(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 11: The First Sign of Weakness
Chimera City. One of Neo-Zenebas' most heavily fortified strongholds in the Central Continent. High-tech BLOX Zoids, the product of Eastern Continent's ingenuity, patrol the grounds with several units stationed near the border crossing. Led by command Zoids like Styluarmor and Lord Gale, these drones now comprise more than half of the Empire's fighting force, turning their army into an unrivaled mass of numbers and firepower.
In the center of the city lies a rather imposing tower that reaches high into the sky, towering even over an Iron Kong. Various Imperial officials had gathered here. War is nearing its final stages and it is now the best opportunity for the Zenebas army to demonstrate the might of their forces. Among those gathered was the Viscount, the masked hunter.
"I hear your exploits are rather…questionable as of late." One of the council members spoke up. He carried with him a folder containing images of the Viscount's most recent operations. "In addition to allowing that guerilla unit to slip past your fingers, you've also failed in your defense at Mount Cybele! Clearly, you're starting to lose your old ferocity!"
"And what was that incident in Kalanes all about?" Another council member added. "I don't recall high command giving you authorization to do such a thing?"
"Correct. We demand an explanation right now!"
Amidst the heated voices lashing out their frustrations at him, the Viscount didn't seem to flinch at their threats which he perceived as empty. His preparations were almost complete. Soon, there would be no need to put up with what he thinks is a pathetic excuse of an empire.
"Funny. From what I can gather, none of you were able to defeat the Retaliation Force either." The Viscount calmly spoke up as he turned to face the man who first started criticizing his recent actions. "Lord Kimmel, wasn't the Southern border assigned under your supervision?"
"Yes, that's right."
"Well, around three days ago, the Retaliation Force recently received a shipment of new armaments, including four Gunblusters. Scouts have reported that the convoy came from the southern territory. Now, how did a force as big as that slip through our network unopposed and undetected?" The Viscount asked with a cunning smirk.
"W-Well, I suppose I'll need to launch an inquiry on this matter!" The council member immediately became flustered at the mention of the convoy.
"Indeed, you should. Seeing that your recent SALN shows an increase in your total assets, I suppose you have more than enough financial capability to scrape up the last bits of resistance under your territory."
"Increase in assets?"
"What is going on here, Lord Kimmel?"
The voices immediately turned to Lord Kimmel who was visibly stunned by the sudden turn of events. Satisfied, the Viscount leaned back on his seat, savoring the uproar he caused among the elite members of the Empire.
"I must say, the Supreme Council's manner of conduct have been lessened as of late." A young yet confident voice suddenly cut through the myriad of insults, plunging the entire room in silence. From the doors of the meeting room, a young blonde man garbed in Imperial regalia walked inside, prompting the rest of the Council to stand up and acknowledge his presence.
"Our apologies, your Highness." One of the council members finally spoke up on their behalf.
"Never mind. You may now take your seats if you wish."
"Yes, your Highness."
The man was Wolff Muroa, son of Gunther Proitzen and the current Emperor of the risen Zenebas. Once everyone was seated, he urged them to continue the meeting, reminding them to stay calm and civil as they did so.
"Your Highness, I would like to bring up the matter regarding the Viscount. He may have proven himself and his Guylos remnants useful in the past but we cannot deny that his recent exploits haven't been very impressive as of late. Never mind that unauthorized excursion at Kalanes, allowing Mount Cybele to fall easily to the enemy forces shouldn't be something that should go unpunished!" Lord Kimmel immediately brought up the matter regarding the Viscount.
"And I suggest we launch a full inquiry regarding Lord Kimmel's controversial dealings with the Republic!" The Viscount argued back.
"What?!" Lord Kimmel protested.
"Think about it. Where else would you get all that money? A large Republican convoy slips past undetected, allowing our enemies to replenish their forces enough to overpower our defenses. Then Lord Kimmel's assets as reflected in his statement showed a significant increase. Put two and two together and that's the only conclusion it leads to."
"Your allegations are nothing but baseless speculation!"
"Then why not comply if you have nothing to hide?!"
"Gentlemen!" Wolff Muroa slams his hand on the table as he shouted. "We cannot waste time arguing amongst ourselves!" In that instant, the Emperor diverted their attention towards a screen showing the whole Central Continent. "In the past few months alone, the Republicans have conducted several operations across fourteen regions!"
"Fourteen?"
"Preposterous!"
"But it is true." Muroa gathers his calm visage once again. "Having received overwhelming support from the Eastern Continent, it's only a matter of time before they are able to field an army that can match ours. And just recently, we have just received reports that thanks to ZOITEC, they have now developed a counter to our Focused Particle Cannon!"
"Can't we just launch an attack on the Eastern Continent? Eliminate this ZOITEC from the scene and reduce the number of enemies we have to deal with." One of the council women suggests.
"True but the Eastern Continent is too far. We may as well have given the Republicans their victory should we vacate the continent to make war somewhere else." Another protested.
"And there is still the issue of ever-increasing anti-Imperial sentiments among the populace." The Viscount added. "Thanks to the actions of various units like the Retaliation Force, the people are beginning to see that the rule of Neo-Zenebas is slowly starting to crumble under its own weight."
"Regardless, we have to find a way to respond to this series of reverses." Wolff Muroa sighs.
"But how are we going to respond if one of our units has proven themselves incompetent in their task?!" Lord Kimmel again attacks the Viscount.
"Likewise, how do you expect me to do my job properly while there's a traitor in our midst?!" The Viscount immediately counters back.
"This situation is rather convoluted it seems…" Wolff Muroa sighed as he rubbed his temples. Turning to the other council members, he asked them for suggestions on how to deal with the situation. The Viscount almost smiled at this. Muroa was a decent leader but he was clearly not much of a politician like his father was.
"Your Highness, if I may?" One of the councilwomen spoke up. "Indeed both Lord Kimmel and the Viscount have been caught up in such a controversy but there is no question that we need both of them right now. With our army undergoing massive reorganization, only the Viscount has the capacity to freely pursue the guerilla forces. Managing affairs in the south will also be difficult without Lord Kimmel's influence."
"And is it really okay to just leave it all to the Guylos conscripts? They number only a few men. I suggest we provide them with additional manpower." Another councilwoman spoke up.
"And risk letting the Viscount waste this all in his worthless pursuits?" Lord Kimmel protests.
"I wasn't talking about assigning more soldiers under his command. Simply that we also mobilize our own units once this Republican shadow force wanders close to our territories."
"True." Emperor Muroa saw wisdom in those words. "Very well then—Lady Vestige, I assign you to keep track of Lord Kimmel's activities. Prepare to move your forces South." Emperor Muroa entrusts the task to the councilwoman who defended the two men in question. "And you—" The young emperor turns to the masked hunter. "I've yet to receive a report about your mission in the north."
"We've run into some…unforeseen circumstances which delayed the extraction but otherwise, we managed to complete our task. I've just received word that the Hydrarchos is en route. They'll be here by nightfall." The Viscount explained, referring to Captain Ash's mission. "Unfortunately, we were only able to recover three out of the five units buried there. The remaining ones were intercepted and destroyed by the enemy."
"See? This is what I was talking about!" Lord Kimmel resumed his attacks.
"With all due respect, Sir—" The Viscount emphasizes the word "sir" as if to insult the man criticizing him. "Two of those five units were already damaged by snow and ice that I doubt you'll be able to use them were we able to recover them intact either way. Well, maybe you can but—" The Viscount then turns an eye to the Emperor. "Sadly, all of the production plants of the old Guylos Empire were taken down by Zenebas High Command, taking all the developmental data down with it." The Viscount meant it as an insult to Wolff Muroa, who pushed for the abolition of old Guylos facilities when he took over the continent in order to make room for the development of original, Neo-Zenebas designs.
"I see." Nevertheless, the Emperor calmly accepted the criticism thrown at him. "Three units would have to do for now." The Emperor turns to face the other councilwoman. "I'll have to speak with the other commanders about this but they'll probably agree. Just take care not to waste too many resources on it."
"As you wish, your Highness."
BAM!
Just as the meeting seemed to settle down, a messenger immediately stormed in the session hall with a flustered expression on his face. He immediately saluted the young emperor and proceeded to discuss his recent findings.
"Urgent report! Our scouts have detected a large Republican fleet from the Eastern Continent headed our way! Similar movements have also been sighted beyond the northern borders! " Immediately, he showed footage of a large movement across the sea. A formation of over a dozen Zoid carriers and turtleships.
"They've moved faster than I anticipated…Damn!" Muroa silently curses as he hears the disconcerting news.
"What should we do about this?" Lord Kimmel asks, wiping off some sweat that had started accumulating on his forehead.
"We can pull back the army and concentrate it around the capital. Rather than risk losing our forces in a head-on attack while we haven't ascertained the enemy's strength, we should focus on bolstering our defenses in the meantime." The councilwoman, Lady Vestige suggested.
"And risk all other territories we've conquered? They'll immediately turn over to Helic's side once we pull out the garrisons stationed there!" Lord Kimmel contests the suggestion.
"What's the matter, Kimmel? Afraid of losing all the wealth you accumulated in the south?"
"You shut up here!"
For a while, the whole council erupted into chaos as arguments escalated into full-blown shouting matches, with insults thrown on all sides. Nonetheless, the Viscount did relished the scene. The first signs of the Empire's weakness is starting to show. It was only a matter of time.
"Settle down, all of you!" Wolff Muroa once again attempts to pacify the situation. "How do you expect to come to a unified decision if you're all squabbling amongst yourselves like a pack of wild dogs?!" Having calmed the council members, the Emperor turns to face the Viscount. "Can I leave this in your hands?"
"I object!" Lord Kimmel was quick to voice an objection. "I say this movement from the Guylos continent was all orchestrated by this exiled prince here!"
"Then why don't we split the task Lord Kimmel?" The Viscount immediately retorts. "I'll take on the incoming forces from the east while you handle the problem in the north. That should leave no rooms for doubts now right?"
"What are you saying?" Kimmel asks.
"The Viscount means to attack while the enemy is en route. Engage them in battle now, while they aren't capable of utilizing the full strength of their army. Our Zoids are superior to theirs when it comes to naval engagements—I think it's a rather solid plan." Emperor Muroa explained.
"I also think that's the proper course of action." Lady Vestige echoes the Emperor's sentiments.
"Agreed."
"Yeah."
The council members likewise, agreed with the decision since they wouldn't be directly involved in the battle to come. The Viscount knows this fact as well. Politicians will never endanger themselves after all.
"Very well… If that is the council's decision then I have no choice but to accept." Finally, Lord Kimmel also agreed.
"Good. In the meantime, we will bolster our defenses around our main strongholds like Chimera City, the Capital and Mount Arthur. Send word to the BLOX manufacturing plants and tell them to speed up the production of the Chimeras. Also, prepare the evacuation centers. I don't want any civilian casualties, understood?"
The whole council nodded in agreement.
"Alright. Then, this meeting is adjourned! Everyone, back to your positions!"
The Viscount immediately caught up to the young Emperor as he walked towards his personal quarters. Despite being in the presence of the highest-ranked official in the land, the Viscount spoke to him like they were mere strangers, stemming from the fact that both of them come from different Empires. He was sure the Emperor didn't mind though. After all, he wasn't a politician.
"By the way, I just got back from checking the Chimera manufacturing plant. Care to take a guess what I found?" The Viscount slyly approaches the Emperor.
"So you've seen it?" Emperor Muroa responded without much of a glance in his direction.
"Of course. Impressive work on that Zoid by the way. Almost makes me think it was worth discarding the Berserk Fuhrer. Well, almost." The Viscount carried on, coming off as a bit sarcastic at that last bit.
"Believe me, once that Zoid enters the testing phase, it will blow even your prized Fuhrer out of the water." The Emperor paused for a bit to stare outside the window. "I cannot let the shadow of Guylos hang over us like a wailing phantom that won't go away. Hehe! Zoids like the one you've seen have always been revered as heroes. Fitting that it should be the flagship of our new, reorganized army."
"Rather grand words about a Zoid that hasn't even proven its skill in battle." At this remark, the Emperor turns to face the Viscount, his anger visibly expressed in his gaze. "Well, no matter. If you want, I can do the testing for you."
"What are you getting at?"
"Give me one of those. I'm certain it will help a lot in our attack against the Republicans."
"You have a point." Smiling, the Emperor continued walking, followed closely by the Viscount who trudged just a little bit behind him. "Indeed, the power of that new Zoid coupled with the three antiques you excavated from the north would be more than enough to crush the Republican fleet once and for all." The two finally reached the elevator and once the doors opened, the Emperor headed inside. "There's just one problem though."
"And what is that?" The Viscount asks.
"I don't trust you." Leaving those words behind, the elevator doors closed, leaving the Viscount alone on the floor as Emperor Muroa left the hall. Unlike the other council members, Emperor Muroa knew him all too well.
Writer's Note: Chapter 11 is up! More scenes from the Neo-Zenebas side.