DR: For all you fans wanting something really nasty to happen to the Backdraft, it starts now...
Shadow: Oh good... (evil grin)
DR: I have to admit that I have slight concerns about this battle. I'm not so sure if I mantained my standard here... Also I didn't realise that removing that one chapter would mess things up so much for you all. Sorry.
Chapter 25: Blitzkrieg!
Sarah could only look helplessly out of the canyon mouth. She and Janet had been bundled into a jeep and then together with a pair of Gustav's each hauling two zoid trailers fitted with restraint systems had been driven to the very end of the canyon. The Gustav's had moved on ahead, stopping at the point where the Blitz Team was supposed to met them and hand over the zoids. Altiel, sitting in the front passenger seat, had gleefully told her the planed exchange.
During such, she had realised that he had finally lost all sanity. His laughter had been that of a totally deranged maniac.
Holding Janet close, Sarah had refrained from replying to Altiel's words, instead focusing on the moaning of the winds as they ran out of the canyon network, the faint crackle of static over the radio link to the 'exchange' team, the setting sun tinting the rocks red as the shadows grew. The hard seat in the back of the jeep was uncomfortable, but better that the metal flooring she had been forced to sit on before.
The radio crackled sharply, just before a voice came over. "Sir, we have sighted the Blitz Teams transport, heading this way. No other contacts."
Altiel grinned as he brought the speaker to his lips. "Excellent. Prepare to receive the zoids." He turned to Sarah. "Looks like your team-mates decided to do the smart thing and give in." An evil grin creased his face.
Sarah didn't reply verbally, but instead gave him one of her old icy glares before shifting in her seat. Inside however, she was sobbing in grief.
Altiel turned away from her, still grinning, to look at the Hover Cargo where it was pulling to a stop. Already the forward cargo hatch and the catapult were opening up. At this distance, all he was able to see was a white blur leap out of the catapult, shortly followed by a shadowy grey one. His grin widened as his finger inched towards the remote he held…
Suddenly a violent explosion erupted from the rocky spire that rose besides the Hover Cargo. Even as Altiel's eyes widened in horror, the air behind the Hover Cargo shimmered, to reveal a Cargo Hammerhead hovering there with its bay doors wide open. Rapidly a black and a red shape dropped down, followed closely by others. More shapes came out of the Hover Cargo, and Altiel's jaw fell even as Sarah smiled in joy.
The Blitz Team were here not to hand over their zoids, but to fight! He scrabbled for the radio.
"Bring the defences online! Get our pilots to the zoids!" He screamed into the radio as something leapt behind the Gustav's and began to race towards him. "Get everything we have out now!"
A powerful howling filled the air, just as the radio suddenly screamed into static. Sarah's smiled widened as she recognised the war cry of the Shadow Fox.
"You hear that?" she whispered to Janet, who now lay awake in her arms. "Your daddy's coming to get us."
x x x x x x
Bit's face was unusually stoic as the Liger Zero charged into the canyon along side the other zoids. He was fed up with the Backdraft ruining everyone's lives, and he intended to ensure that this shadowy organisation was finished!
Just to his left he could see Leena's Iguanosaur pounding forward, her lasers stabbing out to both sides while the main guns tore swathes through the defences. To his right was Derek in his Genosaurer, fully repaired in time for this fight. Further out was Leon and his Blade Liger. The other side of Leena was Vega, Cassie and Anna. Behind them were Jane, Jacob, Naomi and Miranda. Further back was the Hover Cargo flanked by Stoller and Michael, their slower zoids moping up anything that the others missed.
Out ahead of the combined teams was Brad, his Shadow Fox almost hidden in the shadows cast by the canyon walls. Invisible to radar and hard to see in the dark, he was able to rove ahead of the others and use his newly added ECM to mess with the defenders targeting and radios, while providing targeting data for the rest of the team.
The plan had been for the Blitz and Raiders to smash through the defences, while ZBC troops followed them and took all the Backdraft members into custody. Jamie and Pierce were currently flying above the canyon, above the wind shear and the range of the fixed guns. They were waiting for any attempt by the Backdraft to escape. Christian had said he would be there to help too, once he got back from alerting the ZBC.
Still, even with the element of surprise and the tactics the teams were using, it was still hard going. There were dozens of fixed emplacements, all well dug in. The Liger ducked to avoid a brace of laser bolts as its own missiles ripped apart the turret that fired them. He saw Leena rocked by a burst of cannon fire, the Iguanosaur stumbling.
"Oh yeah?" She snarled as her zoid spun round, the head lowering. "Take THIS!" Her hybrid cannon spoke, and ahuge fireball tore apart the turret that had dared to strike her.
"Head's up people, their pilots are out!" Brad's voice came across the comm as he darted back to the group, linked beam cannon blasts following him.
Naomi's eyes narrowed at that sight, and she acted on impulse. Her zoid leapt to the top of a large outcrop of rock before spinning around. The Snipe Masters claws dug deep into the rock as the tail rifle primed. Swinging her sights over the bend ahead, she saw a Molga rumble around the corner, cannons stabbing away.
With a smirk, Naomi pulled the trigger. The rifle spoke, and the bullet punched right through the small caterpillar zoid. The Molga was knocked across the canyon floor by the impact and ending up on its side.
Leon raced around the corner, coming face to face with a dozen Rev Raptors. Unleashing a roar of anger, he charged right into their midst, laser blades slicing deep into any zoid that got too close. As the Backdraft pilots reeled from his sudden assault, the Fury smashed into them, his jaws ripping into them.
A Hellcat tried to attack Leena from behind, only for Jane's Zaber Fang to pounce on him. The smaller cat zoid was no match for the Zaber, and was quickly dispatched.
"Let's keep moving!" Bit called, the Liger Zero bowling two Raptors out of the way as he pushed forward. Bullets slammed down around them, forcing Bit to pull up. Looking towards the source, he saw a row of five Gunsnipers standing on a ridge, all aiming their tail rifles towards him. Just before they fired though, a curtain of shells tore apart both the zoids and the rock ledge, sending them tumbling. Bit grinned as he heard Leena's zoid bellow.
As Miranda put down a Molga, she looked up to see a jeep hugging the cliff face. What drew her attention however was the dark blue hair that streamed from one of the passengers. She quickly hit her comm system. "That jeep by the east wall, it has Mrs Toros in it!"
Hearing her words, Leon and Brad broke off and tore after the jeep. Leon was not about to let them take his wife away! Brad figured that wherever Sarah was, Janet was too. Behind them the rest of the team tore into the Backdraft zoids with ease, before they too pushed forward, covering the two men.
xx x x x x
Altiel was in a full a panic now as he only had to look over his shoulder to see the Blitz Teams zoids and their allies tear through his bases defences. The jeep had only barely been able to stay ahead of them, and now both the red Blade Liger and the Fox were bearing down on him! "Slater! Albane! Where the hell are you two!"
"We're moving out now." Albane's icy cold tones cut through the air. "And we have our 'special' units." Sarah perked up at those words. What did they mean by 'Special'?
"What's taking you so long!" Altiel screeched as he watched the Shadow Fox pounce just where they had been. He swore that he could see hate in the zoids eyes!
"Keep your shirt on A. We're on our way."
On the other end of the line, Albane looked across at Slater, an evil glint in both men's eyes.
"Sounds like our fearless leader is losing it."
"He had already lost it Slater."
"True. Still we'd best get out there. I want some payback!"
x x x x x x
In the skies above the canyon, Jamie had been watching the battle below when Pierce had called him up. "Heads up, we've got incoming."
Jamie looked at his displays. A swarm of Zabats were rising to meet them both. Smirking he rolled his shoulders before looking into Pierces eyes. She too had that same predatory gleam in her eyes.
"Well, shall we dance my love?" He asked.
"Oh yes…" Pierce purred before her Storm Sworder rolled over and dived right down the middle of the oncoming force. Three Zabats began to plummet, smoking billowing from the deep gashes in their sides carved by her laser blades.
As the remainder turned to follow her, Jamie cut loose with his lasers, the bright emerald beams punching deeply into the Zabats thin armour. Several seemed to stutter, before they fell from the skies trailing smoke.
Pierce swung back up into the swarm, her knowledge of Zabats allowing her to know their move's before they even made them. Her lasers sliced into one after another and each time it was a kill.
x x x x x x
Down in the canyon, the Blitz and Raiders continued to tear through the defences. Explosions went off in an almost constant wall ahead of them, as each turret was taken out. The AI's manning the turrets struggled to keep up with the chaotic moves of the teams zoids, and most only got off one or two shots before they were destroyed.
The few zoids that had been mobilised didn't fair much better. Out-classed and out-manoeuvred, their pilots panicked and could barely shoot straight. The two teams went through them like a hot knife through butter.
To Altiel, watching from just ahead of the teams, it was his worst nightmare come true. To him, the flames from the burning turrets turned all the zoids into the demons of hell, spiting fire and unleashing terrible war cry's. He saw the destruction of everything he had dreamed of, and he got a glimpse into the hell he was surely bound for.
For Sarah however, things were totally different. She saw the way in which her team moved, the graceful ballet of skilled pilots paired with incredible zoids. Tears of joy ran down her cheeks as she watched the team take down the last remains of the Backdraft, that hate filled organisation that had consumed so many years of her life and had brought untold grief and pain.
The jeeps driver was in a full blown panic, his eyes fixed ahead while a warm wet patch spread from his pants. 'Oh why did I sign up with this lot?' His thoughts raced as he tried to stay ahead of the blood red Liger that snapped at the jeeps rear fender. 'Momma told me it was a bad idea, but I didn't listen…'
Suddenly a long shadowy grey thing slammed down ahead of them, and the driver had to slam on the brakes to stop. As the dust settled, the thing resolved into the Fury's tail, laid out flat on the ground. Altiel's eyes travelled along the zoid until he reached the head, where two blood red eyes stared back. A growl from above made him look up, straight into the Shadow Fox's eyes. They seemed filled with fire and hate!
With trepidation, he looked back. Leon's Blade Liger stood behind them, the head lowered till the two huge front canines almost reached the jeep. Through the canopy, Altiel could see Leon's face over the controls. Had looks been lasers, he would have been incinerated on the spot, so deadly was the glare Leon was sending him.
As the sounds of battle died away, Altiel found his tongue once more. "Driver…" he said, not taking his gaze away from Leon's. "Get us around…"
"No can do sir…" The driver responded, his teeth chattering in fear. Altiel turned to see what was wrong.
He wished he hadn't.
Leena had laid her zoid down so that the end of the tail rested just in front of the Fury's feet. Arranged behind the Iguanosaur's neck were the other zoids, all except Naomi's Snipe Master. That stood in front of Leena, the canopy open. And the look on Naomi's face as she stood up in her seat was truly frightening, so much so that Altiel lost control of his bladder.
The hiss of an opening cockpit broke the quiet that had fallen, just before Leon's voice cut through the air.
"Let them go. Now."
The guards that sat either side of Sarah leapt out, dropping their weapons as they ran. The driver of the jeep stepped out slowly, before offering his hand to Sarah. Grateful, she took as she climbed out the jeep, still holding the small bundle that was Janet Hunter.
"For what it's worth, I'm sorry about this. All of it." He told her. Sarah's eyes widened slightly as she looked at him, before she took a step towards Leon's zoid.
"NO!" Altiel yelled, finally breaking free of the paralysis that had gripped him. He grabbed a pistol from his belt as he stood, spinning round towards Sarah. "I refuse to…"
The snap of a zoids jaws shutting cut him off. Altiel suddenly found himself lifted off his feet and hanging by his collar. The gun fell away as he flailed about, fear running rampant in his eyes. "HELP! PUT ME DOWN!" He screamed in total panic.
Laughter filled the air as the two teams took in the sight of Altiel swinging from the jaws of Miranda's Rev Raptor. She had snuck in behind him while his attention was fixed on Naomi, and when he pulled his gun, she had acted. "Nice work there, Schubaltz." Cassandra told her.
Leon quickly climbed out of his zoid to embrace Sarah. The two of them held each other close, relishing the feel of each other in their arms. "Oh Sarah! When I learned what happened, I…"
"It's okay, I'm here."
Meanwhile Naomi held onto her daughter, having jumped down herself. She gazed down lovingly into her daughter's face, who was as cheerful as ever. A broad smile lit up both their faces as Naomi turned away from everyone. She talked to Janet, speaking sweat nothings as she renewed their bond.
"Oh, how sweet." The cold, cruel voice boomed across the gathered zoids, startling everyone. "Doesn't it just make your heart weep?" The voice carried on sarcastically.
"You have a heart Albane?" A second voice, familiar to all, answered the first.
Heads turned towards where the voices had come from. What they saw chilled the blood. Two zoids stood side by side in the centre of the canyon, radiating threat and menace. The one to the left was recognisable to everyone, despite the changes to the forehead weaponry. The Genosaurer roared out a challenge, tiny lightning bolts travelling up and down the four blades of the ELF on its forehead.
The other zoid was completely new. In size and overall shape it was very similar to the Genosaurer, but there the resemblance ended. The head was thinner and narrower, with a definite 'S' curve to the upper half. The forearm claws were blunter and stubbier, while over each shoulder there were squat cannons. The dominating feature however was the huge sail that rose up on the zoids back. As the teams watched they could see the segments that made up the sail tilt back and forth slightly, creating a wave effect. The armour was a dark, brooding green, while the eyes burned a blood red. Everything else was pitch black.
But what was worse were the things that flanked the zoids. Gunmetal grey boxy constructs, burning red eyes in the centre of a square pane, and almost dozen weapons bolted onto the outside of the machine. It took Bit a moment to recall the designation of these things. Headhunters, an older model Cybrid, just like the one that had been carrying the nuclear warhead in that suicidal attack on the Blitz's home.
Cassie stared at the Cybrids, fear pulsing through her veins. As part of her position in the training base, she had learned about the various types of Cybrid. Unbidden, the information came to mind. 'Headhunters. Slow but very well armoured. Two missile bays and eight weapon hard points. In open combat we could have run rings round them. But in this canyon, there's nowhere to run to! We're going to have to slug it out.'
Miranda found her eyes drawn to the Cybrids, her jaw hanging. Until now she had not understood why everyone in the two teams feared the Cybrids. But now, face to face with these heavy hitters, staring down those multiple weapons and knowing that they were not fake but loaded with real rounds, realisation struck home.
Naomi held Janet close as she ran back to her zoid. She knew that her zoid was the least suited to fighting such heavy foes, and right now she was mainly concerned about her child. Leon picked his wife up to help her into the Blade Liger before climbing while the two Backdraft pilots continued to taunt the Blitz. "It's been a long time Blitz Team, but now I will teach you some manners!" Slater snarled, the Genosaurers head lowering as the vents in the tail opened up.
"Indeed. Time to die…" The sail on the other zoid pitched up on the leading end and the zoid it's self leaned forward until the whole assembly pointed at the two teams. The segments began to wave more violently and over a wider arc. The glowing shell that formed above the arc of the tips of the sail matched the expanding sphere of energy in the Genosaurers mouth…
Shadow: Oh, oh, the stuffings really hit the fan now...
DR: Oh yea.
Zeke: More Cybrids? This is not good!
DR: Correct. Next time it's all out war... till then!