[Writing] Keller - Chapter 36 (18th Sep 2024)

[Tapewolf]

...wow! From length alone, this has passed the threshold of Side Story, and is landing solidly as an Intermission, if not straight up Sequel. Add in the fact that Keller fell from MC POV position to Recurring Character rather early on, perhaps it would be a good idea to save his self-titled story for an actual character piece.

For the sake of brainstorming, might I suggest simply going with "Project Future Intermission: The Dragon Mask"? With the Mask showing up as early as Chapter 5, it isn't really a spoiler. In fact, I would put the Mask solidly under the Hitchcock definition of McGuffin: The thing everyone wants that kicks off the plot, but the object itself is entirely interchangeable. Effectively, "The Maltese Falcon" as a AA Battery. All the interesting stuff is what happens around it.

Heh, yes.  'Keller' was always a working title, and this is definitely intended to be Project Future III now, and the main story after Epsilon assuming all goes well.  "Dragon Mask Replica" is a title I've considered, or possibly "The Dragon Project". 

Also, every time I read Lord Ravage's name, I hear it in the voice from this video:

I never really watched many of the animations so I didn't really get a feel for what he sounded like.  Apparently he was far more talkative in the UK comics than the US versions for some reason.

[Starcat5]

Part the First: Hmm... Is putting "Replica" in the title the right move, when the original is inside said replica and presumably has the same likeness? Likewise, there really isn't a "Project" in this story. Well, one maybe, but "The Queenslayer Project" is a bit of a spoiler, and not relevant for most of the run time. 

Part the Second: Yeah, the G1 Animation did Ravage and the other cassette-based beastformers dirty. At least he got a speaking role during his stint on Beast Wars. ...with a Russian accent. WTF?    For a good fan voice though, let me recommend this classic rendition:

That said, my post wasn't talking about Ravage's voice. I was commenting on the fact that every time I read his name, I kept hearing it in that announcer's over the top gravelly voice. ...or at least my memory of it. The real thing was much more subdued than what was in my head. 

Part the New: Oh snap, I forgot to mention my sorrow for R-ALF's loss. Getting knocked back to Square One through no fault of his own, or that of the test body, must really sting. I wonder if he'll reconsider the Anthro upgrade if they throw in a set of CyberJag-themed plate mail? 

[Tapewolf]

Part the First: Hmm... Is putting "Replica" in the title the right move, when the original is inside said replica and presumably has the same likeness?

Yeah, I'm not completely sold on the idea for the reasons you mention.  But it's mostly because of this:  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trout_Mask_Replica

Part the New: Oh snap, I forgot to mention my sorrow for R-ALF's loss. Getting knocked back to Square One through no fault of his own, or that of the test body, must really sting. I wonder if he'll reconsider the Anthro upgrade if they throw in a set of CyberJag-themed plate mail? 

Yeah, it might be that he'll get another shot at that later, we'll have to see.  R-ALF would certainly go for it, it's a matter of convincing the Commission.

[Tapewolf]

Okay - no promises on how regularly this is going to update, but here we go:

Chapter 34

Jakob went into the hangar and abruptly froze, causing Strauss to bump into his back.  Zordan was reclining upon the concrete floor, surrounded by a number of cyberjags who were sitting in a semi-circle around him, listening attentively.  He appeared to be telling them a story.

"What's all this?" the wolf asked once the dragon had stopped speaking.

"Since I am likely to spend the foreseeable future here and in this form, it seemed wise to get to know the locals," the cyber-dragon explained.  "They were understandably skittish at first, but we appear to have smoothed over that now, I hope."

Strauss frowned slightly and Zordan rolled his eyes.

"You are about to accuse me of colluding with the cyberjags and corrupting them," he said.  "Actually, I find their presence soothing.  Remember that I am built on the same technology, and subject to the same penalties as them if I go off the rails.  Why should I not feel some kind of kinship with them?  It may also be a side-effect of the brain technology you have given me."

"He was telling us tales of the past," R-MAC said.  "It is always interesting to hear different viewpoints.  Especially from a race believed to be extinct."

"And who would have made you extinct if they'd known," Strauss pointed out.

"Hizell certainly would have," Zordan said.  "But you wouldn't have needed his help.  The Creature Council alone would have been outraged by Mr. Pettersohn's actions in creating artificial sentience.  He would likely have been condemned to beheading for such impudent deeds if he had been caught.  Or else, he would be deported to Hizell's domain, which amounts to the same thing.  The panthers would have been destroyed soon after."

"Thanks," Jakob said ruefully, unconsciously rubbing at the "Do Not Remove" mark that Daryil had left on the back of his neck.  "And what about you?  Would you have seen us extinct?  What did you actually plan to do with the Dragon Mask, if you had been able to take it?"

"I was not pro-'Cubi," Zordan admitted.  "Few were, at the time, thanks to Hizell's propaganda and the misdeeds of the Jyraneth.  Your kind did not exactly help yourselves, but I think you already know that.
"But at the same time, I did not push for your extinction either.  Now, as for the artifact, I had sought it for the usual reasons - greed, and the promise of great power.  Among others, Hizell and M'Chek had become top-tier Dragons, disgusting though the latter's method of achieving it was.  I saw that in the proper hands, the Mask could have raised me to similar heights.  So naturally, I coveted it too."

"And how would you have used such power?"  Jakob asked nervously.

"I don't know," Zordan said sadly.  "You may find this hard to believe, but at one time I sought to throw down Hizell and reach a settlement with the 'Cubi race.  End the hostilities, and break the cycle of might-makes-right.
"Now do not mistake me - I would not have done this out of love for your kind, who I saw as upstarts and usurpers at best.  But such a world-shaking deed would imbue me with fame and reputation on a grand scale!  I would be forging a new age, remaking the world in my own image!  And you lot would have owed me big," he added with a wicked smile.

Jakob started in horror.  "So you're saying that if Daryil had protected it less thoroughly, you could have stopped Hizell in his tracks...?  Saved the lives of untold 'Cubi left headless by Hizell's death squads, and prevented the extinction of the Dragon Race?
"...And we threw all that away by our own over-cautiousness?" he whimpered.

The cyber-dragon sat back and shrugged sadly.  "Who knows?  Without that safeguard, Hizell may have obtained it first and become wholly unstoppable.  He would likely have executed me for daring to try and take what was rightfully his.
"And if I had obtained the device, would I have stuck to that plan once such power was truly within my possession?  You, Lord Cross, know as well as I do, that power corrupts.  What may start as a worthy goal can be perverted by time and character flaws.
"Just as you became a tyrant over Ha'Khunn, it is all too likely that I would have begun to hoard my power and prestige, jealously guarding my position at the top of the tree, and seeking ruthlessly to destroy all who threatened to dethrone me.
"In short, and to be brutally honest, even if I had started by trying to change the world for the better, I would likely have become Hizell in all but name, and the War would eventually have happened anyway." 

There was a stunned silence while everyone digested that.

At length, Jakob turned to the Ray twins.  "So, given that background, how did you become friends with Zordan?" he asked.  "I'm not against it, I'd just like to know."

"He's big and powerful," X-RAY said, looking a little awed.  "And yes, it was scary at first.  He could probably kill us with those big clawed feet of his!  I don't think we count as protected personnel!"

"But he promised that he'd use that power to protect us and watch over us," Y-RAY chimed in.  "After being shot in the head... You can see how that was a comforting thought, right?  I mean... I hope we don't end up in such a fix that we need a Dragon to save us... But if we do, we're covered, right...?"

"It was not a selfless act,"  Zordan admitted.  "Even a Dragon on an high mountain needs someone to talk to, after all.  Hizell had his minions, M'Chek had the cream of his city, and Pyroduck sojourned among the lesser races... no offence intended.
"I need company, so I made overtures to those in a similar condition.  It has been most illuminating.  I believe have been experiencing friendship, something that does not happen often to Dragons.
"Our culture does not encourage such things, but without any peers to pressure me, what does it matter?  Bonding with others like this has been a pleasing experience."

"Well, I'm glad you're settling in," Jakob said.  "Even if it's worrying Ms. Strauss."

"You do still hold the upper hand," Zordan pointed out.  "Aside from ordering my execution, you can now suspend my visiting privileges if I commit some lesser infraction.  Doubtless you would have thought of this yourself anyway, but I point it out myself as a token of my earnestness.  I cannot go back to how things were, so I must move forward.  And that means becoming part of your team as best I can."

"I'm sorry," Strauss said.  "But I can't forget that Demonkind was pencilled in as the next target for extermination after the 'Cubi had been obliterated.  That does not make things easy."

"I will try to be good," Zordan promised.  "And now, I presume that since the both of you came here, you wished to ask me a question?"

"Yes," Jakob said.  "Daryil, Strauss and a number of other parties have a meeting shortly, and we would like to have your opinions on the matter at hand."

"Very well," the Dragon said.  "Show me how to operate the communications system and I shall attend."

*  *  *

"Amanti?"  Niall said.  "The Lord Daryil wishes to see you."

"No!  I haven't killed anyone!"  Amanti whimpered, looking terrified.  "Well, apart from that psycho mayor and the Talon guys!  But they don't count, right...?  That was self-defence!"

"It's not about that," Niall said, facepalming.  "We think you know who hired them."

"It wasn't me!" the incubus screeched.  "The Talon mooks tried to kill me too, remember!  And Keller!"

"Amanti!  Stop panicking and listen," Niall snapped, rolling his eyes.  "For all your faults, Daryil does not believe you're responsible.  But we have learned that the perpetrator may be part of your family, so naturally he wants to ask you about it.  That is all."

"Oh," Amanti did not look much happier.

"I have been given information that Sims is actually Silas Jyraneth," Daryil said, appearing behind Amanti, who screamed in panic, claws almost tearing his gloves.

"I... I've only met him once or twice," Amanti admitted once he saw there was no escaping the question.  "You know we're a very fractured clan.  After my parents were executed, he tried to recruit me into some scheme.  Bastard told me that it would help avenge them... But I turned him down."

"That was noble of you," Niall said, looking at Amanti with new respect.

"I may have been grief-stricken, and I may have wanted to get back at Daryil having their heads chopped off," the cat said miserably, "But I wasn't that blind.  I loved my folks, but they died because of what they did, and I knew it.  Knew that it was only a matter of time until their deeds caught up with them.  Taking over the world wouldn't fix anything...  It wouldn't bring them back, now would it?"

"You made the right choice," Daryil said softly.  "And I'm proud of you for it.  I'm only sorry I couldn't help your parents before they crossed the line into the unforgiveable.  All I could do then was grant them the spectacular deaths they requested, even though I find public execution very distasteful."

"Thank you, MiLord," Amanti said.  "For granting them that wish, and for saving their child from a similar fate."

"We cool...?" Daryil asked, opening a meeting room door and gesturing him inside.

"We cool," Amanti replied.  "As for this Silas, I suppose you've asked Keaton...?  She was far more infamous than me, she'd have made the perfect ally for someone like that."

"Thanks," Keaton said proudly, slouching in one of the meeting room chairs.  "But... Well..." she trailed off uncomfortably at the sight of Zordan, who had just appeared on the main screen.

"Is that..." she whimpered.

"A dragon?  Yes," Zordan said.  "Or what is left of one, at least.  There will be time for introductions later."

"Keaton's last run-in with her own clan hadn't ended well," Daryil said, switching back to the topic at hand.

"Yeah," the black-backed jackal said.  "I found some fanatics.  Ex-Inquisitors, I think, doing the only thing they know how.
"All smiles and roses until I made some remark - then they pulled a greatsword on me for heresy against The Lady.  So when this other guy turns up later, and says he's a Jyraneth and wants me to help him conquer Her...  Well, either it's the Inquisition again, trying to entrap me for blasphemy and lop off my head, or he's mentally unstable and the Inquisition will have his head off next.  Either way, I knew better than to stick around."

"Thank you Keaton," Daryil said.  "Now, I guess we'd better get this meeting underway."

[Merlin]

but HOW will I choose just ONE THING in this chapter to be excited about??? oh i will have to love it all

[Tapewolf]

Still crawling along with this, though it's now also competing with a dragon story as well as a story I'm trying to write for Merlin.

Chapter 35

"Many of you are aware of this," Daryil began, "But to be sure we are all on the same page, I shall provide a brief recap.
"Long ago, one of Hizell's children owned a precious artifact, a source of great power.  This individual was later slain during the First Dragon War, and Hizell's response was swift and brutal.  In this turmoil the artifact was lost, and eventually fell into my possession, greatly extending my power and lifespan.
"Then, within living memory for many of us here, Hizell pushed for a new war, to exterminate the 'Cubi race once and for all.  Fearing that he might be able to detect the artifact, I hid the thing in hopes that I may be able to reclaim it later.  Naturally the artifact was lost again during the intervening century or so, and I have only recently been able to retrieve it.

"To cut a long story short, I warded the artifact with a stasis trap, which King Fairwater fell into, having sought the thing for himself.  In the course of rescuing him, several important things occurred.

"Firstly, we made enemies of the Talon Corporation, who had been commissioned to take the artifact and the unlocking gems for their client.  This client turned out to be a Jyraneth incubus known as Sims, who hoped to use the artifact to further his own aims, and we have made enemies of him also.  I might add that Sims is extremely dangerous, and is wanted by the Being-Creature Commission as well, for multiple capital offences.
"Finally, along with several other individuals also trapped within the artifact, we have the dragon Zordan.  Unable to survive in our magic-depleted world, we have transferred his soul into an experimental robotic avatar.  He has agreed to help us."

"I owe you my life," Zordan said.  "Or as much of it as you were able to save.  Draconic pride or not, you went out of your way to save me, when you could have simply left me to die, or devoured my very soul while I was helpless.  Others would have done so, and I cannot lightly throw that aside."

"Why did you even have a cyber-dragon?"  Josh asked.  "Did you really put all that effort into making a fun body, so you could pretend to be a dragon?"

"Yes,"  Daryil said simply.  "Dragons look way cool.  Also, remember that there are dragon-like mythos creatures who could benefit from this technology.
"I'm certainly not alone in doing this, I might add.  Queen Admaria impersonated a dragon for some years while plotting revenge on her tyrannical father, and Quoar is said to have posed as a dragon also.  In his full Tri-Wing form, he would be large enough to do that by shapeshifting, rather than the tricks and enchantments Admaria used.
"I also shapeshifted into a dragon once, and frankly it was way cool.  But rather upsetting to everyone who saw it."

"Hmmf," Zordan said, rolling his eyes.  "Once, I would have been deeply offended by this.  But, I suppose this dragon fetish of yours is the reason I have this body now instead of a cat," he added, looking at his clawed foreleg with an expression of satisfaction.  "It could be worse."

"It may also be the reason Daryil tried to save you at all," Strauss pointed out.  "A more cautious leader would have shoved you right back into stasis the moment you emerged."

"Don't think that didn't occur to me," Daryil said sharply.  "I may not have wanted the Dragon race to be wiped out, but I can shed no tears for Hizell and his psycho mates.  But Destania was happy to punish the innocent as well as the guilty, and when - against my will - I found myself in a position to undo some of the damage she caused, I took that chance.  Not because I wished for mastery, but because I believe in redemption."

"That sounds like you are judging my race," Zordan pointed out.  "But things are what they are.  Now, if your summary is complete, we should turn our attention to the problem at hand."

"Indeed," Daryil said.  "Everyone present, and the organisations they represent, are likely to be targets for Sims.  So we must all be on alert."

"Actually, if you want my advice, I would focus your defences elsewhere," Zordan intoned, "While Sims does continue to pose a danger, in the near term I would be more concerned about the Talon Corporation.  I worry that you have let your guard down where they are concerned.  From what Sethir and Keller have said, I would deduce that they have broken ties with Sims and are now following their own agenda.  Vengeance for their fallen comrades is one possibility, especially given the fight you put up at Grimhaven, but it seems very likely that they will wish to take the dragon artifact for themselves, and sell it to the highest bidder.  I suspect they have been massing for an attack while you have been distracted by Sims."

"You worked all that out during this meeting?!" Niall said worriedly.  "You're not supposed to be that smart!"

"I have fashioned a workaround," the dragon said.  "The totality of my mind is in my soul.  Only a portion of it will fit inside this small brain you have given me.  But I can choose which parts are loaded into hardware, as you would put it."

"You're using your soul as swap space?!"

"This is the kind of result we had feared," Strauss said, looking mortified.  "That you may be too intelligent for us to keep track of and could devise some way to escape our restrictions!"

"I remind you that have thrown my lot in with you as payment for my life," the dragon said tiredly.  "I am fully aware that you can pull the plug on me at any time.  If the solemn oath of a Dragon is not enough for you, I don't know what is."

"He is telling the truth," Daryil said.  "Please do not annoy our friend, and remember that if he is somehow plotting anything, those schemes are unlikely to mature within your lifetime."

"I know all too well the noose you have around my neck," Zordan said.  "I, who had lived sixty millenia, shall die within a mere twenty years unless my power source is replenished.  I live on your sufferance, dependent on you to renew my lease of life.  Why would I want to hand you an excuse to deny me that?
"By extension, seeing Daryil clan destroyed would also result in my own demise.  Therefore, as an ally of Daryil, I am warning you all about the twin threat I have deduced from these organisations.  I thought such insight was why you wanted me to attend this meeting, was it not?"

"Precisely," Daryil said.

"Good.  If I may make a suggestion, I would ensure that Daryil's true form remains safe within the dimensional realm of your power generation systems.  Key personnel from the clan should accompany him.  From Jakob's testimony, the Talon Corporation know that Daryil is dependent on his children and took into account Jakob's close ties to his clan leader.
"Therefore it is quite possible that the Talon Corporation will either threaten or attempt, to exterminate all members of Daryil Clan until Daryil concedes to their demands, presumably possession of the Dragon mask artifact."

"Do you know anything about the artifact itself?"  Keller asked.

"Yes," Zordan said.  "At least, I have my suspicions.  But I would prefer to confirm them first.  In any case, we have no time for that.  You should prepare yourselves, before..."

Zordan's voice trailed away and he looked sideways with an expression of deep concern.  Daryil was sitting bolt upright.

"They are here!"  Zordan exclaimed.  "Defend yourselves!"

*  *  *

The gryphons burst into the room, peppering Zordan with automatic fire that bounced off his armour and richocheted across the room.  He lunged forwards, holding out one foot which caught the soldier and crushed him.  Zordan's eyes dilated slightly and he staggered as the safeguard heuristics kicked in briefly before concluding that the dead mercenary did in fact need killing.

The dragon grinned nastily and a sweep of his spaded tail brought the gleaming tip swinging around like an axe.  The bird-man's eyes went wide as his head arced through the air leaving a trail of blood.

Zordan gave a happy sigh and collapsed like a rag-doll as his safeguards kicked in, his bulk crushing the remaining Talon mercenary.  The other gryphon's head came to rest beside his snout.

*  *  *

The round struck Josh behind the ear and he went down.  Jakob grabbed him with a wing-tentacle and pulled him into the store-room, locking it behind him.

"You okay?" he asked.

"I think so," Josh said, picking himself up weakly.  "But I do wish you hadn't implemented concussion quite so thoroughly."

"Perhaps, but if you take that kind of damage, you definitely need to know about it," Jakob said.

"Have they gone kamikaze on us?"  Josh wondered.  "Shooting up members of a peacekeeping organisation isn't the best idea if you want to keep living."

"I wish I knew," Jakob said.  "They've got mind-shields, so I can't give you an answer there."

"What do we do now..."  Josh asked, his voice trailing away as he suddenly noticed what was in the store-room.

"Yes," Jakob said.  "Guillotines.  Special ones."

"We've been streamlining the process of converting people into Panthers," Daryil said proudly, walking in through the wall.  "We have it down pat now - set up a few of these puppies with a panther body ready to go.  It's all automated!  Pull the lever, head comes off, soul goes straight into panther," he added excitedly.

"That's sick," Josh said.  "And I don't mean in the good way.  Shouldn't it be in a dungeon or somewhere out of plain sight?"

"These were not built to use on our enemies," Jakob said heavily.  "They were designed for me."

"What?!"

"It's a last-ditch measure," Jakob said.  "If I have no other recourse, say I'm mortally wounded, or Daryil himself has been slain and the base is full of enemy soldiers.  If I'm going to die anyway, my last throw of the dice is to become a cyberjag.  I stick my neck in it, and after a bit of unpleasantness I can escape the base far more easily with four legs and an almost impenetrable hide.  Hopefully to have my brain popped into a proper android body later if I can reach one of our secret outposts.
"Understand, Josh - these are not things we expect to happen, but given the persecution 'Cubi have endured, we'd be stupid not to have a multi-layer backup plan.  Key personnel such as Niall, Ashley and myself have done regular drills tele-operating a cyberjag chassis to make sure we can adapt quickly if it becomes necessary."

"Of course, we did need 'volunteers' to test them," Daryil chimed in, with a worryingly toothy grin.

"But why a guillotine?"

"Firstly, it's easy for a dying person to trigger it themselves with their last ounce of strength.  The whole thing can be automated, and we can wire up the blade release to boot the panther up out of hibernation.  Secondly, it leaves a very obvious corpse for our enemies to find as proof of death.  And finally, we have found from experience that when someone is put into a robotic body, they recover a lot quicker if they died violently, than if they had expired peacefully.  We don't know why, but the trauma of experiencing your own death seems to help."

"That's not why we're here, is it...?"  Josh looked at Jakob, appalled.

"I hope not," Jakob grimaced.  "We have a bunch of these stationed around the place, it just happened to be the nearest safe-house.  But now you know what to do if...  If Talon had hit me instead of you."

"What now?  Josh asked, looking rattled.  "Is there another exit?  Or have we just let ourselves be trapped by a bunch of psycho gryphons?"

"One sec," Daryil said, poking his head through the wall.

"...Ah," he said.  "They're... not going to be bothering us.  But watch for the blood when you leave, okay?  Don't want you to slip up."

"What did you do?!"  Jakob looked appalled.

"I merely sent them to sleep," Daryil said sadly.  "But they're not how I left them.  Could have been Keaton, but more likely one of the other Talons executed them for falling asleep on duty."

*  *  *

"Well shit," Niall said, looking at his remote.  "Zordan is down."

"What?!  How...?"  Strauss asked.  "He's a 12-foot high dragon robot!"

"...Yeah, and his safeguards have kicked in," Niall said, looking at the details.  "Ew... Looks like he beheaded someone.  Presumably one of the Talon crew, or he'd not even be able to try."

"Reset him," Strauss said decisively.  Niall glanced at her to make sure he'd heard right.

"Keeping the world safe from Zordan is a high priority," Strauss said, "But staying alive is higher.  We need all the help we can get, even if it risks letting the Dragon off his leash for now.  We can investigate that incident later... but first we need to ensure there is a later."

"Right," Niall said, and hit the button.

[Starcat5]

Woo! Update! 

It is fun to see that no one remembers that there used to be Clan Leaders who were of Dragon decent. Seriously, am I the only one who thinks Quoar wasn't actually disguised beyond hiding his head wings? 

Also, Zordan's safeguards might be set just a hair too tightly. Having his system hiccup like that for his first kill was bad enough, but the fact that the Gryphon's cohorts were each judged separately rather than giving Zordan carte blanche to defend himself and others from their group is telling. There is no way the Cyber Jags or the mainline Androids would have shut down in this situation. 

Edit: This comment contains no complaints. Merely throwing popcorn at the screen when someone does something dumb but in character, and snarking with the other readers.

[Tapewolf]

It is fun to see that no one remembers that there used to be Clan Leaders who were of Dragon decent. Seriously, am I the only one who thinks Quoar wasn't actually disguised beyond hiding his head wings? 

Can you link to a source?  I'd have thought that the best you could get would be dragons of 'Cubi descent, and the chances of a 'Cubi being born are about equal to all the molecules in a peanut spontaneously moving in the same direction.

Also, Zordan's safeguards might be set just a hair too tightly.

Yeah, I think they're starting to realise that now.

[Starcat5]

It is fun to see that no one remembers that there used to be Clan Leaders who were of Dragon decent. Seriously, am I the only one who thinks Quoar wasn't actually disguised beyond hiding his head wings? 

Can you link to a source?  I'd have thought that the best you could get would be dragons of 'Cubi descent, and the chances of a 'Cubi being born are about equal to all the molecules in a peanut spontaneously moving in the same direction.

Given that it is now 4 in the AM CST, the search will have to wait. That said, it was a group shot of several former Clan Leaders, one of which was clearly part Dragon in full Dragon form. Not sure where in the archive to even START looking.

[Liatai]

Archive diver to the rescue! o7

That said, we don't know if they were a dragon-descended leader or not. They could be Mythos-descended. A dragon-descended 'cubi IS theoretically possible, but unlikely due to genetic and societal factors.

[Starcat5]

Archive diver to the rescue! o7

 

[Tapewolf]

Yeah, they absolutely look like a dragon.  But for that to work it would have to be from a really, really weak dragon and even then it's probably a billion-to-one chance.

Without knowing more I'd be a little hesitant to reference them in my own works.  (We don't even know the clan's name or symbol and it's even possible Ambaaargh doesn't either)

[Tapewolf]

No, this isn't dead!  But updates are likely to be sporadic.  Hopefully not 6 months sporadic, though.


Chapter 36

Dorcan hid in one of the store-rooms, with the lights out and the door open just a crack, as Zordan limped down the corridor, taking fire from a crowd of gryphon mercenaries.

"Error..." Zordan boomed in a monotone voice, looking at the blood on his claws.  "F-First law v-violation... C-c-critical failure... positronic brain s-self-terminating...  h-help... huh..."

His head dropped to the ground with a loud crash and he fell silent.

"We did it!" one of the gryphons crowed.  "It's dead!"

"Sucker," Zordan said, and there were a horribly wet crunching sound as the gryphon was splattered against the wall.

"Kill the organics..." Zordan intoned, stomping down the corridor theatrically.  "Kill... Destroy... Exterminate... Purify... Muahahahaha!"

"They've made a doomsday weapon!" one of the Talon agents wailed.

"What have you done?!"  the doberman screamed, bursting out of the store cupboard.  "You let the dragon loose!?  We had them safely imprisoned!  It's the end of the world!"

"Kill him!" the captain ordered.  "That's our mission, remember?"

"But he'll know the way out!" one of the underlings protested.  "We have to flee!  We can't fight that... thing!"

"There's not much time!"  Dorcan said, playing along.  "Follow me, and we can hide in the bunker!  The Commission will bomb this place to glass to get rid of the dragon, we have to get out of here!"

"He's right," the other underling said.  "Screw the mission, we have to get out of here!"

"He's one of Daryil's clan!" the captain snarled, "Kill him, or I'll kill you all myself!"

One of the underlings raised his weapon and fired.  The captain slumped to the ground, looking shocked for a few moments before death took him.

"Fuck the mission," the gryphon said, throwing his gun to the ground.  "Get us out of here.  Please!"

*  *  *

Dorcan lead the way, and turning a corridor ran headlong into a couple more gryphons.

"Kill him!" one of them said.  "And the traitors!"

The doberman jumped sideways, but took a round in the side of the head.  He collapsed sideways, the gryphon kicking him out of the way and aiming at his gun at one of the deserters.

"Die, traitors!" he snarled.  Then his head came off.  A tentacle snaked around the next gryphon's throat.  His hands almost reached it before the same grim fate occured and his head toppled forwards to roll across the ground.

"You surrendered...?" Keaton asked the terrified pair.

"Yes!  Yes!" the ex-Talons chorused desperately.

"Pity," the jackal sighed, folding the tentacles back into her wings.  "Now... Dorcan?  You there?"

"Yes," the doberman said, getting to his feet shakily.  There was a chunk missing from his temple, showing gleaming black metal beneath.

"Robots," one of the gryphons said, looking at Dorcan and shaking his head.  "Always with the robots."

"It has its perks as well as its downsides," Dorcan said.  "Now, I suppose you've guessed that the dragon is actually under our control, with the reluctant blessing of the Commission?"

"Yeah."

"Are you going to make trouble, then?"  Dorcan sighed, making a knuckle-cracking gesture.  "Please say 'yes'," Keaton added, grinning psychotically.

"No!" the ex-Talon said.  "It doesn't matter whether the dragon is on your side or running rampant... We can't fight something like that, and I want out.  We were pretty much backed into a corner, there was no way this was going to end well, but..."

"No-one leaves Talon," the other gryphon sighed.

"You might," Dorcan said.

*  *  *

Daryil glanced at the door, moments before it burst open.

"Wait!" the gryphons yelped, holding their hands up.  "We surrender!"

"Good," Daryil said, as Dorcan piled in after them, followed by Keaton, who shut the door behind them.  "Why, though?" he added.

"Because we didn't know you had a freaking dragon!"

"That's a bad answer," Daryil said, clenching one gloved hand into a fist menacingly.  "It means that if it weren't for Zordan, you'd be happy to kill us all."

"Making war against you was a stupid idea," one of them said.  "But have you seen what happens to people who leave?!  Defeat could be a blessing in disguise for us!"

"Yeah!  You think we had a choice?!" the other replied.  "It was this, or being shot for insubordination!  You 'Cubi... You're empaths, probably a damn sight more merciful than our captain was!"

"Was?" Jakob asked.

"They killed him," Dorcan added helpfully.

"Very well," Daryil decided.  "I can be merciful.  Just keep one thing in mind... If you betray me, I will hang you both.  I don't care what it takes.  Even if you die here... that will not save you.  If I have to resurrect you in specially-designed android bodies capable of being strangled to death, I'll do it.
"Do you understand?  Cross me, and you will die, slowly and painfully."

"Fear clan," Keaton pointed out.  "He does that.  But he's right about one thing - if you ever fuck with us again, you'll wish your captain had shot you."

"I should move," Daryil said.  "Keaton, Dorcan, stay here guard these two.  Jakob, Josh and I will go on ahead."

*  *  *

"There's a lot of heavy-hitters here," the Gryphon captain barked.  "Daryil, Starfire, The Commission...  If we kill them all we'll be a lot safer!"

"Rick!  Wait!" a voice called.  The gryphon spun around to see a cyberjag standing there, staring back at him.

"Kill it!" one of them yelled, shooting at the panther.

"Wait!  It's me!  John!" the robot protested, diving aside as the bullets rained over his back.

"You're not John," Rick spat disgustedly.  "They sent us his head as a warning.  That's one of the reasons we're here."

"He is," R-OBN confirmed.  "And I was Robin.  They gave us new life - and having been executed by my colleagues, I have thrown my lot in with Daryil," the jaguar added, flexing his iridescent claws menacingly.  "Please leave, guys... It will be better for all of us."

"Kill the traitors!"  Rick yelled.  J-OHN received a sniper round in the eye and collapsed with an electronic-sounding groan.  Alarms went off inside his head, and pain flooded his systems.  Power systems failed and his brain began to shut down, darkness creeping around the edges of his vision and tunnelling as he lay there on his side.

The last thing he saw was his own gleaming red claws as the world faded away.

*  *  *

Daryil beckoned to Jakob, his expression grim.

"Oh... Oh no..." the wolf sighed as he turned the corner and took in the scene.  R-OBN was standing vigil over his fallen brother, paws, claws and muzzle stained with dried blood.  One eye was cracked and broken, the red glow gone out and the sensors behind it destroyed.  Scattered around the robotic jaguar lay several Talon soldiers, all very dead.  Rick's head had been roughly detached from his shoulders, and the other corpses had been similarly dismembered.

"Help him, please..."  R-OBN begged.

"Did you do this?"  Daryil asked, gesturing at the corpses.

"Yes," R-OBN admitted, looking miserable.  "I... I did..."

"Daryil, we don't have time," Jakob protested.  "Let's bring John to the next safe-room.  We can talk things out there."

Sombrely, Josh took the fallen jaguar and carried him as they headed down the corridor, Daryil's avatar first in line.

"I killed them," R-OBN babbled, sounding a little dazed.  "They murdered John.  I killed them...  But... they used to be my colleagues... Co-workers... I knew them...  And now I've murdered them..."

"You tried to reason with them," Jakob pointed out.  "I can see that in your mind.  You tried..."

"They wanted to kill you too," R-OBN sobbed.  "That and killing J-OHN... I couldn't let them do that... But they used to be my... friends..."

"They were not," Daryil said sharply.  "They used you and John.  And your so-called 'friends' blew your own head open without a moment's hesitation.  What you have done isn't murder, Robin.  You did your duty as a protector of this base.  I know... It's so hard to kill someone when you know their name, but they'd be dead by the end of next week regardless."

"I guess so," R-OBN said.  "But... it's hard..."

Daryil paused and made a gesture on a nearby wall.  A secret door opened and they went inside.

"They sentenced themselves to death when they started using warp devices to breach my sanctum," the vulpine added sadly.

"So did I," R-OBN pointed out unhappily.

"Yes, and now you're dead, so your slate is clean.  Besides, you used the device under duress, right?  It wasn't your idea, was it?"

"True," R-OBN admitted.  "What about John...?  Can you save him...?"

"Not here," Jakob said sadly.  "We need specialist tools to open a panther because your armour is so tough.  Making you so hard to kill also made you hard to repair in the field.  But I promise, we'll do what we can..."

"Assuming we get the chance," Daryil said.  "We're in trouble here, Jakob.  Dozens of armed maniacs have descended on my inner sanctum, during a conference of several major powers.  I will probably survive, but given that our attackers are targetting members of the Being-Creature Commission, I can't make any promises who else will.  This is a bigger threat to us than the Epsilon Project."

"It's pretty hairy," Jakob agreed.  "But aren't you being a little melodramatic?  Zordan and the others seem to have stomped a lot of the Talon guys real good."

"In Zordan's case, literally," Daryil concurred.  "But they're desperate and they can do a lot of damage in the meantime.  And..." he stopped.

"What...?"  Jakob looked fearful.

"Talon may have cut loose from Sims," Daryil said sternly.  "But even if they're planning to take him down next... Do you think he'd miss the chance to pay a little visit while we're distracted by an innundation of armed lunatics?"

"The artifact!"  Jakob whimpered.

"Precisely.  And it's virtually unguarded."

[Starcat5]

Talon Company done goofed. Not only are they now the World's Public Enemy #1 with a LOT more than just a bullet, but they let their previous employer get his shot at Unlimited Cosmic Power and all the living space he can get his paws on. At this point, they better HOPE that the Being-Creature Commission gets to them first.

Also it is looking less like John needs repairs, and more like he needs a soul transfer into a "J-OHN Mk2" body. When your robo-brain begins giving you error messages, other system damage doesn't matter anymore. Just ask Xerian.