While Althiea's Iron Kong had managed to defeat Red Claw's Chimera Zoids that had came at it, the huge machine had been left badly battered by the conflict. The enemy Zoids, with their single-minded determination to destroy their target, had managed to do a surprising amount of damage to her Zoid. It had meant that the team had a lot of downtime while she and Floyd began work on repairing it.
During a break from working on the Zoid, Floyd had called the team together to discuss their next move. He'd set up a folding table, and then rolled out a map on it. "Okay, folks, gather around." He called out. "Here's your big chance to get in on the Claw's likely next move. Get a move on, this offer won't last."
"Hey, if I join now, do I get a free set of steak knives?" Rayvenne jokingly added as she walked up to the table.
"Certainly." Floyd replied. "Just give us your full name, address, credit card number, bank account number, driver's license number, cup size, date of birth and your mother's secret choc-chip cookie recipe, and you're set."
"My mum couldn't be arsed baking cookies." She replied with a shrug.
"Is it a hereditary trait?" Leanne added as she joined them at the table.
"Score." Floyd commented with a grin.
"Okay, you guys, knock it off." Jason interjected. "What do we have, Floyd?"
"This is a geological survey map, generously provided to us by my good friend, Doctor Neville Slade of the Imperial Geological Institute." Floyd began. "Its the same one as the lovely Ms Towne took off with, one that she was rather interested in."
"So what is it?" Rayvenne asked. "A treasure map?"
"Given her interest in it, you could say that." Floyd replied. "From what I can tell, there's something very unusual down here, something that the Red Claw wants. And if that's the case, then we can draw two conclusions from it. The first is that we have some idea of what their next move will be. The second is that we don't want them to have it, whatever it is."
"So that what's the plan?" Jason asked.
"We go after them." Althiea spoke up. "We can try to stop them here, away from any civilisation. That way, there's no risk to anyone else."
"Seems fair to me." Rayvenne commented.
"I haven't got any problems with that." Jason added. "And any opportunity to take out the Claw is good with me."
"Y'all are forgetting one thing." Leanne spoke up. "This place is in the Southern Territories. We're all gonna freeze our arses off down there." She eyed Rayvenne, who was in her usual attire of baggy pants and a bikini top.
"Good point, Leanne." Floyd replied. "In which case, I will have to ask a favour of you, as well as both Mr Simons and Ms Rayvenne."
"Being?"
"Tomorrow morning, run into town and get us some winter woolies." Floyd replied, beaming broadly. "I want us all rugged up and ready to go by tomorrow evening. Sure as heck, I ain't gonna let this one get away."
oOoOo
Alleigance
oOoOo
"I repeat, this is Paladin Winters of the Zygra Empire. Stand down now or else I will open fire!" Nathan called into his communicator. Watching from the Godos' command cockpit, he waited fro a reply from the two Zoids he had been facing. Hopefully, they would see sense.
Unfortunately they didn't. The two Zoids, a Stang and a Kreep, continued to advance towards his own machine. Neither enemy pilot had made any direct attempt to identify themselves or communicate in any way. This left him with only one alternative, one that he would rather not pursue if he had any alternative.
The enemy Zoids didn't allow him that much. The Stang opened fire with its tail and back-mounted beam cannons, spraying shots at his Zoid. The Kreep charged forwards, also opening fire with the quartet of cannons mounted on its head. Nathan reacted quickly, the Godos twisting sideways out of the enemy Zoids and their line of fire.
Before either pilot could react, he opened fire with his own weaponry on the other Zoids. The Godos' main beam cannon spat shots at the Stang, ripping through the weak armour on its side. The smaller cannon mounted opposite it capitalised, punching a hole through its armour and tearing into its innards. Despite this, the Zoid remained standing and still active.
The Kreep bought itself around to follow him, charging forwards at his Zoid while still firing. The enemy pilot didn't seem particularly skilled or responsive however, the shots easily missing Nathan's Zoid. He twisted the Godos around, the Zoid's foot slamming into the side of the Kreep while, at the same time, the tail-mounted cannon opened fire again on the damaged Stang.
Both attacks went better then he expected. The foot caught the Kreep under its side, literally lifting the caterpillar-like Zoid into the air. The Zoid flipped over, then crashed down on its side, its wheels spinning in the air. At the same time, the beam cannon smashed through the Stag's cockpit, shattering the canopy.
To his surprise, however, neither enemy Zoid was out of action. The Kreep continued to wriggle, trying vainly to right itself, while behind him, the Stang kept coming despite the damage it had sustained. A quick glance at the enemy Zoid told him why; the cockpit was empty. The enemy Zoid hadn't been disabled by his attack because it didn't have a pilot.
"Interesting" He commented as he swung around to face the Stang, figuring the Kreep to be harmless for the moment. The enemy Zoid opened fire again, narrowly missing his Godos. Nathan wasn't about to let it hit him either. He ducked to one side, again opening up on the Stang's damaged flank. The shots tore into the Zoid, blasting apart the damaged Zoid's structure. The Stang let out a loud screech, then crashed to the ground, its flank a smoking wreck.
Spinning the Godos around again, he raised the Zoid's spear, then stabbed it into the Kreep's exposed underside. The weapon dug into it, impaling the Zoid through its relatively exposed belly. The Kreep shuddered, then slumped down, out of action.
After scanning the area for any sign of other hostiles, and convinced that it was secure, he opened up a command channel. "Winters to team. Enemy Zoids neutralised."
"Affirmitive." The pilot of his supporting Tank replied. "Were these Red Claw?"
"No." He shook his head. "But I want to investigate further. Bring the Tank up so we can take a look at it."
"Yes sir." The pilot finished.
Nathan turned to look over the two Zoids. It was clear that both machines had seen a lot of action, both being rather worn and battered. He suspected that they had been out here in the desert for some time, possibly lying buried before being reactivated. The question was, what had reawakened them, and how had they been operating unmanned? If they were sleeper Zoids, then they wouldn't have strayed too far from whatever they had been protecting; yet there was nothing around for miles.
He re-opened the channel to his Tank. "Have the tech crews go over the destroyed enemy machines; there's something very unusual going on here."
oOoOo
Levisha patiently waited by the Mesa, her Lord Gale couched down and doing its best to hide. It wasn't easy; the large, pumpkin-coloured Zoid was very distinctive and easily recongisable, and anything but inconspicuous. Her best hope of hiding it, she figured, was to pick a place like this where few people were likely to come. Even then, she had taken precautions against the off chance that she was discovered.
Within minutes of her arrival, a dust cloud appeared on the horizon. She instantly knew who this was; it was very unlikely that anyone else would be out here. She relaxed as the Sandspeeder pulled up alongside her, its pilot quickly dismounting. "This had better be important." Jaeger began as he removed his helmet and goggles. "I had to take a lot of risks coming out here at such short notice."
"Trust me, it is." She replied as she pulled out a noteputer from her hip pouch. "I've found something that will be of incredible use to us."
"Do tell." He continued, impatiently.
"Its all there." She continued, a smug tone in her voice. "I came across this while on a trial run of the new Zoid." She continued, indicating to the Lord Gale. "I didn't find exactly what I was after, but I think that this will more then make up for it."
"Geological surveys of the Southern Territories?" Jaeger asked. "I fail to see the relevance."
"Remember that sample that you acquired from that Hydra ruin six months ago?" She continued.
"Yes?" He began, a suddenly interested tone in his voice.
"Check it out." She explained. "If I read that right, there may be a potentially unlimited supply of it down there. You do know what that means."
His eyes widened as he continued to read. "If you're right..." He began. "Then this changes everything."
"I know." Levisha commented, a smug tone in her voice. "Imagine what it will do for our forces." She smiled in a knowing way. "We were worried that the situation was accelerating well beyond what we had accounted for. Now, if this is what we think it is, then we will be able to move a lot faster and respond in kind. And rather then the few scraps we currently claim, we will be able to raise an army."
"An army like none that has ever walked this planet before." He finished. "What do you want, Levisha?"
"Jenice is mounting an expedition to the area on the premise of hunting for Hydra relics." She explained. "I'll use it as cover to gather a sample up for you. If it proves to be viable, then you can do with it as you want."
"And the Red Claw?"
"I'm sure I can contrive some reason for the escalation that you wanted." She continued. "In truth, I think that Jenice is spoiling for a chance to unleash her new arsenal on the Empire. After this little trip, I believe that I can easily prod her into the sort of action that you want." She glanced over at the Lord Gale. "The new Zoids have proven to be most useful so far."
"I suspected that you would begin a personal recruitment drive." Jaeger commented.
"Indeed." She continued. "I've already created a sizable cadre within the Claw who would be loyal to myself rather then Jenice. But the addition of the Chimeras means that I have a lot more strength."
"That I understand, but I worry about some of the other weapons that we gave to the Claw." He continued. "What if we need to face them ourselves."
"I don't think that will be an issue." She shook her head. "Paladin Trogdor has a certain... affection for me, shall we say." She didn't need to be any more explicit then that. Jaeger knew first hand about her tastes. "But I think that it goes beyond that. He has already betrayed the Empire. I don't think that betraying Jenice will be too much of a step for him."
"You think you can rely on him?"
"More then that." She continued. "I think that, when the time comes, he could become one of us."
"Are you sure?" He asked.
"Definitely." Levisha nodded. "It's not like bringing in an outsider is completely without precedent."
"Well, no." He admitted, knowing exactly what she meant.
"And you've seen how much use they can be. Now imagine having all the insider knowledge that a Zygra paladin possesses on tap. It would be an incredible asset to us."
"More so then a ranking Blackstar?"
She gave him a wry smile. "Now did I say that?"
"Of course." He finished. "One last thing. That other asset we discussed."
"Oh yes." Levisha finished. "It has resurfaced. More to the point, its resurfaced piloting an Iron Kong, and showing a degree of piloting skill and tactical adaptation far beyond what I'd have expected. This is most certainly the one we're after."
"Good." He nodded. "Because if events are to unfold as we plan them, then we will need her."
"I am sure that can be arranged."
"Good." She commented, then pulled out her own noteputer again. "Oh, I'll need this."
Jaeger looked over the pad. "I see. This will be… difficult to transport, to say the least."
"I can send someone for it." She shrugged. "Or something. But if this is what I think it is, then we will need it."
oOoOo
The groups Travels had bought them closer to the eastern fringe of the Empire, an area dominated by large expanses of blasted wastelands, painful relics of the war that had reshaped the planet. Around here, most of the towns were relatively small and basic; farming was the primary industry of the area, but many preferred to avoid it altogether. The small town that Leanne, Rayvenne and Jason walked into was one such place.
"Wow." Rayvenne commented as she set down her Sinker. "This place redefines basic. These guys look like they probably haven't ever seen a Zoid before, let alone something exotic like my machine." She added as she clambered out of her Zoid, still dressed in her causal clothes.
"You're not worried about your identity?" Jason asked.
"Heck no." She replied, dismissively. "These guys have probably never even heard of the mysterious Sinker pilot, and even if they had I doubt they'd make the connection. This place doesn't look like they get out much."
"Yer real nice, you know that?" Leanne added as she walked over to the pair of them. "Not everyone in a small town is a brainless hick, y'know."
"Yes, Leanne." Ravenne replied. "And you do so much to counter that popular stereotype."
"Hey!" She snapped. "Why I oughta-"
"Okay, you two." Jason began, stepping between the two women. "Lets just stay calm and focus on our job, okay?"
There was a brief pause. "Sure." Leanne muttered, then walked off. "I'll look after clothes. You two handle food and stuff."
"Gee, all right." Rayvenne replied as she watched Leanne go. "No need to be so grouchy."
"Don't complain aobut her." Jason commented. "You've been unnecessarily antagonising her since we got here."
"I'm just having fun, Jase." She casually replied. "Don't let it get to you."
"You could be hampering our effectiveness as a team." He added.
"Like I said, it's all cool." Rayvenne casually continued. "Now I'm going off to get some more food. You go handle, um, camping stuff and other cold-weather gear." She smiled sweetly at him. "See ya, Jase."
She walked off before he could reply, leaving him standing in the middle of the street. Spying a store, she stepped inside, scanning the shelves for something edible. Tinned food seemed to be the in thing around here, and even then not that much of it. Half the store looked to be bare, as if someone had gone through and picked out all the least inedible stuff around.
"Huh." She commented. "Not much of a shop."
"Can I help you, miss?" Came a voice from behind her. Whirling around she spotted a young, skinny man dressed in a shirt and tie that seemed too large for him, standing behind the counter. She must have missed him when she came in, or maybe mistaken him for a broom or something.
"Yeah." She replied. "Um, I know that this may sound a little pretentious of me but... where's the food? I mean, you've got shelves but nothing on them." She glanced around. "I didn't wind up in the Drakken Empire by mistake, did I?"
"No, maam." He replied. "You're still in Zygra."
"So where's the food?" She asked. "I've got a small army to feed and there's nothing here to feed them with."
"That's what the couple of guys who cleaned out the store said." He replied with a weak attempt at humour.
"Guys?" She asked. "What guys?"
"I really couldn't say, maam." He replied, a slightly nervous edge colouring his voice.
"You couldn't?" She asked, pouting. "That's a shame."
"Sorry, maam."
"Awww..." She walked over to him, swaying her hips as much as possible. "Sure there isn't anything you remember about them, any little thing that was interesting?" She leant forwards on the counter, resting her chin on one hand while letting him have a generous view of her ample cleavage. "I'd love to know who would want to buy up everything in the store."
"Well, there were these two guys and they were saying something about they had an army to feed and they sorta cleaned off the shelves and they paid for it all by cheque and I was kind of nervous about taking it but they looked mean and they had guns on them so I kind of let them." He blurted out. "And they left a few minutes ago, saying that they had more stuff to get."
"Cool beans." Rayvenne replied as she straightened up. "Thank you very, very much."
"You're welcome, maam." He replied, clearly following instructions. "Um, have a nice day." He added as she dashed out the front door.
Now that she was out in the street, she looked around for some sign of the two men. People who had just cleaned out an entire store couldn't be too hard to track, she figured. Glancing around, she looked for anything in the main street that was out of the ordinary. And then she saw it. She could see two pairs of metal spikes sticking out from around a corner, the sort of thing that belonged on a Zoid.
Score, she thought. Now let's see what's in there. She cautiously approached, keeping an eye out for anyone watching her. Peering around the corner, she could see that she was on track; there were a pair of Connects parked there, both with cargo crates on their back. Lying near them was a trio of shopping trolleys. Glancing further around, she could see a man standing by the fronts of the two Zoids, a bulky rifle in his hands. Yeah, he is so a Red Claw member, she thought to herself. Even though she couldn't see anything on him that looked like an insignia, it was pretty obvious to her from his bearing and the way he held his gun.
All righty. We've got them now. She smirked to herself as she thought about how simple this had been. Floyd and Ali had been going on about tracking them down and trying to stop whatever agenda it was that they had and trying to get inside the Claw's head's. All she needed to do was show a little boob and she could get the same result. It was perfect.
And the best part is, neither Ali or Lee could ever manage that, she sniggered to herself. Neither girl had anything on her.
She studied the soldier, looking for an opportunity to strike. Glancing at him, she figured him to be as sharp as a watermelon. Easy. She pulled out her pistol, ready to act.
The sound of a loud crash behind her caught her attention. Spinning around, she could see a man lying on top of a pair of rubbish bins, trying to disentangle himself. What the... she began, but was cut off by a shout from behind her.
"Hey you!" The guard called out. "Hold it right there!"
Rayvenne didn't want to hang around the man with the machine gun. She ducked around the corner just as he opened fire at her. Bullets tore into the wall where she had been, shredding brick and sending chunks of it flying. Squealing, she dashed away from him as fast as she could go, desperately trying to get away from him and his fire.
She squealed as she ducked around a corner, hoping that she was out of the line of fire. As much as she didn't want to admit it, she was very, very afraid of getting hurt. It was easy when she was in her Sinker; she was in no direct risk of physical harm, thanks to the Zoid's reasonably armoured cockpit. Even then, she knew that, should something catastrophic happen to the Sinker, she could still escape via its detachable cockpit.
But here on the ground, things were different. Here was nothing between her and the bullets, nothing to protect her if they came tearing towards her. A single bullet could kill. A single bullet would kill. The last thing she wanted was to take that single bullet and end up dead. She'd been confident while the guard wasn't paying attention, but the instant he regained his focus and started shooting... she was terrified.
The guard had stopped firing. However, she was too scared to look and see what he was up to, incase he started shooting at her again. Holding her gun, she nervously waited, in case he came near her. Hopefully there would be something else going on that would distract him... like whatever had happened with the guy on the bins.
As if to answer her unspoken prayer, there was a second loud crashing noise from across the street. Glancing around, she could see what it was. Leanne swung around, her booted foot catching a thug in the side of his head, sending him reeling and slamming into a post. A second guy was already down, slumped near the mess of overturned garbage bins.
The thug picked himself up and, in a surprisingly smart move, decided to break into a run, sprinting away from her as fast as possible. The second man was clearly not so smart, again picking himself out of the bins and lumbering at Leanne, swinging at her with a meaty fist. She ducked, his arm sailing through the air where she had been only a moment before. Seeing a chance, she slugged him hard in the guts, doubling him over. A second blow hit him in the back with a loud thud, sending him staggering back.
Another pair bolted out form a different store, running across the street at speed. A moment later, Jason ran outside after them, a pistol in each hand. He stopped and opened fire, the shots going way past either man. Pausing for a moment, he spied her. "Rayvenne!" He called out.
"What?" She asked, apprehensively.
"Don't just sit there! These guys are Red Claw! Get after them!"
She wanted to say that it was what she had been doing, but a burst of gunfire cut her off. Instead, she hid further around the corner, trying to get as far away from the rest of the violence. Glancing around, she could see several thugs running through the streets, apparently away from Jason and Leanne. Yeah, that's it, you guys handle them, she thought ot herself. That should be-
A loud shot filled the air, a beam scorching the middle of the street. "Damn it!" Jason yelled out, suddenly running back the other way. "Get to your Zoid, now!" She couldn't tell if he was shouting at her or Leanne, but took it as a good cue. Getting up, she sprinted to her sinker as fast as she could go. As she ran, she glanced around and saw what was happening. One of the Connects was in the middle of the street, its gun trained on her two companions. The second one was scurrying out of town as fast as it could go.
She leaped into the Sinker's cockpit, hastily pulling on her bandanna and helmet as the Zoid powered up. The Sinker took to the air, skimming along the streets. It buzzed over the two Connects, distracting them and, more importantly, giving Leanne and Jason a chance to get to their Zoids. One of the enemy Zoids opened fire on her, ineffectually spraying shots after her.
"Not a chance, sucker." She replied, trying to do her 'Sinker pilot' voice and failing. "You're not even close."
She looped around, looking to come back after the Connects and make another pass on them. She didn't want to open fire on the enemy Zoids as yet, due to the fact that they were still in the middle of the town and there were too many risks involved. Her aim was instead to scare them away and force them out into the open.
Her sensors beeped as she climbed, warning of another pair of Zoids nearby. Curious as to their identities, she turned the Sinker towards them and dived down to take a look. As she approached, she spied them; a Brox and a Krok, both waiting on a ridge outside the town. "Ah hell!" She shouted out as she pulled away from them. "It's more Claws, it's gotta be!"
The enemy Zoids answered any questions as to their identity by opening fire on her, shots sailing through the air behind her Zoid. As she sped off, the pair of them broke into runs, heading after her machine. "Jase, Lee, there's a pair of Claws outside the town." She called out. "They look like they're trying to support their buddies."
"Right." Jason called back. "You keep them occupied and away from the town. We'll join you as soon as possible."
"Sure thing." She replied, the Sinker coming around and diving towards the two enemy Zoids. The twin beam gattling cannons under the Zoid's wings opened fire, spraying shots at the two Zoids. While neither seemed to be severely damaged from the attack, they certainly seemed a little more apprehensive. The Brox backed off, while the Krok scampered away, looking for cover from her next attack.
"Yeah." She hissed out as the Sinker came around for another pass. It was strange; as Rayvenne, she was a coward, shying away from physical harm and danger. However, as the sinister Sinker pilot, she was an adventurous risk taker. And right now, the risk taker was wining out. The Sinker opened fire on the Brox again aiming to take the smaller Zoid out. "Come on, lets see what you've got." she added, grinning behind her mask.
oOoOo
The Tank assigned to support Paladin winters had been equipped with a mobile command and control center in its trailer, in essence a small field headquarters. One of its key features was an extensive communications system which not only would allow a commander to keep in contact with his entire unit in battle, but also allowed long-range communications. At the present, Nathan was seated in front of the main communications console, patiently waiting.
"Sorry to keep you, Paladin winters." The female voice on the other end of the communicator began. "I have both Paladin Dezalg and General Wrightfield for you now."
"Thank you." He replied as the screen activated, two separate images on it. Paladin Dezalg was on the right, while, at a separate location, Wrightfield was on the left. Nathan knew that each of them would also have a split screen with himself and the other party. "I am sorry to interrupt the pair of you, but I felt that you would want to hear what I had to say immediately, rather then waiting for my report."
"I understand." Dezalg began. "Go ahead."
"I believe that I have a lead on the rash of wild Zoid sightings and attacks that have been occurring in the last few weeks." He explained. "Earlier today I encountered a pair of wild Zoids and was forced to destroy them. However, both Zoids were left relatively intact, which allowed my technicians to inspect both Zoids."
"I discovered something very interesting in the cockpit of these Zoids." He continued. "It was a piece of computer hardware that I had never seen before. At the same time, it was evident that it had been there for some time, rather then being a new addition. I wanted you two to see it, in case either of you recongised it."
He placed the object on the table in front of the camera, an oversized circuit board printed with a garish yellow logo. Dezlag and Wrightfield exchanged worried looks, as if they were in the same room. "And you say that this was in the cockpit of one of the destroyed Zoids?" Caro finally spoke up.
"Yes."
"That is a piece of Hydra technology." Dezalg began. "One I have not seen since the war."
"I am to assume that it is some sort of control unit, then." Nathan asked.
"Correct." Wrightfield answered. "Hydra used it to remotely control Zoids; issuing them orders and setting them to attack targets. During the war, they used legions of such machines as shock troops; often having killed their pilots with neutron or biological weapons first."
"Most of these Zoids were destroyed during the early years of the war, having been thrown against the surviving UZN or Draken forces." Dezalg continued. "The rest just... stopped. After the Orbital War, whatever that was, the machines controlled by the chips all shut down, whatever controlled them having apparently been deactivated or destroyed."
"So then what's controlling these Zoids?" He asked. "It cannot be something local; we've had reports of wild Zoid attacks across the Empire, as well as in the UZN. And there are unsubstantiated reports that similar events have occurred in the Draken Empire."
"And all have occurred since the battle of Lyra." Dezalg added. "I have to wonder if the two events are related."
"How so?" Nathan asked.
"Remember that the Trinity Liger was in fact, a modified Liger Zero." He continued. "Such a modification could have had its origins with Hydra."
"First a Hydra Zoid, then a Hydra weapon." He commented. "I can see the connection."
"This is a very grave matter." Wrightfield spoke up. "I have to wonder if there may not be more to the Red Claw then we initially believed."
"Yes sir." He added. "What then would you have me do?"
"Continue your investigations." Dezalg began. "But expand on them. I will send you additional troops and resources to assist you in your operations, Paladin Winters. Your task will be to seek out and destroy the Claw, wherever they may be. If there is indeed a connection to Hydra, something that we cannot afford to rule out, then the situation is a very grave one indeed."
oOoOo
Drake's Snipemaster sprinted across the plains, kicking up a cloud of sand and dust behind it as it ran. The slender machine moved at full speed, not letting anything get in its way as it charged towards the town. Inside the cockpit, Drake nervously watched both his navigational display and his sensors for any sign of the reported enemy.
"Remind me again why you're calling the shots here, Drake." Gwen snapped over the communicator, anger colouring her voice. "Why are you in charge and not, say, me?"
Drake sighed and shook his head. As much as he loved his older sister, she could be incredibly dense and incredibly trying some times. "It's simple Gwen." He explained. "Levisha appointed me as her second, and thus Jenice's third in command while she's away. And as Jenice is busy and Levisha is off gathering information for us, that makes me the one in charge."
"I know that." She hissed. "The question is... why you?"
"She explained it all to me, Gwen." He continued. "She says that I have special qualities, ones that set me apart from other members of the Claw. It's these special qualities that make me the best to run the team."
Gwen was silent for a moment, clearly upset that Drake had outwitted her. He knew that his sister didn't like Levisha, which was probably actually colouring her opinion of him and his position. He also suspected that she was more then a bit jealous of both his newfound role, and his special qualities that made him ideally suited for it. Poor girl, he thought. Not all of us can be special, you know.
"I still don't see why she gets to decide all this." Gwen muttered. "We've been in the Red Claw far longer then she has."
"Yes, but she's also an expert tactician, a skilled trainer and has a lot of sources of information." He explained. And she is so very, very attractive, he mentally added. "She's done a lot for the Red Claw."
"Whatever." Gwen hissed in reply, seemingly admitting defeat. "So why exactly are we running out into the middle of nowhere today?"
"I decided to be pro-active and send some of our men out to gather supplies for the Claw." He explained. "And they ran into that group that we've had so much trouble with."
"What?" She snapped. "You mean that Glass is there?"
"Well, I don't think he-"
"And that Sinker too?"
"Well, yes, but-"
"Excellent." Gwen replied. "Drake, your Pro-Active plan has done very well for us."
"How so?"
"Use your head, dumbarse." Gwen snapped. "We have a chance to eliminate that group that have been giving us so much grief. Think of what that will do for us. We'll look good to Jenice, better then Levisha or Sturm or anyone else. Us, the originals who were swept aside will have been able to do what nobody else in the Red Claw could."
"Oh yeah." Drake commented. "You're right." A grin spread across his face from ear to ear. "Come on then. Let's deal wit these losers."
"Of course I'm right, Drake." She grinned. "I'm your sister. I've got just the same special qualities as you do." She opened up the throttle, her Redler soaring away across the empty desert sky.
oOoOo
Within the nightmarish industrial hell that was the Blackstar City, only one building challenged the city's massive reactors for dominance of the skyline. That building was the citadel, the heart of the Blackstar army and, by extension, their entire society. A towering, slab-sided edifice, its stark lines towered over the clutter and mess below it. Yet, at the same time, it seemed to be just as much a part of the city; its exterior was caked in pollution from the factories around it, and other structures still clustered around it, as if they were reaching up to drag it down with them.
However, the true heart of the building wasn't in its lofty heights, but rather in its depths. Down there existed, a single, subterranean, well-concealed, well protected command center that was the core of all things Blackstar. And inside it was a single, smaller room from which the entire city was controlled.
A dozen figures were seated around a table, their black uniforms blending into the dimmed room while their features were hidden by the enshrouding darkness. Only their eyes, the signature bright green of the Blackstars, were visible, and even then, not entirely. A single figure, a woman, stood out from them. Her eyes did not have the same brilliance as the others, and were instead hidden in the darkness.
The center of the table sank into the floor, a projector activating. Within seconds, a figure emerged, a three-dimensional, semi-transparent image, coloured in solid green, but otherwise accurate to a surprising degree. "Captain Thorne." The dull-eyed woman began in a flat tone. "You have been summoned before this conclave for a very important reason. Before we continue, you must understand that what is said here will not go beyond this meeting."
Thorne nodded, her virtual hair swaying as she straightened. "I understand fully."
"You have been summoned here on a matter of the utmost importance, captain." Another figure, a man began. "You have been chosen by us because, of all our forces, you are the one who has the most experience in this matter."
"The Red Claw." Thorne stated.
"Correct." Another female figure spoke up. "They have re-emerged from their seclusion, not broken as we had initially had suspected. In fact, they are apparently stronger then before."
"They have acquired a Controller Zoid." Another figure continued, seamlessly taking over from its predecessor. "With it, they have raised a small army of Chimeras from across the wastes."
"This alone makes them a danger to us." Another speaker took over. "We can no longer stand back and watch the Empire's futile efforts to defeat them. We must take action now."
"These wild Zoid attacks are a troubling sign." A female figure spoke up. "Your report describes methods and technologies used by Hydra. Their sudden reappearance may be connected to the Claw. If that is the case, then we must destroy them. Hydra nearly destroyed us; we cannot risk that happening again."
"What would you have me do?" She asked.
"Simple." The dark woman spoke up. "You are to do everything within your power to end the menace of the Red Claw. If you need to, venture into the Empire and seek them out there. If they try to flee, hunt them down and eliminate them. We will not remain idle while their threat continues to build. We will destroy them."
"I understand." Thorne replied. "I will not rest until I have ended the threat of the Red Claw."
"Very good." The woman continued. "Go now, Captain, and fulfill your duty for the future of our people."
Thorne saluted as her image faded, then vanished.
oOoOo
Inside her field command post, Thorne blinked as she pulled the headset off from over her eyes, then disconnected the cabling form her neural interface. Such conferencing was standard Blackstar procedure for transmission of orders. What she hadn't expected was to be called before their ruling council. That alone was a rare enough event for someone of her rank. For her to be charged with such a duty was even more unexpected.
What had caught her even further was the fact that they had entrusted her with this duty. Given her background and her obvious failings, she found it rather unusual. The only reason she could think of was that she had a lot more experience with the Red Claw then most other members of the Blackstar army. Yes, that would explain it all. She'd face them on several occasions, including fighting their leader once. She'd almost gotten the better of them too.
And I would have, had I not been recalled. It still burned her that her commander had ordered her to stand down. Now, of course, things would be different. His authority had been superseded by a higher power. They had ordered her to do whatever she could to stop the Claw, and there was nothing he could do about it.
Her only real disappointment was the destruction of the Claw's Trinity Liger. She'd very much wanted to face off with the so-called legendary Zoid and destroy it herself.
But I cannot let my own personal needs get in the way of my mission, she thought to herself. Of course, she had her own problem; since their near destruction, the Claw had gone to ground and, save for one attack, had remained hidden. Nobody knew where they were or what they were planning. And while she could simply raze every hiding place she could think of, she knew that it wouldn't achieve much.
What she needed was more information. She suspected that the Red Claw had a reason for raiding a Geological survey lab and, as a result, whatever they had found would give her more information on their objectives. All she needed was access to that information.
But where to get it from? She asked herself. From the report she'd read, that small group of independent operatives had taken part in the battle and would likely know. But they were both elusive and unreliable, which meant that they were not going to be of much help. On the other hand, the Zygra army would know a lot more about what had gone on there.
She walked out of her command tent as an idea began to form in her mind. "Your orders, captain?" Her second asked as he approached her.
"We will hold our location for the moment." She replied. "But prepare to break camp and move out. I have matters to attend to." Before he could give a reply, she walked off, clambering into the cockpit of her Zoid. The cockpit hissed shut, sealing her off in its familiar and comforting darkness. Waiting a moment, she activated the communications system, seeking out a particular unit on a particular command frequency that she shouldn't have normally had access too.
oOoOo
"Get after 'im!" Leanne shouted as her Gunsniper sprinted out of the town. The Zoid opened fire with its twin gattling cannons, spraying fire at the enemy Krok. The Zoid took several hits on its armoured flank before scurrying away, firing back with its twin top-mounted beam cannons. "Don't let 'em get away!"
Jason's Iguan sprinted past her own Zoid, firing its cannons at the Krok. To his annoyance, the shots went wide, narrowly passing over the low-slung Zoid's body. The enemy pilot continued to push his machine forwards, sprinting away from his fire. Jason grunted in anger as he continued to charge forwards. "Someone get that damned Zoid!"
"Don't look at me!" Rayvenne called back. "I have my own issues to deal with!" Her Sinker swerved as the Brox opened fire on it with its twin back-mounted cannons. The shots narrowly missed the sinker, sailing off into the air. She looped around, coming at the enemy machine from the side, opening up with the smaller cannons in he Zoid's nose. The shots scraped the Zoid's armour, not doing much in the way of damage to it.
"Damn it, these two are good for Red Claws." She muttered as she pulled away. The Brox turned as fast as it could, but its shots went well wide of her own Zoid.
"Save the praise for later." Jason continued. "Right now, we have to worry about taking them down!"
Leanne nodded to herself. If they could capture at least one of the enemy pilots, then they would have a considerable lead on locating the Red Claw's current base. And she was not about to let this get away from her. The Gunsniper surged forwards, firing its chest-mounted launcher at the enemy Zoid. The shot struck it in the flank, carving up the armour.
Seeing a chance, she surged forwards, the Gunsniper hissing at its prey. The Zoid's toe claw scythed through the air, lunging at the Krok's damaged flank. The enemy Zoid spun around, snapping at the Gunsniper with its heavy jaws. The Gunsniper skittered backwards, hopping out of the Krok's way.
"Jason!" Leanne called out. "This guy's sharp. Get 'em!"
"Sure thing Lea-"
"Look out, both of you!" Rayvenne called out. "Incoming!"
The two Zoids ducked to each side as a loud screech filled the air. As the moved, a purple blur passed between them, only narrowly missing the Gunsniper. The enemy Zoid climbed away, then looped around for another attack.
"What in the heck?" Leanne called out.
"It's that damned Redler!" Rayvenne shouted out. "Hold on, guys!" Climbing away from the Brox, Rayvenne's Sinker closed in on the larger Zoid. "I'll look after him, just you guys… hell!"
"What is it?" Jason called out as he swerved his Zoid around, tracking the Redler with the twin head cannons. The shots narrowly missed the Redler as it came around again.
"There's another Zoid out there!" She called out. "Its closing in on us fast."
"Crap." Jason muttered. "And we've still got these two clowns to deal with." The Iguan turned back to the Krok, opening fire on the other Zoid with his Impact cannon. "Rayvenne, try to keep the Redler busy at least. Leanne, let's try to take out these two before the third one arrives."
"What about the damn Connects?" she called out as the Gunsniper turned towards the Brox, opening fire on it. "They're gonna get away!"
"They're not a threat right now." He replied. "We can take them out after we've got the main Zoids out of the way!"
"I guess…" She sprayed another couple of rounds at the Brox, which galloped away at speed. As it retreated, the enemy Zoid fired a pair of shots at the Gunsniper from its twin cannons. One of them struck a glancing blow on the Gunsniper's leg, shaking the Zoid but not stopping it. "Heck! Damn him!"
"Give me a second." Jason snapped back. The Iguan twisted around to face the Krok, opening up with the impact cannon again. This time the shots struck home, blasting apart the missile launcher on its back. The enemy Zoid let out a loud bellow, then burst into a scampering run, its pilot clearly shaken by the destruction of his main weapons system. "There! Now hurry up with that Brox."
"Yeah, yeah." The Gunsniper surged forwards, its more confident about the Brox now that the Krok was out of the fight for the moment. Furthermore, unlike its partner, the Brox lacked any melee weapons, giving her another advantage over the enemy Zoid. "I'm gonna get ya now."
The Gunsniper's next burst hammered into the Brox's back, tearing into the smaller Zoid's armour and causing it to momentarily stumble. "That's the trick." Leanne called out. "Now I've gotcha!" Her Zoid belted forwards, closing in on its prey.
Before she could reach it, however, a burst of fire peppered its flank. The Gunsniper staggered, wavering on its feet as Leanne struggled to regain control of the Zoid. "What in the heck was that?"
"Good to see you again." A voice called out. Looking over to its source, Leanne could see another Zoid approaching. She instantly recognised it as being a Snipe Master, the same machine that she had run into several times before. "Give it up now. You're outnumbered."
"No way." Leanne replied. "Yer goin' down." Leaving the Brox for the moment, she turned towards the Snipe Master. The Gunsniper hissed as it charged forwards, its twin cannons spraying fire at the enemy Zoid. In reply, the Snipe Master fired its boosters, leaping out of its line of fire.
"Leanne!" Jason called out. "Watch out for-"
He was cut off as both the Krok and the Brox turned their attention to his Zoid, opening fire with their weapons on the Iguan. Firing the boosters, Jason leaped away from the two enemy Zoids, the Iguan landing nearby in a crouch. He spun around and opened fire again on the damaged Krok, managing to carve up some of the armour on its foreleg.
Suddenly more confident with the arrival of reinforcements, the Krok surged forwards, firing with its twin back mounted cannons. One of the shots scored armour off the Iguan's flank, the other managing to go wide of the Zoid. Jason swerved to one side as the Brox opened up with its triple-barrelled chest cannons, the shots narrowly missing his Zoid. Spinning around, he turned his attention to the Brox for the moment, trying to put it out of the battle.
He opened fire with the Iguan's cannons, blasting into its chest and side. One of the shots seemed to have penetrated the armour, however, as the Zoid stumbled back, smoke streaming from the gap in its side. As it turned, Jason could see that one of the barrels on the cannon had been ripped open, knocking the weapon out of action. One down, he thought to himself as he turned back to the Krok.
As he turned he glanced around at Leanne. Her Zoid ducked away from the Snipe Master's line of fire, dashing away while firing one of its own cannons back. The shots skimmed across the enemy Zoid, marking the armour on one of its boosters but not too much else. The enemy Zoid broke into a run, chasing after her. The Zoid slewed both of its boosters towards hers, opening fire with the two beam cannons on its back.
Leanne fired her boosters, leaping away form her pursuer onto a nearby rock. The Gunsniper turned around, opening up with its chest-mounted launcher. This time the shots had more effect, the Snipe Master getting struck in the side, wavering in its stride. The enemy Zoid shook for a moment, then regained its footing. Firing its own boosters, it leaped up after Leanne's, closing in.
Seeing a chance, she kicked at the enemy Zoid as it approached. The Gunsniper's hooked toe claw swung at the enemy machine, however, the other pilot seemed to be ready for her. He twisted the boosters, the Zoid leaping out of her way as she struck. The Snipe Master landed nearby, hissing as it opened fire with its cannons.
This time its shots struck home, blasting into the Gunsniper's damaged leg. The Zoid suddenly shook, then stumbled, slumping sharply to one side as the leg buckled underneath it. "Damn it!" Leanne called out as she struggled ti regain control of her Zoid. "Jase, I'm in trouble here!"
"Give me a sec!" He called out. Sprinting away form the Krok, he fired his boosters. He just hoped that his Zoid was fast enough.
oOoOo
As soon as she had completed her initial pass, Gwen circled the Redler around, looking for her prey. Sighting the Sinker, she opened up the boosters and sped straight towards it, not wanting to let it get away. Out here, there would be no place for the enemy Zoid to run or hide. Unlike their last two conflicts, this time there would be no escape.
Lining up the enemy Zoid, she opened fire with the twin booster cannons. To her annoyance, however, the smaller machine twisted out of her way just before the shots made their mark. The enemy pilot dived away from her Zoid, dashing down towards the desert floor. "No you don't!" She called out as she powered after the Sinker, opening up the throttle to close the distance as quickly as possible.
Seeing a chance, she opened fire again, this time confident of her shot. This time, one of the cannons made their mark, blasting armour off the Sinker's wing. Black smoke billowed out form the enemy Zoid as it desperately weaved and twisted to get out of her way while Gwen continued to fire, filling the air around it with shits form her cannon.
"Now this is more like it." She leered as she closed in on her opponent. "You're dead meat now, fishboy. You're going to wish you joined the Claw when I gave you the chance." The Redler surged forwards, stretching out its forwards claws. She wanted to get in and finish the enemy machine off with them, wanting to have the satisfaction of seeing its destruction up close.
The Sinker twisted then plummeted, entering a steep dive towards the desert floor. Gwen could see what was going on here; a desperate attempt to escape her. Well, its not going to work, she smirked to herself. She pushed the stick forwards, diving after the Redler. Her Zoid picked up speed, further closing the distance between the two machines.
Her target levelled out, skimming across the ground at high speed only a meter or so above the surface. Regardless, she continued her pursuit, aiming to take the enemy machine out. She closed in, the Zoid's talons outstretched and ready to strike. She could already savour the vicotry, and knew that it was only a matter of time.
Except the other pilot did something completely unexpected. They killed their throttle, the Sinker suddenly coming to a dead stop in the middle of the desert. Unable to do the same (at least, not without transitioning to hover mode first), Gwen shot straight over it before she could react. Desperately pulling back on the throttle and trying to loose speed, she watched as the Sinker suddenly burst into action again.
As she slowed, the enemy Zoid closed, then opened fire with the two gattling cannons mounted under its wings. The shots tore into the Redler's back and tail, carving up the armour. She pushed open the throttle while pushing back on the stick, trying to climb away from the Sinker and its line of fire as quickly possible. The Zoid soared away, while the Redler remained moving, barrelling along just above ground level.
You tricked me there, she thought. But I won't let you get me again. Watching as the Sinker turned and sped away from her, she looped around then prepared for another attack run. This time you're mine.
The Sinker seemed to be almost completely unconcerned about her, instead speeding off in a different direction. For a moment, she wondered if the enemy pilot was fleeing, or maybe had lost track of her. Shrugging to herself, she dived towards the Sinker, getting ready for another pass.
And then she realised what it was. The Sinker sped towards the two heavily-laden Connects, opening fire on the pair of them with its cannons. The shots blasted through the cargo packs on the backs of the two Zoids, blasting them apart. The Sinker buzzed over the two Zoids, then came around again.
"Damn you!" She called out. All of a sudden, everything had fallen apart. Their whole reason for being here was to gather supplies; with those destroyed, then this battle became suddenly pointless. And with no sign of Glass, there was nothing here to make up for it. No, we can still keep going, she thought. We can still beat these-
Alarms went off in the cockpit as the Redler shook. Looking down, she could see the Iguan opening fire on her with its twin beam cannons, the shots narrowly passing over her Zoid. A glance over her status board told her that he'd already hit her once, slicing into the tail and capitlalising on the damage the Sinker had done earlier. Looking down, she could see the Brox and Krok springing away from the battle, both of them clearly badly damaged.
"Drake!" She yelled out. "We're getting out of here!"
"What?" he called back. "But I've almost-"
"Now!" Gwen snapped. "We've got to go!"
"Right." He replied rather meekly. "Withdrawing."
Gwen opened up the throttle on her Zoid, speeding away from the battlefield. As she left, she spied the Sinker below her. You can laugh now, she thought, but one day, I will get you. She knew that she had special qualities that the enemy pilot lacked. For him, it was just a matter of time.
oOoOo
"Ah hell." Leanne muttered as she looked over the damaged Gunsniper. "Its always the dang legs, isn't it." She kicked the machine's side, then glanced up at the mess that was the Zoid's knee.
"Could be a lot worse, actually." Jason looked over it. "Give Floyd an hour or two and I'm sure it will be fine."
"Well, at least we chased the Claw off." She finished and sighed. "Just wish we coulda got one of the bastards."
"I didn't want to leave you behind, Leanne." Jason explained. "Especially with that Redler around."
"Speakin' of which..." She began as Rayvenne's Sinker pulled up. The Zoid stopped and its canopy opened, Rayvenne climbing out. She looked rather unusual, wearing her helmet and visor, but still otherwise dressed in her casual clothes. As she approached, she took off her helmet, then pulled down the bandanna. "Hey." Leanne began. "Y'all did good there today."
"It's nothing, really." Rayvenne shook her head. "In fact, I think that you did a lot more then me."
"Me?" Leanne asked. "How so? All I did was get shot up."
"Back in town." She explained. "You two took on those Claw guys on the streets while I was busy hiding. I was so afraid of getting hurt that I didn't want to stick my neck out at all while you guys were doing all the work." She sighed. "I wanted to say sorry to you guys for hiding like that, and especially to you, Lea. I, uh, I guess I shouldn't have antagonised you like that earlier."
"Ah, its fine." Leanne replied. "You made up fer it with what you did with that Redler. That was pretty gutsy."
"I guess." Rayvenne replied. "Hell, I was just trying to stay alive."
"Well, you still did a good job." Jason added. "Both of you did, actually."
"So what's the plan from here?" Rayvenne asked as she sat down next to the pair of them.
"I guess we'll call Floyd for a pickup." Jason commented. "And then try to figure how we failed to get what we were after."
"Look on the upside, Jase." Rayvenne smirked. "At the very least, this was a lot more fun then some boring shopping trip."
"Well, yeah." He commented, then smirked. "I guess it was."
"Y'know, that's the first time I've heard y'all laugh." Leanne spoke up.
"It is?" He asked.
"Yeah, you're right, Lea." Rayvenne commented. "Maybe he ain't so bad after all."
"Probably." Jason admitted. "Yeah, I guess so."
oOoOo
Nathan winters waited by his own Zoid, watching, along with the rest of his men as two more groups of Zoids arrived. A pair of Tanks, each accompanied by several smaller Zoids pulled up, stopping in front of him. A shadow passed overhead as a black and grey Pteras swooped down, landing in front of him. As it came to a rest, Nathan noted the CP-06 Bomber Unit attached to its legs and wings; until recently, such an upgrade would have been considered illegal, the weapons only available through the black market.
Nearby, the sand shifted, a second Zoid appearing out of the ground. He could instantly recongise the distinctive form of a Snakes, a rare choice for an imperial pilot. At the same time, he could understand the Zoid's appeal given the circumstances. Like the Pteras, the Snakes also sported a Bomber unit.
The two pilots, one male, one female, disembarked from their Zoids and approached him. Both were dressed in the distinctive uniforms of the Zygra Paladins, yet at the same time they looked very different from each other. "Paladins Jocasta Trabe and Iskandar Naxos reporting as ordered, sir." The female Snakes pilot began. Short and slim, she had a boyish face with light brown eyes and short-cropped, light-brown hair. Her companion was larger and heavily built, with dark, almost olive skin and thick black hair.
"Thank you both for coming so promptly." He replied. "Now if you'll follow me, we'll discuss the situation."
"Of course." Iskandar continued. "But when we're done, we have something for you."
Sturm shot him a surprised look. "I'm sorry?"
"You may have noticed that our Zoids are now carrying additional weapons." He continued. "We've bought similar equipment for your own machine."
"I see." He commented. He suspected that it was a CP-13 Wild Weasel unit, a weapons system that many Godos had mounted during the war. It was also the same weapon that Sturm had illegally used when he went renegade. The Irony of the situation struck him; if he had the chance, then he'd be using the same weapon to deal with Sturm. Again you force us to change, he thought. This is all a part of your plan, isn't it?
The three of them entered the mobile command unit, walking over to the main briefing table. A large map of the Empire's southern territories, once an independent nation before the Hydra war, was laid out on the table. "As you are all aware, the Red Claw recently raided a geology lab. Initially, we were unable to ascertain their exact motivations. However, following interviews with several of the staff, specifically one researcher who the Claw directly threatened, we have been able to find a few interesting things."
"Apparently, there is some form of unusual mineral deposit in the area, one that is found nowhere else in the Shelflands." He continued. "It appears that the Red Claw, for some unfathomable reason is interested in this deposit. Given the remoteness of the area and its sparse population, we suspect that the Claw will move to secure this area for themselves."
"So we know where they're going then." Jocasta commented.
"It would appear so." He replied. "And, as we have no idea where hty are currently hiding, then this is our big chance. If the Red Claw continue to act how we've seen, then either their leader, or at least one of their ranking officers, will be in charge of whatever they have planned for this region."
"My plan is to head them off and force them into a confrontation in this area." He continued. "With no population centers to threaten, they will be unable to divide us like they did with Lyra. Furthermore, I very much doubt that they would be expecting to confront a Zygra force here. Our objective is to cripple or destroy as much of their force as possible, while trying to capture their pilots. That way, not only will we derail their plans and destroy a portion of their force, but we can learn the location of their new headquarters."
"It sounds risky." Iskandar spoke up. "The Claw are very unpredictable."
"I understand that much." Nathan replied. "But at the same time, I feel that this is our best option. This way, we will not be facing the entire claw, but instead a potion of their forces, one that we can more readily deal with. Furthermore, this time I very much doubt that they will be expecting any sort of a trap."
"It does look good to me." Jocasta finished. "We'll need to go over the specifics once we find what exactly it is that's down there, but I don't see any reasons not to go ahead with it."
"Good." Nathan nodded. "Because-"
"Excuse me, commander." A technician spoke up as he stepped into the trailer. "We've detected... something approaching. a single, Zoid, and a large one at that."
All eyes in the room turned to him. "Is this a part of your plan?" Jocasta asked.
"No." He replied. "In fact, I have no idea what's going on." He walked out of the trailer, peering off into the distance. The sun was only just on the horizon, and soon would completely set. Good time for an ambush, he thought. "Right. I will investigate this matter. You two-" he indicated to two of his support pilots "-will come with me. The rest of you will remain here until I cal for you."
Within a minute, he was in his Godos, heading towards the location the intruder had been reported while two smaller Zoids, a Hidocker and a Gorgodos, followed alongside his machine. For various reasons, he didn't believe that this intruder, whatever it was, would be hostile. In fact, if the sensor readings he was getting from the Gorgodos were correct, the Zoid had essentially halted and was patiently waiting.
Which suddenly gave him a good idea of what was going on. "Wait here, you two." He began. The Godos slowly walked forwards, its pilot able to make out a shape on the horizon, a blob of blackness against the red sky. He knew that it was another Zoid and, more to the point, knew what type it was. The presence of a second cannon mounted on its back also told him which particular machine it was.
He stopped in front of the Darkhorn, barely able to make out the pilot standing by its food. Deciding to reply in kind, he opened the Godos' cockpit and clambered out of the Zoid, walking across the desert to where she stood. "So what do you want?" He asked, deciding to cut the pleasantries. He knew that none would be offered anyway.
"The Red Claw's destruction." Thorne dryly stated. "The same as you."
"So why have you come here?" He continued. "You are well outside of the Blackstar territory. By all rights, I should ask you to return to your homeland."
"I want the information you have." She replied. "You know what the Claw took from that research facility. I need to know what that is so that I, like you, can fulfill my duty. I also want free passage through your territory."
"You make a lot of demands." He shook his head, trying his best to remain calm. "Why should I agree to them?"
"Because I can offer you something in return." She stated, glaring straight at him, her green eyes strangely bright in the darkness. "Something that your empire cannot hope to match."
"Which is?"
Around them, the ground erupted into clouds of dirt and sand as a trio of sleek, sinister shapes burst forth, green eyes glowing under their dull canopies. Behind Thorne's Zoid, a green form glowed as it stepped forward, a pair of eyes glaring down at them.
"I can offer you the firepower you need to destroy them." She finished. "So, Paladin Winters, do we have a deal?"