TWENTY FOUR
REDEMPTION
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jdoug4118: It has been planned that way since the beginning. He wanted to replicate Hiltz at the end of Guardian Force show. But, you know, you can't have everything. Thank you for keeping up with me.
Somewhere in the Desert,
Western Continent, Planet Zi,
March 11, 2128
As the ground shook and concrete debris bombarded the ground like a hailstorm, Saskia could only fold on the elevator floor, covering her head with her arms and praying that the concrete barrage would spare her and the elevator. The Gilvader's roar shattered her eardrums. Crumbling walls and pathways elicited horrid groans. Then the familiar whizz of the Gilvader's jets rattled the entire room, kicking pebbles and dust in a small-scale hurricane. The massive zoids shot upward screaming, leaving a deafening sonic boom.
When the sonic boom subsided, and the walls stopped crumbling, Saskia slowly dragged her body out of the elevator. The large underground hall had turned into a blackhole. The ceiling was gone, along with the only sources of light. Busted cables and electronics spurted sparks from time to time. The only source of light came from a hole far above the room. The Drillgan Gilvader had drilled a tunnel all the way up to the surface, and escaped,
Saskia didn't know how deep she was underground, but judging from the size of the hole she estimated that she was more than 30 stories below the surface. The elevator was out; even if it was still running, there was no electricity to carry the car up to the surface. In any other situation stairs would've been a fine choice, if it still existed. Everything was so smashed up she might be stuck in the lowest level of a wrecked secret base for a long time.
But Saskia didn't even think of getting out. She lost all the reasons to come back to the surface. She crossed 3 continents to find her zoid, but now she lost the man she had a feeling for. The two most important figures in her life were now gone, and the trail had gone cold. Her Gilvader might have been dismantled to make the one that Royce eventually 'merged' with. The dark ambience of the ruined base matched her inner heart: dark, gloomy, with occasional sparks that gave her nothing but false hope.
Then anger set in. She was mad at Royce for taking every chance of her to be happy. But she had nobody else to blame. She had seen Royce's real face. She knew he had no respect for anybody, and only deferred to his own desire. Yet she continued to pursue her own desire, thinking – hoping – that everything was just a mirage and things would get better in the end. She was the one who abandoned common sense for a scant hope of romance.
Sitting on a large chunk of concrete, Saskia buried her face in her palms, letting her tears seep between her fingers, until she heard people shouting in the distance. She couldn't make out what they were talking about, but she could catch the urgency in their voices. Whatever it was they were trying to do, they wanted to do it quick. It wasn't much of a hope for Saskia, but she couldn't stand the urge to snoop. She followed the voice, which surprisingly led her to another level below the floor.
There was, indeed, another level that remained mostly untouched by the Gilvader's rampage. Everything in this level was still operational, as if the mayhem upstairs never happened. And lo and behold, there was another Gilvader chained and hooked up to hundreds of probes and cables. The Neo Zenebas technicians scurried over panels and consoles, trying to jump start the beast, but the zoid didn't show any desire to live. It just sagged on the floor, with its head dangling lifelessly at the top of its long neck.
And Saskia immediately knew the reason.
"Gilvy?" she bellowed.
The Neo Zenebas technicians turned and started charging Saskia, but in an instance the Gilvader sprung to life. The eyes blazed in fury, and the mouth snapped open, hurling a deafening roar that threw the technicians to the ground. With one mighty yank the chains and the cables broke, and the hulking wretch suddenly turned into a sprightly behemoth. The tip of its wings grazed the walls as they flapped, and its maser horns jammed the ceiling, pulling down debris just like the other one did a few minutes ago. The technicians quickly evacuated the hall.
"My God, Gilvy, I fear I would never see you again," Saskia said with tears streaming down her face. She walked up to the beast, watching the chains and cables dangling from every part of its body. "Apologies, my past transgressions led you to agony. You deserve none of this."
The Gilvader emitted a soft purr, which quickly turned into a nasty growl. Its maser horns glowed in brilliant purple, and the Beam Smasher saws started to whirl in high speed. Saskia had known her zoid long enough to read its signals. And she was right. In a matter of seconds two zoids busted through the wall. Saskia's eyes bulged, recognizing the zoids as Cassiopeia's Arosaurer and her old Leostriker. But the Arosaurer had changed, sporting two massive cannons she had never seen before.
"Hold fire! Hold fire!" a familiar voice boomed from the Arosaurer's external speaker. "Saskia! It's me, Kenny! Do not shoot!"
"Kenny?" Saskia blurted. "Kenny is alive?"
The Arosaurer took a fighting stance, lining up its cannons with the Gilvader's head, but the hatch popped up and Kenny rushed out of the cockpit, waving his arms frenetically to get Saskia's attention. Saskia never thought she would see Kenny again, here of all the places.
"Still arms, Gilvy!" she said. "They are not our enemies!" She dashed forward with her arms stretched wide open until Kenny threw himself at her. She pulled him into her tight embrace. "I thought you were dead!"
"I thought you were dead!" Kenny replied hastily. "You were the one hand in hand with a fugitive!"
"Fugitive? Royce was no such…" and then she realized what had really happened. She watched the Leostriker opened its cockpit, and sure enough, Cassiopeia climbed out. "Oh, I am a fool," she sighed exasperatedly. "I am but a fool."
"It was but foreseen," Cassiopeia said matter-of-factly. "Royce would do anything to fulfill desire."
"The same was spoken of you," Saskia whispered.
"An expected proceeding. We spent years fighting together as Rottiger Special Agents. We know each other's strengths and weaknesses. He knew my plan and did the exact thing before I could execute it."
"I gave him everything!" Saskia lamented. The Gilvader gently shoved its snout toward her. She laid her head on the metal beast and cried her eyes out.
Kenny and Cassiopeia wisely backed up to give Saskia some space. Maia, who just climbed off the Arosaurer, didn't share that wisdom. She came up to Saskia to offer comfort, but the Gilvader spotted her. Unaware of her relationship with Saskia, the ultra-aggressive zoid quickly went into protective mode. It sneered, boasting a set of gleaming teeth, and let out a nasty growl that stopped Maia dead cold.
"You," Saskia recognized Maia. "You are from Fat Bob's caravan. How did you escape?"
"Lieutenant Cassiopeia made assault to the caravan," Maia said with trembling voice. "Fat Bob is dead."
"Well bless Mother Zi for that!" Saskia burst into laughter. The news about the demise of the one who caused her so much pain was welcomed refreshment, like a drop of water in the desert. Saskia had planned her own revenge once she got out of the lab, but whoever killed Fat Bob didn't matter anymore.
"Cassiopeia sought to procure heads," Kenny quipped. "Maia's assertion had spared yours."
"A most appreciated gesture," Saskia sniffled as she wiped the tears from her face. "Gratitude. Maia? Is that your name?"
"Yes," Maia replied, still intimidated by the Gilvader looming over Saskia's head. "So are we still in anonymity or are we in good acquaintance presently?"
"We sure are," Saskia smiled. She waved her arms to back her zoid off. "She's OK, Gilvy. I know her."
As the Gilvader stepped back, Saskia looked at Kenny, then Cassiopeia, then back at Kenny again. She noticed things were different from the way they used to be. Kenny was more comfortable in himself, unlike a little 'boy' he used to know. She didn't remember Maia much but she recalled the dark and gloomy look in her eyes. Those, too, were gone. Her eyes sparkled in liveliness. They made her ashamed of herself.
"What is of Cleto?" Saskia asked, realizing that Kenny didn't have his organoid with him.
"You were right, Saskia," Kenny replied as he threw his glance at the Arosaurer. "You were right all along. Cleto made home of the Arosaurer, and evolved zoid into monstrosity. Henceforth I am a zoid pilot."
"A most proper attribute," Saskia smiled broadly, "and about time! Tell me, how did you come upon my position?"
"Royce," Cassiopeia spat. "Eyes lied upon Gilvader blasting into the blue sky."
"His wish rises to reality, doesn't it?" Kenny scoffed. "To be one with the Ultimate Zoid? Is it possible? Is it him inside Gilvader or his presence is but a nuisance?"
"He had done such ritual, with similar result," Cassiopeia shook her head. "It was of a forbidden cult of ancient Zoidians lost in time. Somehow he managed to procure the cultist's talisman and attempted a merge with a Liger Zero. It failed and the Liger went into a rampage. He may succeed this time yet it was not him inside the beast. He woke up a demon, unstoppable by all."
"We can still seize him," Saskia mused. "Hope is not yet lost."
"It is but a shadow of hope," Cassiopeia sighed heavily. "By this time he is halfway to civilizations. I have called Rottiger headquarters. They would send troops to annihilate this base. Yet Royce would be out of reach, and not even Rottiger with all its might had the speed to stop the Gilvader with Drillgan units."
Saskia turned around to look at her Gilvader. As if it knew what she was thinking, the beast emitted a series of growls that made her eyes twinkle with delight. "I do," she said, "It takes a Gilvader to stop a Gilvader. Besides, I have parts in this disaster. I extended hands for Royce to get this far. The fault is mine; I shall see it undone".
"You are too weak for such attempt," Kenny blurted. "Put ears to reason, I beg of you. Royce carries death in his Drillgan weapons. He is but unstoppable. You would see life wasted upon coming to the beast's presence."
"We don't have the luxury of choices," Saskia replied. "I own my action. I shall make certain life is not thrown absent purpose."
By this time the Gilvader started fidgeting. It maser horns lit up and its beam smashers whirled, a sure sign of hostile forces coming to its direction. The Leostriker and Arosaurer picked up the Gilvader's signal and started growling in anxiety.
"We've got company!" Cassiopeia ran toward the Leostriker. "Everybody mount zoids! Saskia,fly out whenever ready! Kenny, defend Saskia! Push the Neo Zenebas back at all cost!"
Saskia quickly climbed her zoid and slipped into the cockpit. Nothing had changed. It was exactly the way she remembered it. She quickly pulled up the status display but sighed in desperation when the console spat out 30-percent combat effectiveness. The Neo Zenebas technicians definitely strived to keep it alive but in poor condition to keep it from wreaking havoc.
"We are ill-prepared against Royce, Gilvy," she groaned. "The other one is 100-percent combat ready with 4 Drillgan units. We have none of sort."
The Gilvader replied with a derisive growl, as if laughing at its own mortality.
"I know, I know," she leaned back on the command couch. She knew there was no stopping her zoid from diving into battle, no matter how grim the outcome would be. "One last hurrah?"
This time the Gilvader answered with an enthusiastic roar, just as 4 Neo Zenebas Zaber Fangs busted through the wall. The Arosaurer hurled its battlecry and fired its assault cannons. Two blinding light beams bored the side of the lead Zaber Fang, the first to come out of the wall. The explosion threw the zoid backward, crashing onto two other Zaber Fangs behind it. Sparks burst from the Zaber Fang's ribcages like a fountain.
While the two tangled Zaber Fangs struggled to free themselves from the lead Zaber Fang, the fourth Zaber Fang returned fire with its shock cannons. The Arosaurer leaned far to the left, dodging the assault. One stray shot hammered the leg of the Gilvader. The black dragon immediately hurled a shrilling battlecry and activated all cannons.
"NO! No, no, no, no…" Saskia quickly turned off the weapons. "Save your energy, Gilvy! Kenny and Cassiopeia would see it dead!"
Miffed by the missed shots, the Zaber Fang leapt forward to bring its oversized fangs to bear. But the Leostriker bombarded the 'Fang's side, throwing the large sabertooth zoid off course. The 'Fang roared and fired its dorsal guns but the Leostriker jumped to dodge the attack. It zigzagged in semi circle under the intense barrage of the Zaber Fang. However it quickly ran out of space and the Zaber Fang aimed its guns for the kill, but the Arosaurer fired its assault cannons. The Zaber Fang's dorsal cannons exploded, taking away a large chunk of internal structure with it. The sabertooth zoid cried out, then toppled to its side.
The other two Zaber Fangs managed to entangle themselves and quickly showered the Arosaurer with lethal salvoes. Dozens of beam darts rained down on the bipedal zoid. But ion boosters at the rear end of the Arosaurer's assault cannons lit up, tossing the zoid aside with speed far exceeding that of a normal Arosaurer. Most of the beam strands missed, but a few stabbed the Arosaurer in the midst. Molten armor sagged and sizzled, but no critical damage had been done.
The Leostriker came to aid the Arosaurer but the lead Zaber Fang pulled itself up and intercepted the Leostriker. Spark and smoke gushed from its damaged torso but its shock cannons were stil operational. The Leostriker was forced to retreat under a heavy barrage, leaving the Arosaurer fight two Zaber Fangs alone.
Saskia watched the fight and was thoroughly impressed by Kenny's dexterity, although she knew that it was Cleto who did most of the fighting. Still, for someone that had never fought in a zoid, he did amazingly great. Nevertheless, two Zaber Fangs were too much for the young pilot, and the Arosaurer quickly accumulated holes and pockmarks on its armor. She decided to even the odds.
"Plasma cannons, lead Zaber Fang, center mass," she designated her target. "On my mark… Fire!"
The Gilvader's quadruple Plasma Cannons glowed in crimson glory. Bright beam lances gored the lead Zaber Fang right at the smoking wound. Tongues of fire burst from the 'Fang's torso. A series of internal explosions destroyed the sabertooth's mechanical organs. It crashed, spewing flame and thick black smoke from every orifice.
"What did you do that for? I have everything under control!" Cassiopeia's ego got the best of her.
"Kenny needs help," Saskia replied. "One more Zaber Fang to put you on equal footing, then I shall take leave." She lined up her crosshair with the Zaber Fang with destroyed dorsal cannon. The Gilvader's Needle Guns came to life, stripping the armor of the damaged Zaber Fang. Fragmented armor whizzed every which way. The Zaber Fang roared in defiance. It returned fire with everything it had left, but the Gilvader's armor held strong. The Gilvader's Plasma Cannons blasted again, blanketing the Zaber Fang's left hind leg with superheated gas. The leg snapped at the knee, and the Zaber Fang collapsed, writhing on the grated metal floor.
Realizing they were outnumbered, the Zaber Fang retreated, only to give way to 4 Red Horns. The red zoids strafed the Gilvader with smorgasbords of cannons, shredding armor at alarming rate. The Gilvader cried out and, much to Saskia's chagrin, raised its Beam Smasher shield. All four buzzsaws whirled in high speed, creating a acoustic field that enveloped the black dragon. The Red Horns fired everything they had, but nothing could pierce the sonic shield.
Saskia watched in horror as her zoid's combat effectiveness dropped to less than 20 percent. Fighting the Red Horns would emaciate her zoid even more, leaving it with nothing to take on Royce. She had to take the Gilvader out before it exhausted itself against the Red Horns.
"Get out! Get out now!" she screamed as she fired the rocket boosters. The Gilvader roared in protest, but she jerked her joystick forward as far as she could, telling the zoid that she was not about to negotiate. The large zoid dashed forward and grabbed the Leostriker with its teeth and the Arosaurer with its paws. Saskia yanked the joystick backward, burying it in her crotch. In an instance the Gilvader made a hard upward pitch and skyrocketed through the hole Royce carved half an hour before.
The flight was short but for Saskia it felt like hours. She hadn't felt that rush, that massive G-force for months, one that sucked her consciousness away to the point of blacking out. And she loved every second of it. She loved the sensation of floating, detaching from ground, moving freely in space as if it was made solely for her. And she loved the fact that once again she was inside a zoid that loved flying as much as she did.
Next thing she knew, the Gilvader zipped past the exit hole and soared into the wild blue sky. Saskia wished she could just stay there for a moment, zigzagging around the cloud with the wide drab desert underneath. But the Gilvader still carried the Arosaurer and Leostriker, and they might not appreciate being carried like cubs. So she gently pushed the joystick down, ever so gently dropping the other zoids on the surface of the desert.
"Gratitude for such kind attitude," Kenny said. "I thought the warmth of daylight would never caress me again."
"You would do the same for me," Saskia replied. "Where is Royce? Radar is too weak."
"Linking up to satellite…" Cassiopeia tuned in. "Stand by… Rottiger's satellite picked up an unidentified object, bearing zero-five-five, speed Mach 3.8…"
"Oh no…" Saskia bit her lips. "He's going to Delpoi…"
"And Helic Republic," Kenny added.
"I shall notify Helic Military to prepare for its arrival…"
"No, I shall intercept him," Saskia interjected.
"Saskia, that beast is not Royce," Cassiopeia tried to reason with her. "The man you helped is gone, buried in the belly of the beast. You cannot stop it. Let Helic Military deal with it."
"Helic Military cannot stop it, not at this stage," Saskia replied as the Gilvader took off. "Only Royce can. He can control the beast, although only for a short second. I have seen him doing that. He is our only chance."
"Saskia, you will die!" Kenny said, half screaming. "Please, don't waste life!"
"I have to," Saskia said, then cut off the comlink. "Alright Gilvy, we have one chance to fix my mistake. I need you. I may take you to the grave, but I don't have anybody else. You are all I have."
The Gilvader replied by blasting its rocket boosters.