Take To The Sky

Fear

Nova had been called to Marsha's office for a mission briefing.
It was simple enough.
A fly over.
A town called Hidden Water two hours East as the dragon flies had protesters. Protest was a sign of rebellion. Rebellion Control was what they did.
All he needed to do was fly over, circle the town for a while, maybe swoop low to scare them, and come home.
It was a simple show of force to strike fear into them and remind them who they were messing with.
Nova was accustomed to more complex missions but assumed the downgrade was because of his recent failure.
Not that he minded.
He liked flying and didn't exactly want to get into a sky fight with his back the way it was.
He was glad simply to have gotten a mission.
After telling him exactly what needed done Marsha peered at him for a moment silently while twirling a pen between her fingers.
"I heard that you got in a fight defending my honor."
Nova flushed.
"Nothing so Noble I'm afraid Ma'am."
"What then?"
"Flame was trying to provoke me. I'm afraid he succeeded. Your name did come up."
"And what exactly did Flame say?"
Nova's face burned.
"I would rather not repeat it."
She continued to peer at him before standing and walking around him.
He stiffened when she stopped behind him, his eyes straight forward.
A cold hand on his neck.
A warm breath on his ear.
"Did he possibly suggest that something went on between us?"
Nova swallowed.
"He did."
A hand in his hair.
"Did something go on between us Specialist Nova?"
"N-nothing unprofessional."
Her hands ran down his neck to his shoulders and toyed with the straps on his riders harness.
"Of course. That would be against the rules wouldn't it?"
"Yes ma'am."
One hand trailed down his arm and the other slid down his shoulder to his chest.
"And you never brake the rules do you Nova? You're a very disciplined young man. An exceptional Rider."
Nova didn't answer.
He didn't know what to say.
Didn't know what to do.
He was afraid of her.
He knew the way she treated him and touched him was wrong. It wasn't allowed.
But she was the Center Commander.
The daughter or Tarvin who had created the CRC.
She could do as she pleased.
There wasn't anything he could really do.
"Nova did it make you angry when Flame said those things about me? About us?"
"Yes."
"Why?"
She nipped his ear and he flinched in surprise.
"Because it was disrespectful."
She leaned into his back like she had so many times before and kissed his jaw.
"Do you know how much older I am then you Nova?"
"I- I don't know how old I am."
"You're 16."
She wasn't supposed to tell him that.
He wasn't supposed to know.
Riders are never told their birthday, age, or anything about their families.
They belonged to the CRC.
They had titles and they had Units.
They didn't need an age or a family.
"Ma'am I... You're not.... Ok."
It sounded lame but he didn't know what to do.
"My father chose you himself when you were barely walking."
"Ma'am I'm not supposed to know these things."
She rested her chin on his shoulder.
"Does it make you uncomfortable?"
"Yes."
She ran a finger down his chest and then back up again.
"Ok. You're dismissed."

Nova hurried out the door and all but ran to the stable to saddle his dragon.
"Ilwomar." He said entering her stall.
Her giant blue head raised to look at him.
Sensing his anxiety she nuzzled him gently.
He placed his forehead against hers and took several deep breaths.
She was the only thing that had never changed.
Every Rider trained with the same dragon from their very first flight.
She was the only thing that kept him from loosing his mind.
The only constent that kept him from falling apart.
"Ilwomar let's fly ok? Let's fly."
He saddled her quickly and attached the hip straps to the loops on his riders harness. (They're called hip straps because they tie in at the hip)
This keeps the rider from falling out of the saddle in a sky fight or in a role or sharp turn.
Then they took off.
East.
For a fly over.

∆∆∆∆

The sky was the only safe place for him.
The only place he could lose his cool and nobody but Ilwomar would know.
The only place he could get away with having the anxiety attacks that he was quite prone to.
One of the flaws in The Program.
People, especially children, needed love and physical contact.
Riders were taken at very young ages to begin training and were deprived of both.
The only physical contact they had was in wrestling matches and for Nova, Marsha's special attention.
They didn't know love.
Comrodery maybe but not love.
It was worse for Solo flyers.
They didn't have a Unit they could depend on. They were alone quite often.
It was common for them to suffer anxiety or depression or both.
For Nova it was anxiety.
He hid it well behind cold professionalism.
But in the skies?
Alone with his dragon?

Nova clung to Ilwomar's neck and his body trembled.
He was afraid.
Not of flying.
Not of hights.
Not of dragons or of the mission.
He was afraid of Marsha.
Afraid because she gave him so much unwanted attention.
He didn't know why she seemed to be so zeroed in on him but he wished for all he was worth that she wasn't.
She could do anything she wished to him and there was nothing he could do.
If it was any other Officer he could lodge a complaint.
If it was anyone else he could do something.
But Marsha was untouchable.
When it came to the CRC, The Program, and all the Riders she had more power even then a General.
She was like a goddess.
There wasn't a thing Nova could do.
So he was terrified of her.