There's always a beginning to an end

Chapter 1
There is always a beginning to an end

The State of Firestone, like most nation states in the world, is a solitary island situated in the vast nothingness that is the Pacific Ocean. 3 large municipalities and 2 towns fill the island’s massive size. The largest of these municipalities is the District of Prominence, the seat of the Federal Government.

It is this location where the State of Firestone would soon have to fight for its life, if not on a psychical scale, then an economic and sociological scale.

-

Disturbing news had filled the Prominence District Police in the past week. Disappearances. Now, kidnapping in the Capital-No, in the entire state was a common occurrence, especially in the rural areas to the north by the City of Arborfield, the seat of Stapleton County.

These disappearances though we’re different. It didn’t seem coordinated like most kidnappings in the state. No, these we’re at random, no specific targets. Just random civilians.

Always at night and seemed to jump around. Two kidnappings at Central Park, three on the outskirts, one at the Capital building and four at the Mall of Firestone.

The upper echelons of the PDP want to lock it down to gang related incidents, but Sergeant Brooks, the lead PDP Gang Unit detective for Precinct 12 seemed to think otherwise.

District Police Precinct 12 oversaw three areas, the Mall of Firestone, Residential zone 13 and business zone 3 on the east side of the city, about a 12-minute drive from Central Park & the Capital building and a 3-minute tram ride from the same.

This is where the most kidnappings have occurred. 6 total kidnappings. Sergeant Brooks groaned from within his office. Families have gone from scared and worried to angry. The Chief is breathing down his neck to get this case solved by the end of the week.

If it isn’t, then the Governor is planning to step in, and the Firestone Bureau of Investigation will take over the case.

A worried Corporal peaked into the Sergeants office.

“Sarge, it’s 7am, you were meant to get off work at 11 yesterday” she said.

Brooks looked up at the young officer and sighed “yeah I know”

The Corporal walked up and gave the Sarge a smile “Come on” she reached out and pulled the 27 year old out of the chair “let’s get a drink”

Brooks let the Corporal lead him out of his office and out of the Precinct. Brooks had a favorite small café in Government circle. The area in the direct middle of the city where the Capital building, the Supreme Court building, the State Department building and the combined Embassy building was housed, all in a loop.

They took a tram ride to Circle Station; it only took about 2 minutes. As they left the station, however, they noticed a large group of people surrounding the center of the circle.

A large roman like structure had appeared in the smack middle of the circle.

“Has that always been there?” the Corporal questioned.

“No, I don’t think so?” Brooks responded.

“Dispatch to 175” the Sergeant’s radio came to life.

Brooks removed the radio from his belt and held it to his mouth before keying in the mic “175”

“We’ve got reports of a strange building at Government Circle, uhh, we’ve got County SWAT and FPS code 3, can we get an update?” dispatch reported.

Brooks keyed the mic once more “yeah, we’ve got a uhh structure of roman origin? It’s gathered quite a large crow-”

A loud screech filled the circle causing everyone to start looking around for the source of the noise when a large swoosh followed it. Like large wings.

“175?”

A scream filled the area as a women pointed up to the sky. A mythical creature had invaded government airspace.

Brooks keyed the mic as fast as he could “Dispatch, we’ve got a developing situation, a-“

The corporal screamed and began to panic shoot as a man with a sword dove through the crowds of fleeing people and sliced the head off of Sergeant Brooks.

-

“FNN Breaking news, the Capital is under attack”

“This is SCFTNN with a breaking report”

“This is CNN, we come to you with breaking news”

“This is BBC News from London, we’ve stopped your normal programming for some breaking news”

The Governor of the State of Firestone Kam Erickson sat within his Manor just outside of the Capital city, watching the situation unfold before him via the various news channels playing on the TV screens of the secure command bunker.

Government Circle was-No he thought as he watched the BBC News feed cut from their London studio to handheld footage of a dragon and its rider swooping down and stabbing a PDP Patrol Officer with his lance before getting the full force of a Mossberg 590 from his patrol partner, causing a terrible screech from the dragon and the rider to topple off The District is holding

The Governor grabbed at a red telephone that sat on his desk. Firestone National Guard Fort Beaumont and Firestone Air National Guard Base Warden we’re on high alert. He dialed a single number.

“About fucking time” the man on the other end of the phone said in exasperation.

Major General Antador Thomas, commander of the Firestone National Guard.

“I’m still trying to get a hold of the situation General” the Governor replied.

“There are dragons in our skies!” the Major General replied.

“I understand that” the CNN feed had switched footage from its Atlanta Offices to a live feed from a CCTV Camera off the top of the Bank of Firestone showing a Firestone State Patrol: Air Support Unit Helicopter having a dogfight with two dragon riders.

The Governor still could not believe what he was witnessing above his nation’s capital. A sigh escaped his lips “There’s an ASU Heli having a dogfight with two dragons”

The Major General didn’t reply another sigh escaped the Governors lips “You have full authorization, go nuts”

The line clicked.

Ringing soon filled the room, however, as a black phone with a security case around it began to ring. The Governor had dreaded this. That black phone was a direct line to its strongest ally-No, its only ally on the International Stage.

Carefully picking up the key that sat next to the phone, he slotted it into the keyway and unlocked the safety case and picked up the phone.

“You seem to be in trouble” the shadowy figure on the other end said.

As with every communication between the State’s Governor and its International ally, the person with access to the black phone always hid his voice. Kam had once asked the Ambassador about this, and she replied in the most roundabout way possible.

“What makes you say that?” The Governor challenged.

“I just watched a PDP Officer get stabbed by a diving dragon, you know that’s something out of fiction, right? The shadowy voice replied.

“We don’t have a defense treaty with you sir, in respect-“ The Governor was cutoff.

“I have a duty to protect my diplomats”

The Governors eyes went wide. The Embassy of this shadowy figure’s home country was in the area of Government Circle, not exactly in the combined embassy but three blocks down from it. In the currently controlled zone of the enemy.

“If they make it into your embassy?” The Governor questioned cautiously.

“If they make it into my embassy” the figure replied “They will have started war with the territory”

The Governor shuddered. This ally was a more technologically advanced Switzerland, in that it doesn’t hold any Military Treaties and considers itself neutral in all things despite still holding a large military force. If the Firestone National Guard’s Rangers was a force to be reckoned with within the 6 Nation-States, then their Defense Intelligence Agency was worse.

“What do you need?” The Governor gave in.

“Full operating authorization within the area of the District of Prominence, Town of Hillview and the Greendale-National Guard Area”

The Governor’s sigh was enough of an answer for him.

The line once again clicked.

-

While this incident was developing, an Aircraft carrier was hovering at 51,000 feet above the capital city. The SCFN Michalek was the pride of the Sean City Ministry of Defense Intelligence Agency, the only Sean City Federal Navy ship not registered in any database.

The Ships commander, Rear Admiral Serena Michalek watched the situation below her unfold with renewed interest. The ship was here on, what is officially a diplomatic mission to the State of Firestone. However, the real reason it was here was to investigate these disappearances.

Sean City Federal Territory was the only Important United Nations member to recognize the 6 Nation-States that lived on the long chain of islands in the middle of the Pacific, holding trade treaties with all 6, it wasn’t strange to see a SCFN Ship here and there. These disappearances, however, were of a curious importance to the Sean City Ministry of Defense Intelligence Agency, mostly because one of their agents stationed in the State of Firestone had been taken.

Serena’s XO Captain Luke McCow looked up at her from his seat just a row below. Serena knew what he was asking without him even needing to, in response she pointed to the red phone. A direct line to her younger brother and to her younger sister. The ones who told her what to do with the ship. Their official orders are to sit and watch.

The doors to the bridge opened and Federal Marines Lieutenant Jack Wakemoe, the Chief of Tactical Operations for SCFN Michalek stepped through the door way and made his way to his seat to the left of the XO.

“Nice of you to join us Lt.” Serena spoke for the first time since this situation started.

“Sorry Admiral” the Lieutenant apologized “I was getting my beauty sleep”

Serena dismissed him with a wave. Ringing suddenly filled the room as Serena snatched up the red phone, listening to what the other person was saying carefully before smiling and putting the phone back down.

“Get up” she commanded to Jake who hurriedly stood up from his desk and gave the Admiral a salute “All Marines are to deploy to the Embassy in Prominence, use of the HSEI’s are approved”

The Lieutenant ran out of the bridge as fast as he possibly could. Her XO got into a position to drive the flying carrier and in response Serena looked at her Chief of Air Operations.

“Commander, all 20 Jackals are to be launched with Supersonic Air to Air Missiles and are to assist the Firestone Air National Guard in gaining air superiority above the Capital”

The male turned back around to his desk and keyed the ships PA system, alerting all air units to the immediate deployment orders.

“Captain” She said, looking down at her XO.

“Let it begin”