Thieves and bandits developed a nasty habit of using ancient ruins to hide from the law once the new alliance between the Guylos Empire and the Helic Republic came to be. Bolstered by the might of rogue military groups who opposed the alliance, they set to turning these old ruins into fortified bases. Despite their best efforts, they were still no match for real military might, and this particular group soon found themselves facing an Imperial regiment.
With the fortified ruins providing cover and the help of rogue soldiers, however, the bandits were putting up more than a decent fight. Their motley collection of Redlers, Gordoses, Molgas, Command Wolves and a scant few Iron Kongs held up well against the heavily armed regiment.
Mortar shells rained down on the ancient structure while the bandits fired back in earnest. On one ledge stood two Command Wolves firing their artillery on the Imperial forces below, relatively safe from incoming fire. Suddenly, the wall behind them exploded, sending one of them over the ledge to plummet to its destruction. At an incredible velocity out of the hole flew the Crimson Sworder. The second Command Wolf regained its footing and opened fire on the battle's latest participant.
"Hotter than I thought out here," Seth said as he dodged the fire coming from all directions. "Broadcast Council-friendly identifier and open coms for all channels," he instructed the Crimson Sworder's control system, then into the radio called out, "This is Lieutenant Colonel Riker of the Council Guard requesting you cease fire immediately!"
The only response he received was additional gunfire from both sides.
"Doesn't anybody listen? I repeat: cease fire! This is a friendly!"
Still, there was no response, and he had no choice but to dive to get away from the heavy shelling.
"Last warning! Call off your attack or I will return fire!"
Two of the Redlers fired missiles at the Crimson Sworder, and Seth knew the time for talk was over.
"So be it." Activating the voice controls, he said, "Sort targets."
The Crimson Sworder snap-rolled right and deployed its arm blades, deftly severing the necks of a pair of Zaber Fangs. Turning about, he trained his sights on the Redlers swarming the skies. Letting the targeting system sort out four radar locks, he fired four missiles simultaneously, which hit their targets dead-center. The last three were quickly dispatched by the Crimson Sworder's blades.
All guns were now trained on the Crimson Sworder, but its incredible speed and their lack of any remaining radar guided missiles gave Seth the confidence that he could wipe them out in no time. He pushed the throttle to it's absolute limit and put some distance between him and the enemy. Finally half a mile away, he turned sharply about and leveled off at just fifty feet above the ground, perfectly lined up for a strafing run.
His prey continued to fire in vain as they were riddled with holes from the Sworder's gatling cannons. A particularly resilient Dark Horn required the addition of a high-speed strike to the shoulder joint with the blades to take it down.
With the units on the ground taken care of, he turned his sights on the bandits holed up on the ruin's ledges. He couldn't afford the ammunition required to neutralize all of them, so he returned to the Dark Horn. The Crimson Sworder returned its left arm blade to its housing in the underbelly and grasped the vulcan cannon on the back of the Dark Horn. With the other blade, Seth smashed the connections, removing the cannon from the fallen zoid. Retracting the other blade and pushing the throttle to the limit, he hoisted the cannon high in the air.
"Divert stability control to augmented fire management," he said, and the targeting system began to compensate for the weight, recoil and firing trajectory of the cannon. At the same time, Seth began to wrestle the controls as the zoid became unstable. The targeting system mapped out the enemy positions, and with a pull of the trigger every one of them fell to cannon fire.
"Slate One-Actual pilot's log. Post-awakening, day one. Lieutenant-Colonel Riker reporting," Seth said, narrating his log. He had landed miles and miles away and hidden in the shadowy shelter of a cliff face.
"Initial observations suggest that it's been much longer than the ten years we planned. The facility was in severe disrepair, both the interior and the exterior, and the local climate has drastically changed. There were no signs of any additional survivors. Lady Lynette's chamber was empty, but there were no remains, thus opening the possibility that she may still be alive. However, that possibility is low, given I have no confirmation on the current date.
"By some miracle, the Crimson Sworder has remained perfectly intact. A few anomalies in engine output according to diagnostics, but nothing out of line for a zoid coming into service after a long storage, even if the hangar was hermetically sealed. We sure built a hell of a machine.
"After searching the facility, I made my way out and found that two factions were battling each other outside. One regiment had taken cover in the decayed hibernation facility, and appear to have collected their weapons systems from various sources, given the inconsistent markings. The second force looked to be more like a traditional military outfit. After both factions showed repeated signs of aggression and no response to radio hails, I had no choice but to return fire. After neutralizing the threats, I egressed to a safe location to reassess the situation.
"I still can't raise anyone on any of the com channels, open or encrypted. All I've been able to get is some static on the upper-most frequencies. The pattern doesn't match any known encryption schemes.
"During the egress I activated recon systems. Aerial photography shows recently used roads and small, fairly primitive encampments, though a lack of military equipment in these establishments suggest these are civilian camps. Apart from the forces I encountered earlier, I don't see any real military presence. The Sworder's radar system is picking up radar transmitters a considerable distance away, and while the idea of reestablishing friendly contact is tempting, there's also the potential for another engagement with hostile forces like before. Until I gather more intel, it'll be best to avoid any potential military establishments.
"At present, I've taken refuge under a cliff near what seems to be one of the many civilian camps in the region. I've used long-range optics to establish how best to disguise myself and I will set out on foot to gather more intel covertly. End of log."
Covered in a brown cloak to shield from the sun's heat and hide his military uniform, Seth entered the desert town. He didn't dare say anything for a while, at least until he heard the local dialect. After listening to a few conversations, he felt confident he could imitate it. It sounded crass and simplistic with many contractions and hard consonants, much like the old farmers from his home town. Seth realized that years of service in the Council Guard had made him sound a bit like one of the pretentious blue-bloods he once despised.
After seeing a few transactions at shops, he was able to determine what was currency, and was able to procure a bit from villagers' pockets with some sleight-of-hand, a skill he developed as a child that had long gone unused. He used it to purchase some food to get by for the next few days.
As he wandered town, he heard talk of two nations, apparently at peace following a long war, though there were stirs of conflict being drummed up by bandits, which would certainly explain the commotion at the hibernation facility. But this information about the two nations was beneficial. Until he knew which nation would be friendlier towards a member of the Council Guard, it would be best to avoid both.
He made the long trek back to the Crimson Sworder's hiding place, trying to imagine how long he had slumbered. If there were two nations now, could it be that the civil war reignited after the planned awakening? Was there anyone left who would recognize him as part of the Council Guard?
His mind then drifted to thoughts of Elisi and whether she was still alive. There was no sign of the organoid she was paired with, so in all likelihood it was with her, wherever she was. And if that facility was in such disrepair, what had become of the Delta facility where Helen slept?
The answers to these questions would have to wait. Right now, it was key to keep moving and gathering information. With that resolve, Seth returned to the Crimson Sworder, checked it over for any problems, and took off into the sky.
Raven knew to stay hidden, but only just so. He wanted the meddling fools of the Guardian Force to keep their distance, but he certainly wanted them to figure out for themselves why searching for him would be a bad move indeed.
Since he had made himself known, a low profile would be most prudent, as a lack of sightings would make him more terrifying in the eyes of the Guardian Force leaders. Shadow knew this, that was why he only let Raven take out the occasional scout. But after several weeks they were both getting itchy for a real challenge.
And then, the red blur streaked through the sky, and they knew it was time.
The sun was setting, and it would be dark soon. But until then, Seth was flying low to keep from being spotted on radar. But in this hilly area, it was hard to predict where a sentry might be posted. Ideally, he would fly nap of the earth, but the possibility of encampments and convoys traveling the valleys was too high. While radar saw everything in the sky, it was impossible to miss a large red zoid cruising fifty meters overhead at transonic speed. And so he flew low, zipping around blind corners and praying no one would camp out in this region.
Unfortunately, the odds were against him. The Crimson Sworder's sensors screamed an alarm shortly before a beam of energy grazed over his starboard wing.