Spyro: Legacy of Dragon Force - Book IV

[Clearwater]

Ooh, it's all building up to a head. Looking forward to the finale.

Oh, BTW, you been rading the rest of my Pokémon Mystery Dungeon storys?

[Star_Dragon]

Ah, the final chapter of this book. I hope you enjoyed reading this as much as I did writing it, but rest assured, this is not the end...

 

Chapter Fifteen

 

Translocator beams energized, and Spyro, Kell, Cynder, Ember, Nine and Flame appeared on the multi-level cityscape of Coruscant’s surface. The alarm was already blaring in the distance. There would be no subtlety here.

 

As the other ships beamed down troops and drop ships dropped squads off, Spyro and the team moved in the direction of the Senate tower in the distance. Kell chose that moment to speak up.

 

“Spyro, We’re gonna need to find transport to the Senate Tower,†he said. “Otherwise--â€

 

“No good,†Nine discounted. “The Mandalorians have erected anti-aircraft defenses around the senate tower. On top of that, they’ve locked down the transport system. We’ll have to travel the long way.â€

 

“Then why in hell did you choose this as your beam-in point?†Cynder asked.

 

“It was an area of low importance,†Nine answered, “The Mandalorians had no presence here. We just need to get to the vehicle garage about two klicks away and commandeer a vehicle to get to the Senate Tower.â€

 

“Then let’s not waste time chit-chatting here,†Spyro suggested. He and the others moved through the Coruscant streets, keeping an eye out for enemy troops. It wasn’t until they hit the vehicle garage that they ran into significant enemy resistance; a squad of Mandalorians were trying to keep allied troops out of the garage. Spyro was the first to react as he primed a plasma grenade and threw it into the Mandalorians’ midst. The grenade fused to a blue-armored Mandalorian and refused to let go. The rookie screamed in surprise and danced about. By the time it occurred to him to remove his helmet, the grenade detonated, and slaughtered half the squad. Spyro didn’t give the survivors a chance to counterattack as he opened fire on them. The hardened titanium-tungsten AP rounds burst through the Mandalorians’ armor and hurled them to the bloodied metal ground.

 

“Come on,†he said, “Let’s get a vehicle before the enemy sends reinforcements to re-take the garage.â€

 

The team headed into the garage, and spotted their best bet getting to the Senate Tower: A pair of UNSC Light Recon Vehicles.

 

“Warthogs?†Nine queried. “Where did the Mandalorians get those?â€

 

“Don’t know, don’t care,†Spyro answered. He and Cynder hopped into one. Flame hopped in with them and manned the machine gun in the back. Kell got into the driver’s seat of the other, while Ember got into the passenger seat and Nine manned the gun. Kell and Spyro brought the Warthogs to life simultaneously, and plowed out of the garage. The next ten minutes were spent mowing through a gauntlet of Mandalorian and Rhinoharadan forces. While the allied forces slowly took one district after the other, Kell, Spyro, and their team rushed to the Senate Tower. The current intention was to disable the anti-aircraft defenses around the tower – such an action would allow allied forces to land reinforcements on and near the Senate Tower. Once the AA defenses were down, Spyro and his team would go about locating Malkorr; Spyro surmised he’d be in the Supreme Chancellor’s office.

 

They approached the entry way to the lower levels of the Senate Tower, where they stopped just shy of it and drilled the Rhynocs guarding it. Everyone dismounted at once, then moved for the entrance. A laser bolt grazed Spyro’s shields, and the reason was plain to see; a fire team of Mandalorians had just arrived, and attempted to attack. However, being outnumbered two to one, the Mandalorians didn’t last long against Spyro and his team.

 

They entered the Senate Tower’s lower level, and made their way toward whatever was controlling the tower’s anti-aircraft defenses.

 

“Nine,†Spyro asked, “Any idea which way to the control stations for the AA defenses?â€

 

“I know where it is, if that’s what you’re asking,†Nine answered.

 

“Good,†Kell commanded, “Take point; we’ll cover you.â€

 

Nine took point, and led the team through the bowels of the Senate Tower. Along the way, they ran into considerable resistance; Mandalorians, Rhynocs, and whatever rogues they recruited along the course of this conflict. When they finally breached the control center for the anti-aircraft defenses, they immediately shut down everything from the AA guns to the magnetic shield preventing transporters from beaming reinforcements directly down to the Senate Tower.

 

“Spyro to the Predator,†Spyro said into his communicator while Kell called down reinforcements from the Dragon’s Rage, “Senate Tower defenses are down; send in reinforcements, on the double!â€

 

“Affirmative,†Amber responded, “Reinforcements en route. Stand by...â€

 

Nearly three seconds later, a team of Storm Commandos beamed down, along with a small contingent of Romulan Marines.

 

“Our objective is to reach the Supreme Chancellor’s office and apprehend or eliminate the enemy leader,†Kell announced to the now-arriving troops. “Failure is not an option. Marines: Move out!â€

 

Outside, explosions could be heard coupled with weapons fire of varying types as the allied troops began to arrive at the Senate Plaza, one squad after the other. The Mandalorian and Rhinoharadan troops themselves began a fighting retreat into the Senate Tower itself.

 

While the allied troops advanced on the Senate Tower, Spyro, Kell, Ember, Cynder, Flame and Nine led their marines through the enemy positions. More times than one did they find themselves fighting a squad of Mandalorian or Rhinoharadan troops holding an intersecting hallway or clearing out a room full of enemies. As they approached the Supreme Chancellor’s office, the fighting got fierce. Spyro and his comrades had to roll a few grenades down the hall, and half of the enemy troops guarding the Supreme Chancellor’s office went down in the explosion. The team emerged from cover and mopped up the stragglers, then Spyro kicked down the door. The Mandalorian at the desk – the one Spyro recognized as Mandalore, from the republic databases – didn’t even hesitate as he went for a weapon under his desk. Spyro didn’t give him a chance to fire, as when Mandalore went for his gun, Spyro shot him in the chest. Mandalore recoiled, and Spyro shot him again, and again, until he dropped. Spyro approached the downed Mandalorian leader, and put a round into his head. As the others came into the office, they spread out, looking for any sign of who they came here to find.

 

“Malkorr’s not in this office,†Nine reported. “He must have left as we were headed here.â€

 

“He can’t have gotten far,†Cynder said. “We need to find him.â€

 

“We won’t,†Spyro said, staring at something on the desk. “He was never here.†Spyro paused, then whispered, “So, the legend is true...â€

 

“What legend?†Kell asked.

 

“The legend of a powerful, corrupt dragon – Vulon Qel-Katarr,†Spyro explained. “During our stay at Dragon shores, when I had those dreams, my father mentioned something about Qel-Katarr. I looked into the legend in my spare time during out stint in the graveyard of the Vhorson – I thought it to be just a legend, but apparently, Malkorr found out the truth.â€

 

“What’s so important about this Qel-Katarr character?†Kell queried.

 

“It is said that whoever retrieves Vulon Qel-Katarr’s battle blade will become as powerful as Qel-Katarr had been at the height of his power,†Spyro answered. “For the sake of the galaxy at large, we have to stop him.â€

 

“Easier said than done,†Kell said. “Where should we start?â€

 

“I would advise we start here,†Spyro replied, indicating a location on the map he was staring at.

 

“This map points to a location deep in the unknown regions, Universe 02-Gamma,†Amber said. “And the Imperial Military of that ‘verse will not take kindly to our presence there. They may be allied with Malkorr.â€

 

“More than likely,†Cynder affirmed. “Malkorr said his influence spreads beyond this ‘verse.â€

 

“So this war is only just beginning,†Kell said solemnly.

 

Indeed, Spyro thought, This war is far from over...

 

 

 

 

 

To Be Continued...

 

(You may have to wait a bit for the next book, but rest assured, you will see Spyro: Legacy of Dragon Force, Book V: Wrath of the Dark Dragon...)