Tales from the First Panzer Division
Mission Six: The Traitor (Part One)




Before the Mission...


"Hey, Kenshirou." Thomas walked in the medical bay with a bouquet of flowers in his hands. He smiled charmingly and getly set them in Doc's arms.

"For me?" Doc asked, getting all cute and Yukito-ish.

"Yeah, because you're one foxy babe." Thomas winked, but was still blushing.

"Oh thank-you!" Doc gave Thomas one big hug, getting a hug from Thomas in response.

Van stuck his head in the medical bay and shouted in frustration. "Come on, Thomas! Let's go!"

"I'll be there when I'm damned good and ready!" Thomas shouted back, letting Van find his own way out. He let go of Doc and sighed. "I'm sorry about this, Kenshirou. Hey, how about we go on a date?"

"Sure!" Doc was very happy with his answer. "I'd love that!"

"Good! When we come back from our assignment, I'll be sure to take you out."

"Sounds great! Bye, Thomas!" Doc watched Thomas leave, then sniffed the flowers. Doc definately had the eyes of a boy in love.




Mission Log: #8998652375, Colonel Karl Lichen Schubaltz reporting. We just received word of an illegal weapons deal that had gone horribly wrong. Both sides dueled it out, but only one side was absolute and that is the Harlequinn, a gang of ruthless thugs that are known for raising Cain on all four corners of Planet Zi. The Harlequinn are lead by Jester... also known as Uriel Barticelli... Skeet Barticelli's younger sister... permission to say that this will get... ugly fast.




"Tell me you're joking, Colonel!!" Chuckles shouted in the briefing room. "Uriel was a good girl! She wouldn't do something like this!"

"I'm sorry, Barticelli. Our sources were not wrong, Uriel is Jester now... she had all these men killed after the weapons deal gone sour." Karl held the folder in one hand while his arms were folded seductively across his chest.

"Major! Tell him he's wrong!"

"Do I look like a mind reader...?" Leon went back to propping his feet against the briefing table. "Besides, this is the Emperor's personal assignment. If it wasn't this bad, he wouldn't send the best of the best to investigate, neh? And since when did I become important to you anyway, Skeet?"

"But..." Chuckles slammed his fists on the desk. "But the Emperor must be mistaken!"

"Barticelli!" Karl snapped, an angry scowl on his beautiful face. "...if you doubt the Emperor, you're out."

That send a wave of cold, icy hell up Chuckles' spine, he stopped with his questioning of orders and went back to listening to Karl give the briefing.

"We're fearing that Jester was also making a zoids deal as well. One of the zoids on the inventory list went missing after the deal ended in blood. A Gun Sniper."

"Sounds typical of a criminal element." Leon lounged back in the chair, his arms behind his head and his feet on the table. "Gun Snipers are fast becoming the quick, dirty zoid of choice for amateur and intermediate criminals alike."

"Yeah." Jinx snapped her fingers. "Of course, since the famous assassin, Phantom tried to take Rudolph out in one of those things during the Guylos Grand Prix, the Gun Snipers are becoming the cat's meow."

"No doubt." Scotty lit a cigar with his lighter. "So we do a parimeter sweep when we arrive at Bloodbath Point."

"Sounds like the best idea I heard yet." Leon sat up and looked directly at Karl. "What do you think, Colonel?"

"If the Exemplar says it's the best viable option for this situation, then I guess it'll work out wonderfully." Karl smiled, nodding once. "We leave at 0800 hours. Dismissed. Leon, see me in my office.... Barticelli, I want to talk to you now."

"Yessir..." Chuckles remained at his seat while the others left for the rest and relaxation room.

"Chuck's gonna get clobbered..." Scotty puffed on his cigar, looking at Jinx. "No one disputes the Colonel's better judgements with personal afflictions and excuses."

"You're right on one thing. Chuckles will definately be licking his asshole to get the taste of the Colonel's boot out of his mouth." Jinx chuckled and walked with Scotty to the R&R room.

"That was unexpected." Scotty laughed, patting Jinx on the back.

Doc stopped Leon from entering the R&R room, Leon saw the look on his face. "Something wrong, Ken?"

"Can I talk to you... alone?" Doc blushed, signalling for the medical room across the hallway.

"Sure." Leon followed him in and closed the door behind him. "What's up?"

"I-i got a slight dilemma." Doc blushed more, looking at his feet. "I-i really like Lieutenant Schubaltz and... I..."

"Like? Like as in friend like or deeper?"

"Deeper."

"Oh, you're in love with Thomas. I get it."

"Y-y-yes!! I-i-i-i mean...."

Leon smiled and patted Doc on the back, reassuring him. "Don't worry, Kenshirou. There's nothing wrong with you liking the same sex. I mean, look at me. I hadn't been with a woman in over 12,000 years..."

"Whoa." Doc blinked, then smiled, he was still blushing though.

"Don't worry, Kenshirou. I'm quite sure Thomas feels the same way. Just poke and prod him until he confesses."

"T-thank-you, sir."

"Now if you'll excuse me.... I think I might have to peel Karl offa Chuckles' dead carcus..." Leon chuckled and exitted the room, heading for the briefing room.



There was a knock on Karl's office door, causing the bishounen green-eyed colonel to look up from his studies. He slid his very thin-framed reading glasses from his face and spoke up. "Enter."

Leon opened the door and closed it upon entering, he sat down on the desk and stole a peppermint stick from Karl's canister of candy. "You wanted my audiance, Colonel?"

"Tell me your opinion on Barticelli's outburst in the briefing room." Karl was up front on his approach, he hid nothing by flattery and flirting.

"Exemplar and Imperial Officer's opinion speaking but he'll endanger the mission with his personal emotions and morals." Leon answered, now in business mode, the peppermint stick still in his hand. "Even though he's our information gatherer, odds are he'll spook the target and we'll have a long journey on our hands."

"Thought so." Karl clasped his hands together, his thumbs to his lips. "I hate to do this without Callisto, we'll be so short-staffed... but.... I'm left without any options but to reassign Barticelli off the mission."

"Understood, sir." Leon nodded in agreement, but he could see a sparkle of upset in Karl's green eyes. "Should I be the one to tell him?"

"No... I'll tell him." Karl stood up and put his uniform hat on. "Get some good night sleep, we'll be picked up in the Whale Kings as soon as we're up and ready."

"Yes, sir."

"And Leon...?" Karl asked, turning around.

"Yes?"

The effeminate colonel gave Leon a quick peck on the lips and smiled playfully, then exitted the office. Leon grinned and followed close behind.



0800 hours.



Scotty arched his back, making a nice loud popping sound. He moaned a groan of relief, and stretched. Entering his Dark Horn, he watched as others entered their zoids. Karl strapped into the Iron Kong Mk-II and adjusted his hat again. Leon yawned and stretched, then slid his glasses back on his face. Doc warmed the Lightning Saix up and put the picture of Thomas on the canopy glass. Jinx waited for the Zabre Fang to warm up, she slid her sleep mask back over her eyes and leaned back in her seat. "Wake me when the Whale King gets here..."

"Will do."

"Leon...?" Karl asked, turning on his comlink to Leon.

"Yes?"

"Any predictions or premonitions on the outcome of this mission."

"Only one."

"Yes?"

"It'll all end in heartache..." Leon replaced his glasses with trendy-looking shades as the sun peeked over the Imperial base. Finally the Whale Kings arrived, Jinx was shaken awake. When they docked and their mouths opened, Karl turned toward his troop. "Move out."

"Yessir." They piled into the first Whale King, the others there for the supplies Gustavs.

Looking out at the First Panzer Division with dismay and anger was Chuckles. His fists were white-knuckled with anger and rage...


While airborne, Karl and Leon were in the bridge of the Whale King, looking at the radar. Jinx, Scotty and Doc were tending to their zoids, putting rather large parachute packs on them and waiting for the drop-off point. When they soon began to approach, Karl and Leon entered the hangar as the mouth started to open. They pilotted their zoids to the open mouth, the parachute cords in the cockpits. Soon they jetted out of there, all of them in freefall.

"Nothing like seeing a Dark Horn in midflight! Fly, little dino! Fly!!" Scotty shouted before crying out in those famous Dukes of Hazzard words: "YEEEEEEHAAAAAAAAW!!!!"

The parachutes were deployed, but a gunshot rang out, the Iron Kong Mk-II's parachute was compromised and the colonel was in freefall once again.

"Karl!!!"

"COLONEL!!!"

"KARL!!!!!!"




-MISSION 6 TO BE CONTINUED-