Thread: Dominion Over Her (BennyQ x Sketchyequine)

Shut up! Kordavo Chenoweth roared at his own ship, blaring a half dozen alarums and ringing tones at him in warning. Multiple systems failure. Power levels, low. Fuel source, low. Everything was going to shit. And from what? A few lucky shots from that bastards craft? At first it had been nothing, just some scorching on his wing. They had been locked in a vicious dogfight for the better part of an hour and he thought he had the pricks number down. A slippery opponent but not unbeatable and Kordavo had only managed to slip into the sweet spot directly behind their craft, about to unleash the killing blow, before his starboard engine blew to crap, reaching a vital threshold it could no longer maintain. The roar of triumph died on his lips but he had enough time and power to unleash one final barrage of railgun projectiles and missiles. The last he saw was the Frandian craft taking a direct hit. Die slow. The same might soon apply to Kordavo though. Over the atmosphere of the frontier world known as Skarvis, the Dominion forces and the Frandian Kingdom had engaged in a heated battle. War had only started off just that week when the Frandian King refused an ultimatum to subject itself to Dominion rule and subjugation. They were not the first independent system or faction to oppose such authority and they would certainly not be the last. But the Dominion armed might was eager for combat, having been nearly an entire generation since the last blood letting. The fleet, powerful as it was, consisted now of mostly new and untried recruits and officers. Kordavo was no different and the actual combat was severely different from the numerous combat simulations he had done. But he performed pretty well in the opening stages. Of good birth and with an exceptional family name, he had proven the Dominion belief that racial superiority of mind and body was a genetic trait that could be passed on with the right breeding. In just a weeks time, he had soared to becoming one of the Dominions best pilots, a true ace, with the markers of nearly two dozen downed enemies marked on the fuselage of his ship. But now he himself was shot down, dragged by the insurmountable gravitational force of the frontier world, deserted and wild that it still was. First the heat and temperature had skyrocketed and sweat pinpricked his entire body as he fought to regain control of his craft. But it was unresponsive, uselessly telling him that this system or that was down, blaring far too many noises for his liking. He pounded the console, only increasing the shrill sounds of alarums. Shut up! Just work, damn you. Kordavo snapped, even as his ship finally breached the atmosphere, now falling with minimum thrusting power. Before him was an expanse of forests and deep mountain valleys. Goddess, was he going to strike a tree trunk and burst into flames or smack right into the mountain side in a fiery crash? Kordavo wouldnt deny that he was terrified of such an end but the fear made him sharper and more alert, not paralyzed or dumbstruck. Gloved hands clutched the throttle until his knuckles were white, trying to bring up the nose of his craft. A direct crash would burst him into a ball of flame. At least maybe he could skid across the landscape to a halt. Maybe . Now vapour began to cloud the interior of his cockpit, obscuring his vision. He was scarcely over the top of trees now, bleeding fumes and smoke behind him. It didnt seem likely he would crash safely, until a sudden clearly opened up between the trees. Kordavo took his chance, knowing it was do or die at this point. He dipped his craft down and tried to stay level, feeling the bump and the shudder as the bottom of his craft struck the ground. A deep trench was ground into the earth behind him and he cut the engines, though the craft was carried on by its own momentum. He growled, teeth shaking and head jerked violently side to side as his harness kept his torso secure and he could only hope he didnt strike anything solid. Barely . When everything came to a halt and his spinning head and vision composed himself, he saw himself gazing at the treeline just a few feet away. His ship sizzled like meat fresh off a grill. His whole body ached but there was no time to rest. His ship could still explode. He released the manual emergency lock on his cockpit and pushed up the canopy. He clambered out, in a black flightsuit, belted and with a harness. He had his sidearm and the ship came equipped with a distress beacon and survival kit, which he quickly detached with hurried hands. The ship could still explode, bellowing smoke high into the air. He needed to get away from it as quick as he could, not only because it might blow up but because it might become a signal for any Frandian craft still in the air. He wondered what his opponent was up to but he didnt need to check. Not far off was an equally plume of smoke rising to the air. So they had made it as well. Slumping the survival kit, with its water purifier, protein cubes, and some biofoam for quick healing, over a shoulder and clicking the safety off his weapon, his helmet on tight with the visor down, he gave himself a purpose. His ship was damaged but could possibly be salvaged, if he could find parts. And he knew where the perfect junkyard was now. It took several hours, he didnt know how many, to move through the forest towards the opposing plume of smoke. It had already gone out before he reached there but he had some semblance of what direction it lay in. He expected to find a dead, charred corpse and the ruins of a craft. His surprise was silent and sheer when he saw there was a figure standing next to the ship. His shock was even more complete when he saw that it was a woman. I was shot down by a woman? His hand tightened around the butt of his sidearm, though he wondered what she was doing. They had landed hours ago. Was she just staring at her ship the entire time? It looked as if her crash was fresh based on how she acted. Maybe it was a different pilot from a different crash. The one inside this ship, he must be dead. There was no way this woman was the cause of his downing. She was speaking, in a very musical and lovely voice, though grim and fierce. Kordavo was surprised he understood it. It was the common language, though she spoke it with what would be a strange, exotic accent to his ears. Hidden behind a tree, she had not seen him yet but he was even more amused when she was in fact referring to him. Have fun in hell she wished him. He couldnt help but let out a chuckle, revealing himself behind her. He stepped out behind the tree and raised his weapon. You first. Save a spot for me. Kordavo remarked in reply. His gun was swept up quickly, aimed right at the center of mass, her chest. Hands up, right where I can see them, or Ill put a hole in you like I did this ship. He growled in warning, both hands holding his weapon steadily so he couldnt miss. Not at this close range. He slowly advanced, drinking in more of her features. Was that red hair she had? Interlock your fingers behind your neck. Do it, girl, or Ill leave you here for the maggots and worms. As if he wasnt going to already. She was an enemy. He was duty bound to kill her. Yet his finger remained still on his trigger. Wheres the rest of you? Kordavo then demanded, keeping his distance slightly with the gun still aimed at her. Your friend, in thereis he dead? Shame. I had a bone to pick with him. Shot down my nice pretty ship but I guess thats fair, after I killed over twenty of your idiot comrades over the last week. Guess Ill settle for number twenty-six being you. He mocked her in a flat tone, helmet and visor covering his face so his voice seemed muffled and distant. He had no idea this woman was the pilot of that ship behind her. He couldnt see the cockpit yet to see it was empty. Strangely though he hadnt gunned her down yet. She was a woman. Women didnt belong on the battlefield. Duty said he should pull the trigger and leave her dead and lifeless. Something else told him to wait. Why though, he did not know. It felt irrational to his mind. He kept his gun on her, waiting for her to do as he said and answer his questions.