(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 13: A Moment's Reprieve
"Damn it all!" Alyx growled as her hands manoeuvred around the control sticks trying to dodge an incoming volley of gunfire headed her way. Likewise, the Liger Zero responded, spurred on by the feisty spirit of its pilot. Even with the slightly heavier equipment, its agility still pulled through, managing to duck behind the ruins of a dilapidated building in the center of town.
"What are you doing idiot? You can't just keep running away!" Kiminari's voice rang furiously over the open channel, feeling a little frustrated at the newcomer's lack of attentiveness.
"Well what do you want me to do?!" Alyx counters back, all the while manoeuvring her Zoid towards the direction of an old service tunnel. From behind, an odd formation of BLOX Zoids followed. Leading the way was Diplo Guns and Flyscissors, with Scissorstorm and Laserstorm following behind.
"You're in a Liger Zero! Hit them back!"
"Yeah, let's see you try doing that then!" Alyx replied as she turned left in an attempt to lead the enemy force away.
As the Republican Army slowly closed in on the Central Continent, the Retaliation Force was making leaps across the continent like never before. Bombing supply lines, intercepting Imperial cargoes, re-kindling anti-Imperial sentiments within the lesser half of the populace—every day was a different mission and in the center of it all, the young girl from Kalanes and her Zoid was taking the lead.
Another volley followed. Laserstorm was furiously closing in on her position.
"Shit! We'll have to do something about this one Zero!" Alyx addresses her Zoid which only responded with a low growl.
"Alyx how are things on your end?" This time, it was Captain Eleanor addressing her.
"I may need you arrange for my life insurance Ma'am! These guys aren't letting up!" Alyx answered back, feeling a little panicked.
"Hold out for just a little more! Our unit is almost done mopping up!" Eleanor instructs the young pilot.
"Gotcha! Don't take too long though! I mean, seriously!"
BANG! BANG!
More gunfire rained towards the Zero who swiftly dodged to the left alley, avoiding what might've been a fatal strike to her Zoid.
"Man, this is endless! Zero! We'll never get anywhere with that trigger-happy duckling following us! Aim high and let's take it out!"
For a while, the Liger Zero looked confused at the girl's odd instructions. They were barricaded by buildings left and right. Finally, it all dawned on the Zoid.
ROOOOAAARRRR!
The pursuing Chimeras finally reached last turn where they lost the Liger Zero—only to find that their prey had slip past their nets. The Zero was nowhere to be found. Sensors beeped and the visors turned but Scissorstorm and Laserstorm were unable to catch any further glimpse of the blue-eyed Liger.
BEEP BEEP BEEP
Suddenly, the Zoids' onboard sensors flashed rapidly, informing the A.I unit of an approaching enemy. Surprisingly, it was coming from above them.
"Gagh! I've had enough of you trying to shower me with lead! Get them Zero!" From above, the Liger Zero roared as its legs and claws flashed with energy. Immediately, it dug its powerful claws into Scissorstorm's fragile frame, immediately severing the artificial core underneath. Laserstorm was quick to sense this and tried to turn to aim its gatling gun at the Liger Zero but Alyx's Zoid immediately pounced at the Chimera and seized its neck with its jaws.
"Yeah! That's what I'm talking about! Now turn it into Liger fodder!" Cheering, Alyx set on the motions of her Zoid's jaws, tightening its vice grip in an attempt to sever the Chimera's head. Laserstorm tried to break free by struggling and firing its gatling but was unable to hit Alyx as the Zero cautiously kept its distance.
BEEP BEEP
This time, it was Alyx's turn to witness her sensors flashing. Diplo Guns and Flyscissors were just a few more meters away and were furiously closing in on her.
"Whew! Good thing we installed the new sensors, eh Zero?" Keeping the struggling Chimera in its mouth, Alyx's Zero walked forward to the intersection where the two Zoids were projected to arrive.
"Get a taste of your own medicine!" Once the two Zoids appeared on the road, the Zero swung the struggling Laserstorm around, directing its brutal gatling gun at their pursuers. The bullets shredded armor, components and finally, the Zoid cores, reducing Diplo Guns and Flyscissors into a pile of scrap. Having finished this, the Zero's jaws finally clamped down, severing Laserstorm's head from the rest of its body.
"Well that's enough brutality for now." Alyx could finally feel some relief. Scaling the empty buildings had proven to be a good call.
"Very good Alyx. Rendezvous with our forces at point 7 immediately!"
"Roger!" Turning around, Alyx proceeded to the next coordinate given in her marking orders. "Still, these Chime-somethings are turning out to be quite the skilled fighters."
"They were only capable of following set combat instructions back then. Some even had a tendency to go berserk once triggered. Now the Empire's Chimera drones are even capable of executing sophisticated instructions. The artificial Zoid core is proving to be quite the remarkable innovation in this war."
"Yeah. Too bad it's only used for warfare though. These drones can be quite useful in rehabilitating war-torn areas."
"Actually, ZOITEC initially proposed the idea of using the artificial core for use in civilian work and construction. Apparently the proposal was rejected by Neo-Zenebas in favor of further development of the core as a military platform."
"Is that why you've been receiving generous amounts of aid from ZOITEC?"
"Let's just say both the Republic and ZOITEC share the same interests. Anyway, you're close to point 7 now. Stay alert!"
"Roger!"
The Neo-Zenebas forces were routed a few minutes later. The Alexander suffered minimal damage to its forces as a result of a plan put in motion by Eleanor. A disruptive strike with a high-speed Zoid followed by a quick mopping up operation using the Gunbluster force. The Imperial forces never anticipated such a plan. Nonetheless, the Alexander chose not to dock at the ruined city out of precaution. Instead, the gargantuan Zoid landed near the rocky crags concealing an ancient temple a few miles west of the city.
"Alyx seems to have significantly improved." Eleanor remarked while overseeing repairs onboard the gigantic Zoid.
"Still rather reckless if you ask me. But yes, she seems to have improved." Kiminari chimes in. "Anyway Captain! We've been getting a lot of stuff on our plate suddenly!"
"Can't be helped. Now that Neo-Zenebas has gotten wind of the movement of our forces back at the east, we'll have to double our war efforts in order to pave the path for our main forces."
"When it rains, it pours eh? Well, we should get some new Zoids and fresh pilots at the very least. I don't think anyone's gotten some decent rest in the past couple of weeks. Heck, even the Kalanes hick's been staying up late!"
"True. But that'll all depend on our next mission assignments. Depending on how crucial those turn out to be, we may have to keep on persevering with what we have right now." Captain Eleanor sighed.
"Guess you just can't have it all huh?" Just as Kiminari was about to leave the room, a girl working for maintenance walks in.
"Captain, we've got a bit of bad news here." She hands Eleanor a couple of photographs showing the Alexander's left fin. "As you can see, the Magnesser's been busted."
"Damn! Must've happened during our aerial assault. How long will it take to get them back online? Given this place's close proximity to Zenebas territory, I reckon it won't take long before the palace catches wind of our activities here."
"Honestly, it might take a while. The oscillator needs replacing and we currently do not have available parts for it." The girl delivers with a grim expression.
"Can't we try limping it out of here? We managed to land just fine a couple of hours ago."
"No can do ma'am. Our landing earlier had already bent the engine out of shape as it is. Should we try flying away now—the whole fin might collapse from the stress."
"And right when I thought it couldn't possibly get worse…So, what are our options?" Eleanor asks.
"Well, we did a little digging and found that the town a quarter mile north from here has an extensive parts market run by local grave robbers. They currently have the parts we need on hand."
"Between here and there, it may take us a couple of days at least. That seems good enough. What's the catch?" Kiminari asked after considering the suggestion.
"Well, aside from the pricing—oh, I suppose it's no problem. Our biggest concern right now is this—" Immediately, the girl shows photographs of an Imperial Whale King docked in town. A Dark Spiner was stationed outside, bearing the faded crest of the old Guylos. "Empire's guarding this place tight."
"Well that's novel. That means we can't just waltz in there and take what we need…" Eleanor exclaims upon hearing the nature of the problem.
"So we need to enter the town undetected, buy the parts from the grave robbers and get out without triggering the Imperial patrol. Captain! In that case, I may have an idea…" Kiminari pitched in with a sly smile on his face.
On the opposite side of the ruined city where the Alexander docked was a bustling mercenary and merchant town in close proximity to the Zenebas border. A little further up north was the Hydrarchos, having docked near town in order to do repairs and resupply. Damages incurred from the battle in the Central Mountain Range was visible all over the Whale King's chassis and mechanics were running left and right in order to patch up most of it as quickly as possible.
The Zoids in the hangar were in a similar state. The Red Horn's guns needed replacing. The Sabre Tiger's internal circuitry had thawed out yet the Zoid suffers from reduced performance until the components are replaced. Sakura's loaned Zoid had some minor armor damage but otherwise remains relatively unscathed. Even Zhou was impressed.
"Gotta hand it to that girl. She knows how to take good care of you huh?" Zhou greets her white Geno Saurer which responded with a low growl. The other personnel on the other hand had gathered at the cantina for breakfast first.
"Good morning…" Sakura greeted as she enters the room, wiping away the last traces of sleep from her eyes as she makes her way to her friends.
"Look at that. Earlier, you were all gung-ho about working overtime but when your head hit the covers, you practically passed out!" Seral laughs as the younger pilot sat next to her.
"Shut up." Sakura groaned. "I didn't expect to pass out that long though. Must be the medicine." She turns to look at Vishna who just shrugged as she gives her a bowl of soup to eat. "Thanks."
"Don't mention it."
"I heard you took on a König Wolf by yourself." Sakura asks.
"Hah! Impressed?"
"Yes. Thank you Vishna." Sakura smiled at her friend. Her expression suddenly turned gloomy however upon recalling her failure to protect the excavation site.
"Again with the gloomy expression…" Vishna sighed.
"Don't be too hard on yourself Sakura. The operation was still a success you know?" Seral tries comforting the girl. "Tell you what, why don't you come with us?"
"Huh?"
"We're currently in a mercenary town. Captain wants us to pick up some parts we ordered for the repairs of the Red Horn and Sabre Tiger." Vishna explains. "And then, we can chill out~"
"But what about the Hydrarchos?" Sakura asks. "If all three of us leave then who'll guard it?"
"Captain said he would. He's already gone out with the Dark Spiner an hour ago." Seral explained.
"Yep. And no idiot would dare pick a fight with a Dark Spiner right now." Vishna added.
"I guess." Sakura leaps up to her feet. "I don't mind. I wanted to stretch my legs as well."
"That's the spirit!" Seral laughs, wrapping an arm around Sakura's shoulder. "Don't worry, it's going to be fun~"
The day progressed slowly. Morning gave way to the high noon and businesses soon slowed down as people sought refuge from the heat, engaging in various recreational activities. Some played board games, others tuned in to sports. Some were drinking while some were placing bets. Zoid Battles was a new craze that swept through town; an influence of the Eastern Continent entertainment. People from all over came to see the matches held in grand arenas.
"And we're back Blue City! Today's match is rather exciting as Storm Crusher tries to defend the title from Cancer Blade, a new upstart hailing from abroad. Storm Crusher currently has the advantage with his souped-up Iron Kong—man! That must've cost quite a fortune to equip! On the other hand, Cancer Blade would try to even the odds with his Leostriker! Relatively small Zoid but rather feisty for its size. But the biggest question now is: Would we see a historical David beats Goliath scenario?! Or would the armed titan trample down his opponent?! There's only one way to find out!"
"Well duh! Is this even a contest?" One of the spectators grunted as his attention turned away from the screen. "Just change the channel! It's pretty obvious who's going to win!"
"Hey, you don't own this pub! You're just ripping off the free TV anyway!" Another patron tries to tell him off.
"Can't even get some peace and quiet eh?" Alyx exclaimed upon seeing the commotion. She was seated near the counter, having ordered a glass of cold tea which she took occasional sips from as her eyes watched the battle unfolding on the TV. The Iron Kong was taking the lead, firing shot after shot which its smaller adversary narrowly dodged.
"Anyway, damn that Kiminari for making me go all the way out here to get the parts we need—!" Alyx silently cursed the head mechanic in her mind. As she wasn't considered part of the regular army, she had been delegated to go on the mission on their behalf. Apparently, her provincial background makes her blend in with the locals nicely. "Ughh…what a slave driver…"
"Are you the chick looking for an oscillator?" A burly looking man approached Alyx's table, setting a navy-blue bag on it.
"Yeah." Alyx replied, immediately finishing her tea and setting her glass aside. "That would be me."
"So you're Alyx huh? Don told me all about you. I'm Law, the one who owns the parts shop?" The burly man introduced himself, extending a hand to Alyx as he did.
"Ah yeah…Law's Parts right. Well, nice to meet you~" Likewise, Alyx took his hand, accepting the gesture.
"I have to admit, you're much cuter and prettier than I expected." Law attempts to flatter the young Kalanes girl. "Was expecting an old, greased-up mechanic to meet me."
"Heh! I may not look like it but I am a mechanic too. So, I take it that you have the parts I ordered?"
"Yeah, I have one sitting around in the back of my shop. But, you're quite a slender creature and it's quite big so…" Law checks out Alyx from head to toe. "Why don't you give me the name of the place where you want it? I'll deliver it for you."
"Oh, no problem! I've got a truck parked out front." Alyx assures Law. She couldn't risk giving away the Alexander's position.
"Wow, you've really got it covered eh? Let's go then. Swing your truck around my shop and pick up the parts you need." Law urges her on.
"Let's go." Having paid for her drink, Alyx turns to follow the man to his shop.
Law's Parts was just a stone's throw away from the pub Alyx was hanging out at a few minutes ago. She had to maneuver the truck around the narrow streets into the back of the warehouse in order to pick up the part she needed. A couple of assistants fastened the oscillator to the back while Alyx made small talk all throughout.
"That's a rather tall order though—and in such a short notice too. Tell me, what are you going to use this for? Got a broken Salamander chilling in the back of your house or something?" Law asked.
"Nah, it's for a small project I was planning. It's a solar plane of sorts." Alyx explained, again not revealing anything about the Alexander to the rather sketchy salesman.
"A plane huh? Well, good luck on your project then. Let me know if you need anything else. Hey, pub's running a special on their drinks later this evening. You want to come along?" Law invites her.
"Hmm…Well, I really need to get going. It's late, and I still have a long way to drive. Oh, here's the amount I promised." Alyx takes out the card loaned to her by Eleanor.
"Alright." Law takes the card and brings it inside the store for a moment. Alyx watched for a while, wondering if Law somehow deduces that the card belongs to someone in the Republican army and was now looking for Imperial contacts to sell the information to. To her relief though, Law emerges after just a few minutes.
"Here you go. You can double check if you want but I assure you, we don't do shady business here."
"Well, don't mind me if I do~" Alyx chimed in as she checks the contents on the account. "Uhh…You charged wrong, mister."
"Nah, I decided to give you a little discount. Just for being so cute and accommodating to people like us." Law admits with a smile.
"A…hahaha…right! Well then, I'll be off!" Feeling slightly creeped out by how nice Law was being to her, Alyx politely makes her excuses so she could leave. Hopping into the driver's seat, she tries to start the truck but—
"Huh? It's not working?" Alyx exclaimed when she realised that try as she might, she couldn't get the truck to start. Alighting from the vehicle, she walked all the way to the front in order to check the engine. Opening the hood only served to let out a thick cloud of smoke covering the engine, causing Alyx to back away coughing.
"Hehe…guess you'll be staying tonight then?"
"Guess you're right~" Alyx sheepishly admits defeat.
"It'll only be a while! Don't worry! I'll get my boys to fix this real quick free of charge!" Law assures her.
"How about you just take the payments for the repairs from the discount you gave me? Anymore charity on your part and I'll start to get suspicious!"
"Hahaha! Okay, let's do that. Come on, let's hit the pub!"
Evening slowly rolled in the ruined city. The setting sun started to cast weird shadows along the forgotten city but for the nearby town, life was just starting. Soon, the streets would be strung with artificial lights and the honest workers would come rolling in the pubs and taverns, looking for a quick round of merry-making. Boisterous laughter erupted from all around, drowning out all other sounds coming from the establishment.
"Ugh! It's so noisy here as well!" Vishna immediately backs away from one of the pubs they checked out. The Remnant trio was decked in fitting civilian clothes allowing them to blend in easier. No one could immediately suspect they were soldiers. Vishna however, does stand out a bit due to her heritage which was based on Nyx.
"What do you expect, fine atmosphere? It's a pub Vishna, not a five-star restaurant." Seral counters.
"What I mean is, it's too noisy even for pub standards!"
"Wow! So, you've been to a quiet pub? Tell me where it is and I'll give you a free drink."
"What's with the sarcasm? I only said it was noisy!"
"You've been complaining since we got here!"
"Girls!" Sakura tries to cut in between the bickering. "Can't you settle down?"
"She started it!" The two replied almost in unison.
"Ahahaha…" Sakura could only give a nervous chuckle. "Anyway, that are they clamoring over?" She wondered as her two companions continued bickering. Seeing that she won't be able to interfere with the two anyway, Sakura walked towards the dimly-lit establishment, forcing her way past other partygoers and patrons. On the center of the screen was a huge TV showing a fight between a Gun Sniper and a Rev Raptor. A classic revolver duel was fought between the two Zoids as the flat and enclosed area made it difficult for the Gun Sniper to utilize its sniper rifle.
"A little program cooked up by those eggheads from the Eastern Continent. Kind of like those brawls between martial artists you see on TV a few years ago but with Zoids." Seral suddenly piped in, having followed Sakura inside.
"They're using live ammunition…Do they fight until death?" Sakura wondered.
"I don't know. Word is that they've been developing weapons and ammo just for this kind of event." Seral explained. "I think it just induces a system freeze instead of outright killing the Zoid."
"Then those Zoids are weaker than what we have to face here…" Sakura sighed and walked away, leaving her friends to their devices.
"You're not going to stay and watch?" Seral asked. "It actually looks pretty impressive."
"No. We face that kind of thing every day after all." Sakura answered back with a soft smile. "Besides, it is a little noisy for me. I just want to get some fresh air."
"Alright. Take care of yourself." Seral nodded as she and Vishna sat down at the bar to get some drinks.
"My bet is that the Gun Sniper's going to win." Vishna starts.
"Oh? And why is that my friend and cohort?" Seral urges her on.
"Just a hunch."
"Alright. From the looks of it however, I think the Rev Raptor's going to win this one."
"How do you know miss smarty-pants?"
"Just a hunch."
Vishna narrows her gaze to meet Seral's. Seral just gives her a sly smile. "Pick up the tab if I win?"
"Deal."
Away from the bustling city pub, there were less sources of entertainment. The way the buildings looked told Sakura that this town probably dated back to the days of the old war. Damage from the seasons and the battles were very much visible and almost half of the buildings seemed to be on the verge of crumbling. Nevertheless, people stayed. To them, this land was their home and they were much more willing to stay and tough things out rather than search for greener pastures somewhere else. The thought made Sakura doubt herself a little. Back at the orphanage, all she wanted was to get out. She didn't think about wanting to make a life for herself back at Kalanes like Alyx did.
"That was terrible…Pub's special my ass!"
Turning around, Sakura's eyes narrowed on a girl hunched over a wall in a dark alley. Apparently, she was throwing up whatever concoction she drank in that shady pub. As the girl was in close proximity to her, Sakura offered assistance by presenting her with her own handkerchief.
"Here, use this."
"Thanks." The other girl thanked her and immediately used it. As she finishes, the girl looked up to return the item to its owner and was visibly surprised when she recognized Sakura's face. Likewise, Sakura also recognized the girl.
"Alyx…"
"Sakura…"
For a while, the two of them were unable to speak. The situation felt so unreal at that time. Not too long ago, they had just attempted to take each other down in their respective Zoids. Both still bore wounds for being on opposing sides of the fence. Spotting a stone bench just beside the empty building left of the pub, the two wordlessly walked over there to sit down. After a short moment of silence though, Sakura was able to find her voice again.
"I wasn't expecting to find you here." Sakura spoke up first.
"Likewise…" Alyx replied, sharing her old friend's sentiments. Despite being acquaintances, the two found it difficult to keep a conversation going. Alyx could only scratch her head at the awkward silence that enveloped them.
"So uhh…" Sakura starts. "What happened to you?"
"Pub's special was apparently not so special. It tastes like sewer water!" Alyx sighed. "Shouldn't have taken up that offer."
"Their specials are usually just there to entice people to spend and get drunk quick. It's not really gourmet stuff if that's what you're looking for." Sakura explained with a light chuckle.
"Really? I should have known."
"Heehee~" Sakura giggled. Alyx rises up to her feet, dusting off the sand that got into her cloak and stood beside her old friend. She turned to face Sakura and smiled.
"I'm glad to see you again Sakura."
Sakura just nodded. "Do you—hate me? You said some pretty mean things back at Mount Cybele."
"If I hated you, I would've brushed you aside earlier. Of course, I don't." Alyx explained. "If I have to put it in words though…yeah, that's it. I guess I was just frustrated. And possibly even jealous."
"Frustrated? Jealous? What do you mean?"
"Well I mean, you got adopted. You got out. And into a loving family as well based from what I heard from you. You fought fiercely when you mentioned them. I can see that you're very close." Alyx explained.
"Yeah. I still think about them from time to time."
"Then you come back as a genius Zoids pilot. You were very strong. If Alta didn't come around to save my ass, I probably would've died." Alyx sighed.
"I wasn't trying to kill you back there." Sakura clarifies. "I was just trying to make my point I guess?"
"Really? Well that makes me even more depressed."
"Hmm? Why?"
"You were holding back while I was fighting as hard as I can. You kind of have an unfair advantage over me in that regard." Alyx chuckled. "You're really amazing Sakura."
"N-not really…" Sakura replied sheepishly. "I still struggle with speaking a lot and my colleagues say I tend to be too hard on myself. And I freeze up whenever I try to use my Zoid's particle cannon. I don't know. I get horrible flashbacks of that day whenever I try."
"You weren't even intending to use your trump card? Man, talk about heaven and earth!" Alyx started but noticed that Sakura had gone unusually quiet. "Right, she was there. She was there when the capital fell. It probably scarred her for life."
"Well, you're not alone in that regard." Alyx nudges her old friend with her elbow. "First time I piloted a Shield Liger, I went full speed for five minutes before puking and passing out hahaha!"
"You still have a lot to learn then. I can teach you but—" Sakura sighed. Their current situation hits the both of them back full force. Alyx notices this and just gives her a sad smile.
"Things aren't that simple anymore huh?"
"Yeah." Sakura replied. "Don't you get lonely over there?"
"Not really. Surprisingly, I was still able to make some friends." Alyx answered back, taking care not to disclose anything too damning about her new allies.
"Same on my end. At first it was very tough for me at the academy. I mean, you know me. I'm very shy and timid. But I managed to still make friends. Now I'm not so lonely anymore."
"That's a relief." Alyx sighed contentedly. "You have someone looking out for you at least. I was worried. I mean, you look like you haven't slept in two weeks!"
"You think so too?" Sakura giggled. "Vishna and Seral also said the same thing."
"Vishna and Seral?"
"My friends."
"Hey, Sakura! Where the hell have you been?!" A rather rough sounding voice called out to her old friend. Alyx turned to look at who it was and saw the same Sabre Tiger pilot she met in Kalanes a while ago. Apparently, the two knew each other. She immediately raised her hood up to avoid detection.
"Just getting some fresh air." Sakura answered back, eyeing the food boxes Vishna carried in her hand. "What are those?"
"Hmm? Oh, it's some food me and Seral picked up. We couldn't find you anywhere so we went ahead and ordered for you. Hope you're craving for some eel."
"You better believe it." Sakura nodded and turned back to Alyx, who had already started walking away.
"Goodbye Imperial soldier! Thanks for the assistance earlier." Alyx waved back without stopping.
"Right. Good night!" Sakura calls out.
"I hope I don't see you on the battlefield next time." The two girls thought as they went their respective ways with Alyx returning to the outskirts and Sakura staying behind a bit with her friends. Strangely enough, even when they saw themselves on opposite sides, the two girls parted like they would when they were still little back in Kalanes.
Writer's Note: Chapter 13 is up! Nothing too special. Just a small breather chapter for my characters~