DR: Here we go people, the 'last' chapter! It's long, to the point where it should have been split into two, but there were no suitible break points. Hope you all enjoy this!


Chapter 52: Once More Unto the Breach, Dear Friends

Bit smiled as the Liger walked across the plain, leaving the fallen Zaber Fang in the dirt. Glancing left he watched as Leena brought the Iguanosaur to walk beside him, the much larger zoid blocking out the sun.

"You having fun Bit?" She called on the comm, her face filled with cheer.

"Very much so dear. It's nice to face familiar foes once more."

"Don't I know it!" She laughed with him as the team moved off. The sun wasn't even past its zenith and already they'd had four battles today. It was the last day of the Class S season, and just like in the lower classes, every four years there was a 'Royal Battle'. While this time the prize was only being crowned the undisputed champions of Class S, the format was similar to the lower level 'Royal Cup'. Only this time there was no final finishing point. The aim was simply to defeat all other teams.

Thing was, that was harder than it first seemed. Because between each battle the teams were only allowed to rescue their downed zoids and pilots. No repairs, no reloads. It was as much a battle of attrition as it was tactics.

Bit leaned back in his seat as the Blitz moved off, hunting for another foe. The Cylon assault was nearly four months into the past, but he could still recall that day like it was yesterday. The best of humanity had been displayed that day, and they had triumphed. The losses had been high, but he knew they could have been far, far worse.

The Iguanosaur had taken nearly all that time to be repaired, so badly had it been hit. Leena had almost gone berserk when she saw just how badly her zoid had been damaged. Bit was sure that if there had been a Cylon around at that time, she would have attacked it with her bare fists. Knowing her like he did, he would not have betted on the Cylon winning the fight.

However, the rest of the team's zoids were intact, and after a few minor repairs they returned to the field of zoid battles, once more providing the entertainment for the people.

As they moved, Bit looked across the team. Just beyond Leena was Vega, the Fury gleaming in his default armour, which Vega had started to call the 'Shadow' armour, in honour of the Organoid who had become the Fury.

Leon paced on Bit's other flank, the blood red Blade Liger almost seeming to glow. Leon had commented that the zoid had been acting oddly recently. It was bit faster, a bit stronger, and its power levels were elevated. No one, not even Steve, could understand why. Bit had got the impression that the Liger and Fury knew what was happening, but unusually they were keeping quiet about it. No amount of prying from either himself or Vega could get them to talk.

Out on the far flank beyond Vega was Brad, Naomi by his side. The two of them had formed a little sub team within the larger Blitz. The Shadow Fox was able to get right in the midst of the other teams zoids and give Naomi's Snipe Master precise target coordinates. Zoid after zoid fell to either her rifle or his laser and claws.

Out ahead, scouting for the other teams, Pierce and Jamie flew high above, wing mates forever. Their experiences in the Colonial craft had taught them a few things, and ever since no one had yet managed to even get near them when they flew together like this.

Stoller and Cassandra were in the rear, behind the Ultimate X zoids. The two of them had butted heads a lot over the last few months, but even so there was something going on between them. They denied it whenever one of the others brought up the subject, but the rest of the team just smiled and gave significant glances to each other.

And lastly, tucked in close to the Fury, was Miranda. When the team finally returned to the surface, Steve had been literally bouncing up and down in excitement. Despite their protests, he had dragged the whole team into the hanger to see, not willing to wait for them to catch up on the sleep they so desperately needed and craved.

What he had to show them however drove any thought of sleep from their minds. For while the team had been in space fighting Miranda's Rev Raptor had completed its evolution, and now a brand new zoid stood in its place, unlike anything any of them had seen before. It kept the same basic raptor shape and style, but just as the Snipe Master was a leaner version of the Gunsniper, so this new zoid was sleeker than the old Rev Raptor. It stood that bit taller and longer, with more build to it. The snout was that bit longer and sharper, and the limbs more streamlined and graceful. Twin light-weight lasers graced each forearm, the bolts fired out between and just above the knuckles of the three fingered hands. Hands which, Miranda had quickly discovered were capable of a wide range of movement and dexterity. The inner finger could swing round enough to function as an opposable digit, and the claws on the ends, while smaller than the originals, were much sharper and stronger.

The legs had the build of a real jumper and runner, while the feet had been heavily changed. Now they much more resembled the feet of the real raptor, with the central and outer toes long with small claws, and the inner toe terminating in a massive sickle claw. Unlike the dinosaur's claw, these ones really were built for slashing, with razor sharp inner edges. There was also a low level laser charge running through them when the zoid was active, making them even better for slashing through armour. Attached to the hip joints, and somehow remaining utterly level even when the zoid was running at top speed, were a pair of six shot missile pods.

The biggest change however was to the zoid's back. Gone were the Rev Raptor's trademark sickle blades. Instead two long, straight blades ran down the zoid's spine, almost reaching the tip of the stiffened tail. Indeed, the blades were almost flush with the bodywork, making them hard to see when inactive. But when activated they sprung out to each side, snapping out like the blades on a Blade Liger. And just like a Blade Liger's blades they could be swung round to point forwards. Carrying the same low level laser charge that Miranda had created for the original Rev Raptor blades, they would defeat anything up to a real laser blade. It was these blades that had given the new zoid its name, the Blade Raptor.

In motion, the Blade Raptor rivalled the Shadow Fox in agility under Miranda's hands. While it was accepted that she'd never have the gunnery skills to rival any of the others, her piloting was right up there with Bit and Vega. With her at the controls the new zoid could dance, weaving in and out of hostile fire and not once take a hit.

Bit smiled at the way her zoid paced alongside the much larger Fury, as much a sign that she and Vega were together as anything. He remembered when her father Mathew Schubaltz had turned up unannounced a week after they got back planet side. His company were to retake possession of the Cybrid shield units, loaned to the Blitz for the Cylon attack. But he came personally to see his daughter. The two of them, along with Vega, had gone off together for a long time. No one else in the team knew exactly what had been said between them, but it was clear when they returned that everything was okay. Mr Schubaltz had stood before Sarah for a long moment, looking into her eyes, before complimenting her on bringing up such a fine young man.

Bit was sure that he actually saw Sarah blush at that.

X-X-X-X-X-X

On the far side of the planet, blinking the last traces of sleep from his tired old eyes, Commander Adama looked out over the new Colonial city. The construction had been going at a record pace, and now after only five months the living sectors were nearly complete. Already people were moving in, staking their claims to the new homes. He had been surprised to see that those families who had shared the same ships stayed close together, living on the same street.

Lifting his eyes, he looked across the new skyline. The architecture was a blend of traditional Colonial Pyramid and Earth box designs, the pyramid sitting atop a ground floor. The roads and walkways were being laid throughout the rest of the city, where for the moment only the outlines were. But in a few short weeks the first industrial plant would be laid. The homes were built, now for their jobs.

A slight breeze rippled at his robes, carrying with it the scent of this new world. Overhead the sky was slowly brightening, and despite his failing sight, Adama was able to pick out the ships in high orbit. With the threat of Cylon attack gone, the fleet had stood down, to allow for the pressing need for repairs and refits. Most of that work however was put on hold while a fully equipped space station was constructed. Using the old Earth Colony Ships drives as the basis, the Colonial engineers were building up the rather crude design from Earth into a fully fledged Colonial Shipyard and way station. In a touch of irony, the hulks of the Cylon Base Ships were used to expand the station, providing more living and storage space, freeing up the old engine casings to act as slipways and 'dry docks' as Sire Masters had called them. Those areas of the Cylon vessels that were too badly damage to be safely used were stripped of anything useful before smelted down to form more material.

As the sun rose behind him, the light slowly crept across the city spread out before him. As the Fleet Commander and President, Adama had been almost forced to take one of the newly built expansive homes built onto a ridge that looked over the city. At first he had balked, but when he saw the view, so much like that from his destroyed home back on Caprica, he had been unable to resist.

He heard footsteps behind him, the gravel here allowing him to pick up on the slightly uneven footfalls. As a result he was not surprised when Illa wrapped her arms round him.

"Still thinking about that day?" She asked quietly as he placed his hands over hers.

"Partly." He answered. Almost a week ago it had been the day, three Yahrens ago, when the Cylons destroyed the Colonies. All the survivors had gathered for a Remembrance, joined by many from across the world they now lived on. As the leader of the people, Militarily, Politically and Spiritually, it had fallen onto Adama to lead the Colonials through the service. He had spoken of the past, of the achievements of the fallen Colonies, and of that fateful day. Nearly everyone who heard him was unable to keep a dry eye as he recalled that terrible day. Then, as the timer reached the point, silence fell. For twelve centons – twelve minutes – everyone around the world stood silent and still, one minute for each of the Colonies. At the central Plaza of the new Colonial city the only sounds had been the faint squeak of tackle as the Flags of each of the Colonies had been raised to half mast.

After the silence Adama had moved on to other business. He declared that Martial Law, imposed on that day and the means by which the Fleet had been run ever since, was hereby suspended. From now on, the Council would lead, as was right and proper. Adama had much more faith in the Council now, since after the battle most of the fools who made up that group had lost power and favour. Now a new, younger generation of people had stepped forward. Open minded, forward thinking individuals, they heaped praise on Adama and the Warriors, and willing embraced the other nations on Zi. A few of the former council, such as Siress Tina, remained on, tempering the younger members with age honed wisdom.

The main shock however was Adama's announcement that he was stepping down as Commander of the Fleet, and as President of the Colonies. He was tired of leading, of deciding the fate of everyone. Now, he wished for nothing more than to settle down with his love, and live out the rest of his days in peace. He had expected the Warriors to object, but he had never even thought that the civilians would. The outcry had been colossal, and had been the final nail in the political coffin for several of the former Council when they tried to use the situation to their advantage. In the end he had been unable to ignore the people's calls, and so he remained as President, for one more term.

The Colonial Fleet was still in a state of flux, both from the battle and his standing down. Naturally Commander Cain would become the new Fleet Commander. Major Pitt had been given control of the new station, due to his former role as Master of the Scorpia Shipyards. Colonel Tigh would, of course, become the Galatica's new commander, but there were still other posts to be filled…

"You checked on our children today?" Illa's unexpected question cut off his line of thought.

"No. They deserve some free time…"

"Adama, they've had the last two Sectares off duty." He didn't need to see her face to know she was smiling; he could hear the amusement in her voice. "How much longer are you going to let them off?"

"As long as they need…" Adama smiled. "…Or at least, as long as we can get away with. Don't worry about it. Both Tigh and Cain are behind them too."

He felt Illa nod, before turning her head to look along the ridgeline. Both Apollo and Athena had taken the homes closest to their parents, part of a subconscious desire to keep their family, once shattered by tragedy, together again. No one had questioned their decisions at all.

But it wasn't just the two of them who moved into those homes. Sheba had joined Apollo, and Achilles had discharged himself into Athena's care. The man, full of Scorpionic pride, had been determined to maintain his lifestyle and freedom. The doctors had to sedate him before they could even get him to the Life Centre on his ship. And that was after rescue crews had arrived from the other ships once they learned that people had survived within the battlecruiser. Although he downplayed it his injuries were harsh, quantity making up for quality. Even after his crew were seen to and they were all planet side, Achilles had still been trying to take care of matters concerning his ship. He would have made it out of the hospital too - broken arm, leg, rib cage and all – had Athena not cut him off. It took the word of Adama and Cain before he relented in trying to reach his ship, to ensure it would not be scrapped. And Adama knew it took all of Athena's patience to manage to convince him to take it easy. He had only relented when she told him it would just her looking after him, in their own home. Adama and Illa had visited a few times, and while it was a shock to see the formerly indefatigable colonel rendered so weak, Achilles withstood his condition with little rancour, and with each visit the older couple saw marked improvement in his condition. Athena too was looking much better than ever, better even than before the Destruction.

In contrast, Apollo and Sheba couldn't get to their new home fast enough. The sealer was still drying when they moved in, and neither one had been seen since by anyone other than Adama and Illa, except for when one of them opened the door enough to drag in the food deliveries they ordered. The pair of them sometimes came round, but most days they spent together, alone.

Taking one last deep breath of the clean, fresh air, Adama turned about. "Come on, it is time to attend to our duties."

Illa nodded as she linked her arm though his. She knew that Adama would never neglect his tasks, that he would continue to do whatever he could until the day he died. It was one of the many reasons why she loved him.

Arm in arm, they headed back inside.

X-X-X-X-X-X

Richter Kane was jolted out of his light doze by the bleeping of the comm system. Opening his eyes, he looked down at the screen, the message from the ZBC displayed in the centre.

'Hellfire Starfall Team, report to the central arena.' He had been expecting that message, and had seen it before. Out of the last seven Royal Battles in which his team had taken part, they had won five. Taking a light grip on the controls he gently steered his zoid onto the new heading, knowing that the rest of his team would follow without question.

Once they were heading for the final battle ground, Kane leaned back once more, thinking ahead and back. When the message of victory had come from above, he had felt a great weight lift from his shoulders. With shaky hands he had ordered the standing down of his units and private army, before he allowed his own relief to course through him. He had hoped, prayed, that the Colonials would be enough to defeat the Cylons, and it had actually happened. Kane had had a back up plan if they didn't, but it was one he had been extremely reluctant to use. The time was not yet right. Hopefully it would never actually be needed.

Thinking ahead, Kane began to plan how to go about the forthcoming battle. A tradition of the Royal Battle was that the final battle be fought in a special place, a long extinct caldera. The rest of the battles over this long day had been fought around it, now the winner would be decided within it.

Slowly he tapped in a request to the ZBC, smiling as he already had a good idea of the answer. His smile only widened when he saw it.

The Blitz Team would be their opponents. One more time.

#What are you smiling about?# The zoid's question rumbled around him almost deafeningly.

"We'll be facing the Blitz." Kane answered simply.

#Oh… good…# Feral anticipation was clear in the deep, rumbling roar.

X-X-X-X-X-X

In a dim bar contained within the Ancient City, Inara smiled as see watched Mal play. The whole crew were on down time, and with the date for Simon and Kaylee's wedding closing, Mal had finally agreed to let everyone off. Not that they'd been doing much for a while. After the Cylon Assault, Zoe and Wash had returned to the city, despite Mal's protests. Inara would never have believed it if she hadn't seen it with her own eyes: Zoe had defied Mal and disobeyed a direct order.

They had tracked them down a couple of weeks later, barricaded inside one of the rooms at the Grand Hotel. When at last Mal's hammering on the door had been answered Zoe, dressed in only a sheet, had told him in no uncertain terms that she and her husband were not to be disturbed. The unspoken words 'Or else' were there in her eyes, and Mal had wisely decided to back down.

Since then the crew had been doing make work, lending their hands to many odd tasks. After a month away the two love birds had returned to the crew, though there was a marked change in them both. Inara, with her long years of experience in reading people, had soon figured out what that was.

As was normal, the two of them had remained on the ship, along with Simon, Kaylee and River. The younger Tam's head was still looking a little bare after the bandages were removed, revealing how the doctors had to shave some of her hair to perform the surgery. But it was clear that the results were everything they had all hoped and dreamt for. That lost, vacant and sometimes scary look had gone from her eyes, and now they danced with light and life. They had seen it before, during those spells where Simon's elaborate cocktail of drugs had stabilised her. But those times had been short, the drugs wearing off. Even after Miranda she still had problems, spoke in riddles and nonsense phrases.

But now that light remained in her eyes, and it was clear for everyone to see the person that had been buried under all that pain and horror. Already she understood the Colonial technology, and had taken an active role in overseeing the upgrade of Serenity. Even Mal trusted her to get it right. They all knew that of all of them she was the one most in touch with the ship's soul, more so even than Kaylee or Mal. If anyone could give her such a total overhaul without harming that essence, it was her.

It wasn't just River who was feeling better. Inara and Mal's relationship was no longer filled with arguments, and while they had not progressed further then close friendship, both sensed the potential for something much more.

A cheer rose up from one side of the room, and she looked over as she took a sip of her drink. Starbuck was sitting at the table, cigar clenched between his teeth as he grinned broadly, his eye shining and a towering pile of gold squares, Cubits she'd heard them called, before him. Other men at the table were throwing in their cards, clearly loosing yet another round.

All around her were men and women in uniform, off duty and relaxing. Mostly Colonial or City Guard, there were a fair helping of troops from the other states too, plus a number of civilians. Mal and Jayne were playing pool with a City Guard member and an officer from the Guylos Empire respectfully, while near the back she spied that quiet captain Boomer talking with a women from the Helic republic. The atmosphere was jovial and warm, no tempers had frayed even with Starbucks outrageous luck.

She turned to her companion. "Does he always win?" She motioned towards Starbuck, who was in the act of laying down his cards, drawing yet another groan from his fellow players.

Cassiopeia smiled. "Starbuck does have the luck of the gods when it comes to cards. He's a born gambler, that one."

"Never in over his head?"

"Oh far too frequently for my liking! But if he stopped doing that, then he wouldn't be Starbuck." There was a wistful note in Cassie's voice.

"I know what you mean…" Inara looked once more at Mal, as with a solid 'thunk' sent one of the balls - real, not holographic like it would have been back home – down one of the pockets. "Sometimes I've wished to change Mal. But then…" She sighed.

Cassie looked towards her. "A toast…" She lifted her glass, the long strip of cloth that hung from her wrist hanging down almost onto the table top before returning to her dress. "…To difficult men. You either love them or hate them…"

"…But you can never change them." Inara finished, a warm smile on her lips as they touched glasses. As they drank, Inara found her gaze on the monitor that had been tracking the Class S Royal Battle. Her eyes widened slightly when she saw one of the team names listed. The Blitz Team was one of two still in white: all the others were red.

Seconds later the barkeep rang a gong and the patrons quietened down. Seeing that he had everyone's attention, the man pressed a small control, and the previously muted reporting was returned to full volume.

"This is it people! We've had a day of battling, and what battling it has been! Stunning victories, surprising losses, and some great fights! But now we're down to the last two teams. On the one side we have the reigning champions the Hellfire Starfall Team with their new super zoid, and on the other we have the meteoric Blitz Team, Guardians of Zi. The odds have been drawn, and the last betting station has closed. Lets now go live to the battlefield…"

X-X-X-X-X-X

Bit was feeling supremely confident as the Blitz made their way up the incline to the final battle area. When they had put the last of the Swarm Team down, something that had taken a while even for the Blitz due to the sheer number of zoids in the other team, they had been fed coordinates for this place. A quick check of the maps by Sarah in the Hover Cargo revealed the indicated point was at the centre of a long dead caldera. The region within that area was fairly flat and barren, while the inner rock faces were sheer and crumbling. It was a natural battle arena.

As they approached the rim Bit took one more look at all the others. The Blitz had come through the earlier battles with only a few scars, and each and every one of them was ready for a fight. Bit already had an idea of who they were going to be facing in this battle, and he knew that they were going to need every edge…

When they reached the edge they stopped, all stood on the rim. Off to the right sitting on the lip was the Judge, overlooking the entire caldera. And across from them, silhouetted against the sky was the Hellfire Starfall…

"Wait a minute… what's that zoid in the centre?" Leon's voice cut across Bit's thoughts. Sure enough, standing in the centre of the other team was a zoid that towered over them all. Curious Bit engaged the zoom to take a closer look.

"Good lord…" Naomi's whisper drifted across the net, matching the thought racing through Bit's mind as he beheld the new beast.

Its shape was very similar to that of the Fury, with the same basic layout of two thick legs, a compact body held level with a massive tail out behind, and a beast of a head out front, but there were subtle - and not so subtle – differences too. For one, the rear of the new zoid's head was that bit wider, the head armour flaring out into many small points. The snout was longer and thinner at the tip.

Blades seemed to sprout from all over it. There were a set emerging from the neck, two large blades emerging from the sides and another pair on the tip of the tail. A row of small spikes ran down the zoids spine, and all the blades and claws had an unusual sheen to them. On the back of each forearm a cannon poked out between two of the claws, and ridding over the back was a turret much like the one on the back of the Genosaurer, only much larger and bracketed by six, eight-shot missile pods.

But the real sense of dread came from two very simple facts. One was that fact that it was almost completely black. Bit could barely distinguish between the various parts. This wasn't helped by the fact that the other zoid seemed to soak in the light, reflecting not one shred of it.

The other fact was the zoid's sheer size. It stood next to Flare and the Night Liger, and since he knew just how big those two were, Bit was able to get a pretty good idea as to just how big this beast was. It wasn't in the same realm as the Iguanosaur, but it was a good twenty percent larger than the Fury.

Bit felt a grin squirm its way onto his face. Now here was a real challenge, something he could really sink his teeth into!

Taking his eyes off the new zoid he looked across the rest of Kane's team, spotting some old foes, and a few new ones. Besides Flare and Night Liger, the two Rev Raptors, the Dark Horn, Stealth Zaber and Triple S were all familiar foes to the Blitz. But there were two new zoids too. One, a lumbering Hammerhead, hovered above the towering Rex type zoid, while a Black Redler was in a mirror position to that of the Triple S as it hovered on the Hammerheads wing. Looking closely, he saw that this Redler was again customised, this time with a multitude of blades. The wing guns were replaced by what looked like cut down Storm Sworder blades, while a pair of what looked suspiciously like Blade Liger blades adorned its back. Where the normal Black Redler carried a pair of heavy missiles on its belly, this one had a slim Vulcan cannon.

The bleep of a comm channel opening heralded Kane's face appearing in a window. "Welcome to the 'Final Arena', Blitz Team. Ready to fight one last time?"

Bit pulled out his cockiest grin. "You bet! This is going to be a blast!"

Throughout both teams the pilots were eyeing up the others, picking out those who they were going to go after first. Isabella glared at the Silver Storm Sworder hovering above the Blitz. Pierce had won more of their own duels than she had, and Isabella was determined to even the score.

Vega looked intently at the Night Liger. In the past he'd left that one to Bit, but as it was clear that Bit was going after Kane himself… that left the Liger for him and Fury. Through the controls he could feel his zoid's anticipation.

The judge slowly looked between the two teams. "Area scanned, battlefield set up! The Blitz team Vs the Hellfire Starfall Team! Ready…" The judge held the pause for a long moment, longer than any in the Blitz had ever seen. "…FIGHT!"

As the others on the Blitz roared forwards Stoller locked himself into position. It was not that he couldn't get down to the basin, but it would be too much effort to do that and fight at the same time. Besides, where he was right at that moment was a perfect firing position. His shield snapped up to fend off the first burst from the Dark Horn, and then he returned the favour.

From both sides the zoids pushed forwards, a mass of shifting shapes. Brad took the Shadow Fox around the rim, the agile zoid vanishing in the jumbled mass of rocks that rimmed the caldera. Naomi also didn't head for the base, but instead clung to the rock face, darting about to stay ahead of the shots that Flare was snapping off at her. Naomi knew that if she could just lose Auri's attention for a couple of seconds, then she'd be able to go into Longshot mode and take the other sniper, who had gone straight into Longshot and thus was silhouetted against the sky, out.

In the air above, Pierce barely noticed as Jamie swooped towards the custom Black Redler. Her eyes were fixed on the jet black form of the Triple S. The two flew right at each other, banking away at the last second to race past each other with barely meters between them.

Down below, Liger led the charge as ever, Fury on his right and Iggy on the left. Leon, Cassie and Miranda formed a loose second line, ready to take advantage of the chaos and confusion that a triple Ultimate X impact would make.

When both teams clashed, the impact could almost be felt around the planet. Liger slammed into the Silent Fury's shoulder, the larger zoid staggering before throwing him off. The Night Liger had to jink to avoid the Fury gaping jaws, and neatly ran into his tail, just as Vega had intended. Leena actually slowed down a bit, but then she cut loose with her full arsenal, her lasers snapping at the Rev Raptors while the main turret spun round and sent a torrent of shells at the Hammerhead.

As the battle fully got under way, Bit's field of vision narrowed down to the imposing bulk of the Silent Fury, which was anything but silent as it bellowed out almost constantly. Of the two Liger was quicker on his feet, but Kane's zoid was much more well armed and armoured. Their duel became the centre of the battle, the others interspersed around them.

To everyone around the planet watching, it was the most stunning display of pilot skill and prowess that had ever been seen. Each zoid moved with grace, deftly avoiding the blows or shots of their foes. The Hellfire Starfall Team looked over matched on the ground, but their stealthy, agile zoids were keeping the Blitz dancing. The Hammerhead, despite loosing a long strip of armour to Leena's volley, rained fire on the Blitz, forcing them to watch out for it.

The first to fall was Naomi. Her Snipe Master slipped on some loose rock, and as the zoid regained its balance Auri put a round through its knee, effectively taking her out of the battle. Auri didn't have long to celebrate though, as barely a half minute later the Shadow Fox leapt out of cover and slammed paw first into her. The Strike Laser Claws and sharp teeth tore through her armour, and a quick bite to the throat finished her off.

As a tail slap sent one of the Rev Raptors flying, out of the battle before it hit the ground, a volley of shells slammed into Leena's flank, the heavy armour only just holding together. Behind her Cassie saw the culprit, the stealth Zaber Fang. The pilot of that zoid had been harassing them all for a while now, using the military grade optical cloak to fire while invisible. Determined to not let him get away again, Cassie bracketed the area with her guns, putting so much fire into the one area that it was impossible for the smaller zoid to escape without getting hit. And hit it was, the hits not punching through the armour, but the cloak started to falter, the field shorting out randomly.

As the Dark Horn on the far side of the caldera wavered and fell, Stoller turned his attention to the hovering Hammerhead. He hammered the aerial zoid, but the thick armour held back his attack. In reply the Hammerhead pummelled him with its own weapons, the Elephander unsteady on its feet afterwards. Both fired once more, and while the Elephander thudded into the dirt, the trunk falling limply over the edge, Stollers fire struck sure and true into the area that Leena had already torn into. The shark shaped zoid began to vent smoke, and slowly drifted to the side, loosing altitude as it did so.

As the Blitz slowly took down the Hellfires by sheer weight of numbers, Bit and Kane continued to duel, both zoids sporting many scars. Chunks of white and black armour lay scattered about the central area, while small threads of yellow sparks crackled along the damaged points in their armours. But neither pilots nor zoids took note. Instead they were totally focused on the other, watching for that final, fatal mistake.

Jamie sighed as he finally gunned down the Black Redler, which had come close enough to gouge some nasty slashes in his Raynos's armour. But even as he watched the other zoid roll over and tumble for the sands below, the Triple S dove down from above, blades deployed and active. Quick as a flash the Raynos' head was parted from its body, and both parts began to fall. Pierce, witnessing this, cursed a blue streak as she dove after the offending zoid, her lasers blazing.

The Stealth Zaber, chased about by Cassie, was finally caught by Leena's guns, who demolished a large amount of cliff as she unleashed her full fury. When the dust settled the Zaber was well and truly out the fight: It would be very hard to fight on with three of the four limbs smashed, and a crater where the back mounting point should be.

As Miranda elegantly finished off the second Rev Raptor, she looked across to where her man Vega had the Night Liger boxed in. Both of them were damaged, the Fury's right leg bearing the twin slashes that was the trademark signature of the Night Liger. Despite the damaged knee joint, the Fury was still able to hop forwards and catch the Liger in his jaws. After a few seconds shaking it about he toss the Liger towards Leon, who used the opportunity to run his blade down the zoids belly. As he landed from the leap, Leon looked down at his displays, frowning. The Blade Liger had been responding even faster during this fight, and the power readings from the core were higher than ever. What it all meant, Leon didn't know.

Taking a step back from Bit, Kane looked about, not that surprised to see that the Blitz had defeated his team. They had put up a good fight, nearly getting the Blitz several times, but each time the Blitz had just about escaped. At least, that's how it looked. He smirked as he saw the Triple S dive for the ground, smoke trailing from its back. He knew Isabella would not be happy about losing to Pierce yet again.

He turned his attention back to the Liger Zero, which stood there gazing up at him. The Zero's armour was near the point of being totally ruined, after all the glancing hits from his back cannons and missile strikes. Yet despite being so battered the Liger Zero still managed to remain looking noble and defiant.

For his part, Bit was looking at the other zoid with a good deal of respect. It had taken a lot of punishment and yet was still going strong. Bit was actually beginning to think that Kane was holding back a bit, as Liger was picking up all sorts of interesting bit of information. The layer of small conduits just beneath the armour had been a surprise, a rather painful one too on the Ligers part when he received a nasty shock when his claws ripped through several at once. The amount of weaponry the Silent Fury carried was close to what Leena did, and it had powerful melee abilities, just as Bit expected from Kane.

Fleetingly he noticed the others of his team forming a circle around him and Kane, staying far enough back to avoid harm but close enough to lend assistance if he called for it. Of course Bit had no intention of doing so, but the gesture was greatly appreciated.

Suddenly Kane had his zoid relax and step back. There was the chime of an opening comm channel. "Well fought Bit Cloud. I surrender."

"WHAT?" Bit couldn't help but yelp as the Ligers sensors confirmed the Silent Fury's weapons were powered down, the core power levels starting to drop. "…Why?" He finally asked, too gob smacked to think of anything more coherent.

On the other end of the line Kane smiled. "Bit, I'm outnumbered seven to one here. I could take you all on, but it would just delay the inevitable. There's no reason for our zoids to be smashed up any more than they have to. Therefore, I surrender."

The Blitz looked at each other, confusion clear on all their faces. After a minute though, Bit faced Kane. "Kane… you're right. We could carry this on, and you would likely take most of us out, maybe even win. But… lets spare the zoids any more harm. I accept your surrender."

As the judge's claxon filled the air the tension in the Blitz eased off. Kane smirked as the Judge declared the Blitz Team the winners. For the next four years everyone would be watching the Blitz, not him and his people. Now he could step back a bit, back into the shadows, where he belonged.

#Don't think that Richter…# The Silent Fury told him as they slowly made their way towards where the Indomitable had landed. #You're better than that. Stop worrying about the future, enjoy the moment and live a little.#

Seeing Auri and the rest of his team waiting for him by the main ramp, Kane had to admit that the great zoid, who had spent so long in the dark himself, might have a point.

X-X-X-X-X-X

The feast in honour of the new Class S Champions was held in the gardens of the ZBC headquarters, with one of the great lakes of Europa along one side. People came from far and wide to partake, and the event soon filled the space available. Throughout it all the Blitz had pride of place at the central table, elevated slightly above everyone else to show their supremacy. Tall lanterns lit everywhere with a soft warmth, while overhead the stars shone brilliantly. Partly hidden in the darkness along the edges of the party the varied zoids stood, watching their pilots and enjoying events.

Sitting there above everyone, Bit found his eyes wandering, jumping from table to table, looking for those he knew. In the main the groups were segregated into their origins, for instance the bulk of the Colonials were in one area, while in another the Zoid Teams sat. He had a moment of amusement when he saw the Colonial dress uniforms. It was hard to tell the difference from their regular uniforms at first. It was only when Apollo and Sheba came over that he understood. The tan jumpsuit looked like the regular one, only it had a much finer cut and was more decorative. The heavy leather jacket was gone. Instead Apollo wore a short half cape of very fine leather fastened to his shoulders, with loops of braid running just below his collar bone from each side. Sheba, although a Warrior of great standing, chose not to wear the dress uniform, but instead had gone for a full blown ball room dress that clung to her figure and accentuated her skin.

But it was the way the two of them stood together, with barely room to slip a sheet between them, which highlighted how much things had changed between them. Both had a glow about them, and their eyes danced. Leon and Sarah shared knowing looks, small smiles creasing their faces.

Towards the end of the meal Christian Masters, once more wearing his full dress Uniform, stood up and cleared his throat. But even after two attempts only a few people heard him asking for their attention: the level of chatter drowned him out, even when he spoke loudly and firmly.

Typically, it was Mnementh who solved the problem with characteristic directness. His regal bugle caused all conversations to stop, while at the same time sending all the glasses trembling.

Christian flushed a bit after that display, and the silence was so complete you could hear a pin drop. "Uh… sorry about that, but I would like to say a few words." He snapped a quick glare towards where Mnementh was sitting, before turning to regard the gathered crowds who were all paying him rampant attention.

"Tonight, we honour the best our world has created. They have not only clawed their way to the top of the ZBC ladder, but have faced down horrors that the rest of us can barely imagine. And they did that while remaining true to not only themselves, but to those they love and to their world. Ladies and gentlemen, the Blitz Team!"

Cheers and yells, plus thunderous applause, followed his words, causing crimson to form on the cheeks of everyone in the team.

"And let me also say…" Christian continued once the applause died down. "… To the Colonials, who have shown us an ideal to strive for, who stood before the full fury of hell and threw it back into the void… and who have opened up the stars for us, once more." This time it was the Colonials turn to flush as everyone around them cheered them on.

"Our world has been through turbulent times. But now, I feel… no, I know… that we are past such times and that the future is out there ready for us. A new golden era awaits us, and all we have to do to achieve it is to stand together. United, there is nothing we can not accomplish." Christian looked pointedly at Richter Kane as he said this, who ducked his head under that gaze.

"Everyone, may I propose a toast…" Christian raised his glass. On queue everyone else did so in response. "To the future."

Hundreds of voices repeated that at once, before the tables were abandoned in favour of the dance area. The rejoicing and partying went well into the night…


DR: Well there we have it. I hope that was...

Zeke: (belches)

All: Zeke!

Zeke: Ahh...(glances around nervously)

DR: ...Moving right along, I hope that satisfied your battle lust...