The silence was the loudest thing Riven had ever heard.

  In the atmosphere, there was always noise. There was the roar of wind, the hum of engines, the thrum of Astrix’s heart. But here, in the simulated void of deep space, there was nothing. No sound. Just the rhythmic hiss of his own breathing inside the DAIR helmet and the cold, uncaring field of stars stretching into infinity. A distant sun burned just close enough to protect them from the true dangers of the void.

  He floated five meters above the deck plating of a simulated orbital platform. Astrix floated beneath him, her massive black wings pinned against her back, as she had no need for it.

  "Radio check," Phillean’s voice cut through the silence, crisp and clear over the encrypted comms.

  "Striker – 2, check," Riven replied, checking his HUD. While he had turned off the recommendations, the lights still helped identify enemies and allies.

  The rest of the Hammers hung in the void around them. Without the resistance of gravity or air, the dragons looked even more terrifying. They were massive, armored predators that treated the vacuum of space like a personal domain.

  Phillean drifted to the front, mounted on Noxin. The massive Kinetic dragon looked like a jagged asteroid that had decided to grow teeth.

  "Welcome to the playground, Holt," Phillean said. "Most Terran’s think dragons are ground assets. They think because we have wings, we need air. They forget about a dragon’s innate psychic power, and how they came to Terra in the first place wrong. Space is where the dragons become near gods."

  A holographic marker appeared on a mini map on his HUD: a Corvette-class Pirate Raider, flanked by a squadron of fast-attack starfighters.

  "Squad you know what’s going on, but Astrix and Riven. You know that starfighters are fast," Phillean lectured. "But they are machines. They rely on main thrusters for speed and maneuvering thrusters for angles. They are piloted between one to two people depending on if it has a gunner. But they will always focus on moving fast and forward,"

  Phillean patted Noxin’s neck.

  "We do not always have to move forward."

  Incoming, Astrix projected. Her mental voice felt clearer here, unburdened by the noise of a planet. They are locking on.

  In the distance the pirate fighters accelerated, their engines flaring blue. The dragons slowly floated off the orbital platform without a word.

  "Scatter," Phillean ordered casually.

  The squad moved in every direction at the same time. It felt weird for Riven as there was no psychical indication where Astrix was going, but since he was connected to her mind he knew where they would go. Her psychic telekinesis, usually used to augment her strength against gravity, now had nothing to fight against.

  So instead she pushed against the fabric of space itself.

  The fighters got closer, each one targeting a dragon. Two blue torpedoes separated from the fighter and began to speed towards them.

  One moment, Astrix was in front of the torpedoes. The next, she had snapped fifty meters to the left with near zero startup lag. It was instant acceleration. The torpedoes couldn't calculate the violent, impossible movement that just occurred and they sailed harmlessly past, detonating against the platform behind them.

  "Looks like you two are getting the hang of it," Phillean laughed as Noxin surged forward, closing the distance to a starfighter in a blink. "Hammers, give them chaos."

  "With pleasure," Vex laughed.

  Riven felt the shift in Astrix’s mind. It poured through their link, and it felt like the pure spike of dopamine reserved for rollercoasters.

  Having fun?

  This is incredible, Riven agreed. Let’s tear them to shreds.

  Astrix surged forward. She swam through the void, propelled by invisible force. The pirate fighter tried to turn towards them on them, its light cannons beginning to spin.

  Incoming, Riven thought, but before the thought could fully form Astrix was already moving. Riven didn't feel the G-force the same way he did on the planet. He felt weightless, anchored only by the saddle.

  He tracked the fighter through his HUD, it pointing it out with a red arrow and highlighting it on the minimap. Astrix turned so Riven had a clear shot, while she drifted past the fighter who was about to surge past. Riven fired two shots from the lance.

  Crack. Crack.

  The high-velocity rounds punched through the cockpit glass effortlessly. The pilot was vented instantly, the fighter spiraling into the dark. Astrix turned and began moving towards the rest of the fighters who had all taken care of the fighters.

  "Nice shot," Vex called out.

  She and Raze were currently dismantling the Corvette, the equivalent of a space super yacht with cannons that had been modified to fit the pirates. Raze had latched onto the hull, his claws tearing through the reinforced steel plating like it was wet paper. He breathed a concentrated, chemically fueled plasma that most know as fire, that burned even in the vacuum, melting part of the side of the ship.

  "Control Wing, speed us up!" Phillean ordered.

  "Halo, light 'em up," Sylas murmured.

  The pearl-white Radiant dragon flared. A golden aura expanded from Halo, washing over the squad.

  Riven felt it something wash over him, but nothing changed for him. But, Astrix became a blur, moving even faster than before.

  They darted between the Corvette's defensive turrets, moving faster than the automated guns could track.

  "They can't hit us," Riven realized, watching a turret fire wildly into empty space where Tora had been a microsecond ago. "We're too small for the big guns and too fast for the small ones."

  Human weaponry while strong against human, Astrix hums, stands no chance against a dragon.

  The Corvette cracked apart as Bastion rammed his full weight into the hole that Raze had made. The wreckage began to drift away and the Hammers gathered once more.

  “Good work Hammers. Let’s move on to faze two.”

  The stars spun. The wreckage of the pirate ship vanished.

  Suddenly, a massive planet loomed beneath them—a swirling ball of blue and white. They were in high orbit, like satellites.

  "Listen up," Phillean barked. "Intel says that there are enemies below, unknown in nature. It is too dangerous for the Silent Verdict’s landing craft. So instead, we are dropping from orbit to secure a landing zone for those craft."

  The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

  Riven looked down at the planet. It was... very far away.

  "We just... jump?" Riven asked.

  "While I love the idea, our dragons will protect us," Vex said, her voice giddy. "Tuck in behind her neck. Dragons are near immune to fire, but that doesn’t mean that we are."

  "Drop in three, two, one. Mark."

  The dragons tipped their noses down and let gravity took hold. They moved towards the ground. No, they rather that moving, it felt as though they began to fall.

  It started slow, a gentle pull, but within seconds they were plummeting. The silence of space was replaced by a low roar as they hit the upper atmosphere.

  Orange light began to lick at Astrix’s scales.

  Tuck in as tight as you can, Astrix ordered. This is my first time doing this with a partner

  Riven ignored the panic that began to build at Astrix’s comforting words and flattened himself against the saddle, pressing his faceplate into the junction of her neck and shoulder. He could feel the heat radiating through his suit. Then he felt Astrix project a psychic barrier around them, a shimmering field that deflected the worst of the friction, but the ride was violent.

  Through his helmet, he saw the other Hammers falling like meteors. Noxin was a ball of fire, Phillean tucked tight behind his massive head. Halo was a streak of white light.

  The shaking was intense. Riven felt like he was being rattled apart inside his armor.

  You will be okay, Astrix projected, her mind a fortress of calm amidst the fire. I will protect you.

  Then, the fire stopped. The roar faded to the sound of rushing wind.

  They punched through the cloud layer. The ice-blue ocean of the planet opened up below them.

  "Deploy wings!" Phillean shouted.

  Astrix snapped her wings open. The deceleration hit Riven like a physical punch, slamming him into the saddle. They went from terminal velocity to a controlled glide in seconds.

  "Sound off," Phillean ordered.

  "Boom Wing clear," Brick grunted.

  "Control clear," Sylas wheezed.

  "Strikers clear," Vex cheered.

  "I’m alive," Riven managed.

  "Good. Don't get comfortable," Phillean said. "We have enemies approaching. Dragon signatures detected."

  Riven looked up. Diving from the clouds above them wasn't a ship. It was a flight of Dragons.

  Huh. Dragons are a part of the Concordance. What are those.

  Wild Dragons, Astrix returned, dragons who hate that we have paired with humans and will do anything to kill us.

  "Dragon on dragon," Phillean said. "This isn't shooting bugs. These things move like you. They think like you. Prove you're better."

  A massive Green-Scale wild dragon singled out Astrix. It was larger, heavier, and diving with the sun behind it. The Green-Scale opened its mouth, and Riven felt a pressure build behind his eyes, similar to when he faced the Queen. He saw the other Lancer holding their heads as well. It wasn’t as painful, but he began to open his mind to see what it was saying.

  Do not listen, Astrix ordered.

  The sensation reaching for his head cut off instantly. It felt like a heavy steel door had been slammed shut, leaving Riven in a sudden peace.

  I have blocked the connection, Astrix projected, her mental voice tight and strained. Their thoughts are poison, Riven. Wild dragons have a rage that can break a human mind. You are already hard to detect by a normal dragon, don’t try to reach out to them and give yourself away.

  “I… okay,” Riven stammered in response, gripping his lance.

  The Green-Scale dove and it was magnificent. Even as it tried to kill them, Riven couldn’t help but stare. The sunlight glinted off emerald scales that looked like polished armor. It moved with a fluidity that no machine could match, shifting its weight to alter its trajectory without loosing speed.

  It opened its maw, and a stream of fire erupted, boiling the air.

  Astrix banked hard out of the way, the fire missing them, but Riven could still feel it’s head. She spun around, using her momentum to flank the larger dragon.

  Riven had the shot. He reticle on his HUD turned red. He had a clean line right under the throat of the dragon’s neck. A weak point. He tightened his finger on the trigger.

  But he didn’t pull it.

  This wasn’t a pirate ship filled with faceless criminals. This wasn’t a horrific insect Queen trying to eat the galaxy. This was a dragon. And it didn’t matter this was sim. It had never felt like a sim. The dragon before him was the symbol of the Concordance. It was the creature he had idolized since he was a dust covered kid looking up at the sky with hope.

  “Riven!” Vex’s voice crackled in his ear. “You have a clean shot!”

  Riven’s hand shook. “It’s… I can’t.”

  The Green-Scale twisted in the air, its massive tail whipping around. It slammed into Astrix’s side. The impact rattled Riven’s teeth, sending them tumbling through the air.

  Riven! Astrix shouted in his mind I can feel what you feel. But if you don’t defend us, both of us will die.

  “Holt.” Phillean’s voice came over the comms, it was not loud but it carried with it a firmness. “That acts like a dragon, looks like a dragon, and fights like a dragon. But it is not an ally. It is a hostile combatant trying to turn kill you and your partner. You must fight. That is an order.”

  Astrix recovered from the spin and surged forward, locking claw against claw and battled for dominance with the Green-Scale. They both began to fall, all psychic power forgotten in keeping them afloat. Only focused on killing the other. She went for the throat, but her snout was bitten and held in place by the Green-Scale.

  Riven came face to face with a massive Golden Eye, staring at him with a fury unmatched by anything he had felt before.

  I’m sorry, he thought.

  Riven twisted his lance in a physical mode and thrust it into the eye. It smoothly pierced through the soft tissue and into the head, where the tip of the Lance promptly exploded with a psychic power.

  There was a soft kick before the Green-Scale went limp. Its eye, now pulp seemed to stare at Riven even as Astrix untangled herself from the dragon who tumbled out of the sky and into the ocean below.

  Riven lowered his lance, feeling sick.

  “One drag… enemy down.” Riven sad over the comms.

  “Help clear the sky!” Phillean ordered, not acknowledging Riven’s oddness.

  The rest of the battle was a blue. Riven went through the motions, covering Vex with shot targeting sensitive point of the dragon and allowing Raze to get the kill. Astrix helped tear the wing off a massive red dragon that Brick had been facing. But every time Riven pulled the trigger, he just felt that same nausea rise in him.

  “Simulation Complete,” the computer chimed.

  The blue sky and the ocean dissolved. The pod hissed open in the cool air of the ship.

  Riven didn’t climb out immediately. He sat in the chair staring at the ceiling in silence before a shadow crossed his vision.

  Vex stood there offering a hand. “You good?”

  Riven hestitated for a moment before taking it. “Yea, I’m good.”

  Vex hauled him out of the cockpit and slung an arm around his shoulder shaking him slightly. Usually he fought back, but he didn’t have the energy. Vex looked concnerd, but all Riven wanted to do was rest right now.

  “Private Holt.”

  Riven looked up. Phillean was standing next to the pod, his helmet off. He wasn’t smiling.

  “Follow me.”

  Phillean began walking out of sim lab and through the corridors. The rest of the squad watched him walked out. Vex patted his back.

  “You’ll be good soldier.”

  With those comforting words Riven followed Phillean out of the lab. As Riven felt into step beside Phillean they moved silently through the halls before they came to viewing deck. It was a metal wall, designed to look like glass and display the vastness of space outside.

  “I hesitated,” Riven broke the silence first. “I put Astrix in danger.”

  “You did,” Phillean agreed.

  Riven swallowed the knot in his throat and looked outside. Moment like these were never his strong suit. Astrix had picked him and the weeks had been dangerous yes, but exhilarating and fun at the same time. But today. It felt so wrong.

  The pirates were on thing. They were humans, but they had probably raped, stolen, and killed. He felt just fighting back. But they had gone onto a planet and killed dragons just existing there. Even though it was a sim, that didn’t comfort him. Because they trained for a reason. Everything they wen through was something they may one day experience.

  “You grew up watching the videos right? Of the glorious Lancer and his noble steed defending the weak?” Phillean said, still gazing out into space.

  “Yes, sergeant.”

  “The propaganda tends to leave out wild dragons,” Phillean said, his gaze distant. “They don’t tell you that for every dragon a part of the Concordance. For every dragon that bonds with a human there are three that would rather eat us.”

  “How do you know?”

  “I’ve seen it happen.” Phillean said blankly and turned to Riven. “They see human as parasites, Holt. They see Astrix and Noxin as traitors to their race.”

  Phillean placed a hand on Riven’s shoulder.

  “I’m not mad at you Riven. There is a reason we do these sims. So that a practiced movement can become reality.” Phillean patted his shoulder. “It’s a hard thing to kill your heroes. But out in the Fringe, hesitation will lead to the death of you or a dragon. We are going to be running a few more of the simulations throughout the week.”

  Riven tensed up.

  “I know it won’t be pleasant. But I’d rather you feel sick in a simulation than get eaten in reality because you feel bad for the enemy.” Phillean let go of his shoulder. “I need you to be able to focus. I need to be able to help Astrix live. Can you do that.”

  “I can, Sergeant.” Riven said hoarsely.

  “Good.” Phillean slung an arm over his shoulder and began steering him away. “Now let’s go steam room. I think a good heated shower would do wonders.”

  As they walked off, Riven knew that he would have to do it again. He knew that it was the right thing to do. He knew that Astrix had protected him psychically, and even covered down for his weakness. He knew that this was his job. But none of it helped the pit in his stomach.