Pointy Muses Fic II - Get Smarter

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Pointy Muses Fic II

Chapter Three - Get Smarter

By Rick R.

*****

Because of its near-equatorial location, the city usually enjoyed warm, pleasant weather all year round. It made living there nicely predictable, one of the reasons why the Zoid battle industry had thrived there more then anywhere else on the Eastern Continent.

When they had bought it, their backlot of the Broken Chairs' base was a weed-choked mess of broken concrete and rusting equipment that had been dumped there. Attempts at clearing it up had been largely half-hearted and unsuccessful; people started, then got discouraged and decided not to bother. However, it did now sport a reasonably clear area, free from weeds and junk.

The team had set up a small grill out the back and had dinner outside; it was a pleasant evening and there were few reasons not to. Stephen and Tasch had cooked burgers, serving them up with a side of fresh salad. It made for a nice change of pace, and had certainly left everyone in a reasonably good mood.

Seated on their collection of mis-matched lawn chairs, the team had been passing the time talking and exchanging stories, generally having a good evening and, fro the moment, getting away from the stresses of the Zoid battles that otherwise dominated their lives.

"Okay everyone." Stephen spoke up after they had finished eating and had plenty of time to settle. "I know we've had a nice evening, but there's something that I do want to discuss. And yes, its about the team. So If I could get your attention for a few minutes..."

The others turned to him. "Sure." Rose began. "What's up, Stephen?"

"Its something I noticed during our last battle." He began. "Something that, if we don't do anything about it, could pose a severe problem to our future as a team."

"Starting off on a high note, isn't he?" Neil quipped.

"What's wrong, Stephen?" Tasch asked.

"Yeah, I mean... we managed to beat the other team, so I don't see a problem." Rose added.

"That's the thing. We did manage to beat the other team, but not as easily as we could have." He explained. "While we knocked out all four of their Zoids, we took a fair beating in return. Rose and Neil in particular were almost knocked out of action."

"Those guys were sharp." Neil commented.

"An' they really knew what they were doin'." Tasch added. "Like with all the missiles an' stuff. They managed to keep us goin' real good. I barely had time to act 'cause there was so much comin' at me."

"It's not like the Cave Dwellers are exactly a big team." Rose commented. "They've been around a bit, but they've never been too much of a big name. You're right though... when I think about it, they managed to hit us hard and very nearly got us."

"That's the point." Stephen offered. "They were ready for us, for everything we did. They knew exactly what we were going to do and exactly hoe to counter it."

"So what are you saying?" Neil asked. "That we're becoming predictable?"

"Exactly."

"But I always thought that our big thing was that we were very unpredictable." Rose spoke up. "Especially Tasch."

"Well maybe that's the thing." Tasch offered. "We're becomin' predictable in our unpredictability."

"That… makes a lot of sense, actually." Neil commented. "Which is a surprise. They're trying to figure out our craziness and are going to do something with it."

"That's what I thinks' happening." Stephen nodded. "The short of it is that we need to change and adapt, to try different things. While what we do is unusual, it’s also become rather routine. We need to stop that; cease our reliance on what we always do and come up with something new, something that people won't have seen before and won't expect."

"So we need to think different." Tasch finished.

"You already think different." Neil quipped.

"Oh." She nodded. "So then what am I meant to do? Should I think normally? Or should I instead be thinkin' differently to my current thinkin' differently?"

"Forget what I said about this making sense." He replied with a grin.

"Tasch has a point." Stephen commented. "We need to stop relying on doing the same things; we need to develop new tactics and relearn being unpredictable and different."

"Would upgrading or changing Zoids help any?" Neil asked. "I mean, I know we don't really have enough cash to go a whole new Zoid right now, but surely we could change things around a bit. I think some new weapons and such could help throw off those people who claim to know what we're doing."

"That ain't gonna be too easy." Tasch offered. "Stephen's Kong's kinda at the end of its upgrade cycle; he can’t get it too much better 'cept fer going all the way to replacin' it with a PK, and they ain't cheap at all. An' my Relder was already an upgraded model, an' it’s really been modified beyond what a Redler normally can handle."

"Well you could get me a CP-13 unit." Neil spoke up. "It'd mean that I can, ooh, actually damage something. On the other hand, it might make people think that I'm a threat and try to beat on me, so maybe not." He shrugged. "Some days, being harmless is an advantage."

"I think you're missing something here." Rose spoke up. "I've got a Liger Zero, the most versatile and upgradeable Zoid around. That’s what we should be looking at."

"Its a good idea in theory, Rose, but it's got a few flaws." Stephen offered. "For starters, a CAS unit on its own usually goes for as much as a small to medium Zoid these days."

"Still, think of the advantages."

"Well, therein lies the problem." Stephen commented. "The Liger Zero's CAS units are, for the most part, designed for mission-specific use. The Jaeger, while an excellent recon and high-speed strike platform would be severely limited in the relatively close confines of an arena; you couldn't use the system to its fullest as you'd lack the room to maneuver and take the most advantage of the added speed."

"Conversely, the Schneider system runs contrary to all we've been discussing. While yes, it possesses an energy shield, it also locks you into a single attack pattern. It's going to make your actions, if anything, even more predictable. The X armour is an electronic warfare platform and completely ill-suited to our style of combat; it's relegate you almost entirely to a support role"

"However, the idea has some merit." Stephen continued. "By far the most flexible of the platforms is the Panzer CAS. It retains all of the Zero's close combat capabilities, while substantially upgrading the firepower. It'd allow you to engage in a stand-off bombardment role before closing with the enemy, and give you a better capacity to deal with a wider variety of opponents, especially airborne ones."

"Um, but there is the issue of speed and mobility." Rose spoke up. "I mean, a Panzer is gonna leave my Zero as a Murasame Liger."

"Yeah." Neil added. "You're only as fast and agile as a Blade Liger. You'd be suffering."

"The other issue is that the Panzer is not only very expensive to purchase, but also very expensive to keep." Stephen noted. "Wirth the amount of missiles you’d burn through, the costs would quickly outweigh the benefits. It'd send out parts bill through the roof. So unfortunately, for them moment, a CAS unit is not an option."

"So how about a Fuzor?" She asked. "Like if we got a Fire Phoenix for my Zoid."

"Another good idea, but again with its own drawbacks." Stephen commented. "Besides costing more and needing more upkeep then a CAS, the use of a Fuzor opens a whole bag of worms. Other teams would have grounds to list your Fuzor as being two Zoids for the purpose of team competition, regardless of if they’re combined or not. In order to use a Zero Phoenix, one of the other Members of the team would have to sit out. And as much as the Zero gains from the fusion, we'd still be better served with having two separate Zoids."

"Oh." Rose sounded notably downcast.

"Don't get me wrong, however." Stephen continued. "It’s a good idea, but just not one that's viable at the moment."

"So gettin' back to what y'all said first." Tasch spoke up. "What are we gonna do?"

"Well, to start with, I've booked us some simulator time at the ZBC." He explained. "So from tomorrow, we'll be working at redeveloping our tactics. By the time we've got this weeks battle, I figure we'll be looking at a completely new team."

*****

The stereotypical image of an accountant was of a dull, bespectacled man in a plain suit that obsessed over numbers. Working as one of the city's top accountants in its best accounting firm, it was an image that Elden Vanderlinen fought against every day of the week. He saw himself as a trendsetter, a dynamic, stylish man who was on the leading edge of the latest in fashions and style.

However, the truth was that, deep down, he loved his job. He'd always had an aptitude for numbers, and accountancy had seemed like a natural choice for him. He'd flown through university, gotten a job easily and soared up the corporate structure with his efficiency, accuracy and uncanny dress sense. Nowadays, he handled some of the biggest and most important accounts, and managed to make it look not only easy, but also cool.

There was more to it then just that, though. Last year, he'd been approached by a woman claiming to represent certain less then legal interests. She had been looking for someone who could engage in 'creative' accountancy for her; principally moving large amounts of money around by creating dummy accounts and other such schemes. What she was asking him to do was not only very illegal, but would be very hard to pull off without getting caught.

Which is why he'd taken the job.

Much like his partner, Drake, he loved a challenge. However, whereas Drake liked to run around in Zoids and show off, making an arse of himself in the name of spectator sport, Elden liked his challenges to be more intellectual in nature. Pulling off something like this was testing his skills to the very limit, and, frankly, he enjoyed it. Besides the obvious challenges of making it all work, there was also the thrill, that rush of excitement one got when one knew they were doing something illegal.

And the money he was making off it wasn't going to hurt at all.

He was in his office, obstinately finishing up some extra work and claiming overtime. In truth, he was currently engaged in moving large amounts of money from one dummy account to another, shuffling it through several intermediaries to make it harder to track down. To his mind, this was far more of an accomplishment then anything one could achieve running around in a Zoid. And he knew that his client would be happy with the outcome.

His mobile beeping interrupted his train of thought, albeit briefly. Only after checking the caller ID did he pick it up, however. "Hey hon." He began, assuming it was Drake. "No, sorry. I've been caught working late again. It's a very big project." Which was technically the truth. "No, sorry. I'll make it up to you though. How about... say... dinner tomorrow night?" He paused. "Great. I'll pick us a place. See you, love you lots."

He sighed as he put the phone down. He really did love that man, even if the guy wouldn’t ever quite figure things out. Still, when he was done, Elden would make sure that the pair of them were very well off.

*****

Stephen's massive Iron Kong strode across the concrete arena, heavy thumps resonating with each step it took. It moved slowly and casually, as if only idling. Neil's Gunsniper walked to its right, matching its pace despite its smaller size. On the left, Rose's Liger Zero also matched it, while Tasch's Black Redler flew overhead.

"Okay, good start." Stephen commented as he observed the other Zoids. "We've got a nicely matched formation here, and we can maintain it."

"More like nicely pointless." Rose muttered.

He chose to ignore the comment. "Right. Incoming bombardment... scattering maneuvers now!" He shouted over the channel.

The response was near immediate; Neil and Rose both opened up their Zoid's boosters, peeling away from the Iron Kong, while Tasch went into a steep climb to pull away. The Iron Kong's own boosters opened up, the maneuver vanes firing to thrust the Zoid sideways out of the path of an incoming attack.

"Good work!" he called out. "Right, as we planned; end-run to the enemy team to get around them while they’re standing back!" Landing from its leap, the Iron Kong broke into a run, knuckling downfield with a speed that belied its considerable bulk. Neil's Gunsniper wheeled around, taking a broad arc around one side of the field. Tasch's Redler leveled, then dived suddenly, swooping down towards the unseen targets.

On the other hand, Rose's Liger opened up, sprinting past the Iron Kong and heading straight ahead in a high-speed run. It easily outpaced all the others, leaving them behind.

"Rose!" Stephen called out. "What the hell are you doing?"

"Making a beeline straight at the enemy; closing in with them before they know what we're doing."

"You're meant to come round and strike form the flank!" he snarled.

"Well guess what? I'm doing something unexpected. That's what you said we should do." She retorted.

"That's it. Pause simulation!" The display on the screen halted, the Zoids not moving. Muttering to himself, Stephen opened up the simulator pod and stepped out, storming over to the other pods as the Members of the team clambered out. "What the hell was that about?"

"Like I said, I'm making a beeline straight for the enemy." Rose stated. "While you guys are pissfarting around they'll be off-balance trying to follow you so I can get 'em. Simple."

"Well that's a brilliant idea." Neil commented. "Save for the fact that you're running straight into their guns."

"I have speed and agility to protect me."

"And that is far from a perfect solution." Stephen stated. "Heavy armour is far, far more useful in this kind of situation. You'd be far better off following the plan and heading around to the flank. That way you take advantages of your Zoid's abilities while minimising its weaknesses."

"What weaknesses?" She asked.

"Let's see... the mediocre ranged weaponry, the inability to deal with an opponent outside of a narrow forward or rear arc of fire, the lack of anti-air defense, the only middling armour, especially form the flanks, the-"

"Okay, I get the picture." She snapped. "Point is, I was only doing what you said - be different. So I did something different."

"Yeah, but y'all weren't doin' the right different thing." Tasch offered. "Y'see, you were doin' a different thing that was a pretty standard different thing."

Rose blinked for a moment. "Well I don't see the problem there."

"That's because I hadn't yet added the enemies." Stephen commented. "Now if you were running at a Redhorn or Gordos, for example, they could have easily gunned you down long before you got close, which wouldn't be of any use to anyone."

"I could evade them." She sulkily replied.

"Like oyu evaded that Gordos' tail last battle?" He continued.

There was a pause as Rose looked away from the group. "This is stupid." She muttered.

"No, it's vital for the future of our team - which is your livelihood." Stephen stated. "So I suggest that you get back into the simulator and actually do what I suggest."

"Fine." She muttered. "I'm going."

Stephen watched her as she trudged past, clearly making an act of how unhappy she was with the situation. Once she was seated in her pod, he turned back to Neil who had been hovering behind him. "And what do you want?" He snapped.

"Um, I was just going to ask if I could have Thursday night off." He meekly replied. "Um, if that’s okay with you."

*****

Like many other teams, the New Breed's base wasn't a purpose-designed facility; rather it was a part of an old industrial complex that had been later converted after the fact. While a lot less drab and run down then the building that served as the Broken Chairs' base of operations, it had developed its own personality traits over time.

The key difference was the way that the team saw it. Whereas most teams bought their base on the premise that they would be there for the long run, the New Breed had originally purchased the base with the intention of upgrading to a better facility after they achieved some degree of success. As a result, much of its furniture and facilities had a thrown-together feel; things had been bought or rented with the intention of replacing them at a future date.

Over time, instead, they had become very permanent. The New Breed, having never quite made it, had stayed in their current base, planning to move out "the next season" or so. Each year they made grandiose plans, and each year they ended up falling short of those plans.

Their main living room typified the situation. It was dominated by a large table that had been bought second hand, and suffered badly from uneven legs. The compressed newspaper under two of the legs had been there a while, as much a part of the furniture as the tabletop itself. Three of the team's Members were gathered around it, while a fourth was outside on a nearby balcony.

"Okay, let’s go over this again." Jason Bloom, the tallest of the team began. Large and muscular, he had short-cropped black hair and dark brown eyes that accentuated his tanned skin. "I remain here, firing at long range to keep the enemy pinned into place. Maya will go up the middle, making leaps to throw off enemy counter-fire while pouring on with her own firepower. That way we keep them off balance."

"I don't see why I go up the middle and cop the most fire." Maya Starling spoke up. Obstinately the team leader, she seemed to take a back seat to Jason when it came to planning, Of average size, her athletic frame was offset by her generous cleavage, which in turn was offset by what could only be described as a 'cute' nose. Green eyes and long blonde hair helped complete the package. "Ellie's Zoid has the energy shield, so why isn't she the bait?"

"Because your ranged firepower is a lot better then hers." Jason stated, sighing as he did. "Furthermore, she can't use the shield and shoot at the same time. So they see her coming and they move, thus denying her any use she may have in her main weapon. However, you have the ranged firepower to keep them off balance, especially while supported by my covering fire."

"I still think it's a bit of a waste." Maya grumbled to herself. "I'm worth more to this team then just bait. My father never was bait."

Jason just muttered under his breath and shook his head. "Well this is different. Your father wasn't on a team, and he wasn't facing a team. Thus we should be thinking differently." He looked over the table. "Now, once they're tied up, Greg and Ellie will head in from the flanks and ambush them. Maya closes in, while I continue fire support from the back row."

"Wouldn't it be better for me to attack them from behind?" Greg Romero spoke up. he could be best described as scrawny, being apparently made entirely from knees and elbows. Combined with his short brown hair and light brown eyes, the result made him look like an awkward teenager rather then a professional Zoid pilot. "Because I mean, because my Zoid is so fast, I could get behind them and ambush them. That way we could sandwich them between me and Maya."

"Firstly, you're already going to be flanking with Ellie." Jason explained, slowly and patiently. "Secondly, it'll take you more time - and be harder to coordinate - if you move too the rear; time that could cost us the coordination of our attack. Third, this requires a lot less sharp maneuvering, something that is not your specialty. Running in a straight line is, as is taking relaxed corners like what we're doing here. So that's why you're flanking with Ellie."

"Oh." He replied. "Because I was thinking that If I attacked from behind, then I could have the element of surprise on my side."

This was a problem with dealing with Greg. He always had his own idea, and it was almost always half-arsed. "It's an interesting idea, but for now we'll stick to this."

"Who are we fighting, by the way?" Maya asked.

"Well, I don't have the details yet." Jason admitted. "But as soon as we do, we can modify this plan to suit our particular opponents. Anyway, Ellie-"

"But your hypothetical opponent team could be prepared for us." Maya commented. "Or they could have Zoids that will be able to evade or withstand my initial assault."

"As I said, this is a working plan. We'll modify it as the situation demands." He sighed. "Now Ellie-"

"Just a minute!" The fourth Member of the team shouted form outside. Shorter then any of the others, she had started out shapely and ended up rather plump. Her hair was blonde this week, and she had a cel phone in one hand and a cigarette in the other. "I'm sorry about that. Where were we hon?"

"Ellie, this is important." Jason continued. "We're planning for the next battle, so I would appreciate it-"

"I'll come in when I'm bloody well done and not before!" She snapped. "Honestly, Jason, you have no bloody idea of what's important!"

"Ellie, I'd appreciate it if you could join us." He continued. "It’s really important that-"

"Don't you bloody well yell at me!" She shouted back. "I've told you before, I'll bloody well come in when I'm done here! You have no bloody-"

She was cut off by a high-pitched wail coming form the next room. For a moment, the entire room was silent, with three of the team Members nervously looking around. "Oh now look what you’ve done." Ellie snapped as she stubbed out the cigarette and stormed into the room. "You've woken up Skye with all your bloody shouting."

Storming past the three of them, she ducked into the next room. A minute later, she emerged, holding a baby in her arms. "Shh shh shh shh." She began. "Shhh. Did the big nasty shouty man wake you up? Aww." She continued while the others looked on. "So where am I, now that I've been dragged in here?"

"Flanking." Jason explained. "You'll come in from the side once they're tied up with Maya and I. That way you can take 'em by surprise, and close in to where you're most effective."

"But I'm not going up the middle again or drawing their fire?"

"No."

"That's good." She replied. "Because I'm a lot better suited to being the main thrust of the attack rather then being some random distraction."

"Just rub it in why don't you?" Maya muttered under her breath.

"And anyways, my Zoid is slim and graceful. It deserves to be used in a manner befitting a machine of its stature." She continued, a superior tone in her voice.

"Its as slim and graceful as you are." Maya muttered.

"What was that?"

"Oh, nothing." Maya replied, a tone of false innocence in her voice.

If Ellie noted it, she didn't respond, instead tuning back to her child. "Who's a little cutie then? Who's a little-"

A loud buzz from the intercom cut her off, and set Skye off crying again. "Will someone bloody well get that?" She shouted.

"All right, I've got it." Jason muttered, walking out of the room. He would have been the first to admit that he didn't approve of Ellie bringing her child to the bulk of team meetings and the like. However, since the father worked a full-time job in the city, he had to admit that it made sense.

Checking the security screen, he could see that there was a man at the door; dressed in a rather plain suit and carrying a suitcase. "Who is this?" he began, angrily. He was in no mood for this right now.

"My name is Ron McGonnagle." The man replied. "I'm from the ZBC, with information about your next match."

"Right." Jason replied. This was unusual, but certainly not unheard of. "Come in then." He pressed the button to open the door, and waited as Mr McGonnagle stepped inside.

"Thank you for that, mister..." Ron began as he stepped in, case in hand.

"Jason." He stated, flatly.

"Well then, um, Jason." Ron continued. "As I said, I've got the information on your next battle here. I've also included a full profile of the enemy team, including their tactics and some of their battle highlights."

"Oh." Jason was taken a back for a moment. He didn't expect that from the ZBC; usually they just sent him the name of the team and relied upon him to do all the research. It sounded like this Ron guy had already done all his work for him.

"It's all here." Ron commented as he pulled out a disk and handed it to Jason. "Zoids, profiles, past battles, everything you could need for your planning."

While Jason prided himself on being a planner, he also knew that he did his best work when he had as much information available as possible. Certainly, he didn't like leaving matters to guesswork or speculation. "Well thanks." He commented as he took the disk. Near as he could tell, this man had just done all his work for him.

"Not at all." Ron finished. "Good luck to you and your team in your next match."

"I don’t know." He looked over the disk. "I very much doubt that luck will factor into it."

*****

[Deadborder]

"Neil? It’s your turn."

Wha?" Neil began as he suddenly sat up, blinking furiously. "What was that?"

"I said, its your go." Nadia reiterated. Looking around the table, he could see that her, Laura and Akira were all looking expectedly at him. Jake was outside, smoking. They were in the middle of a gaming session at Nadia's team base, and clearly he had been snoozing when he was meant to be playing.

"Um, well..." He looked down at the map with the miniatures scattered across it. "Um, I'm still in cat form at this point, so I guess I'll try to bite the Goblin with the fancy pants that was making all the noise."

"I already dispatched him." Akira spoke up.

"Then... I'll claw the Zombie guard then. Rawr."

"I dispatched him too." Akira added. "It was a spectacular move."

"You should have seen it." Laura smirked. "He got some of the best rolls I've seen in ages. I want to check his dice to make sure that it isn't loaded or something like that."

"Right. Great rolls." Neil blinked. "Um, is the Goblin wizard who's pants weren’t quite as fancy still there? And can I bite him?"

"Neil, you okay?" Nadia asked.

"Fine, yeah." He shook his head. "Grah. Sorry about that. Stephen has been going nuts trying to drill us and get us to complexly re-work our tactics and planning from the ground up. The result is that I've barely had time to eat or sleep or anything." He shook his head. "He means well, but... guh. It's not easy."

"You sure you should be here?"

"Definitely" He nodded. "I think I'd have gone spare if I didn't come out here tonight. Of course, it wasn't easy justifying it to him."

"Bad?"

"Well..." Neil waved around his pencil. "You try explaining matters to a guy who's a foot taller then you, weighs twice as much, has a short temper and has an Iron Kong to boot."

"I deal with Jeroen all the time." Nadia smirked.

"Yes, but you're insanely cute, which helps a lot." He offered. "And you have an Elephander to back your arguments up. I have Squish."

"You call your Gunsniper Squish?" She raised an eyebrow.

"No, but if I argued any more with Stephen it might as well be." he replied with a laugh.

"Ahem?" Laura spoke up from behind her screen. "If I recall, it was a certain kitty druid's turn."

"Heh. Silly me." He pushed his miniature across the table, then grabbed his dice. "And now... the kirdy bite." He rolled the dice, then checked over his sheet. "Well, I got a nineteen all up to bite that guy, being the goblin who's pants are a bit less fancy then the guy with the fancy pants."

"Yeah, that's a hit." She nodded.

Neil rolled another dice, then checked over his sheet. "...for ten points of biting cat damage. Rar kirdy."

"Okies... the Goblin goes 'plot' then collapses in a puddle of its own gore." She smirked. "That was overkill, which means that it's Jeff's go." She shook her head. "Jeff, get on in here, or else I'll dock you XP!" She added, shouting out to the porch.

"Just a sec. Finishing my smoke!"

"Useless." She shook her head, then turned back to Neil. "But I know how you go. I've been trying to integrate a new team Member into what you know is a rather... special team."

"How's that going?" Neil asked.

She shrugged. "Pretty good. Bobby's a good guy and he seems to be getting along with the idea. I guess that, just like you, we need to re-think everything to accommodate new tactical thinking. But it seems to be working so far."

"Okay, now I'm afraid." Neil shook his head. "Your team were scary good before; I can't imagine what you’d be like with a fourth guy. And you came very close to beating us."

"Very close?" She smirked. "We knocked out that Zero good, but you managed to beat us at our own game."

"Yeah, but you gave me something that I can shut Rose up with when she's being a pain, so it's all good. And since she seems to have her panties up her arse more so then usual right now, its a good idea" He continued. "That being said, it’s a big part of what Stephen's been saying so go figure." He shook his head.

"Well, in that case, I look forward to the inevitable rematch." She finished. "But for now, you go snooze. It'll be a while before Jeff comes back anyway." She shook her head. "Even though he's loosing XP every second he's out there puffing on his cancer stick."

*****

Despite the pressures of a week of intense drilling, the Members of the Broken Chairs had managed to be at the arena and checked in well on time for their match. As was standard practice, they were going through their pre-match briefing, planning for the day's battle.

"Okay everyone." Stephen began as he walked past the table. Everyone looked attentive, save for Neil who was nursing a large cup of coffee. "I know the last week has been hard, but I think that it's going to pay off. I'm very proud of what we've achieved so far; its shown that we can adapt and change. Certainly, we're going to need it."

The display activated, bringing up information on a group of Zoids. "Today's opponents are the New Breed. They've done two seasons before this one with some of their pilots having singles experience, but been only a middling team to date. However, this does not make them any less of a danger to us."

The images changed to show a quartet of Zoids. "On paper, they boast a superior array of Zoids to us; everything they have is in the heavyweight class, compared to our mixed range. A Blade Liger, a Saber Tiger, a Lighting Saix and a Dimetrodon."

"Nice set." Neil muttered. "Three pointy kitties and a big red angry monster to boot."

"Saber Tiger ain't that pointy." Tasch spoke up. "It's front end is kinda blun't, more of rounded then pointy. Blade Liger's plenty point though, and Saix is pointy too... I mean, its head's got that kinda wedge-shape to it that makes it pretty pointed."

"Okay, so three kitties of various degrees of pointiness." He corrected.

"The Blade Liger's a more or less even match for my Zero." Rose commented as she looked over the displays. "So I'll assume that I'll be going after it, right?"

"No." Stephen shook his head. "In past, you've always gone after the enemy's fastest or most agile Zoid. It’s an idea, but it usually results in you being tied up for an extended period rather then actually knocking them out. And while it gets the enemy machine off our case, there's better ways to do it."

"Right." She nodded, but looked a little disappointed. "So then..."

"I've been looking over their capabilities as well as the pilots." He continued. "And I'm getting a pretty good idea of what they're capable of. Rather then tying up the Bladey, I'm going to use you to tkae out their biggest asset."

"I thought the Blade Liger would be their biggest asset." She commented. "It’s fast, agile and has an energy shield."

"No. Their biggest asset is the Dimetrodon." He indicated to the finned Zoid on the display. "It can screw up our sensors and comms, and completely eliminate our ability to coordinate. And if it gets to let off its EMP attack, it could knock one of our Zoids out just like that. Your task will to be making and end-run by the rest of the troops and knocking it out before it can do any damage."

"Wheras I will be volunteering for the prestigious position of kitty chow." Neil added. "Seriously. I think about the worst I can do to one of these guys is get caught in their teeth."

"So then what about the pilots?" Tasch spoke up. "Y'all said you knew a bit about 'em."

"Two of them are rather easy to dig up info on, actually." He commented. "The team's nominal leader and Saber Tiger pilot is a woman by the name of Maya Starling. For those who don't know, she's the daughter of two former ZBC Champions, Alex and Lilly Starling."

"If you read into things, they say that Maya fell a bit far from the tree." Rose spoke up. "She tried singles and didn't do to well. Conversely, my dad fought Alex in the semis for his Championship year, and said that Alex was a tough fight." She shrugged. "And Violet fought Diana Starling - that's Maya's older sister - and said something about her being tough as well."

"You could tell what Vi was saying?" Neil interjected.

"By all accounts, Maya is a middling pilot; not bad by any stretch of the imagination, just... not that good." Stephen commented. "The Lighting Saix, on the other hand, is piloted by one Greg Romero, who is the son of one-time ZBC champion Verne Romero."

"Verne's really old-school." Rose spoke up. "He was before my father's time, actually."

"Wow. In Rose-years, that must make him prehistoric. He comes form the days when Bigasaurs roamed the ear- ow!" Neil added, but was cut off by a sharp elbow. "Okay, I deserved that."

"Like Maya, Greg's not quite up to the same quality of his father." Stephen commented. "From what I've seen, he’s actually a pretty weak pilot. However, he still has a powerful machine and at least has the skill to use it, so don't dismiss him outright."

"So no pressure at all, right?" Neil continued. "Gotta feel sorry for those guys though. Can't be easy trying to live up to legendary parents or older siblings."

"Yeah, well..." Rose muttered.

"Still, at least you got off well." He rambled. "You know how to pilot your Zoid, you've got some talent and you're good looking to boot. And, if all else, fails, you’ve got a decent team to fall back on."

"Yes, Neil." She snapped. "I'm dimly aware that I've got a famous pilot for a parent and sibling as well. Now could you shut up about it?"

"Oops." He muttered. "I totally deserved that too."

Stephen glared at the pair of them as Neil tried to shrink under the desk. "If you two are done arguing?"

"Yeah." Neil muttered. "Sorry about that."

"Good." He finished. "Now as I've said, we've done a lot so far this week. And now is the time to implement it. So this is what we're going to do..."

*****

From the cockpit of his Dimetrodon, Jason ran through his battle plan again as he waited for the other team to arrive. The information he'd gotten from Mr McGonnagle had proven to be incredibly useful in working out what to do and what to expect from the other team. He'd wired up his plan based on his expectations, and had spent hours drilling it into the others.

Still, it didn't hurt to be sure. "So we all know what to do?" He asked across the team's channel.

"I flank right and use my missiles to keep the Redler under control." Maya began.

"I go down the middle and try to tie up the Liger Zero so it doesn’t get to you." Ellie added.

"And I flank right and go for a lighting strike on the Kong." Greg finished.

"Very good." Jason nodded. "We know what to do. We'll launch the plan as soon as the battle begins, and not give our opponents a chance to retaliate. We can nail this one easily." He felt confident about their chances; despite the Chairs' history and past combat record, he knew he had them all figured out. They would crack the enemy team wide open, then take them down.

The hanger doors at the other end of the arena opened, the four Zoids of the enemy team striding out. Even expected, the presence of the massive Iron Kong was still intimidating, the huge machine towering over all else around it. However, he didn't let it get to him; looking over the other Zoids, he quickly assessed their configurations, satisfied that they matched the info that he had received. The Gunsniper isn't a threat to us; we can take it out when we get an opening, but we certainly shouldn't ingore it. The Redler should be fine if Maya just keeps it locked up.

"Ready team?" He asked over the channel

"Ready." Came the chorus of replies.

Watching the team, he noted the arrival of a ZBC monitor drone, flying out over the center of the battlefield then stopping in the middle, hoveing in place. “The Broken Chairs versus the New Breed.” The electronic voice announced. “Both teams confirmed. Arena confirmed. Contestants ready… fight!”

"Go!" He called out as he went into action. Flicking numerous switches on the control panel, he bought the Dimetrodon's electronic warfare systems into action. The fins on the Zoid's back began to wave side to side as they emitted a broad-spectrum jamming array, cluttering the enemy communications and sensors with electronic noise.

The three other Members of his team also launched into action, splitting up then charging down the field along their assigned attack paths. Confident in their direction, he dropped his sights onto the enemy team, activating the targeting controls for his Zoid's Hyerbeam cannon. None of them were in range as yet, but he knew it was just a matter of time.

As he had predicted, the Zero shot out, heading towards the Blade Liger. As he waited for them to close, the white enemy Zoid suddenly veered off, cutting across the field and out of Ellie's line of charge. Killing the boosters, she cut her own Zoid into a sharp turn, running after the enemy machine.

He glanced up, looking for the Redler to see where it had gotten to; because of its Stealth systems, it wouldn't show up on the Dimetrodon's sensors. However, its black and green body would readily stand out against the clear afternoon sky. Despite this, though, he could see no sign of it above him.

"Where's the Redler?" He called over the communications system as he searched around for the enemy Zoid. "Maya, you were supposed to take care of it!"

As if to answer his question, the Redler shot past him in a black blur, speeding on jets of blue flame form its boosters. The Zoid was traveling only a few meters above the ground, skimming over the surface of the arena. As he tried to track it, the Zoid suddenly dropped to the ground, using its claws and boosters to execute an insanely sharp turn and then run after the Blade Liger. The Zoid's strange hopping gait would be comical if it didn't represent such a threat.

"Ellie!" He called out. "Enemy right behind you!"

"I don't see anything on my sensors." She yelled back as her liger chased after the enemy Zero. "Now shut up and let me do my job!"

"They're stealthy, you won't see-" He began, but was cut off as the Redler opened fire. Its shots blasted into the Zoid's hindquarters, searing armour off its legs and flank. The larger zoid stumbled, but remained upright for the moment. Skidding to a halt, it came aobut to face the Redler, then charged at it.

Its twin impact cannon opened up, sending a volley of shots at the smaller Zoid. In response, the Redler simply leapt into the air, taking off straight up while letting the Liger's shots pass straight by it. Then it fired its boosters, looping up and away before diving on the Blade Liger, opening fire with its twin beam cannons. The shots raked armour off the Zoid's back, searing through the plating.

The liger spun around, deploying its twin blades and opening fire with the small beam cannons mooted on their backs. However, with their limited range of motion, the Redler was able to easily weave out of the line of fire of the enemy weapons. Twisting round in the air again, it made another pass on the liger, coming in from its side where the cannons couldn't maneuver. The shots blasted into the Liger's side, melting away more of the weak armour over its flank before the Redler pulled up and away.

"Get him off me!" She wailed over the communications system. "I can't bloody well hit him!"

"Maya!" He called back. "You're supposed to be dealing with the Redler! Get after it and keep it off Ellie's back!"

"Roger that." Maya replied, a note of anger in her voice.

"Maya, leave your personal feelings out of this. You have a job to do, now do it."

"I didn't say a dammed thing." She snapped. "But fine. I'll go rescue the wailing princess."

Jason angrily closed the channel as he watched the battle unfolding. Things weren't going to plan, but it was far from a disaster at the moment. The situation could be easily salvaged and turned to their advantage, as long as the concentrated on the plan.

*****

[Deadborder]

Despite the heavy jamming from the Dimetrodon, Neil's Gunsniper was functioning just fine. The Zoid's powerful radar was doing a credible job of burning thorough the interference, while the ECCM systems in built into its body were managing to clear up the electronic junk that was cluttering his scope.

Unfortunately, this also meant that he was, at present, the most valuable Member of the team, as only his Zoid was mostly unaffected by the jamming. Which meant that, for the moment, it was down to him to break the enemy offensive.

No sweat.

The Saber Tiger that had been barreling towards them suddenly swerved, then broke off, heading towards the Blade Liger that was currently being tormented by Tasch's Redler. It meant that Tasch and Rose were doing their job, which also meant that it was time for him to do his. He opened up the throttle, the Gunsniper's win boosters flaring as it charged downfield towards the enemy Zoids. While his machine was smaller, frailer and slower then all of theirs, it still had a couple of surprises.

She's fixated in Tasch for the moment, which is good for me, he thought as he watched the tailguns warily. Time for action. He opened up with the wrist cannons, spraying fire over the enemy Zoid as it ran. The shots tore armor off the back of the flight unit and gnawed at the wings, but did very little to actually hurt the Saber Tiger - a result that he had been expecting. However, it again gave the enemy machine pause as it turned to face its attacker, then ran at him.

This is always the fun part, he thought as the Saber Tiger charged towards him. The enemy machine opened up with its dual 30mm repeaters, spraying shots at his smaller machine. He swerved to one side, but still several shots managed to slam into the Gunsniper's flank. Ow. never fun. As he turned, he kept one of the wrist cannons pointed towards the Tiger, spraying more rounds at it.

"There we go!" He shouted out as the Tiger closed in. Twisting the Gunsniper around, he opened up with one of the rocket pods on the Gunsniper's back. The shots hammered into the Saber Tiger's leg, blasting into the armour while coughing up cluds of smoke and debris. The Zoid stumbled, crashing to the ground and skidding along on its side.

Knowing better then to believe that it was down, he kept moving, firing another burst of shots into the Tiger's flank as it righted itself. The blasts peppered the flank, then managed to capitalise on the damage he'd already done, gnawing into the damaged foreleg. The Tiger again stubled, but managed to remain upright for the moment.

Neil knew what the odds of his winning a fight with an upgraded Saber Tiger were. He also knew that he had a job to do. Smiling to himself, he turned and ran from the Tiger, barreling his way back towards Stephen's Iron Kong. "Hey big guy!" He called out over the communicator, hoping that he could get through the jamming. "I got their attention. Now try and save me from being eaten!"

*****

Even though communications had been largely disabled by the Dimetrodon's jamming, Stephen could still see the way the battle was unfolding from the Kong's cockpit. So far, things were looking good; the Chairs were doing a great job of breaking up the enemy's offensive up and keeping them off-balance. Now to finish it.

First thing first, however, he had something to deal with. The Lightning Saix had so far remained unmolested and was speeding towards him with intent. The enemy pilot either didn't realise how badly messed up the plan was or didn't care; either way, it meant that he was coming in unsupported.

He spun the Iron Kong around, dropping his sights onto the Saix as it charged straight at his Zoid. The enemy pilot, he noted, hadn't even begun to think about the situation. They were just charging in, presumably relying on their speed to keep them going and stop any would be attackers from taking them out. And while it would have been and admirable plan with support, running in on his own just made the enemy Zoid a target

The Hyperbeam cannon fired, the brilliant blue beam leaping out and striking the Saix head on, slamming into one of its shoulders as it ran. The effect was dramatic; the Zoid stumbled then fel, crashing to the ground before its inertia flipped it over, slamming it down on its back. No sooner was it down, however, then it flipped again, flopping down on its belly ands skidding to a halt.

"Easy." he muttered as he came around. "Okay, let's auger this baby in." If the Saix wasn't out of action, it certainly would be some time before it recovered; time enough for him to take action against the other Members of the team.

Looking over the battlefield, he could see that the Blade liger was still trying to weave and evade Tasch's attacks. The pilot had clearly completely forgotten their original plan and were more focused on trying to avoid and counterattack the harassing Redler. The Zoid's blades were out, the small beam cannons on the back flailing ineffectually as they tried to track the Redler, a task they were hopelessly ill-equipped for at the best of times.

The Kong's missile direction sensor reported a lock on the enemy Zoid, having cut through the interference. There's something to be said for semi-active guidance after all, he mentally added as he squeezed the trigger. The shoulder launcher swung open, the missiles inside leaping out and streaking towards the Blade Liger's exposed rear. The rounds slammed into its hindquarters, blasting into the already damaged armour and causing the machine to again lurch and stumble.

The communicator crackled to life, catching his attention. Neil blurted out something about having another Zoid after him, the panic in his tone clear through the static over the channel. Looking around, he could see the Saber Tiger chasing after his small Gunsiper, nipping at the Zoid with its back-mounted guns.

"I got him." He called back, hoping that his ally could hear him through the static. "Neil! Break off now!"

The Gunsniper suddenly veered away, breaking sharply to the right. Before the Saber Tiger could respond, Stephen opened fire with the wrist-mounted cannons and grenades. Rounds peppered the Tiger's back and flight unit, then the quartet of rockets slammed into its side and front, causing it to stumble and shudder.

Managing to remain upright despite the beating, the Zoid opened fire with the large missile launcher on its back, the weapons soaring towards Stephen's machine. He fired the thrusters, leaping up and away, trying to get out of their fire. Several streaked past, while others slammed into the Kong's chest. Checkign his status board, he could see that the damage was minor so far.

Stomping on the boosters, he soared up, then opened fire again on the enemy Zoid. More shots ripped into its side and back, staggering it but not disabling the machine. The Tiger replied with its array of small-caliber beam guns, but most of them simply bounced harmlessly off the Kong's thick hide as it descended. As he dropped down, Stephen instead drove forwards, thrusting straight at the enemy machine.

The Kong's fist slammed into its back with a thundering rash, crushing the flight unit with the force of the blow. As over two hundred tons of thruster-assisted ape drove down on it, the Tiger's legs buckled, then collapsed under the impact. The Zoid was driven into the ground, the arena floor underneath it cracking as it was slammed down.

*****

Jason watched in horror as the Saber Tiger was crushed under the force of the blow form the Iron Kong. He didn't need to see a status report from its system or ask Maya what her situation was; the Tiger was clearly out of action, and would need a major overhaul after the battle.

As he surveyed the battlefield, he could see that the situation was well out of control; his plan had fallen apart at the seams. Maya was down, and Greg's Zoid was badly damaged. As it was trying to right itself, it was being harassed and pecked at by the Gunsniper, the smaller Zoid darting in, getting off a few shots with its guns then dashing off beofre the Saix could bring its weapons to bear.

Ellie wasn't faring too much better; her Blade Liger had taken serious damage to its hindquarters and back which was only a hit or two away from being crippling. It couldn't do much else because the Redler was harassing it, pecking at its damaged flanks and not allowing the Liger to retaliate.

The enemy team, on the other hand, seemed to be doing fine. While the Gunsniper and Kong had some damage, it was relatively light and far from crippling, while the Redler was unscathed as yet. On paper, things looked bad.

But he wasn't going to give up.

"Ellie!" He called over the channel. "Leave the Redler for now!"

"But-" She whined. "It’s attacking me!"

"I said leave it! You'll only make things worse if you stand there and let it hit oyu! If you'd kept to the plan, then we wouldn't have to deal with it right now!'

"But it was attacking me!" She repeated.

"Then forget it!" He snapped. "I want you to make a run at the Kong; blades out, aim to do as much damage as you can."

"But-"

"God damn it, just do it!" He snapped. "Get out there now! I'll support you!" As if to underlie his point, he pushed open the Dimetrodon's throttle, urging the machine forward. Snapping and snarling, the Dimetrodon lumbered forwards, stomping determinedly towards the enemy machines.

He activated the targeting system for the Hyperbeam cannon, sweeping over the enemy force. A single shot would be enough to take out the Gunsniper, a course of action which had multiple benefits. Not only did it eliminate one of the enemy team, but it would give Greg the break he needed to get his Zoid back into action.

Jason lined up the shot, but was interrupted by a warning from his sensors. Checking his scope, he could see a single Zoid coming at him at high speed. Glancing around, he saw just what it was; the Liger Zero. He'd somehow managed to miss it in his survey of the situation. He wheeled the Dimetrodon around, turning to face the newcomer.

He was too late. Several shots slammed into the Dimetrodon's flank, shaking the massive Zoid as it tried to turn. The Zero surged forwards, roaring as it leaped at his machine. The Strike Laser Claws arced down, scything through the Dimetrodon's fins, shattering them to thousands of pieces as they effortlessly cleaved through them.

Crippled, the Dimetrodon staggered under the force of the blow as red lights flashed on across the systems board. Jason could see that his machines' electronics systems had been completely disabled; the advanced radar, the comms units, the jammers - everything was showing up in angry red.

He turned around, trying to track the Zero. The Dimetrodon opened up with its small beam cannons, several shots streaking after the fleeing Zoid. A few rounds went past it, scoring the ground around the machine while several more seared armour off its flank. However, the enemy Zoid was simply escaping far to fast for him to chase.

A warning squawk come form his system, indicating that one of the remaining sensors had picked something up. Glancing down at the scope, he could see something coming in towards his machine, form the sky and moving fast. In an instant he realised what it was - with the jamming down, the Iron Kong could use its missiles with impunity. And the objects falling from the sky towards him were its two heavy ballistic missiles.

Oh, very clever. He thought to himself. Well planned indeed.

*****

Rose watched as a massive fireball momentarily consumed the Dimetrdodon, blasting into the enemy Zoid. Its form was silhouetted in the blast as it was lifted into the air, then slammed to the ground on its side. Even from here she could see that it was out of action, which left just two more opponents - both of which were badly damaged.

Glancing ahead, she saw the Lighting Saix fighting with Neil's Gunsniper. The smaller Zoid was hopping around it, sniping at the machine as it was trying to stand. He was doing a good job of keeping out of the arc of fire of its guns, then pummeling at its flanks. The result was pinning the enemy machine in place, not letting it use the speed that was its primary asset.

"Hey Neil?" She asked over the communicator. "Mind if I butt in?"

"Not at all." He replied. "I got a feeling that, sooner or later, this guy was going to wig out and kill me, so you can cut in any time." Despite the confidence in his voice, she could tell that he was nervous. No surprise there; a solid hit from one of the Saix's beam cannons could probably cripple or disable his Zoid.

"Gotcha. Be ready to run when I say so, okay?"

"Don't need to ask me twice." He quipped.

"Right..." She concentrated on the Saix, focusing in on it as she opened up the Zoid's throttle to full. The boosters flared open, firing as they propelled the Zoid forwards, while the stabilisers deployed to keep her Zero steady. The speedy machine ate up the distance as it charged at full-pelt down the field. Rose smiled to herself; while she appreciated the Zero's agility and responsiveness, sometimes it was fun to simpyl open up the throttle and let rip.

"Go Neil!" She yelled out. "Now!"

The Gunsniper broke away from the Saix, firing its boosters as it went. The enemy Zoid turned to face it, swinging around to bring its main weapons to bear on its smaller opponent - and pointing away from the real threat, being Rose's Liger. The enemy pilot didn't see what was coming until she was right on top of him, and it was far too late to act.

With a blinding flash, the Strike Laser Claws cleaved through the Saix's damaged flank, ripping through its armoured body and into its main systems. The Zoid collapsed to the ground, crashing down on its flank as Rose's Zero leaped past it. Killing the thrusters, she bout the Zero around a tight turn, skidding to a halt as she prepared for her next move.

She didn't need to. The Saix lay on the ground, clearly out of action. Looking around she could also see the Blade Liger lying on one side, one of its hind legs ripped clear from its body. The Black Redler hovering nearby gave no illusions as to what had happened.

“The battle is over!” A monitor drone announced as it flew over the battlefield “The winner is the Broken Chairs team!”

"Good work, everyone." Stephen commented as he looked down at the battlefield. "Good tactics, good teamwork. We did it."

Their Zoids shuffled inside, returning to the launch bay, and then descending into the team preparation hanger while the staff prepared the arena for the next match. Clambering out of her machine once it was in the hanger, Rose walked past her Zoid, over to where Neil's Gunsniper stood. "Hey Neil." She began, turning to face him.

"Yars?" He replied, looking over the Zoid's damage.

"Just.. just wanted to say sorry for getting so snappy at you there." She commented. "And, um sorry for being such a tool this last week, especially towards you."

"Ah, its fine." He replied. "I get it all the time."

"Really, Neil." She continued. "I, um, I didn't realise just how pushy I was being, or how full of myself I can be some days. Also... well, some days I just get a little... touchy about my parents and family, you know? I mean, Dad's a famous Zoid pilot, Vi's a famous Zoid pilot... its not like I was pushed into the part, but when I chose it I didn't think of how hard I’d have to work to live up to it."

"I hadn't thought how much of a pain that could be, really." Neil nodded. "I mean, in my family, we don't have too many expectations beyond 'present mum with a load of grandkids sometime soon'. my being any good at Zoid piloting and stuff is, well, an unexpected bonus. That I don't completely suck is a real surprise."

"You're okay." She nodded. "Better then a lot of others I've met."

"Thanks." He smiled.

"Yeah... I guess I wasn't thinking about what Stephen had said, about us needing to change and adapt. Thing is, he's right; we were getting very predictable, and I certainly was getting good at making an arse of myself. But you know what? After today, after all that, I feel good."

"Same here." Neil finished. "Same-"

He was cut off by sound of a door grinding open, followed by the warning buzzers form one of the huge Zoid lifts moving into place. A large Zoid strode out of a nearby hanger; a rocco, red and black feline. The Zoid turned to face them, seemingly glaring at the pair of them with its fiery orange eyes.

"And then I see something like that and go 'Hey! We're doomed!'"

*****

It was an especially dull and overcast night, even by the standards that one associated with the Dark Continent. The skies were a leaden grey, with only the occasional bolt of violet lightning to break it up. It served to make this desolate end of the continent seem even more barren and inhospitable, and clearly illustrated why the land deserved its title.

The Maze of Mercy and its surrounding area were especially barren; centuries ago, it had been the site of titanic battles between the Guylos Empire and the Helic republic. Today, it was an empty landscape, one of the most inhospitable places on the whole continent due to its harsh, unforgiving terrain. It was a place that few people ever ventured; barren and devoid of natural resources, its strategic value as the only access to the continent’s interior had been eclipsed by the reshaping of the terrain in ancient disasters.

However, tonight was not entirely quiet. A single Zoid sped across the grey landscape, traveling not to high above the rocky surface. A Zabat, it sported the grey and white colour scheme of the newer commercial models, as well as the elongated head that indicated that it had a pilot. More intriguingly, the Zoid was carrying a Bind Container under its body in place of the usual torpedo.

The Zoid rolled over, then dived into a canyon without decelerating. Leveling out, it weaved its way through the canyons of the maze, not slowing at all. Under the best of circumstances, this would be a foolhardy move. To do it in these sorts of conditions was tantamount to suicidal.

However, the Zoid's pilot was confident in his actions, knowing full well what he was doing. He'd come htis way many times before, and tonight was no different. He preferred this route ofr two reasons; the first was that it was a path that no other pilot would take, and thus nobody would think to look ofr him here. The second was that, while he was familiar with this path, it still gave him a workout.

Not that he was too scared about being found. Even in a Zabat, he knew that he could deal with anyone who came after him. The Guylos Imperial Army's pilots were, to his mind, garbage truck drivers who barely knew what they were doing. Nom they were no threat at all. What he couldn't out-fight, he could easily out-fly. In all his time, he'd only met a single pilot who could come close to touching him, and they weren't here right now.

The canyon opened out into a massive chasm, its base slowly filling with water as he headed towards the far end. Here he kept up the pace, covering the distance as quickly as possible. Up ahead lurked his true objective, the mass of shattered crystalline structures known as the Chaoscape. With the utmost care, he tilted the Zabat a few degrees to the right, not turning but merely flying off-level. Moments later, the Zoid passed through a narrow cap between two crystals, then headed out over the churning, blood-red sea.

He was home free again. Another load of contraband goods effortlessly removed from their rightful owners and headed out of the empire. It was a reputation that he had built over time; not just as a good smuggler, but as an excellent pilot. Whatever it was, he could move it and make sure that the authorities never got anywhere near it.

So he was surprised when his communicator began beeping, indicating an incoming message. It was odd, to say the least. All of his regular contacts knew not to call him while he was in action, and nobody else should be able to reach him. So he was intrigued to say the least. And, if the worst came to the worst and it was an attempt to trap him, well... he could get away easily.

He flipped on the communicator. "Who is this?" he began, a serious tone to his voice.

"I'm going to assume that this is the infamous Lance Frost that I'm speaking to, correct?" The voice on the other end replied. "The professed greatest smugger on Zi" It was a soft, seductive tone, yet it suggested a firm sense of control. Immediately, he found it fascinating, just the sort of person that he liked.

"And what would it be to you if I was that man?" He replied, smug and confident.

"I have a job for you, mister Frost. One that I think would be a suitable test of your talents."

"Really?" He asked. "Because if you needed something moved, then you should have spoken to my people, rather then coming to me directly."

"Let me explain then, Mister Frost." She continued. "I am not after your skills as a smuggler; although they may be useful to my purposes, they are not my primary interest in you. Rather, I'm after your skills as a pilot." There was a slight pause. "You profess to be the best pilot in the world. If that is indeed the case, then I would very much like to test those skills to their utmost."

"Now that is fascinating." He commented, raising an eyebrow. "You have indeed piqued my attention, Ms..."

She ignored his lead. "Very well then." She finished. "I will have my people contact yours and arrange a meeting. However, I can say that, form just this exchange, you are exactly what I am looking for. I eagerly await the opportunity to meet you in person, Mister Frost." She closed the channel, ending the conversation.

"As do I, my dear." He commented to himself. "As do I."

*****

Author's Notes: Thanks to Earl Grant who inspired the character of Lance Frost.