(Disclaimer: I do not own the Zoids franchise. Copyright goes to Tomy for making this fantastic series. All I own are this story, its characters and some concept Zoids that might appear.)

Zoids: Lost Eden

Chapter 2: The Blue-Eyed Liger

"War? What do you mean?" Alyx asked the intruder, a legitimate look of concern plastered on her face. All this time, she knew it would spread even to cities like theirs. She just didn't expect it to occur this soon.

"Exactly that." The intruder stood up, having finished wrapping up her bloodied and wounded leg. "The fighting between the Neo-Zenebas and the Republic won't be stopping anytime soon. In fact, it's only bound to get worse as time passes. This city—" The girl looked out the window, taking in the sight of all the houses and the people living in it. "From the looks of it, you haven't seen any major battles on this soil."

"Kalanes likes to maintain its neutrality, even if it meant acting as doormats whenever soldiers wander around here." Alyx answered with a sigh. The girl simply shrugged as she headed for the door. Before she could open it, Alyx blocked her path.

"If you value the peaceful life you lead in this city, you will let me go!" The girl's tone was devoid of any hint of anger but her eyes were defiant in an almost authoritative way. Nevertheless, Alyx refused to budge from her position.

"Yeah, I understand all right?" Alyx snapped back. "You said you could stop it from spreading to this city. How exactly?" Alyx asked partly out of concern than curiosity. For a while, the girl hesitated to reply. However, once she realized that Alyx wasn't intending on moving out of the way before she got her answer, she was left with no choice.

"Right now, an exchange is ongoing." The girl started, staring down at her feet as she speaks. "Captain Gregory Ash, the leader of this force composed of remnants from the Guylos Empire had received orders to retrieve a powerful Zoid Core excavated from this city. In exchange, the local government at Kalanes would receive Zoids and armaments. Why the Kalanes government needs these resources, I don't know." The girl finished, leaving Alyx more confused than enlightened.

"I still don't get it…" Alyx wondered, growing more and more intrigued with her mysterious visitor. "Wait—how do you plan on stopping the exchange?"

For a moment, the girl found herself unable to speak. Alyx had raised a rather important point. She had a couple of ideas but, even she felt that they were inadequate. It was still worth a shot though.

"I thought about getting to the mayor first and convincing him otherwise but, seeing as that's impossible now, I may have to sabotage their plans and blow up the convoy!"

"And how do you plan on doing that? You obviously don't have any weapons on you. And from your looks, I doubt you're a Zoid pilot either." Alyx countered back.

"I don't care! Anything's better than sitting around doing nothing!" The girl flared up, the passion rising in her voice. "Seven years ago, we made the terrible mistake of not acting when we could. Now that it's about to happen again—I just don't want another tragedy from occurring again! That's why-!"

"Hmmm…" Alyx sank into her thoughts. "From the sounds of it, what she wants to do seems really important for her…But why?" Somehow Alyx felt a sense of admiration for the girl and her strong will. "Well, attacking head-on is out of the question. And sabotage isn't going to work when we can't get to the convoy—hell, we don't even have any explosives here!"

"If you can get me inside the mayor's office, I may be able to do something else." The girl suggested. "Of course, I can provide you with compensation…assuming we live through the night, of course."

"Okay!" Alyx leapt up with enthusiasm. "I just need to get you inside right? Leave it to me!" Glancing out the window, Alyx scanned the place to make sure no one suspicious or military was wondering about. Seeing that the coast was clear, she motioned for the girl to follow her, locking her house's doors as they made their way around the alleyways.

"We'll have to take a longer route. It's going to be a rather tiring walk but, at least there won't be any guards waiting." She informed the girl who simply nodded.

"I don't mind. I'll take any route if I can."

"We'll have to take some unpaved passes near the orphanage. I hope you brought good walking shoes~"

It was an uphill walk so the two trudged on rather slowly in order to conserve their stamina and to avoid suspicion though the girl traveled with her hood on. Apart from the small exchange back at Alyx's house, neither of them had spoken to each other in the last few minutes. They entered an alley just as a passing jeep drove down the direction from where they came.

"Where are you leading me?" The girl spoke up first, wondering about the course Alyx had led her to.

"Back when we were young, we always snuck around the mayor's office to steal some snacks and see some Zoids." Alyx recalled a fond memory. She turned to a girl, a half-smile formed on her face. "You can't really blame us you know? After all, we were just orphans who didn't know any better. Plus, the food at the orphanage was horrible."

"You're—an orphan?"

"Yeah but—" Alyx paused a little as she climbed up a steep arrangement of rocks upon reaching another fork in the road. Upon reaching the top, she helped the girl up by holding her hand and guiding her across the steps. From there, they continued. "It's not like I witnessed my parents die or anything. I actually haven't met them at all. The sisters at the orphanage used to tell me that they just found me at their doorstep one day. The other kids had it worse."

At this time, the sun had started changing color, dyeing the ground in a brilliant orange hue. Alyx and her visitor stopped to rest for a little, using large slabs of stone as makeshift chairs. They were now on one of the city's natural barriers, located near the marketplace. Below, they can see the tops of various structures and establishments.

"There!" Alyx pointed to a peculiar looking bungalow near the vicinity of the mayor's mansion. "That's the orphanage where I grew up."

"Sounds tough…" The girl murmured as she sat next to Alyx, taking in the breathtaking sight of Kalanes City as seen from a bird's eye view.

"It was at first. Then Gantz, the old man by the marketplace found me. He was the one who trained me to be a scavenger, gave me some work and shelter. You can only stay at the orphanage until you're eighteen. Then you move out. " Alyx fondly recalled. "I moved out when I was fourteen. I've been living as a scavenger since then."

"That explains the Zoid parts in your house."

"Yeah." Alyx felt a little embarrassed, letting the girl see how cluttered her house was. To take her mind off of it, she pointed down a narrow pass that leads to a small cluster of trees right behind the orphanage. "See that tiny pathway there? The one obscured by those trees? You can climb a small rock formation to get to the ledge over there. Then you just have to slide down until you get to the wire fence that surrounds the mayor's mansion. It looks intimidating but, there is a loose patch that you can easily fit into to get in and out without arousing suspicion."

"And that's how we can get in—I see." The girl leaned a little closer, trying to memorize the details that Alyx told her. "Hey?"

"What?"

"What's your name, scavenger?" The girl asked Alyx with a smile.

"I'm Alyx. Alyx Ledesma." Alyx extended a hand to the girl. "And you're-?"

The girl paused for a while, striking Alyx as a little odd. "My name's…Naruse." The girl answered but somehow, her reply seemed forced. Like she was hiding something.

"Yeeaahh…Pleasure to meet you Naruse!" Nevertheless, Alyx's mind did not change. With her mission being so important, it is understandable that she would be taking precautions of her own. And if Alyx can help her realize it, then she would.

The town guard stationed at Kalanes yawned for the nth time. Keeping watch of a neutral city is a boring task. Other than the occasional bandits or local offenders, they never really get much action. Perhaps it was the main reason why they haven't been allocated any new Zoids. Best they had in their arsenal was an urban-combat Command Wolf and even that Zoid's starting to show its age.

"I doubt any bandit will try their luck now. Not with the Imperial army in town." The guard muttered to himself before taking out a flask of liquor from his coat pocket. Drinking on the job was prohibited but so what? It's not like the firm's got anybody to replace him if he's fired. Hell, no one was even looking out for him.

Creak…

A sound suddenly surprised him, spitting a mouthful of sweet-smelling liquor on the pavement. Immediately, he hid the flask back in its hiding spot and spun around, expecting to see another guard with a look on the face that says "I got you now!" But he didn't. There was no one behind him. Just in case, he took out the binoculars and radar, making a quick sweep of the area. There by the other side of the fence was a loose wind vane. It was making a characteristic creak as the wind blew by. Relieved, he didn't bother with the radar anymore, going back to his drink.

In his half-asleep state and drunken haze, the guard failed to see the shadow of a small Zoid leap silently over the protective barrier of the city, nimbly moving around the jagged rocks with ease, thanks to its light frame. The Zoid was a Saberlion, a lightweight Republican Zoid designed for quick in and out operations. It was painted in a light shade of brown, possibly to better utilize the arid environment it was traversing.

The Saberlion encircled the rocks, finding a sweet spot to camp out as it observed the Imperial troops from a safe distance thanks to the strength of its sensors. From within the cockpit, the pilot adjusted the sights gently, taking quick snapshots of the city's layout. A soft vibration echoed throughout the cockpit, informing him of an incoming transmission. Taking off his attention from the city, he switched the panel to receiver mode. A woman with dark brown hair appeared on the screen.

"Alexander to Saber 2, do you read me?" The woman on the Zoid's screen asked.

"This is Saber 2. I have found our target." The pilot responded back, glancing back at the direction of the Kalanes marketplace. "Target seems to have holed up inside the remains of an old hangar. I've yet to ascertain their true objectives. I'm sending the images I've taken now."

"Hmm…" The woman thought for a moment as she reviewed the image files. "Well? What do you think Lieutenant? Would it be wise to launch an attack now? While they are recovering their strength?"

"Negative." The pilot objected. "The place is too dense. We will never be able to fight efficiently here. Plus, collateral damage would be overwhelming once our forces exchange fire, what with the firepower our enemy is packing."

"But if we wait too long, we may never get the chance to stop them which will only further the Viscount's ambition. In any case…" The woman turned back to the files she received, catching wind of two important details she found interesting. "The main gate seems like the only way in and out, at least if you're traveling using Zoids."

"True."

"All right, how does this sound? We find a way to flush out the enemy; force them out of the city. In the meantime, we will deploy our forces around the perimeter outside the main gate. When they head out, we'll attack them."

"Sounds reasonable but, how do we ensure that no civilians will be harmed?"

"On the map you sent to us, there is a building labeled "Disaster Control and Detection Office". My guess is that it facilitates the warning and evacuation alarms should anything of that sort break out in this city. We just have to trigger it so the residents will run to the shelters." The woman presented the plan to the pilot. "The timing would have to be precise. The alarms should sound off within minutes of alerting the Imperial army. That way, everyone could get to safety before the fighting breaks out outside."

"All right. How do we flush the Imperial Army out?" The pilot raises a single but vital point regarding the operation.

"Actually…I thought I'll leave that for you and your Zoid to figure out, Lieutenant Itsuki." The woman replied with a sly smile. "Of course, I will take the liberty of preparing your last will and testament in the meantime, should you be unable to return. Maybe I'll even throw in a promotion."

"Figures. Heh, you always like leaving the hard stuff to me don't you Captain?" The pilot laughed, sensing the humor in his superior's voice.

"Thought you could use the exercise." The woman laughed before returning to her earlier formal air. "Our forces will land in 0200 hours. Prepare yourself until then."

"Roger." With that said, the woman disconnected from the line, leaving Itsuki and his Zoid alone. With the limited time, he has to find a way to proceed with the plans all by himself. Taking one last survey from the convenient vantage point, he prepared to go down the city, avoiding detection if possible. A pair of figures making their way towards the back of the mayor's home caught his eye though.

"Hmm…? What are those girls doing over there?"

"In the end, we weren't able to find our intruder… Man! This is so annoying!" Vishna complains loudly as she took her seat on the bench. They made a complete sweep of the surrounding areas yet the intruder was nowhere to be found. Seral had gone out to do an inventory to see if there was anything important stolen so it was just her and Sakura in the room. Sakura, on the other hand, had taken to knitting a small doll, meticulously twisting threads together to form a certain shape. Vishna couldn't help but notice.

"What's done is done Vishna." Sakura started, not looking up from what she was doing. "It's not like anything will change if you whine about it now."

"Sorry, whining about things is kind of like my hobby. I mean, it's not like I know how to do anything else outside of piloting a Zoid…Which reminds me—" Vishna walked over to Sakura and took the piece she was working on. "Why would you try to learn something like this?"

"It's so I'll have something else to live off on—" Sakura replied, taking back the item. "—when this war ends anyway…"

"Do you really believe it will?"

"I hope so."

"Vishna! Sakura!" Seral suddenly burst into the room, calling for the two girls. "Good news or bad news?"

"I could use some good news first—if only to stop Vishna's whining." Sakura replied.

"Okay. Good news is that nothing appears to be stolen. Everything's still intact."

"And the bad?"

"Bad news is our day off is completely grounded. We've been ordered to stand by in our Zoids. They're about to commence the transfer now while we are still in the hangar. We can't overlook the possibility of a Republican guerilla strike though."

"I don't see how that's too bad." Vishna stretched her arms. "I prefer killing time inside the Sabre Tiger anyway. Well, I'm off!" She waved to her two friends before heading out.

"Finally some peace and quiet…Should I roll out the Geno Saurer?" Sakura asked. "It might unnerve the residents to see it prowling around town.

"Sakura…" Seral stroked Sakura's hair. Of course she would be worried. It was her old home after all. "Okay, you can take the rear. I'll switch your place with Vishna. She'll…probably complain about it later on."

"Thanks."

"By the way—" Seral wondered. "Don't you want to stop by the orphanage? Just say hello for old time's sake?"

Sakura looked a lot gloomier upon this suggestion. "Maybe next time…My old friends are probably gone anyway. Plus, I told them that I don't want anything to do with this war. It wouldn't be right to visit them now."

"Sakura…"

"Well, here we are! Though there seem to be more guards now than when I last visited this place." Alyx whispered quietly, taking care not to get caught. She and Naruse had gone down the ledge and passed through the fence, right into the mayor's property. Right now, they were crouched behind some barrels as some guards were making their rounds.

"I can see the convoy from here—damn! The core is already loaded inside!" Naruse cursed herself. She did not anticipate the Captain to hurry. "But if they can't get that core inside the body, it won't be of any use…"

"Hmmm? Did you say something Naruse?" Alyx asked, having heard Naruse's mumbling.

"Nothing. There's still one more thing I need to do." Naruse turned to face Alyx. "Thanks for the help. I'll take over things from here on. You go back."

"Are you crazy? Walking in there without any form of protection? You may not have noticed but there's a Sabre Tiger guarding the place!" Alx protested.

"Well then, what are we going to do?! If we just stand around, it will be too late to stop anything!"

"Wait, let me think…" Alyx looked around the place. Some of the Zoids they use for maintenance were docked on one side. "They were probably used to help move this core Naruse was talking about…"

"Okay! I got it!" Alyx turned back to Naruse. "How about I cause a ruckus while you slip inside?"

"You can do that?"

"Yeah, just leave it to me!" Alyx replied with much enthusiasm before running off, probably to cause that distraction she was talking about.

"Take care Alyx…" Naruse took one last glance at the convoy. The guards weren't paying much attention to the surroundings. It was her chance to slip in.

"I'm sorry friend…Though you haven't been with me long; I appreciate what you've done for us so far. May the winds bear you to better places…" Itsuki utters a short prayer under his breath as he waits for the right moment to press the detonator he held in his hands. He was now at the Disaster Building, waiting for the right time to trigger the alarm. On the other hand, the one he was praying for, his Saberlion, was hidden among the Kalanes maintenance team's Zoids. He was able to convince the management to repair his Zoid on the condition that they'll repair it outside the marketplace in order to avoid a ruckus. Hidden within the Zoid was a module that will trigger its self-destruct sequence.

"A tiny explosion like this will normally go unnoticed…However, the density of the place along with the presence of other Zoids should multiply the effects, forcing the Imperial army to take notice. I just need to trigger the alarm in order to vacate the premises in order to safely trigger the device. That way, the only casualty is my own Zoid…"

Even still, Itsuki felt some regret over this decision. It wasn't an honorable thing to do, especially for a Zoid pilot. Abandoning his Zoid is the biggest shame he could face. Not that it was anything new anyway. An incoming encrypted call came over from his radio.

"Alexander to Saber 2, we have deployed our forces. All we await now is your signal."

"This is Saber 2. Triggering the sequence in three minutes." Itsuki replied, walking over to the control panel. "Well, here goes nothing…"

Before he could begin the countdown though, an alarm went off in the marketplace near the mayor's house. Using his binoculars, he zoomed in on what appears to be a civilian-use Godos rampaging through the hangars. It carried a mining pile driver which it was using to hit various structures.

"Alexander, this is Saber 2, standby for a change in timing. Something unexpected has happened."

"Copy that."

"Somebody help me stop this thing!" Alyx yelled from inside the cockpit of the Godos she was riding; the same Godos that was reported to have gone haywire. Only…it wasn't going berserk on its own. Alyx was deliberately piloting it so that it looked mad and out of control.

"Alyx! Can you try overriding the commands from your end?" The team from the ground called out, taking cover behind some barrels, obviously buying into Alyx's whole setup.

"Sorry! This Zoid's gone completely off the deep end! It's not responding to my commands at all!" Alyx replied while her fingers brought up the weapons panel and selected the beam guns. "Uh, guys? I think this Godos is going to shoot at something."

"Take cover!" The ground team ran out as the Godos turned to face the trailer where the core Naruse mentioned was loaded. Before it could fire any of its shots though, the Sabre Tiger leapt up and got in the way of the shot, even if Alyx didn't intend to hit it in the first place. As if it sensed her intentions, the Sabre Tiger charged and knocked the Godos over, disabling it without causing harm to the pilot inside. For safe measure, it placed one of its paws down on the Godos' frame, pinning it down and preventing it from moving.

"Godos pilot, do you read? Get out of that Zoid now!" The Tiger's pilot called out through the medium of her Zoid's radio. From the voice, Alyx could tell the pilot was a girl. Probably around her age as well.

"Whew! That was close. Hey, thanks! I owe you one for this! Let me just get out of this seatbelt—" Alyx feigned gratitude as she unbuckled herself. As a last measure, she cut off some of the wires inside the Godos' cockpit before getting out.

"I've done all I can Naruse. The rest is up to you…"

Outside the Zoid, Alyx saw the Sabre Tiger's cockpit open and a silver haired girl jumped down. She had fierce features that reminded Alyx of a small tigress of sorts, with her hair tucked in a high ponytail. They have the same hair color, though Alyx's was noticeably a lighter shade that almost looked white. For a moment, she wondered if this girl was a missing blood relative of hers.

"Hey! What the hell were you thinking running amok like that?!" The girl confronted Alyx who just shrugged.

"I don't know, ask him!" Alyx answered back while pointing at the Godos. "I just got into the cockpit and was about to take this baby home for a while when—BOOM! It suddenly went wild! You sure it's not a problem on your end? Maybe you were testing your Dark Spiner's Jamming Blade and—well, you know."

"Impossible. The Dark Spiner's in the hangar, taking a nap." The girl replied, stroking her hair as she surveyed the surrounding area. Alyx had caused quite a ruckus alright, what with all the upturned mobiles and consoles plus a few barrels rolling over.

"Vishna! What's going on there?!" A voice called from the girl's radio.

"Technical problem on one of the maintenance Godos." She replied. "The situation's been sorted out. Resume your patrol duty."

"Roger that."

A few kilometers away from the marketplace, a pair of Red Horns was on patrol duty near the gates; the narrow roads making it difficult for the big Zoids to maneuver, limiting their use and capability.

"Seral! The Red Horns are not suited for this kind of terrain. I'm heading outside the gate and resuming my patrol there, where this Zoid may actually be of any use."

"Roger. By the way, what was that ruckus back at the base?" Seral asked, maneuvering her Zoid to turn the other way.

"Oh, nothing. A maintenance Godos just went haywire. Vishna's got it under control though. No problem."

"Alright. I'm heading back to base though. I've been out for the last seven hours already!" Seral laughed as she bade her ally goodbye.

"Sure thing." The other Red Horn pilot waved back before terminating communications as he headed out. From there, the sprawling desert greeted him with an eerie emptiness that could only be described as disturbing. His sensors in full power, the Red Horn proceeded to walk around the area, taking care not to trigger any possible mines or Sleepers along the way. From within the sand dunes though, the wary eyes of other Zoids watched.

"Saber 2, there is a Red Horn outside the city. Is it time?" One of the watchers asked over the radio.

"Negative! Do not engage yet! But continue to monitor its movements. There is another one making rounds in the city. Wait until it has returned to base."

"Roger." The pilot sighed as he continued to observe the Red Horn.

Meanwhile the Red Horn pilot continued with his rounds. Nothing out of the ordinary so far. There were some odd tracks on the sand from Zoids, which seems similar in size to his, leftover from a previous excursion but—

"Hmm?" The pilot suddenly felt suspicious of the tracks. There were far too many to be from his Zoid alone. And there was no way it was from their convoy either. The eerie silence made it all the more suspicious. In order to finally get to the bottom of things, he brought up the thermal radar and what he saw in the monitor chilled his bones.

"H-Heat signatures?! From under the sand?" He immediately ran a check to see if any of the signatures matched any Zoids in their database. The resulting analysis only confirmed the worst. "Helic Zoids? Don't tell me they already had us surrounded?!"

Despite this, he continued to act like nothing was out of the ordinary. He was badly outnumbered and his comrades were too far away. Even his Red Horn won't stand a chance in this encounter. Should he try to call for aid? No, they might intercept communications. A sudden shift in the sand caused him to instinctively retaliate though, blowing his own feint.

"Damn it all!" The pilot cursed as he continued barraging the enemy Zoid in the sand, reducing it to a pile of smoking scrap metal resembling the shape of a Command Wolf. Multiple gunshots fired from different directions around the Red Horn, some even managing to damage the Zoid's armor. Left with no other choice, he decided to run ahead, get himself further away from the city if he can.

"Captain, bad news! Helic has already got us surrounded!" The pilot furiously called over his radio, relaying the message to his allies. As he looked up from the panel, he was surprised by the appearance of a Shield Liger on his left flank. Before he could face it though, the Liger rammed his Red Horn with the full force of its E-shield.

"Gah!" The pilot coughed as he struggled to get his Zoid into balance. Taking aim at the Zoid that rammed him, he was about to fire his Linear Cannon when another Liger rammed him again, this time on the right flank. The two Zoids continued pummeling the Red Horn with their hit-and-run tactics, wearing it down until electrical sparks flew from the Imperial Zoid's joints.

"B-Bastards…" Inside the cockpit, the pilot gritted his teeth which had now been stained with blood. In a final act of desperation, he drove the Red Horn straight on into the path of one of the Shield Ligers: A MK-II model equipped with heavy beam cannons, determined to bring it down with him. "For the glory of Guylos!" He shouted out, charging at the enemy Zoid with its Crasher Horn.

The Liger wasn't having it though. Taking aim with the cannons, it fired first at the Red Horn's legs, bringing it down to the ground before finally delivering the killing blow with a shot to the cockpit.

From atop the building, Itsuki observed the events as they happened. Realizing that their original plan is now ruined, he pressed the evacuation alarm and threw away the detonator. He needed to get to the Saberlion fast.

"What?!" Captain Ash was enraged upon hearing the last words of the Red Horn he sent on patrol. "We've already been located by the Republican Army. Is there any way we can get out of here aside from the main gate?" He asked the mayor, who was busy decoding an encrypted file on his computer.

"Behind my house is a wall of rocks which used to be a large hole that compromised our natural barriers. You can escape through that route which leads to a narrow mountain path, if you can blast through the rocks." The mayor replied, wiping the sweat off his forehead.

"No problem, we've got Zoids that are up to the task." Captain Ash turns to the computer. "Is it going to take longer?"

"A few more minutes unfortunately. The protection on this file is too complex even for our computer systems."

"Damn that Daemon! He surely knows how to lead us on!" The Captain cursed a certain man.

"Incoming message Captain." A rather gruff looking soldier called his attention. The display revealed Sakura Nagisa in the cockpit of her Geno Saurer.

"I heard what happened." She started. "Should I head out there and buy us some time?"

"Yes, that would be excellent." Captain Ash agrees with the idea. "But remember to engage them only in melee. We don't want any unnecessary casualties from this encounter."

"Understood sir." With that Sakura signed off, leaving the others to their own devices.

"It's done." The mayor called the Captain's attention.

"Really?" Captain Ash walked over to see what was on the screen. It appears to be the blueprints of a large Zoid and what seems to be map data on where to find it. "Copy everything to our database. We need to get out of here and—huh?"

Suddenly, the vent cover on the ceiling popped off and Naruse jumped down, wearing clothes which they recognized as the intruder's. Her hood was down though, allowing the Captain to see her face, which he recognized.

"Y-you're-?!

Without much as a reply, the girl turned and saw the data in the computer. Taking an office chair in both hands, she brought it down on the device with all her strength, smashing it into pieces, much to the mayor's shock.

"You fool! Do you not understand your position?! Now that you've interfered with the Viscount's plans-!" Captain Ash yelled as he drew out his gun.

"I'm here precisely because I understand my position!" Naruse shouted defiantly, catching the attention of everyone in the room. "The Viscount's plan only serves to drive this war into even more chaos! I am not about to let another tragedy happen agai-!"

"The Viscount's plan is the only salvation left for those who were abandoned and dishonored like us! Your interference will only make the situation worse for the other remnants forced to serve under Neo-Zenebas!" Captain Ash argued back.

"Then might I ask if any of you know the full extent of his plan?" Upon this question, the entire room fell silent. Naruse noticed the gun the Captain had drawn.

"Calm down young lady…" The mayor stepped in. "We may not understand everything now but, everything will come in due time. This is the path your family chose to take as well-!"

"I am not acting on behalf of my family!" Naruse angrily declared before leaping up and jumping down through the window, covering her face with her arms to protect against the glass shards. Managing to land safely on the soft garden below, she ran on, hoping to somehow escape with her life.

"What a disaster-!" The Captain gritted his teeth in anger. "We're getting out of here! Tell Sakura to hold on for a little while longer! Gerard, you and I will blast through that wall!" Captain Ash orders the other soldier before turning to the mayor. "Thank you for everything sir…I am truly sorry for the damage we've caused to your city."

"Don't mind it." The mayor replied. "It was all bound to come crashing down on us sooner or later. Shame I wasn't able to offer you some of our finest offerings though."

Captain Ash chuckled. "Maybe next time sir—if I'm still alive when the war ends."

In the meantime, the Helic forces have started to infiltrate the city. They had spread out in order to cover more ground. Most of the residents seem to have evacuated though there were still some stragglers who were running around frantically, trying to get to the nearest shelter. Some of them even thought the alarm was just another drill yet immediately changed their minds upon seeing the abundance of Shield Ligers and Command Wolves in town.

On top of a sturdy and tall warehouse, the blue Geno Saurer watched. An area ripe with structures and narrow passes. She would have difficulty maneuvering here. Directly below her, a Shield Liger and a Command Wolf stood in place, their path blocked by some students who were protesting against the military presence.

"We don't want to be involved in your meaningless war! Get out of the city!" cried one of the protesters.

"You've already involved yourselves when you took in the Imperial Army!" The Shield Liger's pilot retorted back. "Stand aside and let us do our job!"

"Oh, so it's our fault now?! In that case-!" Enraged, Sakura leapt down, the Geno Saurer landing on the Shield Liger's back, crippling it with its Hyper Strike Claws. Before the pilot knew what hit him, the Geno Saurer's arm swung forward, impaling the cockpit with its Killer Claws. Victorious, Sakura turned on the Command Wolf that stood behind the now dead Liger.

"Aaaahhh!" Terrified screams rang out as the protesters all broke off running upon the sight of the Guylos Zoid. With the commotion gone, both sides can now fight without worrying about civilians getting in the way. The Command Wolf leapt up at the larger Zoid, attempting to bite it with its fangs. Sakura swiftly moved out of the way and retaliated by knocking the Zoid onto the building with its thick tail.

"How many left?" Sakura muttered under her breath as she brought up her radar on screen. There were around six more Ligers and five more Wolves. Fortunately, the enemy seemed just as concerned with civilian casualties as they were, resorting to fighting with their claws and teeth instead.

"Eleven more… I just need to hold out long enough!"

"Republican Forces have infiltrated the city?! Damn it!" Vishna cursed as she heard the news. Turning to the other troops, she commanded them to secure their Zoids and rendezvous at the point shown in their map data, as per Captain Ash's orders. She was just about to tell the Godos pilot to evacuate but when she turned around, the girl had already disappeared, running off into the direction of the hangars.

"Wait-!" Vishna was about to apprehend her when an explosion caught their attention. The entire situation was utter chaos. Left with no choice, Vishna rushed back to her Sabre Tiger, forgetting all about Alyx.

Smoke and fire spewed forth from the remains of one Shield Liger felled by the Geno Saurer's hand. Sakura cursed the Liger pilot for his actions. His attempt to take the Geno Saurer down with him in a vainglorious suicide attack failed and only succeeded in causing more damage than necessary. She didn't even want to look at the ground anymore. The Liger detonated near an evacuation center which still had people coming in. Apart from the debris of Zoid parts and structures, she could make out distinct humanoid shapes underneath the rubble.

A Command Wolf suddenly appeared on the alley to her left. Upon seeing the Geno Saurer, the Wolf popped smoke from its dischargers, obscuring the entire street in black and suffocating smoke.

"Can't you all tell that this is an evacuation area?! What's wrong with you people?!" Sakura screamed in anger as she maneuvered her Zoid away from the scene at full speed. She needs to take the battle out of the city. And fast. Before she could reach the gates though, a pair of Shield Ligers intercepted her, emerging from the wreck of a supermarket. The Geno Saurer managed to avoid one of them but the other was able to land a lucky hit as the Liger bit down on one of the Geno Saurer's claws.

"Unhand me at once!" Sakura cursed as the monitor display showed her left claw losing power. Left with no choice, she took aim at the Liger with her Laser Guns and shot directly at the canopy, killing both Zoid and pilot. As the Liger dropped dead on the ground, two more Command Wolves arrived to back the other Liger. Sakura's path was clear though and she headed out the city gates, followed by the three Zoids.

"How did…things turn out like this?" Alyx wondered as she saw the smoke rising from various parts of town. She had headed inside the hangars, hoping to find at least one Zoid she can use to get out of the crossfire. The evacuation alarm had rung but, what if it didn't go off in time? How many dead people are littered on the streets? How many will be faces she'll recognize?

"So this is what Naruse meant? Why?" Alyx slammed her fist into the wall as she waited for the hangar doors to open enough to allow her to slip inside. What greeted her when it opened was Naruse, her arms bleeding from multiple small wounds.

"Alyx Ledesma?" Naruse asked, a little surprised.

"Naruse? Are you alright?! What happened?!" Alyx rushed over to Naruse's side, taking her arm in her hands.

"I'm fine… I just fell out of a window. Anyway, we need to get out of here now!"

"I know. But, the whole city's in chaos thanks to the fighting. All evacuation shelters must be locked by now." Alyx replied, her tone getting a lot more somber than her usual enthusiastic air, which Naruse sensed.

"I'm sorry... I wish there was anything else I could've done-!"

"No, I highly doubt we both could've done anything…" Alyx replied, turning once more to the city. "If only this war would stop because of the actions of a few…Anyway, we need to get out of here. We aren't going anywhere without a Zoid though, unless we want to die in the crossfire."

"No luck in this hangar…" Naruse informed Alyx. "Most of the Godos were already taken by the crew."

"What about him?" Alyx pointed to the Zoid on the far left side, the blue-eyed Liger Zero.

"Can you pilot a Liger?" Naruse asked Alyx who just shrugged. Holding Naruse's hand tightly, she pulled her along as she ran, passing the empty work stations and platforms where Zoids once docked until they arrived and stood in front of the gray Liger. Using an elevator, the two climbed up until they reached the Zoid's cockpit. Opening it revealed that the gear was not yet set and the pilot registration wasn't accomplished yet.

"This must be one of the Zoids Captain Ash intended to give away to the Kalanes local government…" Naruse muttered as she inspected the controls while Alyx filled out the necessary details and registrations in order for them to use the Zoid. As she entered the last piece of information needed, the Zoid let out a soft growl. It was now activated.

"Quick! Get inside!" Alyx called out to Naruse who immediately climbed inside just as the hatch closed. It was a little cramped inside for the two girls as the Zero wasn't exactly intended to house two people. Nevertheless, they had to compromise. Alyx was in the actual control seat while Naruse was just sitting on the console beside them, her legs dangling on Alyx's lap.

"So, have you piloted a Liger before?" Naruse asks a question. A rather vital question for their survival.

"Ummm…" Alyx tries to recall her piloting experience as she watched the lights flicker and activate, indicating that the Zoid was finally awake. "I did. Once. It was a Shield Liger."

"And?"

"I went full speed for around five minutes. Then I puked. Then I passed out." Alyx replied sheepishly, making Naruse feel a little worried. "That was two years ago though."

"And that's supposed to reassure me? How do you expect to handle a Liger Zero when you can't even control a Shield Liger?!" Naruse scolds Alyx over her apparent recklessness.

"Relax! I've been brushing up on a lot of things since then." Having acquainted herself with some of the basic controls, Alyx set to work. Gently, she guided the Zero, moving it out of the confinement of the platforms until it now stood facing the hangar doors.

"Alright! I think I can do this. Now how do I make it run out of here?" Alyx wondered as she fumbled with the module on her right, all the while under Naruse's watchful eye. "Hmm…this might do the trick."

"Alyx no-!" Before Naruse could protest and inform her of what the button does, the Liger Zero gave out a loud roar and deployed its downforce stabilizers. Before the two girls could brace themselves, the ion boosters activated, propelling the Zoid forward, smashing the hangar door and running off into the chaotic city ahead.

Writer's Note: Chapter 2 is now uploaded~ What awaits our odd duo as they make their way in the world using the Liger Zero? Who will become friends? Who will become enemies? What secret lies behind Naruse's mask? Stay on in order to find out!

To expand more on Kalanes City, it is basically a merchant city with high rock formations that serves as protective walls of sorts. Behind the city is a valley that leads to a hidden yet difficult pathway. It used to be a base that had seen a lot of action before the cataclysm. Nowadays, fights barely break out within its vicinity and troops from both armies just use it as a means of repair and resupply. It is a dangerous stance but, one that had allowed the city to avoid being engulfed in open war for the last few years. Until this chapter.

The primary livelihood within the city is mining, scavenging and occupations that involves Zoids. Agriculture doesn't flourish much here which means they mostly rely on merchant connections and trade in order to get over their food shortage. Parts and precious minerals are abundant in the region, due to its proximity to some mountain ranges.

For those who are wondering, this entire story is set in the Central Continent of Delpoi. Well, that's all for now. See you in the next chapter!