Battle Dawn

Chapter Fifteen: Tragedy

by Silver

Author's Note: I'm trying a different style of blocking in the hopes that won't accidentally delete my spaces and make it harder for readers to tell when I've switched scenes. I can't believe I've been posting for so long and been ignorant about this issue.

While I am thankful to everyone who has read and reviewed this story, I am actually going to warn some people away from reading this chapter. A very large part of this chapter deals with terrorism and the deaths involved in terrorist attacks. If you have lost someone in the 9/11 bombing or the terrorist attacks in England and Spain, you should consider whether or not you want to continue reading this part of my story.

For those who wish to continue (and I am very grateful for that), I hope you enjoy my tale and I look forward to your comments later.

X x x x x x

Time's up. Alteil checked his watch and heaved a sigh. His last moments of relative safety were gone. The sorrow of the labor force could not reach his perch at the top of the hangar. Alteil instead focused on the cameras aimed at him. In many ways, they were more deadly than the guns the guards used to either shove or threaten the terrified people below. These cameras, along with the pirated video signals, would make him the most hated man on Zi. All those workers had to worry about was doing their job. They would live to see their next assignment. Alteil did his job because he too had no choice, but there was less certainty for his survival. The floor director counted down from five and Alteil slid into his most composed expression.

Live to see dawn. That was his life now. Survive one day at a time, but stay aware for an opportunity; a chance to expose Vaez and reclaim freedom. Only then could he begin to dream about his future again.

Three… two… one… cue. "Greetings, people of Zi." His face appeared on every televiewer on Zi, regardless of the channel. Even the powered-down televiewers would snap to life, displaying his image and sending forth his words. Vaez had spared no expense in demonizing Alteil. "Allow me to introduce myself. I am Alteil, the Supreme Commander of the Backdraft Organization. I'm certain many of you thought that the days of my group were over. I am here to dispel that illusion."

The camera's tally light winked off, signaling that Alteil was no longer on screen. Instead, the feed had switched to a remote camera mounted on the belly of a Glaive Quama hovering over Desert Flower City, or whatever was left. Alteil continued to speak, "What you are witnessing is our first act of retaliation. A few short months ago, the Backdraft's greatest desire was to assume control of Zoid Battles. We sought to push the sport to a whole new level of drama and intensity. Instead, we were forced into the shadows by the Zoids Battle Commission. Hunted, arrested, rejected; they feared our new vision. And when we tried to elevate the Royal Cup into the most amazing tournament in history, the ZBC slapped us down once again with a brutal display of firepower from their Super Satellite.

"Soon thereafter, our leader, Count Umbra, was killed in a ZBC raid." And I lost my whole livelihood, Alteil silently mourned. "Now I rule BD, and I am not content with hijacking battles anymore. On this day I declare war on the ZBC! This city, now razed by our bombing unit, is but the first of many battlegrounds! We will continue to strike from the shadows, invisible to the eyes of that arsenal hovering above our heads. No matter what weapons you place, we will sneak past them! Send out all the searches and raids you desire. We will have already completed our work and gone! We are the future of Zi! Not just the constructors of the shadow battles! We have power over anything that can be destroyed, and as you can see, we are very skilled at destroying cities."

The crew signaled that they were clear and began to break down the equipment. Alteil allowed himself a small sigh. It was time to leave into an uncertain future. That wasn't exactly new; he'd overcome great challenges before. He just wasn't as confident this time.

X X X X X X X X

Just run. That was all anyone could do right now. There was no way to stop those Zoids flying overhead, nor was there any way to stop the mantis-type Zoids that plummeted from above, smashing into buildings and consuming everything around them in a mix of fire and death. Leo held Leena's hand so tight that he thought it might break, and she did the same. Together they fled down the streets, using Leo's knowledge of every city layout to find their way back to the Hover Cargo. Until they were back in their Zoids, they were as powerless as the civilians running past them.

Leena snagged back on Leo's wrist as the roof of the building in front of them exploded, raining down flaming slabs of concrete and steel. Several large blocks smashed where Leo would have been running if Leena had not pulled him back. Leo stood breathless for a moment before the screams reminded him of the danger. He and Leena continued onward, no time for thanks. As they fled, a shimmer of white hair caught Leo's eye. Despite the basic, primal urge to run, he diverted to the side and Leena followed. They swam through the flood of terrorized people, almost drowning from the close quarters. Up ahead, Jamie kneeled down, cradling a wounded Yuki in his arms and calling for help. Yuki bled from her temple, and Jamie was near tears. His head snapped up when Leo called his name. "Leo! Leena! Help, please!"

"What happened?" Leo knelt down and scooped the girl up.

Jamie frantic. "We were looking for some parts, and then there was this explosion and… and… and Yuki got hit in the head by the falling debris and she… she…"

"Come on!" Leo didn't need to hear the rest. He scooped up Yuki in his arms and Leena snagged Jamie. They ran past several bodies on the street, many of whom had obviously been crushed. For a moment, Leo thought he saw himself lying among the dead and wondered if perhaps Leena hadn't saved him from that falling chunk of roof. But no; he was alive, and he would keep Yuki alive as well. Then he'd make someone pay. Someone had brought hell to this city, and he would return the favor tenfold.

Overhead, missiles and bright slashes of light lanced out from the city and struck a small flight of attacking Zoids. They all vanished in a burst of heat and light as strong and terrifying as the ones raking the city. Leo couldn't imagine who would have so much firepower. Most of the Zoid warriors were too busy fleeing for their own lives to defend someone else; and it looked as though most of the public hangars had been the first targets. Please let the Hover Cargo be all right, Leo prayed to anyone who was listening. Doc, Brad and Bit had to be okay.

Time moved in slow motion. Every scream echoed in a void, every explosion shook the world. People ran with no hope of escape, but still they fled. So much fear in one place made Leo sick. The people were one flowing torrent of fear and death. Some were not fast enough, and were trampled under foot. Others could not avoid the flaming wreckage of buildings, bridges, and billboards that rained down without mercy or reason. Smoke filled his lungs, burning his whole body from within, and Yuki felt so cold in his arms.

Finally, mercifully, Leo saw the Hover Cargo, intact and protected by its massive energy shield. Just outside the protective field stood a small mountain of cannons and missiles. Its four legs bore down on the ground, lacing it with cracks. A small shimmer like a desert mirage enveloped the Zoid, but Leo recognized the Liger Zero Panzer. Two bursts of energy from its back-mounted hybrid cannons lashed out at a cluster of aerial Zoids that had yet to drop their payload. The blasts didn't strike dead-on, but the heat from the pulses ignited the bombs in the Zoids, taking their carriers with them.

This was a doubly-cruel act. So many people and Zoids killed in one attack, and they used Zoids themselves as flying bombs! Leo led the troupe into the Hover Cargo. Doc had been smart enough to allow enough space between the shield and ground for other people to pass under. A large, terrified mass had taken shelter under the Cargo's protection.

"Let us pass! We have a wounded girl!" Leo somehow managed to push through the masses and keyed in his entry code at the door. Several people tried to press in but the Blitz Team couldn't afford to have civilians clambering around inside the Hover Cargo. Leena fended them off for the most part while Leo dropped Jamie and Yuki off in the small medical room. He would have rather taken both of them to the hospital, but for now the Hover Cargo was probably the safest structure in the city.

Leaving Yuki in Jamie's care, Leo sprinted to the launch bay where Fang waited anxiously. He could see Fang's joints shaking. He needed to be out there, fighting back. How many screams and explosions had taunted his ears from outside? "Let's do this. Fang, GO!" The Hover Cargo momentarily dropped its shield just long enough for Fang to land alongside the Panzer. "Bit, what are you doing?"

"Protecting the city! What does it look like?"

"The Panzer's not ready! I didn't finish all the repairs." All those missile ports and cannon shots were searing the Liger Zero's body. A miracle it hadn't melted.

"Panzer's the best choice for this situation. I've already taken out about half their forces!" And the other half had just about finished dropping their sacrifices. Leo didn't argue any further and began retaliating with Fang's sniper rifle. His aim was truer than ever, striking several Zoids that were making their bombing runs. He hated killing those defenseless Zoids that hung from their carrier's claws, but there wasn't any way to bring them down safely. Leena had been right that he was more comfortable around Zoids than people, but he could not place one Zoid's life above countless humans. He hoped that the Zoids would understand and forgive him.

"Any sign of Brad?"

"None." Bit unleashed a volley of missiles. Despite their dwindling numbers, the airborne force still seemed infinite. "He was probably too far away to get back to the Hover Cargo in time." That was the best-case scenario.

They continued to lob volley after volley without decreasing the enemy's numbers. How many of these tiny Zoids did the attacks have? They were about the size of those Diloforce Zoids, but were based on some kind of insect. Leo had heard of them before, but the name wasn't coming to him. Not that it mattered.

Fang's sensors bleeped harshly. Something else was up there, sweeping between the bombing units. The signature was frighteningly familiar and it was coming straight for them. "Bit!"

"I see it!" The monster Zoid from that afternoon dove down, nearly crashing into several of its partners along the way. Bit fired his Hybrid Cannons once again but the Zoid dove at a perilously sharp angle and managed to miss the blasts. The other Zoids were not so lucky. The loss of several comrades didn't even slow the larger one down. It swooped in low to the ground and aimed for the Panzer, firing two bursts from its obviously repaired belly-cannons. The two blasts should have had as much effect against the Panzer's armor as a pebble striking a tank. But the Panzer was incomplete. The twin blasts struck the shoulder and something within the armor sparked and exploded. Liger Zero roared with pain and staggered to remain upright. Leo could hear something explode over the comm. and Bit cried out with the same pain as his Liger.

Leo swung Fang's sniper rifle around, ready to end the fight in one shot. The attacker would not allow it. Faster than Leo could aim, the Zoid connected with a double-foot kick to the damaged leg and toppled the mighty Panzer. It reached out with its beak and seized Fang by the throat, casually tossing him aside. Several more swift kicks to Panzer's body preceded a barrage of fire from the creature's mouth. Flames enveloped the already over-heated Panzer.

"Stop it!" Leo and Fang regained their footing and charged forward, blasting their sniper rifle. The enemy dodged two shots and used its wing-mounted blasters to knock the smaller Command Wolf down again. The Panzer now dismissed, the monster advanced on its legs. It had the perfect shot angle for its main cannons.

Leo tried to get Fang back up, but knew they wouldn't make it in time. Fang's joints were next on the list for upgrades. Too bad he'd never get the chance. They'd taken too much abuse throughout the day. He could only lie there and wait for the explosive gunfire.

There was a loud noise, but it wasn't aimed at him. Gunfire hailed from above as Ballistic the Gun Sniper landed with both Vulcan cannons blazing. The shots raked across the aerial Zoid's body, nearly striking the wing joints. With a cry, the larger Zoid ascended and streaked off into the night, following the remaining forces of bombing Zoids as they flew away from the city.

Leena continued to fire after the retreating force, but Leo jumped out of Fang's cockpit and sprinted for the Panzer. "BIT!" No answer. Leo could feel the Panzer's heat at least several yards away. The air shimmered and rippled, transforming the Panzer into a hazy green blur.

One of the first rules Leo learned from spending time with mechanics was to always have a piece of fire-proof clothing on hand. Given all the perils that faced Zoids pilots, fire protection was a daily necessity. Unfortunately, not many pilots followed this sage advice. Leo was not like most pilots. He made sure his fire-proof, non-slip piloting gloves were secure as he tried to jump onto the Panzer's head. The soles of his boots melted and peeled off the super-heated armor and his clothes and hair matted down with sweat.

The emergency release for the Panzer's hatch was just next to its right ear. It, like everything else, was too hot to touch. Leo grabbed it anyway and burned his hand. By instinct, he cried out and drew back his arm. But now wasn't the time to let instinct control him. Bit needed to get out of that cockpit, and the Liger wouldn't be able to handle the burden of its armor much longer.

Leo grasped the handle again with his fresh hand, and when it didn't move right away he used his burned hand as well. He didn't try to hold in the scream as the heat seared his skin. With one desperate twist, the control switch gave way and the Liger's cockpit hissed open, releasing even more superheated air.

Bit's skin was almost pure red and blistering in many places. It looked as if he'd broken his arm as well while shielding himself from an exploding control panel. Leo kicked the controls to release the pilot harness, then hit the emergency armor release control. A small series of charges fired the Panzer armor off the Liger's body and sent them to the ground, which blackened under the heat. Leo looped Bit's undamaged arm over his shoulder and began to drag him away from the fallen Zoid.

Leo's vision was blurry and he doubted it was just from the heat. His hands throbbed and his body felt as if he had carried Fang all the way from the desert. It was hard to hear all the crying and screaming around him. Leena and Doc ran towards them, shouting something. He couldn't make it out. "Take care of Bit," was all he could say before he slipped into that comfortable darkness.

X X X X X X X X

Damn it all. It wasn't fair. Raid took a minute to silence all the alarms and indicators inside the Salamander's cockpit. That overloaded Gun Sniper had done a ton of damage to the wings and fuel lines. At this rate, his Zoid wouldn't have enough juice to make it to the fallback base. Raid signaled the other Zoids—the ones he allowed to fly next to him—that he was headed back to the staging area to do a quick fix and refuel. It shouldn't be too big a problem since no one had a clue about the base's location. He'd be in and out in less than a day. Plenty of time before searchers found anything.

Despite the easy job, Raid felt angry. Just a short while ago, he'd been enjoying the sight of the city getting hammered by the boldest move in Zi's history. And he'd been a part of it. Then he'd taken down the Liger Zero Panzer. He'd beaten Bit Cloud! How many pilots could make that claim? That white Command Wolf had tried to steal away that glory, but it'd been an easy win. And then, just as he was about to finish that overrated nobody off, some other loser in an over-customized Zoid jumped in and punched a bunch of holes in his oh-so-powerful Salamander. It just wasn't fair.

Everyone was always getting in the way of Raid's plans. His Storm Sworder team had been one of the rising stars of the ZBC until they fought the Tigers Team. Not that the Tigers were that good. Hell, they couldn't even aim right. But they knew how to cheat. Even the best pilots can't avoid a lightning storm that's actually aiming for their Zoid. Raid's team had been out of the running after that, even though everyone knew the Tiger's cheated. The ZBC hadn't found the devices the Tiger's used to control the weather, so they just handed the win over to a bunch of losers who didn't deserve it.

Raid's teammates had vowed to rebuild, but Raid had realized the truth. The only way to get ahead was to cheat. That old joke "nice guys finish last" really meant something. If he had to choose between being a straight arrow and a winner, he'd go with winner every time. As of tonight, he was the biggest winner on Planet Zi. When the Backdraft took over the ZBC, he'd be in the biggest seat possible. Then he'd have some real fun.

X X X X X X X X

Never before had the King felt so small. Harry's Iron Kong reached into the pile of debris that had been a public Zoids hangar. There were no life-signs under the broken concrete and melted steel, but Harry was more than a little nervous about stumbling upon a body.

After somehow surviving the bombing that demolished Desert Flower City, Harry's robots had all but demanded that they leave. "We should move on and rejoin the ZBC." Sebastian had said factually, even though his servos were trembling. "Let's leave before another attack!" Benjamin made no attempts to look calm.

But then Harry had looked over at Ms. Elizabeth, who stood at the edge of what had been her home with tears streaming down her face. Her parents lived elsewhere, but she had been rooming with several friends. All dead. In that moment, leaving was the farthest thing from Harry's mind. He had ordered the robots to check on their Whale King and salvage the Iron Kongs if at all possible. The Whale King had been buried under rubble as well, but they had been able to extract the Iron Kongs. While the robots repaired their main transport, Harry did all he could to retrieve the Gun Bluster. "We're not leaving until Ms. Elizabeth is ready to go." Neither robot understood his orders, but that was nothing new.

Problem was, Harry didn't understand his motives either. He knew that his beloved Leena was somewhere in this city. He'd confirmed her survival, but nothing beyond that. As Prince, he should rush to his love's side and comfort her. Why was he dotting so much on Ms. Elizabeth? And why did his heart leap a little when he found the Gun Bluster? The moment he saw one of its cannons poking up through the rubble, he felt a certain pride that was a bit foreign to the King. Surely this was not his only success… though he couldn't really remember any others off the top of his head.

"Mr. Champ!" Ms. Elizabeth waved from the sidewalk, sidestepping rubble along the way. Her quite demeanor made Harry feel a little uneasy. What could she be thinking right now? Her eyes were red from tears, though she forced a smile. Her city was in ruins, and word was the ZBC would be evacuating and relocating everyone. The cost of rebuilding this area was astronomical, even by Harry's standards. There was nothing for her now. "Thank you for freeing my Zoid. I'm glad he's all right." The Iron Kong wasn't strong enough to lift the Gun Bluster, but once the robots brought the Whale King they could lift it up into the hangar bay easily.

Harry exited the cockpit and slid down the Iron Kong's thick arm. "Ms. Elizabeth… are you… are you okay?"

"Yes… but could you please call me Lizzy? I'm not used to being called 'Ms. Elizabeth.'" Strange how she could sound so humble about it. "Mr. Champ, thank you so much for all your help. I don't know many people who would do all this for a stranger who just appeared on their doorstep."

Harry blushed slightly and rubbed the back of his head. "Well, yes, I am known for my generosity and fierce combat prowess after all!" He laughed a little, but then became serious. "Besides, the Champ Team looks out for its members."

Ms. Elizabeth… Lizzy… looked perplexed for a moment. When her eyes widened and a true smile nearly divided her face in two, Harry felt as though he'd just won the entire ZBC championship on his own. "Really? I can join your team?"

"On the condition that you call me Harry. Not even my own servants call me Mr. Champ!"

"We would if you'd act more responsible!" The Champ Team's Whale King drifted in overhead.

"Sebastian!" Harry shook his fist. "You don't need to say that over the loudspeakers! Everyone can hear you!"

Benjamin replied, "You didn't try to keep your voice down when you talked about us. Really, Harry, after all our years of service you're still complaining about us behind our backs!"

Lizzy laughed, genuinely. It was music. How many times had the Champ Team had an argument like this? Harry sincerely hoped that Lizzy wouldn't run away after a week of this nonsense. For some reason, he hoped she'd stay close for a very long time.

X X X X X X X X

Bit had a broken arm and a torn ligament in his leg, not to mention several burns and a concussion. Liger Zero was just as bad. Several of its joints had almost welded together under the heat, and most of its nerves had suffered damage. Leo would be working double-overtime to get it back up and running. Assuming his hands healed quickly, of course. Leo had second-degree burns from opening the Panzer's cockpit (third-degree if not for his gloves), not to mention some serious blisters on his face. He needed a shower, but for right now he was just glad to have his hands bandaged.

The entire Blitz Team, Jamie included, sat in the medical room of the Hover Cargo. They kept their voices down so as not to wake Bit and Yuki. Jamie's friend lay next to Bit and had a hairline fracture along her skull, but would recover in time. Jamie kept glancing at her and Bit, despite assurances that both would be fine.

Brad had reappeared at the Hover Cargo out of nowhere. Despite his usually calm expression, Leo could feel the anger seething inside of him. That same feeling flowed through the group. All of them wanted justice, or revenge, whichever came first. The Backdraft of old had been sneaking, cowardly, cheating, and annoying. This new Backdraft, led by the same man who'd stolen the Liger Zero, was monstrous.

"I wish we'd caught him back when he stole the Liger." Leo had never seen Leena tremble like this before. "If we had-"

Doc shook his head. "There's no way we could have known he'd go this far. This Alteil person is far more dangerous than anyone imagined. We'll have to be on guard when traveling from now on. He always had it in for our team. Now he might want to prove something to the other BD members by finishing us off." Everyone had been in shock when they saw the recorded announcement from Alteil. They'd been too busy to watch the speech during the raid, but it had since replayed several times. All of Zi had watched Alteil announce his bloodlust. Now every person on Zi demanded some form of punishment ranging from incarceration to his head on a spike.

"Are you saying we should leave?" asked Leo. "Because I'm not leaving yet. There's a Backdraft Base near here. That's the only way those Zoids could have reached this city. I want to find it. I want to shut it down."

Brad nodded. "I wouldn't mind that myself. Problem is, you're injured and we don't know where the base is."

Leo held up a bandaged hand and clenched his fist. Everyone opened their mouths to tell him to stop, but he cut them off. "Pain is something you can ignore if you have something to focus on. Believe me, I'm focused and this won't slow me down." It hadn't stopped him from repairing Fang.

Leena sighed. "Are you a sadist or something?"

"Let's focus on the main issue instead of me. How do we find the BD base? You guys have a reputation for stumbling upon them, right?"

Brad shrugged. "That's mostly because our team has bad luck. We're always getting into messes that really have nothing to do with us. Bandits, Backdraft, legendary Zoids; it's like we're a magnet for these things. The only time we wanted to find a Backdraft base was when they stole Liger Zero, and we only found it through some good luck for a change. What do we have now?"

Jamie spoke up. "My Pteras."

"Oh, please!" Leena snarled. "Enough about your stupid Pteras. We have other things to worry about right now!" Leo had half-expected Leena to blame Jamie for putting them in this mess through his Pteras hunt. It made him feel a lot better that she didn't lament being in the city.

"No. You don't understand. I think we can find the base by tracking my Pteras."

Doc frowned. "What makes you think they have it?"

Jamie explained. "When we first ran across that monster Zoid that hurt Bit, my sensors registered it as having the same signature as my Pteras. At first I didn't want to believe it, but a Zoid's signature is like a human fingerprint; you can't change them very easily and it's often more trouble than it's worth. I didn't want to believe it at first, but I think that monster Zoid is my Pteras."

Leo frowned. "You think the BD got a hold of your Pteras and mutated it?" Wouldn't be the first time. History was filled with maniacs and deranged scientists looking to create the next Deathsaurer or something like it. Even Brad's Shadow Fox was based of the metallic DNA of a Command Wolf. That was how Zoids R&D worked. A scientist couldn't create a new life form from nothing. He had to fiddle with the design of an existing Zoid and make it work somehow. Once the prototype was ready, it was relatively simple to mass-produce clones of that one strand. Legend had it that only Zoid Eve could give birth to a totally-new Zoid.

Leena looked at her father. "Dad, please tell me you didn't sell Jamie's Pteras to some shady guy."

"I-I most definitely did not. The man I bought the Raynos from had a lot of connections. He probably sold the Pteras to another buyer and it traded hands until it fell to BD's possession. It's not my fault."

"I guess not." Leo sighed. "You can't be held responsible for what people do with a Pteras once it's been sold. It's not like anyone thinks the Zoid they sell could be turned into some kind of demon mutant. Still, this seems pretty strange."

Brad chuckled a little. "Like I said, our team has really bad luck. I bet BD doesn't even know they used our old Pteras for their experiments. But no matter how you look at it, this is our best chance of finding the group that attacked the city."

"Then let's get going before the trail gets any colder." They shuffled out silently. All four pilots and their respective Zoids would head out and follow Jamie's Raynos to the source while Doc cared for Bit and Yuki. The enemy had fled west, so that was their best bet. Leo hoped the team would have just enough bad luck to stumble on the Backdraft one more time.

X X X X X X X X

"You sure know how to cause a scene." Bernard Champ was actually smiling a little. A good sign to be sure.

Vaez sipped some tea while watching what was supposed to be a secure transmission between the heads of the Champ Corporation and Backdraft Group. Since the first Demantis bomb had dropped onto the city, Vaez's life had been filled with panicked reports and demands from officials who had no idea of how to cope with a crisis. President Vereor was in hiding somewhere, fearing he would be the target of an attack. Emperor Kamuffel had tripled the royal guard and raised an alert in all of Guylos. People were shocked and appalled by Alteil's audacity, as planned. Not a soul on Zi could claim immunity from this seemingly random and pointless raid. Desert Flower City had nothing of value, no significance to any government, no reason to be targeted. Many people had not even heard of this city until the bombing placed it on Zi's map and then wiped it out. No one suspected that it was the city's anonymity that made it the perfect target. With one act of pointless cruelty, Vaez had shaken Zi down to its soul. Now everyone would be on guard and afraid. Soon he would be the only man capable of protecting the people. And protect them he would. When all this was over, he would honor the victims with a monument. They were nobly sacrificed for the restoration of his family.

Alteil, his still useful puppet, smiled. "I take it you are impressed, Mr. Champ.?"

"Let's just say that you've drummed up some business for me. Already got several orders for top-of-the-line anti-aircraft cannons. So it seems I owe you for a couple'a million, but don't think you can call me 'Barry' just yet."

"Of course, but I can promise you that this is just the beginning of your profits. Can the Backdraft count on your support in the coming months?"

Bernard's smiled waned. "If you can manage to avoid killin' my son, then yeah, I'm in."

Alteil frowned. "Your son?"

An image replaced Bernard Champ's face on the monitor. Vaez wouldn't have recognized Desert Flower City before its destruction. All the cities on Zi looked the same. But the still-smoking remains of the buildings were now the former city's most distinctive feature. A Whale King bearing the Champ Corporation logo hovered just above the devastation. A smaller dot hung beneath the massive transport Zoid. Alteil zoomed in and confirmed a Gun Bluster. Harry Champ had not piloted such a Zoid before, but given his reliance on wealth to win a battle Vaez wouldn't be surprised if he'd just purchased it.

Bernard Champ came back on screen. "Turns out my boy was in Desert Flower City the night of the bombing."

"But he is unhurt, yes?"

Bernard grunted. "Not that I know. But that's not the point. That's twice now you put one of my kids in danger. Even if he wasn't supposed to be there, I expect you keep an eye out for him from now on. Damn kid seems to always put himself in the worst situation."

Alteil nodded. "It is a very strange coincidence, but you have my word that we will monitor a target for your son's appearance in the future."

"Fair 'nough." Bernard signed off with no further commitment, but it did not matter. His gains from one night alone were enough to confirm his loyalty. By the end of this conflict, Bernard Champ might very well become the richest man on Zi. But he would not be king.

Bernard Champ signed off, stating that he had other business. The intercom chimed. "Chairman Vaez, Bernard Champ is on line three for you."

That was fast. Vaez set down his tea and opened the communication. "Mr. Champ, how nice to speak with you."

Bernard Champ seemed cheering than a moment ago. "Chairmen Vaez, please call me Barry."

"Of course, Barry. It's a pleasure to hear from you. We haven't spoken since my promotion celebration."

"Yep, and I didn' get more than two words in, you had so many lady friends talkin' to you. Never got ta say how happy I was te have some young blood in the higher-ups. Ol' Hancock was gettin' too stuffy fer my tastes." His accent had tripled in less than a minute. Such a weak fool. Vaez did not pick and choose whom he lied to; he lied to everyone. He treated all the same, as a king should. By lying to all his eventual followers, he showed no preferential treatment. He could not favor one subject over the other so simply. Only Leena Toros demanded special affection from him, and even then he would not tell her everything. When the need for lies ended, when he regained his family's rightful place, then he would speak the truth. And he would tell Bernard Champ what a worthless nothing the man was, just before his execution.

"Hope ah didn't interrupt ya. I know yer awful busy, what with them poor folks in Desert Flower City."

"I have more than enough time to talk with friends and allies. Do you need something?"

"Yep, 'fraid I do. My boy, Harry, he missed the ZBC registration deadline."

"And you'd like me to help him participate in the upcoming season? It might be placed on hold given the current situation."

"No worries there, Mr. Chairman. I dun want to you let muh boy in. I wunt to ask that ya'll keep 'im out. Dun let the boy weasel his way in. He missed out an' dropped the ball. Fair's fair as they say."

"I was under the impression your son missed the registration because he was in the hospital."

"'fraid so. But again, them's the breaks. Dun let that boy push his way in, please. Got's ta teach him some responsibility." To fake friendship was offensive, to claim the moral high-ground was appalling. Bernard Champ's issues with his unruly son were well known, though never publicly spoken. No doubt this rich fool wanted to break his son's will by blocking his entry. When Leena Toros bore Vaez a son, he would teach the boy strength and nobility. He would mold his successor from the moment he left the womb. None of these shadow deals and false affections. You will burn at the dawn of my reign, Bernard Champ, thought Vaez. There is no place for you in my new world.

X X X X X X X X

There, all fixed. Raid grinned as he finished the last weld on his Salamander. Not the prettiest job, but he was a flyer. Let the ground-pounding techs sweat the small stuff. As long as he could get up in the air and reach the next BD base, he wouldn't complain. Maybe he'd do a little fly-by of the city they wrecked; see how all those people trapped on the ground were doing.

It wasn't that Raid hated the people in that city, but they were an obstacle for him. To gain prestige in the new Backdraft and to secure the position he deserved, Raid had to do some things that might appear extreme. But the means justified the ends. The ZBC denied him a place as the top aerial pilot, so now he had to tear down the Commission to take that same title. Whatever it took, he was willing.

Time to get moving. The base was scheduled for demolition in a few hours. Once the camouflage dropped, the ZBC search force would storm the base and find a nice treat at the very bottom. But if the timetable went according to plan, they wouldn't realize the truth until they were literally six feet under. Raid's return and pausing of the countdown had thrown the time-table off a little, but Alteil had allowed room for re-supplying and Raid was confident things would work out right. Killing a ZBC patrol unit was just rubbing salt in a much larger wound. Raid couldn't wait to hear the news about how they'd duped the big shots yet again.

He stepped into the Salamander's cockpit and closed the hatch. A faint stirring echoed from somewhere deep inside the body. None of the techs could figure it out. Some thought the Zoid core was suffering a little backlash from the mutation process. Others thought the combat data from the old Pteras that hadn't been purged from the system. Whatever it was, Raid always felt like the Salamander was fighting the stick just a little. Didn't matter too much, though. No way he'd let his ride ditch him.

He opened a link with the base computer and ordered the door open. When nothing happened, he punched the command in again; with a bit more force this time. The computer sent back a warning that unknowns were in the area, and automatic lockdown was in effect. That was a trait of the old Backdraft. Whenever someone came snooping, the base automatically locked all the doors and the members were supposed to hold their breaths until the big bad wandering nobodies went away. That'd been the new policy ever since the Blitz Team shelled one of the Backdraft's tournament domes. Raid hadn't enjoyed that policy and was pretty sure Alteil wouldn't put up with it either. The Backdraft was a whole new animal now, and Raid liked it a whole lot more.

Fortunately, Raid knew the override code. He'd "persuaded" one of the security staff to fork it over. He didn't like being caged in; that was part of why he left the ZBC. After all he accomplished last night, Raid was tempted to take it easy for now and just let the losers go; but where was the fun in that?

A quick punch-up from the external cameras showed a clunky old Raynos, an even older Command Wolf, a fancy but oh-so-grounded Shadow Fox, and that tripped-out Gun Sniper. No sign of the Liger Zero, but Raid recognized the Zoids that seemed to have it in for him. They'd been getting in his way for two days now. Getting in the way of his plans, shooting at his ride, challenging his status as the best flier on Zi; damn fools didn't know who they were dealing with. Well, high time he showed them.

He'd fled during that four-on-one surprise attack, and he'd pulled back to cover the bombing units after trashing the Liger Zero. Now there wasn't any reason to leave. He'd show them just how weak they really were.

X X X X X X X X

"Are you sure it's here?" Brad sounded doubtful, which made Jamie sound nervous.

"Yeah… at least, I think so. The reading's really faint, but it's not moving. My Pteras is definitely close." Too bad there weren't any structures to confirm that. Jamie's search had actually led them back to the edge of the Judge Tumult, several miles up from where he'd stranded the Hover Cargo. Leo could tell the location grated at everyone, especially Jamie. Personal histories aside, Leo couldn't understand how a base for an air strike force could be stationed out here. An underground base would be grossly ineffective, and the Judge Tumult was impossible to fly through. Perhaps Jamie's Pteras lay dying in the Tumult, just like Yuki's Redler. Leo felt a stab of newfound anger just thinking about the murdered Zoid. People, Zoids; Backdraft ruined everyone's life! They ruined the lives of the other trainees and almost did the same to him. They murdered a city full of people just to prove how tough they were. Except that they'd struck at random and unprepared: a coward's assault. They were all cowards!

"Leo?" Leena's face came up on the right side of the cockpit. "You all right? You're gripping the controls so tight your Command Wolf's starting to shudder."

Leo forced himself to relax. "I'm fine."

"Yeah, right. You didn't even bother to correct me about your Zoid's name… We're all upset. Don't worry, we'll get some payback." That made Leo smile a little, even though he knew revenge wouldn't undo the harm.

Brad turned Shadow around. "Let's turn back. Maybe we can pick up a different lead."

Jamie started to protest, but Leena was also turning away. Jamie could only muster an "I'm sorry" before banking his Raynos around.

But then Ballistic halted abruptly and Leo heard Leena gasp. "What's wrong?"

"I… I don't know. I just got this feeling… I can't describe it."

Leo frowned and for some reason the Valley of the Rarehertz was suddenly fresh in his mind. "Try."

"It's like… it's like that feeling you get when you think someone's sneaking up behind you; except that it's so strong that I'm positive something's there. And it's not really a person… more like that feeling I get when I'm in a clothing store and I just know there's this super-great outfit I want to buy except my Dad's really cheap about everything except his toys so I-"

"Leena! Stay on topic!" How in the hell did shopping play into this?

Leena sighed. "You asked me to try to explain what I was feeling. I can't help it if it reminds me of something from my normal life."

"'Normal' isn't a word I'd use to describe you, Leena." Brad's grin was audible.

Leo managed to sidestep Leena's outburst. "Okay, so something, not a person, but something is out there. Question is: where is it?"

"And why is it in the same area as my Pteras?" Jamie was a bit more confident now.

Before anyone could answer, part of the Judge Tumult vanished. One moment, the team stood at the very edge of the sand storm. Only a second later the distance had increased by at least two football fields, without the Zoids having moved an inch. Before them stood a large steel dome, chipped and scratched by the harsh sands. Several large metal columns bordered the base, each one equipped with a blinking red light. Leo had heard of such devices, though on a much smaller scale. They were used to set up magnetic fields that could redirect shots from enemy Zoids, often sending them right back at the aggressor. But to be able to redirect a sand storm…

"How on Zi did they manage that?"

"Well," Jamie was already theorizing, "I suppose the field could simply redirect the sand particles within the storm to the sides, just as it would a cannon shell. Or maybe the field has a matching magnetic field to that of the storm, so the similar fields repulse each other. Either way, that base must have a huge power supply to keep that up for so long. It's not perfect since the base is pretty worn, but the field must have at least deflected the worst of the storm."

"Incoming!" Brad shouted and the team scattered on instinct. Twin explosions enveloped the sand, leaving smoking craters that were too great a reminder of Desert Flower City. The monster Pteras Zoid hovered above the domed base and swooped down with a piercing scream, accented by the pulsing of its wing turrets. Brad retaliated first with a round of fire from his laser Vulcan cannon. Jamie also swooped his Raynos around and strafed the enemy with his belly-mounted cannons. Neither shots landed a hit. Leo and Leena added their fire to the fray, but the enemy was amazingly nimble and Leena's aim was off more than before.

"Leena, what's wrong?"

"I-I can't focus. That feeling I mentioned, it's just so strong!" Even now Ballistic was leaning towards the base, as if it sensed Leena's desire to go into the enemy camp. It was a stupid, reckless, and pointless task. If the Backdraft had cleared out, then there was probably nothing of value to be had there. If they hadn't left, Leena would be outnumbered and very vulnerable. It also meant leaving the team weakened to battle a much stronger opponent.

Even so, Leo was more curious about Leena's instincts than the focus of their attention. Something inside Leena was affecting her, triggered by another unknown within the base. This was important, maybe more important that dealing with the foe in front of them. He couldn't let Leena go in there alone, so the answer was obvious, if not perfect. "Brad, can you handle things out here for a while?"

"You're not seriously going inside that base?"

"'fraid so. Can you take that thing with just two Zoids?"

Brad grinned. "I don't know abut finishing it off, but we can definitely hold out for a while. Just hurry back, understand?"

"Got it. Leena, let's go." Fang and Ballistic charged at the base. Closer inspection revealed a set of ramps that led into hangars just below ground level. All of them were shut and auto-fire turrets guarded the bays on either side. No one at Backdraft had counted on a trigger-happy customs fanatic like Leena, however. She was especially dangerous now that there was something she wanted. Anything between her and the object of her desires was as good as slag. The smoke hadn't even cleared before Leena charged into the very, very large hold that now took up the space of several hangar doors. Leo held back a little, not wanting to get caught in "friendly-fire." He'd have to come up with a new term for Leena's form of attack. It wasn't friendly-fire. More like "get the hell out of the way" fire. GHOW-fire perhaps? Being on this team meant redefining reality a little, Leo realized. No time to really think more on terminology, but later on he'd have a good laugh about all the ideas he had for naming Leena's style.

The hangars were empty. No Zoids, no tools, not even mops and buckets for cleaning up oil-spills. Anyone who had occupied this base was long gone. It made sense since the ZBC was already conducting investigations in the area. Though Leo doubted anyone would ever think to check the Judge Tumult. Leena was already docking Ballistic against a maintenance frame. Leo did the same and disembarked Fang right away. He followed Leena down a hallway to a stair junction. Hard to believe that anything was below the hangars since they were already subterranean. The power supply for those magnetic field generators perhaps? Leo grabbed Leena's shoulder. "Hang on."

Leena brushed his hand away. "What we're looking for is down here. I can feel it."

Leo held her arm this time. "Can you feel traps too?"

"No. You saying you can?"

"Of course not, but think for a minute. Anything powerful enough to keep in this base but too big to move has to be well-guarded. The Backdraft wouldn't want that thing to be used by the ZBC or someone else. Let's get to the control room first and see what's out there. Then we can worry about finding this thing that's driving you crazy." Leena reluctantly acknowledged Leo's words and followed him up the stairs. Bases were a lot like cities on Zi. People stuck with the familiar and didn't stray too far from the mold. The Backdraft threw in a couple of twists and turns, but even they surrendered to habit by putting the control room at the very center of the base. Not only was it the most practical location, it was also the most tactically secure. Leo wondered why they didn't encounter any traps along the way. He was suddenly very uneasy about all this.

Many doors, including the control room, were locked. Leo knew a few things about hacking security. It wasn't hard to force the electronic locks open. What troubled him was the lack of secondary traps. The more sophisticated traps—the ones that should have been in a Backdraft base—were designed to trigger when someone successfully hacked through a door security, just like Leo. The only thing the locked doors accomplished was to slow them down. The moment he stepped into the control room, he understood the delay. A countdown ticked away on every screen. There was something hypnotically terrifying about the numbers, spiraling downward by the millisecond. Anyone who'd seen an action movie knew that wasn't a good sign. Leo grabbed the nearest control panel and tried to abort the countdown. He couldn't get in without a passcode, naturally. "Don't suppose our friend outside has a code he'd like to give us."

"Just make sure the routes down to the bottom are safe so we can check this out and get out of here!"

"You still want to go down there?"

"I have to go down there." That was debatable in Leo's mind, but who knew how strong that feeling was within Leena. They had less than an hour until the main power supply imploded, causing the entire base to sink underground. There were no security traps besides more locked doors en route to the main power generator. Fortunately, the Backdraft hadn't bothered to secure the commands to unlock them. Probably in too great a rush to evacuate after setting the countdown. Leo and Leena rushed back down to outrun the clock down to the lower levels.

X X X X X X X X

Wimps. That was the only word to describe these ground-pounders that were trying to knock Raid out of his sky. As if they could. The Salamander weaved and darted between their shots; they might as well have tried to swat a gnat with a sledgehammer. It was a little ironic, seeing as how the Salamander was almost twice as large as their Zoids, but that just a testament to Raid's skills. He could make even the largest, most cumbersome flyer dance on the wind. Soon, everyone would acknowledge his skill out of respect or fear. He didn't care which.

That Shadow Fox was pretty nimble, he had to admit, but it couldn't keep this up forever. Any time it tried to hide within its smokescreen, Raid just used a missile blast to flush it out. That Raynos was more of an issue. Not because it was a genuine threat, but it had the nerve to try to take Raid on in the air. Punishing that pilot was priority one. Raid swooped around and managed to scorch the Raynos' tail with a breath of fire. The Raynos retaliated with its already-smoking tail blasters. It was almost laughable, weaving between those shots. Maybe Raid would take a nap before finishing the wanna-be off.

Now that Raynos was diving at him again, firing from the belly. Must be frustrating to have all the weapons fixed either forward or back. Salamander could fire to the sides if needed from its wing turrets, and one of its cannons had twice the punch of the Raynos' pea-shooters. He met the Raynos' charge in a game of chicken, determined not to flinch first. Their bodies became bullets as they zoomed ever closer. Raid could feel the sweat on his forehead and the thrill in his heart. This was what he lived for. This was the greatest pleasure. He'd crush this loser right after he proved who was the more daring flyer.

Funny, the Raynos should have moved off by now. It was still coming at him. Closer now. Closer. Dangerously close. What the hell was this pilot thinking! Raid rolled the Salamander and pushed the stick just a hair down. The Raynos pilot inverted his ride as well and passed overhead, barely avoiding mixing paint on their hulls. In that one split-second, Raid could see clearly into the Raynos' cockpit. He's just a kid, was Raid's only thought as he saw the spiky, gray-haired boy. There was a wild, frightening look in his eyes, as if he didn't really care about crashing. All this kid wanted was the rush, a rush that was bigger than even Raid could imagine. Damn insane kid.

Suddenly, his flight stick jerked violently, sending the Salamander into a spiral. "What the-" His main screen flashed to life, displaying that same crazy kid. He looked less wild in the image and his hair seemed less stylized. He was shinning what looked like a Zoid's cockpit window. "I love you, Pteras, you're the greatest Zoid ever!" Pteras? There was another sound from the Salamander's core, and the stick resisted him as he tried to pull out of his spin. Another image appeared on screen, this time the boy was wailing next to a broken Pteras wing. "My Pteras is ruined!" What was going on? There was no way the old Pteras memories could still exist. The Zoid techs said they'd wiped it clean before altering the core. This wasn't happening. There was no way his own ride would deny him!

Raid pulled back on the throttle but the Zoid kept diving, and now the Shadow Fox and Raynos were peppering him with fire. Something blew on the Salamander's back, causing the missile launchers to explode as well. Now totally out of control, the Salamander gave one final screech as it slammed into the ground.

X X X X X X X X

The Wild Eagle persona never appeared on the ground, so Jamie was less confident about approaching the strange Zoid on his own. Brad had gone in to the base to see what was taking Leo and Leena so long. But Jamie had to know if this it was true. He had to look at this monster Zoid for himself.

It wasn't much of a monster any more. Its wings were bent and broken in several spots, its left leg had broken off in the crash, and judging by the amount of armor littering the desert it was a good bet that explosion had caused a fatal wound to the Zoid core. The poor thing didn't have long to live. Jamie felt sorry for this strange Zoid, whether or not it came from his Pteras. Jamie had never met a Zoid that was evil for evil's sake. It was always the pilot that made a Zoid work good or evil acts. Whoever piloted this Zoid shot down Yuki, hurt Bit, and covered the bombing of Desert Flower City. The person was evil, not the Zoid.

He was also gone. The window cover had been shattered in the crash, but there was no blood within the cockpit and a fresh pair of tracks led away from the wreckage. Whoever had piloted this Zoid had fled. Jamie contacted Brad and advised him that the enemy pilot might be heading into the base. That was all he could do before answering his question.

Jamie had felt at home in his Pteras' cockpit. The seat fit him perfectly, molded to his body. The controls were easily within his reach and he knew what to press or pull without even looking. His reflexes weren't as fast as Bit's, but Jamie had thought that he'd one day reach Bit or Brad's level with enough practice. He was still aiming for that with the Raynos, though the cockpit still felt a little foreign to him. The Raynos was bigger, and the control layout slightly different. The Wild Eagle was at home in the Raynos, but the Pteras was for Jamie.

"I love you, Pteras… I love you, Pteras… I love you, Pteras…" Jamie's own voice came from inside the creature's head. Jamie climbed into the cockpit, mindful of any broken glass or exposed wiring. A static-covered screen showed a memory he shared with his favorite Zoid. It looped over and over, perhaps the fondest memory of this abused Zoid.

Jamie sat in momentary shock. He didn't want to believe it. How could the Backdraft have done this to his Zoid? Was it just more of the Blitz Team's bad luck? There was no way the Backdraft could have known this was his old Zoid. It was just as unfair as the destruction of Desert Flower City. A lot of unfair things happened in life. People suffered for no apparent reason, or a tragedy befell someone who didn't deserve it. Sometimes there was no one to blame; things just came together in a bad way. Jamie hated the Backdraft for all they had done this day, but at the same time he knew they weren't personally targeting him. He, his Pteras, and all the people in this city were victims in a much larger conflict. Jamie hoped the conflict would end soon with the Backdraft's fall.

He leaned forward and wrapped his arms around the monitor. "It's okay. I finally found you again, but now you need to sleep. The Backdraft can't hurt you anymore and we'll never have to fight again. Rest."

The monitor dimmed with "love you" hanging in the air. The body that held Pteras' memories and core began to fade into a pale gray. Silence overtook the cockpit and Jamie felt as though he were the only being on Planet Zi. Tears welled up in his eyes, but he didn't allow them to flow. His Pteras had always flown high, but had eventually needed to return to the ground. Now even gravity couldn't touch him. His Pteras was truly free. "Goodbye, Pteras. I'll always love you."

X X X X X X X X

"This actually makes sense when you think about it." But even still, Leo couldn't believe what he saw. At the bottom-most level of the base, farther down than Leo would have thought possible, a lot of questions found their answer, and even more questions arose. Before Leo and Leena lay a small lake, glowing from within. Metal pipes and consoles surrounded the shores, pumping energy in and out of the lake. Overhead, a metal arm carried a load of raw materials that had yet to be dumped in. The violet water was already murky with raw material.

"What is it?" asked Leena, who seemed both fascinated and terrified of the water.

"You don't know? This is a Zoid birthing pool." When Leena didn't show any recognition, Leo said, "It's where they give birth to Zoids. The Backdraft must have found it and modified it into the power core of this base."

Leena frowned and wandered over to a large set of cylinders that seemed to be draining energy from the birthing pool. "Why do that?"

"Creating a Zoid requires incredibly energy. So much that there's no way a human being or Zoidian could just cobble a Zoid together from spare parts or anything like that. Zoid Cores are born, not manufactured. The Zoidians created these birthing pools and made sure they could generate enough energy to produce a Zoid. It's the next-best thing to Zoid Eve. It wouldn't be hard to harness the energy of the pool and use it to power a base. This explains how they used the magnetic field to affect the Judge Tumult. This is probably where they mutated Jamie's Pteras and created those flying Zoids." Leo stepped closer and peered into the murky waters. It was a dark purple farther down, sinking even deeper into black. It seemed to stretch on into eternity. Leo had once read that a pool such as this had birthed the Deathsaurer's cloned body. Did the Backdraft have similar goals?

"LEO!" Leena cried and was running towards him. Not sure what was troubling her, Leo turned around at the sound of a loud click. He had just enough time to see a stranger in a flight suit holding something in his outstretched hand. Then there was a loud boom and something hot stung him in the chest. Leo toppled backwards over the rim of the pool and managed to see a few spots of red coming from his chest before the world was enveloped in a dark violet haze that grew dimmer with each fading breath.

X X X X X X X X

Author's Note: Can you tell I really like cliffhangers? Next chapter will be out ASAP. Thank you for reading and please remember to review.