The Night Warriors
Not Quite Finished
Major Karl Lichen Schubaltz was helping remove all the damaged and destroyed zoids from the Capital City. Another thing he had to help remove were the dead bodies of the men from his unit. He had sacrificed so much for the fight against Prozen, and now it had finally come to an end. Rachel was gone and Prozen had kept Ashley imprisoned for two years.
Ashley's name was cleared and she would be released from prison immediately. Rachel's name had also been cleared as well, but she wasn't alive to know. Karl remembered his last conversation with his sister. She had said she had information that would make him think twice about to whom he showed his loyalty. She must have found out about Prozen and the Death Suar long before anyone else had.
When Karl had heard that his sister had been executed for betraying the Imperial army, he began to lose his trust in Prozen. When Emperor Rudolph had asked Karl what he wanted as a reward for showing the Emperor loyalty, even in the face of death, Karl had asked for someone to find the body of his sister so she could have an appropriate burial, but the search crews were having no luck.
"Major Schubaltz," a soldier called for Karl. "Lt. Borwick has arrived, and she brought someone she wants you to meet."
Karl sighed and went to see Ashley and her friend. They meet him half way. Prison had not agreed with Ashley; she was extremely thin and looked tired. The young woman with Ashley was the one person that Karl had been thinking about.
"Rachel?" Karl asked his sister. Rachel smiled; she looked like she did the last time Karl had seen her. He didn't see the scar on her arm or her pride at that moment. Karl hugged his twin sister tightly, thanking the Gods of Zi that she was safely home.
"Well look at this boys," a soldier called out. "Our Night Warriors are back."
Men came to see the two women who had made their place among the men. They begged Rachel for stories and teased Ashley about how thin she was. Karl smiled; he should have known that Prozen could not have stopped these two from doing what they set their hearts on. That included protecting their country, friends, and family.
"Karl," Rachel called for him, but that wasn't part of his dream. "Karl." Karl slowly opened his eyes.
"You're awake," Rachel said when she saw Karl's eyes open. "You had us all worried there, Kar." She was sitting by his feet; Ashley was sitting next to Rachel. Both girls were on the bed. Thomas was sitting in a chair near the bed. Someone was standing farther away in the shadows, but Karl could not make out whom it was because his vision was still a little blurry.
"How long have I been out?" Karl asked.
Ashley shrugged. "About three weeks."
Karl noticed that Rachel's hair was no longer brown, but blonde. He tried to remember everything that had happened at the Cravane base, and then he realized Rachel's hair had been blonde there, too. Both girls were in Imperial uniforms. Karl also noticed that both Rachel and Ashley had genuine smiles on their faces, they looked calm and peaceful; they looked like they had come back from a successful mission. "So I take it the mission was a success?" Karl asked the two girls.
"Mission complete," Rachel agreed.
"So, what was everyone's reaction to your hair?" Karl asked his sister.
"They actually didn't say anything about Rachel's hair for awhile," Thomas said. "They were too busy helping Lady Kara, dealing with Thorn and Scar who Van and the others had captured, and taking care of your concussion. O'Connell was the first to mention anything about Rachel's change in hair color and style."
"Speaking of Lady Kara, she says you are such a brave and handsome gentleman to put her life before your own," Ashley teased.
Karl scowled. "Put a sock in it."
"That concussion must have triggered your old self, Karl," Rachel said smiling. "I haven't heard you say 'Put a sock in it,' since we were twenty."
"It almost feels like old times. It would be more like old times if Alex weren't dead," Karl said sadly.
The person who had been hiding in the shadows stepped foreword. "Who said anything about me being dead?" Alex asked.
"I've got to be dead or dreaming," Karl said, stunned. "I was at your funeral; it wasn't an open casket because they said there was nothing left of your body but ashes" Karl stuttered. Rachel got up from the foot of the bed and pinched Karl's cheek. "I felt that," he said. "Can't be dead, can't be dreaming."
"Exactly," Alex said.
Karl smiled. "Good to have you back. Now, where's my uniform so I can change."
"On the chair," Rachel said pointing to a chair next to Thomas. "The doctor says you should stay in bed for a few weeks," Rachel continued as Ashley, Alex, and Thomas left the room so Karl could change.
"When has a Shubaltz ever listened to a doctor?" Karl asked his sister. Rachel smiled and left to wait outside with the others. A few minutes later Karl joined the gang outside. "So what has been happening while I was out of commission?"
"Madame President, Emperor Rudolph, and the Travillian leaders have been discussing what to do with Thorn and Scar, or should I say Rose Koaler and Andrew Norman?" Alex said.
"So what's Lady Kara's part in all of this?" asked Karl.
Thomas smiled. "She's going to tell Emperor Rudolph exactly what was going on."
Karl looked at Rachel and Ashley; both looked uneasy. "Something wrong you two?" he asked them.
"Yeah," Rachel said, "Ashley didn't blow up the entire building; she had positioned the bomb in the right spot so the computer room was undamaged. When Ashley, Danni, Sammy, A.C., M.C., and I looked through the files, we found that Cravane had secret information from the Empire, the Republic, and Travil."
"Information like routes and secret bases, and information that only Generals were allowed to know," Ashley continued.
Rachel sighed. "We're worried that there are more spies collecting information for Cravane."
"The Empire, Republic, and Travil had all been a part of Cravane Empire at one point. Then the current Empire took over and finally the Republic and Travil broke away from that. Cravane lost about 75% of its Empire during that time. Scar and Thorn were trying to restore Cravane to its former glory. It seems that Thorn and Scar had a few friends who were Lords, Colonels, and Generals." Thomas added. "The King of Cravane is too old and sick to know what's going on. He should have stepped down from his throne and given it to Lady Kara a long time ago."
"Who do you think could be a spy?" Karl asked.
Alex sighed. "We don't know and that's the scary part."
"I bet it's Calvin and Jacob," Rachel said. Everyone, including Ashley, looked confused. Rachel continued, "While Ashley and I were cut off from the Imperial army, Calvin and Jordan were the Imperial spies with all of the secret information. They didn't seem as happy as everyone else when Ashley and I returned."
"Rach, I've rarely doubted your instincts, but you have no proof," Karl pointed out.
Rachel fell towards the back of the group as the others continued to discuss who the traitors could be. "Who says I don't have proof?"
Sorry friends, I know I haven't updated in a while. I lost my floppy disc, again. Not to mention I've been busy nearly every day of the week, I have a Power Rangers story in the works with my friend Green Jade, and I have been working on another zoids story that will have no relation to this one. It's called The Wolf. Here is a quick preview.
Lily looked at the zoid pilot named Megan Stellar. Her teammates: Stephanie Jewels, Justin Sisco, and Andy Skyer stood behind their team leader proudly. Megan had the look of a wolf about her: proud, cunning, and strong. She was a living Gloria Howl, the answer to a four thousand year old prayer. "Do you really believe that you can stop a fight that has been going on since before the very existence of The Ligers, Wolf?" Lily asked Megan.
"If I don't try," Megan said bravely, "no one will."
Lily cocked an eyebrow. "Someone did try and she ended up becoming a part of her zoid, Wolf. She became part of the Daggor Wolvina."
Hope you check it out when it's up. E.G.
Not Quite Finished
Major Karl Lichen Schubaltz was helping remove all the damaged and destroyed zoids from the Capital City. Another thing he had to help remove were the dead bodies of the men from his unit. He had sacrificed so much for the fight against Prozen, and now it had finally come to an end. Rachel was gone and Prozen had kept Ashley imprisoned for two years.
Ashley's name was cleared and she would be released from prison immediately. Rachel's name had also been cleared as well, but she wasn't alive to know. Karl remembered his last conversation with his sister. She had said she had information that would make him think twice about to whom he showed his loyalty. She must have found out about Prozen and the Death Suar long before anyone else had.
When Karl had heard that his sister had been executed for betraying the Imperial army, he began to lose his trust in Prozen. When Emperor Rudolph had asked Karl what he wanted as a reward for showing the Emperor loyalty, even in the face of death, Karl had asked for someone to find the body of his sister so she could have an appropriate burial, but the search crews were having no luck.
"Major Schubaltz," a soldier called for Karl. "Lt. Borwick has arrived, and she brought someone she wants you to meet."
Karl sighed and went to see Ashley and her friend. They meet him half way. Prison had not agreed with Ashley; she was extremely thin and looked tired. The young woman with Ashley was the one person that Karl had been thinking about.
"Rachel?" Karl asked his sister. Rachel smiled; she looked like she did the last time Karl had seen her. He didn't see the scar on her arm or her pride at that moment. Karl hugged his twin sister tightly, thanking the Gods of Zi that she was safely home.
"Well look at this boys," a soldier called out. "Our Night Warriors are back."
Men came to see the two women who had made their place among the men. They begged Rachel for stories and teased Ashley about how thin she was. Karl smiled; he should have known that Prozen could not have stopped these two from doing what they set their hearts on. That included protecting their country, friends, and family.
"Karl," Rachel called for him, but that wasn't part of his dream. "Karl." Karl slowly opened his eyes.
"You're awake," Rachel said when she saw Karl's eyes open. "You had us all worried there, Kar." She was sitting by his feet; Ashley was sitting next to Rachel. Both girls were on the bed. Thomas was sitting in a chair near the bed. Someone was standing farther away in the shadows, but Karl could not make out whom it was because his vision was still a little blurry.
"How long have I been out?" Karl asked.
Ashley shrugged. "About three weeks."
Karl noticed that Rachel's hair was no longer brown, but blonde. He tried to remember everything that had happened at the Cravane base, and then he realized Rachel's hair had been blonde there, too. Both girls were in Imperial uniforms. Karl also noticed that both Rachel and Ashley had genuine smiles on their faces, they looked calm and peaceful; they looked like they had come back from a successful mission. "So I take it the mission was a success?" Karl asked the two girls.
"Mission complete," Rachel agreed.
"So, what was everyone's reaction to your hair?" Karl asked his sister.
"They actually didn't say anything about Rachel's hair for awhile," Thomas said. "They were too busy helping Lady Kara, dealing with Thorn and Scar who Van and the others had captured, and taking care of your concussion. O'Connell was the first to mention anything about Rachel's change in hair color and style."
"Speaking of Lady Kara, she says you are such a brave and handsome gentleman to put her life before your own," Ashley teased.
Karl scowled. "Put a sock in it."
"That concussion must have triggered your old self, Karl," Rachel said smiling. "I haven't heard you say 'Put a sock in it,' since we were twenty."
"It almost feels like old times. It would be more like old times if Alex weren't dead," Karl said sadly.
The person who had been hiding in the shadows stepped foreword. "Who said anything about me being dead?" Alex asked.
"I've got to be dead or dreaming," Karl said, stunned. "I was at your funeral; it wasn't an open casket because they said there was nothing left of your body but ashes" Karl stuttered. Rachel got up from the foot of the bed and pinched Karl's cheek. "I felt that," he said. "Can't be dead, can't be dreaming."
"Exactly," Alex said.
Karl smiled. "Good to have you back. Now, where's my uniform so I can change."
"On the chair," Rachel said pointing to a chair next to Thomas. "The doctor says you should stay in bed for a few weeks," Rachel continued as Ashley, Alex, and Thomas left the room so Karl could change.
"When has a Shubaltz ever listened to a doctor?" Karl asked his sister. Rachel smiled and left to wait outside with the others. A few minutes later Karl joined the gang outside. "So what has been happening while I was out of commission?"
"Madame President, Emperor Rudolph, and the Travillian leaders have been discussing what to do with Thorn and Scar, or should I say Rose Koaler and Andrew Norman?" Alex said.
"So what's Lady Kara's part in all of this?" asked Karl.
Thomas smiled. "She's going to tell Emperor Rudolph exactly what was going on."
Karl looked at Rachel and Ashley; both looked uneasy. "Something wrong you two?" he asked them.
"Yeah," Rachel said, "Ashley didn't blow up the entire building; she had positioned the bomb in the right spot so the computer room was undamaged. When Ashley, Danni, Sammy, A.C., M.C., and I looked through the files, we found that Cravane had secret information from the Empire, the Republic, and Travil."
"Information like routes and secret bases, and information that only Generals were allowed to know," Ashley continued.
Rachel sighed. "We're worried that there are more spies collecting information for Cravane."
"The Empire, Republic, and Travil had all been a part of Cravane Empire at one point. Then the current Empire took over and finally the Republic and Travil broke away from that. Cravane lost about 75% of its Empire during that time. Scar and Thorn were trying to restore Cravane to its former glory. It seems that Thorn and Scar had a few friends who were Lords, Colonels, and Generals." Thomas added. "The King of Cravane is too old and sick to know what's going on. He should have stepped down from his throne and given it to Lady Kara a long time ago."
"Who do you think could be a spy?" Karl asked.
Alex sighed. "We don't know and that's the scary part."
"I bet it's Calvin and Jacob," Rachel said. Everyone, including Ashley, looked confused. Rachel continued, "While Ashley and I were cut off from the Imperial army, Calvin and Jordan were the Imperial spies with all of the secret information. They didn't seem as happy as everyone else when Ashley and I returned."
"Rach, I've rarely doubted your instincts, but you have no proof," Karl pointed out.
Rachel fell towards the back of the group as the others continued to discuss who the traitors could be. "Who says I don't have proof?"
Sorry friends, I know I haven't updated in a while. I lost my floppy disc, again. Not to mention I've been busy nearly every day of the week, I have a Power Rangers story in the works with my friend Green Jade, and I have been working on another zoids story that will have no relation to this one. It's called The Wolf. Here is a quick preview.
Lily looked at the zoid pilot named Megan Stellar. Her teammates: Stephanie Jewels, Justin Sisco, and Andy Skyer stood behind their team leader proudly. Megan had the look of a wolf about her: proud, cunning, and strong. She was a living Gloria Howl, the answer to a four thousand year old prayer. "Do you really believe that you can stop a fight that has been going on since before the very existence of The Ligers, Wolf?" Lily asked Megan.
"If I don't try," Megan said bravely, "no one will."
Lily cocked an eyebrow. "Someone did try and she ended up becoming a part of her zoid, Wolf. She became part of the Daggor Wolvina."
Hope you check it out when it's up. E.G.