The Past.
"Western Outpost in sight, sir."
"Good." General Meta Knight raises a hand for his troops to halt, then turns in Colonel Lancet's direction. "Do your troops still require rest, colonel?"
Lancet steps closer but is hesitant to reply. "It would be. . . beneficial, sir."
"Fine," the general responds without sympathy or emotion. "We shall make camp here." Without further command, Meta Knight's troops immediately set to work unrolling and pitching tents. Quickly and efficiently the camp is built and arranged, set up in such a way that the Western Outpost is always under observation and that no attack can come from any direction by surprise. General Meta Knight stands by with approving silence; he expects nothing less from his elite soldiers.
Lancet's troops are a little slower in pitching their tents; unsurprisingly, given the incredible speed and dexterity with which the general's troops act. Meta Knight accounted for this, assigning the colonel and his troops to the center of the encampment where they could rest and not have to be occupied with watching for the enemy. Lancet takes this as something of a blow to his ego; one of the many he has received since meeting up with the general. However, his desire for sleep and respect for the General Meta Knight's authority and experience assuage his annoyance and he does not complain.
The next morning Lancet awakes to find that a starship came in the night and deposited a large metallic crate near the camp on the side opposite the enemy outpost. Meta Knight stands by the crate waiting for the troops from both companies to gather. There is a single slot on the front of the crate and a large pair of eyes flashes within. The faint sound of scratching claws emanates from the crate.
There is silence from the troops until Colonel Lancet questions, "Sir? What is this?"
Meta Knight looks directly into the colonel's eyes. "I have invited an old friend," he explains. "She hails from Dream Land, on Pop Star. She wishes to assist in our efforts."
"She?" the colonel asks, surprised that the visitor is female (There are few female fighters in the order of Star Warriors).
A loud KAW! echoes from the crate. "A bird, sir?" one of Meta Knight's own troops inquires.
"Indeed," the general nods. "Dyna Blade. She is a legend in her home country."
"Can she come out? May we see her?" Lancet asks.
Without reply, Meta Knight looks up at the opening and speaks in an ancient tongue. The bird replies with soft cawing, and Meta Knight pushes the front of the crate open. Out of the darkness steps the towering figure of a bird with a powerful red and yellow head and broad rainbow wings. Standing tall, the bird tips her head back and releases a mighty KAW!, then gazes down upon the frightened and amazed soldiers.
Beneath the castle-like structure of the enemy fortress, the station commander works diligently, carving large, smooth tunnels with hardly any effort. Behind him trail two Nightmare soldiers and a droid. The commander is a machine as well; shaped like a gold-tone bullet with a single eye at the front, and two thin arms protruding with red, spiked, spherical "hands" used to grind rock. Large exhaust pipes extend from its back and spew smoke in its wake. The commander grumbles in a harsh tone and the droid translates: "Master Mole wishes it to be known that we are nearing our objective."
"He always sounds angry. . ." one guard mutters to the other.
Heavy Mole roars again and the droid turns. "He can hear you." The second guard nods in agreement and both remain silent.
Dawn. The sun rises, but it cannot be seen through the heavy cloud cover. Only a slight lightening indicates that the sun has entered the sky. Sgt. Pike, one of Meta Knight's troops, patrols the watch posts around the camp, announcing the changing of posts and gathering reports of night observations. "Shift's over, soldier!" he calls to one post.
The warrior bows. "Thank you sir." He descends from his platform and heads toward the camp.
"Wait!" Pike calls. The soldier stops and turns. "I need your report. Did you see anything?"
"Nothing," the knight replies. "Absolutely nothing. It was actually rather unsettling. They're too quiet. . ."
"That's what the others said, too." The sergeant strokes his chin. "Hmm. Well, get some rest, but be ready to move out. I have a feeling we won't be staying here long."
The other knight nods and heads to his tent.
Sgt. Pike enters the command tent and finds Gen. Meta Knight and Col. Lancet standing over a map. A yellow bulb hanging from the ceiling glows faintly, providing only a little light. Most of the shine from the rising sun is blocked by the other tents; only a little seeps through. Meta Knight looks up from the map and at Pike. "Report."
"All's quiet. Too quiet. The men grow nervous. They suspect an attack is coming."
"One is," Meta Knight replies indefinitely.
When he does not expound, Lancet speaks up. "Sir?"
Meta Knight turns so as to speak to Lancet and Pike at the same time. "My intelligence agents inform me that this base is occupied by Heavy Mole. I doubt you are familiar with him; he is rather a new face in the war. Heavy Mole is a massive piece of mining equipment that was programmed for intelligence, probably so he could lead a crew and be able to react to unforeseen events, such as cave-ins. The truly unforeseen occurrence was the independence of thought that developed from his programming, allowing him to arrange and execute his own escape. He vanished for a time, but now we know that he is working for the Nightmares; possibly for money, we're unsure exactly what his motives are."
"Why would he need money?" Lancet ponders.
Meta Knight shrugs. "Mining is at the root of his programming; maybe he wants to establish his own company. It doesn't really matter. The point is he is moving against us even as we speak."
Now it is Pike's turn to question. "Sir?"
"Have you not figured it out? The reason the enemy outpost is so quiet is because the enemy is no longer there. He has moved underground and is probably heading toward our location."
Pike shivers with anxiety. "What should I tell the men?"
"Tell them to remain on guard," Meta Knight commands sternly. "Tell them to move to a safe, defensible position if they feel the ground shake. The enemy thinks they will take us by surprise, but they are wrong. Use this knowledge to encourage the men."
"Yes, sir." Pike salutes and exits the tent.
