Whoever was doing the accursed laughing knew how to manipulate Comm
systems, that was obvious; there was no way to shut him off.
I looked around the Bay of Rocks and couldn't see anyone or anything else but the PAC-Wolves and the wreckage of the Gun Sniper.
Sifen beeped in over the laughing. "Captain! The Gun Sniper!"
Dusty boulders that smothered the fallen Zoid rolled off as it stood up from its seemingly fatal crash site. It was dirty—really dirty—but totally unbroken.
"Scan that thing!" I hoped my hunches were wrong.
"Sir," said Sifen, "that Gun Sniper is totally constructed from Plasma Armor!" Damn. I was right.
The laughing abruptly stopped. "Looks like you boys got the best of me. If this would've happened before I struck my deal with Colonel Sared, my Sniper'd be dead. But now...now we're equals." The Gun Sniper crouched down and opened its mouth very wide. "Or are we?"
The inside of the GS' mouth began to glow purple, and the sniper tail opened up hidden vents. "This, my friends, is the Particle-Breaker Cannon, or as I like to call it, the Wave-Smacker! Enjoy!" Our foolish curiosity kept us from running, and as we stood there, the Sniper fired.
A highly charged wave of purple energy flowed at an intense speed from the jaws of the GS and struck PAC-2 straight in the head. The Command Wolf's body began to glow a bright purple hue, and a web of cracks started to spread all over it.
Then, it shattered.
The Plasma Armor broke like a fallen vase, exploding outwards into the tiniest of pieces that scattered across the desert sand. Almost like a child's cartoon, Kavid was left sitting in mid-air, but soon fell ten meters to the ground. After his body hit the sand, he rolled over in pain.
"KAVID!" I screamed. "Sifen! Nail that bastard, now!"
My cannon pummeled the Gun Sniper while PAC-3's missile launchers opened and launched the last of its explosives. The GS was sent backwards into the cliffside; its head was embedded into the rock.
As my Wolf lowered its head, I opened the canopy and leapt down. Kavid was still on his side in a fetal position. Thankfully there was little blood.
"Kavid! Kavid, talk to me buddy!" I called, but he wouldn't move. He was still alive, but his clothing and skin were cut up from shards of broken Plasma Armor.
"Captain Kelt!" called Sifen through a speaker, "We need to leave immediately!" I could hear rock crumbling behind me, and when I looked, the Gun Sniper was tearing itself out from the rock wall.
"Keep it busy, Sifen!" PAC-3 opened fire on the GS, but it fired its boosters and flew off towards the arc of the Bay of Rocks. "Don't worry about finding me, PAC-Pilots. I'll find you!" called out the GS pilot as he flew away. Sifen carefully stayed between it and us.
I picked Kavid up, and could hear his groans from the pain and felt him fight with me. "C'mon, Lieutenant. You're gonna be all right, just let me move you."
I carried my friend over to PAC-1. After setting Kavid down, I opened the Storage Hatch and started throwing out anything that was in it. I carefully slid Kavid into the Hatch. He barely fit, and was groaning even more, but this was the only choice that I had; there was no room for him in the cockpit.
As the canopy closed and the Command Wolf raised its body from the ground, I saw the Gun Sniper enter a cave at the back of the Bay.
"What do we do now, sir?" asked Sifen.
"We get Kavid out of here."
With that, our two PAC-Wolves slowly walked back towards the abandoned Imperial Outpost.
I opened the hatch, but when Bruno saw Kavid squished in there, he shoved me out of the way and carried him to the tower. I was too sore and tired to fight with him. And with a sandstorm building up, we needed to move fast.
The Gustav had been parked next to the Tower while we were at the Bay of Rocks. Saltus had moved in a lot of supplies. I was thankful that he knew quite a bit about medical care. When you're a trucker, he had told me, you needed to know how to take care of yourself. He had seen the sandstorm building up and figured it would be more comfortable to be in the tower than in a Gustav.
So did I, until I walked in.
Katrana Sared was lying on a cot, wrapped in blankets and bandaged up.
As soon as Sifen pulled the door shut, I opened up.
"What the hell are you doing, Bruno? She's dead!"
Bruno was slowly laying Kavid onto another cot and removing his uniform. "Don't you smart pilot-guys ever test someone's pulse anymore? She'd been shot all right, but she wasn't dead yet. She needed some first aid pretty bad."
I could see that Sifen was even a little annoyed at Bruno. "We didn't exactly have a lot of time to check her." I explained, "That Gun Sniper opened up on us as soon as we found her."
Bruno started cleaning and bandaging Kavid's wounds. "Yeah, I heard the shootin'. Kinda hard not to out here. That's why I came here, to see if I could help, but when I got here, you guys was already in the distance. Figured I'd see if anyone was hurt inside. And I found her." Bruno paused to sternly look at us. "Any of you guys shoot 'er?"
I was too annoyed for this. "No Bruno, we didn't shoot her. We think the pilot of a black and gold Gun Sniper did."
Saltus paused his work on Kavid and looked into empty space. "You say a black and gold one?"
"Yes," said Sifen, curious about Bruno's pause, "It was actually black and silver with gold highlights. Have you seen it before?"
"Nope." Bruno continued his work on Kavid, although slower now. "But I heard of 'im. They call 'im the Death Sniper."
My groan was almost louder than Kavid's. "Death Sniper? Give me a break."
"Continue." Said Sifen.
"Well, the story is some battlefield scavenger from Guylos came across an old busted up Gun Sniper one day, got it workin', and fit it up with all the weapons he'd found scavengin'. Started doin' crimes with it, ya know. Guy actually turned out to be a pretty fair pilot and shooter. Started calling himself the 'Death Sniper.' Nobody could catch 'im. I know a few truckin' buddies who got zapped by that guy. Been wantin' to take a crack at 'im myself."
"Do you know if his Zoid's armor is indestructible?" asked Sifen.
"Indestructible? Don't think so. My bud Poto ran across 'im one day about a year ago, and managed to get a couple shots off. Says he blew the fink's left arm right off. Course, Poto still lost all his supplies to 'im."
"He did say he wasn't invulnerable until he met the Colonel. Maybe that was less than a year ago?" theorized Sifen.
"No doubt." I said. "Does anyone know where he lives?"
Bruno had to think about that for a second. "I think someone said the Death Sniper works from Rockby, or Bayrock, or somethin' like that."
"I guess that proves it." I took a drink of water. "This sandstorm will keep him off of us for a while, but it will make our lives miserable." I looked at Kavid. "Are you sure you can take care of him?"
"I don't think so. The cuts ain't the problem. He's been burnt by somethin', maybe even radiation. He really should get to a hospital."
The front door began to bang from wind gusts. "Well, until this storm dies, we're going nowhere."
I really wished I hadn't said "dies."
The tower creaked and panels chattered as the sandstorm blew. It was impossible to sleep through all the noise. My head was really hurting, and I was tempted to rip the cyberphonic implants out of my ears.
Kavid was groaning and Sifen was coughing—it was getting hard for him to breathe in here. Katrana was—excuse the term—dead quiet. Bruno seemed okay, and served us some rather excellent meals made from his personal supply of rations. At least the oven worked, and there was plenty of water in a barrel.
I noticed that the ceiling was constructed in rows, much like window blinds. I searched for some kind of control to open them, but found nothing.
"Hey, Sifen. Have you noticed the ceiling?" I asked.
"Yes sir. Cough."
What do you think they're for?"
"I would imagine they open either to—cough—provide room to raise something up, or lower something down."
"Maybe that's where the Death Sniper keeps his weapons?" said Bruno. It made sense. Now I really wanted to see up there.
Katrana groaned--it was the first noise we had heard her make all day—and rolled over. "Wh—? Where am I?"
Bruno crouched down next to her and I stood behind him. "Here," he said, "Drink this." As she sipped, she looked up and saw me. She quickly turned away.
"Captain Kelt." She weakly said.
"I can't say I'm happy to see you, Katrana," I said with a stern face, "but I'm glad you're still alive."
"You...you don't understand." She whispered. "I had to do what I did."
"Really?" I could feel my temperature rise. "Did daddy make you do it, or did you do it all by yourself?"
She turned to glare at me. "My father is a hero."
"A hero?" I was ready to burst. "He set us up to die! What hero would send his soldiers out to get massacred by a Geno Saurer?" That last question was more to myself. Things were starting to click. Katrana let me think it out.
"But we weren't supposed to get killed by that Geno Saurer, were we? He--the Geno--got impatient waiting for us and slaughtered those Shadow Foxes for fun. But Sifen sniffed him out. The Geno was supposed to...steal the PAC-Wolves? And you were sent to...stun us somehow. Am I right?"
Katrana nodded her head. "Actually I was going to knock you out with poisoned rations."
"Damn. But the Geno Saurer couldn't take us out, even with the CPG."
"We failed to steal the Wolves, and I didn't want anyone getting hurt, so I convinced him to retreat. But I figured I had better shoot you a few times so he wouldn't get suspicious."
"But he still must have gotten mad at you, because he shot you."
"No."
"No?" I was confused now.
"No. He had been planning to kill me all along. When we got here, to his little fort, he destroyed the Geno Saurer--."
"He what?" asked Sifen in disbelief."
"Yes, he destroyed it. He has no need for it, believe me. Anyways, when we got here he saw his chance and took it, and shot me. But before he could bury me, you guys must have came." She looked down. "And saved me."
"And saved you." I tapped Bruno's shoulder and he moved away. I crouched down in his place and looked her straight in the eyes.
"Why?" I asked.
"I—I can't tell you."
I moved out of the way and pointed to Kavid. "Yes you can."
She started to cry, and said, "My father is a hero."
"I wish I could believe that."
Katrana rolled over and closed her eyes while she cried. Bruno placed his hand on my shoulder. "Let her sleep."
I stood up and walked over to Kavid. "Okay."
If not for Bruno's super-powerful coffee—which he calls "petroleum"—I wouldn't have made it. Sifen was looking very weak, and although I had gotten more sleep than him, I knew I couldn't look much better. His coughing was almost constant.
After about four hours the sandstorm finally broke. Sifen took position looking out the big peephole, and I took care of Kavid and Katrana. Bruno was outside trying to dig his Gustav out of the sand...
Until he came running in the door. "Hey, you guys see that?" he asked.
"See what?" I yawned.
"One of your PAC-Wolves is runnin' towards us!"
"Sifen?" I asked, boggled that he could miss such a thing. But when I saw him, he was leaning against the wall, hard asleep. I hated to do it, but I had to wake him up. "Sifen." I calmly said as I shook his shoulder. He awoke in a fright, but slowly, and painfully regained his wits. "Sorry, bud but we've got trouble." "Cough! Cough! Yes, sir." He looked out the hole and squinted. "Sir, it's PAC-Wolf-4." "What?" I didn't want to believe Bruno, but I had to believe Sifen. "Let's get to the Command Wolves. Bruno, get Kavid and Katrana into the Gustav." "Right away."
The PAC-Wolves were ankle-deep in sand, but were still in decent shape. PAC-1 still looked a bit burnt and cracked from the CPG blast, but the sand didn't do any more harm. We had reloaded some of their ammunition with what we found in the tower, and even found a couple of usable missiles for PAC-3. As soon as we walked around the tower, PAC-4 was in range and started shooting at us. But its shots were slow and sloppy. It had obviously been tourned into a sleeper. The problem with sleepers is the fact that they don't stop attacking until their target is destroyed. And now, we had an indestuctible one shooting at us. No matter how many times we knocked it down, it just got back up and started shooting again. It was very, very annoying. "Sifen," I asked his image on my HUD-Comm, "Do you have any ideas on how to stop this thing?" "Only one, sir. The rescue lever." Of course. The rescue lever was able to pop open the canopy and allow access into the cockpit—in emergencies of course. Well, this seemed like an emergency. "Corporal, use your missiles to hit it hard right next to me. I'll jump out and get into the cockpit and detatch the Sleeper AI Box." "Sir, at the most the PAC-Wolf will be stunned for about fifteen seconds." "Then I'll make sure I'm really, really close." I smirked and flicked off the Comm. The next time PAC-4 lethargically attacked Sifen, I was ready. PAC-3 nailed it hard with the missiles, and it landed perfectly next to PAC-1. "Great shot, Sifen!" Five seconds. I jumped down from PAC-1. Ten seconds. The soft sand made climbing up onto the head difficult. Fifteen seconds. I had just grabbed the lever when the Wolf growled and stood up. It tried to shake me off, but I had a good grip on it. I yanked the lever and the canopy slowly opened. The Zoid really started hopping and shaking now, and I couldn't stay on much longer. I hunched over the cockpit's side and grabbed the AI Box. Using what little strength I had left, I ripped the box off of the seat and broke the cables. PAC-4 immediately settled down. What a ride. As I threw the AI box to the ground, I saw a dust trail racing across the desert dunes. I climbed into PAC-4's cockpit and used the HUD to magnify the image. It was just what I was dreading. "Sir!" called Sifen, "The Death Sniper is approaching the Imperial Tower!" The fight with PAC-4 had moved us pretty far from the Outpost. The Sniper's strategy was obvious now. I turned on the Comm to Bruno's Gustav. "Bruno, the Death Sniper is approaching you. Keep it busy until we can get closer." "No can do, Cap'n. The Gustav is still buried too deep. I ain't goin' nowhere." "Then use your Anti-Zoid rifles!" "Oh yeah, I got plenty of them. Roger." It was too late. The little Gun Sniper reached the tower and the rear doors opened for it, groaning as they pushed the sand away. The GS whipped its tail around and backed into the tower. Using the magnification on the HUD, I could see the ceiling's blinds opening up. Robotic arms came down and removed the Gun Sniper's missile launchers. Larger arms lowered down a massively upgraded and customized Wild Weasel Unit onto the GS. It was full of weapons, including gattling cannons, Geno Saurer cannons and missile pods. More arms reached down and attached a multitude of other weapons all over the Death Sniper's body, including Elephander cannons, Shield Liger cannons and even more missile pods. The end result was an obscenely over-armed little Gun Sniper that had doubled its size—just with weapons. The Death Sniper stomped out of the Tower, and Bruno started shooting at it, but he did no harm. The walking arsenal turned towards the PAC-Wolves, and opened fire. Never in my life had I seen so many laser blasts and missiles flying in my direction. Cannons thundered, gattling guns roared and missile launchers shreiked. PAC-4 began shaking terribly from the onslaught, and I could see PAC-1 fall over and PAC-3 hunch down from the shock. A Charged Particle Blast was stronger, no doubt, but it didn't shake this much. When the barrage stopped, my ears were ringing horribly. The desert wind quickly blew all the smoke away. When it cleared, the Death Sniper was gone. "Captain," called Sifen, "Cough--Are you all right?" "Yeah, Sifen, I'm all right. Thank goodness for Plasma Armor, right?" My sarcasm was painfully obvious. Then, the laughter started again. "I see you, Captain of the Republic. Can you see me?" I frantically looked at every horizon, but saw only open dunes and blowing sand. "I have enjoyed our encounters. Even that stupid fight in the Geno Saurer. You pilots have been quite the challenge." "Don't mock us, mercenary. Come out and fight!" I beckoned. My scanning system went crazy as the Death Sniper de-cloaked right behind Sifen. Its mouth was glowing purple. "Sifen! Eject! NOW!" PAC-3's cockpit swung up and Sifen rocketed into the air on a pillar of smoke. Less than a second later, the Wave-Smacker hit the red Command Wolf, cracked it, and shattered it into a billion pieces. The Death Sniper was laughing louder than ever as Sifen parachuted down to the desert floor. "Three down, one to go! Heehee!" PAC-4's cannons opened up on the Gun Sniper, but nothing was breaking. All those loose cannons and missile launchers, and nothing would break! Firing its boosters, the GS came straight at me, firing a random pattern and pummeling my Wolf without end. I tried to evade, but the Death Sniper followed, and I didn't get very far before PAC-4 was sent sliding across the sand on its side. The DS opened up another volley of fire, and nearly rattled my teeth out. Indestructible or not, I couldn't take much more of this. Warning lights activated when the Wave-Smacker started charging.
I looked around the Bay of Rocks and couldn't see anyone or anything else but the PAC-Wolves and the wreckage of the Gun Sniper.
Sifen beeped in over the laughing. "Captain! The Gun Sniper!"
Dusty boulders that smothered the fallen Zoid rolled off as it stood up from its seemingly fatal crash site. It was dirty—really dirty—but totally unbroken.
"Scan that thing!" I hoped my hunches were wrong.
"Sir," said Sifen, "that Gun Sniper is totally constructed from Plasma Armor!" Damn. I was right.
The laughing abruptly stopped. "Looks like you boys got the best of me. If this would've happened before I struck my deal with Colonel Sared, my Sniper'd be dead. But now...now we're equals." The Gun Sniper crouched down and opened its mouth very wide. "Or are we?"
The inside of the GS' mouth began to glow purple, and the sniper tail opened up hidden vents. "This, my friends, is the Particle-Breaker Cannon, or as I like to call it, the Wave-Smacker! Enjoy!" Our foolish curiosity kept us from running, and as we stood there, the Sniper fired.
A highly charged wave of purple energy flowed at an intense speed from the jaws of the GS and struck PAC-2 straight in the head. The Command Wolf's body began to glow a bright purple hue, and a web of cracks started to spread all over it.
Then, it shattered.
The Plasma Armor broke like a fallen vase, exploding outwards into the tiniest of pieces that scattered across the desert sand. Almost like a child's cartoon, Kavid was left sitting in mid-air, but soon fell ten meters to the ground. After his body hit the sand, he rolled over in pain.
"KAVID!" I screamed. "Sifen! Nail that bastard, now!"
My cannon pummeled the Gun Sniper while PAC-3's missile launchers opened and launched the last of its explosives. The GS was sent backwards into the cliffside; its head was embedded into the rock.
As my Wolf lowered its head, I opened the canopy and leapt down. Kavid was still on his side in a fetal position. Thankfully there was little blood.
"Kavid! Kavid, talk to me buddy!" I called, but he wouldn't move. He was still alive, but his clothing and skin were cut up from shards of broken Plasma Armor.
"Captain Kelt!" called Sifen through a speaker, "We need to leave immediately!" I could hear rock crumbling behind me, and when I looked, the Gun Sniper was tearing itself out from the rock wall.
"Keep it busy, Sifen!" PAC-3 opened fire on the GS, but it fired its boosters and flew off towards the arc of the Bay of Rocks. "Don't worry about finding me, PAC-Pilots. I'll find you!" called out the GS pilot as he flew away. Sifen carefully stayed between it and us.
I picked Kavid up, and could hear his groans from the pain and felt him fight with me. "C'mon, Lieutenant. You're gonna be all right, just let me move you."
I carried my friend over to PAC-1. After setting Kavid down, I opened the Storage Hatch and started throwing out anything that was in it. I carefully slid Kavid into the Hatch. He barely fit, and was groaning even more, but this was the only choice that I had; there was no room for him in the cockpit.
As the canopy closed and the Command Wolf raised its body from the ground, I saw the Gun Sniper enter a cave at the back of the Bay.
"What do we do now, sir?" asked Sifen.
"We get Kavid out of here."
With that, our two PAC-Wolves slowly walked back towards the abandoned Imperial Outpost.
I opened the hatch, but when Bruno saw Kavid squished in there, he shoved me out of the way and carried him to the tower. I was too sore and tired to fight with him. And with a sandstorm building up, we needed to move fast.
The Gustav had been parked next to the Tower while we were at the Bay of Rocks. Saltus had moved in a lot of supplies. I was thankful that he knew quite a bit about medical care. When you're a trucker, he had told me, you needed to know how to take care of yourself. He had seen the sandstorm building up and figured it would be more comfortable to be in the tower than in a Gustav.
So did I, until I walked in.
Katrana Sared was lying on a cot, wrapped in blankets and bandaged up.
As soon as Sifen pulled the door shut, I opened up.
"What the hell are you doing, Bruno? She's dead!"
Bruno was slowly laying Kavid onto another cot and removing his uniform. "Don't you smart pilot-guys ever test someone's pulse anymore? She'd been shot all right, but she wasn't dead yet. She needed some first aid pretty bad."
I could see that Sifen was even a little annoyed at Bruno. "We didn't exactly have a lot of time to check her." I explained, "That Gun Sniper opened up on us as soon as we found her."
Bruno started cleaning and bandaging Kavid's wounds. "Yeah, I heard the shootin'. Kinda hard not to out here. That's why I came here, to see if I could help, but when I got here, you guys was already in the distance. Figured I'd see if anyone was hurt inside. And I found her." Bruno paused to sternly look at us. "Any of you guys shoot 'er?"
I was too annoyed for this. "No Bruno, we didn't shoot her. We think the pilot of a black and gold Gun Sniper did."
Saltus paused his work on Kavid and looked into empty space. "You say a black and gold one?"
"Yes," said Sifen, curious about Bruno's pause, "It was actually black and silver with gold highlights. Have you seen it before?"
"Nope." Bruno continued his work on Kavid, although slower now. "But I heard of 'im. They call 'im the Death Sniper."
My groan was almost louder than Kavid's. "Death Sniper? Give me a break."
"Continue." Said Sifen.
"Well, the story is some battlefield scavenger from Guylos came across an old busted up Gun Sniper one day, got it workin', and fit it up with all the weapons he'd found scavengin'. Started doin' crimes with it, ya know. Guy actually turned out to be a pretty fair pilot and shooter. Started calling himself the 'Death Sniper.' Nobody could catch 'im. I know a few truckin' buddies who got zapped by that guy. Been wantin' to take a crack at 'im myself."
"Do you know if his Zoid's armor is indestructible?" asked Sifen.
"Indestructible? Don't think so. My bud Poto ran across 'im one day about a year ago, and managed to get a couple shots off. Says he blew the fink's left arm right off. Course, Poto still lost all his supplies to 'im."
"He did say he wasn't invulnerable until he met the Colonel. Maybe that was less than a year ago?" theorized Sifen.
"No doubt." I said. "Does anyone know where he lives?"
Bruno had to think about that for a second. "I think someone said the Death Sniper works from Rockby, or Bayrock, or somethin' like that."
"I guess that proves it." I took a drink of water. "This sandstorm will keep him off of us for a while, but it will make our lives miserable." I looked at Kavid. "Are you sure you can take care of him?"
"I don't think so. The cuts ain't the problem. He's been burnt by somethin', maybe even radiation. He really should get to a hospital."
The front door began to bang from wind gusts. "Well, until this storm dies, we're going nowhere."
I really wished I hadn't said "dies."
The tower creaked and panels chattered as the sandstorm blew. It was impossible to sleep through all the noise. My head was really hurting, and I was tempted to rip the cyberphonic implants out of my ears.
Kavid was groaning and Sifen was coughing—it was getting hard for him to breathe in here. Katrana was—excuse the term—dead quiet. Bruno seemed okay, and served us some rather excellent meals made from his personal supply of rations. At least the oven worked, and there was plenty of water in a barrel.
I noticed that the ceiling was constructed in rows, much like window blinds. I searched for some kind of control to open them, but found nothing.
"Hey, Sifen. Have you noticed the ceiling?" I asked.
"Yes sir. Cough."
What do you think they're for?"
"I would imagine they open either to—cough—provide room to raise something up, or lower something down."
"Maybe that's where the Death Sniper keeps his weapons?" said Bruno. It made sense. Now I really wanted to see up there.
Katrana groaned--it was the first noise we had heard her make all day—and rolled over. "Wh—? Where am I?"
Bruno crouched down next to her and I stood behind him. "Here," he said, "Drink this." As she sipped, she looked up and saw me. She quickly turned away.
"Captain Kelt." She weakly said.
"I can't say I'm happy to see you, Katrana," I said with a stern face, "but I'm glad you're still alive."
"You...you don't understand." She whispered. "I had to do what I did."
"Really?" I could feel my temperature rise. "Did daddy make you do it, or did you do it all by yourself?"
She turned to glare at me. "My father is a hero."
"A hero?" I was ready to burst. "He set us up to die! What hero would send his soldiers out to get massacred by a Geno Saurer?" That last question was more to myself. Things were starting to click. Katrana let me think it out.
"But we weren't supposed to get killed by that Geno Saurer, were we? He--the Geno--got impatient waiting for us and slaughtered those Shadow Foxes for fun. But Sifen sniffed him out. The Geno was supposed to...steal the PAC-Wolves? And you were sent to...stun us somehow. Am I right?"
Katrana nodded her head. "Actually I was going to knock you out with poisoned rations."
"Damn. But the Geno Saurer couldn't take us out, even with the CPG."
"We failed to steal the Wolves, and I didn't want anyone getting hurt, so I convinced him to retreat. But I figured I had better shoot you a few times so he wouldn't get suspicious."
"But he still must have gotten mad at you, because he shot you."
"No."
"No?" I was confused now.
"No. He had been planning to kill me all along. When we got here, to his little fort, he destroyed the Geno Saurer--."
"He what?" asked Sifen in disbelief."
"Yes, he destroyed it. He has no need for it, believe me. Anyways, when we got here he saw his chance and took it, and shot me. But before he could bury me, you guys must have came." She looked down. "And saved me."
"And saved you." I tapped Bruno's shoulder and he moved away. I crouched down in his place and looked her straight in the eyes.
"Why?" I asked.
"I—I can't tell you."
I moved out of the way and pointed to Kavid. "Yes you can."
She started to cry, and said, "My father is a hero."
"I wish I could believe that."
Katrana rolled over and closed her eyes while she cried. Bruno placed his hand on my shoulder. "Let her sleep."
I stood up and walked over to Kavid. "Okay."
If not for Bruno's super-powerful coffee—which he calls "petroleum"—I wouldn't have made it. Sifen was looking very weak, and although I had gotten more sleep than him, I knew I couldn't look much better. His coughing was almost constant.
After about four hours the sandstorm finally broke. Sifen took position looking out the big peephole, and I took care of Kavid and Katrana. Bruno was outside trying to dig his Gustav out of the sand...
Until he came running in the door. "Hey, you guys see that?" he asked.
"See what?" I yawned.
"One of your PAC-Wolves is runnin' towards us!"
"Sifen?" I asked, boggled that he could miss such a thing. But when I saw him, he was leaning against the wall, hard asleep. I hated to do it, but I had to wake him up. "Sifen." I calmly said as I shook his shoulder. He awoke in a fright, but slowly, and painfully regained his wits. "Sorry, bud but we've got trouble." "Cough! Cough! Yes, sir." He looked out the hole and squinted. "Sir, it's PAC-Wolf-4." "What?" I didn't want to believe Bruno, but I had to believe Sifen. "Let's get to the Command Wolves. Bruno, get Kavid and Katrana into the Gustav." "Right away."
The PAC-Wolves were ankle-deep in sand, but were still in decent shape. PAC-1 still looked a bit burnt and cracked from the CPG blast, but the sand didn't do any more harm. We had reloaded some of their ammunition with what we found in the tower, and even found a couple of usable missiles for PAC-3. As soon as we walked around the tower, PAC-4 was in range and started shooting at us. But its shots were slow and sloppy. It had obviously been tourned into a sleeper. The problem with sleepers is the fact that they don't stop attacking until their target is destroyed. And now, we had an indestuctible one shooting at us. No matter how many times we knocked it down, it just got back up and started shooting again. It was very, very annoying. "Sifen," I asked his image on my HUD-Comm, "Do you have any ideas on how to stop this thing?" "Only one, sir. The rescue lever." Of course. The rescue lever was able to pop open the canopy and allow access into the cockpit—in emergencies of course. Well, this seemed like an emergency. "Corporal, use your missiles to hit it hard right next to me. I'll jump out and get into the cockpit and detatch the Sleeper AI Box." "Sir, at the most the PAC-Wolf will be stunned for about fifteen seconds." "Then I'll make sure I'm really, really close." I smirked and flicked off the Comm. The next time PAC-4 lethargically attacked Sifen, I was ready. PAC-3 nailed it hard with the missiles, and it landed perfectly next to PAC-1. "Great shot, Sifen!" Five seconds. I jumped down from PAC-1. Ten seconds. The soft sand made climbing up onto the head difficult. Fifteen seconds. I had just grabbed the lever when the Wolf growled and stood up. It tried to shake me off, but I had a good grip on it. I yanked the lever and the canopy slowly opened. The Zoid really started hopping and shaking now, and I couldn't stay on much longer. I hunched over the cockpit's side and grabbed the AI Box. Using what little strength I had left, I ripped the box off of the seat and broke the cables. PAC-4 immediately settled down. What a ride. As I threw the AI box to the ground, I saw a dust trail racing across the desert dunes. I climbed into PAC-4's cockpit and used the HUD to magnify the image. It was just what I was dreading. "Sir!" called Sifen, "The Death Sniper is approaching the Imperial Tower!" The fight with PAC-4 had moved us pretty far from the Outpost. The Sniper's strategy was obvious now. I turned on the Comm to Bruno's Gustav. "Bruno, the Death Sniper is approaching you. Keep it busy until we can get closer." "No can do, Cap'n. The Gustav is still buried too deep. I ain't goin' nowhere." "Then use your Anti-Zoid rifles!" "Oh yeah, I got plenty of them. Roger." It was too late. The little Gun Sniper reached the tower and the rear doors opened for it, groaning as they pushed the sand away. The GS whipped its tail around and backed into the tower. Using the magnification on the HUD, I could see the ceiling's blinds opening up. Robotic arms came down and removed the Gun Sniper's missile launchers. Larger arms lowered down a massively upgraded and customized Wild Weasel Unit onto the GS. It was full of weapons, including gattling cannons, Geno Saurer cannons and missile pods. More arms reached down and attached a multitude of other weapons all over the Death Sniper's body, including Elephander cannons, Shield Liger cannons and even more missile pods. The end result was an obscenely over-armed little Gun Sniper that had doubled its size—just with weapons. The Death Sniper stomped out of the Tower, and Bruno started shooting at it, but he did no harm. The walking arsenal turned towards the PAC-Wolves, and opened fire. Never in my life had I seen so many laser blasts and missiles flying in my direction. Cannons thundered, gattling guns roared and missile launchers shreiked. PAC-4 began shaking terribly from the onslaught, and I could see PAC-1 fall over and PAC-3 hunch down from the shock. A Charged Particle Blast was stronger, no doubt, but it didn't shake this much. When the barrage stopped, my ears were ringing horribly. The desert wind quickly blew all the smoke away. When it cleared, the Death Sniper was gone. "Captain," called Sifen, "Cough--Are you all right?" "Yeah, Sifen, I'm all right. Thank goodness for Plasma Armor, right?" My sarcasm was painfully obvious. Then, the laughter started again. "I see you, Captain of the Republic. Can you see me?" I frantically looked at every horizon, but saw only open dunes and blowing sand. "I have enjoyed our encounters. Even that stupid fight in the Geno Saurer. You pilots have been quite the challenge." "Don't mock us, mercenary. Come out and fight!" I beckoned. My scanning system went crazy as the Death Sniper de-cloaked right behind Sifen. Its mouth was glowing purple. "Sifen! Eject! NOW!" PAC-3's cockpit swung up and Sifen rocketed into the air on a pillar of smoke. Less than a second later, the Wave-Smacker hit the red Command Wolf, cracked it, and shattered it into a billion pieces. The Death Sniper was laughing louder than ever as Sifen parachuted down to the desert floor. "Three down, one to go! Heehee!" PAC-4's cannons opened up on the Gun Sniper, but nothing was breaking. All those loose cannons and missile launchers, and nothing would break! Firing its boosters, the GS came straight at me, firing a random pattern and pummeling my Wolf without end. I tried to evade, but the Death Sniper followed, and I didn't get very far before PAC-4 was sent sliding across the sand on its side. The DS opened up another volley of fire, and nearly rattled my teeth out. Indestructible or not, I couldn't take much more of this. Warning lights activated when the Wave-Smacker started charging.