Chapter 1: Getting a sponsor

War had been going on for almost five years. I was eighteen and had completed both regular school and an advanced school in engineering. I was home on Cloud before I submitted an application for the fleet marines. A lot here was still being researched because of the properties. I was three-quarters Native American and my father was the head warden for the major preserves.

I was sitting in his headquarters when the Mayday from a shuttle came in. I moved to the holograph board and watched the shuttle track down out of the atmosphere. I shook my head, “it is going into the Sky Islands.”

I looked at Dad and he nodded, “and we do not have a ranger to go after them.”

I should mention my father lost both legs in combat and was still regrowing new ones. I looked at the holograph, “drop me with a glider and I will find them and walk them out.”

He frowned before finally nodding and moving his chair to a cabinet, “take my equipment vest.”

I smiled as I went to look before reaching for a standard vest and then his long bladed synth knife. They were unique in that they cut anything as if they were an energy knife. I had a small slim one I normally carried. The long knife would work a lot better in the planet’s bush. Especially in the Sky Islands where a lot of tech gear did not work.

I headed out as Dad called his flyer pilot. The only way to avoid the flyer from crashing because of the field properties in and around the Sky Islands is to fly at max altitude. I was wearing soft pants and a long shirt with leather mocs. I sat and began checking the synthetic silk shroud I would use to glide down to the area we thought the shuttle had wrecked in.

I glanced at the pilot when he turned and he grinned, “take an oxy mask, you will need it.”

I did not bother telling him it would only work for a few thousand meters before the field properties caused the electronics to fail. I checked our position before packing the shroud and standing. I slipped the mask on and moved to the door before sliding it back. I turned to watch the pilot and several minutes later he looked back and nodded.

I dove out and spread my arms and legs as I looked at the area below. I was searching for a hint of the shuttle as I released the shroud and it opened right behind my back. The straps yanked at my body and hips as I grabbed the two controls, one in each hand. I was still spread out as I turned towards a distant reflection.

I turned away when I realized it was just a large formation of synth crystals. I was at thirty-five hundred meters when I saw the trail of broken vines between two floating islands. That was when I tore the mask off because it stopped working. I turned and headed down as I watched for signs of predators.

I had to shift and move around a few things as I went between the islands and then I saw the broken shuttle. I was still a thousand meters above and behind it and growled at the pack of wyvern wolves. I checked the wind and pulled a container of pepper spray. I dropped my feet and flared the shroud as I approached and landed on a wing.