Shadows and Stardust: A Tale of Ambition & Quest for Recognition

Your darkest hour has only sixty minutes - Morris Mandel

Operation Grand Slam (D+6.0 hours)

Whisper woke from the distant memory. The high-pitched beeping continued. Sensor array detected multiple infrared locks, all originating from Gold’s territory.

“There must be at least 50 of them,” Indigo said staring outside. “We cross the territorial line, we’re dead.”

Triumph laid down, placing his paws over his head.

“And that’s precisely what we will do,” Whisper said, her voice turned clear and precise. “Tauru and Indigo, grab flight jackets, googles and get to the escape planes!”

Indigo stepped back, “She sounds like…”

“Boss Kitty, when she has a plan,” Tauru said tapping Indigo on the shoulder.

Whisper began to flip the flight control switches from autopilot to manual control. Then she turned off the limiters to the engines and pulled back the throttle. The engines roared louder as the zeppelin lurched forward.

Whisper:> Activate the Birchwood Protocol

Heather:> It hasn’t been tested yet. I still need more time

Whisper:> Now would be a good time

Heather:> Whatever…I just need a location

Whisper:> Gold’s territory

Heather:> that would use our entire reserve!

Whisper:> …

Heather:> Ok, activating. But you will be the one who gets to tell Boss Kitty

Sitting in the chair and giving a little wiggle, Whisper clicked the buckle into the harness and tightened the loose straps.

Whisper:> Indigo, Tauru you have any spare intelligence slots for: Flight Basics and Combat Flight?

Indigo:> I got 3 open slots

Tauru:> 4 is free

Whisper:> Prepare for upload

Whisper opened her Battle City internal screen and accessed her folder labeled ‘Basic Soldier Tasks and Skills’. She transferred both files to Tauru and Indigo.

“What do you want me to do?” asked Triumph.

“I need a copilot, hop into the seat,” Whisper replied.

Triumph barked and jumped in.

Tauru:> What’s the plan?

Whisper:> Active the chameleon circuit, change the camo paint job to the zeppelin. Tauru and Indigo, stay by me and we rush the mine. Once overhead Indigo and I jump in and remove any resistance on the ground

TC:> and me?

Whisper:> Without the skill Feather Step, you’ll trigger the proximity fuses on those N2 mines. I need you snipe any ground targets you see. Tauru and Triumph: bring the ladies back to the airfield

TC:> gotcha…btw your plan sounds a bit suicidal, you sure about this?

Whisper:> I’ll see you on the ground or in hell…

Tauru:> I like plan, let’s do this gents!

The propellers turned as the engine spat out black smoke. Tauru adjusted his goggles and pulled the release to the hook and cable system that held the Triwing Valkyrie plane. The plane fell a short distance before taking off and banking a sharp right. Indigo’s Aetherhawk was the next to detach from the zeppelin and banked right. Once 150 meters from the Mary Somerville, both planes shifted in appearance to resemble the zeppelin.

“75 locks on us,” Triumph said. “Crossing into Gold territory….now!”

Whisper flipped a switch on the throttle and disabled the speed limiter. The zeppelin lurched forward as the needle moved towards the 100 mark.

As the zeppelin surged forward, streaks of light shot past its speeding hull. Weapon fire erupted around the airship, causing it to rock violently as magical streaks struck its undercarriage. Meanwhile, more weapon fire zipped past the nearby Triwing and Aetherhawk.

Whisper:> Come on hippy chick…make it rain!

Heather:> Watch out for incoming

A loud whistle screamed above the city. One hundred meters above the ground, a proximity fuse triggered the detonation of the first artillery shell.

Shiny strips of aluminum and iron rained from above. Then more whistling echoed across Battle City as more bursts of chaff filled the sky.

The zeppelin’s anemometer jumped as a wind pushed the Mary Somerville off course. The sky above darkened with thick clouds.

Heather:> Druids are trying to alter the weather; I can’t counter them all!

Whisper:> Do that you can. Tauru you are going to fast slow down. Indigo fly under the Somerville

“We fight like our Ancestors did, before all this technology and magic, we do this by the seat of our pants.” Whisper said as she increased engine speed to limit. They want to use wind? Fine, Triumph, deploy the moonrakers!

Whisper checked the wind direction as Triumph pawed a series of switches. The Mary Somerville shook. A square canvas sail shot out from a compartment at the bow of the ship. The wind caught the sail as the needle of the speed indicator hit the peg.

The moonraker adjusted as it caught the air current and skipped across sky.

“Two thousand meters to the mine,” Triumph said.

Chaff continued to burst in the air with loud pops echoing off the buildings. The zeppelin continued it’s evasive maneuvers as it weave and dive attacks from below and above.

Tauru:> I’m over the mine

Indigo:> Right behind you

Whisper:> Indigo, once you are over the target, switch to autopilot. Tauru bring the planes and the Mary back to the airport

Tauru:> gotcha’

Lightning cracked from all around as rain began to fall. A bolt flew from below the city, but it struck the aluminum chaff fifty meters away.

Whisper:> TC proceed to section 1332.5; Boss Kitty might be coming in hot, so I want you there Justin Case Gold is on her tail

TC:> OMW

“One hundred and fifty meters from the mine,” Triumph said.

“Good,” Whisper said as she flipped on the autopilot switch. “See you after we win this.”

Whisper gently ruffled Triumph's fur, before securing her hair into a ponytail. The dog responded with an eager bark.

With focused steps, Whisper made her way to the rear of the zeppelin, where she unlatched the steel Cooper door. As it swung open, a rush of wind and rain greeted her, carrying with it the distant echoes of Tauru and Indigo's planes in flight. The Aerohawk and Valkyrie swooped and soared in intricate patterns around the Mary Somerville.

Leaning out of the doorway, Whisper's gaze swept across the horizon, her keen eyes catching a glimmer on the distant horizon. There, amidst the rugged landscape of Battle City, a golden glow emerged, drawing closer with each passing moment.

“Finally,” as Whisper as the Dutchman mine came into view.

As the zeppelin edged nearer, the outline of the mine became clearer, its towering structures casting long shadows across the surrounding city.

With a mixture of excitement and trepidation, Whisper braced herself for the adventures that awaited. As the Mary Somerville pressed onward, she inhaled deeply. Her pupils widened as her heart raced.

She adjusted her corset and noticed that the folds on her dress were slightly wrinkled. She ran her hands across the fabric. The sensation of the material on her hands as it calmed her heartbeat down.

“Oh, so that’s why Boss Kitty does that,” Whisper said as she giggle snorted. “This is for you, wherever you are Boss Kitty!”

Whisper:> I’ll see you’ll on the ground or in hell!!!

Indigo:> I’ll be joining you shortly

Heather:> Big 10-4, I’m enroute after I take out the trash I ran into

Letting go of the handle, she leaned forward and stepped off the zeppelin’s platform. Whisper extended her hand and a naginata appeared in her hand.

“Wake up Lullaby, it’s time for our performance,” she said and ran her thumb across the blade of the weapon.

The pull of gravity brought her down towards the flat zone near a few buildings and before the series of entrances to the mine. The wind flowed through her hair.

Adrenaline ran through her arteries. From the corner of her eye, she noticed the zeppelin flew past the mine as she continued to fall. She felt her heart begin to swell, and every pore on her skin tingled. Something deep in her memory rose to the surface of her thoughts. Instead of repressing the tide of emotions, which she usually did in a combat situation, she made up her mind to embrace it.

“Hi, ho lock and load,” Whisper sang. “Engines running and ready to go. So early, so early in the morning!”

The ground was fifty meters away. Four of the Hilltop Hooligans rushed out to greet her. They wore matching gold polo shirts, silk scarves and black jeans.

“DRROP Bears in the sky, once we land enemy’s gonna die!”

Whisper hit the ground kicking up a layer of dust as she landed. Indigo was falling through the air with a loud scream. Five more of the enemy gang rushed out of the mine’s entrance.

“Fighting Bears on the hill. Grab your blades it’s time to kill,” Whisper continued to sing.

The tip of Lullaby glowed with a whiteish-blue light. Indigo was already fighting as weapons clashed. The Hilltop Hooligan’s moves were quick and precise, but Indigo parried each of their attacks and reflected them back.

She scanned around and found a target. A combatant with a long scar on his arm and wearing a golden hoodie. He was holding back and was surrounded by two others. Occasionally he pointed to of the Hooligans and his hand glowed white. Whisper ran towards her target.

“Spotted a healer, he’s moving slow. Charge right in, he’s got to go,” Whisper sang.

Indigo:> Careful W, healz got Eye-4-Eye activated!

Heather:> I’ll counter with a pox, 10-33

The healer turned to his feet and his two guards stepped in front of him. Whisper swung Lullaby only to be blocked by circular shield. Whisper flipped over him, the blade slicing his chin and neck.

Whisper pushed him into the second guard and swiped her weapon in a downward arc towards the healer. He jumped back as the blade cut off part of his pants. She flipped the blade around and sliced at the healer’s neck, narrowly missing again.

“Get out of the way, you useless shit for brains,” the second guard said as he pushed his colleague away.

He swung his overly large machete blade. She blocked it with the staff portion of Lullaby, and when his blade bounced Whisper spun around behind him. She hid in his blind spot as he swung his blade. Whisper brought the blade through his armpit and her turned pale as it sliced his head. His body disappeared with a pop.

“Whisper on ground, moving around without a sound. I’m, I’m not afraid to die. So early, so early so early in the morning.”

Lullaby glowed brighter. Moving closer to the healer, she swung at his chest. The attack missed again. He extended his hand over his fallen teammate.

He turned pale and disappeared. Whisper bounced back on one foot away from the healer.

“Your sacrifice is appreciated,” the healer said as a burning red light surrounded him. “Demon Duplicate!”

The image of the healer doubled, then doubled again, still she was surrounded by the mirror images of her opponent.

Whisper checked around her. She counted ten of them. Indigo had his hands full with his own troubles. Then on a small, discolored patch of earth next to her with a hair-like wire poking out of the center.

She continued to bounce on one foot.

“You poor fool, you didn’t take 360-degree sight, did you?” said the multiple images. “Even if you did, it wouldn’t help!”

The multiple images extended their arms, and a pair of gladius short swords appeared which glowed bright orange. An image to her left, stepped closer and swung his sword. The blade sliced partially though her armored corset.

“Whisper in the sky, watch out as she goes zooming by!”

She flipped Lullaby, blade down, and thrusted the weapon into the ground. Then she jumped on top of the hilt, balancing herself.

Heather:> Ran into a problem, be there in a min…or two

He sliced his through her leather boot and caught her in the calf. Whisper gritted her teeth, forcing the pain from her mind. Another image moved closer to attack but missed when she jumped into the air with Lullaby between her feet.

“Land mine on the ground, blows up without a sound!”

The blade cut through the discolored patch of the ground and stopped when it contacted metal. With the triggering mechanism activated, the landmine detonated, sending her up in the air. Using Lullaby to parry the shrapnel, she used Feather Step to ride the blast wave into the air.

“Wait, can I take that last part back, landmines are loud,” Whisper said.

When she landed twenty meters away, the duplicates were gone, and the healer was on the ground. His face was covered in metallic shrapnel and legs were mangled.

“Think that’s enough to kill me? Ha,” he said spitting saliva. “Now it’s your turn. Eye-for-an-Eye, release!”

Two of Indigo’s challengers fell over. Their legs twisted and shriveled up.

“Eye-for-an-Eye affects those who laid out the mines, not the one who activated it,” thought Whisper.

The healer’s hands glowed bright green as he placed his hand on his wounded legs. The muscles and tissue repaired itself, as he started to stand back up.

Indigo:> Eye-4-Eye deactivated!

“My turn, release…Lullaby of Obliteration!” Whisper shouted.

The glow from her weapon ceased. Behind her enemy’s legs, chest and where she missed glowed with the white streak of light.

He tried to cry out in pain, but his neck was lacerated. Whisper ran towards him. He tumbled to one side and was about to punch out, when Lullaby connected with his neck.

The enemy turned pale blue and disappeared.

With the back of her hand, she wiped the dirt and grime from her face. The remaining Hilltop Hooligans punched out and disappeared.

“What the heck was that?” asked Indigo. “With Lullaby I mean.”

Whisper surveyed the area and said, “My spear’s special ability, Lullaby of Obliteration, can store up attacks so long as I don’t deal any damage, then release everything all at once. It’s particular useful punching through tanks with diamond defense or healers.”

“I can see why,” Indigo replied.

The remainder of the opponents turned and disappeared into the cave.

“Let’s evict the rest of these gutless yellow bellies from our mine,” Whisper said.

Indigo rested on his staff. The droplets grew heavier as it rained heavier. A flash of light flashed across the sky then was followed by a distant boom of thunder.

Heather:> Incoming stragglers

Whisper:> 10-whatever, we’re on our way to you

TC:> Boss Kitty spotted. She’s being escorted by a team wearing gold baseball uniforms? They look like they are protecting her!?!?

Tauru:> That’s our Boss Kitty

***