North of the snow-capped Hadrian Mountains lay Arcturus, the capital city of the Elerian Empire. Emperor Tiberius sat on his throne, seething over his recent losses. The sharp chime of his phone cut through the silence, and he snatched it up without hesitation. “You have a lot of explaining to do, Moore! You assured me victory over the Republic! Your Centurian-type MAVs were useless, and my Southern Sky and Naval fleets are gone!”

  “Now, now, my dear Emperor. I would chalk that up to the skill of the pilots.”

  “Don’t patronize me, Moore! I still have the strength to wipe you out if you renege on our deal!”

  “There’s no need for threats; your current forces are well within the projections for victory. Did you place the new toy in the Jaxartes forest?” Moore asked.

  “Yes…” Tiberius replied, annoyed.

  “Perfect! My sources inform me that the Republic’s 2nd Fleet will move into the region shortly. If those troublesome Boltus pilots show up again, why not let Emir and his experiments assist you?”

  “I’ll deploy him to the Jaxartes along with that new toy.”

  “Excellent idea! You’re well on your way to ruling all of Byzantia! Do take care, my Elerian friend,” Moore flattered and ended the call.

  Inhaling deeply, Tiberius turned towards his right-hand man.”

  “Yes, my lord,” the massive Elerian responded, placing his hand on his chest.

  “Go with the assassin and his mad dog, Baltazar. I trust you to handle the Boltus pilots and those fools if they step out of line,” Tiberius instructed.

  “As you wish, my lord. I shall not return unless there is blood on my blades.” Gaius kneeled before the throne. “I swear it.”

  Tiberius grinned, showing his sharp teeth. “Good!”

  ***

  Two days after Halloween, Bella gathered her Boltus pilots for their sortie briefing. The pilots, still in high spirits from the festivities, momentarily felt as if the war had been forgotten. But as they settled in, the weight of reality quickly returned.

  “Good morning, Minions. Unfortunately, I have some bad news for you. The Republic’s 2nd fleet has gone missing over the Jaxartes forest. Our mission is to find it.”

  The pilots’ smiles quickly faded. “What do you mean missing?” Marcus asked.

  “They stopped communicating overnight, and we can’t find their signal,” Bella replied.

  “I’m sure they’re just having communication issues,” Akari said, attempting to be positive. “I mean, the Empire’s remaining fleet is in Turan, right? So I doubt they got into any sort of trouble, we just gotta go find ‘em!”

  The other pilots nodded in agreement.

  “We can hope. Be on the lookout, regardless. You did well fighting off the Empire’s new MAVs, but we don’t know what other tricks they have up their sleeve. Let’s board the Cairo and complete our mission,” Bella instructed, and her pilots obliged.

  Winter arrived early, even in the southern regions of the Elerian Empire. By early November, the towering trees of the Jaxartes Forest were already dusted with snow. Andres and the Hawks flew just above the treetops, their voices carrying over the Comms as they searched the area. The mood was light, their conversation casual, until Kara’s warning cut through the chatter. “Get under the treeline! Hurry!”

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  As the Hawks advanced, a sudden green laser streaked across the sky, slicing through the air exactly where they had been moments before. Marcus attempted to contact Bella. “Bella, are you there? Can you hear us? I think something is jamming our communications.”

  “Damn! When the hell did The Empire get tech like that?” Santos complained.

  “I don’t know, but we need to destroy it,” Marcus replied.

  “Agreed. I’m afraid we found what happened to the 2nd Fleet…” Kobe lamented.

  “Thanks for the heads up,” Andres told Kara.

  “Well, I’d prefer we not get fried by a laser…”

  “Right, can you locate where it is?”

  “I can, working on it- Someone’s coming!”

  “Wha-” Chains lashed through the trees, tearing them down in a chaotic frenzy as they carved a path toward the Hawks. Emerging from the destruction was an Imperial Centurion-type MAV, its imposing frame armed with razor-sharp claws and four chains extending from its back like writhing serpents. The pilot's laughter rang out, unhinged and manic, as he hurled himself at the Hawks, whipping his chains in every direction. His movements were erratic and unpredictable, a twisted dance of destruction.

  The Hawks weaved through the onslaught, firing precise shots at the Centurion, but the pilot was relentless. With a flick of his chains, he deflected incoming rounds or coiled them around his body like a living shield. Every attack they launched was met with a counter, the whirling metal striking with deadly precision, forcing them to stay on the defensive.

  “This isn’t working! Kobe, come with me to destroy the laser so we can fly again! Santos and Andres, keep this guy occupied, beat him if you can!” Marcus ordered.

  “We’ll handle it!” Santos charged in with his gauntlets as Andres laid down covering fire.

  Marcus and Kobe raced in the direction of the laser. Just as the laser came into view, they raised their shields and dodged the daggers that came flying at them from all directions.

  “Emir! Show yourself!” Marcus shouted as five Leopard-types bounced from tree to tree, throwing daggers. Their movements resembled those of ninjas or assassins.

  “Kobe, use your cannon to destroy the laser! I’ll cover you!”

  “Let’s do it!” Kobe boosted forward while using his pistol to ward off the assassin Leopard MAVs.

  Marcus attempted to use his rifle, but the enemies were too swift. He drew his lance, anticipating an attack from behind. As the enemy struck, he caught them on his lance and hurled them into another opponent. Seizing the opening, he swiftly impaled the stunned enemy before turning his attention to the next. Nearby, Kobe took down a foe with a precise pistol shot, while Marcus, fueled by frustration, swung his lance in powerful, sweeping arcs, cutting down his attackers with relentless force.

  Kobe launched a round from his shoulder cannon into the laser, destroying it. “Got it! Let’s get back to Andres and Santos!” As Kobe motioned towards Adrian, a large dagger flew past Kobe.

  Marcus had to move his Knight’s head to avoid being struck by it. “Good luck with Baltazar and send my regards to the Princess!” Emir snickered.

  “Enough of your disciples, Emir! Face me!” Marcus shouted again once he finished off the last enemy MAV.

  “Who’s Emir, Marcus?” Kobe asked, perplexed.

  “Someone I need to deal with…” Marcus scanned for Emir but couldn’t find him. He wanted to pursue Emir, but Bella contacted him on the Comm Channel.

  While Marcus and Kobe focused on taking out the laser, Andres and Santos were locked in a fierce battle with Baltazar. Andres fired precise shots, trying to sever the chains that whipped around Baltazar’s body, while Santos closed the distance, attempting to land heavy punches. However, Baltazar’s wild, unpredictable movements made it nearly impossible for Santos to connect, forcing both pilots to stay on high alert as they struggled to gain the upper hand.

  Kara called out to Andres. “It’s time to stop holding back, let’s use The Phalanx!”

  “I think you’re right!” Andres agreed as he drew his sword. A few pieces of Teal shot up from a small launcher on his Knight’s back and formed a semicircle above his head. Kara began using Teal Waves to sharpen the Teal pieces into crystal spears. “You hit ‘em with The Phalanx and I’ll get in close with my sword!”

  “We’ll fight as one, Andres!” Kara exclaimed as she hurled the Phalanx spears at Baltazar.

  Baltazar screamed as he caught a spear in his claws and broke it. “No! Outnumbered! Need! Chains!” Baltazar charged Andres so quickly that he couldn’t react in time. He braced himself with his shield, and his Knight went tumbling backwards. He finally stopped, but before he could get upright, Santos jumped in front of the charging Baltazar.

  Santos landed a series of solid punches against Baltazar’s chest armor, the impact denting the metal with each blow. The fiend let out a shriek and lashed out with his chains. They whipped through the air with terrifying speed, striking Santos’ Knight and tearing off pieces of its armor, forcing him to brace against the relentless attack.“Just keep punching! Remember that!” Santos shouted, and with one final punch, cracked the chest armor.

  “Santos move!” Before Andres could get close enough to attack, Baltazar went into a frenzy and tore Santos apart. Amidst Baltazar’s violent thrashing, his armor finally gave way, shattering to reveal the cockpit beneath. Andres froze at the sight before him. The pilot was deathly pale. His body was covered in deep lacerations. The pilot was bound to his cockpit by thick, unyielding chains. But what unsettled Andres most were Baltazar’s eyes, glowing with the eerie green light of Teal.

  “No!” Andres charged forward with his sword and swung at Baltazar, but the madman kept up his erratic movements.

  “Let me help!” Kara flung four Phalanx spears to push back Baltazar’s chains, leaving an opening for Andres. He gave a powerful downward slash that cut through Baltazar’s blocking arms. Then, with a shout and a final thrust upward into the exposed cockpit, Andres finished Baltazar. Andres exhaled sharply, his breath heavy as he watched Baltazar’s Centurion crumble to the ground. With a tense step, he crept toward the wreckage of Santos’ Knight.

  “Andres… Are you-”

  Kara was interrupted by Bella communicating on the Comm Channel. “Hawks! Hurry to the Falcons' location! There’s no time! Expect contact!”

  Andres shook his head and took to the sky as quickly as he could. “We’re going!”