A few hours ago before the events of the previous chapter
Above the skies of the pirate nation territory, a large warship unloads squads of golden dragon battle droids. The droids are dropped off strategically throughout the lands.
From behind the wheel in the piolet house of this ship, Julius Edson is plotting carefully on where to drop his droids. He tells himself, "Here should be fine. And a few more squads there. Most of these mobile houses are impenetrable. But that was true 4 years ago. These droids I'm about to send down to these people are about 50 years ahead of the tech race." As Julius motions to drop another squad of battle droids he's shocked at an explosion that happens below him.
*Bwooom!*
Julius notices a launch port below him has blown up in flames, resulting in a squad of dragons being destroyed before they've been launched to the pirate lands and awakened. Julius eyes the area and notices the person who's responsible.
The Pirate Queen Melina Lowell is the culprit. With her whip in hand, she scowls at the invader of her homeland with a piercing glare. From behind his helmet, Julius just stares back at his opponent. Then a shocking twist of events happens. Melina was never below the piolet house. Her image below disappears like a candle being blown out.
It's revealed what Julius saw was a holo-tech image, and The Pirate Queen was behind the traitorous invader the whole time.
With a Golden dragon's blade in hand, Melina goes for a killing strike to Julius's neck only for her hand to be grabbed. With a shocked look in her eyes. She hears Julius Edson say to her, "You think I wouldn't recognize Sharon's holo tech? After all, I am the one who sent her to you. Your Highness."
Then to Melina's surprise, she's tripped by Julius. As she's falling she notices Julius aiming a hi-tech gun towards her, so she rolls off of the pilot house platform's ledge, then catches the bridge with her hi-tech whip bringing her back to the pilot house bridge on the opposite end with Julius.
The inventor takes his helmet off then mockingly bows at the pirate queen and proceeds to tell her, "It's an honor to meet you, your Highness. I feel like a stepfather finally meeting his kid's girlfriend. Heh... Forgive me but, I didn't intend to meet you like this." Melina calls Julius a, "coward".
Julius's look of a friendly face changes to one of a serious foe. Next, he tells Melina, "What's with the name-calling? Oh, it's that shame of a relationship you had the last few years huh? Yeah sorry about that. Had to do what I needed to do, to gain traction in repairing this world, and well... Fucking with you was a big part of the plan. Sorry, Your Highness. You've earned your title among your people. So I'm saying this with absolute respect. Being called queen here is like being in charge of a sinking ship. Instead of giving into a higher power, for them to run things. You chose to rule over what your father built, which ended on shaky grounds. You and your brother did well for most of it, but it ends here now. You could've held off the inevitable. If you hadn't fallen in love. I still can't believe it. We were thinking your brother Erik would've been the perfect candidate to embed a mole in. However, Amaro suggested you be the target since you're in control of the most fierce soldiers when it comes to the pirate nation. And we listened. Which is why the backup from your squad isn't coming. Sharon's tech made sure of that. She made it so all vehicles and weapons made by her would be disabled and become useless, on this specific day. Your queen's guards are tough but won't be enough to save all the innocent people in the lands. Faith in what you and your brother have maintained will be shattered and our job will be done. Then we will be closer to correcting the bonds that have been broken by the past war... Heh, seriously Queen Melina. You let something like love cause your nation to fall? You know more than me from your father. There isn't any time for love in a land like this. It's why he's had multiple wives right?... Geez did he ever love the women he laid with? Did he ever love his kids!? Did your mother ever love him? Or did she just love that she could survive if she was with him?... Geez now that I think about it. It makes sense you'd fall for something meaningless like the potential for love..."
Then like a predator hunting its prey, the pirate queen darts towards her foe meeting against Julius face to face. Next, the queen dodges blasts from a high-tech pistol. She catches Julius's arm, then with the same blade she had shown earlier, stabs Julius 2 times between the ribs. As she attempts a 3rd strike. Her arm is hit away by Julius. He draws another pistol and then shoots Melina twice. One time hitting her in the armored chest plate the 2nd blast grazes her on the cheek at the same time as the queen manages to hit the 2nd gun away in the process.
Next, the pirate queen draws her whip and yanks the final pistol away from Julius's grip. Then circles her opponent while prepping for her next attack. Now breathing heavily Julius tells the pirate queen, "Ha! Forgive me, Your Highness. I might've slightly underestimated you. I thought War Hawk might've been going easy on you while waiting on Supremeo. I should've known someone who was born in lands like this would be able to wield their weapons and wear their armor as if it were natural extensions of their bodies. Ahhh! Do you see how valuable your kind is to us? If you wanted to be free of remnants of the past war, you should've joined our ranks. It would've prevented today's tragedies."
Melina tells Julius, "That's something you or Elias never understood. The past war ended and we will not cuff ourselves to any new pillars that can ignite a new feud. Maybe that's why you underestimate me and my brothers. Like you said, being born in lands like this made us extremely adept fighters. Maybe being an engineer first and warrior second is why you don't understand our desire to stay away from conflict and live our lives."
Julius tells Melina, "Hmm okay. And how do you explain those mutinous generals who you and your brother defeated and exiled from your groups? As great of a leader as you guys are. Not everyone agrees with the way you rule, but you're right I am a warrior second. I've seen less of the battlefield than you. So instead of saving a fleet of droids for the grounds. How about you go up against one!?" Then from below the bridge of the piolet house, Julius summons a fleet of 10 golden dragon droids to meet his foe.
The Pirate Queen strikes a dragon with her stolen blade. Then with her whip, rips the head off another dragon. Next, the queen breaks through the rest of the fleet through the use of the tech in her boots. She yells at Julius telling him, "You don't get it! This is a mission to take you out!" The Pirate queen's whip wraps around Julius's neck.
As she lands on her feet behind the inventor. She attempts to wrench her foe's head from its body. She tells him, "And if I have to go down with you while doing it, so be it!"
The droids make their way to the queen, Then to the queen's surprise. Another fleet of dragons pops up from below the piolet House. They take down the pirate queen bringing her below the pilot house floors and pile on top of her, this causes her to drop Julius. Melina is stomped and kicked. Then from below the ground the Queen can see Julius come down from the bridge. He lands on his feet and heads towards her.
The inventor says to his droids, "Enough! stop beating on her." The dragons obey their creator. Julius watches a bloodied and bruised Melina slowly try and get up to her feet. Next before Julius could say his next order. She Speaks to her foe. The Pirate Queen spits out blood and then says, "She's not your daughter...Sharon. Earlier you said Meeting me was like meeting your kid's girlfriend. That's far from the truth. Because 1. I'm sure she absolutely hates you. And 2. I already told you what meeting me means...It's the end of your existence. Even if it means I take myself out in the process!"
To Julius's surprise, Melina springs towards the bridge of the pilothouse above their heads. Through the use of the tech in her boots, she launches herself into the air. Then Grabs the platform above them with her whip. Then lets go of The platform then lands behind Julius.
In her hand, Melina shows that she is equipped with the hi-tech pistol she grabbed with her whip from Julis earlier. She aims the gun towards Julius who turns around and takes an Entire round from his high-tech gun point blank.
However, unfortunately for the queen Julius's suit is equipped with a special force field that actives if someone tries to use any weapon he's manufactured against him.
As the smoke rolls off the force field, a look of disgust is seen on the queen's face. Then as Julius emerges. He tells Melina, "You think I wouldn't have built a fail-safe for my weapons while I'm in my armor? Heh, I'm offended! It doesn't matter though. This ends now."
The force field from Julius's suit goes down then he reawakens the attacking Golden dragons and then tells his creations to, "Finish her!"
As the dragons charge towards Melina, To Julius's surprise, they don't even make it past him to complete the order. That's because unknown to Julius. Melina strapped explosives to every attacking dragon that jumped her moments ago.
FWOOOOM!
Julius and the dragons are engulfed in flames. Neighboring dragons that were still asleep were blown to bits as well. Melina Pulls herself up to the pilothouse with her whip. She takes a look at the bottom of the ship's floors and sees nothing but a smoldering pile of burning droids and unawakened golden dragons.
She rushes to the wheel of the ship and begins to type new coordinates in its auto-pilot system. Then she types in orders on a separate keyboard. While breathing heavily she tells herself, "My people below can handle what's coming for them. I just hope I can hold Julius off until This ship reaches the destination...If I'm lucky the bastard died in that explosion."
FWOOOOM!*
As soon as Melina says this Julius appears in front of her. Flying with the use of the tech in his boots. And shrouded within a force field. He tells Melina, "You're not holding anyone off! Your time's up! Droid's capture her!"
Fwoosh!*
Fwoosh!*
FWOOOOM!*
FWOOOOM!*
The surviving golden dragons appear above Melina's end of the piolet house platform. They dove in at the same time in an attempt to subdue their foe. However, they all fail in their attempt.
Like an animal corned, and outnumbered. Melina dodges every attack gracefully moving out of harm's way. An energy blast hits her feet. She looks up and notices Julius attacking from a safe range. Melina Uses her whip to try and land a strike but misses when she's grabbed by a golden dragon. With her other hand, she draws her stolen blade and cuts through a dragon's neck setting her free. She then grabs another dragon tearing its head off.
The Pirate queen destroys her 3rd battle droid in a row then screams, "I'm not the one back in the corner here Julius. You and your dragons are stuck here with me!"
An unwavering look of determination can be seen on the queen's face from Julius's point of view. The Queen's confidence begins to shake Julius's belief in his plans as well. This is seen by a subtle eye twitch. Julius notices the ship has changed its course. He tells himself, "Now what did she do?..."
Next to ensure Julius can stop whatever Melina has planned. He sends in another fleet of dragons to Stop the pirate queen. And another! And another!
Time passes as Julius and the Queen take what each other dishes out. Then momentum slips in the inventor's favor. Because of the numbers, Melina begins to tire out. She's hit across the face.
A blinding white light is seen through her eyes. Next, she's pushed down face first. A dragon piles on top of her as another reaches for her arms. They tie her up and bring her to her feet. Another dragon delivers a furious 4 punch combination to her gut. Julius screams, "ENOUGH! Take her to a cell. She can be used as a valuable bargaining chip in case either one of her brothers survives and thinks they can stop me." Julius looks down at Melina and asks, "Now before I stop it's course. Where did you have the ship head to? Was it the machine King's island? It was, wasn't it? Why? Just so you could unload the droids. My friend that would've taken forever to head there. Plus I don't think their current ruler is in a position to beat this entire army with hers." The Pirate queen interrupts Julius telling him, "That's why I went to the next best place you fool. GROUND ZERO OF YOUR ATTACK! The sons of the pirate nation founder, The Military, and tech intelligence of Dominic Burgos, paired with the brilliance of one of the best mind's final creation. Supremeo, a battle droid that protects all from threats of disrupted peace. Now add all the people who believe in their vision for a peaceful life. And put them against one person who's been foolishly plotting their vengeance on men who's already dead. You're going to lose you fool. You should've learned your lesson after you lost your son. Now I guess your life would be next. Hahaha!"
This final statement angers Julius. He strikes the Queen which makes her laugh harder. Then he tells the droids to follow through and take her to her cell. The cell is at the bottom of the ship's grounds. All walls are padded with nothing but one window. Once inside a golden dragon cuffs the pirate Queen against a corner of a padded wall."
Outside the cell and back to the piolet house.
Julius can see Supremeo and War Hawk fighting through his ship window. Then to his shock. The ship's commands unload ALL of the golden dragons. Julius tries to stop this, then notices the backup severely outnumbering his dragons. He thinks to himself, "Maybe going here wasn't too bad after all. Amaro and War Hawk look like they could use the backup. I'll admit I might've seriously underestimated those numbers. Heh, well don't worry Amaro and War Hawk. I'm here to even out the herd for you.
Time passes to the present moment
Julius has continued to drop the much-needed backup battle droids for War Hawk and Amaro. To his delight, it appears the tides of battle start to shift in his favor. As he prepares to drop another fleet of dragons an explosion overhead takes him by surprise. Maxwell Caine has entered the ship.
After a small tussle, he throws Julius out of his ship. Then after Julius summons his cargo droid, once the droid bolts out of the ship. Maxwell finds where Melina is and heads to the location as quickly as he can.
He blows the door down with his glider.
Maxwell notices the queen. He shoots off the chains that tied her to the walls and also destroys the cuffs on her wrists. He extends his hand towards the queen and says, "Your Highness, no time to explain. But we need to leave.." Melina grabs Max's hand and then says, "It's not necessary to call me that, but thanks for the save. Who are you?"
Then as if they both were hearing a thunderstorm from inside the ship. Julius blows the ship up 2 haves. Maxwell says to the pirate queen, "How about I tell you AFTER we get out here?" Melina replies, "Good idea!"
Melina, and Maxwell both begin their harrowing trip out of Julius Edson's Ship.
ns 15.158.61.6da2
