Author's Comments:
Firstly, I would like to give the mandatory disclaimer for this work. The Zoids concept is the property of Shogakukan Production Co. Ltd., TOMY, Hasbro, and other associated companies. In no way is Zoids the property of Zoids: Chaotic Age Zero. We make fair use of the Zoids concept under the Copyright Act of 1976, 17 U.S.C. Zoids: Chaotic Age Zero is not for profit and is free. All of the characters and concepts used in the animes, mangas, ect. that appear in this story are strictly the property of the aforementioned publisher. Zoids: Chaotic Age Zero reserves rights to the other, original characters and concepts.
The above disclaimer applies to entirety of the story. In this first chapter alone, much of the dialogue echoes or quotes the words of characters. These dialogues and monologues are extracted only from the last five minutes within the last episode the english dub of Zoids: New Century Zero television show. The extremely small quantity of information extracted (as well as lack of video or audio) continues to make this eligible for usage under fair use. However, this dialogue is the property of the aforementioned corporations. Furthermore, no other chapter in this story will have content directly quoted from any Zoids product.
Now, if you're wondering why I just had to say all that, it's for various legal and moral reasons. Here's a brief explanation. Zoids: Chaotic Age Zero is an independent RPG website - chaoticagezero.angelfire .com. The below fanfiction, entitled "Chaotic Age Zero" is the backstory of the Chaotic Age Zero website and RPG. Note that this is not an advertisement (if it were, it would violate terms of service) but a story that the Chaotic Age Zero staff would like to share with the Zoids community at large.
Note that this prologue is quite long, on the order of thirteen pages. The story is rated as it for violence, realistic depiction of war (both infantry and Zoids battles), and mild profanity.
A brief explanation regarding the story might be in order, but I think I'll leave that to the characters. Please, read on!
Chaotic Age Zero
Prologue: Antebellum Zi
(Transmission Source Unknown)
2/8/02
Second Year of the Chaotic Age
Present Day
Hi. I'm sure you don't know me, but that's in no way important. Maybe you know of me. My name is Halen. Just Halen, pronounced "Hay-Lehn". Though sometimes folks will call me things like "Commander Halen", "CMG", or sometimes "Skipper" if I'm aboard the 'Ante. Any of those names ring a bell? Maybe? Well, it really doesn't matter who I am. For the record, I'm the head of Blackdust Mercenary Group, the smallest sovereign nation on Zi. How do a bunch of mercenaries gain sovereignty? That's a bit of a long story, and it ties right into the one I'm here to tell.
Seems like a dream, doesn't it? It's hard to believe that just three years ago, we all saw Bit Cloud take down the Berserk Fury, and then all was right in the world. Bit Cloud and the Zoid Battle Commission were good, Vega Obscura and the Backdraft Group were evil, and Zi was just that black and white. The good guys won and saved the day, and the bad guys were backed into a nice tight corner, and that was the last we'd ever see of them.
I guess back then, no one ever dreamed of what would come over the next year, and the next few years. Because the world isn't that black and white, there is no clear-cut good and evil. I'm sure I don't need to tell you about it. You've heard of it – hell, you've probably lived it. But I'm going to tell the story anyway, because I have to in order to tell the story of my Blackdust Mercenary Group. But it's not just that, it's the story of Vega Obscura and Bit Cloud and the Neo Backdraft and the New Helic Republic and the Zoid Battle Commission, and the story of every other hero and faction to ride out on a white horse. It's not even really their story, not theirs and not mine. It's the story of the time. The story of the Second Chaotic Century, the story of the Chaotic Age Zero.
Funny thing is, we all know how it began. It started at the end of the Royal Cup, three years ago...
ZBC High Command, The Ultrasaurus
1/1/-01 (Before the Chaotic Age)
Early Evening
The End of the Royal Cup, Three Years Ago
The world watched it. The eyes of every human on the planet were fixed to the screen of televisions, computers, monitors. They watched as Bit Cloud and the Liger Zero put a claw to the neck of the Berserk Fury – the only Berserk Führer-typed Zoid to have ever walked the face of Zi. They watched as with one almighty slash, the glowing claws of the Liger-typed Zoid tore across the Tyrannosaurus' neck, sending the dark-colored Ultimate X falling to the ground. The Liger Zero placed one claw on the chest of its fallen foe and let out an almighty roar, declaring its victory to the world.
For a moment, all was silent. All that could be heard was the crackling flames of the fallen Zoids around the two combatants, and the eerie echoes of the Liger Zero's roar.
"Commissioner, judgebot satellite uplink shows the Berserk Fury to be in Command System Freeze."
Commissioner Fredrick Coulston, the Commissioner of Zoid Battling and head of the one and only nation on Zi, held back a sigh of relief. The Backdraft were shrewd. He had been on the bridge of the Ultrasaurus – ZBC HIGHCOM, supposedly the safest place in the world. Less than an hour before, the Backdraft had launched an long-ranged attack via Charged Particle Gun on this very fortress. Had it not been for the quick actions of the bridge tactical officer, they might have succeeded – while he was observing the Royal Cup from the Ultrasaurus, they could have eliminated two tempting targets in a single stroke.
"Communications Officer, authenticate the transmission from the satellite uplink. Tactical Officer, confirm Command System Freeze of the Ultimate X using ground-based sensors."
Again, the Commissioner held his breath as the two officers went to work. The Communications Officer responded first.
"Confirmed, Commissioner. Transmission is authentic."
"Commissioner, video of the battle shows the Liger Zero cutting through the Berserk Fury's Zoid Control Conduit in the neck, sir. In my opinion, that confirms Command System Freeze."
Coulston let out the sigh that he'd been holding in. Vega Obscura's victory in the Royal Cup would have been catastrophic for the Zoid Battle Commission. The Backdraft had meant this as a symbolic victory, to show that the star of the Commission was falling, and that a new age was dawning. A rebel triumph probably would have sparked rebellion throughout Loramere – those damned, ungrateful Easterners. But a loyal Commission pilot, Bit Cloud, had won the day. Most importantly, with the Berserk Fury and its powerful Triple Charged Particle Gun disabled, ZBC orbital bombardment platforms were now free to act. They could crush these upstart rebels once and for all.
"Sir?"
Coulston looked at the communications officer, who had addressed him.
"Yes, officer?"
"Tactical Command aboard Endurance Station reports that the Backdraft satellite cluster is within their firing arc. TACCOM reports that Endurance Station forward batteries request weapons free."
"Inform Endurance TACCOM that all batteries have weapons free and may fire at will. And give me a conference line with the Backdraft Whale King at the Royal Cup and the Backdraft High Command."
It was over for the Backdraft. They had survived through guerilla warfare and by staying one step ahead of the Commission, probably through inside sources within the ZBC itself. However, when their resurrected Death Stinger had launched an attack against the Ultrasaurus, they'd revealed the location of their major base – in East Vedere, regional capital of the Verdis. Now, the gig was up. Now that they'd lost their CPG capability, there was nothing standing between the Commission orbital strike platform and the city. They would get one chance to surrender.
"Commissioner, I've set up the video transmission."
"Transmit the contents to the news media. They need to see the moment of our victory. On my mark, flip the image from the Ultrasaurus bridge to one of Endurance Station's spotting drones. Can that be arranged?"
Of course, sir. The conference call will be broadcast to the media... and a spotting drone video feed from Endurance is standing by. I'm putting the call on the central screen... now."
The screen briefly flashed green, and then turned on. Coulston was faced with two images on a split screen (for of course, it was a conference call), one of which showed a woman leaning over the main control console of a shattered Whale King. She did not seem to have noticed that contact had been established.
"Is it over?" she said softly to no one but himself.
"That's right," said Coulston gruffly. With a gasp, the woman looked up at her display screen.
The Commissioner of Zoid Battling continued with his prepared remarks. "Greetings, Backdraft Group. Well, we've finally put an end to your malevolent ambitions. Witness!" Coulston signaled behind his back to the communications officer, and the screen became feed from the spotting drone.
The massive Endurance Station – a full battlestation in its own right, was stationary relative to the Backdraft satellite cluster. The drone was perhaps fifty kilometers away, behind the rebel satellites. It was an exceptional shot. Endurance Station, in all its glory, as it brought its massive array of broadside batteries, mounted on rotating turrets, to bear against the insurgent forces. In one glorious salvo, the batteries fired in a calculated, chain-linked pattern, blowing each and every enemy station out of the sky. They explosively depressurized and fell from orbit sequentially, but the result was certain: the ZBC had regained space superiority.
"Order Endurance Station to train guns on East Vedere."
As one, the dozens of gun turrets on the underside of Endurance Station twisted towards the ground, their deadly payload aimed at the surface of Zi. Coulston signaled to cut back to the conference conversation rather than the drone's video feed.
"There's no chance for you to escape now. I suggest you surrender quietly."
Coulston turned his attention to the two men standing on the other half of the screen, in Backdraft Headquarters. He recognized one man as Representative Altail, a man of some importance within the lower echelons of the Commission legislature. The man on his left, however, was a shock to Commissioner Coulston. It was the Count – a man with close political ties in the Commission Council itself. If he was not the head of the Backdraft, he was one of its most prominent members.
The Count hung his head in submission. "How the could glorious battle I envisioned have ended in such miserable defeat?" The Count, with a swish of his cape, turned and walked out of view of the camera.
Altail gasped as his leader walked away from the demand of a surrender. "Count!" he yelled.
Commissioner Coulston punched a button on his console to mute the microphone.
"We'll give them a moment to consider our demand. In the mean time, I think there is something of a congratulations in order. Put me through to Bit Cloud."
The screen flashed again, and Bit Cloud's visage appeared. He was looking outside his cockpit at something – Coulston couldn't see what. However, as soon as his console beeped to notify him of the incoming message, Bit Cloud gave the Commissioner his full attention.
"Congratulations, Bit. You've certainly earned this victory."
The green eyes of the Zoid pilot lit up with excitement. "You mean I actually-"
"The Blitz Team has won the Royal Cup. The highest bridge of that old Ultrasaurus wreck you were on was the hidden finish line. Proceed to the cockpit, Bit."
Coulston punched another button on his own console, cutting the transmission and the link to the news media. He sat back in his chair and waited, watching the monitor. There were a thousand cameras trained on Bit Cloud and the Liger Zero right now, as the duo moved to claim the title they so rightfully deserved.
The Commissioner of Zoid Battling watched as Bit Cloud scrambled up the steps and onto the highest bridge, inserting his Zoid gear into the slot on the Ultrasaurus' main command console. He, Fredrick Coulston, was looking at that control panel's only duplicate in all the world. The Ultrasaurus was a symbol of power. The one that Bit Cloud now stood upon had been the highest command center of the old Republic, and the one that he, Coulston, now sat in was the core of the Zoid Battle Commission. There were only the two on all of Zi, and only Coulston's was still functional.
Bit Cloud had the privilege – and a hard earned one – of placing his Zoid gear inside the slot on old Helic's Ultrasaurus. It was hard to forget that where Bit, the greatest Zoid Warrior in the world now stood, the great hero Van Flyheit had planted his feet ages ago.
"Communications Officer, I'd like to transmit a message to Bit Cloud's Zoid Gear directly."
"Yes sir, of course sir." The officer was actually in considerable consternation, but after a moment of frantically manipulating controls, he said, "Ready to transmit, sir."
"Transmit as follows: 'Liberty, Courage, and a Sense of Justice.'"
Even as he said them, Coulston watched them flick across the display on Bit Cloud's identification device, as quickly as the Communications Officer could type them. Bit himself was repeating every word that scrawled across his Zoid Gear.
"Only a warrior who possesses such qualities deserves the Royal Cup. Bit Cloud, your team has fought hard and shown unsurpassed comradery, but the Blitz Team couldn't have won the Championship without you. You're a tribute to Zoids Warriors around the world. As the ultimate Warrior, you'll advance to the next challenge. Today, fame and glory are yours. So, use your portion of the Royal Cup prize money to treat yourself to a well-deserved break, before your next challenge."
Fredrick Coulston leaned back in his seat as he ended his speech. He had ad-libbed the whole thing, and the world had heard him say it. Just one duty left to take perform.
"Have we received the Backdraft Group's surrender yet?"
"No, sir."
"Get me a line to Guygalos. Get me the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs."
"Right away, sir."
The screen before Coulston flickered with lines of scrawling data – bit rate, radio frequency encryption level, before the unintelligible gibberish of the computer finally gave way to a screen, with the Code of Arms of the Zoid Battle Commission displayed against a black background. They were waiting for the the Chairman to receive the connection, which might take a moment. Normally, the situation would be reversed. He, the Commissioner of Zoid Battling, would be in the capital city of Guygalos, receiving a call from the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, stationed at the ZBC HIGHCOM of the Ultrasaurus. However, given that Coulston had insisted on observing the Royal Cup from the Ultrasaurus, several other key personnel were moved away, so that any attempt on the Ultrasaurus' bridge would fail to kill all top ranking members of the military. In the wake of the attacks of an hour ago, this seemed more important than ever.
The Code of Arms on the screen flicked away and was replaced by the visage of another man. This was General Richard Cassar, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, one of the senior-most members of the military.
"Hello, Commissioner. I was concerned when I heard about the attack against High Command, but I trust that since you are now calling me, you have not been harmed. Was there any serious damage?"
"No, but thank you for your concern, General. We managed to raise the E-Shield in time and it bore the brunt of the assault."
"Excellent. I watched the broadcast. We've got these rascals on the run. I've heard that intelligence has located their base of operations: East Vedere. We're ought to strike before they have a chance to flee, tail between their legs."
"I'm going to order the bombardment of the city. The Backdraft should be a problem of the past soon. Nonetheless, I feel that it would be prudent to mobilize the Eisen Dragoons against them." The Eisen Dragoons, the Fourth Armored Division, the Black Operations and Special Forces of the Zoid Battle Commission. This unit had been formed by Gunther Prozen himself during his attempted coup against the Emperor. Even though Prozen died, the Dragoons would later help overthrow the Guylos Empire and replace it with the Neo Zenebas dynasty. Ever since, the unit had been deathly loyal and almost suicidally brave. They were men who could be trusted implicitly, who were chosen for their unwavering loyalty and unquestioning obedience. The Backdraft didn't stand a chance.
"There are two major concerns: the city itself, and the Backdraft presence at the Royal Cup. General, I'd like you to personally supervise the neutralization of both targets."
"Of course, Commissioner. Both the First and Second brigades are guarding Guygalos itself, but I'm not sure its prudent to pull away both. I'll have elements of First Brigade load aboard a Great Whale King and apprehend Vega Obscura and his Whale King immediately. It shouldn't be hard with the Berserk Fury out of the way. I believe Major General Krauss and the Third and Fourth Brigades are over at Homeland Airbase – we'll have them airlifted to East Vedere. They'll blockade the city and stop anyone from leaving. Then, we'll just shell the rebel bastards until they wave the white flag."
"Sounds good. Make it happen."
"Sir!"
The transmission cut out.
"Communications Officer, institute a media blackout regarding the city of East Vedere and the Backdraft Group. Let the public think that they are a problem of the past. Then order Endurance Station to open fire on the city."
"Yes, sir."
With that, Fredrick Coulston, the Commissioner of Zoid Battling, stood and walked off the bridge of the Ultrasaurus. A great enemy had been defeated.
Backdraft Headquarters, East Vedere
1/1/-01 (Before the Chaotic Age)
Evening
The Count hung his head in submission. "How the could glorious battle I envisioned have ended in such miserable defeat?" The Count, with a swish of his cape, turned and walked away from the screen and towards the nearby stairwell.
Colonel Altail gasped as his leader walked away from the demand of a surrender. "Count!" he yelled.
The Count did not seem to notice his Colonel's exclamation. He continued to walk away without notice. Maybe he was going up to committee chambers to draft a notice of surrender. Maybe the Count's mind had simply snapped beneath the crushing weight of the defeat. Regardless, Colonel Altail was powerless to stop him, and he couldn't follow the Count forever.
Altail rushed back to the console. Commissioner Coulston had disappeared from the viewing screen – but that made no difference. The Backdraft's tactical situation was bleak. Altail's mind raced, flitting through possibilities. It was he who had been responsible for resurrecting the Charged Particle Gun, he who had spearheaded the project to capture the Liger Zero, and he who had excavated the Ultimate X – the Berserk Fury. The only reason he didn't wear the stars of a general was because he was no soldier, but did that really matter? He had proved himself in combat a fair share of times. Even if his duties had been research related... And the indignation of it all. In about a week's time, when Sarah Redfern and that little boy of hers – Vega Obscura, the talented urchin she'd taken into her custody, had surpassed him, he had really seen red. Vega had been able to pilot the Berserk Fury – an Ultimate X. So, Obscura, though he couldn't be much older than eight, had been promoted to Brigadier General and given a Whale King. After years of dedicated service, Altail was just a Colonel.
But this was his chance! His bid to attempt to assassinate Vega with the three Geno Saurers had perhaps been a bit... premature and extreme. However, now he could save the Backdraft Group and be the hero – and he would rise to the top of the organization. He had to consider quickly. They were several floors down in the Backdraft Command building, but this was little protection against Commission guns. Essential personnel ought to get down to the command bunker. The Backdraft shouldn't gamble that the Commission was bluffing about bombarding the city. They had put down each of the Loramere rebellions in the bloodiest and most brutal ways imaginable. Why should the Backdraft be any different?
Altail punched in a few key passcodes and gained access to the satellite network. There were several Backdraft spy satellites in place, but the entire Dark Judge system had been annihilated by Endurance Station. As long as the Commission had space superiority, the Backdraft was at a serious disadvantage. Maybe they could take down the station? Yes, that was it! Normally, only Vega Obscura's Berserk Führer-typed Ultimate X (Berserk Fury by name) had the CPG output to pierce the atmosphere and down a satellite in orbit. However, the Backdraft still had the Death Stinger in the roof hanger, mostly functional. It was entirely possible that the Death Stinger's CPG output might be sufficient to achieve the same effect.
It was their best chance. They wanted proof Altail could lead the Backdraft in battle? With a swish of his cloak, the Colonel turned on heel and made for the stairwell – the same one that the Count had retreated down just minutes before. Altail began to climb – he could have contacted the roof hanger remotely, but he would likely have to go there in person to convince Brigadier General Fullwen to attempt this operation. Following the failed attack against the Ultrasaurus, the Count had ordered that the Death Stinger stand down. Fullwen, who was in charge of the Zoid X, would have to be made to see otherwise. And he, Altail, the senior-most Colonel of the Backdraft, was the man to do it.
As the Colonel climbed the stairs upwards, he ran over his arguments in his mind. Maybe he wasn't a General, but he still had clout. He could make Fullwen see sense, and they could...
BOOM.
There was a resounding boom somewhere close by, the loudest noise that Altail had ever heard. Then another and another in quick succession – they were getting closer. Time seemed to slow to a crawl, as some part of Altail's soldier sense told him that they were being shelled. He barely had time to fling himself to the ground and cover his head before the loudest boom of all came.
Something hit the Backdraft Headquarters, and with an almighty crack, the shell brought the world around Altail crashing down. The bombardment shook the building to its very foundations, rocking the superstructure and dislodging pieces from the roof. There were several secondary explosions and then one sickening crack and thud. A fraction of a second later, a second and then a third volley struck the building, and the base creaked eerily. A second crack, much louder this time, resounded throughout the facility.
Altail knew he should have closed his eyes but couldn't bring himself to do so. He was showered with dust and debris following the first and second impacts, but following the third, pieces of the ceiling began to come loose. The roof caved in just in front of the Colonel – had he been merely a meter forward, he would have been buried beneath the rubble. A section of the wall next to Altail also fell free from the building, leaving nothing but metal ribbing and steel frame beneath.
After perhaps five nightmarish seconds, there was the sound of a shell impacting nearby, but not on top of the building. Slowly, the sounds became more and more distant. Altail dared to rise to his feet, and tried to objectively calculate his next move.
The damage was extensive, that was for sure. The stairwell had collapsed and the lights had gone out (Altail could still see via light from the crack in the side of the building and from above). That probably meant that power was out, so the elevator was out of the question. He would have to go around to the other side of the building and see if the second stairwell was open.
In passing, the Colonel tilted his head upwards and surveyed the damage to the ceiling. Though it was made of reinforced concrete, large portions of it had been dislodged by the shelling. One large section had come free completely, allowing view of...
Altail realized with a gasp the significance of what he was seeing. Through a crack in the roof, he could see the open sky and the naked, setting sun – but there was no sign of upper floors. He was at least five stories down! The bombardment had blown the top clean off of the building. There was no chance to get to the roof hanger, then. Colonel Altail turned to look through the crack in the wall. Smoke was rising from most of the city. Bodies, their forms barely distinguishable from the scorched debris around them, littered the street. Though the city was sympathetic to the Backdraft, most of these East Vedere buildings and people were purely civilian. Altail had heard of how the ZBC dealt with rebels before, but never before had he so thoroughly understood the plight of the Loramere dissenters.
The Colonel stood there, stunned, for perhaps a minute before he came to his senses. He would be needed down below in the command bunker. The stairs might be blocked up, but there were still fine going down. As fast as he could, Altail began to descend flight upon flight of stairs. He didn't know how many stories he covered or how long it took him – it seemed to pass in a blur. More than once, he passed frantic, uniformed men going up or coming down, injured and supported by comrades or unscathed and unharmed.
At some point in time, the power came back on and an alarm immediately sounded. No advisement or orders came over the loudspeaker, however. Altail found his way to the bottom floor of the building, where everything was frantic. Wounded men lay in agony in the corners, medics moving frantically from one to the next, officers and soldiers yelling into their radios for support.
The Backdraft bunker system was a chain of linked rooms in an old, abandoned mine shaft. The Backdraft had replaced the elevators and restored power, using them as fallback points and shelters in cases just like these. The generalty and Backdraft command structure would be meeting there.
Altail found himself in the elevator, going down to the bunker. The moment he stepped out into the bunker, two soldiers stopped him at the door, but merely saluted and let him pass when then saw his Colonel's insignia. Altail found the appropriate contact and the bunker door slid open.
Inside was utter pandemonium. Everyone was moving as if in a blur, panicking and writhing as one. The Communications Officer was at his post, yelling frantically into the radio. Everyone else seemed to be mobile, literally running from station to station as if they meant to solve something by the mere erratic nature of their movements.
Altail remembered yelling to no one in particular, "Who's in command here?"
He didn't know from who, but the answer came back, "You are, sir!"
Colonel Altail looked at the chaos around him. If he really was in command...
"Everybody, shut up!" he roared.
The command bunker instantly went silent and every eye was on him.
"Am I to understand," he asked, "that there is not a single general officer here? That I am the seniormost officer?"
"Yes, sir," answered one soldier wearing a major's insignia.
"What is the status of the Count?"
The Communications Officer answered. "The Count and the Committee of Seven were meeting in the council chambers on the top floor when the shells hit, Colonel. They're presumed dead. I don't know the status of any of the other ranking officials or officers." That made Altail's mouth go dry, but he hesitated only a moment.
"Where is the head of the Guard?'
"Here, sir," answered a sergeant major clad in full body armor.
"Sergeant of the Guard, get two search and rescue teams together. Send the first team to the top floor to try to rescue any members of the Committee. Send the second team on a floor-to-floor search. Find any command officers there are still alive and get them back down here.
"Sir!" The sergeant major saluted and left the command bunker.
"Communications Officer, have we informed the rest of the Backdraft Group of our current situation?"
"No, sir. Our long-range communications capabilities were lost during the initial attack. Power was restored recently but our primary radio transmitter has been knocked out. The backup isn't online yet."
"As soon as the backup does come online, transmit a distress message to the rest of the Group. Ask all general officers to give an immediate status report. I would caution against any allied ground forces approaching the city at the moment, as Commission troops are no doubt already in route in superior numbers."
"Right away, sir."
"Colonel!" This was a different voice, this time. Someone wearing a major's insignia had shouted from one of the sensor panels. "Radar is back online – crews are working on the transceiver dish next. But I think you need to see this, sir."
The major pressed a contact and the center of the room lit up. The 3D-projector below flashed several messages through the air. Suddenly, the image died and Colonel Altail was looking at a representation of a radar grid, suspended in the air. The images were 3-D, probably meaning that they had multiple dishes online as opposed to the 2-D product a single dish. This however, was less important than what the image showed – two massive dots in center of the screen circled by a plethora of smaller dots, miniscule by comparison.
"Radar signatures of two Hammer Kaisers or Whale Kings and two squadrons of escort aircraft, roughly 800 kilometers distant and closing at 1225 kph – about 340 m/s. They appear to have left Homeland Army & Airbase a few minutes ago and will have reached us in about 40 minutes."
Altail fixed his eyes on the transport's radar dots. "ZBC rapid deployment, no doubt. Let me guess the bad news – our runway was damaged in the course of the attack and we can't scramble aircraft."
"Yes, sir. The civilian runways at EVX were also damaged so there's no chance that we could even launch from there. However, there is some good news. East Vedere City Hall just sent a message to us via courier – from the mayor. He's declared a state of emergency and is saying that the Commission attacks against the city are unacceptable. He's decided to declare East Vedere's support for the Backdraft and to put the city militia at our disposal."
"That's good news to some, I suppose, but we're still hopelessly outnumbered. We need to seriously consider the possibility of evacuating the city."
"I wish we could, Colonel, but most of the roads were destroyed in the attack. The Commission shelled the whole city, not just our Headquarters Building. It would take considerably longer than the 40 minutes we have to evacuate all our forces, especially considering we have wounded. Meanwhile, civilians are being evacuated to civil defense shelters – but the initial death toll is horrific. As soon as Endurance Station's guns recharge, she'll probably open fire on us again. We're trying to get our hurt people to civilian aid stations, given that our own field hospital was blown to shreds."
"If we can't evacuate the city, we'll have to defend it. The ZBC won't accept a surrender. You know what they did to the Lorameran rebels." Dark looks were exchanged. When the Commission had put down the Eastern rebellions, it had killed every dissenter in the city. For the greater good, of course.
"This is a fight to the death. Major, if our local radios are working, order our troops to establish a defensive perimeter around the city. The enemy can't come from the north or the west because its hilly and there isn't enough room to set down a large transport. Concentrate our defensive efforts to the south and the east. I know to the south we've already set up bunkers inside the hills. Tell troops to use cover, fortifications, and hardpoints in areas that aren't likely to be vulnerable if we're orbitally bombarded again. We only have forty minutes, so we have to move quickly."
The major listened to every word that the Colonel said, and then picked up a radio and talked frantically into it. They really did have no time.
"Colonel!" It was the Communications Officer again. "First search and rescue team has reached the top floor. They say they dug through some loose rubble and got into what used to be the Council Chamber. They report that corpses of all seven members of the Committee have been accounted for. They further report that most of that section of the floor isn't even there – part of the building was shot clean off on that side."
A shiver ran up Altail's spine. That was the core of the Backdraft Group – where most of its influence, wealth, and power had rested. If all seven members of the Committee were dead, they were in worse shape then he had thought. Altail punched a contact on a nearby console and scrolled through a few menus, quickly finding the Backdraft roster. He opened the file and displayed it on the 3D projector. The radar image flickered away and was replaced by a list of names, sorted by rank. One by one, Altail marked each of the first seven names "KIA" - Killed in Action.
After several moments of mutely staring at the roster, Altail's thoughts were broken by the Communications Officer. "First search and rescue team reports that after they excavated they chamber, they moved around to the roof hangar, which is still partially intact. Every Zoid in there is shot to pieces and most of the deck crew is dead, but they pulled Brigadier General Fullwen out of the Death Stinger's cockpit. The Death Stinger itself it out of commission, but it looks like it saved Fullwen's life. He's in critical condition and wounded badly, but he's alived.
Altail nodded mutely in acknowledgement of the message, and moved down the list of names. Fullwen was now "WIA" - Wounded in Action.
Altail brought up a topographical map of the area and tried to begin to concoct a plan to defend the city. Time was wearing thin, so diminished that they hadn't a second to lose. He and the major, the two highest ranking officers in the command bunker, applied all of their tactical knowledge the upcoming situation, but it seemed almost hopeless. The enemy transports couldn't actually land in the city itself or in the outlying foothills, but they could set down as close as twenty kilometers away and simply establish a perimeter. Then, it was just a matter of time before the city ran out of supplies or the bombardment completely decimated East Vedere.
Long-range radio was restored some minutes later, and the Communications Officer sent out the request for status reports as well as a distress signal. All the while, reports came in from the search team from the rest of the building. Other than Fullwen, who was miraculously saved by the Death Stinger's armor, it was only dead officer after dead officer. The search and rescue teams found two living Lieutenant Colonels and one full Colonel, only one of whom was conscious and stable. However, they turned up no live generals. Altail was simply forced to cross of man after man on the list.
Reports from the outside via radio began to trickle in. The Major General who was spearheading the Backdraft campaign against the Ultrasaurus had been killed in the fighting. Such-and-such a Backdraft base had been shelled to pieces and commanding officer was dead. Colonel Altail tried to distract himself with the current strategic and tactical situation, but his eyes kept flicking back to the roster. He kept removing the dead generals from the list – and it wasn't a very long list. The Backdraft Group might have been the largest rebel force, but it still wasn't a very large organization. They had no navy, so there were no flag officers or admirals to speak of. Only general officers for the air force and army, and most of them seemed to have been killed in the initial wave of the assault.
That being said, while the leadership might have been problematic, the strategic situation was equally disastrous. Backdraft strongholds, which had once littered the landscape, had now become a sparse array of small outposts. The defense of the city was of paramount importance, but was perhaps a futile effort. Altail ordered remaining bases, forts, and camps to lay low for the time being, and prepare act as support structures and receive refugees from East Vedere.
Altail continued to distract himself from the diminishing list of commanding officers. Several of the Zoid hangars were damaged or blocked and it was difficult to get defending forces out – repair crews needed to get there on the double. Troops had reached their positions but had found a deficiency of stashed munitions – some needed to be shipped from the Backdraft armories out into the field. Civilian volunteers were arriving to fight in defense of the city (it was a good thing East Vedere had always been Backdraft-sympathetic), they needed to be given weapons and body armor. The militia also needed to be integrated with standing Backdraft forces... so little time and so much to do.
Still, eventually Altail could ignore the problem no longer. As he marked to more Brigadier Generals "KIA", he stood back and examined the list as a whole. As his eyes took in the data, he felt something rise in his throat and a cold, freezing feeling around his stomach. There was only a single person left on the list, unaccounted for, higher up than Altail himself in the chain of command.
His name was "Brigadier General Vega Obscura". The one person Altail had tried to betray less than two hours ago. He stared at the name in disbelief. A child was the seniormost officer in the Backdraft? But neither he nor his adoptive guardian Sarah had yet reported in.
"Communications Officer?"
"Sir?"
"Is there any word from General Obscura's Whale King?"
"No, sir. I have hailed them specifically. Twice."
Altail felt a lump rise in his throat. He knew what must have happened. After the Berserk Fury had been taken down, the Commission had moved in. The Whale King was damaged in the fighting and might have been unable to lift off or it might have been intercepted in flight. It was a Whale King, so it had a capacity to fight back, but it would have been nothing before the wrath of the Zoid Battle Commission. Maybe it hadn't even been that personal – they could have just shelled it into oblivion from some orbital platform.
The Communications Officer swiveled around in his chair to face Altail. "Colonel? Radar shadow and speed of incoming craft now confirms the two large signatures to be Hammer Kaisers. They're switching out their air patrols for fresh ones and are now roughly ten minutes to intercept."
The major responded to the update the quickest. "If I may advise you, Colonel, the enemy force might have equipment to jam our communications as soon as they arrive. Even if that's not the case, it's only half and hour before we're back in Endurance Station's firing arc, and there's no guarantee our radar and radio dishes will survive. This time – while we still have radio – is precious and there's little time to waste waiting for a response from General Obscura. I hate to say this, but he is most likely dead or captured."
Altail stared mutely at the roster. That would be a major blow to morale, Vega Obscura's defeat. He was the symbol of Backdraft power, the ability to overcome any enemy and to win any battle. That image was now shattered, and Obscura himself was missing. Then again, hadn't this been exactly what Altail himself had tried to achieve just hours ago? Still, it was with a heavy heart that the Colonel marked Brigadier General Vega Obscura as "MIA" - Missing in Action.
There was total quiet in the bunker for a moment, as if Altail had asked that a moment of silence be held for the lost pilot. After a few seconds slipped by, the Major asked, "Colonel, who leads the Backdraft now?" It seemed that every general was accounted for, and none of them were on their feet.
Altail said nothing, but instead turned to the Communications Officer. "Send the following message to all Backdraft forces. Message begins: 'Am taking command of Backdraft Group.'"
Royal Cup Finish Line, Eisia
1/1/-01 (Before the Chaotic Age)
Early Evening
As the transmission from the Commissioner of Zoid Battling closed, Sarah leaned onto to control console, punching the transceiver button with little heed for force or necessity.
"Where's Vega?" she demanded frantically.
"He was able to escape. He's uninjured." After a pause, the voice asked, "Sarah? What will happen to us now?"
Sarah Redfern was not listening. Tears welled in her eyes, so strong was her relief. "Thank goodness he's safe."
Vega Obscura could merely stare at the wreck of his defeated Ultimate X – the Berserk Fury, the only Berserk Führer-typed Zoid to have ever walked the earth. He didn't feel angry at his defeat. He didn't even really feel disappointed or sad. As he looked at his beloved Fury, smoking on the ground, all Vega could think to say was,
"Fury, time for you to sleep. You're going to be much stronger the next time you wake up."
The sound of an approaching Zoid distracted Vega. He turned to find the source of the noise and found the Liger Zero standing next to him. The cockpit of the other Ultimate X opened with a hiss, revealing sandy-haired Bit Cloud.
"You alright? Vega?"
"Yeah. Is your name Bit?"
"Uh, yeah!"
"You sure are strong, Bit. I can't believe you stopped the Berserk Fury! I hope we can meet in battle again some time down the road." Vega laughed lightly, letting off his feelings, and Bit smiled at the small boy. It was hard to believe that someone so young could be such an accomplished pilot.
"Sure thing! I'll be waiting for you, King!" Bit punched out his fist. With a grin, Vega returned the gesture. Suddenly, something beeped in Bit's cockpit, distracting the victor's attention. He turned and Vega heard the voice of someone – presumably a judge, informing Bit Cloud that he'd one the tournament. That didn't really sink Vega's spirit one bit – Bit Cloud had earned his title. With one last wave, Bit closed his cockpit and steered the Liger off to claim his prize. Vega watched him go – the world champion.
The sound of whirring treads – a sound Vega knew so well – broke his concentration on the retreating Liger Zero. Vega turned to face the approaching Gustav. The insect-typed transport popped open, and two Backdraft soldiers within saluted crisply. Vega climbed up the side of the Gustav and into the cockpit, taking one of the back seats and watching as the back of one of the Zoid's trailers opened. The Gustav wasn't advanced enough to support or maintain a Berserk Führer, like the Fury, but it could haul it all the same.
Several personnel in the back rigged some chains to the fallen Ultimate X and used either a crane or some other heavy machinery – Vega couldn't see from his vantage point – to haul the Berserk Fury into the transport. Vega closed his eyes and sunk back into his chair – no one seemed to speak to him so he didn't feel the need to speak back or do anything. He let his memories and thoughts wash over him as the Gustav started to roll. The next minute or so was a blur, but he found himself reaching his Whale King, going up through an elevator, and suddenly, he was on the bridge of the transport.
"General on deck!" called a voice. About twenty people around Vega, including the eight bridge officers, snapped to attention.
"Vega!"
Sarah was wrapping her arms around him. Her eyes were damp – she was relieved to see him. After a long while, she broke her embrace, and Vega noticed that the bridge crew was still standing at attention.
"As you were. I'm not in uniform anyway." The crewmen immediately relaxed and went about their business. Vega then turned to Sarah. "I glad to be back. How are things?"
"The Whale King is damaged. It was clipped by part of that Charged Particle Beam the Fury fired towards the end of the battle. Engineering just restored functionality to the engines, so we're good to move. I -"
"General! Incoming message from High Command! It's a distress call, sir!"
Sarah and Vega both jumped at that. "Put on speaker," ordered Sarah.
"-repeat, Backdraft High Command building has come under attack from Commission forces. Most of the city has also been bombarded. Civilian and military casualties are high. Status of the Committee of Seven is unknown. Command requests that all general officers give an immediate status report and-" The transmission cut out with a screech. The Communications Officer flipped a switch and noise stopped entirely.
"What happened?" demanded Sarah. "Get that transmission back on speakers ASAP."
"Working on it, ma'am." The Communications Officer worked with his console for several minutes before finally saying, "I've got no idea, ma'am. We're getting gibberish and static over the radio – might be jamming. I can't say-"
"Radar Contact!" yelled the Tactical Officer, cutting off her counterpart. "Two small aircraft at a roughly 100 kilometer's distance and closing." Sarah and Vega turned their heads to the radar display, being projected as a 3-D image in the center of the bridge. Then, suddenly, the screen was alight with radar contacts. The Tactical Officer disgustedly turned off the projection.
"Probably poor man's jamming over radar and radio. They're just saturating everything with radio signals. We can't see anything through it, ma'am." The Tactical Officer experimentally flipped several switches, but shook her head. Nothing seemed to be working.
Sarah stared at the screen aboard the bridge of the damaged Whale King. "Those aircraft were probably just launched from Imperial Airbase – we can't be too much further than a hundred kilometers away. They're probably loading a Hammer Kaiser with troops as we speak – a Hammer Kaiser they could get here in five minutes once it had launched and gotten to speed. We have two objectives. First, we get away from this site. Second, we get to East Vedere."
If Sarah had technically been the commander of the vessel, she would have asked the Executive Officer the distance and ETA to East Vedere. However, she was the Executive Officer, as Vega was technically the Commanding Officer.
"Helm, what's the current distance to East Vedere?" Maybe the wrong person to ask, but the best given the options.
"About two thousand kilometers," answered the pilot quickly.
Sarah further knew that the range of the Whale King was 5000 kilometers, and they had just refueled yesterday after arriving at the World Cup, so they had more than enough range to make it back.
"Very well, Chief of Operations, prepare the Whale King for takeoff" said Sarah.
"No." The voice was Vega's. "Have the Gustav crews haul the wrecks of the three Geno Saurers I defeated aboard the ship."
"Vega..." Sarah trailed off. Vega technically outranked her. "We have to lift off immediately or we risk losing the Whale King."
The Chief of Operations interposed. "With respect, ma'am, it will take ten minutes or more to spin up the engines. The Geno Saurer wrecks are right nearby. It might be possible to do both."
"Do both," ordered Vega before Sarah could act. "I'm going to be down in the Repair Bay and make sure Fury is going to be alright."
He walked off the bridge without another word. Despite his instance on having the Geno Saurers aboard the ship, Vega did not seem unduly worried, angry, or at all perturbed. In fact, he was very calm. Sarah just wished she had his nerves.
"We can't just set a direct heading to East Vedere, because they'll be expecting us to take that path. We should more north when heading north by northeast so we're not on a direct path with the city."
"Ma'am, if I may?" Sarah turned to the Tactical Officer.
"Go ahead."
"If we don't have radar, neither do they. We can adjust our radar frequencies, just as they can, and it looks like the Commission is trying to block everything. They can't see us any better than we can see them. It's my opinion that they believe the Charged Particle Gun disabled us completely and their trying to catch us on the ground, so they're taking their sweet time to do it."
Sarah listened through the whole description. "Very well. Helm, once we're airborne move north at full speed until we exit the jamming zone. Then make your altitude 20 meters and your speed 70 kilometers per hour."
"Ma'am?" The Helm turned to look at Sarah as she gave these orders. 70 kph was less than a tenth of the maximum speed the great vessel could achieve, and 20 meters was almost suicidally low.
"20 meters or lower, if you can. We have to fly under radar. We have to move slowly so we don't create a significant wave and so we don't run into anything. Set your heading as to intersect with the Great Bay Canal. Once we've crossed over into Agale, turn due East and proceed to East Vedere."
"Yes, Ma'am. Understood. Estimated distance is roughly 5000 kilometers, and estimated time of arrival is..." The pilot trailed off and consulted with the co-pilot for several moments. "Three and a half days to four days, ma'am, depending on how long we're able to keep maximum speed before radar detection becomes a concern."
"Very well."
"Ma'am?" It was the Tactical Officer this time. "We have six Storm Sworders aboard ship, ma'am. I suggest that we keep them on alert during this period. Things might get messy."
"Agreed."
The next few minutes passed with the Chief of Operations giving Sarah update after update on the status of the engine and the takeoff. Towards the end, the report came in that the Geno Saurers were aboard the Whale King.
"Ma'am? General Obscura orders that the Geno Saurers be shipped to the repair bay and made combat-ready."
"Make it happen. He is the general."
"Yes ma'am. Also, the Whale King is beginning take-off procedures. I recommend that you sit down and strap yourself in."
As Sarah sunk into her chair, she couldn't help but wonder about the one question echoing around in her skull. "What will happen to us now? What will happen to us now?" She couldn't say.
Author's Comments:
Well, that's the first chapter. I hope you enjoyed it. If you have any questions, comments, concerns, or critiques, you are of course free to review. I'm sure we'd also be ecstatic if you decided to take a look at our website (chaoticagezero.angelfire .com) It also contains maps, descriptions, and timelines that may make this story easier to understand if the RPG game itself simply isn't a concern of yours. Anyway, I hope to have another chapter up soon.
-Halen