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The control room's doors opened again, and Zero entered. The rest of the Hunters were gone. Only X and Alia remained. Alia was looking at something in a computer, and X was standing behind her. X turned around to see Zero. "Hey. How'd it go?"
"Sum it up in one word," said Zero. "Quiet."
"I expected as much," said Alia with a smile, looking at him. "Did she creep you out?"
"No," replied Zero, sitting down. "But she's an interesting character. She's quite stuck to her ways in Nova. She wouldn't even call me by name. She kept calling me in something that signified me as her superior."
"It's all that Nova training," laughed X. "Is it getting to you, Zero?"
"A little," he replied. Zero looked a little thoughtful. "But she asked me if I knew Colonel personally."
"What'd you say?" asked X.
"I couldn't very well say that I killed him," replied Zero. "I said yes, though. I do know the Colonel. And his…sister."
Zero's voice took a different tone and he looked away. It seems like he was back to remembering what day it was. X immediately acted. "Why did she ask that question?"
"I honestly don't know," he replied. "She said she was just curious."
"A mite too curious if you ask me," said Alia. "There must be more to it than that."
"I think so too," said Zero. "But I'm not exactly sure on how to pry it out of her. I'l say one thing about her: it'll be really hard to get anything out of a girl like that."
"I bet," said Alia. "You'll be seeing her later on training, right?"
"Yeah," said Zero. He was thinking for a moment. "Alia, when you were training her, did you see her face? I mean, her visor was kept on all the time that we've seen her."
"That goes for me too," said Alia. "I didn't see her face well. But maybe it's just part of her armor. You know, like X's Shadow Armor. You can't see his face through the hood."
"I suppose," said X. "Or maybe she doesn't want us seeing what she looks like."
"Why wouldn't she?" snorted Zero.
"Why ask me?" X shrugged. "You're her captain."
Zero rolled his eyes and remained silent for a few moments. It was only then that she noticed Alia was opening files in the computer.
"What are you guys doing?" asked Zero.
"Alia's looking up every file on Nova that has something to do with our new recruit," replied X.
"Any luck?" asked Zero casually.
"None as of yet."
"Well," Zero said, standing up, "I'll be with Douglas. I have to ask him about something." Zero stood up, and exited the room. He was quite in silent thoughts as he moved down the hall. There was something extremely unusual with Dawn.
He reached the core room, and entered. He saw Douglas working on something on a table, and purple sparks were flying out from it. It must be some other Hunter's weapon.
"Hey, Douglas," said Zero, coming along next to him.
"Oh, hello, Zero," he said. "What can I do for you?"
"I was just going to ask you about Dawn," he replied. "I didn't see any weapons when she came in. It's impossible to pass the tests with no weapons. So I was sonerding if you knew what kind of weapons she has, seeing that you're the specialist and all."
"Oh, the newbie…" Douglas grinned. "Yeah. I remember. Actually, she hardly even used her weapon when she ran the tests. It seems that she is good in simply physical combat."
"But did she have a weapon?"
"Yes," Douglas replied. "It's a beam whip. Like your saber, only her whip and release blasts of energy like a buster when she wants it to."
Zero stared at him. "Isn't that a powerful weapon?"
"Oh, of course!" replied Douglas with a grin. "Never seen anything like it. Must've been custom made for her, because she seems to know how to use it really well. But she hardly used it, really."
"That's her only weapon?" asked Zero after a moment.
"No," said Douglas thoughtfully. "I don't think so. I think she might be hiding something on her armor, though, but I'm not sure.
"Oh…" Zero looked a little satisfied.
"Why do you ask?" asked Douglas. "She give you the heebie-jeebies?"
"How come everybody says that about her?" demanded Zero with a smirk. "I kind of like her."
"Yeah, well, let's just say it would be a whole lot better if she talked a little more and acted more like a person than a robot. She's so quiet it makes me think like she's hiding something."
Zero just laughed and left. As he walked down the hall, he wondered if Dawn was hiding something. What are you thinking? Zero said to himself. She's been in a severe military sector. Of course she'd be disciplined.
He passed by Dawn's room, and stopped. He wondered if he should go and talk to her. But what would I say? Zero wondered. I'll just mind my own business and leave, then.
He'd barely taken two steps when a red alert sounded over the base. The alarms went off, and Zero stood as still as stone in shock. Everyone seemed to be running.
Dawn's door opened and she came running out. Zero looked at her and was rather disappointed to see her visor still on. He was hoping to catch a glimpse of her face at least.
She stopped when she reached him, and said, "Captain?"
"It's an alert," said Zero. "Must be a Maverick attack. Let's go to the main room. Signas would be there."
"Yes, captain," she replied. Zero ran ahead, and Dawn followed him. Zero asked, "You know what to do, right?"
"Yes, captain," Dawn replied. "Receive the mission and carry it out to the utmost efficiency."
Well…that's just about right, Zero thought. He stopped short and turned to face her.
"What is it, captain?" asked Dawn.
"You've been taught to follow orders, right?" Zero asked.
"Strictly, captain," confirmed Dawn.
"Right," said Zero with a triumphant grin. "Then, I order you to stop calling me 'captain' and just call me Zero. Is that understood?"
Dawn looked like she was taken aback. "But—"
"That's an order!" said Zero, smirking at her.
Dawn seemed to supress a sigh. "Yes, Zero."
Zero grinned. "Good. Now come on."
The both of them ran into the main room, to see Signas waiting for them. X was there as well, and so were Alia and Douglas.
Signas saw them and said, "Good. You're all here." He turned to Dawn. "Are you the new recruit from Nova?"
"Yes, sir," she replied in her infamous monotone.
"Excellent," he replied. He turned to the screen, who immediately began showing scenes. "We have an emergency. Mavericks had penetrated the base."
"What?!" came the stupefied chorus.
"About half an hour ago a cloaked fleet of ships had descended within the base parameters. Their cloaking seems well advanced for not even our sensors could detect them. They had managed to enter the base and are now wreaking havoc."
"Any idea as to who they might be?" asked X.
"We have not been able to identify them as they sem to be an unknown group to us. They uncloaked upon entering, and all the Mavericks and their ships bear this emblem," Alia informed them. The screen revealed a flag waving from a ship. It was black and had a single silver star in the center.
Dawn sucked in her breath. "The Silver Pirates."
They all looked at her. "What?" one Hunter asked.
Dawn did not reply. Signas said, "You have any knowledge of them?"
"The Nova sector used to have battles with them," replied Dawn. "We believed them to have been defeated. But since they are now here, I suppose that we have been mistaken. They are a highly technological group of rebels bent on exterminating everyone in their way for domination."
"Anything else?" asked Alia.
Dawn looked at her. "We have to delete them. Now. Before they reduce this base to a smoldering ruin."
Signas immediately said, "Well, you heard her. All of you move! I want those rebels turned into scrap."
Zero and X nodded, and they ran out of the room, with the rest of the Hunters. "Wait! Dawn!" Douglas called. "You forgot something!"
X, Zero and Dawn stopped to look. Douglas threw something shining at Dawn. Dawn leapt up and grabbed it. "Thank you," she replied.
She attatched it to her armor, and turned to her captain. "What was that?" asked Zero.
"I am sorry for being rude, but we have no time to talk. The Silver Pirates are powerful and we have to stop them before it's too late."
"Right," said Zero. "Let's go, then."
They all rushed out of the room.
The control room's doors opened again, and Zero entered. The rest of the Hunters were gone. Only X and Alia remained. Alia was looking at something in a computer, and X was standing behind her. X turned around to see Zero. "Hey. How'd it go?"
"Sum it up in one word," said Zero. "Quiet."
"I expected as much," said Alia with a smile, looking at him. "Did she creep you out?"
"No," replied Zero, sitting down. "But she's an interesting character. She's quite stuck to her ways in Nova. She wouldn't even call me by name. She kept calling me in something that signified me as her superior."
"It's all that Nova training," laughed X. "Is it getting to you, Zero?"
"A little," he replied. Zero looked a little thoughtful. "But she asked me if I knew Colonel personally."
"What'd you say?" asked X.
"I couldn't very well say that I killed him," replied Zero. "I said yes, though. I do know the Colonel. And his…sister."
Zero's voice took a different tone and he looked away. It seems like he was back to remembering what day it was. X immediately acted. "Why did she ask that question?"
"I honestly don't know," he replied. "She said she was just curious."
"A mite too curious if you ask me," said Alia. "There must be more to it than that."
"I think so too," said Zero. "But I'm not exactly sure on how to pry it out of her. I'l say one thing about her: it'll be really hard to get anything out of a girl like that."
"I bet," said Alia. "You'll be seeing her later on training, right?"
"Yeah," said Zero. He was thinking for a moment. "Alia, when you were training her, did you see her face? I mean, her visor was kept on all the time that we've seen her."
"That goes for me too," said Alia. "I didn't see her face well. But maybe it's just part of her armor. You know, like X's Shadow Armor. You can't see his face through the hood."
"I suppose," said X. "Or maybe she doesn't want us seeing what she looks like."
"Why wouldn't she?" snorted Zero.
"Why ask me?" X shrugged. "You're her captain."
Zero rolled his eyes and remained silent for a few moments. It was only then that she noticed Alia was opening files in the computer.
"What are you guys doing?" asked Zero.
"Alia's looking up every file on Nova that has something to do with our new recruit," replied X.
"Any luck?" asked Zero casually.
"None as of yet."
"Well," Zero said, standing up, "I'll be with Douglas. I have to ask him about something." Zero stood up, and exited the room. He was quite in silent thoughts as he moved down the hall. There was something extremely unusual with Dawn.
He reached the core room, and entered. He saw Douglas working on something on a table, and purple sparks were flying out from it. It must be some other Hunter's weapon.
"Hey, Douglas," said Zero, coming along next to him.
"Oh, hello, Zero," he said. "What can I do for you?"
"I was just going to ask you about Dawn," he replied. "I didn't see any weapons when she came in. It's impossible to pass the tests with no weapons. So I was sonerding if you knew what kind of weapons she has, seeing that you're the specialist and all."
"Oh, the newbie…" Douglas grinned. "Yeah. I remember. Actually, she hardly even used her weapon when she ran the tests. It seems that she is good in simply physical combat."
"But did she have a weapon?"
"Yes," Douglas replied. "It's a beam whip. Like your saber, only her whip and release blasts of energy like a buster when she wants it to."
Zero stared at him. "Isn't that a powerful weapon?"
"Oh, of course!" replied Douglas with a grin. "Never seen anything like it. Must've been custom made for her, because she seems to know how to use it really well. But she hardly used it, really."
"That's her only weapon?" asked Zero after a moment.
"No," said Douglas thoughtfully. "I don't think so. I think she might be hiding something on her armor, though, but I'm not sure.
"Oh…" Zero looked a little satisfied.
"Why do you ask?" asked Douglas. "She give you the heebie-jeebies?"
"How come everybody says that about her?" demanded Zero with a smirk. "I kind of like her."
"Yeah, well, let's just say it would be a whole lot better if she talked a little more and acted more like a person than a robot. She's so quiet it makes me think like she's hiding something."
Zero just laughed and left. As he walked down the hall, he wondered if Dawn was hiding something. What are you thinking? Zero said to himself. She's been in a severe military sector. Of course she'd be disciplined.
He passed by Dawn's room, and stopped. He wondered if he should go and talk to her. But what would I say? Zero wondered. I'll just mind my own business and leave, then.
He'd barely taken two steps when a red alert sounded over the base. The alarms went off, and Zero stood as still as stone in shock. Everyone seemed to be running.
Dawn's door opened and she came running out. Zero looked at her and was rather disappointed to see her visor still on. He was hoping to catch a glimpse of her face at least.
She stopped when she reached him, and said, "Captain?"
"It's an alert," said Zero. "Must be a Maverick attack. Let's go to the main room. Signas would be there."
"Yes, captain," she replied. Zero ran ahead, and Dawn followed him. Zero asked, "You know what to do, right?"
"Yes, captain," Dawn replied. "Receive the mission and carry it out to the utmost efficiency."
Well…that's just about right, Zero thought. He stopped short and turned to face her.
"What is it, captain?" asked Dawn.
"You've been taught to follow orders, right?" Zero asked.
"Strictly, captain," confirmed Dawn.
"Right," said Zero with a triumphant grin. "Then, I order you to stop calling me 'captain' and just call me Zero. Is that understood?"
Dawn looked like she was taken aback. "But—"
"That's an order!" said Zero, smirking at her.
Dawn seemed to supress a sigh. "Yes, Zero."
Zero grinned. "Good. Now come on."
The both of them ran into the main room, to see Signas waiting for them. X was there as well, and so were Alia and Douglas.
Signas saw them and said, "Good. You're all here." He turned to Dawn. "Are you the new recruit from Nova?"
"Yes, sir," she replied in her infamous monotone.
"Excellent," he replied. He turned to the screen, who immediately began showing scenes. "We have an emergency. Mavericks had penetrated the base."
"What?!" came the stupefied chorus.
"About half an hour ago a cloaked fleet of ships had descended within the base parameters. Their cloaking seems well advanced for not even our sensors could detect them. They had managed to enter the base and are now wreaking havoc."
"Any idea as to who they might be?" asked X.
"We have not been able to identify them as they sem to be an unknown group to us. They uncloaked upon entering, and all the Mavericks and their ships bear this emblem," Alia informed them. The screen revealed a flag waving from a ship. It was black and had a single silver star in the center.
Dawn sucked in her breath. "The Silver Pirates."
They all looked at her. "What?" one Hunter asked.
Dawn did not reply. Signas said, "You have any knowledge of them?"
"The Nova sector used to have battles with them," replied Dawn. "We believed them to have been defeated. But since they are now here, I suppose that we have been mistaken. They are a highly technological group of rebels bent on exterminating everyone in their way for domination."
"Anything else?" asked Alia.
Dawn looked at her. "We have to delete them. Now. Before they reduce this base to a smoldering ruin."
Signas immediately said, "Well, you heard her. All of you move! I want those rebels turned into scrap."
Zero and X nodded, and they ran out of the room, with the rest of the Hunters. "Wait! Dawn!" Douglas called. "You forgot something!"
X, Zero and Dawn stopped to look. Douglas threw something shining at Dawn. Dawn leapt up and grabbed it. "Thank you," she replied.
She attatched it to her armor, and turned to her captain. "What was that?" asked Zero.
"I am sorry for being rude, but we have no time to talk. The Silver Pirates are powerful and we have to stop them before it's too late."
"Right," said Zero. "Let's go, then."
They all rushed out of the room.