Stryker looked at the mare on the ground before him.
'I don't understand what it is you wanted me to do. Why did you give me this bizarre power?'
He was snapped out of his stupor when a Knight-Mare showed up and sent dust up everywhere. Stryker stood with his eyes narrowed as the pilot surveyed the scene.
"How could all these Royal Guards be dead?" the pilot asked in disbelief.
Pressing the intercom button, she asked Stryker, "What happened here, drone? And why is a Nymphian student in a place like this?!"
Stryker didn't answer. The mare yelled at him.
"Are you deaf? Answer me or I'll-" She fired off a few warning shots. "Answer me!"
Stryker activated his power as he commanded in a calm voice, "I order you to come out. At once!"
The mare scowled and said, "Who the heck do you think you are to order me?"
His eye turned back to normal as he realized a setback. 'I see. It only works with direct eye contact.'
He called out to the pilot, "My name is Midnight Striker; my father's a duke."
"Nobility?"
Stryker continued with a smirk as the mare stepped out of her Knight-Mare. Now that he could see her, she was a pegasus with an apricot coat, cherry eyes, a tangerine and fire mane, and she had a hoof-strap gun on her left forehoof.
"My ID card's in my uniform. After you confirm who I am, I'll request your protection."
She raised her left forehoof as she came forward and said curtly, "Don't try anything. I'll take out your ID."
'Oh, don't worry... Now, let's try this again.' Stryker used his power again as she came closer. "Excellent. Now then, hand your Knight-Mare over to me."
The pilot's irises took on a red tinge. "Understood." She lowered her hoof and tossed her Knight-Mare key over.
"The code number is XG21G2D4."
Stryker caught the key and grinned. "Got it."
The pilot blinked as she realized she was alone. "What the-"
She turned around. 'Where'd that school-drone go?'
Greymane blinked open his eyes to see Gear Spring in his face. He sat up to realize his sides were bandaged.
"So are we having a bad day? Looks like you missed a chance to go to heaven, Private Greymane." Gear said.
Greymane blinked in confusion and looked around. "I did? Where...?"
"Hmm? Ah, we're still in the Shineighku Ghetto."
Azure explained. "With Prince Xirex nearby, this is probably the safest place anywhere."
She held out a green pendant with her magic. "This is what saved your life, Mr. Greymane."
Gear commented, "You're lucky it was under your protective suit because that's what deflected the bullet."
Azure passed it to Greymane as she asked, "Is it a keepsake?"
"Yeah, very." He replied as he took it with a hoof. It was slightly cracked but still intact.
Gear looked at it over Greymane's shoulder. "You Elevens believe that gods live inside of everything, even objects, don't you? I guess this one-"
Greymane suddenly remembered. "Is Stry-" He stopped mid-sentence. 'I shouldn't drag Stryker into this.'
"What's the latest on the situation?" He asked instead.
"Looks like the poison gas was released. Massive Eleven casualties have been reported."
"They haven't caught the perpetrators yet." Azure added.
"They haven't, huh? Not yet?" Greymane repeated as he narrowed his amber-hazel eyes. 'That wasn't poison gas though...'
Gear asked suddenly, "Private Greymane, how much experience do you have in piloting a Knight-Mare frame?"
Greymane's eyes widened at the implication. "But there's no way an Eleven would be made a knight!"
Gear held up the key. "Well, supposing you could?"
"Congratulations, the only Knight-Mare of its kind awaits you! Once you take the controls of this big beauty everything will change, you and your world." Gear Spring said enthusiastically as they moved towards a large Knight-Mare that was covered by a large sheet.
"Whether you want it to or not..." Azure murmured.
Meanwhile, in the middle of the fray...
"Those damn Nymphians!" Sirocco yelled as she took out a tank with a slash harken.
"Sirocco, can the Glasgow still move?" She heard Rough Boulder say over the radio.
"Don't worry Boulder, it's all right. I'll decoy them! Get the ponies out of here. The only ones that'll be captured are those of us in the resistance."
"I know but we're trapped, they've got us completely surrounded."
Amber picked up her phone as it rang and placed it behind her ear. "Ah, Ry-Ry? What in the world have you been doing? Where are you now? If you keep cutting class, you'll get held back."
"Are you near a TV?" He asked as he moved across the crumbled buildings.
"A TV?" She asked, confused.
"Sorry, but this is important."
"Hmph, hang on..." She turned to the other girls in the locker room. "Hey, can I change the channel?"
One mare looked up. "Huh? To what?"
"The news, is there anything about Shineighku?" Stryker asked as he began hacking into the Knight-Mare system.
"News? Uhh, let's see... There's nothing on. Traffic restrictions?" Amber offered.
"Why is it restricted?"
"I don't know. They're not saying."
'I get it. Once they finish everything off, they'll release news that favors the military. Hmm?'
Stryker caught sight of the wreckage of a home with the Knight-Mare's cameras. Among it was a chessboard.
"Ooh, you're gambling again, aren't you? I've warned you before how dangerous that is!" Amber exclaimed over the phone.
Stryker chuckled. "Yep, you caught me. By the way, tell my little sister that I'm gonna be late home tonight, would you? Thanks."
And with that, he hung up. 'If only you knew, Amber...'
"Why does he always hang up on me like that?!" Amber whined as the other mares giggled. She tried to call him again.
"The number you have called is beyond service range."
She puffed her cheeks. "Oh darn it, not this again."
'They need to keep a lid on this information, so it'll be hard for them to call in reinforcements. They'll have to make do with the pieces they have on the board. But I'm hemmed in here, and it'll be tough to break through by myself. Gaining refuge carries its own risk, too.'
He opened the hatch to step out and survey the land. He spotted a helicopter going down in flames nearby. He narrowed his eyes.
'I want payback for being dragged into your fight.'
Nearby...
"Well, well... if it isn't our Glasgow friend." Crescent Blade mocked as he fired.
Sirocco gasped as she took off, the Sutherlands on her tail.
Stryker took out the radio communicator he'd taken earlier from his uniform.
Sirocco looked at the power left in her Glasgow. Her eyes widened. "Just 30 minutes left!"
"The west entrance. Use the tracks to move to the west entrance."
Sirocco started as the new voice sounded through the radio. "Who's this?! How do you know this code?!"
"That doesn't matter. If you wanna win, you're just gonna have to trust me."
"To win?" Her eyes widened. She jumped onto the tracks. "Okay, what am I supposed to do now?"
Crescent Blade followed suit with another.
"You pathetic Eleven. If you simply run away, this hunt hasn't much to offer in the way of sport." He said disappointedly.
Sirocco spotted a incoming train.
"Since you trusted me, you're gonna win. Jump onto the train!" The voice said.
"Gotcha!" She confirmed.
Crescent narrowed his eyes. "You think you can get through that way, hmm...? If that's your plan, then..."
He commanded the other Sutherland, "You! Go after the Glasgow."
"Yes, my lord!" The Knight-Mare jumped to follow, but out of nowhere, a slash harken destroyed it on impact.
Crescent looked wildly around to find the perpetrator. "What the...?" He spotted the Sutherland that fired. "Shot by friendly fire?" He called out to it. "What's your name and your unit?! We're after the one armed Glas-"
He didn't get to finish as it began firing on him. His pupils shrunk. "Oh my god! A terrorist?!"
He turned his Sutherland's gun on the one who fired. "You son of a-!"
The Glasgow shot forward, intent on destroying Crescent's Sutherland. Seeing himself outnumbered, Crescent pulled the eject lever. Sirocco glared as the escape pod shot away.
"You saved me. But how did you get ahold of a Sutherland?" She turned to the place of the other Knight-Mare to see nothing there. "What? Where did he go?"
"Sirocco!" She turned to see the rest of the resistance group with the greenish pelt of Rough Boulder at the head. "What in Tartarus was that radio message earlier?"
She blinked in surprise. "What? He contacted you, too?"
"Sure did. And Pupa's group ought to be here soon."
Boulder's radio received a message. "Are you in charge?"
Stuttering from surprise, he answered, "Ah, yeah."
"I present to you the cargo in that train over there. They're tools for your victory. If you want to use them to win, then follow my orders."
The resistance members began opening the cargo doors. They gaped in surprise; there were Knight-Mares in all the cars!
"There's more in here!"
"Here, too!"
"Amazing! Maybe we should give this guy a chance."
Sirocco gaped in amazement. "All this? But how?"
"Mare in the Glasgow!"
Her ears pricked up. "Y-yes!"
"Stay where you are. Your unit's gonna run decoy. You got that?"
She nodded. "Understood."
"Energy filler status?"
"About 15 minutes worth."
"Then recharge it! In 10 minutes, I'll contact you with your next instructions." With that, the voice disconnected.
Stryker cut off the communication and sighed as he slumped against his seat. The Sutherland was within an abandoned skyscraper where he could see the entire battlefield.
"This is wearing me out. Regardless, I'll need determination to succeed. After all, I'm betting my life in this game." He grimaced.
He held the black king and turned it over. 'And I can only go forward at this point...'
"The terrorists are mixed among the Eleven populous and they're mounting a minor resistance against us. But they pose little threat to our vastly superior army." General Acadis reported as he turned from the table tracking the units' movements to Prince Xirex.
His head resting on his hoof, Prince Xirex said boringly, "We know that. Moving on."
Acadis nodded. "Understood, Your Highness. The gas capsules will be-"
"What the public thinks." Xirex cut him off.
"Yes. We’ll keep searching for her."
Xirex sighed. "Either way, I want her captured: dead or alive."
Rough Boulder powered on the Knight-Mare as one of his team trotted up.
The silver and white maned black stallion asked uncertainly, "Hey, are you certain about this whole thing? They’ve all had their IFFs removed. What if this is a trap?"
Boulder shook his head as he responded, "The other side has total advantage in this war, Eclipse. They don’t need to set any traps."
With his Knight-Mare ready, he called to everyone, "All right people, let's move. Get to your assigned points."
The radios then got a message. "P1, can you move? It operates basically the same as what you're used to."
Rough Boulder asked, "Can’t you tell us who you are, at least your name?"
"I can’t do that. What if these signals are being intercepted? Anyway, if Q1 is on schedule, enemy Sutherlands, probably two of them, will reach you in 23 seconds. Shoot them through the wall."
Eclipse stamped his hoof in frustration. "Argh, he’s out of his mind."
Boulder told everyone, "Everyone, double check your weapons."
Eclipse frowned. "What?! Are you serious?"
"Enemy spotted at point F 31."
Xirex narrowed his eyes slightly. "A feint, eh? How pedestrian."
General Acadis began barking orders. "Tell Luminet’s squad to go straight in. Have Espogn and Vulgis strike from the rear."
Rough Boulder counted down. "3, 2, 1, fire!"
The line of Knight-Mares fired through the wall, and as per the plan, two enemy Sutherlands were destroyed.
"Sir Espogn and Sir Vulgis, both lost."
Xirex sat up straight and his eyes widened slightly. "Hmm? An ambush?"
Stryker chuckled as he twirled a black knight around. A smirk was plastered on his fanged muzzle as he checked the screen.
'An ID signal can be a double edged sword. Besides, if the terrorists follow the orders I issue, my task at hoof is sure to be completed.'
"P1, P4, P7, move a hundred meter to the right and fire your slash harkens toward 3 o’clock."
"You heard him. Do what the voice says." Rough Boulder said.
Eclipse frowned from atop his Knight-Mare. "Damn, what else does he want us to do?"
"P5, ready?"
"Ugh, yeah... Quit calling me that." Eclipse said as he got into the Knight-Mare and started to power on.
"The enemy's moving towards G 28."
A bead of sweat traveled down General Acadis's face. "Send Luminet's Squad, I mean Gestro's Squad!"
Xirex clenched his teeth together. "This means terrorists have our military weaponry?"
"Sir Gestro has ejected! His unit's been lost!"
"Change our codes, they're intercepting our transmissions." Acadis ordered.
"We already have sir, four times!"
"Do it again!" He fumed.
"This failure is unacceptable." Xirex stated, rising.
Acadis bowed his head in shame. "...Forgive me."
Then the screen suddenly switched over to a call from Gear Spring.
"Good afternoon." Gear said casually.
Acadia whirled around towards the screen. "What is it? We’re in the middle of an operation!"
"I’d say it's time to deploy the ASEEC's special weapon."
"We've no time for this right now." Xirex said as he approached the table.
Slowly but surely, the resistance group was gaining the higher ground. The military's tanks and Knight-Mare's were slowly destroyed, unit by unit.
"R2, fire anchor. B7, use UN ordnance. N group, you'll continue your advance."
"We just lost Luminet's Squad."
Xirex sighed defeatedly. "So do it. We’ll have to bring up Querner’s squad."
Acadis turned to face Xirex. "My lord, that will break the encirclement."
"Now then, the enemy has five options. Their move." Stryker said as he waited for Xirex to make his move.
"Reinforce the breach with some of the units guarding me. All we know for certain is that enemy forces are here." Xirex commanded.
As the Knight-Mares moved to their new positions, one vesper asked in confusion, "Who ordered them to break formation?"
"Well, that’s a more stupid move than I expected." Stryker sneered with a more than a hint of contempt.
"You, Q1, do you have an area map?"
Sirocco answered, "Yes, I have a map of the old town. But it has no current landmarks."
"It’ll do."
Xirex tracked the enemy's movement. "All right, send in Butres and the others too."
"Mission number 3 now."
Xirex looked at the enemy's location and grinned. "Concentrate our forces there. Surround them."
"Is everything prepared?"
"The enemy’s main force is that center dot. Finish every one of them off."
"Hmph." Stryker smirked.
Xirex, Acadis, and the others were left baffled as the enemy dot suddenly disappeared. Xirex exclaimed, "What?! Where's the enemy?"
Stryker put the king squarely down on the board. "With this, I call check."
Below the military's forces in the underground systems, a series of bombs went off. As a result, the ground above collapsed, taking all the Knight-Mare units with it. All the Nymphians gaped in astonishment as all the units displayed 'lost' on the screen.
Stryker began laughing hysterically, his eyes blazing with near psychotic glee. "HAHAHAHAHA! My plan worked, didn’t it?! I can do it. I can defeat Nymphia! HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"
Wide-eyed, Xirex took a step back. 'Who...? Who am I up against?! What if he’s even better than Taiyang?! There's only one option left...'
"Gear!"
"Yes, Your Highness?" Gear Spring asked.
"Can it win? Will your toy beat them?"
"My lord, please be so kind as to call it Lancelot." Gear Spring said with a smirk.
"Z-01 Lancelot now activating. Lancelot activating. Releasing hatch. Z-01 Lancelot standby for activation. Pallet extension initiating."
Greymane powered on the white Knight-Mare as he checked his ear communicator. He heard Azure through the communicator.
"Did you read the manual?"
"Pretty much." He answered.
"Well done. You scored at the top of the class in the simulator." Azure said as she prepared the launch.
"Hey, look. About what you told me earlier..."
Azure blinked. "Huh? Ah, it could be. But the possibility is nearly zero."
"But that means there's still a chance, right?" Greymane asked uncertainly.
"Yes, I'm afraid that's true. Even so, you're not to do anything reckless. The new system isn't outfitted with an ejection mechanism yet."
"Okay, I understand, Miss Azure Cross. That's it?"
"Yes, the advanced weapon developed by us in the Advanced Special Envoy Engineering Corps: Lancelot, the world's first seventh generation Knight-Mare Frame."
Gear butted into the conversation. "Well, if you're ready, Greymane, shall we proceed with the initial startup?"
Azure checked the stats of the Lancelot.
"Initial startup. Now perceiving from phase twenty. Equipping energy filler. Confirm pre-start. Energy filler now at full output. 30 seconds to reach critical voltage. Core Luminance, shifting phase. Initiating devicer setup. Confirming entry of devicer into Z-01. Individual ID registration confirmed. Confirm man-machine interface. Engage. Yggdrasil Resonance confirmed. Rejection Response, weak. Devicer's Stress Response, weak. All readings, nominal..."
Gear commented, "So far, it's going per the data."
"...status, all green. Status of back up tactical bank, authorized. Secondary confirmation, given."
"Lancelot, activate ME-boost." Greymane said, pressing a few buttons.
Azure looked up as she pressed the last button. "Lancelot, launch!"
All the wires connecting the Lancelot detached as it sped out onto the battlefield.
Gear Spring grinned. "Haha! Running full throttle right out of the gate."
Greymane piloted the Lancelot towards the heart of the conflict. 'Cooler than the manual. With this...'
"Huh? What is that? It doesn't look like a Sutherland." Eclipse asked as he and three other resistance members spotted the Lancelot.
Stryker chuckled. He moved around a black rook. 'Another push and the checkpoint will fall.'
"This is B group, reporting enemy presence."
'Hm? Reinforcements? Real battle is different, isn’t it?'
"Status?" He clocked in.
"Everyone ejected, but they took out four units in nothing flat."
Stryker frowned. "Enemy numbers?"
"Just one. I think it’s a new model. I’ve never seen anything like i- Ah!" The line cut off.
Stryker's eyes widened. 'Only one unit?' He contacted another group. "What’s happening out there?"
"Bastard!" He heard through the radio before it went dead.
Another group began firing on the Lancelot. It cast a shield that prevented the bullets from striking.
"What? It reflects bullets?" Stryker exclaimed as he sat up in his chair and began rummaging the data for what he was hearing.
"Arrh, what do we do? Isosta! Ah!" Another line dead.
Stryker clenched his teeth. 'Useless so called terrorists. With all the resources they have, they're being beaten by one unit.'
"Yes, I can do this. With Lancelot I can stop all this at once." Greymane said as the enemy slowly fell one by one.
"N4, N5, hold there. When the rear units arrive, surround that thing." Stryker ordered.
"Gotcha..."
It was only a few moments before it clocked in again. "We can't stop it!"
"N units, what is it?!" Stryker asked fervently. 'What happened? Something I didn't foresee?'
"For heaven’s sake. Now I’ll owe my adopted sister a debt I don’t need to incur. It's for the best, though." Xirex sighed as they watched the Lancelot's progress.
Rough Boulder ejected. "Ah!"
"P1! Report!" Stryker tried to contact the unit, but to no avail. He began to sweat. 'The enemy, can it really be only one unit?'
Azure gaped. "These readings are even higher than predicted."
"It's because our pilot is taking his job very seriously." Gear said.
Greymane worked through the enemy as he thought to himself, 'If I can stop all the Knight-Mares, then this battle is over. No matter what it takes, I've gotta save Stryker and that mare.'
Out of the corner of the Lancelot's vision, he saw a Knight-Mare situated within an abandoned skyscraper. Using the slash harkens, he climbed up the building towards it.
Stryker widened his eyes in surprise as he saw the Lancelot.
"You mean this thing's what's been ruining my plan?!" He said out loud before the Lancelot slammed into his Knight-Mare Frame.
"Are you the guy that's in command?" Greymane said through the intercom.
Stryker flinched from the crash. He thought angrily, 'Nothing more than a pilot. How dare he! No choice, I've gotta get out of here.'
Unfortunately, the Lancelot wouldn't allow him to escape. A slash harken cut off the Knight-Mare's left arm, and the impact sent both of them through the floor. Stryker looked back at it with wide eyes and bared fangs. The Lancelot pounced to strike, but the red Glasgow came in from nowhere and held it back.
Sirocco called out to Stryker. "Hey, I’m returning the favor." The Lancelot struck the Glasgow's arms and chest, preventing it from attacking. She gasped. "I can't-"
She ejected.
'I must remember that the most vital element in battle is the creature one.' Stryker thought as he fled onto the streets. An idea struck him, and he began shooting the building supports.
The Lancelot fired a slash harken at him as it dodged a falling part of a building. It grazed the Sutherland's arm, but wasn't enough to stop it.
"That damn monster's unstoppable!" Stryker exclaimed, glancing back to see the Lancelot still in pursuit.
Greymane narrowed his eyes. 'Bastard. He's tearing things up for no reason!'
"Eeeeeeeeek!"
"Huh?" He looked up to see a earth pony mare with a foal in her hooves falling. He abandoned chasing Stryker's Knight-Mare for saving them.
Stryker curiously analyzed the Lancelot. 'In the midst of battle he rescues someone? Hmm, I concede you the tactical victory here. Nevertheless...'
He pulled the eject lever, and the pod shot off.
Gear raised an eyebrow. "Huh? He saved someone?"
"Yes, so it would seem."
"Hmm... It's very strange of him." Gear said curiously.
Catching them from the freefall and setting them on the ground, Greymane looked down at the two from the cockpit. "Are you alright?" The mare looked fearfully up at the Lancelot and ran away with her foal. Greymane grimaced.
"Greymane, are you tired? We'll call it quits for today." Azure said through the communicator.
"No. I'm fine. Please let me keep going." He shrugged off the offer. The line clocked out.
"Be careful with his operational time!" Gear said to Azure.
"Yes, sir."
"My, that colt's an excellent piece of equipment." He smiled.
Stryker, in a military guise, walked up to another soldier. Said soldier raised his gun in a green aura.
"Stop there, your ID. This is Prince Xirex’s personal transport."
Stryker took off his helmet. "At last, the checkpoint. And barely guarded, per my plan."
The soldier's eyes narrowed, and he raised the gun higher. "Your plan?"
Stryker's left eye went from blue to red. "That’s right. Now I'd like you to let me pass."
The soldier lowered his gun. "Yes, sir. Understood."
Stryker smirked. 'Excellent.'
Sirocco got out from her escape pod.
"Sirocco!"
She turned her head towards the voice to see Rough Boulder and two other resistance members.
"It's your fault. This is what happened when you oppose the Nymphians!"
Eclipse growled and pointed one of his wing-blade at the pony, "What!? Why, you gutless coward!"
"How many people were killed because of this!?" A mare cried out.
"Shut up! Do you know how many of us were killed or captured? Do ya'? Quit crying." Eclipse fumed.
Rough Boulder and Sirocco walked through the entrance.
"Boulder, who was that voice we heard?" She asked him.
"Damned if I know. He doesn't answer when I call so maybe he b-"
The entrance suddenly blew open. The resistance members and citizens gasped as several army Knight-Mares and tanks came in and pointed their weapons.
Eclipse yelled at Boulder. "There, you see! Instead of following somepony we don't even know, we should've used the poison gas. At least it would've gotten rid of these guys!"
Boulder backed up with widened yellow eyes. "But he-"
Eclipse raised his gun towards the army. "Damn Plasto to Tartarus!"
"So this is where you Eleven vermin scurried off to. Prepare to fire!" The leader said.
Sirocco squeezed her eyes shut, prepared for the inevitable. 'Aurora! I'm sorry...'
The leader raised a hoof. "Commence-"
"Attention all forces. Cease fire at once." Xirex's voice projected across the city.
"Cease fire?" Greymane murmured.
"I Xirex, third prince of Nymphia and royal viceroy of Colony 11, here by command you, all forces are ordered to cease fire at once. You will also cease destruction of any buildings or property. All casualties, whether Nymphian or Eleven, shall be treated equally and without prejudice. In the name of Xirex la Mirren, you are here by ordered, cease fire at once. I shall allow no further fighting."
Xirex scowled at a figure in the shadows. "Are you satisfied?"
The figure in the shadows, Stryker, grinned. "Very. Well done."
"And what shall we do now? Sing a few lively ballads, or perhaps a nice game of chess?" Xirex asked sarcastically.
"That has a familiar ring."
Xirex narrowed his eyes. "Hmm?"
"Don’t you recall? The two of us used to play chess together as little drones. ...Of course, I would always win."
Confusion clouded Xirex's eyes. "What?"
"Remember? At the Aries Villa?"
"You, who are you?" Xirex questioned.
Stryker stepped forward as he repelled his military garb illusion. "It’s been a long time... my dear cousin."
Xirex gasped.
"The eldest son of the late consort Rancor and seventeenth in line to the imperial throne, Stryker vi Mirren, at your service." He bowed to Xirex.
Xirex found his voice. "Stryker?! B-But I thought-"
Stryker met his cousin's gaze. "That I was dead...? You were mistaken. I have returned, Your Highness." He smirked. "And I’ve come back to change everything..."
'Now that I hold the advantage, there may be a strategic move I need to play...'