Building Zoids in a World of Titans

Alex guided the Liger Zero back into the Iron Mule's docking bay, the Zoid's damaged leg dragging a spark across the ramp. The Arosaurer followed, its heavy footsteps shaking the transport's frame. Both Zoids settled into their restraints, canopies hissing open as the cockpit seals released.

Alex dropped to the bay floor, his legs stiff from the neural link. Rhian scrambled down from the Arosaurer's cockpit, her boots clanging against the metal grating. She was grinning so wide her face looked like it might split.

Ziya was already there, med kit slung over one shoulder, her gaze moving between them with quick, assessing precision.

"You both did well," she said. She looked at Alex first, then Rhian. "Are you hurt? Either of you?"

"I'm fine," Alex said. He rolled his shoulder, feeling the dull ache of neural feedback. Nothing serious. "The Liger took some damage to the left foreleg. I'll need to replace the actuator seals before we move again."

"I'm okay too," Rhian said. She bounced on her toes, still buzzing with adrenaline. "The Arosaurer was amazing! It helped me, Ziya."

Ziya's expression softened. She reached out and straightened Rhian's collar, a small, automatic gesture. "I'm glad you're both in one piece." She glanced at Alex. "Because I'm not cleaning blood out of the cockpit upholstery."

Alex's expression hardened. He crouched down to Rhian's level, his voice low and controlled.

"That was reckless, Rhian. You could have been killed."

Rhian's grin faltered. "But I wanted to help! You were out there alone, and I—"

"You're ten years old," Alex said. "You piloted a sixty-two-ton combat Zoid into a swarm fight. Do you understand what could have happened if the Arosaurer's core had rejected your input? If one of those Threadwhips had breached the cockpit?"

"I know how to pilot it," Rhian shot back, her voice rising. "You taught me the controls yourself. I'm not useless, Alex. I already know how to—"

"Knowing the controls isn't the same as surviving a fight." Alex stood, his jaw tight. "You got lucky. That's all. Luck runs out."

Rhian's mouth opened, then closed. Her hands balled at her sides, but no words came. She looked at the floor, her shoulders tight, and said nothing.

Alex exhaled slowly, the anger draining out of him as quickly as it had come. Rhian was still staring at the floor, her small frame rigid with the effort of not crying. He recognized that posture. He'd worn it himself, years ago, when someone he respected had told him he wasn't good enough.

He crouched down again, his voice quieter now.

"You did help me tonight, Rhian. I won't pretend you didn't."

Her head lifted slightly, just enough to show the edge of one eye.

"The Arosaurer responded to you," Alex continued. "That's not nothing. Most people can't even get a core to acknowledge their presence, let alone coordinate in combat. You've got instinct."

Rhian's shoulders relaxed a fraction.

"But instinct isn't skill," Alex said, his tone sharpening again. "Your piloting was sloppy. You overcorrected on every turn, you left your flank open twice, and you charged into a cluster without checking your surroundings. Against a single Threadwhip, that's a mistake. Against a full swarm, it's a death sentence."

He held her gaze, letting the weight of it settle.

"So here's what's going to happen. I'm going to train you. Personally. And I'm going to be strict, because if you're going to pilot a Zoid into combat, you're going to do it right. Or the next time, you won't come back."

Rhian's eyes widened, then brightened. She nodded, quick and fierce.

"I'll work hard," she said. "I promise."

Alex stood, his expression still serious. "Good. We start tomorrow. Dawn. Don't be late."

Rhian's grin returned, wider than before. She threw her arms around his waist in a quick, tight hug, then pulled back before he could react.

"Thank you, Alex!"

He looked down at her, the corner of his mouth twitching. "Don't thank me yet. You'll hate me by the end of the week."

From across the bay, Ziya watched them, her arms crossed, a quiet smile on her lips.

Ziya stepped closer, her gaze moving between Alex and Rhian with an expression that was difficult to read. She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, a small, unconscious gesture.

"It's good to see you two getting along,"

Alex felt heat creep up the back of his neck. He looked away, suddenly interested in the scuff marks on the cargo bay floor.

"We're not—" he started, then stopped. He didn't know how to finish that sentence. "She's a good kid."

"I know," Ziya said. She smiled, brief and real, then turned her attention to the cargo bay doors. "We have a problem outside."

Alex followed her gaze. Through the open ramp, the forest was still dark, the fire they'd built earlier now just embers. The Threadwhip's body lay where it had fallen, its legs curled inward, dark fluid pooling beneath it.

"What do we do with it?" Alex asked.

"We dismantle it," Ziya said. "The parts are valuable. The silk glands alone are worth three to five thousand Sols each. The venom sacs, the whip-leg sensory hairs—we can't leave that behind."

Alex frowned. "It'll take hours to harvest properly."

"Then we work fast," Ziya said. "The fluids will draw other Titans. We have maybe two hours before something bigger shows up to investigate."

Alex looked at the Threadwhip's remains, then at the Liger Zero docked behind him. The damaged foreleg would slow it down. He needed something else.

"I'll take the Lanstag," he said. "We load the bodies onto the flatbed and move them somewhere we can work without worrying about what's creeping up on us."

Ziya nodded. "I'll prep the tools."

Alex climbed into the Lanstag's cockpit, the familiar hum of its core greeting him as the systems came online. He guided the Zoid down the ramp, its hooves crunching against the forest floor. The Threadwhip's body was heavier than he expected, even for the Lanstag's reinforced frame. He maneuvered the cargo clamps into position, securing the carcass with practiced efficiency.

"Got it," he said over the comm. "Let's move before something decides we're an easy meal."

Rhian's voice crackled through. "Can I help?"

"Stay with Ziya," Alex said. "Keep watch. If you see anything moving, you tell me immediately."

"Okay!"

The Iron Mule's engine rumbled to life. Alex guided the Lanstag back up the ramp, the Threadwhip's body secured flat against the Zoid's back. They needed distance. The fluids would linger, and where there was one Threadwhip, there were always more.

He set a course east, pushing the transport harder than he liked. Behind them, the clearing grew small in the rear sensors. Ahead, the forest stretched dark and endless, full of things that hunted.

But for now, they were moving. And moving was enough.

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