It had taken hours for the fires to die down, by which point they had consumed everything in the forest. The once green valley had been reduced to a charred black wasteland, with seemingly nothing left alive in it. The ruined buildings, once covered by vines ant trees, now stood out, their soot-caked forms rising above the devastated forest.
It had taken some time, but Altheia and Rayvenne had managed to locate the rest of their group. After confirming that everyone was alive and well, they'd begun a sweep of the valley to see if there was anyone else here, survivors who had been left behind. They were hoping to find a Red Claw pilot so that they could learn more of the Claw's plans and try to figure their next move. Unfortunately, they had been very little to find. Most of the Claw's battlefield casualties had been left where they had fallen; those who hadn't died in the battle had perished afterwards in the fire.
However, they had also managed to acquire a fair deal of salvage from the downed Zoids, which meant that it wasn't a total loss.
They had found one surprising thing, however. A lone Blackstar Zoid, a modified Darkhorn, was in the middle of a clearing. The Zoid was baldy damaged but, ironically, for all the devastation around it, the Zoid had managed to remain untouched by the fire. They'd managed to open the cockpit and retrieve the pilot; she was alive but unconscious. Jason recognised her as being the same woman they'd seen in the bar in Freedom, while both he and Altheia had been able to identify the Zoid.
They'd ended up setting up a small camp in one of the less devastated areas. Their Zoids all needed a lot of work before they would be ready to travel, and the crew needed a lot of rest after the battle. The unconscious Blackstar gave them another reason to rest; they weren't aobut to leave her behind, but at the same time had no other way to move her Zoid. And nobody wanted to be the one to explain to her why they had left it behind.
Rayvenne had quietly commented that she'd rather be stuck in the fire again.
One thing had caught Althea's attention, however. The Blackstar pilot hadn't worn a conventional neuohelmet. Rather, there were a series of cables that connected her Zoid to a port on the back of her neck. This had intrigued Althiea, as it put her in mind of what Floyd had said about Hydra technology.
The pair of them were working on her Zoid, trying to repair some of the extensive damage it had suffered. Many of the Zoid's systems had been pushed to the very limit by her mad dash through the flames, which had only served to make matters worse. It meant that they had a lot of work ahead of them, but, at the same time, it gave them a lot of time to talk. It was something she liked to do.
"A question, Floyd." She began as they both worked on one of its damaged arms. "That BLackstar pilot had some sort of cybernetic interface. installed in her head."
"That she did." He replied. "In fact, they all do. They say it makes them better, but I've found that it turns them into mass-murdering serial puppy kickers."
"The thing is..." She continued. "I wonder, is it like the system that you told me about?"
"Yes and no, young Padawan." He offered. "It's similar in that it's a piece of highly advanced and sophisticated cybernetic equipment that interfaces directly with your own mind. It's different in that while what they have is a secialised interface designed for controlling a Zoid, what you posses is a specialized communications system."
"A communication system?" Now she was curious. "But... then what does it communicate with?"
"Ah." Floyd paused. "Now that... that's a long story."
oOoOo
Revolution
oOoOo
Outside Redridge
Hydra Protectorate, the Wastelands
1423 Hours
"Pull back!" Zygra yelled to his men as his Genobreaker's quad cannons fired. "There's too many of them. Fall back to the town and we'll try to hold there!" The shots scored the armour off the front of a Protobreaker, scoring its chest and flanks. Despite the damage the Zoid kept coming.
"That's not going to be easy!" Dezalg shouted over the roar of his Gojulas Mk II's Supercannons. "They're pulling around our flanks... they're getting us pretty much hemmed in." The cannons fired again, the shots blasting into the same Zoid as Dezalg had targeted. The supercannons' effect was far more devastating, blasting into the enemy machine and tearing its body apart. The Protobreaker was lifted off its feet, then crashed to the ground, its right side little more then a smoking wreck.
No sooner was the enemy Zoid down then more took its place. A pair of identically modified Saber Tigers, each sporting a long-range cannon and heavy armour over their faces, leaped over the Protobreaker's ruins and opened fire on the pair of them. One of the shots struck his Genobreker's side. Scoring amour off one of the X-Breakers. Checking his damage displays, he could see that the unit was still functioning, but it couldn't last too much longer.
Grunting to himself, he fired the Breker's booster, leaping away from the pair of oncoming Zoids. He fired the smaller cannons again, but the Hydra pilot was ready, bounding out of his way. As the Tiger moved, it swiveled its cannon and fired again, the shot striking the Breaker on its leg, just above the weapons pod. The Zoid shook, but remained standing.
Powerful hit, Zygra thought as he tried to track the target. These Saber Tigers are a new type, and they seem to be packing bigger weapons then normal. More Hydra designs, I see. In the six months since his defection, Hydra's designers seemed to have gone intro overdrive in dreaming up new weapons systems and Zoid designs. Zygra could understand why, however. His rebellion had stirred things up to a degree, and had changed the face of the war.
Since the liberation of Gayos, Zygra had managed to build a small army of freed prisoners, and had armed them with machines that had been impounded by Hydra awaiting disposal or rebuilding. They had then marched on several towns around Gayos, liberating them from Hydra's control. Zygra had specifically targeted areas where he knew there were other prison camps. His reasoning was twofold; not only did they free large numbers of people from their slavery, but they were also denying Zygra their workforce.
Their attack on Redridge a few days ago had followed the same basic plan. The town had fallen rather easily, the Hydra forces putting up only a token resistance before fleeing. The reason had become apparent half an hour ago, when a large Hydra force had attacked them, trying to trap them in the town before they could become too established.
He wheeled the Breaker around, opening fire again with the quad cannons on the enemy Tiger Zoid. This time he had a little more luck, the shots ripping into the Tiger's side. The enemy Zoid staggered, damaged but still standing. Swinging its rifle around, it opened fire again, but Zygra was ready for it. He fired the thrusters, the Breaker taking to the air and leaping over the shot.
The Breker powered forwards, roaring loudly as it charged in on the Hydra Zoid. It slammed into the enemy Machine, sending it sprawling to the ground, the black and red breaker landing ext to it. Before the Saber could get up, the X-Breakers lunged forwards, grabbing the Saber's body in their massive claws. The claws snapped shut, tearing into and crushing the Saber's body, before literally ripping it aprt in a spray of shredded components.
The second modified Saber turned to face Zygra's Zoid, leveling its cannon at it. Before it could fire, however, the Tiger was hammered by a volley of shots. Dezalg's Gojulas, as well as a number of other Zygra Zoids opened fire on the Saber, riddling it with shots. The Saber collapsed under the force of the blows, its body riddled with shots.
"Thanks for that." Zygra called back. "Now lets get back to-"
A single shot rang out, followed by a Dramadon next to Zygra's Zoid bucking and collapsing. "Sniper!" Dezalg called out, a moment before the first shells rained down. "Damn, there's more of them?"
As if in reply to his question, a second wave of Zoids crested the hill, charging down towards Zygra's position. Most of them were the usual standard Hydra Zoids; Dark Poisons, Cerberus Wolves and Stealth Sacks, but there were others in amongst their numbers. The wave of Hydra Zoids charged forwards, opening fire en-masse on Zygra's formation.
"Pull back!" He yelled out again, the Genobreaker pouring fire into a squad of approaching Zoids. "Everyone, get back!"
A blue and purple Genosaurer leaped over the ridge, pouring missiles from a quartet of launchers in its flanks. The missiles rained down on Zygra's group, slamming into the Zoids around him. Weaving its way through the return fire, the Genosaurer landed gracefully, then opened fire with the twin cannons mounted on its back.
The shots struck the Genobreker in the side, slamming into its already damaged knee. The Zoid shifted, but managed to remain standing despite the damage. Firing the thrusters, he spun the Breaker around, bringing its guns to bear on the enemy machine. The quartet to cannons fired, their beams lashing out at the enemy Zoid. However, his opponent was again to fast for him, the enemy Zoid narrowly twisting out of the path of the blast. Two of the shots skimmed off the Genosaurer's hull, scoring its armour, while the others went wide. He's good, Zygra thought as he wheeled around, trying to track it.
The enemy Zoid broke into a run, twisting its cannons to track his Geno Breaker while staying out of his firing arc. The two cannons fired, the shots again slamming into the Breaker's damaged knee. Red lights flashed on acorss Zygra's controls as the Breaker stumbled, its leg damaged. He hastily bought up the Breaker's e-shield as he used the thrusters to follow the Genosaurer, several shots bouncing off it.
Seeing a chance, he dropped the shield and opened fire again with his cannons. The shots struck home, gouging out armour on the enemy Zoid's flanks. However, they weren't enough to stop it. The blue Genosaurer surged forwards, firing its twin cannons again. With uncanny precision, the shots struck the Genobreeaker's damaged leg again, knocking the machine down.
I can't move! Zygra thought to himself as he looked over the damage display. I can use the thrusters, but landing on them... he checked the Zoid's systems. The Breaker was still online, but immobilized unless he could get it standing again. Glancing at the blue Genosaurer, he could see that wasn't about to happen. The Zygra machine stomped forwards, roaring as it approached him. What now? Do they want me as a prisoner, or just dead?
The Genosaurer reared back to strike, its jaws open. Then, abruptly the whole Zoid shook as if a large weight had dropped on it. To Zygra's considerable surprise, long gashes appeared in the enemy Zoid's flank, seemingly from nowhere. The Genosaurer roared out in pain, thrashing around as suddenly the armour on the back of its neck bucked and then shredded, as if some unseen force had suddenly ripped a portion out of it. The Zoid staggered then collapsed, the damage to the back of its neck making it clear that it was no longer functional.
What the hell was- he began, but was cut off by the high-pitched whistle of incoming shells. A literal rain of shots tore across the Zygra ranks, blasting many of the smaller Zoids apart. The Hydra lines suddenly disintegrated into chaos as more shots rained down on them.
"What's going on?" He began.
"Sensors are getting another squad of Zoids inbound." Dezalg shouted back. "No idea who's they are though."
"Whoever they are, they're clearly on our side." He replied, eyeing the downed Genosaurer. "All units, hold your positions!"
A force of Zoids charged into the Hydra ranks, literally crushing their right flank. A Redhorn, Command Wolf AC and Black Rhimos lead the charge, while a Dibison backed them up with its mortars. The ground under one Sack Stinger erupted in a cloud of dirt, the Zoid being literally thrown aside as a Heldigunner emerged in the midst of the Hydra ranks, further throwing them into chaos.
The Hydra lines wavered and then broke under the onslaught, enemy Zoids turning and running rather then risking further conflict with the new attackers. The newcomers continued to strike at them, pouring fire into their enemies as they turned and fled. More then a few Zoids were cut down as they went, other damaged and limping off.
Bringing the Genobreaker into a crouch, Zygra looked around at the sea of carnage that covered the area. The wreckage of ruined Zoids, both his own and Hydra's, littered the battlefield. There were far more of the enemy, however, an outcome that was only a result of the intervention of this third group. "Whoever you are, I thank you for the assistance." He called out over the PA system.
The air in front of his Zoid rippled and then shifted as a new form emerged. He recongised it as being a Shield Liger, but had never seen one with the ability to turn invisible before. Looking over it, he could see the pilot inside; a one-eyed, scarred woman. "Yeah, well we're happy to see you too." She replied. "Anyone who's making life that much of a hairy load for those Hydra tools deserves some help."
"You have me at a disadvantage, I must admit." He spoke up. "I have no idea who you are."
"Sandra Blackmore." She offered. "We are, or at least, were before we got tooled over by one of our former bosses, the Wastelands Protectors. But now we're sort of a bunch of guys who go around tooling Hydra wherever possible."
"So we have a common enemy." He continued.
"Damn right we do." Sandra nodded. "I'm proposing that your forces and mine could work together to further Jeff them. I think that-"
"DOWN!" A female voice called out. There was a single loud crack before either pilot could respond and then, for a moment, silence. The dead air was punctuated by a clattering from a pile of rocks, and then a loud crashing noise as a Zoid keeled over, dropping from its ledge. The machine looked like nothing as much as a hybrid of Rev Rapter and Snipemaster, which somebody had chosen to add a rather outré, Dark Spiner-style sail to.
"All clear." The voice added. A moment later, a Gunsniper hopped out form behind a rock.
"As I said, Mr Zygra, we're here to help." Sandra continued.
oOoOo
Pinnacle Base Command Center
Hydra Protectorate, The Wastelands
0945 hours
John Shepard looked over the strategic map, a grimace on his face. He studied the latest reports of the activities of the rebels, updating their positions accordingly. They were nowhere near Pinnacle yet but, at the same time, the amount of area they controlled was certainly a cause for alarm. In just one month, they had gone from a nuance to a severe threat, one that he could no longer afford to ignore.
We left them for far too long, he thought. We should have crushed them outright when this whole thing began. He'd advocated the idea, but it had been quashed by the other members of Hydra. Their forces had more pressing matters to deal with in the UZN and Draken empire, which meant that they couldn't spare frontline troops. And he had been assured at the time that the local defense forces would be more then enough to deal with the situation.
But then, it was the defection of members of those same forces that started all this, he mentally added.
"Is there a problem, Sho-Sa?" Watanabe asked as he walked over to the display.
"Yes there is." He muttered. "This situation has been allowed to go too far out of control. It is going to take a lot of work to bring things back on track."
"Hai" Watanabe replied. "And our overall situation?"
"Would be good if not for this development, actually." He admitted. "And yet, here we are, running the risk of everything falling apart if we do not do anything." He shook his head. "By the great one..." he added, under his breath.
"Sho-Sa?"
"Nothing, Watanabe." he continued. "Hydra will prevail, of that much I am certain." He shook his head. "We will overcome this, as we have done everything in the past."
"Hai. The Hydra shall not be defeated." Taro replied. "Instead, it shall regrow and strike anew."
"Indeed it will, Taro. We are undefeatable; many minds working to one purpose."
Shepard, I need to speak to you now. The voice of the Great One suddenly entered his mind, interrupting his thoughts. The situation is imperative.
Yes, Great One. He replied. I will join you immediately. He turned back to Taro. "We must plan to deal with this situation. You are in command until I return."
"Hai!" He replied, sir a salute.
Turning, John walked out of the command center, instead heading to his private quarters off the main office. Restively small, it was still bigger then most of the other barracks rooms in the base, and came equipped with a gorgeous view over the desert, albviet one that could be concealed with armored blast shutters if needs be. Sitting behind his desk, he closed his eyes, letting his conciseness leave his body.
After a moment, he opened his eyes to find his virtual image in the unreal conference room used by the other Hydra Leaders. Glancing around, he could see that he was not alone; every other of Hydra's leaders had been gathered here in one place. It was an unusual occurrence; there was usually very little need for everyone to attend a single meeting. Usually the Great One handed out orders to regional commanders or even individual units.
But now the situation has changed, he thought to himself. Now we face a serious threat, more then just the rabble remnants of the UZN and Empire. The whole landscape of this war has altered, and we must adapt to it. He glanced across the assembled heads of the Hydra organisations, singling out certain individuals. Key amongst them was Commander Eboflak, the leader of A-X and formerly Shepard's own commander. He had always been puzzled as to why Eboflak had been chosen to be a part of Hydra, but he knew that the Great One must have had a perfectly good reason.
Even more puzzling was another man, Bryan Taupe. A social activist and believer in peaceful unification of the Wastelands, to Shepard's eyes he had no place in amongst the military men that made up the bulk of Hydra's leadership. And while his presence had bought over the bulk of the Wastelands Protectors, Shepard had to wonder what else he was contributing. Especially now, given that the rebellion that was such a threat to them had occurred in the territories he was meant to be supervising.
"I apologise for dragging you all away from your valuable work." the Great one began as he materialised inside the chamber. The slender, androgynous man walked towards the virtual table that was its centerpiece, a map of the Shelflands resolving as he approached. "However, this is a matter of considerable urgency, one that requires our full attention."
He passed his hands across the map, a wave of colour spreading across it. A massive green section dominated the map, covering over two-thirds of it. Red and blue dominated either end and a few pockets, but they were small and far between. "This is our situation as it stood six months ago." He began. "We dominated the continent from one end to another. Few stood against us. Both the Empire and the UZN were on the verge of collapse."
He waved his hands over the table again. The colours shifted, the blue and red both contracting and expanding, especially as several smaller pockets joined up. More importantly, a livid purple blotch began to spread across the center of the map. "And this is how things stand now. This little rebellion has cost us greatly, my friends. It has slowed our advance, distracting our troops from what would have otherwise been our final victory."
He glanced over the map. "The UZN's command structure has all but disintegrated. The Drakken Emperess is presumed dead. Their armies are exhausted and collapsing in on themselves. We should be striking the final blows to finish them off and free their people from tyranny. Instead, we are forced to turn in on ourselves, to deal with a problem that should never have existed in the first place."
How very true, Shepard thought. We should not need to do this. The problem should have been rubbed out at the source, not left to grow like some malignant cancer. He shook his head.
"This situation is unforgivable." He continued. "Hydra's mission is to bring freedom and security to the peoples of the Shelflands. Yet we cannot do this if these malcontents are allowed to prosper. Several other groups of radicals and reactionaries have been allowed to join these rebels, including the remnants of the rebellious Wastelands Protectors" He glanced at Taupe.
"Mister Taupe, you were the one who was charged with ending this rebellion. You also were charged with eliminating the remnants of the Protectors. Yet you have managed to do neither." The Great one continued. All eyes in the room turned towards Taupe, who seemed to visibly shrink. "Is there any reason why you have not done such?"
"I..." Taupe began. "I felt that by negotiating with the insurgents then we could create a peaceful solution, one that would prevent further bloodshed." he stammered out. "I felt that, uh, heavy-handed tactics would fail to win anon over. After all, uh, Hydra's mission is to bring peace and prosperity to all, isn't it?" He seemed to be making this up on the fly, as if he was farming for excuses.
"While we do have that noble mission, you have severely misunderstood the way we shall execute it." the Great One continued. "Those who oppose the new order shall be rooted out and eliminated. Any disruptive elements that threaten the stability of the new world cannot be tolerated." His eyes narrowed. "That you have allowed this rebellion to prosper for six months is unacceptable, Taupe. Added to the fact is that the rebel Protectors had survived for over three years previously, and one has to question your fitness for your position."
"Great One, I..." he began. "I meant to... that is to say-"
And then, just as suddenly, his image froze mid speech. For a few seconds, it stood there like a statue, and then abruptly vanished. For a moment, there was silence before the Great One spoke again. "Shepard, you have been one of my best officers since the start of this war." He began. "I will place you in charge of suppressing this rebellion. Your troops will seek out and destroy it, and utterly eradicate it form the face of this world. Do not rest until they are gone. The fate of our new world depends on you."
He bowed. "Your will, my life, great one."
The room faded then vanished, replaced moments later with his own quarters. Shepard waited a few minutes to orientate himself, to refocus on his body. Every time he took part in one of these conferences, it happened, but of late it seemed that the amount of disorientation afterwards was getting longer and longer. Dismissing it, he stood and headed out to the main briefing room.
"Captain Watanabe, prepare all troops for redeployment." He began. "We have been tasked with ending this rebellion for once and for all."
"Yes, sir." Watanabe replied. "It will be good to end this stain on our new order."
He nodded. "Contact Councilor Taupe and have him prepare to receive our troops. And we'll want all the information they has on the enemy forces."
"There is a problem with that, Major." Taro replied.
"What is this?" John snarled. He didn't like the unexpected. He was a meticulous planner, one who liked to know every detail of what was about to occur. The last thing he wanted to deal with was internal strife within Hydra. "Has Taupe tried to block our takeover of the situation?"
"No, sir." He replied. "Taupe has just died. I was informed only moments before the end of your meeting, Sho-Sa."
Just died? But I was talking to him in the conference... He remembered the way that Taupe's image had suddenly frozen and then vanished in the middle of his speech. He'd thought that he'd simply been disconnected. And to have just been discovered... it would have had to have happened during the meeting. "How did he die?"
"They are not entirely sure, sir." Taro admitted. "But it appears that, well, his head exploded. From the inside out."
It... exploded? But how? He asked himself. Then he rubbed the back of his own head, remembering the implanted circuitry. Could it be that it was connected to this system? "A regrettable loss, but one that will not effect our overall progress." He eventually finished. "Taro, once we are done here, however, I'm interested in your doing some research for me."
"Sho-Sa?"
"I'm curious as to the exact nature of the system that I and the other Hydra commanders use to communicate. I'm hoping that your scientific knowledge may be able to help."
"I shall do what I can, Sho-Sa." He said as he saluted.
"Very good. For now, however, we have other concerns." And when these rebels face me, they will wish that they had surrendered to Taupe's pitiful terms.
oOoOo
Lone Tree Hill
Western Front, The Wastelands
1700 hours
"Frel this for a lark." Sandra muttered as she surveyed the battlefield. "I'm getting sick to death of victories like this."
"Yeah, but look on the upside. " Rick replied. "This one actually achieved something."
"I guess so." She muttered as she looked over it again. Below her was a torn and cratered field, littered with the mangled and burnt-out wrecks of innumerable Zoids, as well as the bodies of their pilots and other support forces. Several Gustavs moved amongst them trying to recover any salvageable machines, while field medics did what they could for the surviving pilots. It was a grim situation and, sadly, one that they were very used to.
In the last six months, the Hydra opposition to Zygra's rebel coalition (For want of a better title, Sandra had always thought) had become a lot more determined. They'd gone form merely responding to their attacks to launching preemptive strikes of their own, striking at Zygra's and the territory that they'd claimed. They'd also become a lot more ruthless, often attacking civilian settlements merely to draw Zygra's forces out. And while, for the moment they maintained the upper hand, their losses were mounting. Hydra, on the other hand, enjoyed far greater resources, and could keep up this style of warfare a lot longer then Zygra could.
Which is why today's battle had been so important and, despite the mess on the battlefield, it had been a significant victory.
A Koenig Wolf, battered but still functional, walked over to the pair of them. Though its armour was scored, the UZN insignias were still clearly visible on its shoulders. All up, it didn't look too bad, given that it had been in the field for something like four years, and had likely seen action against the Draken army before that. That it had survived this long through so much was a testament to the pilot's skill and ability. The fact that he had managed to keep a portion of his unit alive said even more about him.
And you know that this isn't going to be easy, Sandra mentally added.
The Wolf's cockpit opened, its pilot clambering out to join her and Rick. She instantly recongised him, despite the fact that it had been something like four years since she had last spoken to him, and longer still since she had last seen him in person. Which, of course, makes it even worse. She shook her head. Life is just perfect like this, you know.
"Colonel Tateo." She began as he approached. "So good to see you again."
"We're friend, Sandra." He began. "You can just call me Tsueno."
"Sure." She smirked as she looked over him. There were liens on his face that hadn't been there before, and certainly he'd lost weight, but he otherwise looked to be surprisingly close to how he'd been when she last saw him. She knew that the same wasn't the case for herself. She'd managed to gain a few new scars in the last few years, and knew that there was more then just a touch of grey in her formerly thick black hair. "Either way, I'm happy. And me being happy, well, that's rare enough to be a calendar event."
Tsueno smiled and nodded. "And good to see you too, Rick." He added.
"Yeah, well, what can i say?" Rick shrugged. "We're all lucky to be alive, so I guess its goes to see anyone."
"More then that, its good to know that all that I've heard about this uprising is true." He continued.
"Well, not all of it." Sandra indicated at the debris-strewn battlefield. "We're nowhere near as successful as they'd have you believe."
"Regardless, it opens up another front, and forces Hydra to turn inwards. This in turn relives the pressure off us, which is something that we badly need."
"That good, huh?" Sandra asked. "We don't get much but second hand news here. I put it down to our intelligence gathering service, which basically amounts to leaning into conversations in bars and saying 'can you speak up a bit, please?'"
Tsuneo managed a small chuckle off that. "That good, huh?" He shook his head. "But the sad fact is that the UZN's armies are on the verge of collapse. Our command structure is barely holding together, and our supplies are critically low. We can barely keep our men fed and our Zodis going, and a single big push could easily split us and shatter us. You've been holding that big push back."
"So how are the Draks going?" She asked.
"We know very little, and they're not talking." He shook his head again. "Their armies seem to be in the same shape as ours, and there's reports that Empress Fyre is dead or missing or both. But we don't really know for sure; for every report that says she was killed, there's another one of her heroically leading the troops form the front. So basically we need to figure whose propaganda is less untrue."
"Nice." She smirked.
"Damn, why do i have this image of the Zombies of Emperors past suddenly riding up to smite the evil invaders?" Rick began.
"Because you're an idiot." Sandra replied.
"Probably." He smiled, then glanced at the pair of them. "Tell you what, I'll go and, uh, look over my Zoid's power couplings. I think that they're faulty or something. Yeah."
"At any rate, this is literally the break we need." Tsuneo continued. "Linking up with you guys means we can cut off and encircle Hydra groups, and hopefully begin to push them back. Its a major breakthrough for us."
"It gets better." Sandra offered. "What you many not have heard is that the Zygra rebellion started in what was basically a labour camp and since then we've been freeing other camps. In doing such, we're undercutting Hydra's supply lines. Trust me, it makes a difference."
"I have noticed that they've been a bit more conservative with their battle planning." He commented. "I thought it was just the fact that they had to divert forces."
"Glad to know it's having some benefit for you." She shook her head. "Because thy seem to like throwing everything they have at us. Maybe we're just that popular."
"It could be." Tsuneo finished.
Sandra smiled ruefully. "Okay, let's stop messing around here." She began. "You're here to see the big man. More to the point, you're here to see him so the UZN can form some sort of working alliance to save their collective bony rear ends."
"This much is true."
"And as nice as it is to stand around and gasbag all day, you've got work to do." She finished. "So get on with it, please."
"Sandra?" He asked. "You okay there?"
"Fine." She muttered as she shrugged. "As nice as it is to see you again... its just not the right time for socialising." She shook her head. "And you have both a job to do and a planet to save." She turned around, gesturing at a group of tents set up on one side of the battlefield. A battered red and black Genobreaker, a Zoid that had become almost a symbol of the rebellion, was standing next to them. "He's down there."
"Thanks Sandra." Tsuneo replied as he walked past her. "For everything."
"Yeah." She finished after he was gone. "And thanks." Sandra smiled to herself.
oOoOo
Shelf Ridge
Acronian Republic
0230 Hours
After the Acronians had left the UZN on the eve of their war with the Draken Empire, they had retreated and resumed their old isolation by sealing themselves off form the outside world. While initially some in the UZN believed that they would eventually come round, the Acronians had shown that they were determined to seal themselves off by erecting a series of massive force domes over their cities. Seemingly impenetrable, the domes had resisted all efforts to penetrate them. The Acrionians hadn't even responded to the handful off attempts the UZN had made, confident in the superiority of their technology. Giving up, the UZN had decided to let them be.
In the aftermath of the initial Hydra assault, the UZN once again turned its attention to the Acronians. This time, survivors from the government had come begging and pleading, hoping that the Acronians would unleash some of their technological terrors aginst the invaders. Again the Acronians had remained silent. However, at the same time, Hydra hadn't tried to attack them either. In fact, Hydra's forces seemed to have deliberately given as wide a berth to the Acronian republic as possible.
This had led to a trend where UZN forces would try to escape from their opponents by simply entering the Acronian's territory and try to get as close to one of the domes as possible. While they couldn't get in, it at least allowed them to rest and find some measure of shelter. On occasion, a small Hydra hunter group would follow them in and try to dislodge them. While it meant that the Acrionain Republic provided only a temporary shelter, it was better then nothing.
Communications Sergeant Bob was the acting commander of one such group. He'd been separated from the rest of his unit during a battle and wound up instead collecting a group of other displaced troops following him. Not all of them were regular UZN forces either; some were form the UZSAF, some form the RCFA and even a few grim-faced survivors form the Cronos Militia. They'd made him the leader because he was the highest ranked member, and had the most experience. This was less then reassuring.
On the upside, he hadn't seen that idiot Starling since the initial Hydra attacks, which meant that things were not all bad.
His unit had taken refuge inside Acronian territory for the moment, using it as a chance to rest up and repair some of their more damaged Zoids. Despite the successes being enjoyed by the UZN forces and their allies, those Zygra guys, the war was far from won. Often, small units like his had to do whatever it took to just stay alive. It wasn't an easy life, so any breaks were appreciated.
Because his Zoid had the best sensors and, more to the point, he was the only electronic warfare specialist in the whole unit, Bob had the unenviable job of leading their night watch. While most of the unit slept, he and a handful of others were up and about, making sure that no Hunter-Killer units snuck up on them.
Fortunately, it had been quiet. That was something that Bob liked. He preferred it to be quiet. He preferred it when there was nobody around. Frankly, he'd be happy if Hydra surrendered tomorrow and he never ever needed to see action in his life. Dull and boring was the way he liked it. And fortunately, so far, their little holiday in Acronia had been just that.
Two-thirty am and nothing happening, he thought to himself as he checked the Gorheks' sensors. Good. Maybe we'll stay here just a little longer then. He knew that his unit would be useful helping out at the front but, for now, he was content to have a well-deserved break. Besides, he wasn't sure how much nine Zoids could actually achieve.
His thoughts were interrupted by a beep form the sensors, warning of an inbound target. Ah hell, he thought. Not now... He looked over the scope, spotting the enemy Zoid as it approached. it looked to be mid-sized and moving reasonably fast, probably the better part of 200 klicks per. More ominously, it wasn't registering on his IFF. While he could tell it wasn't friendly, it also may not have necessarily been a Hydra Zoid. And its very odd for them to send a single Zoid...
"All units," he called over the comms channel. "We have an inbound unidentified Zoid. Stand by to intercept, but do not fire until I order it or unless fired upon." He didn't want to take any risks and start a fight; at the same time, he wasn't prepared to be completely undefended.
"Roger that" One of his men replied, their Arosaurer puling up alongside his Zoid. "We're ready for them."
"Good." Bob nodded as he checked his scope again. The Gorheks' sensors analysed the Zoid, deducing that it was apparently a Command Wolf. More to the point, it deduced that it was a very early model Command Wolf, a version that had long since been superseded and was now almost never seen. "That's odd... I don't think he's a Hydra Zoid."
"Then what is it?" Someone asked.
"I'm not sure. But stay alert." He finished.
Moments later, the enemy Zoid bolted across the nearest hill, suddenly turning and running across the lien of his unit. It was clear that the enemy pilot wasn't hostile; they'd just exposed themselves to fire form his entire squad without attacking themselves. At the same time, through his Zoids light enhancement systems, he could see that it was indeed an old-model Command Wolf; furthermore, it was very battered and worn.
"Who are you?" He called out. "Identify yourself!"
"I cannot wait!" A voice replied. It sounded odd to Bob's ears, being very flat and metallic, like a voice synthesizer more then anything else. "My mission is too important!"
The Zoid belted away from Bob's team, dashing up a hill. "The hell?" Bob began. "He's heading for the dome!" He opened up the Gorheks throttle. "He won't make it in!" The Zoid stomped after the Command Wolf, trying its best to keep up but instead rapidly falling behind. "Hey! Come back here! They're not going to let you in!"
Below him, the Wolf charged headlong towards the dome. Bob was convinced that it was going to strike the dome and explode or just bounce off or something like that. There was no way that the Wolf would be able to break through it. Instead, however, something very odd happened. A portal opened at the base of the dome, just big enough for the Zoid to enter through. Then, as soon as it was inside, it closed shut again.
"What... the hell was that?" He began to himself.
"Sarge?" The Arosaurer's pilot asked. "Where'd the Wolf go?"
"I have no idea." He finished, shaking is head.
"You don't think it was..." The Arosaurer pilot began. "Well, you know..."
There were legends that the Shelf Ridge was haunted by the sprits of the thousands of UZN solders who had died here during the Technology Wars. Some said that their ghosts lived on, ripped form their bodies by the horrible technologies that the Acronians had employed. Bob had never believed in that, thinking that it was nothing but suppositious nonsense. "Stop being silly, Soldier." He replied.
"So what should we do?"
"We shall wait." He replied. "And continue our refit period. Until, uh, we're ready to go."
"Yes, sir." The Arosaurer pilot finished, the two Zoids headed back to the camp.
For the rest of the night, nothing further happened. Nor did anything occur during the day while Bob was resting and everyone else worked on their Zoids. In fact, as he got back to his job of the night watch, Bob was ready to pass it off as some sort of freak occurrence or maybe a delusion bought about by all that he'd been through and a lack of sleep. It'd be easy enough to believe that the Command Wolf had never been there at all.
And then, almost twenty-four hours after the Wolf appeared, his sensors went crazy.
The first thing that happened was an immense heat spike that patently came from inside the Acronian dome. Moments later, the ground began to shake underneath his Zoid's feet. While the quadruped Gorheks remained stable, the two Arosaurers with him shook and stumbled, only barly able to retain their footing.
"What's happening?" Someone called out. "Is it an earthquake? Are we under attack?"
"I don't know!" Bob shouted back. "There's stuff all over my scope. Its going crazy here!"
"It's an attack!" Another voice shouted out. "Goddamn Hydra's gonna nuke us all!"
"Just... stay calm!" Bob shouted, even though he was about to panic himself. "Stay calm and- the dome!"
The massive green dome that covered the nearby Acronian city has begun to drop, peeling back from its very peak and slowly rolling down to the ground. In the distance, he could see other domes doing the same. "What... what is this?" Somebody asked. Bob couldn't answer; he was staring in slack-jawed amazement.
"Sarge, what do we do?"
"Guh?"
"Sarge?"
"Umm..." He began, then was cut off as his sensors went crazy again. There was a massive burst of light, and a thick cloud of smoke bellowing up form within the nearby Acronian city, followed by some immeasurably large object lifting from the ground on a pillar of smoke and flames. It was so big, that its radar return flooded the scope, overwhelming everything around it. Not that Bob noticed, he was to busy staring up at it in awe. "What... what is it?"
The massive object, and others like it, rose into the night. Bob watched them for as long as he could before, even with their massive bulk, they became too small and too indistinct to see. Even then, he remained looking at the sky, watching it to see what else may happen.
And then the sky burst into flames.
Massive explosions rippled across the heavens. Brilliant beams of energy criss-crossed each other, stabbing at unseen targets. And objects fell from the sky, tracing fiery trails across the night before burning up. The battle (for that's what Bob assumed it was) continued on until dawn; then the light of the sun blotted out anything going on above. Despite that, he had no idea if it was over, or merely continuing unseen to those below.
"Sarge?" One of his men finally asked. "What the hell was that?"
"I don't know." He replied. "Really, I don't."
oOoOo
Westreach Command Center
Hydra Protectorate, The Wastelands
1130 Hours
John Shepard sat up, shaking his head and looking around the room, trying to make out exactly where he was. The first thing he could see was Taro Watanabe standing over him, clad in a long red labcoat. "Ah, Sho-Sa. You are awake."
"Awake?" He began. "What happened?" As his vision cleared, he realised where he was, being the infirmary in the heart of his command center at Westreach. "And when did I get here?"
"You collapsed two days ago, Major Shepard." Taro continued.
"I did?" He asked. "That... doesn't make any sense." He tried to remember what was going on. His mind seemed leaden and dull, and recent details were very hazy. "What was going on?"
"You had ordered us to go to ready stations and prepare for immediate action." Taro explained. "Due to what was happenign in the sky."
"The sky?"
"The strange lights." He continued. "Then you abruptly collapsed in the middle of the command center. We rushed you here."
"I vaguely recall that..." John nodded. He did recall an urgent warning coming across their special communications system about an imminent large scale attack, and all Hydra forces being needed for... something. But there was no indication of where the attack was coming from or what was being attacked. And while both the rebel forces and the surviving aggressors had been gaining in both strength and numbers, there was no way they could launch an attack across Hydra's entire front, especially with nobody knowing.
And then it all went blank.
"So what has happened since then?" He asked.
"We have been on standby awaiting your orders." Taro offered. "Or orders from anyone else."
"And?"
"None have come." Taro shook his head. "Communications have been silent since then at about the point that you collapsed. We haven't heard anything from any of the other members of Hydra since then."
"Nothing at all?" he began. "But..."
"There is one other matter, Major." Taro continued. "While you were unconscious, I took a number of readings of the cybernetic implants that you received, and compared them to my earlier findings. What I found was rather odd."
"Explain."
"The system inside your head is inert, Major." He explained. "It is no longer functioning in any way. It is no longer powered, and is not sending or receiving data. Furthermore, while i was never able to locate an exact point of origin for the data that was being sent to it, that dataflow has also since ceased. Whereas before it was operational continuously, apparently, being piggybacked though Hydra's high-end communication channels, the system is now completely nonfunctional."
"So what you are saying is that I have been cut off from the network, correct?"
"Ahi, Sho-Sa." He nodded. "However, I believe that there is more then just that."
"Go on."
"Hydra's entire command network appears to be dead." He continued. "I have lost communication with all other Hydra systems and facilities. Even my back doors into the Pinnacle Base computer system are no longer reachable. In essence, Hydra's entire command structure has been decapitated and removed."
"I see." He nodded. "This is indeed a grave development." Shepard pondered matters. "Get me a communications channel though secondary sources. I want to see if I can asses the situation for myself."
"Sho-Sa, I have already planned for such a need." He indicated to a bedside table which had a commns terminal mounted on it. "Our full resources are at your disposal."
"Thank you, Taro. You are truly an asset to our organisation."
"I love only to serve you, Major."
As I do for the great one, he mentally added. But now it was less a repetition of fact, and more of a need to reassure himself.
He activated the communicator, keying in several commands. "Last I heard, the Eisenwulf were the nearest other group to our own being assigned to aid us in the hunting down and extermination of the rebels. Let us see what their status is."
The monitor remained blank for a moment before activating, the face of a young man on the screen. "Y-yes?" He nervously began.
"Is this the Eisenwulf command center?" Shepard demanded.
"Yes it is, and-"
"I need to speak to commander Albion immediately." He snapped.
"That will not be possible." Another voice cut off. A red-haired man walked in, pushing aside the technician. "Commander Albion is indisposed at the moment."
Indisposed? He wondered. Or completely incapacitated as well? Let us see. "I require to speak to her on a mater of great urgency." He continued.
"Commander Albion is currently undergoing treatment after a recent illness."
"Very well then." He continued. "As she ins incapacitated, I will take command of your forces."
"On who's authority?" The man demanded.
"For the benefit of Hydra as a whole." Shepard stared. "I need your forces in order to root out and destroy the rebellion."
"Unless you have orders from supreme command, I will not allow you to commandeer my men." He angrily replied. "Until we receive orders to the contrary, we will remain here under Hydra's orders. If you wish to negotiate a joint operation, then speak to commander Albion when she is able. Until then, we shall remain in our base awaiting further orders from high command." He terminated the connection before John could add anything else.
"So then this is not an isolated incident", he offered to Taro. "And it does appear that Hydra's command structure may be compromised."
"Your orders, Sho-Sa?"
"As regrettable as it sounds, I feel that our best option is to remain here and monitor the situation for the moment." He explained. "This may be only a temporary situation. We shall adopt a defensive posture, and respond to the enemy for now."
"And... if the situation does not resolve, Sho-Sa? What then?"
"Then we shall consider our options, Taro." He replied. "The time may come to take matters into our own hands, especially of our situation becomes nonviable."
"Hai."
"For now, I will need to think about this." He continued. "Thank you for bringing me up to speed, Taro, but I think that I do need some more rest. I shall call you if I need you."
"Hai." Taro repeated, then left.
John sank back into the bed, closing his eyes and concentrating. he reached out, trying to find the familiar connection to the rest of Hydra. However, there was nothing there. He was cut off, all alone, separated from the rest of the world.
All of a sudden, the situation looked very grim.
oOoOo
Operational Planning Center
Gayos, The Wastelands
1200 Hours
Zygra and Dezalg strode across the heavily-guarded courtyard in the center of the fortified town, headed for the imposing structure at its center. Whereas once Gayos had been a small town, it had grown dramatically in the seven years since Dezalg's uprising and Zygra's defection. Now it was the nerve center of his operations, part of the ongoing war against he Hydra forces.
A war that they were, slowly but surely, winning.
Things had begun to change a year ago after a strange series of events that still defied explanation. Some sort of massive battle had taken place above the planet between two completely unknown forces. The battle had raged for several days, with nobody on the ground having any idea as to what was really going on. At the end of it, there was no sign of either force involved; either they had both been destroyed, or they had retreated to beyond the planet's orbit.
The effect of this battle, however, had been considerable. Hydra's command structure had seemed to completely disintegrate afterwards. Their various units lost cohesion, devolving form one centralised army into innumerable smaller factions. And while they were still unified towards a common goal and allied with each other, they were clearly far less able to coordinate with each other. This had lead to a series of stunning victories in which the forces of the UZN, the Draken Empire and Zygra's rebel coalition had managed to push back the Hydra forces on all fronts.
Hydra's forces had managed to consolidate themselves and, following their considerable losses, and had realigned themselves into several larger groups composed of smaller factions. However, it was clear that the monolithic force that had started the war was long gone, and that the smaller groups it had degenerated into were far from stable.
The effect was considerable. Now, instead of planning to win battles, they were planning to win the war. And, more to the point, they had to consider what would happen afterwards. This war had changed the face of Zi, and it would be impossible to go back to the status quo afterwards.
"Nervous?" Dezalg asked as they entered the command center.
"How could I not be?" Zygra asked. "I'm facing the two most powerful people on the planet - assuming that Hydra doesn't have a supreme leader any more - and asking them to do what I tell them to. I'd be insane if I wasn't"
"True that." Dezalg admitted. "I'm also going to assume that you're not going to make mention of the nature of your relationship with Ambassador Lowitz?"
"That truly would be insanity." Dezalg continued. "If that one comes up, they'll rip chunks off me and leave me out to dry." He shook his head. "I'll leave that one until after the war, when wee have thins... more settled."
"Good luck then." He continued. "Because you will need it."
They stepped into the war room, looking over the four people gathered around the table. On his left was Sectary-General Morris Zun'jin, the commander in chief of the UZN. Of only average height and build, not to mention balding, he still cut an impressive figure in his military uniform. His reputation as one of the greatest military leaders in the UZN's history more then made up for any shortcomings of his appearance. Next to him stood his aide, ambassador Celeste Lowitz. In her early forties, she was attired in a sharp suit, her brown hair tied into a neat bun. Zygra eyed her briefly as he entered the room, but wisely didn't linger, especially after seeing the two figures on the other side.
Whereas Zun'jin had opted for a regular uniform and Lowitz had gone for a simple suit, Empress Myrinda Fyre had chosen to demonstrate her rank and power. She was clad in an ornate black and red uniform, complete with gold braiding, flared shoulders and a long cape. The uniform and her fiery-red hair almost belied her slight shape and relative youth, making her seem a lot larger then she was. Her aide, General McDairmid, was similarly impressive. While his uniform was simpler then hers, he towered over everyone else in the room. The scarred right half of his face only seemed to make his demeanor more fierce.
"I want to thank you all for coming here today." He began. "I would like to get started as quickly as possible, as we have a lot of work to do. The future of the entire Shelflands depends on what we do here today."
He pressed a few buttons on the table's control panel, bringing up a large-scale map of the Shelflands. A second wash overlaid the political borders as they existed before the war. "As things stand now, we will never be able to return to the status quo that we enjoyed before the war." He explained. "In the UZN, Chronos has been reduced to an uninhabitable wasteland that will be toxic for centuries, if not millennia to come. Merdia has also been all but destroyed, while the leadership of the Jacal tribes in the Western Wastes have thrown their support behind Hydra.
He turned to Myrinda and her aide. "In the Drakken Empire, the Auroran province has broken away from the Emprie and remained an independent power, while numerous other areas have been devastated by warfare. The independent nations of the Shelflands have also suffered; Krupp's government chose to support Hydra, while the leadership of the Vinterlands was overthrown and also replaced with a pro-Hydra regime. The Newbrough highlands and the Southern Territories have both collapsed into anarchy, with no clear leadership and no indications of any replacements." He didn't want to mention the Acronian republic, which was still considered by the UZN to be a part of it.
"The other problem is this." He glanced over both leaders. "Hydra only triumphed because they took advantage of the situation that existed prior to the start of the war. With two large nations who had a history of antagonism, it was relatively easy of them to manipulate you into starting a war, one that they took advantage of to further their aims. And while both your governments have survived the war, it's become cleaqr that we cannot allow a return to the status quo. We would end up defeating Hydra, only to face another war between your powers."
Nobody in the room seemed to deny this conclusion, but at the same time, they didn't seem to be offended by this statement or seek to deny it. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if both powers had already considered it. Instead, Zun'jin stepped forward. "So then what do you propose, mister Zygra?" He asked, making sure not to give him any form of rank or recognition. "How would you stop a war?"
"That is what I have bought you here for." He explained. "I have a proposal that would redress the balance of power in the Shelflands, and end the risk of a large scale war once and for all."
He pressed another series of buttons, and the map chained. This time, while it retained the familiar red of the Draken Empire and the blue of the UZN, a sizable portion the map was covered in a soft purple colour. The purple area centered on the Wastelands, but spilled over into other areas. The Vitnerlands, most of the Newborough Highlands, Krupp, Tulan and almost all of the Southern Territories were inside it. More importantly, it also claimed the Western wastes, half of Daantoon, a portion of Glade and a substantial part of the Drakken Empire. The eastern portion of the Newborough highlands, as well as the western end of the Southern Territories were handed to the Emporia and UZN respectively, but that didn't begin to equate to the amount of territory they would give up.
"What is this?" Fyre began, almost snarling at him. "You would take our territories... for what?"
"This is my proposal." He explained. "To prevent your nations from going to war, I will create a new nation between them. If one of you wishes to invade the other, then they will frost have to fight their way through a neutral buffer state. And if you both decide to invade, then you both will weaken your forces against those defending it." he glanced around the room. "At the same time, this nation would readily aid both the UZN and the Empire if either requested it. You would both gain an ally while reducing the threat to your own nation."
"And what are you giving up?" He continued. "The territories I am asking form your nations are ones that have already been devastated by war, or who's governments have already collapsed or been subverted by Hydra. The same goes for the independent nations that would be absorbed. And as both your powers have long since disregarded the Wastlands as worthless, there would be no loss to you."
"What you ask of us is difficult." Zun'jin began, rubbing his chin. "Giving our lands away to form a new nation would initially seem to be counterproductive. At the same time, I can see the long-term advantages that it would bring."
"And I can aso see that you have made this deal far more favorable to the UZN." Empress Fyre continued. "However, I can see that, if they consent to it, we would have no other option. You're blackmailing us into cooperating, Zygra."
"I am not going to force anyone's hand." He replied, shaking his head. "All I ask is that you consider this proposal. I am not trying to build my own empire - in fact, I have no desire to rule this new nation. Instead, what I am doing is creating a new nation that will give all the peoples of this world a chance at peace. That's all I really want; a chance for us to step back from the brink and rebuild our world and create a lasting peace. That is what I'm asking you to consider."
Fyre glared at him, clearly not happy about what he was proposing while, at the same time, trying to think of a good excuse to disagree with him. "Very well. So what would you have us do then?" She snapped.
It was some hours later that he emerged from the meeting, clear relief on his face. "Well that went about as well as could be expected." Dezlag began. "I'm pretty sure that Myrinda was ready to tear your throat out right there for even suggesting it."
"She probably was." He agreed. "However, at the same time, even she would have to see the benefits of the plan. I doubt that even the people of the Drasken Empire could stand rolling into another war just after this one."
"Well, seventeen continual years of wartime living is a lot for anyone." Dezalg commented. "I doubt they want it to be any more then they need. And McDairmid seemed to be pretty good at holding her back."
"True that." He nodded. "Clearly she's willing to listen to him, if not me."
"I'm just glad you didn't raise your plans for either the Aurorans or for the mutual disarmament there." Dezalg added. "I don't think anything would have spared you then."
"I felt that it would be bet to ease them into our view for a new world, Hermann." He smirked. "Otherwise, I think we would have had gunshots and another war right there." They both laughed, in spite of the serious situation. "And with that, I think I shall leave you to it if you wish to conduct further, more personal negotiations."
"What?" He began, then glanced around. He could see Ambassador Lowitz standing near one of the buildings, her bodyguard's back turned for the moment. "Ah. Thank you, my friend."
"Anytime." Dezalg finished as he walked away.
Seeing his chance, he headed over to where Celeste was waiting. "You're brave." She began as he approached.
"I think that it has to be done" He simply stated. "You've seen first hand what Hydra can do. We can't allow that to happen again."
"I'd prefer not to think about it, but yes." She admitted. "A few years in a Hydra prison camp does give you a certain perspective on things. I think that I can help persuade the UZN and bring them around."
"Thanks for that, Celeste. It's... its going to be a great help."
"Its the least I can do for you." She smiled. "Don't worry, the UZN don't know about what's going on with us."
"So then Nathan-"
"Is the child of another former prisoner, at least for now." She finished. "It's not to far off the truth. But he does miss his father."
"I miss him too." Zygra shook his head. "But for now, we have bigger concerns; ones that our personal lives can't get in the way of."
"Agreed there." She finished. "So do you really think that this can work?"
"It has to, Celeste." He nodded. "It has to, for all our sakes."
oOoOo
Smoke billowed up from the broken fortress, choking the sky with dark, oily black clouds. Innumerable Zoids lay strewn around it, their twisted and burnt bodies lying where they fell. In the distance, the odd explosion punctuated the sky with a sound like distant thunder. Their number and intensity had been decreasing for some time now, but they still came.
Zygra watched the scene unfold form his field headquarters. While it was some distance back, the realtime information he was getting from his troops kept him informed of the situation. He could see that there were several firefights still ongoing between Hydra Zoids and his own forces, but thy were quickly becoming very one-sided affairs. The disturbing downside was that the Hydra troops, while outnumbered and outgunned, were choosing to stand their ground and fight to the death, rather then take the sensible option and surrender.
That wasn't what concerned him right now. A squad of troops had made it into the center of the complex and were headed for the subterranean bunker where the last of the Hydra leadership were sheltering form the raging battle. Their objective was to take as many of them alive as possible. It was vital that they did such, simply to stop something like hits from ever happening again. It was also their last chance to get a look into Hydra's inner leadership.
This fortress was the last Hydra stronghold on the entire continent. It and two others like it had been targeted for simultaneous assaults in an effort to not only end the Hydra threat, but to capture their leadership and to try and find the full truth behind them. It was disturbing that, in over thirteen years, they had never find any trace of the controlling power that was running the organisation. Somebody had managed to collect many disparate organisations and transform them into a monstrous army that had nearly conquered the whole world. Somebody had put together an arsenal of WMDs that had neatly laid waste to the continent, and somebody had managed to get them into orbit. And they needed to know who.
The other two assaults hadn't yielded any information. The personnel Western Fortress, which had been attacked by the UZN, had chosen to blow themselves up rather then be captured. Using a nuclear weapon to vaporise the fortress, they had also destroyed most of the UZN force in the process. The Draken forces attacking the Eastern fortress had then decided to take no precautions, and had used a team of Deathsaurers and Sesimosaurs to reduce it to a glassy crater. These sorts of tactics had become regrettably commonplace in the Empire's actions. A year ago, they'd reduced Krupp to a nuclear wasteland with neutron weapons, obstinately to take it out of the war. In truth, Zygra wondered if it wasn't simply because Krupp would be incorporated into his new nation afterwards.
It made capturing this one fortress and its personnel even more vital. It was the last surviving concentration of Hydra commanders, and their last chance to find the truth. And while the war was over, without the fill truth, they would never be able to close the book on Hydra. there would always be some degree of uncertainty, a lack of proof that the threat was fully over.
Another loud explosion shook him, this one bigger then the previous ones. "Dezalg, what's happening there?" He began, calling to his infiltration team.
"Not sure... but it was on the surface. We're fine." Dezalg called back over the comms channel.
Zygra nodded as he glanced at the tactical display. several Icons representing Hydra Zoids winked and faded out of existence. "How are things going there?"
"We're nearly there." Dezalg continued. "So far resistance has been very light. I think that they weren't expecting us to get inside while the main fight is still going on out there. That or we've overestimated their forces, and they have literally nothing left to guard."
"Their infantry have been present above, but they have also been rather thin on the ground." Zygra replied. "So just be careful. They may be planning some sort of last stand, or possibly an escape under armed cover."
"I'd love to know how thy pan on getting out of here." Dezalg commented. "We're in real deep here. I don't see hoe you could get out any other way. This place is rock solid down here."
"Right. so they're cornered. They could be even more dangerous then."
"Could be." He continued. "But then if we catch them, we may just... hold up. We're here."
Zygra listened in anticipation as the squad took their places. "Charges ready!" Somebody called over the channel.
"Blow it!" Dezlag shouted back. There was a muffled blast, followed by the sound of crashing metal. "Move, move, move!" Dezalg yelled, the clattering of guns and the sound of running men filling the air. "Everyone! Drop your weapons and lie on the... ah hell!"
"What?" Zygra began. "What's going on?"
"We've found them." Dezalg began. "But-"
"Oh, gods... what reeks in here?" Another voice cut him off.
"-They're dead." Dezalg finished. "All of them."
Zygra shook his head. "What's happened?"
"Not sure." He finished. "But I'd say that they were all shot, probably at least a day ago." He paused. "In fact, I'd say that they were probably executed not too long after we began our attack. We'll need to get forensics in here but... They're definitely dead. The action outside isn't a defense, its just them trying to tke down as many of us as possible with them."
"Damn it." He muttered. "This isn't what I wanted."
"Well, looks like the war's over." Dezalg added. "Barring cleaning up what's outside. I guess we can be thankful for that much."
"I suppose so." He finished. "But then... will it ever be over? I mean, without Hydra's leaders, we still don't know the truth. We probably never will."
oOoOo
As night fell across the charred valley, the small group retreated to inside their camp. The pilots hid in the shelter of their Zoids, using them as cover from anything that may have survived the fires and may still be lurking. Unbeknownst to them, however, they were not the only people in the valley that night.
After it was dark, a train of Zoids entered the valley through the same cave that the other groups had entered though. The area around it was still smoldering in places, which meant that the small group of pilots hadn't stayed near it. They felt that they didn't need to either; the only other people who knew of this valley were apparently the Red Claw, who were unlikely to come back here after suffering such losses and destroying the place. Unfortunately, they were wrong.
A black and blue Leoboalze, along with a matching Unenalgia, entered the valley first, sweeping the area for any immediate threats. Behind them entered a train of Gustavs, as well as several Tanks. The Gustavs had large tankers on their trailers, while the Tanks were towing standard troop transports. The Zoids rolled into the valley, heading towards the central pyramid complex. While the bulk of the valley shielded them from the small group of renegade Zoids, they proceeded cautiously, not wanting to risk detection and an engagement.
A pity, Jaeger thought as he followed the train in an Arosaurer, a Zoid that he had requisitioned as his own for the mission. We have a chance to take theat woman right here. However, with that Blackstar around... He shook his head. No, we will focus on the mission at hand. We will have other chances to acquire her later. The column moved through the devastated jungle, its crew paying no he'd to the destruction around them. Instead, they spent their time watching out for ant signs of potential attackers.
After an agonizingly long trip, the column halted outside the main pyramid complex. The Tanks formed a corral around he Gustavs, unloading their troops who faned out to cordon off the area. Within minutes, technicians were running feed tubes form the Gustav tankers into one of the pyramids. Soon afterwards, pumps inside the tankers activated, beginning to siphon the thick red liquid form the depths of the pit into the transports.
"All systems are operational, sir." A tech reported. "The thickness of the liquid does make it slow going, however. It'll be a few hours before we're good to go."
"Understandable." Jaeger replied. "But it will be worth it. This is an important moment, not only for us but for the whole world." He looked over the charred forest. "From today, the world will change."
