Startech Exowar- Chapter 3 (standard:science fiction, 3684 words) [3/4] show all parts
Author: SpencerSE2004	Added: Nov 19 2002	Views/Reads: 2453/1961	Part vote: 0.00 (0 votes)
A new foe apears from the union side, and proves his worth. And what does Jeff already know about the X-factor? New battles wage and new feelings show.

Click here to read the first 75 lines of the story

can't risk having you activate the X-factor in such a small battle. 
Come home, now." 

Dylan nodded as the screen shut off. He turned his mech back towards the
ship from which he had come. He slid the throttle stick foward and took 
off again. 

The rest of the crew met up with Karen, just in time to see the mystery
mech fly away. The seven mechs floated there. In the emptiness of outer 
space. They watched as the battle ship flew away, they all watched and 
wondered when the next battle would be. A week? A day? Maybe even an 
hour, or sooner. 

***************************** 

The seven pilots sat around a table, drinking a few beers. The parts of
the city in Hendrix that weren't destroyed were the only places they 
could go. The tavern wasn't that crowded, but a few tables were filled. 
The round tables normally sat four or five at the most. Seven was a 
tight fit, but they didn't mind it at all. Being cramped up inside a 
mobile unit was tough, even the limited space at the table felt like 
they had miles of open space to sit. Royce looked at a TV that was in 
the corner as the death count from the battle came on. 

"Civilian deaths are at a surprising low after this attack by the Union.
Only 700 people died in the most recent attack. We mourn all of them 
and our regrets go to the families. Union losses have been totaled at 
an amazing 2400 casualties. None of the Cyrus Crow mechs were lost in 
the battle." the news reporter said. 

"What the hell?! They told them who we are?! Karen, I thought Armand
said they wouldn't release our names to the public! What is this 
crap?!" Jen spouted. 

"I dunno'.....I wonder what the hell they're up to now." she replied. 

"So long as they don't give them our names. People can know the Cyrus
Crows are saving them, a little publicity never hurt. I just don't want 
people knowing who we are." Alisa said quietly. 

"Why's that?" Fred asked. 

"Well," Alisa looked around the table "if they knew we were piloting
those mechs they'd probably kill us. I mean, we may have warded off the 
Union this time, but still.....700 innocent people died today. If they 
knew who we were they'd most likely kill us for letting even a single 
person get hurt." 

Fred looked down at the table. He took another long swig of his drink.
It always hurt him when people who had nothing to do with the war got 
killed because of it. In the war's 32 year history over two million 
people have died, on the stations and Earth alike. The last 32 years 
had been dark for humanity. The Union formed almost 200 years ago, the 
Confederacy only a mere 86 years ago. The Confederacy gained power over 
everything in the year 2106, the world was still a place of freedom. It 
was just under the rule of a new government. The Union felt threatened 
by this new power and decided to take action. Mobile unit's had been 
used in the civil war of 2079. With no wars after that they were no 
longer used for military combat. Although the armies still had armed 
mechs, they didn't use them for actual combat. Seeing how there was 
none. The Union made the first strike. The year was 2114, almost ten 
years after Confederate rule started, when they attacked. In the city 
of Dublin, Ireland, the battle broke out. Over a thousand people died 
in that one battle alone. That sparked the first war, but it wouldn't 
even be close to the last. After nearly twelve years of non-stop 
combat, they agreed to split the balance of power. Control of certain 
stations and countries would go to the different government powers. 
Small skimmerishes still existed, but nothing too serious. This went on 
for another 55 years, then it happened. The Union decided they wanted 
supreme power of everything, like their Confederate counterparts once 
had. That's when the war started all over again. It never ended because 
the Confederates didn't want to destroy everything the Union had. They 
merely wanted a peaceful place on Earth and in space for the human race 
to live, and prosper. 

"Karen," Jen said quietly "I think we should leave." 

Karen looked to the TV that Jen was pointing at as General McSlans began
his press conference. 

The group left the money to pay on their table and left the bar. They
got into their cars that were so humbly provided to them by the 
confederate government, and drove back to the hanger. 

********************** 

Chavez and Jay had made it back to the hanger and waited for the rest of
the unit. They didn't bother to get up when they herd the cars rolling 
up, they just sat there. Karen was the last one to walk in the door. 
Fred, right before her, grabbed the pack of cigerttes that Chavez had 
been holding and helped himself. Karen took one and lit it, she inhaled 
and let out a long breath. 

Fred, Royce, Karen, and Jen all sat at the table with Jay and Chavez.
Grim looks smothered all their faces, Chavez knew something was wrong. 
He didn't bother asking, it could only be something that would get them 
all in trouble. 

"You know we can't let them do this......right?" Royce said, turning his
head towards Karen as she took another puff of her cigertte. 

"Look, I'd love to say we can't but......well we just don't have that
kind of authority. The army has the rights to do whatever they please. 
We can't stop them, it's all in their court." Karen replied coldly. 

Chavez shook his head and placed his cigertte butt into the ashtray on
the table. He got up and walked over to the window. He looked out and 
saw the devastation of the city. He could also see Earth in the far 
distance of space, it was a beautiful backdrop for such a war-torn 
place. 

"They can't," Chavez began "they just can't do this anymore." 

"What the hell are you talkin' about?" Pedro asked, confused like
everyone else. 

"We can't let them destroy everything these people have and care about.
I don't care who we're working for right now, both sides have to stop 
all this fighting." Chavez replied, looking down to the floor. 

Karen looked at him as a tear fell to the floor from his cheek. She knew
what he really meant, what he was fighting for. Before she could say 
anything a loud beep caught her attention. It was the com system to 
Armand's ship. She walked over to it and flipped up a red switch. 
Armand's face appeared on a screen, she smiled. 

"What's up?" she asked him. 

"On the other side of the station, in the city of Blusner, a single
Union mech is destroying everything." he replied. 

"A single mech? Are you sure?" Karen asked 

Armand nodded his head, "Even the police mech's couldn't stop it. I'm
not even sure they put so much as a ding in the damn thing." 

"We're on it." Karen flipped the switch down and the unit ran for their
mechs, combat was upon them once more. 

*************************** 

The Union mobile unit walked down the broken streets and looked around
for more Blusner Police Force mechs. Dylan walked his mech slowly down 
the street, a large rifle in his hands. He saw no more BPF mechs, but 
picked them up on his scanners. He knew where they were, but they 
didn't know that. 

He rounded a corner and fired his rifle through the chest of a BPF mech,
leaving a large hole where the cockpit would have been. He smiled his 
devious smile and rounded another corner, the same routine. He began to 
grow board and weary of this, but something caught his eyes. A small 
blink of light, like it was reflecting off something metal. A mobile 
unit. A whole squad of them. He smiled some more, nine whole Rose 
mobile units to play with. Then he noticed it, the one in the lead was 
the one he had fought in space. 

"Well, it looks like round two has started." he said. 

The group of mechs split up and tried to flank him, but to no avail. His
modified Xenis mobile unit was much too fast. He dodged round after 
round of autogun fire, and delivered rifle fire. 

"Chavez, you sure you'll be ok with only one arm?" Fred asked. 

Chavez's mobile unit was positioned on a hill about 150 meters away from
the battle. He had Fred's rifle mounted on a by-pod, and stood by to 
fire. 

"No problem, I can pick him off.....if he ever stops moving." Chavez
replied. 

The small squadron fought bravely against their unknown foe. Jen stood
behind a building, waiting for him to wiz by so she could try to fire 
at him. He never showed up, he never went by. He, instead, came through 
the building behind her and hit her in the face with the butt of his 
rifle. Jen fell to the ground with a loud thud. He picked her up and 
threw her through another building. He waited as the smoke cleared and 
she lie there, motionless. One down, eight to go. 

He took the other members of the squad out of commission relatively
quick. He used sneak and strike tactics that the unit was not familiar 
with. Soon it was just Karen and Chavez, who was 150 meters away. 

Karen flew her mech at a low level on the streets, sort of in a hovering
state, as she searched for her target. Her motion tracker picked 
something up, but it was moving away from her. Suddenly it started 
coming at her at high speeds. It zig-zagged to become a harder target 
to hit. She could see the mech weaving between buildings and parking 
garages. She still couldn't get a clear shot on him though. Then, right 
as he was about to punch her, a shot ripped between them both. The shot 
devastated the building next to them, a massive explosion burst out of 
the now decimated building. 

"Damn it! I can't believed I missed. The son of a bitch is fast." Chavez
yelled at himself. He slammed his one good hand down on his control 
panel and took the right arm's control stick again. 

Chavez took the best aim he could get, but had his arm shot off before
he could pull the trigger again. It was down to Dylan and Karen, again. 


Dylan turned on his saiber and thrusted at Karen, she jumped only to
have the blade cut her leg. She came down and dropped to one knee. She 
was already losing the battle, and it had hardly begun. Dylan kicked 
her in the chest, sending her flying into a few houses. He then placed 
one foot on her head and slowly started to compact. He was already the 
victor. 

********************** 

The nurse walked into to hospital room, noticing the lights were all
off. She flipped on the light switch, nobody was there. She dropped her 
food try and her eyes grew wide. 

"Doctor! He's gone! The pilot's gone!" 

********************** 

Dylan continued to slowly crush Karen's head. All her visual monitors
began to go blank and go to static. Everything was being crushed. All 
her cameras were going out fast, and she could only see out of the 
glass that had been cracked from the previous kick she had taken. 

Dylan held his rifle with both hands as he smashed his enemy's head in.
Even he didn't see the next event coming. 

"Leave....her.....ALONE!" yelled a voice over to open communications
net. 

"Who the hell?" he looked around, nothing. Then he looked up a bit to
his left. In the sky was a lone, unarmed, mobile unit. It's right arm 
extended as it came down at him. 

The mobile unit grabbed Dylan by the head and engaged it's boosters. It
drove Dylan's head into the side of a long building. Bits and pieces of 
the structure flew in every direction as Dylan's head was ripped 
through it. Before he could react the mech had flung him, by the head, 
down the rest of the way. He fell to the ground and dropped his rifle, 
but just got back up. 

"Karen, you alright?" A face appeared on the only working screen in her
cockpit. The pilot's long blue hair and blank white eyes caught her 
attention. 

"Jeff?!" she asked. 

"You betcha, now are you alright?" he asked again. 

"Yeah, I'll be okay." 

"Good" Jeff turned his attention back to Dylan. He smiled and evil grin
and walked his mech foward. 

Dylan stood ready to fight. He flew at Jeff with full force. He extended
his arm to punch, but Jeff had already moved to the side. Jeff grabbed 
Dylan's arm and pulled him back, kneeing him in the torso. He then 
slammed his elbow into Dylan's face. Several of Dylan's cameras went 
dead, and left him at a disadvantage. His Xenis was a far superior mech 
to a Rose, but this one was making a fool out of him. It had no special 
modifications, but still it beat him. He tried his sneak and strike 
tactic. He flew behind a building and left Jeff wondering where he was 
to whole time. He came out of a small business office and kicked Jeff 
in the face. He picked Jeff up off the ground and slammed him into 
another building. 

"Is this all you've got?" Jeff smiled. 

Dylan didn't know how to respond. Jeff had already turned the tables in
his favor again. He punched Dylan in the chest, and then grabbed him by 
the face. He pushed Dylan back far enough to land one good kick into 
his face. 

"Come home Dylan. I don't want my Xenis getting totally ruined." the
shadow man said as he appeared once again. Dylan had, again, been 
called out of combat from this fighters. His mech took off and out a 
hanger, grabbing his rifle on the way. 

Karen climbed out of her mech and looked around at the devastation of
Blusner. She watched as the others walked over to her mech, probably in 
the best condition next to Jeff's. They sat and watched as Jeff climbed 
from his knight and let out a long breath, his hair returned to it's 
normal brown color and his eyes went to normal as well. He looked as 
they all stared him down. 

"What?" 

*************************** 

The light was nearly blinding to Jeff, who had been in a near coma for
almost a week. Ellie continued to shine to light into his eyes, for 
reasons beyond him. She turned off the light and walked over to Karen, 
who stood by in wait. 

"He seems to be okay, perfectly normal." she said. 

"Good," Karen replied "we've got him back." 

Karen walked over to Jeff, he didn't bother to get up from his bed. She
sat down on the bed, he left her some room. It was almost like she was 
back in the hospital again. 

"So, what's been going on around here. Who in the hell was that guy?"
Jeff asked her. 

Karen just shrugged her shoulders, "Haven't a clue. He just sorta'
showed up one day while we were fighting in space. During my fight with 
him he took of, a lot like what he did to you. One thing's for sure, 
he's a Union pilot." 

"Well even I could've figured that much out on my own." Jeff replied
with a smile. 

"Shut up Jeff." Karen said. 

They both laughed a bit, but things got quiet again. 

"Jeff," Karen asked "how did you manage to get the X-factor to work?" 

"What?! Get it to work? Well, while in the hospital I kept having these
weird dreams about the X-factor. Then I just sorta' woke up, and it was 
active. I still have no clue what it is. But it would appear that I can 
control it, kinda'. I'm still working out a few bugs." 

"It's a blood type. You're a gifted person, Jeff." Chavez said from the
doorway. 

"A blood type? You mean that not everyone's affected by it?" 

"Bingo," Chavez said as he sat in a chair "me and Jay talked to the guy
that evaluated Karen after he incident. his assistant came up with the 
conclusion to it. You two are like, beyond human." 

Karen looked up at him in shock. She looked over at Jeff who looked like
something was running through his brain. 

"Well, if it is a blood type. Then what are the chances that a lot of
pilots will have it?" he asked. 

"Slim to nil." Chavez replied. 

"Well that's always good." Karen said, cheerfully. 

"One major drawback though." Chavez said in a serious tone. 

Karen and Jeff looked at him in confusement. 

"If you can't figure out how to maintain the power and control it," he
paused "it can kill you. You're body will basically just shut down. 
You'll stop everything and die." 

They looked at each other in shock. They were beyond human, but still as
frail. They were blessed with a power to stop the war, but cursed with 
a risk of another way to die. The universe had once again dealt them 
another wild card. 

"Chavez," Karen started "ill you excuse us for a moment?" 

Chavez nodded and left. Karen looked at Jeff who still couldn't believe
that they were "superhumans" of a such. 

"Jeff," Karen said "I don't know how to put this, but...." she stopped. 

"Well, what is it?" Jeff asked, pressing her on. 

She didn't say anything. She leaned foward and kissed him, leaving
nothing out. 

They pulled away from each other after a moment. Jeff looked at her, as
did she with him. 

"You never stop amazing me, Karen Westford." Jeff said, a smile across
his face and a new feeling inside. He may be something other than 
human, but at least there was someone out there just like him. Someone 
he could trust and love.


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