DR: Sorry people for the late chapter, but things have been hectic around here the last couple of weeks. Most notable (and significant) development is my getting a new cpu, far better than my old one. But of course now I have to transfer all my data across... (groans)
Carter: Truly a task devised by the devil.
DR: You can say that again. Anyway, as compenstation for the delay, I'm posting two chapters now, you lucky devils...
Shadow: Come on, less talk, more fighting!
DR: Oh, before I forget. I'm no doctor, and I spent most of my biology classes at GCSE watching the fish tank (and more to the point, the young and very attractive woman who sat next to it...) So I'm not sure just what a woman in Naomi's... condition, canand can't do. Just bear with me on this...
Chapter 4: Pre-Battle Words & Taunts
Jamie stood there waiting for a few seconds, before he finally decided he had had enough. "Will you please settle down?" He asked the rest of the team firmly.
Everyone else looked at him in awe, since it was rare for the softly spoken and quiet Jamie to raise his voice. Pierce however had a smile of pride on her lips. She knew better than the others the changes that had been going within his head, and how the two halves of Jamie's personality were slowly becoming one.
Now that everyone was quiet, Jamie allowed his voice to return to its normal quite tones. "Thank you. Maybe now I can inform you about the battle we've going to." Christian had brought the wayward members back around noon the previous day, and the team had spent the evening prepping the Hover Cargo for travel. That night had been spent in the transport as it rumbled across the plains to the battle they had later that day. The entire team was gathered in the main cabin, Jamie standing before them all, the main monitor at his back. Even the liger kitten was with them, curled up half on Pierce's lap.
"Our battle today is going to be tough, as we're been drawn against the Helic Team."
"Helic as in the Helic Republic?" Brad asked.
"The same. The team is the Republic's official representation in the ZBC. Its members and zoids are all drawn from the Republic's military forces, so they are all highly skilled, their zoids are tuned to the max, and most importantly, they know how to work together."
"So, who are we sending out there?" Naomi asked from her spot under Brad's arm, a note of concern in her voice.
Jamie grimaced. "All of us."
That certainly got the team's attention. "Their team is that big?" Bit asked, his eye wide in anticipation.
"Bigger. They can field fifteen pilots, including their commanding officer, a Major O'Connell." On the screen behind Jamie the image of a man dressed in the standard Republican uniform appeared. His dark green hair had streaks of grey, and his features were those of an experienced warrior. "He's been in command of the team for almost thirteen years now, all of them in Class S."
"Forty-seven, and he's still in charge?" Stroller's eyebrow rose as he digested that fact displayed on the screen. "He must be good if he can still keep up with his younger pilots."
Jamie nodded. "From what I've gathered, O'Connell rarely fights directly anymore, in fact the word is he's looking for his replacement. When he does take to the field though, it's normally in his personally customised Command Gordos." An image of the squat, solid zoid appeared before the team. Twin light cannons were attached each side of the snout, and an array of communication gear was clustered at the end of the tail, just behind the four sharp looking spikes. Extra armour had been added over the upper leg joints, the only real weak area of the Gordos design, and an array of guns rested on the body itself.
"Make no mistake he is still considered one of the best warriors around, with an uncanny ability to get the right pilot, in the right zoid, to the right place at the right time. Generally he hangs back and provides tactical support for his team."
"So in essence he acts like the person in the backseat of the Raider's Blade Liger?" The Raiders, although small in size by Class S standards, had made their Blade Ligers backseat into a micro command centre. While the others fought, the person sitting there provides tactical oversight. It was the main reason that they had remained a competitive team.
"Correct, but the Majors been playing the game for much longer than either Derek or his son."
"Okay, what about the others?" Brad asked, his face neutral.
Jamie was surprised at how involved the normally 'we'll-make-it-up-as-we-go' team was getting into the briefing. It made Jamie feel just that bit better about having dug out all this data. "Well, like several other teams, the Helic Team has more zoids than pilots. At the last count they had eighteen zoids, all fully loaded. I'd expected their line up to look something like this."
He tapped a control before him, and the holo-projector lit up and displayed a panoramic view of the battlefield. The Blitz teams zoids were lined up on the edge boarding the pilots, while the expected Helic teams zoids were on Jamie's side.
"Whoa, two Gojulas zoids?" Bit asked, his eyes widening. The others all sat up a bit more at Bit's remark. Sure enough, the Helic team had a pair of the towering saurian zoids, both fully kitted out with heavy cannons. They bracketed the Gordos, while a trio of Shield Ligers stood before them. A pair of Command Wolfs stood on each flank, while a Storm Sworder hovered above the Gordos, a Pteras on each wing. Out on the very edges of the field, a Gunsniper stood, each with the cross-member of the 'Wild Weasel' unit that Leena had added to her own Gunsniper. These ones lacked the vertical struts, and so only had the outboard lasers added. Jamie gave the rest of the team a minute to take in all the details.
"Yes Bit, the Helic team has two Gojulas. The bulk of their zoids are mainly Command Wolfs, Shield Ligers and Pteras units, with a couple of Dibisons and Cannon Tortoises for fire support. However I expect them to deploy the Gunsnipers thinking that the high-powered sniper rifles would be more effective that shear artillery." Jamie noted that Pierce had feral grin of anticipation on her lips as she looked at the Storm Sworder on the other team.
"So what's the plan then?" Vega asked, his quiet voice steady but with a hint of excitement underneath.
"Well, of all of us only Bit, Leena and you are capable of taking down a Gojulas alone, maybe Naomi and Stroller too. The Wolfs should not be too much of a problem, but the Ligers will be. I suggest that Brad and Leon hunt the Gunsnipers, myself and Pierce deal with their flyers and Naomi finds a good spot to snipe from. Bit and Vega can charge in and mess with their tactics, while Leena and Stroller can provide fire support." The others in the team expected him to continue, but Jamie remained silent. After several seconds Leena looked at him in confusion.
"That's it? No detailed plans for us to remember?"
Jamie shrugged. "I know none of you'll follow what I suggest anyway, so I might as well not bother giving you detailed plans. I'm trying to be flexible."
"Well good for you Jamie." Leon stood up to pat the younger man on the shoulders. "Now, shall we get ready?"
As everyone began to make the way down to the hanger, Jamie spotted Naomi looking uneasy. He wished that he did not have to put her out there, but the odds were stacked against them on this one. They would need every member of the team today.
x x x x x x
Leena slid her zoid gear into the slot on the Iguanosaur, and watched again in amazement as the zoids systems came up. Grinning happily, she made sure her restraints were fastened firmly before taking a grip of the controls. "Ready for your first taste of Class S battles?"
#Ready and waiting Leena# the powerful Iguanosaur roared back, the sounds reverberating around in the forward bay of the Hover Cargo. Due to the size of her zoid, Leena would not be launching out of the catapult like before. She now used the lower forward ramp, as she had done when she had used the Dibison. Beneath her fingers she could feel the huge zoid tense up and then relax. Faintly she could hear the powerful motors that aimed the main turret spool up, and all the other weapon systems status screens flashed green. Before her Strollers Elephander stood, ready and waiting.
"Mobilise Liger Zero Schneider!" Bit's excited voice came over the comm as behind her, the great compartments that stored the Ligers armour conversions rotated round. As the multitude of small robotic arms latched onto the basic armour, Leena kissed her fingertips before rubbing them across the photo of Bit that now was stuck in the corner of her display. 'God I love him…'
Between them both, Naomi sat within the Snipe Master, uncertainty coiled around her gut. She fully understood that she needed to go out today, but she still felt that she should not. Gently rubbing her belly, she tried to send soothing thoughts to her child. 'Just today, then I'll pull out tomorrow.' But still, she worried if she was not making a mistake…
Further up and back within the transport, Pierce and Jamie stood together for a second before climbing into their respective zoids. "Jamie?" Pierce asked, a note of trepidation in her voice.
"Something wrong Pierce?" Jamie asked in concern, looking up into her grey eyes.
"Nothing that won't affect my performance in this battle…" Pierce's voice trailed off, before she bit her lip as she looked into his wide grey eyes. "But afterwards…" At that moment the Hover Cargo shifted, their bodies swaying as the massive transport began to slow down.
"We'd better get in our zoids Pierce. We'll be launching within a minute." Jamie quickly began to scramble up into the Raynos cockpit, completely missing the pensive look that crossed Pierce's face. Sighing with disappointment, she tugged her flight helmet on as she stepped into the Storm Sworders jaw.
Steve and Sarah remained in the control cabin of the transport, the Liger kitten curled up on one of the empty seats. As the rest of the team reported in that they were a go, Sarah looked out across the plains of the battlefield. Sure enough, she could just see a line of white dots on a far dune… the Helic team.
Steve brought the Hover Cargo to a complete stop at the designated point. "Okay team, let's party!" He cried happily as he primed the catapult and opened the forward hold. He was so looking forwards to this battle; he could barely keep his mind on the task at hand.
First out of the catapult was Leon's deep red Blade Liger, the huge metal cat releasing a deep growl as it was launched forth. Sarah smiled happily as she watched Leon expertly land the zoid on the dunes. Despite the dark history of the Liger and her family, she was now at ease around the zoid. Also the man within it was worth any minor discomfort!
The Elephander was making its way out of the lower hold, the heavy footfalls sending minor tremors to the control room, as Brad was catapulted forth. The black and gold Shadow Fox landed almost delicately, using the momentum to spring clear of the landing zone. The angled panels when combined with the stark contrast in colouration made the Fox hard to make out.
Naomi's crimson Snipe Master was next, the smaller zoid being launched a bit further than the others. It was the smallest and lightest on the team after all. Sarah felt a pang of uncertainty at the thought of the heavily pregnant Naomi being out in the battle. True, as she specialised in sniping she would not have to undergo the stresses and loads that the others would, but still…
Stroller had got the Elephander clear now, opening the way for Leena to bring out the Iguanosaur. Steve was all goggle-eyed as he watched the majestic zoid stroll out casually, even though he had seen it before many times. The titanic zoid moved with such grace and ease that it was easy to forget just how big it was. Or just how powerful it was in a fight.
Bit sailed overhead, the orange Schneider armour burning with an inner heat and the multitude of laser blades gleaming. Meanwhile Vega had brought the Fury out from round the back of the Hover Cargo, and Sarah watched as her precious son eased the zoid forwards to stand between Bit and Stroller. Despite her newfound love with Leon, Vega would always have a special place in her heart.
As first Jamie then Pierce launched into the clear air, Sarah watched as the team sorted themselves out into some semblance of a formation. Bit and Vega stood centre stage, both their zoids staring out across the field. Leena was on Bit's left flank, with the Shadow Fox, looking almost miniscule when compared to her massive zoid, further out. Stroller mirrored her on Vega's right, with Leon taking up position even further out. Naomi had her lithe Snipe Master behind Leena, the huge Iguanosarur screening her from the other team. Steve pulled the Hover Cargo back as both their flyer swept in to come to a hover just above the team.
Bit grinned with glee as he looked over the other team. Just as Jamie had expected, the Command Gordos was hanging back behind a screen of Shield Ligers, bracketed by the towering Gojulas zoids. Overhead the Storm Sworder hovered, a Pteras on each wingtip. Both smaller flying zoids were outfitted with a 30mm Vulcan under each wing, the huge guns looking over sized on the small frames. The Ligers sensors also detected the Gunsnipers out on the flanks, not yet in cover but as close as they could be at the start.
The only difference to what Jamie had shown them was that there were only two Command Wolfs. In the place of the other two were a pair of Cannon Tortoises. Bit shook his head. If ever there were a zoid that was totally focused on its gun, it would be the Cannon Tortoise. It truly was the embodiment of the 'smallest body, biggest gun' idea. The zoid consisted of four short stubby legs, a cockpit barely larger than a Gunsnipers, and one massive cannon, which took up most of the internal volume of the zoid's rounded body. Slow and ungainly, the main advantages of the tortoise were the fact that it carried such a large gun, and its small profile. Being squat and low to the ground allowed it to hug every possible speck of cover, and meant that it was easily missed by an inattentive foe. And of course, the ability to carry a gun heavier than any other zoid in that class was not to be underestimated.
Normally Bit would not have been concerned about the tortoises, but his time in Class S had hammered into him the saying that looks could be deceiving. If the Helic Team had decided to field a pair of them against the Blitz over something else, then they had a damn good reason to.
The Gordos hailed the all. "Welcome back to the fight Blitz team." Major O'Connell's stern face appeared before them all. "Now that you've finished playing hero and making like rabbits, we can at last get on with the season."
Bit's eyes narrowed slightly even as he grinned wider. "Well hello to you too Major. I hope that you've got insurance on those nice zoids." Brads long drawled tones contained a lot of humour, but the rest of the Blitz picked up the hidden tones he had been sending out.
"Yea and I hope the restaurant you've picked out is a good one." Bit added. "Zoid battling gives me an appetite."
"Of course it is. I've been waiting for the chance to have a free meal there for a while now." O'Connell fired back, a mote of humour appearing in his eyes.
"So Pierce, long time no see." The new voice that came over the comm was sent from the Helic Storm Sworder according to the Ligers sensors. The man inside wore a dark blue jumpsuit, making an odd contrast to his dark red hair. He grinned broadly, flashing even, white teeth.
"Rico." Pierce's voice was filled with amusement, only just covering her shock at seeing him. "I see your still trying to be a Baron. Even got yourself a Storm Sworder. How much did you have to bribe to get it?"
"Pierce, you know this man?"
"Sure Jamie. He was in the same class as me when I tried for the Barons. He completely failed the course." On the screen, Rico's face flushed red. What Pierce hadn'tmentioned was just how well she knew him.
"You certainly have an impressive collection of zoids there!" One of the Cannon Tortoise pilots spoke up, and Bit was amazed at the view in the cockpit. The lad piloting the zoid was barely older than Jamie, and he appeared to be scribbling into a notebook rapidly, looking up every few seconds at his displays. "Three Ultimate X zoids in one team? Plus two one of a kind zoids and a set of ultra rare ones to boot!" Bit realised that this pilot must be a zoid fanatic, just like Steve Toros. "Wait till my little brother sees these images!"
"Mendez, your not saving your scanner's logs to the zoids memory banks, are you?" O'Connell asked the youth.
"No Sir!" Mendez answered back as his face flushed red. The answer had been too quick to ring true to anyone.
"Well, take a good long look while you can, young man." Leena called out, a wide smile on her face as she gestured not only to her zoid, but also towards herself. "You're not likely to ever get another chance to get such good look at such a beautiful thing." On their private comm line she winked at Bit, letting him know that she was teasing the young lad on the other team. Sure enough the young man was agape as Leena's image came up on screen. Bit could only grin in pride, as his wife was able to make herself look so enticing and desirable while seated within her zoid. Having had the chance to take a very close look at her, he knew just how desirable Leena was. And she had always known how to hold herself in the right way to fire the blood of any male around her. In the background of her transmission he could hear the Iguanosaur laughing gently.
#She sure is a handful Bit…# The Liger Zero growled.
"I know, and I wouldn't have it any other way."
"So you're the pilot of this so-called 'new super zoid', eh?" The man displayed was thin featured and had eyes like a rats, small and cunning. "That's a lot of zoid for one little girl to handle."
On the screen Leena's violet eyes narrowed to slits, and while her smile remained on her face, a slight shift in the corners turned it from pleasant and carefree to cold and focused. "Little girl?" she said in a dangerously quiet voice. Bit's grin widened as he thought about how much she had changed over the last month, and how the arrogant pilot in his Gojulas was going to get it. While her temper and anger were still there, Leena no longer released it in violent explosions randomly. The new 'focused' Leena was a whole lot more scary than the berserker of even just a month ago.
"Indeed. Something like that doesn't belong in a third rate team like yours. You expanded by recruiting criminals, hardly a sound judgement to me. Besides, that zoid looks too big to be handled effectively by any one person, let alone a small girl. Shouldn't you let one of the men pilot something like that, while you go back to playing with your dolls?"
"Slater, that's enough!" O'Connell snapped at his pilot, showing that he was not happy about the way the friendly pre-match banter had gone.
"It's all right Major, I can handle this." Leena's eyes blazed with fury, but she managed to keep that rage out of her voice. "Firstly, I don't need dolls. I've got a husband to play with." Chuckles drifted across the net after that statement. "Second, myself and this zoid are perfectly in tune with each other. I'd doubt she'd let anyone else pilot her unless I said so."
The officer's eyebrow rose. "Oh, so your another one of those who think zoids have a will of their own. Well, at least you'll not be much of a threat today. I reviewed your record Miss Toros…" A hiss came over the line at his lack of respect. "…And frankly I can't see how you even managed to qualify as a pilot in the first place, let along get into Class S. But I'll be happy to demonstrate how a real zoid warrior fights."
"Well, I'll be happy to show you just how wrong you are." Leena killed the comm to the Helic team with that remark.
"Man, what a jerk." Leon commented. Inside the Blade Liger He shook his head in disgust, while Steve sat there glaring across towards the left-hand Gojulas, from which the transmissions of 'Slater' had come from. How dare he insult his darling daughter! Even he, her father, knew not to call her 'Little Girl'.
"Guys, nobody touches his zoid. He's mine." Leena's voice was now filled with her anger, all the pleasant tones she had used while the other team was online gone. Bit could see in her eyes the cold fury she had before unleashed on the Cybrids. The Iguanosaur also growled, adding its own desire to teach that man a lesson in manners.
"Okay dear, he's all yours." Bit told her. "Just don't do anything stupid, Mrs Cloud."
Leena's eyes softened a little as she looked into his, and she smiled slightly. "Don't worry Bit, those days are long over."
At that point the Judge capsule landed at last, the impact point on a cliff boarding the western edge of the battleground. Quickly the Judge began the battle.
"Area Scanned, Battlefield set up! The Blitz Team Vs the Helic Team, battle mode 0892. Ready… FIGHT!"
DR: Now don't go away! It's battle time!
Shadow: Yesss...