The Shelflands Saga II

by Deadborder

A young woman leaves her home to find answers to qustions in her past. Along the way, she finds a world that is differnt to what she expected, but strangely familiar.

37. Distant Thunder

Nobody living on the Shelflands had known exactly what happened on that night when the huge Acronian ships had soared into space. The night sky had been filled with sudden bursts of light, presumably massive explosions coming some titanic combat. Who they were fighting was unclear, who won even more so.

In the aftermath, the space around Zi was left cluttered with all manner of debris, large and small. While the pre-war UZN had a sizable space presence, that had all been dependant on the Acronians and had seemingly been destroyed. Post-war, no nation had the resources or economy to support a space program beyond deploying unmanned satellites. As a result, the debris in space had never been adequately catalogued or even surveyed. It was just assumed that it was all junk, and left at that.

On occasion, a chunk of it would fall out of orbit, drawn back to the planet. Most of the time, it would simply burn up in the atmosphere. Rarely would anything get any further, and the risk to the planet itself was minimal.

In the last few weeks, however, matters had changed. Objects had begun moving within the orbital belt of their own accord; rather then the natural pull of gravity on objects, this was a deliberate act. A large chunk of debris, one of the largest around the planet, had begun to move under its own power, traveling in a controlled decaying orbit. As it traveled, other objects moved with it. Composed of seemingly random chunks of debris, they served to camouflage and shield the main object as it traveled.

Appearing no different form any other lump of debris, save for its size, the massive object left chaos in its wake. The flares from its engines, as well as the objects it traveled with, pushed aside other debris chunks and satellites, causing chain reactions across the orbital plane. On the planet below, communications and navigations systems were disrupted as chains of satellites were destroyed or interfered with by the object as it passed.

Leaving a trail of chaos in its wake, the object slowly approached the upper atmosphere. Despite all it had done, however, it had managed to remain almost completely undetected on the surface below. Only one group were aware of its passage; to them, it was the most important thing in their world.

oOoOo

Distant Thunder

oOoOo

A distant rumble filled the empty, dry desert air, a sound like thunder, rolling across the plains. However, the skies overhead remained clear from any clouds. Rather, it was on the eastern horizon that huge clouds of dust appeared, accompanying the growing sound.

The Drakken Army was on the move.

The first forces crossed over the border into the Zygra Empire's territories, with squadrons of smaller Zoids leading them. Behind them were progressively heavier and larger machines, while faster units spread out across the flanks of the formation. Behind them trailed the support units, heavily laden Gustavs and other transports. There was no subtlety, no attempt to disguise the force; rather the Empire made sure that any around them would know where they were. The idea was not to throw the enemy off with concealment or subterfuge, but rather shock and awe them with sheer strength.

Above the formation traveled a lone Whale King, decked out in an impressive deep crimson livery. its bays were packed with Zoids to supplement those below, while its decks were a veritable hive of activity. At its heart, however, was its war room, a massive facility unique amongst ships of its class. The heart of the Drakken military's operations, it served as a mobile command center form which the entire war could be directed.

"Impressive." Nikolas Zygra commented as he looked at a display of the Drakken force in motion. "Most impressive."

It was an understatement, to say the least. He hadn't seen that many Zoids in motion in his entire life. Even though he was looking down on them, getting a Gods-eye view of the force, he still felt in awe of the power they represented. Looking over them, he felt that the force was far more then would be needed to deal with that group of criminals that had taken his capital. Even allowing for that monstrous dragon Zoid of theirs, he couldn't see anything that would be able to easily defeat the Drakken army. For dealing with the Red Claw, near as he could tell, the force would be overkill.

Of course, he knew that wasn't all that they were here for. He had done a deal with the Drakken Empress, selling out his neighbor in exchange for her aid in restoring his government. It was a deal he had no regrets over; he had sworn that he would do anything to regain the power that he had lost. The fate of a former ally was nothing to him, as long as it got him closer to his goal.

He had found that Marissa Fyre had been something of a kindred spirit in this last week. Nobody understood power more then she did, being the single most powerful person on the planet. She had understood his need to reclaim his capital, and had taken a personal interest in the outcome of the campaign. However, she had decided not to sideline, but to let him take a part in the reclamation of his homeland. He was glad for the opportunity; he wanted not only to see his power restored, but to see the full might of his newfound ally in action.

"I'm glad you like it." Fyre commented as she walked over next to him. "I find that such displays of sheer brute power are invigorating; the chance to flex one's muscles, so to speak. For too long, the dragon has rested on his past glories; it is time I think that he awoke and reminded the world of his true power."

"Indeed." He nodded. "I, for one, cannot wait to see them unleashed on the Red Claw."

"The Red Claw will be nothing." She stated. "What will be more interesting is the effect we will have on the Aurorans when we engage them. The Claw will be but a distraction to us; their forces limited. It probably won't amount to more then a single battle; we will crush them where they stand."

"And the Gungyarados?" Despite the size of the force and its seeming invulnerability, he had some concerns about the Zoid. In the last week, it had been used in seemingly random 'terror attacks' on military targets still loyal the Empire. He had his worries that it could just as easily be turned on the Drakken forces.

She smiled. "I have my own options for dealing with it. Suffice to say, it is not a problem for us."

"Most interesting." He continued. "I assume you have some weapon capable of countering it, or some way to defend your troops against it, maybe?"

"I am going to take the approach that the best way to deal with it is to prevent it from reaching its target." She simply stated. "And I will make sure that happens."

He nodded. If the Gugyarados was eliminated, then nothing would stop them. His only hope was that the machine died a rather spectacular death, preferably in some way that could be recorded. Its demise would be a great way to bolster the remaining Zygra Forces, while at the same time, shattering the morale of the claw's forces. Anything that shortened the campaign would be better.

"A question." She spoke up, glancing at him. "Do you know how to pilot a Zoid yourself?"

"Me?" he asked, surprised at this sudden change of topic. "I do, yes." He'd taken a basic course as a part of his training for the role of course, he'd managed to avoid most of the hard work, and had skipped out on a lot of classes. He knew he was in danger of flunking the course but, at the time, didn't care. He'd never thought it'd be a skill he would need. Of course, that was a long time ago now.

"Very good." She continued. "It will be several hours at least before the first contact between our forces and the Claw. Maybe we could arrange for you to get some simulator time in for, ah, a more advanced machine. One befitting your regal status."

"I would be honored, your majesty." He replied with a slight bow.

"The honour is mine, Emporer Zygra." She continued. "Ensuring your safety is the least I can do for you. And who knows; you may yet benefit from this direful situation."

The Whale King continued on its journey, a pair of Zoids pulling up alongside it as it traveled. These two were draconic in shape, their spikey armour light red, and their skeletal wings bone-white. The machines continued in formation with the massive transport, guarding it and its valuable cargo.

oOoOo

The Whale King and its crew were not the only ones who observed the Drakken invasion force. Nearby, well concealed, a small Zoid patiently observed them, recording their numbers and types, while at the same time transmitting the information back to its home base.

oOoOo

"This is interesting, don't you think?" The Commander began as he watched the Drakken force on the move. "Such a display of raw military power... I haven't seen anything so straightforward since the end of the war."

"It is, yes." Jaeger commented. "And its certainly more then I had expected from the Empire. They've assembled quite a force. I can only wonder what it is that Zygra has offered Fyre in exchange for her cooperation."

"Whatever it is, it will probably suit our plans nicely." The commander continued. "I doubt that he would have done anything too unpredictable. In all likelihood, he has offered to use his nation as a staging ground for further operations."

Jaeger glanced at a larger map. "Of course. She gives him his Empire back, he gives her the Aurorans."

"A certainty, then." He continued. "This force assembled here is more then enough to take care of the Red Claw. This war will be a swift, one-sided one."

"Not to our advantage, then." Jaeger commented. "What we need is a long, protracted engagement. One that will keep them all occupied for a lot longer."

The commander smiled, the ruined half of his face twisting it into a strange grin. "An excellent idea. I think that it is time that we provoked a response from both sides of this war. With a bit of skill, we can convert this from a single swift engagement into a drawn-out, protracted battle that will tie up both sides."

"Yes commander." Jaeger continued. "I shall see that it is done."

"Good." He nodded his head. "Out of interest, how are the other powers reacting to this turn of events?"

Jaeger pressed a few buttons, bringing up a large map on the main screen. The map washed with symbols representing troop movements and positions from all factions. "There's no noticeable response as yet from the UZN, but that is almost to be expected. They are likely too wrapped up with their own bureaucracy to mount any sort of response. I doubt that they will be in a position to act against us until it is too late."

"Very good. Timing is of the essence now."

"I understand." He glanced up at the map again. "The Aurorans have begun to mobilise their forces and reinforce their borders. Their military standing itself is rather weak, however. Once the Draken army punches through their border defenses - and I have no doubt that they will - it will be all over for them." he pointed to one edge of the border. "Notice that they have begun to reinforce their border with the Zygra Empire. I'm personally convinced that this is a reaction to the Red Claw; I doubt that they are prepared for a Draken invasion from that front."

"And what of the Red Claw?"

"The Claw itself has reached the limit of its usefulness." He commented. "However, I think that it would be in our best interest to extract the useful elements from it, then throw the rest to the lions."

"I agree there. You have my permission to do with it what you want, as long as Jenice is bought to us."

"Thank you, commander." He nodded.

"You do not need to thank me." The commander offered. "Without your work, the Red Claw could not have developed to the extent that it has. We could not have come this far. It is only fitting that you should oversee its demise."

"Agent Fourty Two will handle the situation herself." He stated. "I am sure that she will know what to do."

"She is very capable for an outsider. I am sure that she will execute the plan to the best of her abilities." The Commander commented. "And while the loss of such a tool as the Red Claw is regrettable, the benefits that Jencie will deliver to us will be immeasurable."

"There is one other matter, commander." He spoke up. "One related to our plans for Jencie."

"Do tell."

"The woman I have described."

"Ah yes." He nodded. "Her value would be far greater then Jenice's. However, she is nowhere near as accessible. Especially now that she is traveling with a Blackstar."

"Yes, but at the same time, I feel that it would be useful to have an alternative, should something happen to Jenice. And if we could control both her and Jencie..."

The commander again smiled. "Then the future would be ours to shape as we desire. We would possess power not seen in decades." He nodded. "Very well. What is it you want then?"

"I want to break cover and dispatch a strike force of the new units to intercept and apprehend her and her companions." He offered. "While I know that it is a risk, especially at this juncture, to operate so openly, I know that the rewards will be worth it. The girl has her obvious abilities and Glass is, well..." He trailed off. "The opportunity to capture an Altered Zoid is merely a bonus."

"And with the situation we are about to engineer, there will be... opportunities." He rubbed his chin. "Very well then. You have your task force. And, at the very least, it should serve as an interesting test of the new units in far from controlled conditions."

"Thank you commander." Jaeger nodded. "I do this, not for me or for our organisation, but for the future we will create."

"For the future, yes."

oOoOo

Over the last week, Rayvenne had done her best to acclimatise herself to hanging around Bart. It wasn't an easy thing to do. To say that he was disgusting would be an understatement; he was overweight, unattractive, unkempt and smelled awful. His manners were repulsive, his personality vulgar and his behavior unspeakable. That he took every opportunity to paw her was the icing on the cake. Still, she had managed, simply willing her way through it and thinking of what she was accomplishing by doing such.

There was only one thing that she couldn't stand; and that was watching the man eat.

He had no manners, no grace, no thinly veiled attempts at making himself look better. He just simply shoveled food into his mouth as fast as he could, pausing only to take the occasional drink. He didn't care how much ended up on his face, down his front or on the floor. He just simply kept eating.

He'd taken her to a diner outside the Red Claw's camp. When she asked if they were allowed to leave, he'd just simply stated that he thought the food in camp was crap, and that he preferred to eat better. He'd explained that rules were for 'other people'. He had 'special status' which meant that he could pretty much do whatever he wanted to, apparently because he was the Claw's chief technician. His position made him indispensable, so he abused it as much as he could.

"I once copped a feel of that bitch Towne." He blurted out between mouthfuls. "She is damned cold, you know? But her arse is mighty fine and firm, yeah." He shoveled more burger into his gaping maw before continuing. "I never did it again, mind you. Special our not, she'd probably kill me."

"Really?" Rayvenne asked, trying not to look at him while pretending to stay interested. "I'd have thought you'd be protected."

"Yeah, well... Levisha's not like that. She don't play by our rules. If she wanted to kill me, I'd be dead, and my head on a plate." He continued. "Thing is, she's real close to the boss, so she can get away with that kinda crap."

"Really?" She repeated.

"Oh yeah." He nodded, his jowls flapping. "Even though she came late to the team, she was kinda responsible for making us what we are today. Well, her and Trogdor. That man's a monster." He shook his head. "They both terrify me, y'know? Like they don't give a crap about what happens to anyone."

"Well, you should do what I do." She offered. "And that is not think about it. I just try to always have a good time, breeze through life and take it easy."

"Yeah, but you don't have to spend yer time fixing up an arseload of crapped-out Zoids." He shook his head. "And I keep getting more and more crap shoveled on me."

"I know how that can be." Rayvenne continued. "My dad used to be a Zoid tech for the Auroran Army. All I ever remember is him coming home looking like he was about to die or something." It was a sob story she'd been working on for some time now, one that she felt would have Bart eating out of her hands. Truth was, she had no idea who her father was. But it made a better story then 'my mother was an exotic dancer who got knocked up after a one-night stand'.

"Damn right he would." Bart replied, sucking sauce off his fingers. "Those Aurorans worked me almost as hard as Jenice does."

Rayvenne nodded. "Yeah... you see, I always was fascinated by what dad did, despite the fact that he always seemed so tired and angry." She continued. "It just sounded so fascinating... you know, getting inside a Zoid's guts and making it work properly and all that."

"Well its a pretty good job when they're not driving ya up the wall." He explained. "I mean, a Zoid tech is always in demand, always needed for whatever purpose. And that's why I'm the most important man in the Claw, babe."

"Well its good that they recongise your talents." She stated. "Especially when you have to look after things like that huge dragon."

"Yeah, well..." He smirked. "You gotta see that thing., It is a beauty to watch in action, but a nightmare to deal with. I'm just glad we managed to scrounge some spares for it; it burns through parts like you wouldn't believe, and most of that crap is irreplaceable." He shook his head. "If it got badly banged up, then I don't think we could do a thing about it."

"Well then..." She smiled. "It's a good thing that they've got somebody as skilled as you to look after it."

"Damn right." He continued. "I'm the best there is."

Yeah, and Floyd is only like a zillion times better then you, she mentally added. "Still... I do want to see it." She smiled. "I mean, its just such a cool design." She leaned forwards, bringing her arms together to generate as much cleavage as she could. And nobody, but nobody can do this like I can.

"Well hell." He finished, not bothering to disguise the fact that he was staring at her chest. "Let's go take a look at it now."

"Really?" She began. "Oh, that would be fantastic!" She bounced in her seat, trying to add as much 'jiggle' as possible. It was the best way to keep Bart focused on her.

"Well sure. Things are quiet now, so I'm sure I can get you into the Palace easy." he continued. "From there, you can take a look at that bastard... and hell, I'll even let ya cop an eyefull of that freaky critter Levisha pilots."

"Thanks Bart!" She beamed.

"Well what are we waiting for?" He added as he stood, wiping his hands on his stined shirt. "Lets get going."

Rather then using his Gustav to haul across town, Bart had requisitioned a car from the supply of vehicles the Claw had acquired in the takeover of the city. As a result, it was a mercifully short ride across the city to the palace proper. That was a small mercy in and of itself; Rayvenne couldn't honestly think of anything more awful then a lengthy car trip with Bart. Their car went around the back of the palace, the front end of it still being a wreck form the fighting during the Red Claw's coup.

Surprisingly enough, the security guards didn't give her a second glance. She had to wonder if it was because they were used to Bart bringing girls back to the palace, or if it was just that his authority was such that he could do whatever he wanted. Either way, she was glad that she'd gotten in without any problems - even if it was obvious that she wasn't concealing anything. (After all, where would she conceal it?)

Entering the palace, they'd taken a lift to one of the upper levels, Bart explaining that this was where the Claw ran the city from. It was obvious to Rayvenne that this had been the center of the palace even before the takeover; the rich furnishings and elaborate decorations spoke of a class and elegance that suggested the nation's rulers. She wasn't sure who was more out of place here; her being only half-dressed, or Bart with his slovenly appearance.

"Well here we-" he began, but was cut off by a beep from his communicator. "Hold up."

He pulled his (strangely clean) communicator out from his pocket and opened it up. "Bart here." He began. "What's up?" he paused, nodding his head as he listened. "What, right now?" There was another long pause. "You sure?" Ravenne shuffled a little closer, trying to hear what the voice on the other end was saying to him. "I suppose so... Gimme a minute and I'll be there." He closed the communicator, shoving it back in his pocket.

"Bad news, babe." he began. "The boss wants to see me about... something. And it probably wouldn't be good if anyone saw you here." He continued.

"So what-"

"In here." He opened a door, pushing her inside. The room was a bedroom, elaborately furnished but clearly currently unused. "Just stay here until I get back, okay babe?"

"Uh sure-"

"Great." He finished, then slammed the door shut.

Rayvenne paused for a moment, then gasped loudly. "Ugh... that stink..." She muttered, then looked around the room. It was pretty nice, actually. Large bed, big dressing table, huge wardrobe. Quite classy, actually. I could about stand living here, she thought. Beats the pants off camping out in the rough, or that stupid damned barracks we're shoved in.

She was about to relax and make herself comfortable, when she heard the door opening behind her. Trying not to panic, she glanced around, her eyes falling on the wardrobe. Running over to it, she ducked inside, bringing it mostly shut as the room's door opened. Peering out through the crack between door and frame, she saw Levisha Towne walk into the room and shut the door behind her. What's she up to? Rayvenne wondered, listening intently to the woman.

"So it's that time, is it?" Levisha asked, speaking into a small communicator on her wrist. "Excellent. I must say I've been looking forwards to this."

What? She wondered. What's going on?

"Paladin Trogdor is about to be dispatched on another little terror raid, which should set the scene nicely." She continued. "I can go at any time, however. I won't need him for what I have to do."

Rayvenne's eyes narrowed as she tried to follow the woman. Infuriately, Levisha wandered beyond her line of sight, vanishing just past the field of vision offered to her. "In truth, I've been wanting to get rid of them for some time. Oh, they think that they're vital but, in truth, there's nothing to them. I've only been letting them live for appearances, that's all."

Is she talking about us? Rayvenne asked, her heart skipping a beat as she listened as intently as she could. "They seem to think that Bart's on their side; I know one of them has been kissing up to him of late. I'll keep him around, obviously, but the rest... It'll be fun, actually."

Crap! That is us! She tried to remain quiet as she figured what was going on. She's going to kill us, that's it. She realised. She's found us out and is going to get rid of us. "Very well. When it's done, I'll have her bought to you. The rest is largely irrelevant. Her? Rayvenne wondered. They've found Ali too!

She waited nervously, hoping that Levisha would move or leave or anything. There was a long, long silence, the room itself seeming to be empty, Rayvenne barely daring to breathe. She knew that if she was found now, everything would be over - it was then vital that she escaped so she could warn the others about what was going on.

Eventually, Levisha again walked past the cupboard, leaving the room. Despite this, Rayvenne couldn't relax, worried that she might come back, or somebody else would enter. it was only after a few minutes that she dared to open the door and step out of the wardrobe. Almost as soon as she did, there was a loud knock on the door. She jumped, then span around, desperately searching for something she could use as a weapon.

Bart stepped into the room, his massive bulk blocking the door. Despite that, however, he seemed to be almost apologetic looking. "Bart?" She began. You... you scared me!"

"Bad news, babe." He offered. "Something's come up, and I have to get the Gungy ready to go. We'll have to do this another day."

He doesn't know what she's up to? She wondered. Or maybe she's playing him as well... "I understand... I mean, you know, work and all."

"Sure." He nodded. "Can you see yourself out? Only, well, I got to get going."

"Its, um... it's fine, really Bart." She nodded hastily. "I'll, um, go. Yeah."

"Sure thing." He stepped aside. "Later then, babe."

"Later, yeah." She nervously finished, stepping out into the hallway. She tried to walk away, seeming clam and casual. But then, as soon as she was sure there was nobody around, she ran.

oOoOo

The last week had been a bad one for the Zygra military. Their attempt to retake Gayos been an abject failure, resulting in the shattering of their military command and the decimation of the single largest extant force they could muster. To make matters worse, the random terror attacks the Red Claw had launched had further weakened their forces, devastating units and causing their army to father decentralize and splinter. Morale was plummeting as many felt that, not only there was nothing they could do about the Claw, but any attempt to oppose them would result in their slaughter.

As a result, there had been many defections as the once elite Zygra Knights had begun to fray, figuring that they were up against a force that they could not hope to defeat. With no sign of the Emperor, there was a growing feeling that they were fighting for a nation that no longer existed. There were rumours that suggested that he was dead or a prisoner of the Red Claw, which only served to further complicate matters.

Until recently, the idea of a soldier deserting the Zygra army was unthinkable. The Zygra knights were an honoured and elite organisation, men and women who had worked hard to earn the right to operate a Zoid. But now, faced with what many saw as an unwinnable situation against a vastly superior foe, they were quickly becoming an accepted reality. Individuals left their units, while in some cases ,whole units had begun to stop reporting regional commanders. It was becoming quickly apparent that the army was beginning to fall apart.

The situation was definitely not an advantageous to the Zygra Army. However, there were others who profited from it.

A small group of Knights had left their parent group, looking to escape a war that they felt could end in their near certain destruction. While they had succeeded in escaping the Red Claw, they had instead met a different fate. Assassinated in their sleep by Kuroryu-kai operatives, their Zoids still carried all the identifying marks of Zygra units, but served different masters.

"Contact." One agent began from the cockpit of his Gorgodos. "Looks like an advance scout group, mix of Rev Raprter and Molga types. IFFs return as Drakken imperial units."

"Roger that, one-oh-five." The group's commander replied from his Godos. "Looks like a prime target for our operation. Feed targeting information to one-three-one. All units, prep for engagement."

"Affirmative." One-oh-five replied. "Datalink is on. We're good to go."

"Very well. Begin."

One-three-one's Hydocker stood a few paces behind the Gorgodos, its long-range missile launcher raised and ready for action. With a gush of smoke and flames, a single missile leapt from the rail, soaring off into the distance. With a loud click, a second missile was rotated into firing position, then launched after the first. "Birds are airborne. Time to impact in three, two, one..."

"Two hits." One-oh-five stated. "Enemy Zoids have changed heading, directing towards us." He paused. "We're being scanned by search radar, looks to be the Molga's tail-mount unit."

"Confirmed. All units, move to engage. One-three-one Maintain missile bombardment of targets until that time."

A round of affirmative replies filled the channel as the small group advanced. Cresting the hill, they sighted the group off Drakken Zoids advancing. One of the Rapters lay burning nearby, a victim of the Hydocker's long range missile strikes, while the others all were battered from the assault. Neither of the two Molgas sported Shot Cannons, a relief to him. "Attack!" He simply commanded as he pushed his Zoid first.

An Elephantus opened fire first, its twin missile launchers spitting rounds at the second Raprter. The warheads slammed into the Zoid's side, blasting into its leg. The Zoid stumbled, but managed to remain upright as the two Molgas surged past it. The Zoids opened fire with their quad cannons, riddling the Elephantus with fire before it could evade. The Zoid stumbled, then crashed to the ground, falling face-first into the soil.

Ignoring the demise of his comrade, the Garius pilot surged forwards, running at one of the Molgas. Rounds gouged into the shield as the Zoid advanced, the pilot ignoring them and returning fire with his own cannons. The shots marred the armour on the Molga's dome, but did little to damage it. Pushing forwards, he swung at the Drakken Zoid with his spear, wedging it into the Molga's axle. The Zoid skidded and crashed, immobilised but not out of the fight as yet.

Several shots bounced off the second Molga's body as the Gorgodos opened up on it. Ignoring the Zoid for the moment, the Zoid dropped back, firing its cannons defensively. "The enemy Zoid is trying to communicate the situation." One-oh-five began. "They're reporting they're under unprovoked attack by Zygra forces."

"Excellent work." The pilot finished. "Let's drive the message home."

oOoOo

Marissa Fyre studied the report, her brow furrowed with concern. "Interesting, this." She commented.

"What is it?" Zygra asked.

She handed him the report. "A squadron of Zygra Zoids launched an unprovoked assault on one of our forward recon units."

"Why would they do that?" He asked as he glanced over the report. It seemed to confirm what Fyre had said; four Zygra Zoids launched an attack on the recon unit. They apparently had current Zygra IFF signals and followed standard tactical operations doctrine for the attack. By the analysis of the recon force's leader, they appeared to be actual Zygra imperial army members.

"It is possible that they mistook our force for a Red Claw group." Fyre commented as she sat back in her command chair.

He rubbed his chin. "They may have also assumed that your force was hostile, or a forward element of an invasion or some form of territorial grab. Given the past history of our two nations, it's what I would think." He nodded at her. "Certainly, I would never expect Drakken forces to be our allies or liberators."

"Understandable." Fyre steeped her hands, resting her chin on her fingers. "Even then, this is a problem. We could encounter further unneeded hostility from your forces; in essence, we end up fighting the forces we came to protect and aid."

"So what would you suggest then?" He asked.

She stood, then smiled at him. "I think that it is time for you to return to your people." She stated. "If not in person, then in spirit. You need to tell them that you are alive and, more importantly, that they will soon be free from the terror that has oppressed them for so long."

He smiled. "In other words, make a broadcast to declare that I am still their leader and take charge of my nation." He concluded. "I can still be their leader, even if not from my capital."

"Exactly." Fyre agreed. "Tell them that you have returned for them, bringing your allies to liberate your nation."

"I will need help, however."

"All you will need is already on board this ship." She explained. "This vessel was specially outfitted to serve as the flagship of the Drakken fleet, as well as a flying fortress from which the Emperor could rule his nation. We have a full studio and media broadcast center that we could use for such an address to your people."

"Thank you, your majesty." He replied with a small bow. "Shall we get started then?"

oOoOo

"To the people of the Zygra Empire, I bring you a message of hope in these troubled times." Emperor Nikolas Zygra began, his face broadcast across media outlets across the empire. "For too long, our empire has been ravaged by a group of malicious terrorists, intent on destroying our nation and our very way of life. These cowards struck our capital, killed our beloved Emperor, and seized power. Now they rule by the virtue of sheer terror alone, forcing cooperation at the barrel of a gun."

"No longer will we stand for this. In order to restore our nation and defeat these criminals, I have enlisted the aid of our powerful, yet peaceful neighbor, the Drakken Empire. As I speak, Drakken forces are heading towards Gayos with the intention of liberating it from the Red Claw's control. They will excise this menace from our nation, and then destroy it utterly. Know that they will not rest until they have freed our nation, and exterminated every last remnant of the villains who tried to destroy it."

"To aid them I ask that you cooperate with the Drakken forces and aid them in any way that you can. They are willing to give their lives for us, and, as such, we should be willing to do everything we can to help them restore our nation. Every minute that they are delayed or hindered is a minute longer that the Red Claw will rule, a minute of terror that we all will have to endure."

"With your support, we shall be victorious. The Zygra Empire will survive and endure."

Knight Avery snorted at the screen. "Liberate us?" He asked. "These are Draks we're talking about. Like they want to help us." he shook his head inside the cockpit of his Elephantus. "This is some kind of a joke, right?"

"We have to assume that it is, for now, the truth." Paladin Ernie Tallstrider replied, his Guysack leading their recon unit. One of the few Paladins to have escaped the fall of Gayos, he had become a vital part of holding together the disparate forces along the Empire's eastern frontier. "Nikolas Zygra may be young, but he is still our ruler. We can trust his judgment."

"Yeah, right." Avery continued. "He's gone and sold us out to the Draks. They're gonna overrun us, then install him as a puppet dictator or something."

"Knight Avery." Tallstrider cut him off. "That is a purely hypothetical situation. For now, we must assume that the Drakken army are our allies."

"I don't have to like it." He muttered.

"Contact!" Knight Indra Labashee cut off any reply. "I have a small group of Zoids approaching. Looks to be standard Drakken Empire types too. Read one... no, two Molgas, a Gator and others." Her Pegasuros, one of the few airborne Zoids left to their force, had been sent ahead to observe and scout for any forces, be they Drakken or any other group. "They're headed towards us."

"Roger that." Tallstrider replied. "Okay everyone, lets just remain calm and do as the Emperor says. These are our allies now. They are-"

"Radar lock!" Labashee cut him off. "The Drakken Zoids have just locked me up!"

"What the-" Tallstrider began. "Damn it..." He hammered several buttons on his control console. "This is Paladin Ernie Tallstrider to Drakken units. We are legitimate Zygra forces and are not hostile!"

"I'm getting fire from their Zoids!" She continued. "They're not stopping!"

"Repeat, we are not hostile!" Tallstrider called out. "Stand down your attack! Repeat stand-" He was cut off by a loud explosion, a shell slamming into the ground near his force. "Damn it! That's their cannons!"

"Liberate us?" Avery snorted. "You sure of that?"

A second shell went off, a lot closer then he would have liked and definitely not a warning. "All forces, move forward and engage the enemy force!" He ordered. "And send a message back to headquarters, inform them of our situation!"

oOoOo

The last week had proven to be mercifully free from the issues that had dogged Jason and Leanne's first days inside the Red Claw. The pair of them (as well as Rayvenne) had been transferred to the new barracks complex across the city, a facility that was almost identical to the one they had left behind. To his annoyance, however, he found that he was sharing it with several of the senior Red Claw members, ones he distinctly recalled from his earlier stay in the organisation.

They were two sets of siblings, the McNeil brothers, Harry and Malcolm, and the Traches, Gwen and Drake. He'd never cared much for any of them; the McNeils were thugs, while the Traches were a pair of neurotic losers who's only claim was that they had a pair of moderately capable Zoids. That they had a fair chance of recognising both him and Leanne didn't help matters any; the pair of them had to severely curtail their activities in order to keep a low profile.

Rayvenne had been making good progress with Bart, however. This had done little to ease the tension, as Jason was still concerned about her safety; he was convinced that she was in danger or running the risk of Bart doing something to her. Everything about that man worried him, a fear that he was not reluctant to voice.

The afternoon, however, had been interrupted by a surprise development. Not too long after the Guyngyarados had left on what had become its daily terror attack, there had been some commotion in the barracks. Everyone had gathered around a television to watch a broadcast by a man claiming to be the Zygra Emperor. Jason had recongised him as the prince, which made him wonder what was going on. More interesting were his claims that he had enlisted the aid of the Drakken Empire to destroy the Red Claw.

"Well?" he asked as he met up with Leanne by the back of one of the sheds.

"I'm gettin' pretty mixed signals myself." She replied, glancing around. "Half of the people I've spoken to think that he's just bluffin' to try an' force a surrender. After all, the Draks hate us and have no reason to want to help us."

"And the rest?"

"They think that the Draks are going to come and kill us all, Zygra or not." She finished.

"I see..." He glanced around.

"How'd you go?" She asked.

"I managed to sneak into the officer's mess." He offered. "Sadly, I didn't get anything beyond listening to Gwen bitch about how much her authority's been superseded."

"Nice to know but... hardly useful." She commented.

"Yeah..." He glanced around. "Damn it, we're relying entirely on Rayvenne to get us through this."

"Sucks, don't it?" Leanne commented. Jason shot her a glare. "I jus' mean that she's gotta work with that bloated pig that's all."

"Hold on..." Jason began. "That's her now."

Rayvenne ran over to the pair of them, stopping and letting out a single loud gasp. "Jase... we... we gotta go." She panted out.

"What?" He asked. "What's wrong?"

"Levisha..." She continued. "Onto us. Is... is gonna kill us."

"Damn." Leanne glanced around. "So what do we do?"

"Its worse." She continued. "They know... where Ali and Floyd are."

"Floyd?" A woman's voice began behind them. The three turned to see Gwen stepping around the corner. "That's as in Floyd Glass, right?" She narrowed her eyes.

"Uh, yeah, uh..." Jason spluttered.

"Where is he?" She asked, glaring at the three of them. "And who knows?"

"I uhhh..."

"A, um, guy I know." Rayvenne quickly shot off. "Reckon's he's somewhere, um, north of here. yeah. He said he was going after Glass himself to turn in the reward for him." She sighed. "Wish I was out there eith a chance to find him."

"Yeah, whatever." Gwen shot, then dashed back inside.

"Nice work there, Rayvenne." Jason replied. "That ought to seed us some confusion and buy us some time. Now let's figure a way out of here."

oOoOo

Levisha stalked through the palace's upper floors, for the moment ignoring everyone around her. Instead, she was remaining focused, keeping her mind on one thing alone. All the work she had done for the Red Claw over the past years had been moving to this one point; it was vital that everything went exactly as she planned.

She was just reaching the access to the roof when her communicator beeped. Checking it, she could see that it was one of the ranking officers of the Claw's infantry, one of the ones who she knew was personally loyal to her. This could be significant, she thought as she reached for the communicator. Best check it now. "What is it?" She began.

"We have a situation at the front gate." He explained. "The McNeils, Gwen and Drake are trying to leave the city."

"What?" She snapped. This was not a part of her plan. "Did they say why?"

"They didn't, no. Nor did they offer any explanations when I asked. They claimed that they ouranked me and didn't need to answer to me." Which was true. The most he could do was hamper them.

Levisha snarled to herself. Do they know what's going on? She thought. Or is this some other plan? Either way, I cannot allow them to escape. "Detain them as long as possible. I'm going to launch the operation now."

"Yes, commander." He replied.

Not wasting any time, she sprinted up to the roof, finding her Lord Gale waiting there. She had hoped that this moment could wait until Sturm returned from his current mission, but events had forced her to act now. She opened a comms channel to selected groups across the city, ones that she knew would follow her orders. "All forces, there has been an uprising in the secondary barracks faculty. You are to contain the situation and detain all personnel in there. I will send reinforcements as soon as possible."

Closing the channel, she sat back in the Lord Gale's cockpit, closing her eyes while keying several buttons on the Zoid's control panels, ones that were not normally present in the Zoid. Several cables extended from the back of her pilot's seat, ramming themselves into concealed ports on the back of her neck. She could feel her mind merging with the Lord Gale's own systems, forming a new, collective consciousness. The Zoid's sensors become her eyes and ears, its body become her body.

Her mind reached out through the Zoid's special control system, finding the primitive AIs of the Chimera Zoids scattered across the city. Reaching into them, she slaved them to her will. Rather then issuing commands through the console, she instead willed the Zoids to act, issuing them a single mental command.

Fusion.

The Chimeras responded in a bizarre way, roaring and bellowing as their bodies seemingly exploded into components. Clusters of the Zoids came together, their disembodied parts reforming into monstrous wholes. One from each of the four types would combine, resulting in a new, horrific, twisted form, a bestial quadruped Zoid with a gaping maw, almost demonic wings and an array of weapons and wickedly sharp lances, fangs and claws.

Go!

The Chimera Dragons each leaped into the air, taking to flight in a way that seemed to run contrary to their forms. The Zoids flew across the city, heading towards the barracks complex. When she had divided the Red Claw's troops between the two facilities, she had made sure to put anyone who would resist her lead in the second facility. That way, when the time came, it would be easier to eliminate everyone who opposed her in one go.

The Zoids descended on the buildings, simply crushing them underfoot as the descended, before opening fire on the personnel inside. As they went to work, squadrons of Zoids approached, their pilots under orders to contain anyone who tried to escape. Weapons were fired into buildings, incinerating both the structures and the personnel inside them.

Levisha's Zoid remained in its place on top of the palace, its pilot looking down on the destruction below and smiling to herself. Excellent.

oOoOo

"Get moving! Now!" Jason called out as he broke into a run, sprinting across the open courtyard of the barracks complex. Behind them, the building where they had been staying suddenly disintegrated as a Zoid crashed down on it, simply crushing it underfoot. The monstrous machine was like nothing he had ever seen before; in its design he could reocngise parts of the Chimera Zoids the Red Claw had been using, but its form was far larger then any of them.

He had been expecting Levisha to make her move soon to eliminate the three of them. What he hadn't expected was that she would go to such extreme methods as exterminating a large number of Red Claw soldiers just to get at them.

Leanne and Rayvenne ran behind him, the pair of them doing their best to keep up with him. Behind them, the monstrous Zoid turned away, instead opening fire on a nearby building. "What in the heck is going on?" Leanne yelled as she ran. "I thought you said they were comin' for us!"

"That's what it sounded like, really!" Rayvenne called back. "But if they are, this is overkill! I've got no idea what those things are but... they're doing a pretty damned good job of flattening everything."

Around them, there were other people running, mostly in blind panic. As far as anyone could tell, the strange Zoids weren't discriminating in their targets, instead simply attacking whatever it was they could find. "Nom this isn't a targeted assassination." Jason called out. "This is something else, maybe a purge or something."

"Don't tell me, that Towne woman?"

"Yeah..." He commented. "This has to be her work. I just gotta figure out why."

"Lets figure a way out of here first!" Leanne shouted. "We can figure the rest later."

They ducked behind a wall for a minute to catch their breath and figure their next move. "We're unarmed, surrounded by hostile forces and everything is going to hell." Rayvenne commented.

"Pretty normal day for us then." Leanne added.

Jason glanced around. There were several Zoids standing nearby, their pilots clearly content to hang back and observe the Chimeras at work. "What we need is some sort of a distraction. I figure we can make a break for our Zoids and then use them to get away." He surveyed the area. "Any ideas?"

A loud explosion in the distance cut off any reply. The three of them glanced around, Jason spotting another column of smoke beginning to rise from the city's main gates. As he watched, a purple Redler took to the air, while several unseen attackers began to open fire on it. "The hell?" Rayvenne asked. "What's that?"

Looking up, Jason could see that several of the Zoids were also turning towards the gate, as if what had just happened wasn't expected. "I think," Jason began. "That was our distraction. Let's go."

They set off again, managing to crawl their way through the ruined fence and slip past the suddenly confused perimeter, dashing into the city itself. Despite the situation, the streets were crowded with onlookers trying to get a look at what was going on, as if they could find some explanation. Already Jason could hear mutterings about it being the return of Zygra, or possibly the Draken army. He knew that it was neither, which was what worried him. Why is Levisha attacking other Red Claw members? He wondered. Is this some plan of Jenice's? And if so, what is she trying to achieve with it? Aside from the fires at the gate, there were no other signs of fighting going on in the city itself, which suggested that things were relatively contained.

Maybe that's why the sudden reassignments, he continued. Levisha, or Jenice - either, really - were reassigning people to this barracks so all their targets would be together at the same time. That way they could contain the fighting and eliminate everyone in the one blow.

That he, Leanne and Rayvenne had been in that group suggested that she had recongised him, and had been planning this all along, a sobering thought.

They approached the first barracks, heading for the Zoid compound. All around them, other soldiers were arming themselves and heading out, apparently being deployed to head to the fighting across town. Making their way through the crowds, they reached the compound where their stolen Zoids were being kept. Trying their best to act casual, they approached the front gate to the compound, mindful of the guards there. However, as Jason moved to enter, he found his path blocked.

"Come on." he began. "I need to get to my Zoid."

"Orders from the Commander." One guard replied. Jason wasn't sure, but he could swear the man was sneering behind his bandanna. "Nobody gets to their machines without being cleared first."

"So lets see your ID then." The second added.

Jason glanced warily at Leanne and Rayvenne then produced the ID papers he'd been given when he joined the Claw. Art the same time, he nodded to Leanne. "Here ya go." He commented. "All good then?" And Levisha will have flagged us and our papers, he mentally thought. So he'll try to report us.

"Hold on a mo-" The soldier began, but was cut off as Leanne bought up one of her booted feet, spinning around and kicking him in the face. Spinning, he collapsed, a splatter of blood decorating his mask. The other soldier went for his gun, only to be met with an elbow to the throat by Jason. Gasping, he collapsed backwards to the ground.

"Okay people, let's go!" he called out, sprinting into the compound. The three of them headed for their commandeered machines, quickly boarding and activating them.

"All good here." Rayvenne called out. "What's the plan now, Jase?"

"We get the hell outa here." He answered. "The main gate looks like the way to go."

"Ain't they fighting there?"

"Not sure." he replied. "But I figure something big blew up there, which has to help us a bit. Let's go!" The Godos broke into a run, simply stepping over the mesh fence around the compound. Behind it, Leanne's Rev Rapter and Rayvenne's Leoblaze followed him out, the latter bounding over the fence to join the others.

Jason pushed the throttle open, the Zoid maintaining a fair running pace as it made its way through the city. Onlookers scattered out of his path, giving him a clear run. Looking around, he could see that there was still fighting going on at the secondary barracks, which meant that, for now, attention would be diverted. He wasn't sure how long the forces in there could last, however, which meant that they had to hurry.

Turning towards the main gate, they could see that the actual gates themselves had been blasted open. There were Red Claw soldiers scattered around, as well as a pair of disabled Garius Zoids. Seeing a chance, the three of them powered out of the city, ignoring the shouts and small-arms fire from the remaining defenders. There was no sign of the Redler they'd seen earlier, suggesting that it had escaped.

But why would Red Claw forces be fighting each other? He wondered. He knew that the Redler was the personal machine of one of their top pilots, which made him wonder which side they were on. Of course, it would benefit Levisha to get rid of anyone else who could have a claim to the Red Claw's leadership... Maybe that's what she's doing; she's taking the Claw for herself. She doesn't want to share power any more. It fit with what he remembered of Jenice's second.

A beep from his sensors caught his attention. "Guys, we've got company." He called out over the channel. "Single, large airborne Zoid, directly behind us and closing in fast."

"Any idea what it is?" Leanne asked.

"No. But, hazarding a guess, I'd say its one of those monstrosities we saw in the city." He offered. "Which doesn't help at all." He glanced over the sensors. "It's still closing... I'd say it's definitely after us."

The Zoid appeared on the horizon behind them, a sinister mass of ill-fitting components formed into a twisted beast. Jaws open and lances outstretched, the machine left no questions as to its intentions as it closed in. The Cannon on its flank opened fire, spitting shots at their Zoids.

"What do we do?" Rayvenne asked. "Stand and fight?"

"No." Jason stated. "It's vital that we get back to Floyd and Ali. They need to know what's going on." He opened fire with the Godos' back-mounted cannons, trying to get off a shot as the machine approached. Several shots went past it, another one bouncing off the Zoid's side. "Damn, that thing isn't even slowing down."

The Chimera opened fire again, this time the shot clipping the side of the Godos, ripping through its right leg. The Zoid stumbled as red lights flashed on the warning panels, indicating to Jason that the limb was heavily damaged. Snarling, he opened fire again with the rear cannons, this time his shots struck home; however, if they damaged the enemy machine, it didn't seem to acknowledge it.

"Get out of here! Now!" He yelled as the Chimera crashed down on the Godos, bearing it down to the desert floor with a bone-jarring thud. Thrown around the cockpit, he only had a moment to register what had happened before a second shock hit him. With a feral scream, the Chimera slammed into his Zoid with its massive fists, smashing into its weakly-armoured back. More and more warning lights came on as the Zoid;'s systems failed under the force of the assault.

"Damn it!" He yelled as he pulled the canopy release leaver. Taking his chances, he released the safety harness, dropping out of the cockpit onto the grass below. Behind him, the Chimera fastened its scissor-like pincers around the Zoid, then reared back, ripping the Godos' upper body off from the lower. Jason scurried away as the Chimera discarded the ruined Zoid's body, the wreckage crashing to the ground near him.

Turning back, he saw Leanne and Rayvenne's Zoids tuning around, coming back towards the Dragon. "Go away!" he yelled out. "Get the hell out of here!"

"Forget that, Jase." Rayvenne called back. "I ain't gonna abandon you." The Leoblaze charged forwards, heading straight for the sinister Zoid. Sensing its approach, the Chimera turned towards it and opened fire with its cannons, spraying shots at the smaller Zoid. In response, the Leoblaze's shield flared to life, the shots bouncing off it as it charged.

The Chimera turned to face its smaller foe as the Leoblaze disengaged its shields and leaped at the Zoid, its strike laser claws tracing brilliant golden arcs through the air. However, the Chimera Dragon was ready for it, swinging at the Leolbaze and casually battering it aside with one of its huge fists. Swatted, the Leoblaze crashed to the ground, rolling over before regaining its footing.

With a loud hiss, Leanne's Rev Rapter charged forwards, managing to weave its way past several shots thrown at it by the larger machine. Surging ahead, the Rapter swing around with its sickle-like to claw, trying to dig it into the Dragon's side. Instead, the machine blocked with one of its shell-like armoured shoulders, blocking the attack. The Zoid swing around, proving to be surprisingly flexible for its size, and slammed Leanne's Raprer in the side with one of its lances.

As Leanne's machine regained its footing, the Zoid surged ahead, spearing the Raprter through one of its legs. The Zoid ripped the lance free, shredding through the Rapter's limb and sending it crashing to the ground. The damaged Zoid struggled to regain its flooring, only to be blasted at near-point blank range by the Zoid's cannon.

There was a sudden explosion, the Chimera Zoid rocking as flames and smoke erupted from behind its head. The Zoid turned, looking up at a nearby ridge before it burst into a run, seemingly forgetting Leanne's Zoid. As it charged forwards, however, there was a loud, high-pitched whistle. Shells rained down from the sky, slamming into the machine as it tried to run. Thrown around and battered, the Zoid continued its advance nonetheless.

What the hell is that thing? He wondered. How could it keep going through that? Any sane pilot would have tried to escape or break away under that sort of bombardment. Instead, that... thing had kept going, regardless. Floyd had said they Chimeras were unmanned... maybe this is something like them.

His communicator beeped. "What in the heck is going on?" Leanne asked.

"I'm not sure." He replied. "But I think that it's Ali and Floyd." The rain of shells could be from the Darkhorn's artillery cannon, he figured. Right now, he figured, he'd be happy to even see Thorne; as hostile as the Blackstar pilot could be, she at least was on his side.

A loud screech interrupted his thoughts. A purple Redler swooped down, opening fire on the battered dragon with its wing-mounted cannons. Shots pounded into its back, ripping into the armour but not bringing the machine down. A second Zoid joined the fray, a Helrunner dashing past the machine's flank, pouring fire into its side and back from its gattling cannon. The Zoid bellowed out as it was pummeled by fire, but continued to advance. Only after another rain of shells did it finally stop, collapsing into a twisted pile of wreckage.

A Snipe Master advanced down the slope, while behind it Jason could see a pair of Cannon Tortoises. The Redler hovered in place above him, looking down on the battlefield. "You guys okay?" the sniper pilot called out, Jason instantly recongising his voice. "We didn't think anyone got away from those things." It was Drake Tach, up until recently, one of the Claw's top pilots.

They had been saved from one group of their enemies by another.

oOoOo

The first Jenice knew of what was going on was the sound of explosions from outside. Glancing out her window, she saw the clouds of smoke rising from the barracks facility, and immediately assumed it was an attack. So they have come for me, she grimly thought as she stood, marching out of her office. I had not expected it to be so soon.

She'd seen Zygra's televised statement, and realised what it meant. She didn't underestimate the ability of the Drakken Army or its capabilities; nod did she have any illusions about the Red Claw's capabilities and how long they would last against a larger, better armed and better trained army. Her triumph against Zygra had been largely due to a combination of two things, Sturm's knowledge of the inner workings of their armed forces, and the shock value of the Gungyarados. She felt safe to assume that the Drakken army were ready for both.

This may be an early attack, possibly a surgical strike to weaken our forces before the main offensive push. I should have expected as such. That they came while Sturm was away from the city indicates they may have an agent here; something I should have anticipated. Leaving the office, she activated her communicator. "Towne, this is Jenice. What's the situation?" She demanded.

There was no reply, the line instead hissing with static. They couldn't have gotten her, could they? It was a worrying thought, but she dismissed it instantly, instead trying a different line. "Gwen, come in." She began, but again got no reply. "Drake, are you there?" Still no answer. "Bart?"

"Commander!" Bart called out, a panicked tone in his voice. "You're alive, thank god!"

"What is going, Bart?" She demanded, remaining clam as she continued to stalk through the palace. She signaled to a pair of guards who followed after her.

"Those... things!" He called out. "Those Chimera things that Levisha controls, they all went nuts!" He babbled.

She furrowed her brow, more angry at Bart's inability to put together a coherent sentence then anyhtign else. "What do you mean they 'went nuts'?" She asked. "Tell me what is going on."

"Those... things suddenly activated and they sortja combined to form bigger Zoids and then they attacked the barracks and now there are other Zoids of ours following them up and somebody started shooting at Gwen and-"

"Bart!" She snapped. "Control yourself. Stay calm and keep hidden. I will deal with this myself."

As she reached the lift down to the ground level, she considered the options. Levisha is the only one who can control those Zoids. What Bart described indicates that they are acting in a coordinated fashion... and that she has turned them on us. She clenched her fist. But why? Levisha has been my most loyal and dedicated agent. There has to be something more at play here.

She stepped out of the elevator, marching towards the Zoid compound they had set up at the back of the palace where her Descat would be waiting. And, if it is her, then she will have expected me to come here. But I have no choice. She stepped out into the compound, the two soldiers behind her. Yet I do have one weapon left.

The sight before her confirmed her suspicions. Her Descat was there, untouched as of yet. However, between it and her were a pair of Zoids; Levisha's Lord Gale and a machine she recognised as a Chimera Dragon, the combined form of the Chimera Zoids they had been using to such devastating effect. The Chimera Dragon was said to be an unstoppable killing machine that destroyed all around it; however, the one here looked to be completely under Levisha's control.

"Commander." Levisha began, calmly, speaking over her Zoid's PA system. "I regret that it has come to this. I would ask that you surrender to me now, and we can end this peacefully."

"Why should I do that, Towne?" She demanded. "Why should I just step aside and let you destroy all I have created?"

"Because it is in your interest to do such." Towne stated. "Because you have far more value then a simple revolutionary or would be Empress. Your value is to the entire world."

"Stop talking in riddles, Towne." Jenice demanded. "Explain to me what is going on."

"It is simple." She stated. "The Red Claw is no longer of any use to me. You, however, are. Therefore, I will protect you from what would otherwise be inevitable, while leaving the Red Claw to its final ends."

A black shadow passed overhead, Jenice glancing up at it as it went. The Gungyarados. Sturm has returned. She smiled to herself as she looked back at the Lord Gale, then pressed her communicator. "Sturm, this is Jenice."

"What is going on, commander?" He asked. "I lost all contact with the Claw, and then I return to fight the city ablaze."

"Levisha has launched her own coup." She explained. "She has tried to use the Chimera Zoids to take control of the claw and eliminate those not loyal to her personally. I am being held hostage by her outside the place."

"Did she say why?"

"She claims that she no longer needs the Red Claw, but does need me." Jenice finished.

"I see." He concluded. "I will be there shortly."

Jencie closed the link, then turned back to the Lord Gale. "Levisha, I demand that you surrender now and withdraw your troops. You have been a great asset to me, and I would hate to see you killed because of this mistake. However, if you do not comply, I will be forced to act. Do you understand me?"

"I do." She replied, the Lord Gale nodding towards her. "I regret that it has come to this, Jenice. However, you will see that this was necessary."

"Selling me out to the Drakken Empire to save yourself?" She asked. "It doesn't seem your style, Levisha. But then it appears that I have misjudged you, as it is the only reason I can see for you to have done this."

"Then you have misjudged me again." Levisha stated. "I do not care for the Drakken Empire any more then you do. And I would never, ever give you over to them. You are far more vital to my cause then that."

"Your cause?"

"Yes-" Levisha began, but was cut off by the roar of engines. The Gungyarados swooped down, coming to a rest behind the Lord Gale The Zoid bellowed, then reared up in its bipedal land battle mode.

"Levisha, I ask you that you surrender now." Jenice stated again. "Otherwise, I will order Paladin Trogdor to destroy you."

"I understand." She replied, the Lord Gale stepping aside, the Chimera Dragon accompanying it. Instead, the Gungyarados stepped forwards.

"Commander." Sturm began. "I understand what has happened here."

"Thank You, Paladin Trogdor." Jencie replied.

"And that is why I will also ask you to surrender now."

oOoOo

Well across the Empire, completely unwire of the events going on in Gayos, Floyd, Althiea and Thorne's Zoids made their way through a narrow canyon. They had been following a long, winding path for nearly a week now, Floyd leading them towards his base of operations. After their run in with the unseen (and still unidentified) surveillance unit, he had decided that caution was their best option; after all, the last thing he wanted was anyone discovering his base.

Thorne had complained, stating that she could simply destroy anything that got in their way. He'd pointed out in reply that all she would do was ensure there was a bigger reception for them when they reached their destination. The argument had gone back and forth until Althiea had stated that she would follow Floyd's lead. Oddly enough, Thorne had then stopped arguing and agreed with him.

The result had been a long and slow journey through rugged mountains and narrow canyons. While Althiea's Iron Kong was built for this sort of conditions, and Thorne's Darkhorn also seemed to handle them well, the Gustav had proven to be very poorly adept at them which had further slowed them down.

Pausing a moment, they looked down at the small valley where Floyd's hangar was hidden. "Not too long now." He commented. "So let's get moving." The Gustav turned and headed off, clanking as it went.

"Thorne, can I ask you a question?" Althiea began as they set off after his Zoid.

"What is it?" Shed began, warily.

"Why haven't the Blackstar's done anything about the Red Claw?" She spoke up. "We saw that broadcast by Zygra earlier, if he was willing to go to the Empire for help, why not to you?"

"Because officially we are a neutral independent power." Thorne stared. "But more specifically, we do not care what happens to the Empire."

"I don't follow you." She countered. "Why don't you?"

"it is simple." Thorne explained. "All we wish is to continue our existence without being involved in the affairs of the outside world. Zygra understood and respected that; his Empire never tried to meddle in our affairs. At the same time, we did the same for them. We left each other alone, respecting each other's privacy, so to speak."

"But you were involved with the Red Claw."

"Our leaders saw the Red Claw as a potential threat." She stated, flatly.

"Why was that?" Althiea asked. "They never attacked your people-"

"I cannot say." She stated. "But the policy appears to be reversed now. They probably just accept the Claw as the new leadership of the Empire. And, as long as the claw makes no hostile moves against them, they won't care for it. If the Claw is destroyed and Zygra restored, then we are similarly advantaged."

"And if the Drakken Empire takes over?" She asked. Thorne didn't reply. "Thorne?"

"The, uh, Blackstars have a 'special agreement' with the Draks." Floyd butted in. "Just so you know."

"I see..." She trailed off, glancing around. "Did you just hear something?"

"Nooo... should I have?" He asked.

"I thought I heard something." She offered. "It was... a voice distant, far away... but I thought I heard it."

The Gustav stopped, its radar antenna twitching. "I'm not getting anything here. Thorne?"

Her Darkhorn raised its head, the antennas twitching. "I'm getting some faint returns; It's too much to be clutter but still... I'm not sure what it is."

"How so?"

"its like nothing that matches to known sensor profiles." She offered. "My systems can't interpret the data."

"Althiea!" Floyd called back, knowing to trust her strange hunches. "Where's this coming from?"

"I don't know." She answered, trying not to panic. "All around me, I think...I can't say where exactly it is." She concentrated for a moment. "No, there's more of them."

"What are they like?" Floyd asked.

"What kind of a question is that?" Thorne snapped.

"Thorne, shut up." He replied. "Althiea?"

"Hold on..." She tried to focus, to pick out words from the gibberish running through her mind.

...epz-02 iron kong gorilla type modified profile to pk standards... extreme hostile threat situation... query continue (y/n)... live confirmation of enemy object... asset acquisition protocol initiated... confirm systems configuration... terminate process until query confirmation...

"I don't know." She stated. "They're cold, mechanical... almost alien. It's not a Zoid, at least, not like any I've encountered before."

"Careful." Floyd stated. "Something's going on-" He was cut off as a ball of flame struck the ground in front of his Zoid, erupting into an explosion that rained dirt and pebbles down on his machine's shell. "Flaming hell!"

"I order you to stand down now." A voice called out from further down the canyon. "Deactivate your machines and step out of them or else we will open fire."

"Who are you?" Thorne began. "By what authority do you presume order us?"

There was a roar, similar to those produced by larger Zoids; at the same time, however, it had an eerie, hollow tone to it. A form emerged through the smoke at the end of the valley, stalking towards them. Its size and shape was similar to that of a Genosaurer, but its form was completely different. It was far narrower, with a body that could only be described as skeletal; its body appeared to be made up of the bones of an animal, somehow animated into life. A brilliant red orb was imbedded in its chest, while its red eyes had a flame-like tone. The body was silver, with a dull red structure that seemed to support it. While it had no obvious weapons, its claws and fangs were wickedly sharp, while its narrow head was clearly too small to accommodate a pilot.

"Surrender now." The voice continued, not coming form the strange Zoid that was approaching them. "And you will not be harmed."

"Never!" Thorne shouted.

"Um, I think it may be a good idea to discuss this." Floyd spoke up. "We have no idea of the capabilities of this machine, nor do we know about their numbers or situation."

"They are clearly hostile." She stared. "And such hostility must be met in force."

The Darkhorn bellowed as the Hibilt Balkan cannon roared to life, spitting a stream of green energy pulses at the approaching Zoid. However, to Thorne's disbelief, the shots simply deflected away form the Zoid with no apparent ill-effect. "What in the name of-" She began, then brought the Hyperbeam cannon to bear. The massive weapon discharged, the beam striking the enemy Zoid square in the chest. The machine remained unphased, however, the beam dissipating with no other effect.

"All units!" The voice called out. "Attack!"

The landscape around them erupted into life as more Zoids appeared around them. Similar into design to the first one, they took other forms; some resembled smaller Raptor types, while others appeared to be Triceratops types. Like the first attacker, they did not seem to posess ranged weapons.

Two of the Triceratops Zoids bellowed as they charged forwards, heading straight to Floyd's Zoid. Their horns smashed into the Gustav's flank, shaking the Zoid on its base. The pair of them bellowed, then roared as they raised their head,s flipping the Gustav over onto its side. The Zoid rilled over, its wheels and antennas flailing ineffectually.

"Floyd!" Altheia called out, then was cut off as a volley of shots slammed into her Zoid's body. Several of the Raptors unleasehed foreballs form their maw, the shots blasting into the Iron Kong's body. She swung around, opening fire on one of them with the Pulse Cannons. The shots seemed to have little effect, washing off the Zoid's armour like water.

The large red Zoid opened fire on the Darkhorn with its own flame weapon, the shot hitting Thorne's Zoid in its face The Blackstar pilot let out a surprised scream as her machine staggered back, the area over its canopy blackened and scorched by the flames. Her Zoid bellowed, firing blindly with the beam weapons at its attacker; however the shots continued to bounce off ineffectually.

"Floyd!" she called out. "What are these... things?"

"I have no idea, actually." He replied, a surprisingly casual tone in his voice. "But its making for a fascinating study from where I'm sitting."

One of the smaller Zoids surged forwards, its claws slicing into the amour over the Kong's forearm, leaving surprisingly deep gashes. A second one lunged at her, Althiea only just jerking backwards as it sliced at her. In response, her Zoid swung around with one of its massive fists, slamming into the enemy machine's side. The result was somewhat unexpected. The Zoid's body crumpled and cracked, the red frame dissolving as if it was melting. In the end, only a few scraps of the skeletal armour remained, clattering to the ground.

"What... what was that?" She asked herself.

"Fascinating." Floyd replied. "The Zoid dissolved upon destruction of its- Behind you!"

Althiea's Kong spun around as one of the Triceratops-like machines lunged at her. Again she swung at it, smashing the fist into its face. The enemy machine staggered back, its head a twisted mess, but remained standing. The second barged past it, ramming its long horns into the Iron Kong's flank, ripping through the thick armour. Angry red lights flashed up on the systems status board as she tried to pull her Zoid free of its attacker.

The Iron Kong smashed both its fists down on the machine's back, crushing its body underneath it. Again, as the bones snapped and shattered the Zoid's actual body dissolved, melting away as if it had never existed. She only had a moment to observe, however, as several of the smaller Raptors leaped at her, hissing and snarling.

"They've vulnerable to melee weapons!" She called out as the enemy Zoids trued to crab onto her.

Thorne turned for a second, only to have her Zoid caught in the side by the damaged Triceratops. The Darkhorn staggered, then was again blasted by a hail of fire from the larger attacker. The flames singed its amour and systems, but the Darkhorn remained standing despite the assault.

A Raptor grabbed onto the Iron Kong's back, sinking its claws into the flight pack. Altheia reached for it, but was unable to pry it off. Another one grabbed onto her Zoid's hip, trying to shred the damaged armour. The Kong seized it, grabbing it in its massive hand before throwing it away. To her surprise, the Zoid managed to roll through its landing and come out upright, then charge back in. "So they're very agile as well." Floyd commented. "This will be useful in future."

"Damn you, Glass!" Thorne yelled, rage colouring her voice. "Will you stop talking and do something?"

"As much as I would love to, my dear, my situation prevents it." He calmly replied. "Unless someone is kind enough to flip my Zoid back, I have little I can do aside from gather data."

"Damn it..." She snarled as her Darkhorn lashed out with its tail, narrowly missing the wounded Triceratops type. Another burst of flame seared her damaged flank, again drawing her attention. "Fine. I'll deal with you first." The Darkhorn charged forwards, bellowing as it lunged at its bizarre attacker. The Zoid thrust upwards, its twin horns impaling into its belly, ripping through its structure. "There..." She snarled. "How do you... the hell?"

For a moment she got a glimpse of something inside the Zoid's ruined structure. Standing in a spherical cavity in its chest was a figure that, while humanoid, was clearly not human. it had a spherical torso amounted atop stubby legs, while its arms were little more then tubes ending with three primitive claws. Its head was a ball on the end of a thick neck, featureless save for a trio of red eyes.

"It's a robot..." She gasped before the Zoid, complete with its pilot, dissolved around her. "They're piloted by robots."

A brilliant yellow beam seared into the ground between her and Floyd's Zoids, carving through the rock. While it didn't hit either of them, it made it abundantly clear that, had it dun so, it could have destroyed them straight out. Turning, the three of them saw their attacker; a black and purple, skeletal Tyrannosaur Zoid, bigger then any of the others they had encountered.

"Now." He stated. "I suggest that you surrender or else I will destroy you all."

Althiea anxiously glanced at Thorne's Zoid, not because she was concerned over her health, but because she was worried that the Blackstar would do something that would get them all killed. However, to her surprise, she opened her Zoid's cockpit and stood, her hands in the air. "Very well." Thorne stated. "We surrender."

oOoOo

The commander sat back as he surveyed a trio of monitors, analyzing the situation. "So, Jenice is in our custody. Glass and Althiea are also in our custody. And fighting has broken out between the Drakken and Zygra forces." He nodded to Jaeger, who stood next to him. "All has gone according to plan."

He bought up another display, showing the planet's orbit, tracking various objects as they moved through space. "And there is one final piece to put into place." He finished. "And when it arrives, then we will reshape this world in our image."