A Dragon's Tale #Watty's2015

Taro's Sacrifice

5 Hours Since Departure From NYC
Operator: Tyro Serelath, Nina Salanth
Location: Classified
Assignment: Infiltration

We followed the 22 holding Taro and Shadow for hours, it circled around a few times to check for a tail, which met we had to put down and wait. Thanks to LiVE sat and Taro's GPS however, we never lost their trail. Night fell as we waited, rain clouds had moved in and it was pouring heavily. The rain was clunking on our 66's metal roof and rolling down the windshield. Greyson was keeping an eye on the LiVE sat feed and Nina had somehow managed to get to sleep. I wanted to sleep, but I couldn't, I had way too much on my mind. I was still aching over learning of Hunter's death, was still wondering what I was going to tell Mnerloth when I made it back to Romeo. I was also trying to mentally prepare myself for the knife in my chest that would be Taro's death. I couldn't stand the thought of the dragon who helped bring Adelind and I, as well as Sozenn and Fireclaw up. Sozenn and Fireclaw, Hunter had helped raise them too. It was the first time their names had come in my head since this whole thing started, what was I supposed to tell THEM? I sighed and lay my head between my paws, certain I was going to lose so close friends before this ordeal came to it's end.

“Your not asleep are you?”, I asked looking at Nina.

“No”, Nina replied quietly, “what gave me away?”

I sighed, “Nothing, I just wondered how you were sleeping when I wasn't.”

“What have you got on your mind?”, Nina asked.

“What on Earth I'm going to tell Hunter's daughter when I get home”, I answered, “I doubt he died a peaceful death and I'm not gonna lie about it.”

Nina sighed, “then tell her the truth.”

“What's that?”, I asked.

“He died to save Shadow and I”, Nina said.

I didn't answer, I wasn't sure how to.

“Hey Tyro we got movement”, Greyson said.

I stood up and poked my head into the cockpit, “On the GPS?”

“Yeah”, Greyson replied, “their path evened out, looks like there making a brake for home.”

I looked on the Sat feed and saw that the V22, which was registering as an orange blip, began heading for a huge red smear.

“That's gotta be the prison ship”, I said, “get this bird in the air.”

Greyson flipped a few switches as the engines began to prime up. The propellers began to slice through the wind and rain. The 22 gave a lurch as it began to lift off. The lights inside the cabin went off and the tach and all the dials lit up in a faint orange glow. As we started forward, I opened up the coms.

“Attention any station, any station, this is Major First Class Tyro Kyloth Serelath, calling any and all Romanian forces in the area, how copy?”

“Copy all Major”, a female voice answered, “you got the USS Empire, Captain Abigail North answering, what you need?”

“Requesting a 10 dragon and 20 man reinforcement package at our GPS location”, I replied, “I have located a Project Draco ship and have reason to believe that there is an HVI in imminent danger.”

“Rodger that major”, the Captain replied, “chopping a task force to your location, ETA in 20 in minutes.”

“Copy your last”, I answered, “Tyro out.”

“Fly low”, I told Greyson, “stay under their radar.”

I turned back into the cabin and began peeling off my vest.