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It was on her second loop that Soshika took a hit. The first went smooth, as did Miron's, but the second loop around, some Rulerist pig had hit the black dragon with a repeater gun, and struck it hard too. Steam and smoke leaked from the fighter's underbelly as it climbed upward, each moment the Cat's eyes on the gauges. Nothing really wrong…yet.
Missiles leapt from the dragon's teeth two by two, streaking downward and devastating sections of the Rulerist line seconds before Miron's own blasts hit home. As the smoke cleared, Miron's bat streaked franticly upward, twisting a diving insanely. His voice came through the headset, frantic. "Mayday! Mayday! I got a yellowjacket here, Dragon Trainer!"
Soshika twisted her fighter and soared after him. "On my way, Batman. Just hold in there." The black dragon's speed increased insanely as it raced after Miron. Now Soshika could see the bright yellow casing of a seeker missile, and aptly name "yellowjacket." The weapon was usually launched from the ground, and the power enough to blow up between two to ten fighters, depending how closely the were flying. A surgical strike could set it off prematurely, saving the pilot it was trailing. Unfortunately, the Rulerists had perfected a thing the Pagan's called a Swarm. Thousands of dormant yellowjackets, just waiting for a hapless pilot to blunder into them. The one trailing Miron seemed to be gaining, and no matter how Miron flung his fighter, it still followed.
"Damn, Dragon! Help me out here!" Miron's voice was a terrified shriek over the headset.
"Hold on, I'm coming!" Soshika crunched her clawed foot onto the excelerator, the black dragon roaring in fury. From the back of her mind, the strange voice sand. Soshika, don't do this.
"Where are you?!" Screamed Miron. Soshika ignored the voice and struggled to gain a target lock. One miss and Miron was history…Stop. If you don't, I'll do so for you.
Ahead, something loomed fuzzy in the rain, with a colour like sulfur. Soshika yelped into her headset. "Batman, you're running dead into a Swarm! Pull away, Miron!"
"I can't!" the half-blood's voice was frantic now. He was panicking. "The controls are locking!"
"I've almost got the bastard in my site, Miron. Hang in there!" The Cat's clawed thumb reached for the fire button. It's almost time…
You leave me no choice, the voice growled. Then…Soshika's hands were not her own. Big, thick, scaled hands replaced them. Hands she was not in control of. The Cat fought, but the scaled hands only tightened on the controls.
And the fire button.
The Cat's scream became mingled with an explosion as Miron's bat erupted in a fiery ball of light.
"No!" she shrieked, fighting the strange hands. "Miron!"
You need to survive, Soshika Lypha. I must guard you, at all costs. The fighter peeled away and into space, abandoning the battle. Abandoning twenty-five innocent or semi-innocent beings to Rulerist will. Still, Soshika could not control the fighter. I will tell you why this is so when the time comes, but you need to survive. You won't remember any of this until then, nothing after you left home. It won't hurt you because you won't remember.
"Who are you?!" she screamed at the voice, her words raked with sobs. "Who are you and what are you?!"
Your Guardian, your dragon. My name is Midraek, and I need to put you to sleep now, Soshika. I'll wake you later, but you won't remember any of this.
"But I have to!"
You'll remember when I deem it to be so. No sooner.
Then, it was only a warm, dark sleep. When she awoke, Soshika was in a hospital on Orio four, and remembered none of what had happened after that day she'd left her home on Hekshano.
