Their ships burst out of warp into an unexplored system. But not to others. Confederacy vessels inhabit this system and in particular, one planet. A planet with a thin atmosphere composed of oxygen and its surface, coated in ice. Something of interest lies on that ice world.
‘Captain Confederacy vessels are firing!’
‘Bring the ship into battle mode and start firing on the nearest cruiser. Share any potential weaknesses to the fleet’
The ship’s lights snap into red, windows are then covered by hull armour. Both fleets let loose with their cannons, shields hammered and explosions light the dark of space.
‘They’re sending in fighters!’
‘Send our own!’
The captain turns to face the Dragon master who watches with him.
‘Seeing this with my own eyes, it has certainly piqued my interest. What could they be doing out here in the middle of nowhere?’
‘That is exactly our Order’s concern. I appreciate the help Captain, we all do’, she says, her pointy ears twinge. Master Jadena is an Avalakii, otherwise referred to as “space elves”.
They currently battle in a system on the fringes of the Witch Head nebulae, which lies a distance of roughly one thousand light years from Empire space, and a little less than that from the Dragon Order.
‘Yeah well, I hope it’ll be worth something. So what are you going to do, take your ship down?’
‘Yes—’
‘Captain a massive energy signature just spiked on our sensors…’
The bridge personnel pause in what they’re doing and stare.
‘Bring up the view screen, show me’
A digital screen materialises and shows what is happening outside. It then zooms in onto a gargantuan vessel, a size so massive, all the ships dwarfed in comparison.
‘What is that?’, one of the crew members spurts.
‘I don’t know but it’s huge. Its weapons are charging!’
A barrage of plasma scales the fleets shields, creating tension till the generators overload and blow out. Their hulls are seared and scarred drastically, causing significant damage.
‘We need to retreat, can we warp!?’ The captain barks.
‘Negative sir, whatever hit us has made us a fish in dead water. Captain another wave of plasma incoming!’
‘Brace for impact!’
The second barrage hinders them indefinitely and in the midst of the planet’s gravity well, they rapidly descend.
‘I wasn’t expecting this…this is the Captain speaking, everyone abandon—’
‘Captain if I may, I can take hold of the ship, abandoning it may not be necessary’
‘How?’
‘I just know’
The captain eyes her up and the rest of the bridge crew.
‘If you’re certain master Jadena, go ahead, our lives are in your hands’
She closes her eyes and envisions the ship and it’s descent. Placing a hand onto a railing, the essence from her seeps out and courses through pathways of the ship. Through each panel, circuitry, deck—everywhere. Her essence encapsulates the ship, she can feel the sense of dread of everyone aboard. But Jadena pushes it aside and focuses solely on their survival. The Dragon master transitions the ship into a weightless mass and carefully lowers the vessel through the atmosphere and onto the ice. The essence draws back into Jaden, until every bit returns to her, she relinquishes her grip and breathes. Putting a hand to her forehead. Attempting to rub the tension away.
‘We’ll I don’t believe it, you actually did it!’ The captain bellows joyfully. Everyone smiles and breathes a sigh of relief. Their lives have been saved.
Jadena takes a seat and smiles.
—
In a short span of time the ship was encased in ice. The crew suited up and managed what heat could be mustered. Their lives may have been saved, but for how long?
Communications were barely operational, although that didn’t stop the captain and the bridge crew from trying to get help (the rest of the fleet were presumed, destroyed), whilst the rest of the crew attempts to repair what they can. Then their’s the matter of what the Confederacy have been doing here. Jadena discovered a base not far from the landing site. Whatever they’ve been doing, hopefully she’ll find answers there.
Her and a squad of soldiers take a couple of vehicles, heading to this mysterious location. They traverse the ice-scape, through crevices and around craters. Fuel becomes dire, yet they took additional fuel cells in case of running out. When they get their, an array of gunfire meets them. Jaden and the soldiers take defensive positions and retaliate. But to no avail.
‘We’re overwhelmed, what can we do!?’ The lieutenant cries.
Jadena enters her mind palace to see what can be done. The odds are against them, yet the opposing force doesn’t have a Dragon.
She closes her eyes, puts her hands together, entering a form of meditative state and unleashes a wave of essence around her and the soldiers. Their demeanour lifts and each one observes the subtle glow that envelopes their bodies.
‘What is this? I feel like I can do anything!’
The men open fire, their aim refined, and their reflexes heightened. They push forward slaughtering the enemy soldiers with precision. Jadena relinquishes her essence from the men once the last enemy fell.
‘That was…exhilarating, thank you Dragon master’, says a soldier.
The master nods at his gratitude. All of them turn their attention to the base and head inside. As they descend deeper into its network of tunnels, they uncover it to be a research facility. Finding information on tech, genetic alteration, potential weapon armaments but most of all…information regarding an Anu device.
‘An Anu device, here?’, Jadena whispers to herself.
They press on into the facility and encounter resistance in a tight-knit corridor. Jadena raises her hand at the lieutenant and his men.
‘I shall handle this’
The master counts five, one straight ahead and the other four on the sides, sticking out from the alcoves. Jadena goes forth sending out a hand that radiates a field of essence, capturing the plasma bolts they fire and propels them back. The soldier straight ahead smacks the roof and then is slammed into the ground. Jadena steps over this body, turns and looks back at the men.
‘Stay here…I sense something…something different’
—
Delving deeper the strange feeling escalated. So far this place has nothing on the matter of the vessel they were decimated by. No, this is about an Anu device. She now comes up to an antechamber where the source of the strange feeling emanates. A dark presence.
A glow in the distance sparks her interest, as she draws closer, it certainly turns out to be an Anu device. Which is an instrument of essence, this is how the Dragons gain their powers. Near this device is a large being, cladded in thick armour, equipped with a double-bladed sword…a Jahaaki! As well as a line of soldiers.
‘Step away from the device!’
The jahaaki maliciously revolves to face Jaden, the soldiers follow and aim. Its lips creep into a sneer. It raises its hands in the air and roars.
‘At last a Dragon comes! I’ve waited for this moment. Such fragility yet powerful at the same time’
That’s strange, a Th’ull speaking in galactic-common? Clearly the essence has not only changed its physical attributes.
‘I suppose their is no way to convince you, after all, you are my sworn enemy. So it shall be settled as it always has been’
Jadena spreads her feet, finding firm ground, and raises her hands in front, ready for battle.
‘Yes Dragon, as it always has been. I am intrigued to find out the lengths of my power, when tearing you apart!’
The jahaaki whips the double-bladed sword of its back. The soldiers raise their weapons to fire. Jadena runs and jumps into the air, her arms cross her chest and a glow envelops the body. Fire warps about her and the moment she opens her arms, an infernal wave is unleashed; consuming the soldiers, burning them to ash. It has little impact on the jahaaki, it readies itself into a charge. It charges.
During this charge the jahaaki casts volatile electrical currents at Jadena. She absorbs the voltage into her own essence and sends the master aback. Picking up the malevolent energy. As the being prepares to strike with its weapon, Jaden hovers up in the air, causing the jahaaki to stumble. The Dragon glides with grace and whilst her enemy lies in a vulnerable manner, she throws balls of fire. These fire balls melt its heavy armour, searing the flesh underneath. Though it’s not enough to stop it. She then brings her hands together and shoots out a continuous jet of fire. This only enrages it further.
It roars in pain and anger. Hatred and disdain. A blast of energy is unleashed from the jahaaki, knocking Jadena across the antechamber and into the device.
When she regains a fraction of consciousness, the burnt being towers over her with sword in mid-slash. With diligent reflex Jadena freezes the sword in place. The jahaaki forces the sword to go down but it does not budge.
‘Raw strength you may possess…but you lack mastery!’
The being slides away as Jaden acts as a repelling magnet. A string of essence flows from her hand, enticing itself around the double-bladed sword, and she yanks it out of the jahaaki’s grip. The sword spins and decapitates the prior wielder. It lies dead on the ground, and the essence it took from the device, dies as well.
—
Days had passed and the crew used their ship as shelter. At least they had some form of it. A beacon was made and help did arrive, they destroyed the remaining Confederacy fleet and the mysterious gargantuan vessel. Well, it destroyed itself before it could be boarded by Empire forces. Leaving little trace of it behind.
Master Jadena returned to the Order’s HQ. Rested and meditated on her own newfound lengths of power. The Order remarked her serene demeanour and the astounding control of essence she possesses. Jadena was dubbed the Tempered Fury, becoming the first Fury of the Order—Dragons who focus on the use of essence. Iisho (Dragon Focus), was the ability Jadena passed down, a form of meditation which allowed the Dragon create a mind palace, receive visions of potential outcomes, boost morale for allies or decimate the enemies.
Soon after she had returned to the ice-planet, now designated as Scartuus, a sister planet to Desolatuus, the Order’s HQ. Given authority over an academy there to facilitate new students, especially those who ventured down the path of Fury. The device discovered there was also well protected, and it was known that master Jadena visited it regularly, whether to commune, revitalise, or for sentimental tendencies.
See the other Dragon Origin stories: THE CRIMSON BLADE-MASTER and THE INVISIBLE MIST
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