned to Tricky. "It was good to see you again, Tricky. Be sure to tell your mother I say hi." She added, giving the little Earthwalke an affectionate nuzzle.
With that, the group waved her off and got into the craft. Fox and Krystal got into the cockpit while Tricky and Kyte entered the bomb storage. Inside they found the ends had been lined with linen to cushion their impacts if they thudded around during the flight. Saying a final goodbye, Belina watched as the ship began taking off before flying off into the stars.
In orbit around Sauria, Fox hovered above the floating section of the world he had just left, wanting to take a moment to turn to Krystal and his wards. "How is everyone holding up?"
The vixen spoke first. "Doing fine, a lot more comfortable now that we have two chairs in this thing."
Kytes muffled voice then sounded. "Tricky and I are fine; the padding helps. Although, I still wish I didn't have to stay so cramped with him."
"Can't have everything, princess," Fox replied.
"I guess nothing could be done. Just keep your butt out of my face this time, please." Kyte said to Tricky.
"I will try, but you were the one who decided to enter second." Tricky's voice sounded.
Fox rolled his eyes and continued his descent towards the planet. Hopefully, the next part of his mission will be smoother than the last.
(Elsewhere)
Kree and the rest of his group had been made it to Moon Mountain Pass by now, lead by the scouts who had located the Sharpclaw convoy earlier. The queen had been sent to another part of the area, as it would be foolish to risk her in the attack. She was to remain far from any know Sharpclaw movements and await the Spell Stone.
The Cloudrunners perched upon a cliff face, high above a Sharpclaw checkpoint. Glancing down, the group observed the outpost built at the top of a steep incline. Due to the height of their perch, the Sharpclaw would be unable to notice them.
Below them, a small wooden outpost had been constructed, acting as a gate for the pass. The layout of the outpost was simple. A storage room made up the main structure, while underneath, there was a large wooden gate. On the front side, there was a balcony on which guards monitored for travelers. The pass this structure was situated in was narrow, with the rocky walls at the side too high and smooth to scale. It was an ideal checkpoint for the Sharpclaw military. The Moon Mountain Pass was a key traveling route for anyone with business at the Force Point Temple or areas beyond the pass.
Kree then glanced a bit further down the slope, noticing a group of Sharpclaw making their way up. The group consisted of a few guards, brutes in heavy plate armor, each different and wielding an ax. The rest of the guards were some of the lesser Sharplcaw grunts with blue and yellow scales. They seemed to be wearing hide armor but lacked helmets and wielding simple clubs. In the center of the group was much more ornate Sharpclaw, adorned her gold armor and wielding a staff. He was much larger than the rest of the group. But what got the Cloudrunner's attention was what he carried in his hand: a Spell Stone. Kree grinned at the sight.
"Alright." He began, getting the attention of the rest of his soldiers and guards. "Looks like this should be easy pickings. Those Sharpclaw have nothing here that could effectively counter us; they are sitting ducks. All we have to do is take them by surprise and snatch the Spell Stone from their leader's hands."
"How should we be going about this, sir?" One soldier asked.
Kree then glanced at the outpost, an idea forming in his head. It lacked any kind of turret or defense system that could counter the flying tribe. The only thing it did seem to have was a few guards and explosive barrels in storage. But those would be of little concern to the flyers.
"We take the soldiers out on the slope. The incline should make it easier to stagger them. Don't bother fighting the other Sharpclaw; just take them by surprise and stun them." He went on, gesturing towards a few of the soldiers. "I want you four to take them from the sides; I will build up momentum and dive bomb the leader. The rest of you, cover me. This is a smash and grab. After this, we will return the Spell Stone with the queen further away and take it back to the fortress. Got it?"
"Sir, yes, sir." The soldiers and guards said in unison.
"Good, now get into positions."
The group of Cloudrunners assumed their positions, hidden just out of view on the cliff faces on the pass, and waited for the Sharpclaw group to travel up the incline to a steeper point. Once the Sharpclaw convoy had done so, the Cloudrunners sprang their assault.
In a flash, four Cloudrunner Soldiers descended on the brutes in convoy, pelting them with fire breath and pushing them down with their talons. The rest of the squad quickly followed, assaulting the Sharpclaw grunts with anything they thought would work. Some pushed the Sharpclaw down, while others roasted the grunts with their flame-breath. The Sharpclaw, caught off guard, tried to slash at the flyers, but their blows were dodged easily. This just left the leader.
He jabbed at the flyers with his staff, trying to take out their wings, but he proved no match for the swam of Cloudrunners. One soldier divebombed him from the back, causing him to lose his balance a fall down the incline. The Spell Stone fell from his grasp. In response, Kree darted towards it and seized it in his talons.
"Let's get out of here!" He called. With that, the Cloudrunners retreated away from the incline, with the Spell Stone in tow. The Sharpclaw soldiers were left confused and frustrated, but their leader thought differently.
After getting back up, the Sharpclaw leader merely smiled. Quickly grabbing a device from his pouch, he spoke to the Sharpclaw on the other end. "They have the stone; do you have a visual on them?"
"Yes, we see them. We are sending the scout now." A voice came from the other end of his communicator.
(Nearby)
Revallos watched the event unfold from their watchtower just a few clicks from the outpost. He watched his former tribe easily steal the Spell Stone, and fly off with it in a flash, just as Scales had predicted.
Next to him, a Sharpclaw captain was in a conversation with another Sharpclaw, through the use of a device he still did not completely understand. It was of little importance, however. Their plan was about to come to fruition. Turning to him, the captain gave him a set of orders.
"Alright, now you know what to do. Tail the Cloudrunners to their queen's position, then create a diversion. Our ships will follow you shortly."
Revallos already knew this. The Sharplclcaw outfitted him with some kind of tracking device, as they had explained it. With it, they could track his movements. The whole plan surrounding the ambush seemed a bit haphazard to the rogue Cloudrunener. And yet, it worked to perfection. Now it was on him to see the rest of it through.
"Got it. I will make sure the queen doesn't flee, but I can only buy you a few moments against a larger group like this. Make sure your troops are there in time." Revallos replied.
"Of course. Now get a move on!" The captain barked.d
Rolling his eyes, Revallos began his descent, staying just out of his former tribe's line of sight. He could barely contain his excitement at what came next.
"Soon, I will finally have my revenge on her. Watch your step, Saffali"
He trailed his former tribe members for only a short time, during which he had to maintain a lower altitude and distance to avoid detection. The break-neck pace did not help things either. These frustrations were enough to make the rogue question his judgment in allying with the Sharpclaw.
"This plan of theirs has been nothing short of idiotic. So many things could have gone wrong: what if they ambushed the convoy sooner? What if they didn't arrive when we expected them? What if they detect me? What if they escape back to the fortress!? What idiot planned this haphazard mess of an ambush?" Revallos ranted to himself. It had been a miracle that the plan had worked thus far. He was nothing short of amazed that his tribe fell for such an obvious ploy.
Yet, at the same time, he wondered if his tribe was this stupid or just so arrogant they thought they could outwit the Sharpclaw's traps. Reavllos pondered this for a moment before he refocused on the task at hand.
"It hardly matters." The rogue muttered as he finally saw the group of Cloudrunners began to slow down. They soon landed on a mountain top with enough space to hold a large group of his species. At the center of the mountain top stood Queen Saffali and two other royal guards. Kree and his soldiers landed before her, presenting the Spell Stone.
Reavallos landed on another mountain top nearby, hiding in the shadow of the rock formations cast over his perch. He knew he would have to plan out his move and stall for his reinforcements. He glanced over at the sight before him and could barely contain his anger. There stood the one who cast him out and stiped him of everything. He could hardly wait to have his talons at her heck.
"Oh, how long I have waited for this moment."
"Well, my queen, it seems the plan worked to perfection. Those fools didn't know what hit them." Kree boasted after he finished explaining the attack to the queen.
"Excellent work, all of you. This will be an important blow to Scales' plans. Now, we have little time to waste. We must take the Spell Stone back to the fortress. Until we recover the others, we must keep it out of the Sharpclaw's grasp." Queen Saffali replied, directing the soldiers to seize the stone. She was about to begin to open the portal back to the fortress before Kree spoke.
"Yes, but… something doesn't seem right. I mean, it was almost too easy to recover such an important object. The Sharpclaw had no countermeasures in place to stop us. And the guard was surprisingly lax." Kree muttered, a bit nervous.
"What matters is that we get home as soon as we can, Kree. Before they have a chance to counter." Safflai said before opening the gateway. With that, a few of her soldiers were ordered to fly through, with the Spell Stone in tow. Safari herself was about to enter when she suddenly saw something large darting her way. She had barely a second to react before she abruptly felt a pair of talons pin her to the ground. She suddenly winced in pain, causing her to lose focus on her powers and for the portal to be closed.
"Hello, Safari. Been a while." An all too familiar voice greeted her in a faux polite tone. She didn't even have to look up to know who the voice belonged to.
Revallos had taken his chance and pinned the queen to the ground by her neck. As reckless as this was, he could not risk her escaping, or the whole plan would fall apart. He had taken his chance to catch his old enemies off guard and to stall for time as the Sharpclaw arrived.
At a moment's notice, several Cloudrunners surrounded him, including Kree. He could see the look of anger and hatred in each of their expressions, something he had expected. Kree, in particular, was absolutely seething with rage at the sight of his predecessor. To say nothing about how he had just taken the queen hostage.
"You filthy traitor, finally showing your beak after all these years?" Kree shot at the rogue, venom oozing from every word uttered.
"It's good to see you too, Kree." Revallos replied smugly.
"Let go of the queen, or you will be sorry!" Kree screeched.
"Come on, come on. Where are you, idiots?"
"Take a step closer to me, and I slit her throat," Revallos responded, trying to keep a straight face. It was clear to him that they would not be very merciful toward him this time if he lost his hostage. The best he could hope to do is stall for time.
"Excellent planning, Scales."
"You bastard! I should have known you were working with the Sharpclaw!" A soldier shot at Revallos, noting the emblems he wore.
"Whatever keeps them talking."
"They have their uses, I suppose." Reavllos then glanced down at his hostage. "Unlike the late king."
At this statement, fury raged through the queen like nothing she had felt before. "You bastard! How dare you speak of him!" Safari shouted through pained breaths. "I should have had you killed years ago!"
"Perhaps you should have."
"Any day now," Thought the rouge.
At this, the other Cloudrunners began encircling him. In response, the rouge tightened his grip around the queen's neck, causing them to stop dead. But it would only hold them off for a few moments longer.
"You have nowhere to run, traitor. Release the queen, and maybe we will show mercy to you." Kree spat.
Before he could respond, the rogue suddenly heard the sound of the device on his armor beeping.
"Oh, I don't think you understand the position that you are in," Revallos replied.
Within a few seconds, the sounds of engines humming boomed through the mountainsides. Shortly after this, three Sharpclaw dropships suddenly appeared within the airspace nearby. Each one was of bulky build, black in color with two large doors on the side. Two wings protruded from a rectangular center mass.
Without hesitation, the side doors of the ships flickered opening, and Sharpclaw began pouring out. From one ship came a hoard of drones, as the Sharpclaw had called them, which floated through the air and began stunning many of the soldiers. A few of the royal guards managed to retaliate and shoot concentrated blasts of fire at the drones, downing a few. But it was of little use.
More drones poured out from another carrier, followed by the Sharpclaw grunts, armed shock rods, and nets. The Cloudrunners desperately tried to fight back, but they were outnumbered and outwitted. Many Cloudrunners could not avoid the drones in time and were forced to the ground, stunned. The Sharpclaw followed by tossing nets onto many of the soldiers while tormenting them with the high-voltage batons they wielded. Eventually, only Kree had been left standing.
"Get out of here!" That was all Saffali could yell.
Kree hesitated for a moment before he bolted away as fast as he could. All he could do from here was try to escape and get help.
Revallos watched the attack unfold, a sadistic grin forming on his beak. His tribe truly was defenseless at what was to come. He examined the captured soldiers and guards, who were helpless against the new weapons the Sharpclaw wielded. His gaze then turned to a familiar face.
The Sharpclaw captain from earlier had been onboard one of the dropships. They had landed within the mountain top and let out a squad of soldiers. The captain walked over to the rogue Cloudrunner and glanced at him, then his hostage.
"Well done. It looks like this plan worked to perfection." The captain stated.
"It's a miracle my tribe took the bait; this was the most haphazard ambush I have ever been part of." Revallos hissed, feeling the captain was taking too much credit for the attack. A scowl from the captain quickly silenced him.
"Well, it worked. Now shut it and keep your beak zipped." The captain said before turning to the queen. "Now, 'your highness,' let's not waste any time. You have a meeting with General Scales. He expects your full cooperation." The captain finished.
"I will never work with him," Safari said defiantly..
"I don't think we made this clear enough: it's not a matter of choice. Either do what he says or…" The captain trailed off before signaling something to his men. At the gesture of his hand, one of the grunts pulled out his axe. The queen and her soldiers could only watch in horror as the Sharpclaw slit the throat of the soldier with a sadistic grin. He then dragged the body over the ledge and kicked it off.
"That happens to each of you. And your loved ones, when we get ahold of them. Now, enough games, get the queen and her soldiers to general." The captain finished before walking off. He seemed to be barking orders to the rest of his grunts, who were pulling the Cloudrunners onto the transports.
The queen was noticeably silent after that. When she glanced up, she noticed that her captor had also gone silent. She expected to see a twisted smile, yet he looked almost shocked.
After a few moments, he muttered something to himself. "And I thought I was a monster." He stood motionless for a few more moments before he regained his composure.
"This is your doing, traitor. You are party to this." Safalli spat.
"Maybe. But there is no going back. I will be taking the throne when this is done. I will do what I must to see my vision through." Revallos replied. He then walked off towards the captain, who had been with them. While this happened, Sharpclaw grunts seized Saffali and began taking her to a transport.
Revallos, meanwhile, had a few questions to ask the captain. Catching up, he was met with a scowl.
"I am surprised you spared the others, captain." The rogue pressed.
"They give leverage over the queen. She will be more likely to cooperate if we hold their lives over her."
"Fair enough. But her other soldiers escaped with the Spell Stone back to the fortress. " Cevallos pressed.
"It hardly matters. We will recover it soon enough after we force the queen to remove her forcefield.
"And what of the other Cloudrunner who escaped?"
"Scouts will deal with him later. There's little he can do alone."
"Fine. So what next?"
The captain grunted before answering. "We regroup with the general and prepare our assault. Now shut up and get a move on." And with that, the captain boarded a transport.
Revallos, meanwhile, was feeling a mixture of emotions. He was nothing short of elated to have his hated enemy at his grasp, and the prospect of the power that presented itself to him was too tempting to ignore. And yet, at the same time, he wondered about Kree.
The Sharpclaw had ignored him, feeling he couldn't do much at this rate to hinder them. They would deal with him later. But Revallos knew Kree. The current royal guard captain was nothing if not resourceful. The rouge knew that it might only be a matter of time before he showed up again.
But then the rogue shook his head. The Sharpclaw had the advantage now. No other force on Sauria could stand in their way. Who could possibly hope to stop them now?
Author's note: Originally, this chapter was going to stretch to the Volcano Force Point temple, but I cut that due to pacing issues. That will be in the next chapter. Also, for this chapter, I thought it might be interesting to start off with the morning routines of a few of the main factions or groups involved in this story. I felt it would help set up the lives each character lives and establish their group's unique perspectives in this story.
And yes, I know that Kyte has nearly gotten her killed or captured a number of times on this adventure she is on. You can probably counter my points raised in this chapter about bringing her, I know, but since she is a main character and I needed her to remain with the leading group during the story.
Finally, I must admit: I never thought I would give these side characters so much involvement in the plot. But then I came up with this whole subplot to explain how things transpired around Cloudrunner Fortress. Just hope it didn't take away too much attention from the main group.