Convention at The Rift

Lulu shook awake. Almost tumbling out of her seat, she gripped the seat wrests, keeping her rooted.

Her mind was jumbled from the loud sounds that assaulted her ears. Explosions and the noise of weapons firing were prevalent with the roaring of a colossal engine. Her head banging against the back of the front seat fully woke her up.

She grabbed her head and winced, "What's happening!?" She questioned with a yell, trying to break through all the sound.

Nizael clicked her tongue, "We're being attacked." She moved the steering wheel and caused the ship to barrel roll, dodging a barrage of missiles that flared through their previous spot.

Looking above her, through the ship's glass, she could make at the nearly translucent shields of the ship. Shaking her head, Lulu sat up in her seat.

Putting everything her mother taught her to use, she glided her fingers and eyes over every button accessible to her, nodding to herself.

Pressing a button on her armrest, the safety belts of the seat popped out and wrapped around her. Pushing another button and flicking a switch, two screens pulled themselves from her sides, and they showed her the view behind the ship.

Behind them was a ship that was much bigger than the Stinger. Looking up at the screen that had dropped lowered in front of her, Lulu swiped at the ones at her sides.

"The ship has locked all weapon systems on us. The vessel is a vehicle transport and assault vessel. Grade B, Tremor Class, Fist C-12." She clicked a couple more buttons, swiping at the screens, before zooming in on one of them. "This ship is of Valerian origin."

Her grandmother hummed, steering the ship out of the way of a blue beam, "Valerian... can you ID the ship, Lulu?"

She nodded, "On it." At the click of a button, a keyboard came out of the back of Nizael's chair, settling in front of Lulu. Running the ship through their systems; all vessels in the system - all vessels in the sector - and all across the planisphere. Her eyes scanned over the list of information: she found it.

"The ship belongs to the E.D.C. Mercanry group. They're big in the Kritol and Solitul-controlled territories and have run bounties for both empires." She informed, glancing back to the side screens with wide eyes, "Shield disruptors!"

As soon as she yelled, Nizael forced the Stinger to turn into a sudden nose dive, causing the ship to creak and tremble under stress.

Lulu looked at their previous spot through her screens. There was a large circular explosion of static energy where they once were. She mumbled a quick thank you to Tyvetta before typing into the keyboard, grabbing control of their limited weapons system.

Grade C weapons will have a limited effect on the enemy vessel's shields, but the Grade B missile systems should prove some use in punching a hole into them, she thought as she locked onto the ship and primed the weapons.

"Where are we, Grandma?"

"Entering the Rift zone in. 3, 2, 1. We are now near Asora's Rift."

At the declaration of their location, the Stinger broke through the clouds with its nosedive, revealing the snowy lands of the Northern territories. In the distance were the high piercing mountains known to the south and the vast and dense Spectral Forest, but below them was an ever-expansive flat plain of white blankets, only cut off by the horrendous scar that dug into the planet.

Giving the rift a simple once over, she returned to focusing on the piercing mass of metal, barreling after them. Pulling on the steering wheel, Nizale pulled the ship out of its nose dive, straightening it.

With her maneuver, Lulu launched a pair of missiles. The projectiles flared, into the ship's shields, halting in a slight struggle before they broke through and slammed into its hull.

Lulu laughed loudly, "Hit!" She typed on the keyboard, commanding the machine guns to fire into the breaks in the shields with a wide grin.

Her smile soon twisted. Watching the weapons hit the ship with little effect, she stopped indignantly. "These Grade C weapons are completely hopeless. What do we do, Grandma? We can't shake them, and our weapons are wholly useless. The missiles had some effect, and we only have two remaining."

Nizael moved the ship to dodge another blue beam, "The hostiles are targeting us with energy-draining missiles, shield disruptors, and system-draining beams." She randomly stated.

"Yeah?"

"They aren't trying to kill us. So-"

Cutting her off, "Their goal is capture." With a deep breath. "They're after me, aren't they?" Lulu finished.

...

The General bit her tongue, "It's highly likely."

Looking away from her screens, Lulu bit on her bottom, trying her hardest not to start fidgeting with her fingers. Instead, she took a single moment to calm herself.

Being hunted, being watched, and being attacked, are all things the girl had grown used to over the years. Well, as used to as any person can get. That is to say - she found a calm, a way to get through this manner in her best headspace.

Blowing air out her nostrils, "What's the plan?" She questioned, a look of determination in her eyes.

"We land."

***

Once they began to descend for a landing, the ship following after them stopped firing its weapons. Following on their tail, it kept its weapons locked onto their vessel, but their coms remained silent.

Their actions made it seem like they wanted to capture them, yet there was no attempt to communicate, to try and get their surrender, or anything of the sort. The Mercenaries' actions left Nizael guessing while making Lulu nervous.

Lulu thought about what might happen in the next few moments. A fight would break out, and she would have to participate. She couldn't leave her grandmother to face them alone.

They had landed. Close to Asora's Rift, but not near its edge.

Waiting for the enemy vessel to land, they sat in the ship's silence, leaving the shields active at full capacity. They waited for what Lulu felt was an eternity until the board in front of Nizael began beeping with a ring.

With a click, a screen fizzled in front of the women. The screen showed a red-skinned man with black and pink dots that littered it, bat-like ears, slicked-back white hair, and a deep scar that went over where his prosthetic eye was.

The man's respirator device shrieked with life. "I am Ergo, a mercenary. I will say this once, General Bavel, hand over your granddaughter. If you do, we will show you mercy."

Once he finished saying what he needed, the screen blinked away. The two women were silent but refused to contemplate the false proposition. The situation would not be better if they took it.

Nizael made the top of the cockpit recede, pulling two hand cannons from a compartment above her. She sighed. Holding one of them out to Lulu, "Be vigilant. Be safe."

Looking her grandmother in the eyes, she nodded. Taking hold of it, she followed after her and pulled herself out of the ship.

Dropping to the ground, her feet crunched against the snow, the winds biting her nose.

The girl's ears twitched at the sound of the vessel a short distance away, their ship landing, its thrusting blowing the snow away. Its landing gear thudded against the snowy surface, the thrusters dying down.

Following the dying down of the ship's engine, the back of it opened, causing Lulu's ears to twitch nervously once more. A group of footsteps thudded against the metal flooring of the ship's ramp before thudding against the snow.

They made their way around the ship, showing themselves to the two. Five figures of differing heights and sizes revealed themselves.

The two red-skinned men and the man with two prosthetic arms were wearing respirator masks, unable to breathe the air on the planet safely.

Ergo, the white-haired leader of the mercenaries, turned his head, whispering to the tall digitigrade woman, Lulu's ears twitching at hearing his orders: "Get distance, keep an eye on them with your rifle." She curtly nodded, going back around the ship after receiving them.

Upon hearing his words, Lulu spoke lowly to her grandmother, "That woman is a sniper." Receiving a nod, she returned to observing the group, the man making his voice audible.

"One last chance, General. The girl is wanted alive. Your death wasn't on the Order. You can walk away."

"Walk away?" She scoffed, "Tell me, mercenary, if your child's life and safety were at risk. Would you resign to watching?"

"That is that, and this is this. This aint about me, General."

Shaking her head, Nizael couldn't help but show her disappointment. Both parties quickly came to the understanding that a peaceful interaction was impossible.

...

The air was tense, and Lulu found herself unconsciously holding her breath, her and Nizael, with their grips on their hand cannons, watched as the armored individuals flexed their digits toward their weapons.

Ergo placed a hand on the holster on his leg and paused.

All seemed frozen - neither side moved. Like a clock was ticking vividly in the back, the passing of time blew like the winter breeze, the snow dust being blown around them. The only sounds to let the passage of time remain known.

Then, with a quickdraw, Ergo and Nizael fired their weapons, the former quickly pulling the small firearm from its holster, only for the General to intercept it with a shot from her own.

They paused once more - their fingers flexing at the triggers. His band of mercenaries preparing to fire rounds at the two, and Lulu, hesitantly pointed the hand cannon out at them.

Squeezing their fingers - they were interrupted by the sound of howling laughter.

From the depths of the mercenaries' ship, loud and obnoxious laughter echoed across the white plains. Lulu's ears twitched at the sound of heavy steps from within the vessel. Once it hit the ramp, they could all hear the ear-piercing crunching of metal.

While Nizael's ears twitched at the familiarity of the mad cackling, she focused her eyes, tightening the grip on her weapon. Her eyes looked down at the blue head from the corner of her eye.

Nizael let out a long-held breath as the cackling began to fade. The large steps stomping through the snow were never heard, no. The steps disappeared, leaving Lulu confused. That is before the ship in front of her shook.

A loud bang rang out, and a large, towering figure stood atop the ship, looking down on them all.

Nizael's once calm look had turned harsh. The fiercest glare that Lulu had ever seen from her was on her face. Biting her bottom lip at the appearance of a new and seemingly big factor, Lulu couldn't help but think what they planned to do was a bit abrasive.

The figure chuckled at the sight of everyone, more specifically at the sight of Nizael. The person, the man, was a large mass of muscle. He even dwarfed the largest Lulu met from the Nazare Clan.

With his long beard and large mane of black hair blowing from the northern air, the man crossed his arms. Lulu noticed his horrible injuries, large amounts of missing flesh that revealed muscle and bone, and scars that checkered every inch of his large figure.

"General!" He exclaimed with jubilee. "For us to meet again like this... certainly is a great pleasure." He chuckled darkly.

Shaking her head, Nizael passed her hand cannon to Lulu, the black metal sliding down her arms, forming her two black sticks. Putting them together, she morphed them into a sword as she was wrapped in a wreath of white light, the temperature rising rapidly and the snow around them evaporating.

"Kharn." She muttered.

Not moving her eyes from the man, "Run to the rift, Lulu. You can not fight that beast." She ordered.

She merely chuckled dryly in response. "I'm afraid that is not possible. We're outnumbered. Highly improbable that I can escape. Might as well fight." Lulu shrugged, tightening her grip on the hand cannons and straightening her aim.

The girl wasn't confident, never was, but she would do her utmost to ensure they got their just deserts.

Her grandmother sighed. Shaking her head, she turned to her granddaughter for a moment with a soft look in her eyes, having to turn back at the sound of the ship shaking.

She slashed out with her sword, blown back by Kharn's fist slamming into it. With another strike of his fist, she was pushed away further. The General was quickly forced onto the defensive, Kharn's vicious cackling echoing.

Not turning away from the rag-tag team in front of her, Lulu had an awkward smile on her face - The devices on her legs and arms began pumping Flauna into her body. "How's about we talk about this, yeah?"

...

Receiving no answer, she kicked her feet into the snow, creating a quick cover of snow, which she rushed through with her heightened speed.

Firing continuous shots from her cannons, she flipped and rolled through the snow, dodging the nonlethal rounds fired at her.

The girl frowned at all her shots missing, except for the one that hit the prosthetic hand of the human. Hearing the click of one of her guns going empty, she caused the pipes and her leg to send a burst of Flauna into her. The change caused her to zoom from one spot to another as if she abruptly disappeared.

Turning to the nearest mercenary, she tossed the empty weapon, grinning at it bouncing off the human's head with a loud crack.

"Fu- Dillon!" The younger red-skinned man fired his shotgun quickly at Lulu, forcing her away from the downed human. Pulling the man back, he began to check the man's body.

His respirator was undamaged though his skull was cracked open, blood leaking down his head. "Shit." The man, Tarkus, cursed. Taking a can out of one of his packs, he sprayed it over the wound. It foamed up and sealed the cracks in his skull. "It'll hold for now," he ducked, evading a bullet from Lulu's hand cannon.

Hiding the man behind the ship, he focused on the agile girl. She ran across the snow as if she had on skates over ice.

Lulu flipped around and rolled through their bullets before she would burst and suddenly appear in another place where she would place a quick strike on one of the mercenaries. Her strength, while not as much as the others within her species, was still stronger than the average galactic strength measurements.

Her punches and kick would knock them back and leave dents in their armor. After a quick bout of fighting, she had disarmed them all, their guns strewn about within the snow, her hand cannons also there, magazines bled empty.

With light breaths, she sighed. Groaning from the strain of her previous movements, stretching her limbs, she turned her head to the side.

Off in the distance, massive explosions blew snow and water into the sky, steam covering the view of her grandmother and her ongoing battle with the man named Kharn.

Turning back to the mercenaries, she tensed. Suddenly reminded of her dearest sniper, not given a moment, a loud rifle pierced her ears, a bullet piercing her shoulder. A cry of pain fled her lips.

The bullet that pierced her began to burst with electricity, an attempt to immobilize her. Picking up their guns, they all fired similar rounds at the girl. The girl's cries were lost on deaf ears.

Ergo, without a change in his facial expression. Watched the wailing girl impassively. "Restraints." He commanded.

The large man covered in fur with a tail escaping from his lower back approached the kneeling figure of the young woman, black restraints in his hand.

As he approached, the electricity shot into her had begun to surge. It swam around her body, bursting with energy, firing all around her.

"Get back!"

BOOM!

He was moments late, with a surge of visible Flauna, lighting struck down from the sky in a flash of brilliant blue light.