After the deal had been struck the Mayor was called away for a meeting and
Thor showed the girls out of the building and back to their Zoids. "The
Zoids will have to be taken to our temporary base before anything else,
they need to refuelled and rearmed" Thor said and led the girls out of the
villages centre and to a vast network of caves in the side of nearby
mountains.
"We've managed to keep the existing caves intact while adding Zoid recharge
bays, maintance decks, galleys and mess halls, offices and dormitories for
our pilots" Thor said proudly, Aradia stared in wonder at the vast sterile
hold of the base, "At night the Sheild Doors close and the base becomes
undetectable because the doors are created to look like the existing rock
face".
The group piloted there Zoids to the recharge banks and docked them in. Once Aradia and Thor were sure their Zoids were recharging they left them and headed to the mess hall. As they walked along Thor waved to numerous people and told them their names and were they came from. When they came to the third intersection on the way to the hall Thor asked Aradia and Mayan if they would mind if he invited his cousin to come along. "Sure why not" Mayan said and Aradia merely nodded. Thor grinned and took a left turn, rapping on one of numerous doors that led to sleeping quarters. "Hey Circe get your butt out her girl" Thor called mockingly and the door slid open to reveal girl around Aradia's age with black hair and brown eyes with peculiar gold flecks in them. "Thor what the heck are you going on about this time?" asked Circe, her eyes flickering over Aradia and Mayan before coming to rest on Thor, "Well are you going to answer me and introduce your new friend's or am I gonna have to kick your ass for your foul manners again?" "Settle down already, this is Aradia and Mayan, they've volunteered to lead their expertise to our cause for the up coming battle", Thor said, "You coming to get something to eat with us?" "Sure, I'm starving, the old hag has had me slaving over maintance records for my Zoid" Circe replied. "What kind of Zoid do you pilot" Aradia asked curiously, taking an instant liking to the girl. "I'm in the aerial business, Storm Sworder to be exact" Circe said in an almost challenging way. Aradia whistled her amazement, "That a pretty uncommon Zoid for you to have, last I heard the Empire and the Republic both signed legislation that forbade anyone but official military forces from owning them". "True but ask no questions and you'll get no lies, so are we gonna eat?" Circe replied. Aradia inclined her head and follow Circe's and Thor's lead.
The mess hall was a vast whitewashed room with numerous video screens showing the outside world for the pilots who couldn't stand being cramped up inside a rock face, the also doubled as security. Along the opposite wall of a full length video screen was a buffet type bench which the cooks and underlings placed the food out on for hungry pilots and officers. Grabbing a plate of something resembling vegetables Aradia sat down at the table with Thor, Mayan and Circe and another new pilot, Leo who had a rare Blade Liger.
"So how many personal do you have in this base?" Aradia asked as various people bustled around her, there appeared to be no set uniform either. "We have 100 people all together, a mixture of would be pilots and legislators, most of the people from the surrounding colonies keep us alive by sending in food while our population works to defend them, a fair deal" Leo explained.
Leo was about 6'0 in height with purple hair cropped short, grey eyes and strange twin blonde streaks at the front of his fringe. "We mostly have been winning against the Darkshift Bandits but lately things just seem to be going their way, so it was decided, tomorrow at noon equal numbers of our forces will fight each other in an all out just outside the Safe Zone, the winner surrenders to the other" Thor explained to Aradia, "This is why we need you guys, your skills in piloting Zoids could be helpful, at 1900 hours we have a strategy meeting, I'd like you to come along". "I'll be there if I'm going to help out I would like a detailed description of all your Zoids and they state they're in, also an experience report on most of your pilots" Aradia demanded of him. "I'll pull the strings, they'll be in your quarters before the meeting" Thor replied. "Hey are you too gonna talk all night or are you going to play cards with us?" Mayan said in her usual noisy way, and Aradia just noticed that they had dealt some cards. "Big mistake, I always win" she bragged and everyone protested, an instant challenge.
The group piloted there Zoids to the recharge banks and docked them in. Once Aradia and Thor were sure their Zoids were recharging they left them and headed to the mess hall. As they walked along Thor waved to numerous people and told them their names and were they came from. When they came to the third intersection on the way to the hall Thor asked Aradia and Mayan if they would mind if he invited his cousin to come along. "Sure why not" Mayan said and Aradia merely nodded. Thor grinned and took a left turn, rapping on one of numerous doors that led to sleeping quarters. "Hey Circe get your butt out her girl" Thor called mockingly and the door slid open to reveal girl around Aradia's age with black hair and brown eyes with peculiar gold flecks in them. "Thor what the heck are you going on about this time?" asked Circe, her eyes flickering over Aradia and Mayan before coming to rest on Thor, "Well are you going to answer me and introduce your new friend's or am I gonna have to kick your ass for your foul manners again?" "Settle down already, this is Aradia and Mayan, they've volunteered to lead their expertise to our cause for the up coming battle", Thor said, "You coming to get something to eat with us?" "Sure, I'm starving, the old hag has had me slaving over maintance records for my Zoid" Circe replied. "What kind of Zoid do you pilot" Aradia asked curiously, taking an instant liking to the girl. "I'm in the aerial business, Storm Sworder to be exact" Circe said in an almost challenging way. Aradia whistled her amazement, "That a pretty uncommon Zoid for you to have, last I heard the Empire and the Republic both signed legislation that forbade anyone but official military forces from owning them". "True but ask no questions and you'll get no lies, so are we gonna eat?" Circe replied. Aradia inclined her head and follow Circe's and Thor's lead.
The mess hall was a vast whitewashed room with numerous video screens showing the outside world for the pilots who couldn't stand being cramped up inside a rock face, the also doubled as security. Along the opposite wall of a full length video screen was a buffet type bench which the cooks and underlings placed the food out on for hungry pilots and officers. Grabbing a plate of something resembling vegetables Aradia sat down at the table with Thor, Mayan and Circe and another new pilot, Leo who had a rare Blade Liger.
"So how many personal do you have in this base?" Aradia asked as various people bustled around her, there appeared to be no set uniform either. "We have 100 people all together, a mixture of would be pilots and legislators, most of the people from the surrounding colonies keep us alive by sending in food while our population works to defend them, a fair deal" Leo explained.
Leo was about 6'0 in height with purple hair cropped short, grey eyes and strange twin blonde streaks at the front of his fringe. "We mostly have been winning against the Darkshift Bandits but lately things just seem to be going their way, so it was decided, tomorrow at noon equal numbers of our forces will fight each other in an all out just outside the Safe Zone, the winner surrenders to the other" Thor explained to Aradia, "This is why we need you guys, your skills in piloting Zoids could be helpful, at 1900 hours we have a strategy meeting, I'd like you to come along". "I'll be there if I'm going to help out I would like a detailed description of all your Zoids and they state they're in, also an experience report on most of your pilots" Aradia demanded of him. "I'll pull the strings, they'll be in your quarters before the meeting" Thor replied. "Hey are you too gonna talk all night or are you going to play cards with us?" Mayan said in her usual noisy way, and Aradia just noticed that they had dealt some cards. "Big mistake, I always win" she bragged and everyone protested, an instant challenge.