In the Desert. [Kael & Tak-PM to Join]

The desert sun was savage in its intensity, the heat radiating off the ground in a palpable haze. Heat mirages shone in the distance on every surface, the tantalising appearance of water causing Takeshi to lick his cracked, dry lips. His eyes had begun to blur, the already dusty landscape becoming even harder to see. He’d been driving for almost twelve hours at this point, the trip from the Kimari ranch wasn’t a short one and the Hover Cargo wasn’t really built for speed, all the same he’d be at his destination in a few more hours, though the thought brought little comfort. With a flick of his wrist Takeshi engaged the auto pilot and rose from his seat, stretching out his tight shoulders and removing his leather Highguard jacket.

The jacket was quickly followed by the singlet, his bare chest now bare to the world, a sheen of sweat giving a glistening quality to the pectorals and just defined abs. His years without the constant need for training had led to the pilot losing some of his athletic physique, only just maintaining his slim figure through working at the ranch and a good diet. With a crack of his neck Takeshi began rummaging through the small bar fridge for a drink. His hand coming to rest on the cold glass of a beer, brushing the label to get a good look, it read “Stormsworder Pale Ale” the Highguardian snorted at the bottle, remembering the time he’d played the lead role in one of their beer ads. He cracked the top off and climbed out the window to sit in the lounge chair he had bolted to the roof, it felt like years since he’d felt warm sun, after the rather bitter winter that still gripped the Ranch.

Takeshi reclined on the chair, beer in hand, black sunglasses perched on his nose and bare chest soaking up the rays, “Well at least I can still travel in comfort.” He said to no one in particular, a peculiar calm and sense of contentment fell over him as reality struck, he was going home, finally after all this time, he was returning to the place where he truly belonged.

Takeshi cursed loudly as he tore his hand away from the inner workings of the Hover Cargo, “Son of a-“ he roared at the engine bay, giving it a swift kick and then swearing again as pain lanced through his toes, “Of course you’d choose now to break down, you useless hunk of junk, why have I wasted all these years keeping you running?” He ranted at the inanimate object. He raised his third beer to his lips in a huff, drinking a long swig before hurling the empty bottle at the round side of the Cargo bay.

The Highguardian jumped down onto the roof of the cockpit and laid back down on his lounge chair. Taking in a deep breath the shirtless pilot breathed in the scent of the desert, the harsh tang of the scorched sand and the dry huskiness of the wind brought back so many memories. With a click of a remote he kept in his pocket music started playing, a rock band started playing a song called Thunderstruck and his head began to bob along to the music. Realising no one was around Takeshi began to dance, his feet moving in intricate patterns as he popped and locked with his arms, spinning in place and doing flips and side rolls the young Kimari was getting into his groove when the proximity alarm went off.

He swung back through the window of the cockpit to check the radar, with the growing numbers of bandits in the surrounding regions it stood to reason to always be careful with approaching Zoids and the signature showing up was no standard Zoid, Takeshi had seen it before. Hell, he’d been on the receiving end of its claws before; The Rayse Wolf. The pilot Takeshi remembered, was one Kael Nyk, an excellent warrior and at one time a friendly acquaintance, but now who knew? It had been years since Takeshi had last seen Kael, and with the way things went with the ZBC and the League perhaps Kael had fallen to banditry to keep himself fed.

“Only one thing for it, I’m stuck here until the engines have cooled or I get some coolant, I’ll flag him down but keep the guns aimed and ready just in case.” He muttered to himself as he hit the communications button and spoke into the microphone, “Hailing incoming Zoid pilot this is Takeshi Kimari requesting assistance, Hover Cargo has overheated and requires coolant, I repeat this is Takeshi Kimari requesting assistance.” He removed his hand from the talk button and offered a silent prayer to any who would listen, that Kael was still a friend and rival and not a bandit who would attack, because despite the two Zoids currently sitting in the Hover Cargo’s Zoid stations, Takeshi was sure he couldn’t defeat the Rayse Wolf in a pitched battle.

Without another thought on the matter Takeshi swung back up and out onto the roof arms in the air waving to hail down Kael.

Eh? This was a surprising turn of events, Kael thought as he heard the radio broadcast from that Hover Cargo. Aedan chimed in, instantly recovering data about a certain Takeshi Kimari from the old database. Instantly, the free screen on the right would prop up the battle recording from the league fo when Kael had encountered this man. Immediately, a smirk grew on his face. Sometimes he liked remembering the past because of all those exciting moments in the league. But most of time, they also brought a tinge of pain knowing his team was no longer whole. Without those childish organoids of his, things were different.

A prompt would appear on the front screen- a message bubble from his dear buddy, Aedan. 「Looks like the hover cargo is done for. Or at least, for now. What should we do? Kael? Kael? You okay? Hope you’re not sleepy from all the Jazz.」 It was amusing how the zoid managed to even integrate a chibi raise wolf onto the screen. Most of the time, whatever it did on the screen showed the zoid’s mood. But at the moment, it was simply peeking at him, as if waiting for an answer, like a dog waiting for his master to give a command. So the pilot couldn’t help but laugh and pat the dashboard.

“It’s alright. I’m okay. Was just thinking of the past for a second there,” said Kael. He would then minimize the battle recordings on the right screen and proceeded to take control of the helm from Aedan. Things have changed since the end of the war. He hadn’t heard much from the Highguard Team, but he was certain they were somehow afloat. Well, at least, far off than the others. He couldn’t say the same for his old team, but that wasn’t something to dwell on. He had already decided to be on his own for now, so it didn’t matte. And for that reason, he needed to make sure that his presence was not to be thought ill of.

Opening the radio channel, he would let Aedan hack access directly into the hover cargo’s system. He didn’t like having to declare his identity so openly in the desert. Not with some of the bandits aware of his name and game for the past few months. And when it connected, he spoke, voice only, no visuals, “Long time no see, Takeshi. It’s Kael, though I go by a different name for a while now. If you need help, I suppose I can drop by and assist. I’m quite a trained mechanic now, you see.”

“Long time no see, Takeshi. It’s Kael, though I go by a different name for a while now. If you need help, I suppose I can drop by and assist. I’m quite a trained mechanic now, you see.” Relief flooded through Takeshi’s body and he fell limply into his command chair, the tension he hadn’t realized he’d been holding on to quickly being replaced with elation at the thought of help and excitement at seeing an old friend and veteran like himself again. He quickly grabbed a fresh pair of beers and leapt onto the roof to await the arrival of Kael.

“I’m not a bad mechanic myself, the problem is the heat, engine is old and can’t hack it these days and I’m all out of coolant. Regardless, come have a beer with me, it’d be great to catch up with someone from the old days.”

Looks like his announcement was taken well. The roof deck of the hover cargo would open and reveal a person. As Aedan drew closer, the image magnified and Kael could quickly tell it was indeed Takeshi Kimari. How strange how he could distinguish the man despite the limited times of contact in the past. Perhaps he simply had a good memory. Ah, but the sight of beers on the man’s hand made Kael chuckle. Of course, it was only natural to reminisce of the past with a few a drinks. Not that he was adversed to it, but he just has to make sure he won’t be totally drunk by the end of the day.

「Why not? I can always run the way back home on auto-pilot. It’s not everyday you get to meet some friends from the old days right? You should enjoy yourself some more.」Messaged the zoid, the small image of Aedan bouncing around the monitor in front of him. How considerate of him towards Kael, though the latter had a suspicion of what it was really about. No doubt that the moment Kael would get off to help in the Hover Cargo that Aedan would want to frolic around the area. That’s just about him.

“Right. Just make sure you don’t go too far. You know how dangerous this area is,” said Kael with a laugh as they finally neared the hover cargo. Aedan would then stop just before the opening to let Kael get out without much of a hitch. The latter, quickly zipping up his black jacket, would get off without much ceremonies and find his way towards the deck, where the Highguard was waiting with booze. “In the past, you’d probably be offering me juice instead of beer. But I suppose we’ve both grown since then,” teased Kael as he would take one of the offered bottles and savour the cold rich brew. “Just what the doctor ordered in this hot desert. So, what can I be of assistance to you?”

“In the past you’d probably be offering me juice instead of beer. But I guess we’ve both grown since then.” Kael said with a chuckle as he joined Takeshi on the roof of the Hover Cargos cockpit, taking the offered beer in hand Takeshi gave a grin.

“I’m certainly not as young as I once was.” He smiled ruefully as he ran a hand through his white mane, fingers parting the smooth strands of well-groomed hair. His expression turned into a frown though as Kael asked his follow up question, “Engine over-heated, if you have any coolant it’d be appreciated, otherwise I’d be happy to sit down and have a few drinks with you and talk.” The Highguardian pilot took a long draught of his beer, it occurred to him that he should probably slow down as he was already on his third and hadn’t eaten since breakfast, he could already feel the slight wooziness of the alcohol hitting his system.

“What brings you out here? And what name are you going by now?” Takeshi asked of the one-time Sniper pilot, “Have you heard the news about the League returning?” He pressed, eager to know if there would be a chance for them to battle again. He smiled at the memory, flashes of battle played in his mind, Takeshi at the helm of his Lightning Saix. Going toe-to-toe with the Rayse Wolf, outclassed and outgunned on every level and still going at it. It had been like a boy scout wrestling a bear and the outcome had been a foregone conclusion, and still Takeshi had shown the fire that had lead him into such great battles. The same fire that had resulted in his draw against Kilikian and Toshiro, the same fire that had made Blaze take him on as a student.

He sighed happily at the memory, “If you come back to, I’d love to face you in a battle, and take on the Rayse Wolf one more time.”

It was strange how Kael who had been quite distant with some of the people of his past, was rather not so distant with Takeshi. To quote Aedan, he was like a teen on his second rebellious phase, trying to avoid drama of the past by being cold and aloof, but also isn’t properly doing it. As such, he had avoided certain people, but Takeshi was clearly different. Perhaps it was because of that battle recording that made him feel so. Takeshi may have been an acquaintance due to the league, turned into a friend, but he was not part of the same team. As such, there was a clear safe distance for him to thread on. Not that he hated his old team, but he was more wary about them because he knew of all the emotions seeing them again would bring to him.

With the other answering his question, Kael found himself rather dumbfounded. Of course. A coolant. Such was a necessary thing when traversing the desert. And lo and behold, the only one who had such had already galloped into the horizon. Turning around, Kael would see his zoid already enjoying heading off towards the cliffs out far. “Well, we had some… that is… Aedan is probably using them right now as he’s off to explore the desert on his own,” replied Kael with a sigh before drinking into the bottle again. “Which I suppose, the second option doesn’t sound too bad. Though in all seriousness, it is damn hot in here.”

Upon saying so, Kael would unzip his jacket and take it off, wrapping it along the waist to reveal that he wasn’t wearing a shirt underneath, baring his chest, back and arms full of tattoos. He then took another swig from the bottle with a relishing sound of contentment from the beer.

Spoiler:

Just then, Takeshi would bring up a rather odd conversation topic - the league. Yes, he had heard of the league trying to get back up after the war. It was one of those ways to strengthen the bonds of pilots, avoid banditry and perhaps regulate law in the land once more. It was a good way to earn revenue and start with the rebuilding of the cities that were affected by the war. But Kael had always been avoiding the question regarding it. “To tell you the truth, I have no idea. I have more than enough adventure going around, hunting bandits and doing some chores for the military. Though I must admit, the thrill of a fight is different. Got another?” he would say as he quickly finishes the bottle, a show of maturity perhaps that he had gained the liking for such taste.

Takeshi nodded and ducked back inside the cockpit to grab the rest of the case of beer, his arms getting a layer of goosebumps as the cold glass pressed against his flesh. He grinned at the stark contrast it made with the baking heat of the desert. With the beers in hand he made his way back out to the roof, climbing out slowly to avoid dropping any of the fragile cargo. “I’ve sworn off the soldiering, I’m not here to wage anyone’s war, just want to be an athlete in the greatest sport in the world again, I miss the thrill and the challenge of battling in the arena, and last few months all I could think about were my old rivalries with Toshiro, Kilikian and Elric. How Blaze taught me to pilot a Liger, and Miyo taught me how to be a team leader. I remember fighting alongside CLiX in our Lightning Saix.” He trailed off wistfully.

Takeshi handed a fresh beer to Kael and cracked one of his own, “Truth is, while I like the ranch and all, Highguard and the cockpit have always been my home, life makes sense in those places.” The Highguardian raised his beer in toast, “To the old days, may we see their like again.” He cast an eye over the now shirtless Kael, “I hope you don’t mind me saying mate, but that is some nice ink,” the pilot whistled appreciatively, before gesturing to the words tattooed across his chest just below the collar bone, they read; For the Guard, “I had to get the team motto, only thing that kept me sane during my down period, got a little too familiar with this stuff.” He gestured to the beer in his hand.

“Sorry to babble and unload on you like this, just been so long since I got to speak with another pilot, I’ve missed it.”

He shared the toast as Takeshi would begin to reminisce of the past. Kael could only smile at the thought of it. People have different takes on what the past meant to them. Some feared it, some avoided, and some simply find joy in recalling. Takeshi was of the latter. Still, Kael couldn’t help but agree that the experience of a zoid battle where the crowd erupts into cheers, the funny motions of the referees, and the glory between teams were something altogether different. Fighting in zoids was nothing new to him, especially since he was trained in the military, but without having to always be on the lookout of being killed in action, or the thought of someone’s life hanging on your very decision all the time, it was what made the league’s battles akin to freedom.

“Indeed. I learned a lot from those battles. For me, they were the epitome of my freedom. There I didn’t have to be reminded about duties and responsibilities, nor do I have to think about rescuing damsels in distress,” he chuckled. He took another swig and gave a satisfying sigh from the cold booze. It was then when Takeshi mentioned about his tattoo and Kael couldn’t help but chuckle. At first, he would often be embarrassed when people would point it out to him. But he’d grown used to those comments now.

“To tell you the truth, it started because of a dare. I lost a bet and so it happened. But after that, I realised that this was the perfect way to remember everything. Each of this symbol means a lot to me, especially after the war,” said Kael. He would take a moment to look at his arms before his eyes looked at the letters on his knuckles - D E A T H, on each finger. He grinned and clenched his fist and then showed the letters to Takeshi. “I’ve been through a lot so I thought of reminding myself I’ve always punched death in the face. That way, I shouldn’t cower in fear.”

Taking another moment to pause and drink, Kael would then proceed to ask the other. “So, from your words, I take it you plan to bring Highguard back into shape? I haven’t heard much since the war.”

Takeshi smiled at the question, as he turned the cold bottle in his hands, peeling the label off between his thumb and forefinger. “I’d like to, have to find the few who are left and bring them back together under the banner, but all it’ll take is a little time and effort, neither are things I’m lacking just now.” He turned and looked west, “I was heading to the old headquarters when we broke down, I’ll get the place cleaned up and ready again, see if I can’t get it re-outfitted, I’ve got a little cash saved from my old winnings account.”

The thousand yard stare took hold and Takeshi looked out to the horizon where the sun was beginning its slow descent, casting colours of pink, orange and gold across the sky. “The League is back for true this time, and I’m not leaving until I’m champion this time, I owe it to my teachers,” He looked back over his shoulder at Kael, “And I wouldn’t mind the gold bling that goes along with it.” The laugh that escaped him was full and emanated deep within his belly, one of the first real laughs he had shared in many months, since before Mei had left.

At the memory of Mei, Takeshi sobered up again, his hand bringing the beer to his lips once more, relishing the bitter taste on his tongue. “Among other things I need to win anyway.” He muttered.

Kael kept a cool long stare as Takeshi answered him. He could tell from the words that the latter wanted nothing more than to do so. It was a given that he was burning with such desires, and his loyalty to the team was one for the legends. Kael gave a toast to the man’s dreams. “Of course not. That golden bling would definitely be quite the eye-catcher,” he said teasingly. And as he would down the last of the second bottle, he too would notice the changing skies. It would be dusk soon before he knew it, but he sure hoped that Aedan wouldn’t get too fixated with exploring far too much. Wouldn’t want to camp out all night for dinner.

And just then, a thought entered his mind. “Say, I’ve never been to the Highguard base. I’ve been to Mirage when I switched teams before, but I have yet to visit the famous blue. Miyozaki once promised to show me around after we be teamed up for a beach volleyball tourney, but things happened. I wouldn’t mind tagging along,” said Kael as he would put the empty bottle down into the case. “Besides, what if the hover cargo doesn’t start right back up. You’ll be all alone in this desert.”

Reaching for another bottle, he would continue as he opened it with a bottle opener. A pop ringing out loud. “But in all seriousness, you’ve got quite the plans to be pouring your retirement money for the team’s restoration. Though I suppose it’s quite a good gamble. Back then, people loved Highguard that there were so many aspirants. So I don’t think you’d find trouble this time around. You just got to keep believing and it’ll eventually follow. Besides, if the league is indeed coming back for sure, the other teams will be roaring to life soon.”

He paused at the thought, “I don’t think I can face my Sniper-mates after I moved to Mirage, though I wouldn’t really mind meeting them accidentally, I suppose. So many things happened that I go by a different name nowadays. Even if Aedan is quite known to some, slowly, we’re making progress to have our own sort of brand.”

Takeshi smiled at Kael, “Sure, not like the location is some big secret, it’ll be a little banged up now, but back in the day it was beautiful, statues of the Captains lined the entryway, I made sure no expense was spared in the carving of Miyo’s.” The Highguardian raised a quizzical brow at Kael, “Highguard was never lacking in recruits or work, and yeah our fan base was pretty large.”

Takeshi laughed again as he remembered his own run ins with the rabid fans, “There was one time, I was going for a run in the city and got mugged for my sweatband, apparently it sold online for three thousand credits because it still had sweat on it, and on another occasion I was on a date with Mei, Miyo’s Sister, and some fangirl threw an ice cream at her and started screaming about her stealing her man.” The pilot’s eyes had welled up from the mirth that threatened to break free and spill out into the cooling air of dusk. His emerald eyes glittered as he grabbed another drink out of the case.

“At the time I was so angry, and frustrated by these instances, because they’re awful and people need to understand the concept of privacy and personal space, but damn me, I miss it all. I need that stuff back, it’s part of what makes me Takeshi, I mean I’m the Blue Bolt, without it what am I? A washed up has been whose wife left him.” He snorted derisively, “I don’t want to be that guy.”

“Easy now. Sure you’re not drinking a little too much?” asked Kael as he saw Takeshi quickly pull out another bottle just as the story was getting interesting. Of course, one may think such anecdotes to be exaggerated, but it was very much real for them. The Highguard were almost celebrated as national treasures, if he remembered correctly. “Oh yeah, I once remembered getting the cold shoulder from fans when I battled one of your teammates. The passion is definitely real. Just to hear the majority of the cheers in the arena against you can be quite intimidating. Though I suppose it could also becoming pressure to you guys.”

Surprisingly, the conversation may have turned to a surprising change. Takeshi seemed almost ready to start complaining about life, or so Kael could tell. He reached out and patted the man on the shoulder. “Well, for starters, I don’t believe that fanbase is what makes a person who he is. Though I get what you mean. Once you’ve experienced something so surreal as that, normal life seems quite dull. But you shouldn’t discount yourself so easily, Tak.” And there, he was, already addressing the other in a shortened form. Probably the alcohol getting to him too.

“Still, I never knew you were married,” Kael suddenly spoke at the thought of it. “What other secrets have you been keeping?” He chuckled before he looked back out to the horizon and sighed. The sky was beginning to darken. Still no sign from his pup. Well, as long as there was no emergency beep on his mobile, then all was good. Perhaps Aedan got too excited like always. “Well, I suppose we all needed that one person to support us. In due time, you’ll eventually figure it out too. Who knows? Maybe you both will meet again. Nothing is set in stone, you know.”

He chugged the remain alcohol down before setting the bottle into the case again. Then, he would pat Takeshi on the shoulder and urge him. “In any case, we should probably limit the drinks, don’t you think? I mean, you’ll be driving this hover cargo soon. Wouldn’t want to fall off a dune or get stranded in circles. Or worse, drive right through your precious homebase. Besides, you look far worse than just a couple of bottles. Have you been drinking since morning? Come now. Let’s take a look at those engines.”

Takeshi waved Kael off with a chuckle, “Relax I’m a bit of a drinker, not really a feather weight.” He laughed again as he took another long draught, an appreciative sigh escaping his lips as he drew back, “I used to help sell this brand you know, did a run of advertisements, it was just after I defeated Kilikian in an air battle in the team Highguard Stormsworder.” The Highguardian smiled at the memory, as much as he knew his place in battle was at the helm of his Liger or Lightning Saix, the thrill of aerial combat was something he hoped to do again, “I honestly don’t know where our team Zoids have gone now, hopefully we can track them down.” He raised his brow at the comment about pressure, “There was certainly a weight of expectation on us to perform, Highguard had a reputation, first team to make it to S-Class and we were on our way to making O-Class, when I joined Blaze was spearheading the charge, and then I stuffed it with my first three battles ending in a draw and two losses. Blaze had to take me under his wing to teach me how to forget the pressure and just fight.”

“The fanbase isn’t what made me, the team was. I’m not Highguard’s Blue Bolt if there’s no Highguard, I need to find CLiX, now that my Lightning Saix is repaired and I can fight with him again, our Lightning aix duo was amazing once upon a time.” He lifted the plain steel lightning bolt pendant that hung from his necklace with a wry grin, “It was my last gift from Lightning the Organoid, he fixed Flash, despite Flash being irreparable, and then he just vanished.” He shook his head for a moment, “I’ll find him again one day, when I have the time to spare, for now my first priority is getting back in the arena and rebuilding the team.”

“Well not married per se, we were just together a long time; it wasn’t exactly a secret I just prefer to keep my private life out of the public eye.” He chuckled deep in his chest at the memory, “Plus she was Miyo’s sister so we always trod on thin ice at the base, he did end up giving us his blessing but he still didn’t like seeing us be affectionate, the first time he caught her in my bedroom at the base he flipped, I’ve never run so fast in my life.” This time the memory was so vivid that a tear did stream down Takeshi’s cheek, so many good memories and it all seemed so long ago now, but to have his chance to get it all back, he was ready to go again, more than that he was chomping at the bit.

“I’ll find her again, we’ll work things out once I apologise for how I reacted to being out of work, I think this time I may have to propose, just to make up for it all.” He knelt down and placed his now empty bottle back in the case and drew out his sixth, “I may slow down a bit on this one.” He muttered as he felt the usual light headedness of the booze hit him when he stood.

Takeshi looked at his watch and grimaced, “I thought it’d only been a couple hours, but yeah I’ve been drinking since morning, this heat makes you so thirsty.” He murmured almost apologetically, as he looked out to see the sun only half sitting above the horizon, the gold, pink and copper streaks of the sky fading to dark blue and black on the eastern side. “The Hover Cargo may actually start soon now that the weather is cooling off.” He said, reaching through the window to grab his team jacket, shrugging the leather on over his shoulders. He felt somehow whole while wearing the proud blue with the red logo splashed across his back.

Nodding, Kael understood what the other meant. Pressures often end up as burdens to pilots. Takeshi wasn’t an exception. Though perhaps their fight was rather lopsided when it happened. But hearing the other seem to enjoy talking about the past, Kael was at least assured that the was of sound mind. Guess the guy really wasn’t a lightweight. And as he watched him don the blue jacket with the team logo across its back, Kael couldn’t help but wonder how it felt to be part of a team again. “Well, I pray your journey to get the entire team back would be fruitful. Can’t deny I was once a fan too,” said Kael.

Turning to look back at the horizon once more, Kael would see a figure in the distance. It was the happy zoid, bouncing with his silhouette against the sun. He smiled at the sight. “Well, looks like Aedan is just about to come back. About time, too.” He said as he gave a quick stretch before turning to the other. “So, I hope you don’t mind us hitching a ride to the base. Don’t worry, this isn’t an invasion. Hehe.”

No sooner would Aedan come prancing along and already he was messaging Kael nonstop. The bubble message prompts flashing on the interface of his watch. Looks like the pup was very much happy with his little adventure.

Takeshi smiled as he sipped on his beer, no longer taking long slugs, “A fan eh?” He asked with a slight chuckle, “Well if you don’t get snapped up by any returning Mirage pilots, you’d be welcome amongst the Guard. Lord knows we could use a strong pilot in the days to come.” Takeshi made the comment off-handedly knowing full well Kael was, at least in Tak’s mind, a member of another team, even so there was a level of sincerity in the offer and a not unkind smile on the face giving it. The old pilot stretched out his shoulders, old injuries making him stiff in the rapidly cooling weather. A loud pop ringing out with each movement of his back, his spine re-aligning with each motion.

Takeshi laughed and gave a nod as he watched the Wolf return, “Well would you look at that, he’s like a giant puppy.” The Highguardian shook his head at the Zoid’s antics, “A Zoid after my own heart, we’re big but still young at heart.” The pilot motioned to his six foot five frame and chuckled, he often appeared to be just an ordinary sized person until one got up close, purely because of his lean frame. “Of course, I’ll drop the back ramp and your boy can get in, there’s still space for one more in this old bucket. You’ll have to forgive the mess at the base though, not sure how long it’s been since anyone was there.”

Once everyone would be settled Takeshi would take the controls again and give the engine a kickstart, with the baking heat of the desert now cooling to almost freezing, the engine would no longer struggle with heat and hum to life, “Have a seat mate, not too far to go, should be able to see the statues in a few hours.”

At first, he didn’t think too much about it, not until the words rang true in his ears. Kael had to take a second look at Takeshi to know that, indeed, somewhere along his words were some kind of offer to join Highguard. He smirked at the thought. He didn’t think he’d be told that, now of all times. Sure, his feelings for zoid battling may have returned, but he wasn’t so sure yet about the future. There were still things to look into. There still things he need to ascertain, especially about himself. “You think so highly of me, Takeshi. Oh well, I’ll just keep in mind for the future then. For now, though, I really can’t give you an answer.”

And with Aedan coming right back, Kael would instruct the zoid to follow Takeshi’s instructions to enter by the back entrance. No sooner would the hover cover whir to life, and they were on their way once more. Kael donned his black jacket, zipping up to the neck as he took the offered seat. He would watch along the monitor as Takeshi would drive the hover cargo with ease. Looks like the guy got the skills, not only for zoids, but for anything. “Oh? Statues? I didn’t know the Highguard base was that grand. I guess the legends aren’t so far off, after all.”

Takeshi nodded at Kael’s words with an earnest smile, “Of course, you’re a pilot like me, a brother in arms as it were, only right to think highly of you.” There was something in the Highguardian’s voice, and with the smile, for just a moment the years melted off his face and sitting there was the same self-assured naive kid that had first walked onto Highguard base all those years ago. He was at his core a simple farm boy with a taste for adventure and competition, and all of that led to a man without guile and just a touch of ambition.

Takeshi’s hands felt good on the controls of the Hover Cargo, his lips pursed as he hummed a tune, “Do you like any particular music?” He asked his guest off-handedly, “There’s a bunch of CD’s in the slot by your feet, mostly rock bands, but if you see one you like just put it in the player.” He motioned with his off hand to the jury rigged CD Player that looked to have been duct taped into place on Takeshi’s left. For all that the Hover Cargo was the pinnacle of its brand of technology; the young Farm boy had still managed to make some modifications that would make a purist gag.

Takeshi glanced over as Kael spoke about the statues, “They were an addition I made when I first took up the Captaincy, a way of honouring those who came before me I guess.” He chuckled at the memory, “Norm nearly had a stroke when he saw the quote for them, and I reckon Miyo would never have allowed it but they came out brilliantly, I used to go out and sit between the statues of Miyo, Blaze and Sensurugi when I had any tough decisions to make, somehow they’d always find a way to help me out.” The Captain’s eyes had a wistful glint in them again, the shining emeralds remembering far off days when he’d been truly at peace with his place in the world.

The Highguardian engaged the auto-pilot again and reclined in his command chair, “So what have you been doing to pass the time since the end of the war and the ZBC going tits up?” He asked his companion amicably, turning to look out of the windscreen of the cockpit into the darkening night of the desert. “I moved out here to the desert for a while before my brother came and got me, since then I’ve been working on my parent’s ranch, I’d almost forgotten the work that goes into farming, but the old man needed a mechanic for his tractors and someone who was comfortable in the saddle to help with the livestock, and as much as my passion was Zoids growing up, I’m still pretty handy on a horse.” Takeshi chuckled and rolled his shoulders, “Though some of the old injuries are playing up these days so I didn’t have the same level of fitness I once had.”

“Eh? That’s quite the fancy tribute to them. Though normally, don’t you erect a statue when a person’s dead?” said Kael with a serious tone as he eyed Takeshi with a critical gaze. But it was short-lived as he quickly smiled widely. “Just kidding. But I suppose if it were me, I’d have pummelled you to the ground for it. I don’t like statues for a reason.” He chuckled as he went over to the side and took a moment to look over at the wide selection of music on the rack. Takeshi wasn’t kidding when he said it was mostly rock. However, with this week’s theme being jazz, Kael didn’t want to ruin it. “Nah, I think a good jazz would be nice for talking. Wouldn’t want to be jumping and head-banging while we talk, now do we?”

As such, he found the old CD of what was playing in that favorite jazz channel that Aedan kept on tuning into. He took a moment to look at the interface of his watch and saw the message from his pup that he was being comfy inside the hover cargo, albeit admiring the armors collected there, or perhaps trying to converse with Takeswhi’s own zoid. Kael smiled as he saw the latest status update which was pretty much Aedan tuning in to more jazz music just like them. “And it appears Aedan is having a music fest of his own. He’s enjoying the ride so far by the way.”

At that, he would circle back and join Takeshi. This time, he didn’t sit, but rather, he stood next to the command chair as he looked out to the monitor. Just as what Takeshi said earlier, he was looking forward to see those statues on screen for some reason. Probably it was just the eager fan in him that was trying to survey the horizon. At the same time, he was also figuring out how to answer the other’s question. So many things did happen ever since the war ended, and among those things, he can be quite secretive.

“Hmm… well, for starters, I was busy trying to make sure my family would get by,” said Kael. It wasn’t a lie. Even if they were aristocrats (unknown to the league of course), they were very much linked to the military and the war took a toll as each of the notable families helped fund the military. Luckily, Kael and his father were somehow able to pull some strings. “Other than that, getting hitched with an assassin turned bodyguard to my best friend. And probably rounding off bandits to earn some quick cash. Nothing exciting, really. I guess that’s where missing the old league comes in, I suppose.”

“More often than not yes, but young Takeshi thought statues were a great idea, as it stands they did add something of a grand atmosphere to the base and folks came to appreciate them as art, even Norm got over his initial shock.” Takeshi laughed as he remembered catching Norm talking to the statues of past Captains just as he used to, the memory was a fond one, he’d simply smiled and walked away ensuring Norm wasn’t disturbed for the afternoon, “I miss that old man, Norm looked after all of us like a bunch of unruly grandchildren, made sure we ate and did our paperwork, wonder where he is now?” The Highguardian let the question hang in the air, although it was clearly rhetorical, how would any of them know what had happened to the old Caretaker, “I think I need to track him down with the rebuild, no one will know better than he what is needed.” Takeshi mused lost in thought, just as the jazz started playing.

“Not bad, very classy.” He said amicably, “I certainly prefer early blues, but Jazz is a nice touch, though you’ll rarely hear anything in my cockpits that isn’t classic or hard rock.” The pilot ran a hand over the dashboard of his control station, showcasing all the band stickers that covered the space, “One for every show I’ve been to, back in the day I had a lot of spare time and quite a fair penny in my pocket so I was at a gig almost every weekend.” Takeshi grinned wolfishly, “I’m looking forward to doing that again, once the team starts making money anyway.” He added.

He laughed at the idea of the Wolf having its own party in the back, the usually silent Thunder’s voice echoed inside Takeshi’s head. The pup is singing Takeshi, why do you do this to me? Takeshi snorted, his head going down as he tried to stifle his laugh, returning his reply through their mental link,lighten up you spoilsport, have some fun. He shook his head at the Zoid’s grumbled reply, “Silly old fart.” He muttered.

Takeshi nodded as he listened to Kael speak about his time working in the wastes, “That sounds like pretty intense work.” He informed his guest with a slight hint of admiration in his voice. “I’ve sworn off military work since the Rift War, I won’t be some pawn in the ZBC’s wars again, as much as it was needed at the time, I’m not a soldier, I’m a sportsman and I just don’t think I could bring myself to kill again, it’s just not me you know?” He spoke with conviction, and it was clear that every word meant a lot to the pilot. Takeshi rolled his shoulders as he glanced out the windscreen of the Hover Cargo and saw the tops of the statues in the grandly named Hall of Heroes poke over the horizon, “Well Kael, I hope you’re ready to see them, we’re here.”

Man I was totally feelin' the nostalgia as I read this, had me going back down memory lane too XD I really enjoyed the reflection of both and yet knowing they've changed since those days prior. Despite not having the time for the thread I feel like it managed to end at the right moment. My only request is maybe put the spoiler at the beginning or end of a post next time so I can get the word count a little easier =P

Takeshi: 41 base + 15 extra credit = 56RPC

Kael: 40 + 15 extra credit = 55RPC