The next day Hadrian woke up hearing a commotion,when he went out saw a bottle was taking place in the sky.Nuada and Tars
joined him,as they watched the battle unfold.
Up above, three vicious looking, red-colored airships pursued a single, ornate one flying a blue flag.
On Barsoom, ships "float" on light instead of water. They use solar panels to achieve this. They operate better in sunlight than they do in the moon light, but this does not mean that they cannot fly during the night. It is just more complicated and sloppy.
Tars said. "Urassan are the red flag and Hypos, the blue."
Hadrian pointed at the lead Urassan ship. A deadly looking black weapon gripped its side, tendrils reaching into the hull. The weapon looked out of place, like a living creature stitched to a machine.
Tars peered through a spyglass seeing the weapon and muttered"What is that?"
Hadrian was pretty sure those had the same color as the knife that Keeper Maek conjured and he was pretty sure the energy he sensed from it too was same.
The lead Urassan ship pulled almost directly overhead. Its eerie blue weapon began to glow bright, then fired a bolt of blue energy directly at the Hypos vessel. When it struck, the Hypos ship glowed, listed, and sparked.Hadrian thought he saw a man on the side stiffen, cry out, and vanish in the blue light.
The Hypos ship stopped dead in the air, hovering just above the ruins. The Tharks cheered as Hadrian turned to Tars and questions "Your people root for Urassan?"
Tars replied "They don't know what this war will do to them."
As he and Tars watched, the Hypos corsair picked up speed and struck the second Urassan ship with a sickening crunch. The corsair listed sharply to one side, its solar vanes cracked and damaged. More Urassan soldiersspilled off the deck, dropping to their deaths among the uncaring Tharks.
But Hadrian's eye was caught by another motion on the corsair's deck. He snatched the spyglass away from Tars, ignoring the Thark's protest. Through it he saw an armored, visored figure, dressed very differently from the red-garbed Urassan, tumble across the deck to pitch over the side. The figure sailed through the air for a moment, then managed to catch hold of the ship's gunwale projecting off the side. The figure's helmet flipped off, and long brown hair spilled out.
Hadrian quickly bursts into flames and transformed into his phoenix form.
While the Hypos airship lurched over, tipping onto its side in mid-air. The Dejah lost her grip, cried out, and began to fall.
Hadrian caught her flailing body in mid air,Dejah was shocked and looked up to see who caught her only to find out a huge bird with crimson feathers on their body and a golden tail as long as a peacock's.It's claws and beak were gleaming gold and eyes were black.She could see thr birds scarlet body feathers glowed faintly, while their golden tail feathers were hot to the touch.
The bird was carrying her without any problem soaring through the sky,while managing to land on the cupola.
Dejah on landing staggered for a second, then recovered and when she looked back to see the bird,which burst into flames and Transformed into a man with messy black hair and emerald like green eyes.
It was shocking as he mind couldn't process what she just saw and for a moment time seemed to stop as they stared into each other's eyes. Then a gangplank slammed down onto the cupola's ledge.Hadrian looked up and saw one of the Urassan airship hovering just above. Red-garbed soldiers poured down the gangplank, swords and guns drawn.
Hadrian hurled twin pillars of flame at them,these flames were blue in color and intensity was much higher than any normal flames.
They burned all the Urrasan soldiers as Hadrian saw Dejah was fighting soldiers from the other side.Hadrian told her"More are coming move."
Which Dejah noticed and retreated.Hadrian then quickly in a burst of flames turned into his phoenix form and flew straight towards towards the biggest ship.On landing he knocked the gunmen off the deck, not even turning to watch as they fell.
This gave the captive Hypos soldiers saw the Urssan soldiers were stunned,saw a chance as they fought and took control of the second Urassan airship and used on of there cannons to fire a the,which caused the ship to be cracked in half, and burst into flames. It began to plummet,as the Hypos ship freed itself and flown down to join there princess.
Hadrian was on the main ship turned to see a fierce warrior facing him. Cruel human eyes, a golden breastplate fringed with fur, and the red cape of Urassan.
The warrior raised a hand. It was covered in a strange, glowing blue weapon the same one he saw on the ship.
As the man said"I am Sab Than, ruler of Urassan and I sentence you to…"What?" He trailed off and seemed to cock his head at some unknown voice. The weapon's glow faded, and Sab Than looked down at his own hand in dismay then looking at the guards said "Take him alive?"
A trio of soldiers swarmed Hadrian,who was not interested since he already successfully helped the Hypos soldiers escape,so he waved his hand causing them fly back several feet and crash into Sab Than and rest of his soldiers
Hadrian simply transformed into his phoenix form and flew down.Dejah was shocked and in awe seeing this and was curious about his stranger power and who he was,so she handed her sword to Sola, but her eyes never left Hadrian. She spoke with the terse confidence of a commanding officer. "You may take me captive now."
While Sab Than was angry got up burst onto his bridge. Soldiers lay dead everywhere, slumped over smoking equipment. As the ship lurched beneath him, Sab heaved the Light Master's body off the light meter and checked the readings. He moved from one station to another, slamming levers hastily. The surviving Navigator stared at him with frightened eyes as he order "Prepare to turn about,We're going after the princess."
Then Sab Than felt the familiar tingling in his mind, and Matai Shang was there again. In his thoughts, on his bridge, always with him. Always in control. The price Sab Than paid for unlimited power as Matai Shang said "No,The Tharks have her. This opportunity has been lost."
Sab Than was angry said"Why did you want him alive? The white ape—man— whatever he is?.....How did he get those powers?"
Matai Shang shook his head and replied"Go home, Sab Than. Another chance will present itself."
Matai Shang was now curious about this new player,he never seen powers or abilities like this before.Matai Shang needed more answers and he will get them from the stranger himself.Also if they could study and replicate his abilities,then it would be best to bring him alive.