"So, you can still move? Pumpkin?" The brigand leers at me over the video link, I think. After falling from that height, I'm not sure I could tell if he was sitting right next to me.
At first, standing out of reach and laughing at him seemed like a great idea. Right up until I turned around and realized he'd blasted a large enough wedge out under my feet that the rock could no longer support my Tiger's weight.
After a moment to clear my pounding head, I see that his bison is standing beside me, poking my Tiger with its horns.
"On second thought..." He drones. "This thing looks older than you are. It might not even be worth salvaging."
"Oh? Glad we could...clear that up then." My thoat feels like I'm shouting, but I can hardly hear myself speak.
He laughs. "Don't think that lets you off the hook, pumpkin. I'm almost out of missiles thanks to y-"
"Hey!" I shout, intentionally this time. "Have you ever heard the one about the crouching tiger?"
"You know, you'd be prettier if you kept your mouth shut."
As soon as he starts talking, I force my Tiger upwards, catching him off guard. His face contorts with anger and surprise but his words are drowned out by the sound of his turret being destroyed and my claw snapping off one of his horns.
The sudden effort makes my head explode in pain, however, leaving me unable to defend against his counter attack. I can't even tell what he's doing, though presently, I'm aware that he's settled his cockpit near mine and is placing some weird device on my Tiger's canopy. I scramble, as slowly as possible, to find my next course of action.
Moments later, my cockpit lifts open. My eyes are squeezed shut, but I can tell by the change in atmosphere. Then, there's the brigand's laughter, so close to my face that I can feel his breath.
"A little skinny." He remarks. "But I can certainly salvage you."
"I'll pass..." I whisper, though I doubt he can hear me over his leering.
Drawing on all the strength I have left, I tighten my grip on my plan of attack: a 900 page Red Horn manual. As soon as I hear him set foot in my cockpit, I spring up, swinging it for all I'm worth.
He barely has time to look surprised before it hits him directly in the chest, knocking him into the gap between our cockpits. The back of his head catches the edge of his bison before he plummets to the rocks below, truncating any attempts at catching himself.
I sink back into my seat with a triumphant smirk...but I don't have much time to rest. The sooner I bring this prisoner in, the better.
I can feel my teeth clenching as I maneuver my Tiger around a sharp turn; a reflex I developed after biting my tounge one too many times.
Almost immediately, I find myself in a gaping wound in the mountainside; a tunnel bored out when the Acharon river ran higher. I turn on my lights with barely enough time to dodge the first of many stalagmites. The downhill slope they're positioned on makes it tough to control my speed, though with my target just out of sight, there's no way I'm slowing down for anything.
Eventually, at the bottom of the tunnel, orange sunlight marks another opening. The stolem Bear Fighter lays just outside, waiting for me. I can feel my eye twitching; ever since I first saw this guy, he's been tauning me.
"Welcome back, Saber child!" His now familiar voice calls. "I thought for sure I'd lose you this time." He stands up and takes off running just as I burst from the cave.
Growling, I continue to chase.