Delta Squad: Rise of the Dragon Empire

[jesbro]

Fortunately Jesse and Alexis had no weapons on them because they did not intend to hurt anyone while they were there. Alexis spoke to him first once they were greeted. "We are here to see an ancient dragon medallion which you are currently in possession of. We intend to unite it with the rest of the medallions in a museum for everyone to see together. We are willing to pay handsomly for it if we have to but before any of that we are hoping you could tell us more about them."

 

Alexis and Jesse would then show him the two medallions that have been collected so far. "We know a bit about them but we are hoping there is more you might be able to tell us about them. Where they came from, why they were created, stuff like that?"

Edited June 16, 2014 by jesbro

[Captain Enema]

Denard looks at the two men carefully and clears his throat thoughtfully. "Well, that's not quite what I expected," he observed as he opened the top drawer of his desk. From inside of it he pulled out a thick journal, bound in leather, a bullet hole in it, and stained with blood. "I personally know nothing about the medallion other than what my father mentioned, but at the time he was drinking like a fish so I'd take it with a hint of skepticism."

 

He opened the journal and flipped through the pages until he found what he is looking for. He motioned the two men over to his desk and he pointed to a picture of Mad Dog Bob Denard and a few hundred Asiatic looking men in a desert encampment. "You ever hear of the Dragon Cult? They were and probably still are a group of men who believed the Dragon Emperor of the Dragon Empire, I think it was called, was going to be reborn or some sort of thing. Now, my memory is vague on it, I do have a research assistant. Let me scream at him," he said as he punched the intercom button on his desk again. "CHARLES YOU LAZY SOD, go dig up any information we have on the Dragon Empire, the Dragon Emperor, and so on. It ought to be in the archives, also, go through official records for the Dragon Cultists and their involvement in anyway with Legion."

 

He then looked back at the two men and said, "To the best of my knowledge, the my father claimed the Medallion was a conduit to speaking with the spirit of the Dragon Emperor. I can't verify that for you, I was a kid at the time and my mother had me living with my relatives up in the Somalian Highlands. The medallion itself is probably in the Mad Dog collection at the Legion Historical Society. But, I think you two need to know something even more important." 

 

"The Dragon Cultists I showed you in the photos, are still here in the Kingdom, we gave them a bit of land and some seed money to get going when the Dragon Empire collapsed. They've kept to themselves for decades and several of them have served with great distinction in the Legion," Denard informed the two men as his intercom beeped. 

 

"Yes?" he asked as he punched the button.

 

"He's here sir," replied his secretary.

 

"Excellent, send him up," replied Denard. "Now look boys, I have an important meeting. Why don't you go over to the Legion Historical Society, have a look at the Medallion. My secretary can give you directions to there and the Dragon Village that is outside of Mogadishu. Here is my number, if you need anything else, give me a call, it connects right through to my desk here." With that said the two men are shown the way out. As they pass through the lobby, Malcolm Reynolds passes them on his way up to meet with Denard. 

 

"Pardon me," Reynolds says as he steps around them to pass through security to get to his meeting with Denard on time. 

[jesbro]

Jesse and Alexis got into a seperate car from the rest of the squad and told his squad to go back to the airport and wait for them on the plane. Meanwhile he and Alexis drove to where the cultists farms were and simply observed them for a little bit. "These people are just farmers Jesse and hardly anything like the dragon cultists from the stories."

 

"I know. You want to ask them any questions about anything."

 

"Surprisngly No. They look happy here and I honestly don't want to disturb it by bringing back any bad memories to them."

 

"Than call Denard and tell them we are ready to retrieve the medallion he has. The sooner we get it the sooner we can go back to Shanghai or wherever the next medallion is."

 

Meanwhile the one who was following Jesse and Alexis called in to let Jake know what he discovered. "I have found many farmers who supposedly deserted the Dragon Cult many decades ago. Orders?"

 

"They are none of our concern. Stick with following Jesse and Alexis and report back once they have possession of the medallion. Meanwhile the rest of us will set up our little ambush."

[Captain Enema]

"Right, you fellows want the medallion? Well, I think my father wouldn't mind, he always did admire someone with an adventurous spirit. I can't let you have it though. But, what I can do is have the display case left unlocked for an hour and that wing of the historical society closed off for repairs. A side door will be left unlocked for you at three pm this afternoon. You get my drift?" Denard asked Jessie over the phone. 

 

Once everything was agreed upon, Denard called up the head of the Legion Historical Society and asked him to help out with a favor. After haggling for ten minutes and the price of two bottles of good scotch was agreed upon, the head of the Historical Society called the security department and had them cordon off the Denard Wing. A few minutes after it is cordoned off he walked down himself, unlocked the Dragon Medallion display case, turned off the cameras, and pulled the drives containing the footage and replaced it with a sanitized version. 

 

On the way back through the Denard Wing, the Head of the Society stopped by a side door, unlocked it, and promptly walked up to his office to play an hour of Angry Birds on his ipad. 

 

The two chaps from Delta would find a very large, very private, and very quiet Denard Wing waiting for them. 

 

 

ooc- remember what I said, no gunfire. Have fun, I will keep an eye on this thread. Let me know if you need anything else. 

[Maelstrom Vortex]

When the two chaps from Delta would come to retrieve the Medallion, they would find what appeared to be a semi-transparent, heavily robed individual standing over it. "You do not look like the one whom I gave this too.. who are you exactly?"

[Captain Enema]

Another semi-transparent figure would appear and demand the two Delta Squad boys close the door behind them due to the draft and birds crapping on display cases. He would then turn to the other semi-transparent figure and say, "Since we now both have an excess of free time, how about a game of cribbage? 10 bucks a point? I got a bottle of scotch, the good stuff stashed near the mortar display." 

[Maelstrom Vortex]

"Dammit Dernard.. this is my amulet.. don't you have your own relic to haunt created by your own cult? Dreamers these days.. can't come up with their own ideas. But good to see you're finally awake or asleep.. or dead.. suppose depends on how you see it. Weird **** reality we reside in. Bah, screw it. Since you're here, may as well. Not that money is much good for us and I seem to lack a stomach for scotch, literally. Just one question, how would we hold the cards? Think these gents would do us the favor.. though I think drinking the scotch will be an entirely different problem."

[Captain Enema]

"Dammit Dernard.. this is my amulet.. don't you have your own relic to haunt created by your own cult? Dreamers these days.. can't come up with their own ideas. But good to see you're finally awake or asleep.. or dead.. suppose depends on how you see it. Weird **** reality we reside in. Bah, screw it. Since you're here, may as well. Not that money is much good for us and I seem to lack a stomach for scotch, literally. Just one question, how would we hold the cards? Think these gents would do us the favor.. though I think drinking the scotch will be an entirely different problem."

 

"We've got an eternity to figure it out, why the hurry?" 

[Maelstrom Vortex]

"Hrmm.. you have a point. But there is a piece of myself out there I need to catch up with. I was hoping perhaps these gents could help me find it."

[jesbro]

As Alexis and Jesse approached the Legion Historical Society they couldn't help but feel like it was a trap. Once they saw the ghosts which honestly looked more like computer holograms they thought it was more like a joke. However Alexis didn't know much about the Legion and was curious if Jesse did. "So what do you know about the Legion and their history?"

 

"From what I remember they were pretty much like a huge mercenary organization that fought for whoever payed them the most money similar to the Dragon Private Military Corporation my friend Jake works for. He was the one who found the first medallion and usually they don't like to work together with the Shanghai military but when he called for help after being attacked in Singapore I had to go and help him. I have not heard from him since the attack on Shanghai but since they had small bases in other parts of the world I am sure he is ok."

 

"Glad you seemed to be worried about me." Jesse immediately recognized that voice as Jake's. He was standing over by the case that held the medallion. "Gotta admit that finding you was not easy but now I can see it was well worth it."

 

"Why are you here Jake?"

 

"You have something my father wants." He then aimed his pistol at Jesse. "And I intend to bring them to him one way or the other."

 

"You are going to have to kill me first."

 

"Glad you are willing to give your own life for it. But not so sure you are willing to risk hers." He then aimed his pistol at Alexis but Jesse tried to get in front of where Jake was waiting only to hear weapon clicks from many Assault rifles of Jake's squad that was now surrounding them. "There is only one way you both make it out of this alive and I suggest you take it."

 

Jesse and Alexis were lead to Jake's transport vehicles and they were taken to the airport where another private jet was waiting for them. Jesse warned his own squad not to follow at first or else Jake was going to kill Alexis and so they complied. After the plane took off Jesse and Alexis finally met with Jake's father Henry. The CEO of the Dragon PMC and also the current leader of the Dragon Cult. "Hello Jesse. I have been waiting a long time to finally meet with you face to face."

Edited June 16, 2014 by jesbro

[Maelstrom Vortex]

The plane bumped and shuddered in a haze of turbulence. A storm had gathered about it. The amulets on the tables rattled with very head wind and thunder. Finally all 3 fell into contact with their claws touching in a ring and the jade eyes began glowing faint green in the cabin light. A very hard bump rattled the crew and the passengers alike.

"What is going on?" Jesse would ask.

"Sir we are getting some very heavy storms out here. We may have to revert our course." The pilot shouted back.

The power flickered in the cabin after another sudden jostle, but when the lights came back on the figure in Denard's museum wing had returned but much more solid. "You are going the wrong way.. it would be wise."

"Jesse this is the one known as the Dragon Emperor." Henry said. "And I intend to resurrect him. China will finally have it's ruler it has been missing for so long and will finally be able to dominate Asia once more. Where your father Brian failed we will succeed."

Maelstrom faintly shook his head,  "Don't go so hard on him or his father. I never ruled alone. No one can rule alone. I learned that lesson multiple times in my time."

"My father wanted peace for Asia." Jesse would say. "Yes the original Dragon Empire ruled alomst all of Asia at the time but at what cost?"

"Your father was not willing to do what needed to be done. We are in the position to take all of China and much more if only you would admit that this is the only way." Henry remarked.

"During the time I ruled, my people were prosperous and proud. History has been re-written by the winners to shame me, but they were always jealous of what I had accomplished. As my friends fell away with time and age, they siezed the opportunity to remove me from my perch.. and.. at times I was somewhat overzealous, but I like to think that for a while, there was a golden age during my rule. Such is the natural cycles of the world.. rulers fall in and out of favor each passing day."

"My mother, Empress Mei of China would probably agree. There was a perhaps a time of great peace and prosperity but she is not willing to risk another nuclear war in order to acieve it. We barely made it out of the first one and probably wouldn't survive a second one." Jesse explained.

"That is where you are wrong Jesse. If we were to merge our forces we would have enough resources to rebuild China and restablish it as one of the Dominant Empires of all of Asia. All we are asking is that you let us help you do what you fear to do."

Jesse gave in, "Fine. We will do this your way for now but if this ends up in a war I will kill you before the end of it."

"Fair enough." Henry grinned.

The image spoke again, "I grow weaker. My connections with the amulets is fading. We won't have much time. You have sufficient amulets. I am here and need reunited with myself. Go there.. find me. I am being held in a bhuddist monestary here." It smashed its hand through a pen on the table, the pen shattered and the ink went everywhere, but formed a clear set of 1s and 0s separated by a comma. It was co-ordinates for a montain-side monestary. He then began to flicker and fade away.. as he did, so did the storms outside.

Henry spoke through the cabin, "Pilot I have a set of coordinates I want you to go to. Set course for Bhutan."

"Yes, sir." The plane began to bank.

Meanwhile Jesse still wasn't convinced of Henry's willingness to help him. "I don't know what you are planning Henry but if it really is something evil than I swear I will stop you."

 

##Meanwhile in Bhutan... continued from here.

 

A storm unlike the monks had ever seen was raging about the mountain tops. The monks saw it as an omen. The Druk had never been so talkative, but it was not surprising to them given the presence of their bodies at the temple. Dread shifted... and sat up. His suit was still on him, but his leg, which had gone through his suit in a complex fracture had been stinted and was bandaged with the suit torn away. He looked over to see Maelstrom and Koudoawaia seemingly meditating at a table wearing robes with some warm soup in front of them. They looked over to Dread seeing him awake.

 

"Good job landing us Dread.. you are an unusually lucky pilot. These people think we're some form of religious entity. They even have us on their flag. They appear to call us Druk. I'm slowly picking up pieces of their language." He spoke in fluent High Drakine. "They've been tending to our wounds since we fell. Unfortunately, I think our craft and belongings are totally lost."

 

Koudoa made a soft keening sound at the statement.

 

Maelstrom sighed, his griff lowering, "I'm sorry about your works love. I know they were all you had left of your collection. We'll get a new one started for you soon. New chance for a fresh start."

 

Sterling appeared to dose in a corner. Maelstrom saw Dread look to him and noted, "It appears he took the landing about as badly as you had, struck his head against the front panel, almost shattered his jaw. He's been feeding on ground up meat as he cannot chew right now. I think he'll be alright, but he needs time."

 

Dread half-spoke, half-groaned, "Sorry about your drake."

 

"Nah, it's okay Dread, really, we're lucky to be alive at all. You did excellent work getting us down in such a precarious situation. I thought us all dead."

 

Dread nodded, "Plan?"

 

Maelstrom tilted his head as he typically did when in thought, "Recover, recuperate, then find somewhere to hole up. I am rather certain we will end up drawing attention, these people revere us.. but there's this thing about love/hate relationships that can end up deadly if we don't fulfill their expectations. I mean they take this.. Druk.. thing.. extremely seriously. You know it's kind of fascinating. We've never been to this world and they have something like us on their flag.. they revere us.. it's just.. so bizarre."

 

Dread chuckled, "Sounds like something best thought about as little as possible." He shuddered, "Am I running a fever?"

 

Maelstrom nodded, "Yes, and they have you on medications which they seem to be basing off of knowledge of creatures similar to us on this world, it still has me worried. I don't think their understanding of medical science is that advanced and this is our first exposure to this world's microbes." He brought the soup bowl over to Dread. "Here, drink some more soup. We need to keep your strength up as best we can. Its one of the reasons we hadn't fully removed your suit yet."

Edited June 17, 2014 by Maelstrom Vortex

[Markus Wilding]

"Generalleutnant Schmidt!" Schmidt looked up from his observation post. His unit, the 1. Panzer-Division, was conducting small-scale exercises in Vienna, mostly to keep the troops sharp. Mobilizations had been ordered and cancelled almost on a cycle you could set your watch to, and today was no different. Another mobilization had been ordered, this one Wehrmacht-wide, so even the Schwarze Korps, who were usually immune to such mobilizations, were ordered to prepare for battle within the hour. "What is it now?" he asked as he watched an aide walk up to him. "Director Wilding has orders for you, sir." Orders? Schmidt snatched the paper from the aide's hands and devoured its contents. Was his unit assigned to 1. Armee? No, of course not. His unit had now been ordered to escort a convoy of something to the Vienna Naturhistorisches Museum. Boring. No glory at all, just an overhyped bodyguard.

 

Wait...these orders mention the shipment itself. A...dragon medallion? Interesting. Shipping from Szczecin to Vienna...Schmidt had to find out more about this. "Korporal," he said, writing orders down on his personal notepad, "You have free reign to find out anything you can about this shipment. I don't care how you get this information and frankly, I don't want to know." Handing the note to the soldier, he saluted and Schmidt returned the salute in turn. It was about to get very interesting in Alvonia very soon.

[jesbro]

On the plane Jesse and Henry continued to have a discussion about what was going to happen once they got to Bhutan. Henry was also curious to know more about Jesse's mother. "So what can you tell me about the Empress?"

 

"She is someone you really do not want to mess with. If you betrayed her she would actually be more likely to kill you than I would."

 

"How so?"

 

"Because right now she is the Queen of the Dragons. The real ones which the Chinese made all of their legends on, and as her son that means I am one of them as well."

 

"Can you show me what you look like as a dragon?"

 

"Not unless you want me to destroy the plane in the process. I am a little bigger when a dragon and would go through the ceiling if I changed right now."

 

"I see. Yet you came even knowing my son's gun wouldn't really hurt her since you pretty much turned her into one of you to save her from the medallion's power in Seattle."

 

"Trust me if I really wanted to kill him at the time I would have but I could tell he didn't want to shoot me. I know Jake enough to tell when he is acting."

 

"Dang. Really thought I did a better job at hiding the fact it was all an act." Jake said in defense.

 

"I might trust you Jake but I still don't trust your father. If he keeps true to his word on helping us all rebuild than maybe I will trust him more but until then I will always be watching my back when around him."

 

"Understood."

 

Meanwhile Mei an her friend Lee Sing were tracking the meteor as it made landfall in the mountains of Bhutan. "That meteor did not have the normal signature of other meteors that have impacted over the years. I know some of the monks up there and so I am going to investigate it to make sure they are all ok."

 

"Than I wish to accompany you."

 

"Sure. Let General Chang know he is in charge until we are back and then we will begin our long journey flying there."

 

"Yes my Queen."

[Maelstrom Vortex]

## In the skies

 

As Jesse's squad followed close behind Henry's plane in their own Jordan and Nathan really didn't like the situation while John and Anthony just wanted to not get shot at for following so close. They had no idea what Henry was planning but Jesse did say that for now they were going to go along with whatever he was planning and keep their tabs on what he was doing.

"I don't like this Nathan." said Jordan. "What if this is another trap Henry is leading us into?"

"It possibly is but our job is just to make sure Jesse and Alexis make it back to Shanghai alive at this point. Already got a message from the Empress saying she was going to meet us where we are going and hopefully sort all of this out." Nathan sighed.

"Do you really believe what she said in it though. The part about an asteroid hitting the mountains?" Jordan cocked his head a bit.

"At this point I would be surprised if it was a nuke that went off target. Either way we are going there to investigate it and hopefully everything will work out in the end." Nathan shrugged.

A while later all the planes made it to Bhutan and started looking for an airfield anywhere near the monastary that they could land their planes on. The nearest thin they would find comparable to a runway would be a glacial flat near the base of the mountain.

##Meanwhile, elsewhere at around this same time.

Empress Mei and Lee Sing made it to Bhutan in their dragon forms. "So Empress why do you worry about these monks?"

"Our race has always had good relations with the monks of Bhutan. If they are in danger than it is our duty to help get them out of it."

##At the monastery...

The monks were busy about the monastery. Their guests had been moved to the main Shrine. They were sitting before a dragon statue, receiving gifts and meditating with the monks.

Some of the monks would come forward occasionally, kneeling before them at the behest of the elders. Not knowing what to do, one of the four would likely reach out and touch the monk on the head.. unawares they were thought to be giving blessings.

Maelstrom pointed out, "They pay homage to the elements as well.. just like at home.. look.. the towers. They seem to be totems to air, fire, water, earth, and void.."

Dread shook his head, "Almost makes me want to re-think my atheism..." He chortled.

Mei and Lee would be the first to arrive and actually be shocked by what they saw going on. "Empress are those..."

Maelstrom would smell a scent different than the hominids about him and the crisp mountain air. His eyes turned and became fixated on the Empress almost like an missile's tracking system locking on its target.

"Dragons Yes. But they are different from us." Mei was starting to get a little angry when she saw what was really going on. "What are they doing at our temple. The one we helped those monks build in the first place?!"

"Believe them to be friend or foe?"

Maelstrom looked over to Koudoa, "We have unexpected company... are we certain we never visited this world before?"

"Either way I want answers." Mei and Lee would then fly down there to the temple. The monks would then immediately recognize them as the ones they based their statues and other stuff after as well as the ones who were said to have helped their ancestors build that temple many years ago.

The Four would have their eyes fixed up on Mei and Lee, "Greetings, can you understand us?" Maelstrom would begin as the statesman. He was speaking alien Drakine. A series of hisses growls and motions of his griff all working in tandem as linguistic cues. Maelstrom watched as the monks seemed to move to Mei and Lee to pay homage. "Yup, we're definitely appreciated here.. and now I think I know why."

Mei and Lee didn't understand the hisses or growls. Their race had evolved over millions of years to the point where they talked to each other in ways the humans would understand. "Still think they are not foes?"

"They have not attacked us yet Lee."

Dread was still in no position to attack anyone. He looked down at his splinted leg as it throbbed. The monks were still tending it and it was apparent he was in very ill health.. to his comrades. Mei and Lee almost certainly would have no clue as to the baseline for his health other than the fact he was somewhat prone and the stint.

"Try the mind pictures.." He hissed to Maelstrom

Mei would then try with their language. "My name is Mei and I am Queen of our race of dragons. The humans recognize this yet I do not recognize you. Can you understand me?"

Maelstrom concentrated and tried to send the images of their descent to Mei.. since she was trying to communicate.

Mei would concentrate as well on trying to recognize the images he was sending to her.

"They came from Space." She nodded to Maelstrom to try to tell him she understood.

"I want to know more." She tried to tell him with her mind.

Finally Mei understood everything about them. "They are from a world far away from here. It was destroyed by its own star yet they managed to escape before the final destruction. Their spaceship then landed here where they have been at the monastary since they landed."

Maelstrom.. passed out.

Koudoa clicked her tongue on the roof of her muzzle, "Always overdoing yourself, M'dear."

"Is he gonna be ok?" Mei tried to ask in their language.

Dread nodded, "Better than me. He just needs rest. I might actually be under threat of death." He hissed. "I feel chill. My Metabolism is running at a higher grade than even when I'm in flight. You need practice your hisses a little, they're just a tad short. I can barely make you out, but you're doing reasonable for your first attempts. Then again, you could be hallucinations. That's more probable than what I'm seeing right now."

It was then that the others in the planes arrived. The airfield was very near to the monastery and from the plane Jesse could already see what was going on as they landed. "Oh this is not going to end well." Jesse said to himself as they landed.

Sterling, jaw wrapped in tape, came outside.. saw the other dragons.. saw his father on the ground and rushed to his side to check him despite his own muzzle being in its current state. He growled, unable to speak at the moment.

After a short hike Jesse, his squad, Henry, and Jake with his men all arrived in front of the monastery near to where Mei and Lee were. He recognized them but not the others. "So who are these dragons mother? Friends of yours?"

Koudoa comforted her son, the hisses and clicks only sensible to Mei. "It's okay. He's just winded from to much thought projection."

Jake and his men would aim their weapons at him but put them down when they saw the other dragon calm him. "Seriously Jesse I didn't know your family was so... big."

Jesse glared slightly, "Jake this is really not the time."

"They are not here to hurt us Jesse." said Mei. "They are pretty much what you would call aliens."

Koudoa pulled the body of her mate in his white robe to her side and began to lightly stroke his neck where his 7 hearts beat. He begna to purr in his sleep. She looked up to Mei, tilted her head. Sterling moved closer to his mother still seeming somewhat defensive.

"So then what are they doing here mother?" Jesse said starting to get a little angry himself now.

"Why does he seem upset?" Koudoa asked.

Mei explained to Jesse, "They are the last from where they came from. "Their world was destroyed by its own sun and they managed to escape it time and make it here."

Mei briefly turned to Koudoa, "He wants to know why you are here so I am telling him." She then turned back to Jesse, "However what I want to know Jesse is why you are here?"

 

"The ship was bound for another star nearby. We hit a meteor storm when we passed by the edge of this system. Unfortunately our automated navigation systems failed to outmaneuver the fringe of it." Koudoa explained, not realizing Mei was conversing with her son as her attention was on her mate.

"I am here to bring back someone who might be able to do what what my father failed to do and unite all of China under one banner. If that doesn't work than I am going to kill this man that is right next to me here." Jesse said as he pointed at Henry.

Mei saw the medallions once he showed them to her and she understood. "You really want to bring back the Dragon Emperor. Now of all times?!"

On Koudoa's lap, something very strange began to happen with her husband. It begain to rain again, the sky overhead never having quite cleared of the clouds and storm. But his eyes.. began to glow against her robe, the shade of green of his iris lit his closed eyelids

Koudoa startled, "What is going on with him?" Dread kind of half-slid over to look, "Not certain Lady Vortex, I have never seen the like."

Everyone would be in shock at this point Jesse would ask Henry how it is happening. "Henry what are the medallions doing to the dragon alien over there?"

The dragons on the medallions would seem to start moving.. dancing as they so often did in the past for their bearers when alive again. They pointed at the creature, "Take uss.... rouse him..."

Jesse, Alexis, and Jake would try to approach him with the medallions that wanted to go to him. 

Maelstrom would waken as they near.. "What are those things?! Why is everything a shade of green?" He would scramble back away

"Not sure." Mei would try to say. "Does anything else feel different?"

Jesse and the others would stop where they were until they knew what was happening because they did not want to hurt him.

"Besides this being the most bizarre thing I've seen in my life... umm.. no.. um.." Maelstrom replied to Mei before he looked back at the moving amulets...

"Master.. claim us.. claim your destiny.." The amulets hissed and rasped.. oddly in Drakine..

"Should we back away Jesse?" Jake would ask.

"I dont know Jake but if whatever we release turns out to be evil I will probably kill your dad." Jesse replied.

Maelstrom was very confused, "What are they?"

Jesse would try to answer. "Medallions from a past age where dragons ruled this continent. They supposedly have the power to bring back a great leader who can help us reclaim what was lost and I think they believe it is you."

Mei would pretty much try to tell him the exact same thing Jesse did.

"I just came to this world.. how can they even know me?!" Maelstrom was somewhat alarmed.

"No clue." Mei would say in their language. "I could tell them to back off if you want?"

Maelstrom tilted his head.. Curiosity.. fear.. curiosity.. fear... he remembered his mother, "Curiosity killed the hatchling." And about a thousand other tales related. But these things spoke their tongue. He asked them his name, and they replied in unison, "You are Maelstrom Vortex. You are our master." He hadn't even give anyone gathered other than his team his name yet...

"I can't ignore them.. they know to much in a way I cannot explain. Let me have one of them.."

Jesse would approach with the one he had and tryo to give it to him.

Maelstrom would put a sii out to claim it. He immediately went into a trance. Thunder shook the clouds overhead...

Jesse immediately thought to himself. "What are the consequences for what I just did?!"

Spoken in perfect Dzongkha the words came from Maelstrom's mouth as his eyes still remained closed, the language of his caretakers the monks.. "And so comes the third turning of the wheel. Druk lives again." The monks would tremble.. some of their eyes would change green and become slitted. The ones who were true believers in the faith at this temple who truly thought him the incarnation of Druk.

Maelstrom's companions were in shock.. "What is he saying?!" Dread barked

"What have you done to him?!" Koudoa hissed!

"Something that will change the very fate of this world." Mei would say to her.
 

Edited June 17, 2014 by Maelstrom Vortex

[jesbro]

As whatever transformation Maelstrom was going through continued Jesse knew that if whatever he turned into was evil it would need to be killed. "Jordan go make sure the weapons on the planes our active. If this thing turns out to be evil we might need them as soon as possible."

 

"Will do." Jordan would run back to the planes to make sure their weapons were ready in case something bad did happen.

 

Meanwhile Mei was still wondering if what Jesse said was true and that Mealstrom might be turning into the Dragon Emperor.

 

Maelstrom finally looked to Jesse and spoke in their tongue. "The world isn't black and white. I am grey.. literally. You will not need to kill me."

 

He looked to his mate Koudoawaia and whispered in Drakine, "Shh... love I'm still the same person you left home with months ago." He gently stroked her neck and held her close. "I am just.. more.. as well. I will explain to you tonight before we rest, It's a bit complicated."

 

He look to the monks and spoke again in Dzongkha, "Go tell your people I live. Tell your head of state, as well as the King and Queen to come to see me."

 

He glanced through the corner of his eyes to Mei, Lee, and Jesse, "Greetings.. " His eyes squitned. "You are not of me. To what end have you completed me?"

 

Dread ticked and clicked Drakine in a sort of submissive fashion, "Umm.. Maelstrom, Sir.. you are creeping me out."

 

Maelstrom crooked his head towards Dread, "I'll explain to you after I explain to my mate. Priorities. Right now, at this very moment our lives are at risk. You will have to trust me as I move to protect us."

 

Mei would already have the answer for what he told the monks to do. "They do not have to go far. Right now I am the Empress of Shanghai and the closest thing China has to a leader right now after a recent nuclear war nearly destroyed all of it. And yes we are dragons but we are the true dragons of legend which the people of this continent made their legends and stories about. We have been here for thousands of years including the time you last ruled watching from the shadows. I know more about you than anyone else on the planet which is why I know that one of two things would happen if you did try to lead us. We would either enter a long era of peace and prosperity or you wound end up dragging us into wars which would destroy us all and I do not want that for my people. You might claim to know what is best for the people but so far you have done a bad job of prooving it."

 

They would also notice that Henry's eyes became green and slited just like what happened with the monks. "I am the leader of the Dragon Cult that you seek. It was me and my son's men who gathered the 3 medallions here to bring you back." He would then kneel. "I am at your service."

 

He smiled to Mei, the new light in his eyes the fire of an old soul who has seen the winds of the world change. He spoke fluently in her tongue, "The world often turns against those who do great things for a variety of reasons. When I was at the height of my power, I ran a small state, yet due to the fealty of friends, I had a large empire. Over time those friends grew old, grew weary, moved on.. or died.. the more that did.. left me with m core, small.. developing state. Eventually when I was down to a shadow of my former glory.. the vultures swooped in.. and I was finished. It's said there are natural cycles in human history. An Empire rises, peaks, and then falls. It all depends up on the will of those running the nations. My people and I were and are fanatics, we would not let those vultures subdue us.. enslave us.. bully us. We would fight to the very last man before we permitted any that fate. It was a collective choice. It is not I that have proven a bad caretaker of my people.. it is the nature of the hominids that surround us and their desire to prey upon that which is great. I was also young, and made my own mistakes, but I learned a lot in that time. Notably, don't let your friends relax to much ore they'll get bored and move on to greater things and by accident leave you to your foes." He passed a document to Mei.. "But old habits.. die hard.. and effective ones, even harder. I would like your opinion on the modernization and revision of this document...."

    The Dragon Bloc Constitution
    Sometimes referred to in this document as "the bloc"
    (This is not a merger. All parties are required to act independently in the event of war although organized under the structure and guidance of the Military Governor. All states retain their recognized borders and identities. In essence, this is an intense co-operation coalition.)

    Nations from around the globe are welcome to petition to join.

    1. Signatories of this bloc agree to represent themselves in the Bloc Government.
    2. The signatories of this bloc agree to pay taxes from their budget to the bloc's central authority in order to fund its activities.
    3. The signatories of this bloc retain all domestic sovereignty, but grant the Governor of Diplomatic Activity full authority to negotiate foreign affairs on their behalf, and on behalf of the bloc.
    4. Signatories of this bloc will be given a seat on the "Council of Governors" and each Governor will be assigned a role related to Bloc activities.
    5. Signatories of this bloc give full military training, standardization, and disciplinary authority to the Governor of Military Affairs. (Shared Standards and Training.)
    6. Signatories of this bloc will share technology amongst themselves. (Using the appropriate tech sharing rules.)
    7. Chairman of the Council of Governors will be Dragonisian Chairman and representative Maelstrom Vortex. A successor will be elected by the council of governors to serve as Vice-Chair once the Council of Governors is populated. The person holding the position of Chairman may be impeached by a 3/4 majority once appointed. Impeachment will result in new and immediate elections to replace the Chairman of the Bloc. Being the Chairman of the bloc is normally a life term unless impeached.
    8. All intelligence agencies of the Signatories of the Bloc will be united under the control and full authority of the Governor of Intelligence Activities.
    9. Signatories will unify infrastructure development and economic control activities under the appropriate governors sitting on the Council.
    10. Signatories will ALWAYS participate in wars of aggression or defense when it is chosen by the Chairman to take such action, the Chairman will always consider the will of the Council of Governors in his activities and may be over-ruled by a 2/3rds majority vote of the council. The Chairman MUST approve any action that may be perceived as an act of war by any nation. The Chairman may also be compelled to declare war also by a 2/3rds majority vote.
    11. Signatories will unify their defensive networks, including all sensory nets and unify them under the Governor of Military Affairs.
    12. An attack on one signatory is interpreted as an attack on all regardless as to its nature or method of occurrence.
    13. A signatory may leave the bloc with 48 hours notice, but if it is done during a period of war, would be considered an act of desertion and may sustain severe penalties enacted by the Council of Governors.
    14. Inter membership conflicts will be mediated by the Governing council.. all of its decisions will be final.
    15. Decisions by the Governing Council are always done by basic 2/3rds majority for approval.
    16. Filibusters are not permitted on the Governing Council. Failure to vote within a 120 hour period on a particular issue results in an automatic abstain vote.
    17. All members grant free trade, freedom of movement of military, freedom of air transit, freedom of ground transit, freedom of naval transit under their respective local laws to the other signatories of this bloc.
    18. The Chairman will assign initial roles to signatories/Governors, but the Council may later vote to allow Governors to change roles. In an emergency situation where a role has not been filled, the Chairman is granted the powers to make emergency appointments to later be addressed by the Council.
    19. All other powers not assigned in this document are to be assumed to be possessed by the Chairman until illustrated and outlined otherwise by new revisions to this constitution.
    20. All existing treaties held by the states may still be observed by those states, however, the bloc reserves the right to ask the signatory to renegotiate or disband a particular treaty if it appears in conflict with Bloc interests.
    21. All signatories who are memberships of other alliances and blocs should ask the Diplomatic Governor how they should vote within their respective alliances prior to placing their votes to ensure the manifestation of Bloc Unity on the matter of Global Affairs. If the will of the Signatory is at contrast to the bloc, at the worst the Signatory should abstain from voting.
    22. The admission of new members to the bloc will be considered by the Council. Majority approval is required. The only exception is the first month after this charter is declared during which the Chairman will be responsible for accepting and recognizing new member states.
    23. Signatories will never war with existing signatories.
    24. Anyone violating these articles may be immediately ejected from the Bloc by the Chairman and/or 2/3ds voting majority of the Council. In the event of a conflict of opinion of the Chairman/Council, the Council's ruling is upheld.
    25. Bloc funding may be used for any purpose the Council deems fitting by majority vote.
    26. All Bloc members will be responsible for implementing the rulings of the Bloc using their nation's Sovereignty. If a Bloc Member fails to be active in maintaining its nations for over such time as 3 weeks, it wil be assumed that the nation has fallen under a state of Anarchy and will be entered into Bloc Protectorate status.
    27. Corporate entities with an estimated global net value of more than 100 billion and State entities may join The Dragon Bloc.
    28. Military activity by member states will not be done without the consent and preparation of the Bloc, especially when it comes to WMD or spying as all actions are to be taken in unison. Each states military leadership will work with the governor of military affairs to co-ordinate and train their forces for joint operations but each states military will control its own local forces. (Each player responsible for directing their own forces.)

 

He looked to Henry and spoke in his language, "Excellent work my Pawn, seems you made it to the back rank. You will be rightfully rewarded for your loyalty and effort. I hereby elevate you to High Archon of the cult of Dreams." He looked over his left shoulder at the monks, "And if you're willing to learn their ways I'd say you'd have a lot of pull witht he Monks who revere the Druk." He returned his glowing green gaze to Henry, "You are my second on this world and when I die.. I will take you as part of my Dream, Do you accept this fate?"

 

"I do." said Henry.

 

This worried both Jesse and Jake who were watching as Henry accepted the offer. "Jake did you know this is what he originally wanted?"

 

"No. I knew he wanted power but did not know he was willing to sacrifice his own soul to get it."

 

"Anything you are willing to do to try to stop him from sacrificing himself for it?"

 

"No. If this is the fate he truely wants than I won't stop him."

 

Meanwhile Mei was looking over the document and liked how it seemed to be at the moment. "It might need a fewe changes here and there later on but for now it seems pretty good. I don't think me and Jesse may be comfortable taking orders from someone like you but I'm sure we will be able to manage."

 

"As long as I can still get the guy who killed my father I don't really care." Jesse replied to her

 

"As soon as we find the one who is responsible for killing Brian than by all means go and kill him but first we have to find him." She looked back at Maelstrom. "Yes I would be willing to sign into this bloc if I may do so at this moment. However I would also wish for your help with announcing this to the people in Shanghai and the rest of China as well."

 

"First things first... I need sieze control of this state and rescue the others. Now that we have additional manpower here, maybe you can help. We weren't the only rescue pod heading towards this world. Dread was leading about 5 other escape pods who were in our wake. They're probably scattered about the mountainsides nearby, most likely fighting to survive. I was waiting for us 4 to recover before we went looking. We didn't want ot risk any hostile encounters between our brethren and the monks. The survival of this species may depend on locating them."

 

He looked to Henry, "Find them."

 

"I'm sure he would appreciate any help you or yours could lend." He smiled to Mei.

 

"I will." He looked over at Jake. "Have your men help search the mountains till we find them all. We do not want any of them to have any hostile encounters with the rest of the humans."

 

"Understood father." He looked over at Jesse. "Will you be helping me find them all."

 

"Yes. But first I need to make sure my mother can get back to Shanghai safely."

 

"Don't worry about me Jesse. Just make sure you find the other alien dragons before they start being hunted down by the other human nations."

Edited June 18, 2014 by jesbro

[jesbro]

OOC: Continuing from where we left off. Did this in IRC and it is also serving as Maelstrom's DOE.

 

The Pods were scattered.Two of them had landed just a few hundred feet from the peaks of the mountains.. the other 2 had fallen into gorges.. and would require specialized climing equipment to reach.  The Dragonisians at the bottom appeared to already be out, set up a camp, roasting game. Some were injured and under blankets. Most of the pods had been destroyed per protocls on emergency landing after all the useful gear on board had been salvaged.

 

King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck and Prime Minster Tshering Togbay of Bhutan were arriving by a guided Caravan to determine what it was the Monks had found that they had wanted to be seen so badly and were making their way towards the Monastery. They were extremely cynical.. and skeptical.. of claims the Druk had returned and was seeking audience with them but these monks were known to be peaceful.. and so they had come in peace to investigate. Their security was with them, leading the caravan, but all arms were hidden.

 

Maelstrom and his family had retreated inside the Monastery so as not to frighten the humanoid government officials. They wanted the introduction to be gradual. He encouraged Mei and Lee to follow. "They'll be here soon, we should be ready to receive them."

 

Mei and Lee listened and followed them inside the monastery.

 

Meanwhile Jesse, Jake , and their men had their work cut of for them. "Jesse we don't have any helicopters that would be able to help us here rescuing all the Dragonisian's from their pods. I mean its good that Maelstrom taught us all their language just like he did with you mother and her bodyguard but still we don't really know how we are going to be able to get the ones that are in the gorges."

 

"Lets worry about this one step at a time Jake. We will get the easy ones at the top of the mountains first and use our climbing equipment to get the others out of the gorges."

 

Jesse would approach the ones on the mountains in his dragon form and tell them that they are here to help them get to their leader at the monastery. That would be the easy part though, getting to the ones in the gorges would be a different story.

 

Maelstrom sat on a raised dais before the statue of the Druk. His mate, Koudoa, not certain what was going on sat to his left, Mei and Lee to his right. What Koudoa wasn't aware of... was that her eyes too had begun to glow green like Maelstrom and his followers in the dream cult. So had Dread's and Sterlings.  The monks had gathered and were also meditating.. and in like manner.. the vast majority of them had their eyes change to green growing serpentine slits for iris on their usual whites. A few... were stricken blind, the few among the population there at the temple.. who did not believe in him and thought of him as a corruption of the truth. Though, no one knew that was what was causing the blindness. Rumors of an illness had begun circulating among the monks.

 

The King and the prime minister would be escorted in. They were asked to join the monks in meditation before the Druk at the head of the shrine. They bowed and expressed their honor. Then they turned into the entryway into the shrine. They thought, as always, they would be meditating before a statue. But there at the end of the row.. among dozens of green flame eyed faithful, sat a Druk, a living Druk.

 

Maelstrom whispered to Mei, slightly canting his head to the left, "You built this place, but it is now mine. Thank you. The imagining of this place is now added to my dream. Your dreamer need sustain it no longer. I said before, you are not of me. You have your own dreamer. But Bhutan.. was a blank spot on a map before I arrived, and now I carve its people in my image, build its structures in my conceptions derived from the basis of a world I already know out side of this one. Paint faces on its people and give them their souls. For I am of the faith that is true for this world, and only this world. The faith of dreams. For these Bhuddists.. in this reality. I am the third turning of their wheel. They will adopt me with a fire and fervor not matched by any other faith, because unlike other religions in this world, I can prove mine true."

 

Koudoa snorted, "Love, you must be going mad, you are no God."

 

Maelstrom turned his head slightly back to his left, "You are correct my love. By my definition of the term, I am definitely no God, but I am no mere mortal either any longer now that I am reunified with the one who conceived us. Our world that just died.. was billions of years old.. and two days also. We are.. literally days old. All this because of what goes on in my head." He turned back to Mei, "Mei will see.. and eventually she may believe. Question will be.. will it be me or herself in which she takes faith as she is not of me. She could, if she chose, take faith in herself and her maker."

 

He looks forward at the crowd, "And they will believe.. because they are part of me.. but the system cannot be too perfect. The balance in this reality must be sustained or the sleeping will object. I will have to use traditional means of spreading my faith."

 

His eyes fell upon the approaching King and Prime Minster. "Welcome, please, rest, meditate with us.. great sovereigns of this realm that you may find spiritual strength before we proceed." He bowed his head in respect to his soon-to-be-subjects.

 

Meanwhile Jesse and Jake had found and rescued the Dragonisians on the mountains but getting to the ones in the gorge would be another story. "Jake we need to use our climbing equipment to get to the 2 pods that are down there. Me and you will climb down while the others wait up here and see how bad the situation is. Meanwhile the rest of you are going to have to help find a way to bring them back up."

 

"I have been thinking about that Jesse. What if we used the hover jet and a huge bucket to lift them out of the gorge on it similar to what other rescue teams do with their helicopters?"

 

"Do you guys even have one big enough for them."

 

"Actually we do."

 

"I'm not even going to ask why you already have one on the plane. Just go get everything ready while I continue the climb down and make sure they are all right."

 

"Ok. Will do"

 

Jake would climb back up and head to his plane to make sure everything was ready. Jesse would continue his climb down to see if any of them were injured.

 

The King settled before them in the monastery and after a period of about half an hour simply meditating and relaxing, the King would ask, "Great Druk, I know not how to address you. What is proper?"

 

Maelstrom would take a sip of some tea provided by a monk and reply, "Druk,or 'Thunder Dragon', is appropriate.. it is close to my name in my native tongue." He replied in Dzongkha, their native tongue.

 

"Why have you come to us?" The King inquired.

 

Maelstrom smiled and spoke softly, "Because the Third Turning of the Wheel is upon you. It is time to end old feuds. You will reunite Tibet. I will help you. Call their governors here to speak with us in  council. Old wounds must be healed for the new age."

 

The King would nod. Maelstrom would continue, "Great King, Prime Minister. I am loyal and protector to the people of Bhutan. Do I have your loyalty. Do you believe in what you see before you?"

 

They both would nod, "We cannot deny our own eyes. What we see is to great of mastery to be a trick." The Prime Minister replied. His eyes glowed green upon the confession.

 

Maelstrom then looked to the King who bowed his head in reverence.. and his eyes too, took flame. "Due to the level of scrutiny my arrival will bring here, you will announce to the world that a virus has been found in Bhutan which changes the eyes and makes them Bioluminesce. The secularists will feel my arrival as a threat. They must not yet know the full truth while we organize the faithful. For their sake, not mine. Do you understand?" They nodded.

 

"You will announce a set of revolutionary reforms to the nation to make it stronger. The flag will be changed to darker grey above lighter grey.. the dragon shall be red, its baubles gold, and the eyes Jade. It will reflect the changes to come. Internally the people shall know the Druk lives and guides you. The outside world will still have you as ruler, King Wangchuck."

 

He looks to the Prime Minister, "And Togbay, you shall be political ambassador to your people of my will."

 

"Go now, and begin my work. I will be in touch." The two rose, bowed to the Druk, and departed.

 

Meawhile Mei and Lee continued to watch while wondering why any of that did not effect them. "We are not blind like the ones who thought him evil yet our eyes are not quite like the ones who believe either."

 

Maelstrom seemed to over hear them as he answered them, "You are not of me."

 

Mei translated what he meant to Lee. "That is because we don't worship him like the humans do. We are not blind because that part does not effect us like it does with the humans either. Although I have agreed to be a part of the bloc for now he has no TRUE POWER over us and he knows it."

 

Maelstrom looks back to Mei, "More than that, you literally are not of me. I am not imagining you into being. Someone else is."

 

Mei almost didn't even care much anymore at this point. "If it is ok with you me and Lee need to head back to Shanghai and let our people know what has transpired here. We look forward to seeing what this alliance between us brings."

 

"Mei.. I get the impression you are fairly politically savy. I am considering an appointment of yourself or one of your representatives to the Block Council of Governors as the Head of Diplomacy for the alliance. What are your thoughts?"

 

"I accept. However I am also curious as to who you are thinking of being the Head of Military matters for the bloc?"

 

Jesse was just about done climbing to the bottom where the pod was when he heard Jake on the comm say that everything was ready to lift them all up with the plane. However Jesse would need to get them into the bucket first and that part of the task was not going to be easy.

[jesbro]

OOC: Also done in IRC just like the last few posts.

 

As Jake piloted the hoverjet into position with the very large bucket that was going to be used to bring them up Jesse was heading down trying to tell how bad the situation was for them down there. He knew one of them might possibly be injured and they would have to get the injured up first before bringing up the rest. "OK Jake I have just made it to the bottom. Get the jet into position and I will let you know when to drop down the bucket."

 

"OK Jesse. Be careful down there."

 

After a while Jesse finally arrived at the camp that the Dragonisian's had set up at the bottom. He would then go and let them know in his dragon form that he was there to help him and bring them to where their leader was at the monastery. He would then ask which of them were the most injured to be taken up first.

 

The Dragonisians were startled at seeing other dragons. At first.. they mistook him for a rescue team from their own people. Then.. they noticed his physical differences. They asked who he was.. when they discovered others were at the Monastery, they became very compliant and started helping with the injured.

 

As Jesse helped them get their most injured into the bucket first Jake slowly lifted the bucket up and eventually set it down in the snow on the surface where the other Dragonisian's they had rescued earlier were waiting for them. Eventually they would each be brought up one at a time but as they were bringing up the last one the line began to snap. Jesse was still in his dragon form and actually surprised himself when he found he was strong enough to hold the line enough to stop the bucket from falling back into the gorge. "Guys I could really use some help here!"

 

The Dragonisians saw the bucket line collapse and so the healthy ones tried to take to the air.. as they would have on their home world.. and the result there were a lot of face plants. They were not conditioned to fly here and Jesse probably would have laughed a lot if he was not trying to hold the line for the bucket with all of his strength. One of them finally got a grappling hook, part of the survival gear that was brought with the pod. Shot it over a tree sticking out of the mountain side some meters above the basket then tossed the hook end up to Jesse for him to connect it and stabilize the bucket.

 

Jesse was able to connect the hook and they brought the last Dragonisian out of the gorge. Once they were all ready they would head to the monastery as fast as they could so that they could get the wounded to medical help in time.

 

Meanwhile as Jesse went down into the gorge Mei was still at the monastery resting for when she and her brother Lee would fly back to Shanghai. It was a long journey for them getting to the monastery in the first place and they knew it would be just as long getting back.

 

Sterling would come over, dressed in the white robes the monk had given them and sit down near to Mei. "You're an interesting character. My father didn't know you from any other then suddenly he has a keen interest at your presence after the amulets entered his mind. I don't believe, with the pace of things that have been occuring, that we were even formally introduced. I am Sterling Vortex, of clan Vortex, son of the former Oligarchs of the southern cliffs of the glacial lowlands of Silver High." Sterling put a silver coin a monk had given him in his mouth and swallowed it as he waited her response.

 

"My name is simply Mei, Empress of Shanghai, and Queen of the Dragons. My people have been here since the first humans drew breath and it was my people who built this monastery over 2000 years ago. I gave up my last name long ago when I became Queen but if you must really know what is was before then it was Sing, and Lee is my brother and my main protector."

 

Sterling tilts his head somewhat to the side, "Mei is such a strange name. Our people tend to get named for their coloring, physical aspects, or temperament.... don't tell my father I told you this, but he got his name because my grandparents could not get him to shut up in the nest. He was like a lil siren running round the clock. You sound like you've been around a very long time, you don't look very aged. My wings just came in..." He displays them out all flashy like a mirror.. very proud of them. "Worked hard to prepare for their release. I eat lots of silver, try to keep the coat up so that its nice and reflective. Does Mei mean something in your tongue?"

 

She smiled. "My name is supposed to mean beautiful. My mother gave me the name right after I was born. She raised me herself while my father was trying to make sure our race wasn't wiped out by the humans. The ones that live here might love and worship you but there are many humans who would rather see us wiped out because they believe us to be a threat to their existence. As for my age I am much older than any human alive because although we may be able to take the forms of humans our true bodies are dragons and with them we age so much slower than them it seems we do not age at all."

 

Sterling smiled, though most of his muzzle did not move, a few muscles pulled up in the rear near his jaws showing one of his cutting teeth, "Aptly named. I sense while we look similar we are very different. How many hearts do you have? We have seven.. mostly in our necks. During flight they take on a specific beat that, in time with a marked increase in metabolism, allow our muscles to exert a great deal of power through our wings. We are concerned though, this world's atmosphere is quite dense... I don't know if despite my wings and the advantages lent me by nature I'll ever see the air here." He grumbled. "I would have seen twenty passes of our star by now, but it saw fit otherwise. We left home when I was but ten of our rotations. I have no idea how much that is in your time as of yet. All I know, is that I have my wings, and that marks me as .. starting into maturity, for my kind."

 

"I wouldn't doubt it even though you are right about the air being pretty dense here. Our bodies our a lot lighter than yours which allows the air to carry us better and just because we look small to you don't think we do not have big enough muscles. In our dragon forms we can perform feats of strength the humans can only dream of and using that strength with our wings allows us to cover vast distances with small amounts of effort. You may still one day be able to fly through the air of our world and I shall be glad for you once that day comes. However although I may seem old you to and especially the humans I am actually still pretty young for my dragon race and still have a lot to learn."

 

He blinked a bit, nicitating membranes cleaning his emerald eyes which were in stark likeness to his fathers', "I believe I can learn a lot from you. Would you mind if I traveled back to you with your land? My mother and father had been trying to push me out of the nest back home.. and then it blew up.. so.. may as well not go back to old habits. Besides... the new way my father is behaving kind of creeps me out. I'm worried for mother, but I know she can fend for herself if need be." He looked back towards his parents.

 

Soon the other Dragonisians along with Jesse, Jake, and their men arrived at the monastery and the monks began to triage the injured as best they could. The Dragonisans helped them by providing information. The monks didn't know what to think of the flood of Dragon Spirits other than that they were blessed to see this event.

 

At this point Jesse wanted to rest but he knew that first he had to get his mother back to Shanghai safely. So it kind of came as a surprise to him when his mother came to him and said she wished to take Sterling back to Shanghai with them so that she could "teach him their ways" and he could teach them about his race some more. "Look mother I have nothing against him coming with us if that is what you truely want but unless you want us to bring him there in the bucket strapped to the bottom of a helicopter I do not see how we will be able to get him there at all."

 

Mei simply grinned at that idea.

 

Mei's grin told Jesse that she thought that was actually a good plan yet Jesse disagreed. "No! Not gonna happen! There is absolutely no way that plan will work!"

[jesbro]

OOC: Continued from last post.

 

The flight back to Shanghai was a long and bumpy one. As well as a scary one knowing what they were doing and what could happen if something went wrong. Jesse and Jake were piloting the plane while Mei sat with Alexis in the main area of the plane talking about girl stuff that Jesse had  no intent of even wanting to hear. "Dang Jesse it can't be easy to be you right now. Your mother and girlfriend are talking to each other probably about you while your mother's new 12 foot dragon friend is dangling in a large bucket benieth us."

 

"Right now Jake I am just surprised that this plan is actually working. My mother really needs to work on her ability to detect sarcasm because right now it totally sucks."

 

"What if the line breaks like last time?"

 

"It wont Jake. Before we left we were able to modify the bucket and the wires holding it to make sure the journey is as comfortable as possible for him. He is young and thinks he is invincible so might as well let him have a little fun on the way there."

 

"But seriously what if it still cant hold him enough."

 

"Well than I guess it would really put that invincibility thing to the test... plus it would give us a chance to see if he really can fly."

 

Meanwhile Mei was on her comm with General Chang telling him to renew his army's advance on Beijing while another General marched his men west. Their goals were to reclaim as much territory as possible before others were able to get it. She knew her man wouldn't be able to capture all of China but they were going to get as much as they could before their forces started to spread too thin.

 

In the rest of Shanghai rebuilding was going much faster than expected and soon most of the city was back to the way it was before the attack. There will still a few areas of rubble here and there but it would only be a matter of time before those areas were cleaned up and rebuilt as well. Things for Shanghai just seemed to keep getting better and better.

Edited June 20, 2014 by jesbro

[jesbro]

As they got closer to Shanghai they knew they wouldn't be able to carry him over the city like that. They decided to land outside the city but since they couldn't even land on a runway they had to go into hover mode and slowly lower the bucket to the ground so Sterling could get out and then they could land the plane nearby. Once he was on the ground he began to kiss it and the others just stared at him. "Don't get me wrong it was fun but as you probably noticed earlier flying on this planet is really risky for us so if I fell who knows what would have happened."

 

"I think we all know what would have happened but lets try not to think about that. You are on the ground in one piece and that is what counts."

 

As they approached the city Jesse was finally able to see how far the rebuilding had gone since he left. Wow! When I left the city was unrecognizable but now it almost seems the same as before the attack."

 

Mei agreed. "Rebuilding is pretty much all we have been doing since you left. Most of the city is back to the way it was before the attack but the main area that has not been touched is the palace beucase..."

 

"I know exactly why. You didn't touch it out of respect for him but now we need to move past that. By the end of the year I want it to look like the attack never happened."

 

"Jesse I know how you feel about it but you can't just try to forget what happened."

 

"I didn't forget what happened!" he shouted. "I know what happened and I know what is going to happen when I get my hands on the one responsible. Once I found out who authorized and carried out the attack nothing is going to stop me from getting my vengence."

[Maelstrom Vortex]

Sterling looked around, "What attack? What happened here? This place was not always like this?" He inquired as he plodded along next to Mei. His stomach rumbled, "Mmm.. you know.. the food the monks provided was reasonable, but I don't know much about earth Cousine.. I feel.. like I could eat a couple of Matars." He spoke in their language, the one his father had provided him in the mind pictures.. but the last word just didn't translate right. It was apparently a noun referring to something from his own world.

Edited June 21, 2014 by Maelstrom Vortex

[jesbro]

Mei would tell him about what happened. "Looking at the city now you wouldn't believe an attack has happened but recently the city was hit by a weapon of mass destruction called a nuclear missile. A single device capable of taking out an entire city. Since the attack we have been rebuilding nonstop to the point where the city is now, but at the area we are heading to you will see signs of the destruction that was brought upon us."

 

As they got closer to the palace the signs of destruction would become more and more clear to him until they finally reached the palace in the eastern part of the city near the water which had totally collapsed when the missile hit the city. Jesse would tell him more about what happened. "My father was in that building when the missile hit the city and although I was able to get him out of the rubble he died in my arms shortly after. Many cities to the west of here were hit as well and have not been rebuilt as much as Shanghai probably has but I'm sure they will be built back up soon as well. We have no idea who launched the missile but when I find who is responsible I will kill him one way or another. Even now we have people all over the world looking for info about who did it but so far nothing. It is only a matter of time until the person responsible is revealed and when we find him that is when I will finally be able to get my revenge."

Edited June 21, 2014 by jesbro

[Maelstrom Vortex]

Sterling looked to Mei and tilted his head quizically, "I understand the concept of a WMD. My people had anti-matter warheads and were traveling the stars. We'd seen our fair share of this on my world. Sadly this world just doesn't have the infrastructure to restore anything approximating that level of technology. I may be young, but I was an engineer in our space training program at home. I can probably build the weapon system that delivered this warhead. Our education begins in our shells.. our mothers and fathers share their thoughts with us, show us their experiences. Some of us awaken from our shells in confusion speaking out of the egg."

 

He looks at the building that was destroyed, "Ow, a direct hit."

 

Sterling sniffed the air a bit. He found a piece of broken high grade steel about the size of a finger joint.. went to swallow it, then stopped. "I think this area may still be somewhat contaminated. My pits are saying there is a higher than usual IR signature for this grade of steel." By pits, he was referring to the ir sensor pits on his muzzle, very similar to that of a 'pit viper'.

Edited June 21, 2014 by Maelstrom Vortex

[jesbro]

"Yes this place still has traces of radiation from the attack. It was left like this out of respect for Jesse's father but no matter how much I don't want to admit it he is right. We need to move on think about what lies ahead." Mei placed her hand on Jesse's shoulder. "It is what his father would want."

 

"She is right. My father would want us to rebuild the palace back to its former glory. We need to show the people that there is still hope and that their leaders had not abandoned them."

 

"I agree and I am pretty sure it is something the people would want as well."

 

"She is right." said a voice from behind them. They turned around and saw that many of the workers who helped rebuild the city had gathered around them. "We need to show the world that it will take much more than a few nukes to take us out. If we rebuild the palace to make it even better than before it will show the world that we are here to stay and no one would be able to say otherwise."

 

This got Jesse finally feeling happy for once since the attack. Especially when he saw the hundreds that agreed with him. "OK. Lets do it."

 

They let out a loud cheer and then all of them began to help clear up and decontaminate the rubble so they could later start rebuilding the palace to make it even better than before.

[jesbro]

While the rebuilding of the palace continued Mei finally recieved info from one of her agents who finally found the one responsible for the nuclear attack on China. "Are you sure it was him?" She would ask.

 

"Yes Empress I am sure."

 

"That is what I was afraid of. We are going to have to move quickly if we are going stop him before he tries anything else." She would then head to Jesse with this intel. "What do you know of a man named Chin Lang?"

 

"He was an extreme socialist phycopath. He tried to unify all of China under his extreme socialist rule many times but the governments of the Chinese nations at the time thought he was insane and way too extreme. He basically saw himself as the rightful ruler of the world and was the one resposible for many terrorist attacks all over China and other areas of Asia. I was finally told to put a stop to it and eventually killed him by shooting him through the heart with my sniper rifle. Why do you ask?"

 

The look on her face said it all and he didn't even need to hear her answer before he understood why she asked. "He was the one responsible for the attack on China wasn't he?"

 

"It seems he somehow survived your assasination attempt and was able purchase an old nuclear submarine on the black market a year before the attack. He also got his hands on a few nuclear missiles left over from the fall of the Drakan Empire in Africa. It seems he then used the sub to launch the attack on China knowing they would blame Japan and start a nuclear war that would wipe out all of East Asia."

 

"So the whole thing was so that he could get his revenge on us for trying to kill him."

 

"That is what it looks like. What do you plan to do?"

 

Jesse got his rifle ready. "I'm going to finish what I started 5 years ago. One way or another this is gonna end."

Edited June 22, 2014 by jesbro

[jesbro]

As Jesse and his squad got ready for their mission to take out the terrorist responsible for the nuclear attack on Shanghai he knew that there were things about their enemy that his mother hadn't told him. If he was going to take this guy out once and for all he needed to know all he could about him and he had a feeling Mei knew a lot more about him that what she already told him.

 

Before Mei's trip to Bhutan: The New Palace of Shanghai was nearing final completion and the entrence room was already finished. He found Mei sitting down on a couch talking to Alexis asking her to come to Bhutan with her and that is also when Jesse asked her to tell him all she knew about Chin Lang. "If I am going to take him out I need to know everything I possibly can about him. Every single detail could be the difference between victory or defeat."

 

"I knew it would come to this eventually. I'm sure your father already told you about how we first met before he died?"

 

"Yes he did. He said he was after some terrorists that were planning to destroy Shanghai like Lang tried to do with the nukes."

 

"That terrorist we were after was Lang. It was just after his "request" to unite China under his socialist rule was denied but what no one else really knew about him was that he was a dragon. He saw the humans as inferior and thought that our race was the rightful rulers of the world and I knew he had to be stopped before he killed anyone else. Your father was after him as well and when I rescued him from the assasins Lang sent after him I told him everything about him and what he was planning. We finally tracked him down to his base of operations in northern China and blew the entire thing to kingdom come using our own explosives to set off a chain reaction using the other explosives Lang had stored there. For a while we thought he was dead until 5 years ago when your father found out he was still alive and sent you to finally kill him but since you didn't know the truth about him you didn't know what it would take to kill him."

 

"What do I have to do to kill him and end this?"

 

"The only way to kill a dragon is to decapitate it by either slicing off it's head (yeah pretty much like Highlander) or blowing him up to the point where there is nothing left. It is the only way to kill a dragon as powerful as him and it is the only way you will be able to take him out."

 

"This guy killed my father. I swear I will do whatever it takes to avenge his death."

 

"Do not take any unecessary risks while on this mission Jesse. Shanghai still needs an Emperor."

 

OOC: OK so who wants their nation to be where the psycopath socialist dragon terrorist is hiding? Dont worry will go for minimal death and destruction while they are in your nation.