DragonShip

Chapter 3

Adrenaline began to fill Arrida. What she was about to do was risky but, hell, she didn't have much of a better opinion. Helping the rebels no problem would show them that she was weak and could be pushed around easily. Betraying them to Vankult would end any advancement in the rebellion, damning all of Zanitera to a rule under him. It would also incriminate her as a rebel sympathizer. Any sign of weakness would attract unwanted attention. Arrida was tiptoeing a dangerous line.

She had sent Lyn to scout ahead, claiming that it would be a more effective diversion if the Liberty seemingly appeared from nowhere. That only left Kallum. Of course killing him was an option but that might leave some bad blood between her and Nortchu, which was something she couldn't afford in the unlikely event that she would someday need their help.

However she had felt no remorse about leaving the man unconscious. She had knocked him out near the edge of the deck on her ship and dragged his body behind some small bushes farther out into the desert. He would wake up with one hell of a headache but alive. It felt good, having done at least one somewhat decent thing today. Especially since she was going to hurt a lot of people with this.

Her ship hummed in the air, slightly swaying up and down. Arrida smiled wickedly. She was going to rain hellfire. The ship burst out from behind the building suddenly, its engines roaring in the quiet night.

Instantaneously, guns across the ship began firing, lighting what was a calm night into a firestorm that would have belonged in hell. Her ship blew a hole in the side of the metal warehouse, opening its interior to perfect view to be detonated. Arrida grabbed a small, cannon-like gun filled with dark gray grenades.

She aimed, launching the small devices into the heart of the warehouse. She could hear the pandemonium inside, as well as the crackle of her radio, demanding to know what she was doing.

To be honest, Arrida didn't know if she could answer that question. She was making it all as she went along. She acted impulsively, going along as she pleased and continuing when opportunity presented itself. Maybe this wasn't the best way to go about enacting her revenge but it sure as hell was too late now.

Her only priority was getting Dek out safely. After causing enough chaos in the warehouse to get the rebels to start their plan early she would find the Crimson Falcon and free Dek from Nortchu. She would do whatever it takes. For Dek she would do whatever it takes.

Arrida could hear the sound of other ships coming for the warehouse. Quickly, she brought her ship to a higher altitude, hoping the dark blue underside would help her blend in with the night. Vaguely, the back of her mind registered a commanding voice trying to make sense of the disorder. But her surroundings lost focus when the Falcon came into view. Arrida figured Nortchu wasn't stupid enough to keep his only leverage on a battleship. But, then again, Arrida had known Nortchu to be fairly arrogant and it wouldn't be the first he had done something this witless. However if it got her to Dek faster she wouldn't complain.

Quickly, Arrida brought the ship to a lowly elevation, she set the ship to hover silently in the air as she jumped down from her ship to the small deck of the Falcon. Her black leather combat boots absorbed some of the impact as she landed, bending her knees to help with the shock as well. The main deck of the ship was fairly empty for being in an active fire fight. Of course there were rebels running around carrying out orders but not as many as one might have expected. Arrida wondered if the rebels' numbers were dwindling due to the massive killings ordered in retaliation to their latest act of insurgence.

So far she had only counted ten. Eight manning the cannons and one flying the ship. Of course Nortchu was giving orders to his fleet as well as trying to keep casualties low. Nortchu looked over from where he had stood at the edge of the ship. He yelled, gesturing wildly for someone to go and stop Arrida.

It was at this moment Arrida realized what a shitty idea this was. She didn't even have a fucking rescue plan.