EIGHTEEN

CHOOSE SIDE WELL

Northern Mountain,
Central Continent, Planet Zi,
February 23, 2128

After the religious cult was subdued, the Backdraft scientists resumed their work without much distraction. Another Backdraft team arrived to scavenge the remains of the Double Sworders and Saicurtis, and to transport the cult members to New Helic City law enforcements. A second Backdraft team arrived with technicians to repair and reload the survivors, including Royce's Command Wolf and Saskia's Leostriker. Backdraft's PR Laeta supervised this process in her extremely rare Lord Gale.

"Backdraft science team will wrap things up in a couple days," Laeta briefed Royce and Saskia as the Backdraft scavenge team foraged zoid parts from the field. "Credit to your professionalism, we are ahead schedule. I will see proper reward delivered to your hands when we return to New Helic City."

"You held tongue against us," Saskia miffed, still upset about the religious cult situation. "Backdraft is stealing religious artifacts from local communities…"

"A dead zoid," Laeta replied halfheartedly. "I did not lade words with lies. This is Backdraft scientific expedition to unearth dead relic. Only lunatics worship stones!"

"It is but religious path they chose. Who are we to take their token of beliefs?"

"It is but a dead zoid, never to rise again. It holds none of accolades the Brotherhood of Randis credit it for. Yet as a relic it stands a scientific seedbed Backdraft is interested in. Which way would you rather see it, worshipped by a throng of fanatics or used for scientific purposes?"

"Then why was I not briefed as such?" Saskia sneered. "It would make things easier on my part!"

"Standard operating procedure," Laeta replied. "You are but an outsourced subcontractor, not a part of Backdraft. All you had was on need-to-know basis. Everything else was Backdraft proprietary."

"Apologies for my worrisome partner," Royce joined in. "Best laid to rest before swells into inflated neeldessness." He turned to Saskia. "Let it go, Saskia."

Saskia shot a scowl at Royce. How could she let it go? This mission opened up a whole can of worm, and even if she could dismiss the fact that Backdraft sent her on a mission without proper intelligence, it was Royce's abrupt change in attitude that etched a deep mark in her mind. He started out as a staunch member of Rottiger Special Operation Force who regarded his mission with utmost esteem, and she admired him and hated him at the same time. But for a brief moment Royce turned into a completely different person, a fanboy who worshiped something called "Ultimate Zoid" without logic. Royce was of many things; fanatic was not one of them.

"Upon return to New Helic City, spill words for this 'Ultimate Zoid' affair," Saskia said to Royce, half whispering.

"None would spur your interest," Royce smirked.

"You threw it at face absent notice, so I expect tongue to flap around it," Saskia looked at him in the earnest, "then, and only then, I let things go."

"Very well," Royce let out a heavy sigh. "We finish job, then talk."

"Cover Backdraft scientists for 2 more days, then escort them back to New Helic City," Laeta surmised as her Lord Gale took flight in a cloud of dust. "Attend to me for reward."

Saskia let out a long puff, watching the Lord Gale disappeared behind the cloud, wondering if she would ever fly again. Her heart still ached for the reunion with her Gilvader, but the quest seemed to drift toward impossibility. She didn't know when Mio would get the information about Neo Zenebas base, if ever. And the longer Royce was out of action, the more distracted he was by 'mythical' zoid phenomenon. First Fuzors, now Ultimate Zoid. His infatuation to such phenomenon contradicted his personae Saskia learnt to know over the past few months: a highly-trained member of Rottiger Special Operation Force to eradicate Neo Zenebas from Zi.

"I will scout the perimeter," Saskia said as she steered her Leostriker toward the mountain range. She didn't actually intend to patrol. Whenever her mind was troubled, she always returned to her happy place: the sky. Since the Leostriker couldn't fly, she had to settle with the next best thing: to climb the highest point she could reach and watched the cloud, making believe she was actually flying.

But today was not her day. She barely left the digging site when her radar picked up two unidentified zoid coming from the other direction. The Leostriker started growling and prancing impatiently, eager to take on the incoming zoids. Saskia armed her weapons and was ready to radio Royce when the radar picked up the signature shape of the incoming zoids. Saskia's heart almost stopped beating when the visceral images of Arosaurer and Saber Lion leapt from her main screen.

Cassiopeia.

"ROYCE!" Saskia screamed over the comlink and backed up the Leostriker.

"Saskia, do not raise alarm," a woman's voice reverberated on her speaker. "We are not moving against you."

"Lieutenant Cassiopeia!" Saskia hissed, watching the Arosaurer walked closer by every passing second. "Your reputation preceeds you."

"And which one is that? One that makes me a civilian murderers? One that puts me on a vengeance track to make Rottiger pay?"

Saskia couldn't believe her ears. Royce did describe Cassiopeia exactly that way.

"My name is Lieutenant Cassiopeia, Rottiger Special Operation Force…"

"I know who you are. I know what you want…"

"I am after Royce DesGagne, former captain of Rottiger Special Operation Force."

"Former?"

"Discharged absent honor upon an incident involving a Liger Zero, called 'Ultimate Zoid'."

"What did you say?" Saskia's breath got stuck in her throat. It was this very subject that had been bogging her mind for the last few days. "What is Ultimate Zoid?"

"Your knowledge about your partner unimpresses me," Cassiopeia said curtly. By this time her Arosaurer had reached point blank range from the Leostriker. She halted her advance, putting her Arosaurer in idle with no threatening stance. "Ultimate Zoid is a myth, a children fairytale obsessed by Royce…"

"She is inexperienced, Cassiopeia, not stupid," Royce suddenly arrived and strode next to Saskia. The Command Wolf immediately locked eyes with the Arosaurer. "No need to school her about Ultimate Zoid, so hold tongue from making fool of self!"

"You failed to mention what spurs your intent? Her zoid?" Cassiopeia continued.

"What?" Saskia cringed. "Do not turn fact around! You are going after my zoid! You, not him!"

"To what end? Vengeance?"

"A fact known to the simplest of mind," Royce blurted. "We both know what denied you a place among Rottiger's elite: incompetence in the battlefield, disregard of human lives, and affinity for bloodshed!"

"Charge absent form, born out of twisted mind," Cassiopeia replied halfheartedly. "You want fact? You were a week ahead of us, yet we caught up, aided by Rottiger's outpost a few miles south. We pinpointed your position on Rottiger's radar. Put head to work, Saskia! Would head perceive it possible to procure such advantage absent good standing with Rottiger?"

It was never a significance for Saskia until now. Royce used his Rottiger rank to gain advantage, but he never made contact with his superior or any other Rottiger agents. He didn't even use Rottiger's resources when they needed it most. Money, zoids, logistic, surveillance, battlefield support… He acted like he didn't have any access to Rottiger's assets despite his captaincy.

"Is this true, Royce?" Saskia's voice trembled over the comlink. "You're no longer a Rottiger?"

"You believe her shit?" Royce snapped. "I shed blood for your cause, and this greets me in return?"

"I attempted contact months ago yet fate punished me with bad luck that he got you first!" Cassiopeia coaxed her Arosaurer into fighting stance, sensing the increasing tense in Royce's voice. "He sheds blood for Ultimate Zoid, not you!"

"Royce said the same thing about you!" Saskia retorted, utterly torn between the two sides. Suddenly this quest was not about Neo Zenebas and the lives of millions anymore. It was simply a struggle to take possession of her Gilvader. "You want my zoid as a means of revenge!"

"And take life along zoid!" Royce's Command Wolf prowled toward the Arosaurer. "Fate favored you, Saskia! You would've ceased drawing breath!" He lined up his long cannons to Cassioppeia's head. "But action outweighs words. It's time for meager talks to give way to blades and guns!"

"To what cause? Fear for the unraveling of true identity?" Cassiopeia dropped her cannons as an answer to Royce's maneuver. "Exit zoid and surrender, Royce. I only offer this once."

"I am a captain of Rottiger Special Operation Force!" Royce spat. "In the name of Rottiger, yield or fall where you stand!"

"You have no right to use Rottiger's name anymore!" Cassiopeia roared and fired her double twin cannons. Royce's Command Wolf lit up in flame, but the canine zoid quickly jumped out of the Arosaurer's line of fire, saving its armor from further punishment. The Arosaurer pivoted to train its firepower at the 'Wolf but it lunged straight at the theropod's neck, aiming at the throat. The Arosaurer jerked its head backward, but it leant too far, and the momentum of the 'Wolf brought both zoids down, tumbling on the ground, one on top of another.

Sakia put her crosshair at the tumbling zoids, but she didn't know what to shoot. Royce was her travel companion, one that saved her from the malicioius zoid trader, one that trained her and gave her confidence about piloting a terrestrial zoid, and one she developed a physical attraction on. But he seemed to be hiding a lot of secrets, and the more she spent time with him, the more she felt alienated from him. On the other hand, Cassiopeia pointed out several facts that Saskia should've figured out herself, but it didn't mean she was perfectly honest. She didn't know Cassiopeia at all. She didn't know her pupose behind this pursuit of Royce. Or was she in a pursuit of her zoid? Who was telling the truth and who was lying through teeth? Saskia couldn't tell. She just froze, thumb rested at the trigger but with no real intention to press it.

"Stand idle, Saskia," the Saber Lion, who was dormant the entire time, blocked Saskia's line of fire. "Let the Rottigers finish affair."

"Who are you?" Saskia replied as she switched her target, now lining up her crosshair with the Saber Lion. "What profit do you make of this?"

"My name is Leila, I am but a cop from Abzan City," a woman's face covered in etnic hijab appeared on her screen. "I gave Maia words to see you unharmed."

"I do not need shelter, least of all from a cop far removed from jurisdiction!" Saskia snapped. Her head throbbed from getting too much information in such little time. "And who is Maia?"

"The name not familiar? She was the skinny girl on your servitude, keen to pay her dues for your extended hands."

Saskia vaguely remembered the scrawny girl at Fat Bob's caravan, one whose name she never known. But she remembered her delicate frame around the harsh living condition, like a brittle wine glass in a midst of bricks. She wouldn't have survived if Saskia didn't help her. How did she escape Fat Bob and have a 'cop' from Abzan City look after Saskia? In a different continent, no less?

"Such premise is impossible!" Saskia trained all guns at the Saber Lion. "This stunt of yours would produce what result? Another move toward my zoid?"

"I have no hands in this mockery!" Leila put on a fighting stance, but only as an anticipation of Saskia's aggression. "I merely keep words given to Maia. She and Kenny are waiting at the Rottiger outpost, watching us as we speak."

"Kenny?" Saskia gasped. "Kenny's here?"

"Saskia, it's a trap!" Royce suddenly interjected. His Command Wolf disengaged the Arosaurer and sprinted toward the Saber Lion. "Cassiopeia lured Kenny to take his life but I intercepted him before she had hands on him!"

"Oh My God!" Saskia almost fainted, thinking that Kenny, her friend, her semi-adopted brother, had to suffer what she was suffering. "Is this true?"

"Lies!" Cassiopeia screamed and sprayed beam rounds at the Command Wolf. The 'Wolf fired its booster jets, catapulting the canine zoid out of the Arosaurer's firing zone.

"Did you or did you not lay hands on Kenny?" Saskia once again shifted target, now aiming her guns at Cassiopeia's Arosaurer. "Spill truth from mouth!"

"I squeezed information, but he came on his own!" Cassiopeia replied.

"We Rottiger agents are trained in the art of torture and intimidation!" Royce stated as he took up position to strike at Leila. "Your eyes bore witness to my move against the cultists!"

"I have never laid hands on Kenny in that fashion!" Cassiopeia snarled, trying desperately to sway Saskia her way. "I sent him home twice; he refused on both accounts!"

"Why would we be different? We are both agents of death!"

Saskia was tired and confused. Her judgement was clouded by her own imagination of Cassiopeia's brutalization of Kenny. Royce's comment cut the last string of her common sense. She mashed her trigger, and half a dozen mortars leapt from their tubes, peppering the Arosaurer from behind. The Arosaurer groaned, stumbling forward as the mortars shredded the armor at its back.

"Hold fire! Hold fire!" Leila moved in, blocking Saskia's line of fire, but Royce blasted his long cannons. The left side of the Saber Lion lit up in flames, followed by a geyser of armor shards. The lion cried out as it flew a few dozen meters and landed on its right, feet flailing in the air.

The Command Wolf engaged a high-speed charge toward the Saber Lion, trying to gain a quick advantage, but the Arosaurer quickly rose to its feet and peppered the 'Wolf with its quad cannons. The 'Wolf was forced to take evasive maneuvers, abandoning its plan to disable the Saber Lion.

Saskia heard the clang on her launchers and lobbed another volley at Casssiopeia, but this time the Arosaurer was ready. It sidestepped Saskia's poorly-aimed salvo. The mortars blasted the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust and debris. Saskia raised her cannons but the Arosaurer slipped into the cloud, using it as a smokescreen.

The Saber Lion got up and sprinted full speed, bringing its large broadsword to bear. The Command Wolf fired its long cannons, but the lion engaged a sawtooth pattern, easily dodging the attack. The 'Wolf blasted its jets, launching it forward to outmaneuver the lion, but the Arosaurer pinned it down with intense beam attack. Trapped inside Cassiopeia's firing pattern, Royce didn't have a choice but to face Leila's broadsword. As the Saber Lion leapt and thrusted its large sword, the Command Wolf flinched to its left side, missing the blade by a mere millimeter. But the blade managed to slice the 'Wolf right exhausts. The piece came off whirling in the air before slamming into a rock formation, disintegrating into thousands of black slivers.

Saskia realized that the Arosaurer and the Saber Lion were ganging up on the Command Wolf, leaving her practically alone. It strengthened her belief that Cassiopeia and Leila were coming for her zoid, just as Royce claimed. So she came out yelling, guns blazing, raining down ballistics and mortars on the two attackers. The Arosaurer and Saber Lion split up, giving Royce a much needed breathing room.

"Saskia, I warn you!" Leila growled as she repositioned her Saber Lion to attack Royce. "My concern rests with your safety, yet take offense and find zoid crushed well in advance of Royce's aid!"

"I own my action!" Saskia replied and emptied her launchers at the Saber Lion. Leila jumped, easily dodging the mortars, then broke into a sprint, aiming the lion's massive broadsword as Saskia. The Leostriker lept into the air and blocked the broadsword with its Zan Strike Sword. The two blades clashed, bursting with sparks and high-pitched clang that echoed throughout the plain. The impact sent both lions sprawling. Saskia held her joysticks tight, keeping her lion steady while trying to direct her cannons at the Saber Lion.

The Saber Lion, however, regained footing faster, and by the time Saskia lined up her crosshair, the Saber Lion was already coming at her full speed, broadsword aimed at her neck. Saskia didn't have a choice but to turn hard and parry the broadsword once again. The two blades clashed again just as vigorous as the first time. The Zan Strike Sword blocked the saber but the Leostriker was not ready to carry the momentum. Its knees buckled and it fell to its side.

The Saber Lion pressed the advantage and thrust its blade again, but the Command Wolf jumped onto it, pushing it down to the ground. The Saber Lion sprung back up but the 'Wolf pounced again, pinning it on its back with legs clawing vainly in the air. The 'Wolf's opened its jaws to crush the Saber Lion's throat. The lion slapped the 'Wolf, jerking its head backward. But the big canine came back unfazed, thrusting its open jaws at the lion's throat. The lion held the 'Wolf's head with both paws, and the two zoid were locked in a stalemate.

As Saskia tried to shrug off the Saber Lion's attack, the Arosaurer took a hard lock at the Command Wolf's left side. A burst of energy lit up the 'Wolf, grinding armor into molten slag. The 'Wolf's agonizing scream reverberated throughout the mountain range. It jumped off the Saber Lion and turned to attack the Arosaurer but the allosaur zoid blasted its flamers. Tongues of flame blanketed the Command Wolf, setting fire on the rear end of the canine.

"Take position and fight!" Royce yelled at Saskia. "I can't fight them and babysit you at the same time!"

Saskia turned her cannons at the Arosaurer and unleashed a barrage of beam lances. The Arosaurer groaned as searing armor flakes flew every which way. It turned left, exposing its barely-scratched armor to Saskia's fusillade, and made a dash to get away from Saskia's firing arc. Saskia thumbed her trigger down, hurling waves after waves of beam shots, carving cracks and holes on the armor. But no matter how hard Saskia bombarded the Arosaurer, she couldn't bring it down.

Saskia realized her cannons didn't have enough stopping power, so she deployed her Zan Strike Sword and gunned for the theropod zoid. The Leostriker leapt into the air and descended with the sword aimed at the Arosaurer's midsection. But the Arosaurer ducked low and swiped its tail. Saskia's world turned into haze as the Arosaurer's tail bludgeoned the Leostriker on the face. Plexiglass splinters filled the air. The Leostriker spun midair until it crashed a rock formation. The crash threw Saskia forward so hard her head would've smashed her console if the safety harness didn't hold her body to the seat.

For some long, agonizing minutes, Saskia just lied still, waiting for the Arosaurer to decide her fate.