RIPE & DRAGGERS

CHAPTER 3

Gener has never slept this long in ages. He went out of his tent to stretch his arms and legs like a teenager in spring break.

Bob you moron. The alps of this moon is breathtaking and you choose to teach in your precious academy. He thought.

Gener is correct in every way, as his brother may agree; about the alps for that matter.

It is truly impressive.

Two suns rising from the horizon, like two brothers helping each other climb a mountain that is almost covered in light purple clouds. This sight is worth more than any classroom, Gener said to himself. And he giggled as he saw his beloved guardian bear sound asleep a few paces from his tent. Rolling like a snowball in her ice bed in this high mountain of visual splendor.

He wanted to relax a bit further but they have much work to do.

"Nene wake up!!!" he screamed, then blew his whistle.

The pale blue bear rolled farther to cover her ears but the whistle is too much for her.

Hesitantly she rose, and wiggled her fur. She slowly crawled towards her master and said... "You're a bastard."

Gener could not hold himself, and started to laugh. "Nene you grumpy beast....you know we have work to do." he said as he began to scratch under her ear, like any mornings he can.

Nene who is helpless to his charm can do nothing but lick his tiny face in affection.

He then flickered his wristband, and a mid-class Runkan battle ship rose from under the mountain foot towards their exact position. Within minutes they are on their way to the next cluster where Pedro 'the fisherman' is camped. A rest in the ice moon of the Bajac-Bajac region was just a luxury they can afford before meeting the former general of the Runkan forward battle fleet.

The travel to this part of the galaxy was easy, but the next ten minutes descent to the war camp of a reputable battle master is strangely not difficult but somehow 'releasing' in a sense of a word.

Nothing is quite cheerful than a slow march to your probable death, he thought. And so, here he is as he approaches a massive collection of giant battle ships, gun-ships and artillery freighters amid possible millions of infantry in what he can only describe as an army that far reaches to his visible horizon.

He can't help but bewilder at how fast Pedro can gather an arsenal as excessive as what he is seeing now.

A chill went down his spine as he remembered the stories in his history texts on how the Runkan prepared for war.

Only this time, the army is not Runkan but a gathering of fierce species of the known galaxy; more than willing to indulge the violence.

As he lowered down his craft he can see more clearly that this army contains all specie of the Campaign wars including the dreaded Brahm and Scoltice. Complete with armor, infantry battalion colors, and banners of attack.

He cannot fully fathom as to how these species could gather in one place, and maintain their reserve rather than killing each other.

If I drop a glowing energy sphere in the midst, would they scatter or flock to grab it. and start fighting each other?

When his freighter landed to a half click from what he thinks is Pedro's tent; almost immediately he was intercepted by a 7 foot Brahman squad captain.

This one is thin and is wearing a notable battle scar on his face evident from a damaged helmet. The vertical scratch neatly matches his head gear and somehow boasts of close combat victory.

The giant warrior only paused at the sight of Nene when she started to crawl towards Gener's direction. By it's hungry gaze upon him, he instantly the knew that the 8 foot bear's master is this Runkan in front of him.

"I came here for Pedro." Gener said calmly.

"I know..." answered the Brahman captain while showing his sharp canine; a typical behavior of a Brahm beast warrior. "I just wanted to see what a lesser class of Runkan looks like."

The monster soldier was refering to Gener who is 'ripe', while Pedro is a 'back-dragger'.

"Well take a good look now....I am the last thing you'll see before you die." Gener declared with unwavering deep stare into the Brahm's beastly eyes.

The captain slightly separated his footing while the other calmly stood firmly.

The clatter of soldiers all around went silent.

Then Gener remembered something.

This stand-off is almost exactly how the seventh war erupted. If only Bob was here.

He's methods are much better in these situations.

But sad to say, it is too late.

He never really gave this possible scenario much thought and so here we are. To clowns to the rodeo, like Bob used to say.

Abruptly the Brahman captain leaped with the speed of sound that thundered instantly to an attack roar.

For any other specie, this charge would have been no contest.

However to his surprise, the tip of his ax only hit the empty ground. And it was too late for him to realize that Gener was directly on top of him, floating in the air and burying a fist in the center of his helm.

The force of the blow pushed back all surrounding infantry soldiers even with their heavy armors.

Even the mid-class artillery tank several yards away felt it's power as it rattled in after-shocks.

The Brahman captain fell hard to the rocky ground before Gener gently landed on his feet.

The silence is deafening as before, he said to himself.

He has been in many Brahm ritual fights and the silence afterwards never ceases to amuse him.

Astonishment to a quick death is a Brahman weakness he always thought.

After several marks to the clock, a familiar voice spoke from behind. A sweet and calm male voice he will never place anywhere else. Every time, it's feels like an angel has spoken.

"Always a pleasure to see a ripe at work." Pedro said.

Gener turned around to face his old friend and smiled to him as he seemed to look very much like that way he does five years ago.

A tall, slender man in fair complexion. Yellow green hair that is so soft it bounces continuously even to the slightest wind, making it seem to have a life of it's own.

Gray eyes that accentuates his plain features and simple beauty of a man.

He speaks softly like an angel and looks like an angel.

A beautiful creature.

A dangerous creature.

Looking at him is like looking to a mirror, Gener thought. Only that his eyes are green rather than gray; and Pedro is undoubtedly taller.

But the hair and facial features could be mistakenly rendered as twins, but they are not brothers.

Pedro Katana is not even a relative in the traditional sense.

Their only bond is that they were grown in that same laboratory facility under the same warrior class design.

Only a handful of artificially grown Runkan is alive now. And every meeting is as awkward as it is taunting.

"What brings you to myshindig old friend..."