(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 8: Delivering the Goods
Roughly five miles away from the base of Mount Cybele, the Retaliation Force stood, preparing their assault against the hidden Guylos base. In the sky, the Alexander soared, its Supercannons preparing to take aim at the misty mountain. Below it, five Buster Tortoises, as agreed upon with Black Hound, readied their Large Bore Beam Cannons. Pilots scrambled towards their Zoids inside, in preparation for their cue to launch.
"Lieutenant!" The Alexander's operator caught up to Itsuki, just as he was making his way towards his new Zoid. "Ms. Eleanor wants you to head over to the Helic Preservation Bureau after the mission."
"This is new. What does she want me to do there?" Itsuki asked, a little puzzled over the last minute revision to his plan.
"Well, I'm not too familiar with the details but, it seems like she wants to place some new recruits under your charge."
"Trainees? We hardly have the time to teach them you know?"
"Well…it's a direct order from Ms. Eleanor so—"
"Alright. I'll go over there after we've successfully occupied the base." Seeing that there was no way he can debate Eleanor over this decision, Itsuki agreed and their operator made her way back to the bridge. Naruse overheard the entire exchange and went on over to Itsuki's side.
"I think you'll make a fine teacher, Lieutenant." She complimented Itsuki's piloting skill. "I'm sure those new recruits won't give you any trouble."
"I hope. But, I suppose I can see another reason why I have to go there." Itsuki answered back as he sat down on the cockpit of his new Zoid, booting up the various control panels as the younger girl took the seat behind him.
"What do you mean?"
"Seeing that the Viscount now knows that you weren't piloting the Liger Zero, he may launch another attack on the Alexander. In that case, splitting up would be our best option."
"I see."
"All units, prepare to deploy at once! I repeat, all units, prepare to deploy at once!" The operator called over the intercom, informing them that their attack is about to commence.
"Let's go!" Itsuki motioned for Naruse to get in the cockpit of the Blade Liger, taking up the back seat while Itsuki piloted the Zoid from the front. "We'll charge inside the base once Black Hound and the aerial troops flush out their Zoids. From there, you do what you have to do."
"Understood!"
One by one, the Retaliation Force's Zoids activated, heading down the Alexander's ramp in formation. The Blade Liger leaped to the elevator, taking it up to the launch catapult. It was time to begin.
Three…
The Gunblusters descended, all pumped up to unleash hell on the enemy Zoids.
Two…
Pteras and Raynos took off from the rear hangar dedicated for aerial forces, soaring off into the misty skies ahead.
One…
The Blade Liger bent down, electricity from the catapult surging to its legs as it waited for its signal to deploy.
Zero…
"Fire!" Upon Eleanor's command, the Alexander and the Buster Tortoises opened fire, raining bullet upon bullet on the massive fortification ahead, causing rumblings as loud as thunder. With a great roar, the Blade Liger launched, its massive legs propelling it into the forests ahead as the ground troops made their way towards the foot of the mountain.
Inside the base, the Guylos forces were in disarray. Only half of the available pilots were prepared to head out in their Zoids while the rest scrambled to find the enemy force. The pilots who were ready went out one by one in faster scouting units like Rev Raptors and Heldigunners while heavier Zoids like Red Horns followed behind, only to be met with gunfire from both flanks as Black Hound's Command Wolf ACs shot at them with their cannons, disabling and destroying most of the lighter troops. The base immediately sent out aerial reinforcements like Storches and Redlers only to engage the Raynos and Pteras that waited in the skies.
"How many enemies are we dealing with here?!" Alexei tries to take command of the situation as he made his way towards his Zoid, calling out to the other soldiers around him.
"Still waiting for intel sir. The mist makes it hard for us to see properly." A soldier reported back as he finished releasing a Rev Raptor from its platform.
"Send out the Gators! Have them pinpoint the enemy's location!" Alexei ordered the soldier who immediately relayed the instruction to the others. A sudden call on his radio caught his attention though and he immediately picked it up. "Alexei here."
"Yo! I managed to map out the enemy's formation from here!" Arlene reported from inside the command center. She had her computer linked to the various cameras around the base as well as the sensors of the Gators outside. "They're not attacking with a large force but they're primarily gathered around the main entrance—gah!" Arlene yelled out a little as an explosion suddenly echoed from her headset. "You'll need to head out there fast! We're losing Gators!"
"Got it! What about the Viscount and the other Knights?!"
"He left via the service tunnel with Caitlyn but my sensors show that they're heading out back. I guess they want to attack the enemy on the left side. Reynard and Gideon are accompanying the Dragoon Nest. They already left ten minutes ago."
"Okay! Then we'll head out and draw the enemy's attention to us while the Viscount makes his way around. You get out of there now!"
"Gotcha!" Just as Arlene was about to log off though, a bullet suddenly pierced through her laptop, causing her to roll and duck behind the chairs. A small peek revealed a blonde-haired woman aiming a pistol at her hiding spot. From her attire though, she didn't look like a Republican soldier. "Mercenary huh—?" Arlene thought as she threw a smoke grenade, covering her hasty escape. The other woman immediately left lest the smoke irritates her eyes.
"Alta here! Command center's taken care off, heading over to priority item no.4!" The woman called back to her teammates as she ran towards the corridor marked "Detention Cell".
Outside, situation was still a little chaotic. Most of the Guylos small arms were routed and lay scattered on the floor. The aerial Zoids also fell to the combined efforts of the Raynos and the Shadow Foxes, whose flexible Vulcans allowed them to accurately shoot down the flying Zoids from the ground. Armored troops like Red Horns still stood defiantly against the nimbler Arosaurers but they were all pinned down and outnumbered three-to-one.
Alexei's Imperial Liger Zero rushed out of the base, leading a high-speed force consisting of Sabre Tigers. They intended to strike directly at the Alexander and its escort Zoids.
"All forces! Our objective is the Hammer Kaiser. Refrain from fighting any other Zoid until—ack!" Before he can even finish relaying his instructions, multiple shots fired at them from outside the forest's cover. The Gunblusters were in position, pinning down any escaping Guylos Zoid. With Black Hound on the left and the Helic Forces on the right, they were hopelessly caged in.
"Return fire! Take out those bastards!" Alexei commanded his allied Zoids to attack even if the Sabre Tigers lacked the strength needed to punch through the Gunbluster's tough defenses. A sudden movement on his radar caught his eye though, and he turned his Liger Zero around to see a white Blade Liger making its way towards the base's entrance.
"You're not getting inside!" Alexei yelled out as he left the Sabre Tigers in order to follow the intruder, leaving them in the mercy of the heavily armed Ankylosaurs.
Meanwhile, Black Hound continued their assault on the enemy Zoids, taking shots at them while concealed in the mist. The back of their formation was guarded by a Shadow Fox and a Command Wolf AC, who kept a sharp eye out for any ambushes. Just as they felt sure that no Zoid would attempt to escape through their path, the Berserk Fuhrer jumped out from the forest, immediately tearing through the Shadow Fox's gun and armor with its Buster Claw. The Viscount didn't kill the pilot though, retracting his weapon just before he reached the Zoid's cockpit. The Command Wolf tried to take aim and fire but was immediately incapacitated by Caitlyn's Zero X with a Strike Laser Claw to the Zoid's neck.
"This route is clear. Should we head on over and take command of the remaining forces?" Caitlyn asked as she surveyed the surrounding area, keeping a watchful eye for any enemy.
"No. Look around you Caitlyn—" The Viscount's Zoid stared off into the battlefield ahead. "The base is lost. We cannot expect to win against the Alexander and its escorts right now. Given that the Dragoon Nest has escaped safely with the precious cargo, I believe it's also time for us to pull back."
"Roger."
"Have the remaining forces retreat through this passage. With any luck, we'll catch up to the Dragoon Nest. From there, we head on to Chimera City." The Viscount gave the order to his escort, his Zoid escaping through the cover of the undergrowth while Caitlyn stayed behind for a little while to relay the command to the remaining pilots.
"Has Captain Eleanor's attack started already?" Alyx wondered inside her cell, having been awoken by the violent explosions she heard outside. Immediately, she got up and ready. Her opportunity for escape might just show itself soon.
"Waiting for your friends to bail you out? Sorry, but it's not happening girl!" Hearing a voice behind her, Alyx turned around to see an Imperial soldier with his gun aimed at her. Seeing the weapon aimed at her, Alyx flinched and closed her eyes, waiting for the sound of gunfire and for her vision to turn dark. Instead, what she heard was the door violently swinging open and the sound of steel parting flesh, gurgling noises following after.
"Don't worry, you're safe now." A woman's voice called out to her as she opened her eyes to the sight of the Imperial soldier lying on the ground and a tall, blonde girl opening her cell. "I'm Alta Crowler, a mercenary from Black Hound and Itsuki's—well, friend."
"Am I glad to see you—!" Before Alyx could step out to thank her savior, Alta shoved a copy of the base's layout in Alyx's hand.
"We don't have much time. Follow the path down to Hangar 3. Your Zoid is waiting for you there. Get in it and get back to the Alexander as soon as possible!" Alta quickly gave Alyx her instructions and ran out of the door, headed to who-knows-where.
"For a moment, I thought this would be a rescue-Princess-Alyx scenario." Alyx mumbled to herself as she also ran out, following the path shown on the floor plan. "Guess they found a role for me to play even when I'm in prison."
Thanks to the map, she didn't have much difficulty finding the hangar. On the corner, secured by several platform arms was the Liger Zero Jäger, still deactivated. As expected, the damages from its previous battle weren't fixed yet.
"Hello~ Miss me?" Alyx greeted the Zoid as she fumbled around the seat where she hid the replacement fuse. After only a minute of putting things back in order, the Liger Zero woke up, letting out a soft growl to notify its pilot.
"Alright Zero, I know you just woke up but we need to get to work!" Alyx made small talk to her Zoid as she finished strapping on her seat belt. The Liger Zero roared, voicing its dissatisfaction with the sudden wake-up call.
"Brace yourself!" Itsuki yelled at Naruse as his Blade Liger crashed straight through the mountain base's gate with his E-shield deployed. There he started to shoot at the cockpits of the Zoids that haven't deployed yet, preventing the other soldiers from reinforcing their allies outside. The other soldiers didn't have to wait long though. From what Caitlyn told them, the Viscount had already given the order to pull back. With no more enemies on the ground, the Liger deactivated its shield and lowered its head, allowing Naruse to alight safely.
"Thanks Lieutenant! Hold them off for a few minutes! Hacking this shouldn't take too long." Naruse immediately ran over to the nearest computer while Itsuki's Blade Liger backed up in order to place itself between any possible enemy and the girl below. Not even a minute has passed when Alexei's Liger Zero suddenly entered the base.
"You're not surviving this, you traitor!" Alexei's Liger Zero roared as it fired its Shock Cannons with the full intent on killing Naruse.
"No way!" Before the shots could land, the Blade Liger deployed its E-shield again, protecting the young girl behind it. "Naruse, just take everything with you! We'll sort it out when we get to the Bureau!" Itsuki yelled at the young girl.
"Got it!" Hearing that, Naruse immediately got to work. As ordered, she didn't bother sorting out the files. She just copied all of them to their database while Itsuki's Liger kept up its E-shield, preventing Alexei and other Imperial troops from doing her in.
"Concentrate your fire on that Liger! That shield shouldn't last too long!" Alexei yelled out at three Sinkers that arrived to reinforce his ranged assault. The Blade Liger's shield was strong but any more and it will soon start to break.
"I'm finished!" Naruse called out to Itsuki, waving the portable device she used to get the files.
"Good! Get to a communications panel and call somebody out there to pick you up! I'm a little tied down at the moment—!" Itsuki instructs her as he tried to maintain the strength of his shield under the heavy assault.
"You're not going anywhere!" Alexei screamed as his Zero's tail laser shot the command center overhead, barricading Naruse with debris.
"Shit!" Naruse cursed as she dived towards the underside of the Blade Liger in order to avoid the falling rocks and parts.
"Naruse!" For a moment, Itsuki thought of what to do. Unable to attack, the Blade Liger was just a sitting target for the enemy Zoids right now.
"Hey, hothead! How about this!"
Suddenly, flashes of light shone from one of the corridors as a stream of bullets took out the Sinkers around Alexei's Zero and Itsuki's Blade Liger. From the corridor, the Zero Jäger sprung out, crashing into its Imperial cousin head on.
"Quick!" Itsuki immediately lowered the shield and his Liger's head again, so Naruse could board while Alexei was preoccupied with Alyx's reckless attacks.
"Think you can take him? He is one of the Viscount's best Knights!" Naruse asks Itsuki as she strapped her seat belt on.
"Of course! We've got him outnumbered…Alyx, move away!" Itsuki shouted at Alyx' Zero who immediately leapt away from Alexei while the red Liger Zero struggled to get back on its feet. As soon as it rose though, Itsuki immediately shot it with the Blade Liger's Attack Boosters, crippling the Ion Boosters on its back.
"Shit—!" Alexei cursed as his Zoid suddenly staggered from the damage. Without even giving him a chance to recover, Alyx's Zero dived in with a Strike Laser Claw followed by a Laser Blade from Itsuki's Blade Liger. The combined attack proved too much for his Zoid and it fell to the ground helpless as it watched the two Ligers run out of the base.
Outside, the two girls rejoiced at their short reunion. "Alyx, you're okay! I was so worried…" Naruse couldn't contain the joy in her voice upon seeing Alyx again.
"Heh! These guys won't be doing me in anytime soon!" Alyx could only laugh as she finally escaped from that mountain base.
"Come in Saber 2! What's the status of your mission?" Their reunion was cut short as the Alexander's operator called on Itsuki's Blade Liger.
"Data retrieval successful. We've rendezvoused with Priority Item no.3 and 4 as well. Now disengaging to head to Point A-3 as per the plan." It was Itsuki who replied to the inquiry.
"Very well. Captain Eleanor wishes you luck!"
"Roger!" With that, Itsuki cut off communications, much to Alyx's confusion.
"W-what—?! What's going on Naruse?" She asked as her Zoid leaned closer on the Blade Liger's head.
"We're heading somewhere to decode the information Naruse retrieved from the base." Itsuki explained. "Plus, it would be safer for Naruse if she was to separate from the Alexander for a while, now that the Viscount knows she's not on the Liger Zero."
"Well, what's priority item 3 and 4?"
"Your Zoid and yourself." It was Naruse's turn to answer.
"Eeehh?! I wasn't your primary objective?" Alyx pouted upon hearing it.
"No, you were just a bonus!" Even Itsuki went along with the joke. Sudden shots from behind caught their attention and the two Ligers immediately took up a defensive stance. A Heldigunner and a Rev Raptor leapt from their flanks, which they immediately intercepted. "Anyway, we need to leave now. You head back to the Alexander. Guard it well while I'm gone kid."
"Roger. And take care of Naruse Lieutenant! I'll have your word as a man!" Alyx answered back.
"You got it!" With a last farewell, the two Ligers split off, with Itsuki running off to the Helic Preservation Bureau and Alyx heading off to provide support to the Helic forces. Most of their enemies had either fallen or retreated. Even the Sabre Tiger unit fell to the Helic Gunblusters that confronted it.
Back in the base, Alexei angrily alighted from his Zoid, kicking the canopy as he did. "Useless pile of scrap! I'll get them back for this!" He cursed as he turned his gaze to the terrain outside. Suddenly, he heard a rumble from behind him as a large Zoid walked over to him.
"You alright?" A familiar voice spoke through the Zoid's loudspeaker, forcing him to look back in anger as he recognized who it was. It was the blue Geno Saurer.
"Sakura Nagisa! Where have you been this entire time?!" Alexei immediately went to reprimand the girl inside, paying no heed to the fact that he didn't have any means of opposing her Geno Saurer right now.
"I just finished off most of the black Command Wolves though there may be more out there. The Viscount had already given the order to pull back it seems." Sakura reported her contribution. "They seem to have more forces stationed around here. I've already finished off around eight Zoids and yet they keep coming." Sakura deliberately mentioned the number of Zoids she's downed as a means of gloating over the superior Knight.
"Just eight—?! What, you think you can impress the Viscount with that number?!" Alexei was clearly insulted by Sakura's little boasting.
"It's more impressive than not being able to shoot down anything at all…" Sakura continued to toy with the Knight as payback for the earlier incident. A Sinker soon arrived, looking for survivors. "Perfect timing! Lord Alexei needs a ride out of here since his Zoid was defeated. Can you take care of him?" Sakura called out to the Sinker pilot.
"Of course, ma'am." The pilot moved his Sinker closer so the Knight can get on, which he did though he was clearly enraged and embarrassed at the same time. "What about you, ma'am?"
"Don't call her ma'am, she's not your superior!" Alexei protested yet his opinion was ignored by both of them.
"I'll try to buy you time while you rally the remaining forces out of here. Once everyone's safe, then I'll pull back."
"Got it. In that case, good luck ma'am." The Sinker pilot wished Sakura luck before he sped off, carrying the Knight with the bruised ego with him.
"Plus, I have some loose ends to tie up…" Sakura sighed once the others were out of earshot before her Zoid sped away, heading off into the thick undergrowth near the eastern mountain side.
"Hmm…the enemy seems to have retreated around this side…" Alyx observed as her Zoid surveyed the area. Somehow, she found the lack of enemies disturbing. Before she can head back to call it a night, an intense signature appeared on her radar; a signature she's already encountered before. "Oh no…" Alyx panicked as she maneuvered her Zoid away in time to dodge a claw headed her way.
"That Liger seems to have grown fond of you." From the dark forest, the blue Geno Saurer emerged, its red eyes looking more eerie in the darkness of the terrain. Alyx immediately recognized the voice to be that of her friend.
"So…it was you who was piloting that Zoid all along." Alyx greeted Sakura, her Liger Zero taking a few steps backward in face of the menacing Tyrannosaur. The Guylos Zoid immediately charged in and knocked the Zero over, pinning it down with its sharp talons.
"Surrender now Alyx. There's no reason for you to die out here." Sakura spoke in a calm and cool voice, her earlier emotional outbursts gone.
"And what makes you think I'll just take things lying down?!" Alyx tried to struggle but the Geno Saurer kept her Zoid from moving by applying more pressure to its components.
"If you surrender to me, I promise you won't be treated badly. Just…come with me Alyx. We don't need to fight against each other here." Sakura offers her friend, calming her voice down a little more so Alyx wouldn't be too intimidated.
"Sakura…why don't you come with me instead?" Alyx asked, dropping her earlier angry expression. "The Viscount's just using you. He plans to overthrow both Neo-Zenebas and the Republic so the Guylos Empire can rule the Continent again—!"
"I know."
"What?"
"It's why we're following him. All of us." Sakura's reply surprised Alyx. "When Neo-Zenebas rose to power, Guylos soldiers were hunted down, killed, driven out of our own motherland. We tried to fight back but after so long, we started to lose hope. In that desperate time, the Viscount offered us sanctuary. He gave us a place, even if it meant serving our own usurpers. But above all, he gave us a promise."
"Promise?"
"He promised us our home back. Not immediately but, thanks to him, we were able to take the first steps for that dream to come true." Sakura sighed as if she was tired.
"And in turn, you need to conquer my home in order to retake yours? Very noble, alright." Immediately, Alyx fired up the Ion Boosters, forcing the Geno Saurer off of her Zoid, allowing the Liger Zero to stand back up. "You lost Nyx so now you're trying to take Delpoi?! This land doesn't belong to you! It belongs to the Republic!"
"Well what about the Republic's invasion of the Dark Continent?!" Sakura charged Alyx in anger over her friend's words. She grabbed the Liger Zero's leg and with a great swing, threw it across the forest floor. "You said you're helping someone stop all this conflict—but you're only looking at things from the Republic's point of view!"
Hearing that, Alyx suddenly found herself unable to respond. In a way, Sakura was right. She's only been looking at things from the eyes of the people around her. She didn't try to understand how the other side feels at all. "So you don't mind if the world goes to hell just as long as you have a home to go back to?"
"When you say plunge the world into hell, do you really believe it or are you just parroting what somebody else told you?" Another attack. Alyx's Zero struggled against the devastating blows of Sakura's Zoid.
"Don't you see? What you're doing is just revenge! Attacking both sides once they're weak enough…that makes you no different than the Eisen Dragoons!" Alyx tried to reason back.
"And how does Helic intend to solve this conflict? With more gunfire and missiles? Do they even intend to end the fighting at all? Or are they like us? Just a bunch of exhausted exiles trying to get their home back." Sakura's Zoid towered over the downed Liger Zero. "You can judge me however you want. I won't expect you to understand!"
"What?! You think I don't understand?!" Alyx's Zoid suddenly leapt up, its fangs aiming for the Geno Saurer's throat. But the more seasoned pilot simply pulled back just enough to dodge the blow and retaliate with a swipe of its Killer Claws. The Geno Saurer's claws dug deep into the Zero's neck armor, causing it to stagger back.
"How could you understand?! You've never fought for your country before!" The Geno Saurer's claws propelled forward, grabbing the Liger Zero by the leg and tossing it to some nearby foliage.
"You've never witnessed dozens of terrifying Zoids stampeding across the very streets outside your house, shooting at anything that moves!" Another round of swings. The Zero roared out in painful defiance as it was thrown like a rag doll.
"You've never experienced looking for your foster parents among dozens of dead bodies scattered in the streets while gunfire rained heavily around you!" A swipe of the tail. The protective armor around the Zero Jäger's head cracked as pieces of metal fell off.
"Sakura…" Alyx and her Zoid struggled hard to get back up. The constant shocks she felt while the Zero was being thrown about were making her dizzy. Despite her harsh words back at the cell and talks of her shooting her friend down, Alyx came face to face with reality. She barely survived fighting a damaged Geno Saurer, what more if she came face to face with one in its full combat capacity? But it wasn't just the specs alone. Sakura is able to fight because she was fighting for something. Something she believed in because she's lived it. She's seen the reality firsthand.
"What am I fighting for…?" For the first time since she got caught up in the mess, Alyx started to doubt herself, doubted her convictions. Unlike her friend who was clinging on to the promise of their homeland, Alyx had nothing. "What am I hanging on to?"
Her promise to Naruse. Her promise to help her at all costs.
"That's right! I promised her didn't I?" Somehow, Alyx felt that something as minor as that is a good enough reason to hold on to. Her Zoid seemed to have sensed her determination as well since it now started roaring bravely as it struggled to get up. "We promised to help her stop this didn't we Zero? And that's good enough of a reason!"
The Geno Saurer walked towards her, looking all the more menacing. It raised its claw to take another swing at Alyx's Zoid but this time, the Liger Zero responded and dodged out of the way fast.
"Thanks partner!" Alyx complimented her Zoid though she was still bothered by the difference in her and Sakura's fighting ability. Without Itsuki or Naruse to guide her, the best she could do was to keep dodging and wear it out. Any attempts to attack only gets her into more trouble and she wasn't sure how much more her Zoid can take.
"You still alive?" Alta suddenly called her over the radio.
"Somehow…" Alyx immediately replied.
"Lure the Geno Saurer over to the coordinates I'll send you. Move, now!" Left with no other choice, Alyx did as she was told and ran away, heading into the marked location on the map. Seeing this, the Geno Saurer immediately followed though the Jäger's speed kept it ahead of the Guylos Zoid.
The marked area appeared to be the site of an old battle, littered with Zoid parts all over the place. Alyx remembered the battlegrounds she stole from back at Kalanes. As expected, it looked rather eerie in the dark.
"Lie low and try to take cover in the darkness. I'm heading over there now. We'll flank it and attack together." Alta instructed her and she did as she was told, keeping the Jäger behind what appears to be the remains of an old Elephander.
The Geno Saurer arrived moments later, its menacing red eyes glancing at every nook and cranny, looking for its quadrupedal opponent. Slowly, it made its way near the Elephander wreckage. Alyx can see it searching, darting its head from left and right.
"Alyx…I don't want to kill you. So please, just surrender…" Sakura called out one last time, as the blue Geno Saurer came within the Liger Zero's line of sight.
"Sakura…"
"Your Vulcans! Potshots are fine, just fire!" The command immediately came from Alta and Alyx followed, her Zoid's muzzles flashing brightly against the darkness, pelting the sides of the Geno Saurer with tiny pricks of gunfire. It wasn't enough to graze its armor but it was able to get its attention as the Geno Saurer's head looked away to face the Liger.
Suddenly, a barrage of larger-caliber gunfire rained from behind the Geno Saurer, damaging various parts of its armor and the large Pulse Laser Rifles on its back, causing it to stagger and stoop down low. From her position, Alyx could see that the shots came from a König Wolf, armed with the CP-22. Unlike the standard model though, this one was colored in a monotone, stonewashed dark gray with green eyes.
"Now!" Alta yelled out as her Zoid immediately ran out of the way since the Geno Saurer was now turning to face her. Immediately, the claws on Alyx's Liger Zero flared up. It lunged forward at the downed Geno Saurer, its Strike Laser Claw cutting all the way through its spine, damaging the fragile core underneath. Its source of life damaged, the Geno Saurer gave at a pained roar as it collapsed on the ground like a marionette who's strings were suddenly cut off.
"A-Alyx…" Inside, the pilot sat in disbelief over the sudden turn of events as the panels and monitors around her died down, leaving her in total darkness. "Why…Why won't you just come along with me? I-I don't understand…" Visibly stung by her old friend's constant rejection, Sakura could only break down alone in the cockpit of her dying Zoid.
"Sakura…I'm sorry." Alyx muttered a short apology to her friend. "I didn't mean all those things I said back at the cell. And—I really wished we could've remained friends. But, we're just walking very different paths right now. It's not our fault though—things just happen like that, I suppose. Someday, you'll understand. And someday, I'll understand you as well."
So with a heavy heart, Alyx's turned away and ran, catching up to Alta's König Wolf, leaving her old friend alone in that lonely graveyard.
Thanks to its speed, Alyx's Zero Jäger caught up to the wolf Zoid that had gone ahead, piloted by the mercenary who saved her not once but twice in the same day.
"Ms. Alta, right? Thanks for bailing my ass. Again." Alyx muttered some short words of gratitude to the mercenary.
"Hey kid? Did you know that Geno Saurer's pilot?" Alta asked, having caught parts of their conversation.
"She's an old friend I've known since I was a kid." Alyx replied. "I don't really want to fight her, if I can avoid it."
"Good. Because that pilot would've reduced you to scrap if she wanted to." Alta's criticism was a little too frank for Alyx's taste. Nonetheless, she was right. "Just an observation."
"Yeah well, I still have a lot to learn. So what comes after this?"
"Hmm…well, I'm worried about Itsuki so I'm following his Blade Liger." Alta's Zoid paused for a while in order to scan the place with its headgear. Seeing no other enemy Zoids in sight, it turned to face Alyx's Liger Zero. "You should head back to the Alexander. Your Zoid will need some repairs. You'll probably have to help with the troops occupy the base."
"Okay. Again, thanks for saving me Ms. Alta! Good hunting!" Alyx bade the mercenary a fond farewell.
"You take care of yourself kid." With that, the König Wolf darted off into the night while Alyx's Liger Zero headed on back to the gargantuan Zoid that loomed just outside the forest.
Writer's Note: Chapter 8 finished, and with it, another battle.
Special thanks to my sole reviewer, RougeBaron for continuing to follow this story!
Well, there isn't anything much to say so, see you guys in the next chapter!