Ignition Broker: Prologue II

Prologue II

(Rayalta)

“No one is ever truly prepared for battle, you just have to act when the time arrives. And most importantly, you have to be able to run away, when your enemy is too tough.” -Marcon on why you never skip leg day

Just when everything looked like it was about to be cake.

Cake, the just desert that you get from hard work and dedication, a fatty reward that you have to indulge yourself with, otherwise you would never push yourself through such Hell, and this was Hell.

 Well it was supposed to be Hell, the worst starting location, with the worst resources. One where the team had to speak with non-imperial locals to succeed. A mission where not only speaking but bartering was a necessity. Where conflict while authorized if met with aggression was an automatic failure if the team had to take things by force.

Yet, the commander had pulled through.

Having had such an amazing jump to start, despite being sabotaged by Cadet Goldbridger, a Cadet who at first the team all wanted to kill. Until it was pointed out that by succeeding and then pushing the majority of the technical successes of the mission from the deserving Commander and onto Cadet Goldbridger, that we would in fact doom him.

Rayalta did not know who Cadet Goldbridger had made dealings with, but it was clear that he had promised the wrong people that we would not succeed. Seeing the look of fear in his bound eyes everyday was a testament to the fact that the best thing the team could do was get back safely, and ensure the credit went to him.

“Please no, just let me go, I’ll make it on my own,” Cadet Goldbridger began, his voice trembling as he spoke.

“Please, write me down as a deserter, that I fled duty. I’ll write it down myself, record my saying that I left on my own behalf. Please, you must—”  muffled cries filled Cadet Goldbridger’s mouth, causing his pain filled words to fall upon deaf ears.

Cadet Goldbridger was a prisoner, a prisoner who would be given many many accolades that led to our success. Our ability to barter with the locals and get all the products we needed, all thanks to Cadet Goldbridger. Choosing the location, thanks to Cadet Goldbridger. Even when others found fish or other supplies, all thanks to Cadet Goldbridger.

Today it was Rayalta and Cadet Klovitz’s turn to tend to Cadet Goldbridger, a task that Rayalta readily chose as first it kept them away from the Freefolk encampment. Second, it let Rayalta be near the Commander.

Normally, she would try to give the Commander her well deserved space and distance. It was clear that she was beyond intelligent, able to come up with plans that saw beyond the current set of problems and offered solutions to problems that were not even dreamed of.

Yet, the Commander had been off.

The last time she saw the Commander like this was when she mid descent abandoned the norther drop point, and immediately altered course. Dropping her proper approach angle and still somehow landing flawlessly in the one safe spot that was near water, an identified food source, and most importantly offered a protective pathway that could prevent hostile natives from invading.

Had Rayalta not been well aware of the two distinct drop zones, having covered this planet as part of her research paper, of had she not paid attention to the sudden look in her eyes of determination, Rayalta would have assumed that the Commander had always wanted to land at this exact spot.

But it was clear that she was somehow drawn to this place, as her eyes went wide and seemed to glow with a bluish hue. A hue that was accentuated by her amplified hair. That was the other thing, her hair would often glow and float, despite Rayalta not refreshing her power boost as she would for the others. Yes, the other members of the team all had the same glowing blue hair, but her hair was different, more vibrant, more alive.

The hair was but the first oddity, the second was her ethereal beauty, like the alien Cerusians but somehow even prettier, curvier, but her curves were muscles that helped fill out all the right spots.  For Rayalta the best way to describe the Commander was take the perfect Cerusian, and then get rid of all the oddly sharp facial features and the dainty body proportions and that would the commander an almost perfect blend between humanity and Cerusians.

This thought filled her mind as she tried to observe the Commander from a distance. Only to feel a sense of shock as she saw the Commander’s head pop up, the same way a gopher might if sensing a predator coming nearby. For a moment, Rayalta was concerned that the Commander might have discovered her spying, but fate had other things in store, for at that moment many of the repaired Cerusian components built by master crafters from the Cerusian’s home universe all began to sparkle and glow.

Beep, beep.

Seeing the devices suddenly flare to life, everyone started to gather around. With the other approaching, Rayalta too strode forward, her eyes never looking away from the Commander. The Commander, whose face flashed with first confusion, then concern, and finally to resolve.

“What is it?” Lisom asked, jogging forward ahead of the gathered troops.

The Commander looked to Lisom, and then let her eyes scan the audience until they finally locked onto Raylata. Once their eyes met, Rayalta could swear that a bit of tension left the Commander’s shoulders.

“This is an alien breach, judging by the signatures and locations, it appears the breach began at the northern landing zone” Commander Prova began, and suddenly every minor conversation ended, as all eyes turned to the Commander. “We are going to need to assemble a recon team…”

And like that, the members of the Blue Devil Squad assembled, listening to the commands of their fearless leader. A leader who even now would not flinch at the first hint of danger. For everyone knew, she was undefeated in battle.