âThis is true.â He knew it, she knew it; Drakkon could be a very powerful tool, more powerful than anything else in their arsenal. The military, the army and navy and air force, they paled in comparison to the strength of a single veteran Ranger; of course they had a few of their own on their side, ones lured by sweet words or better yet the beautiful innocence of the concept of âdutyâ. But Drakkon was something far more than that, he wasnât just a Ranger; he was a monster, he was the twisted form of one of their best, and a beast with a mind. To use him as a weapon was all well and good but they did need to be careful in case his fangs turned on them.
As he tended to, Astor played with a chess piece in his hands, a knight. The knight Lord Drakkon, Ritaâs little pet turned a would-be god among Rangers. He hummed, he thought, and he kept his playful smile on his face as naturally as possible. âA hunter indeed. But what kind would be best to use against such a predator? Should we use truth or white lies to our advantage in enticing our would-be ally to our side?â
Give the monster the tribute it demands. More Ranger powers.Â
But that was akin to pouring gasoline on a fire. It was true, there were a few Rangers they had in captivity, But just handing them over would be foolish. They had to be bait. But Drakkon wouldnât bite on any bait. He had armies- no, legions. What would one mere offering be to a god?Â
No. They needed control. Her thoughts trailed back to her proposals for the capture teams. Shock nets. The like. That was too crude- like thrusting a mere iron sword into a dragonâs hide. NoâŠ.something more direct.Â
Shaking her head, Katina turned around, arms crossed. She eyed the chess piece Astor was fiddling with. Him and that damn board. Every time she saw it, the urge to torch it just grew stronger.Â
âItâs too early for a direct decision. Too volatile. Too rabid. Too unstable. He needs to be sedated and kept in line. Is the Ranger Initiative a money pit? Hardly. Even reaching into the deepest coffers wouldnât produce something capable of containing him.â She frowns. Thatâs all Drakkon was. An animal. Driven by baser instincts like revenge.Â
But, how exactly was that different from her? Hatred sprouted from lava floods caused by the privatized buffoons in San Angeles. Hartford and his ilk were the ones she most wanted to drag down the most. Seizure of his assets, freezing his accountsâŠ.
The idea was pleasurable. Something she craved. It would make all too good a weapon in the presses. Private Ranger army created by wealthy archaeologist. It would take merely a push.
But that was a different matter.Â
âWords alone wonât convince the brute to comply.â Going over to the board, she snatched the black queen piece, eyeing it. Looking back to Astor, Katina scowled. âNo, empty promises or lip service will just try his patience.â Slamming the queen piece back down the board (which caused a few to fall over), she merely smiled. That felt nice.Â
âHoweverâŠ.who said anything about speaking to him directly? Miss Sterling helped contain him once. A fewâŠ.âÂ
The smile spread into that grin. That acidic, deathly grin of hers- it spelled trouble. ââŠ.suggestions, and perhaps heâd bow easier.â Yes. Using suggestion to replace his undying loyalty to Rita with herâŠthen for sure, she would have a powerful weapon to do whatsoever she desired.Â
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