Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters, just using them.
Prologue: Betrayal
Long grass muted the sound of thirty-one zoids passing by a large farming village, while six zoids flew overhead; coasting on the air thermals. A Bear Fighter stood to one side, watching the group and keeping an eye on the village at the same time. The last thing the group needed was another confrontation. The group needed a break from being chased by everyone who wanted to earn a reputation or money. The group had been on the run for months because of their crimes; mainly theft and desertion. In the cockpit, the pilot, Sahari tensed as a light turned on in the nearest house. The light was followed by another and she knew that they had been heard.
"Everyone move!" Sahari yelled over her radio. There was a siren and the entire group began to run. The Ultrasaurus was lagging behind and Sahari knew that it was going to come to a battle. "Split up! Ben, take half the group and meet at the base. The rest follow me! "
Patrick, the Deadly Kong pilot, stood on Sahari's right side reaching up for the giant axe that was on his pack. He held it for a moment before two arms came out of the pack and took it; swinging it side to side with practiced ease. On Sahari's left, Jason, the Hell Kat pilot, let out a long sigh before disappearing. Sahari smiled as he appeared again twenty feet away. The stealth device was working again. Ahead of Sahari's group, the village militia was lining up along the edge of the field. There were three Gusak, two Demantis, and at least six Molga in the group.
"This looks like it is going to be an easy battle." Isaac, the Bio Tricera pilot, said as the Tricera shifted from one foot to the other. "Are we going to go easy on them?"
"Have we ever destroyed someone as pathetic as this before?" Sahari countered standing her Bear Fighter on its hind legs. "We'll give them a scare and take off."
The two groups stared at each other for a few minutes in silence, before one Gusak came forward. It stopped in the middle of the two groups and waited. Sahari sighed and settled the Bear Fighter back on four paws before heading for the middle of the field. The pilot stepped out of the cockpit and waited for Sahari to come and talk to him. He looked like he was ready to bolt when Sahari climbed out of her Bear Fighter. Sahari smiled sweetly, trying not to scare the skittish man more than she had to. The man did not smile back, he just stood there waiting. He was an older man and was more than likely a farmer. He didn't seem like a threat.
"What is it that you want here bandit? " The man asked becoming shifty as Sahari came closer.
"To pass by in peace. We don't want to fight but if you keep this up, it'll come to that." Sahari answered putting her hands up in a sign of peace. She noticed the man glancing over to his right often and when she looked, she could see the tracks of a large force of zoids. "This is an ambush isn't it old man?"
"I'm sorry." Was all he said before a blast from a missile killed him instantly. Sahari was thrown through the air, she landed painfully on her left arm. She heard the bones snapping like twigs beneath her and the sound of an all out battle surrounds her. Trying to catch her breath, Sahari knew that several of her ribs and her left ulna were broken. There was blood running down her back and she knew that they were outnumbered. Lying on her back with a gasp of pain, Sahari pulled out her radio. She hoped that it wasn't broken and she was rewarded with static when she turned it on.
"All of you get lost!" Sahari yelled as Eddie in the Cannon Spider was pushed back toward the village. Sahari noticed the edges of her vision fading and forced herself to stay awake a moment longer. "Don't get caught too."
Sahari saw everyone pulling back and then she passed out. Jason glanced back at the abandoned Bear Fighter and felt tears running down his face. He knew that he was in charge now, he couldn't let Sahari down.
"Everybody head for the group! We have to protect them!" He yelled forcing his Hell Kat to run in the back of the group.
2 Days Later
Sahari came back into consciousness slowly; every nerve in her body screaming to stay still. He brain felt a little foggy, like she had been drugged. She lay still, listening to the people around her talk. There were at least four men and two women in the room and at least one injured beside her. Opening her left eye, Sahari instantly regretted it. The light was way too bright. She felt as if someone had lit fireworks off in her brain. A moan left her lips before she could stop it and Sahari heard someone move closer to her.
"Looks like she's waking up." A man said too loudly. Sahari opened her eyes slowly this time, slightly grateful that the big man was blocking the light. "Think she'll be able to talk?"
"Well enough to tell you that you're all bastards." Sahari croaked out surprised she could talk at all. "You killed that old man when he was trying to help you."
"He knew that there was a risk." The woman behind the big man said, her voice extremely high pitched and annoying. It made Sahari's head hurt even more. "All of the villagers knew what they were getting into."
"What did you do to them?" Sahari asked quietly not really wanting to know the answer.
Another man walked up on her other side. He wasn't as tall as the big man, but he had an air of authority. His eyes told Sahari that he wouldn't show mercy to his own mother, let alone a bunch of farmers that were only a decoy. Sahari felt her anger growing and knew that she was going to do something she was going to regret. The man looked so familiar.
"They were of no further use to me, so I disposed of them." He said coldly. Sahari closed her eyes and then opened them again. She had to control her anger, but when the man bent over her to look into her eyes, she snapped.
Sahari punched him hard in the face with her right hand, crying out in pain as she did. The man fell back and cursed out loud. The big man grabbed Sahari's right arm and wrenched it to the left. She screamed as her body was lifted in to air by her arm. All her broken bones were jostled over and over again. The man in charge stood up.
"Tyler! Put her down, the poster said she needs to be able to answer questions." He ordered rubbing his jaw. "You'll pay for that later Blackhawk, believe me, you'll pay."
"Should I get you some ice boss?" The woman asked smirking at Sahari. "Your jaw is bruised."
"No, but I want her watched." He said turning his back to Sahari, revealing a long silver scar on the back of his neck. Sahari thought she recognized him when he first started talking. He was an ex-general for Prozan. General William Silverblade. He was known for his reckless behavior and his ruthless attitude. She had given him that scar in a battle nearly three years ago. Sahari slowed her breathing down and stared directly at him.
"You're just as much of a bastard as you were when I beat you in front of those lava fields. You just can't stand that I beat you, can you Silverblade?" Sahari growled expecting to be hit again. She really had to learn how to keep her mouth shut.
Silverblade looked back at her over his shoulder. "Gag her. Then handcuff her to the bed. Oh, I thought you'd like to know who betrayed you. Bring him in."
Sahari's eyes went wide when she saw one of her business partners, Jonathan dragged forward. Silverblade stared at him with contempt and pulled a gun out of its holster. Jonathan managed to mouth "I'm sorry" before Silverblade shot him.
"I can't stand a snitch." Silverblade said. "Get this thing out of my sight. And Sahari, if you hadn't mouthed off, he might have lived to see another sunrise."
Tears fell silently as Tyler and the woman, who was named Jenny, bound and gagged her. Silverblade left without another word, leaving Sahari to her misery. Soon the entire room was empty except for the man beside her and the guard at the door.
TBC...
Reviews wanted and welcome. =^_^=
