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"And that's what makes you a far better soldier than most." Nick gripped the dog tag tightly. There was something that this Soldier didn't understand about the circumstances here. But the kind words were welcomed.

"I don't pretend to be anything Soldier... I am who I am, and unfortunately it's not something to be proud of." Her eye brightened. Her left hand tightened around the dog tags.

She than turned around and approached Cruse. Best to see if he was worth returning back to base. She knelt down at his side and begun to check his vitals. He was out cold, but he was still breathing with a steady heart beat. The cut on his head was nasty and no doubt scar... but nothing serious.

Nick stuck to using her left hand for the examination and keeping the right concealed. She had become quite skilled with using that hand over the past year. It was now less difficult to use it without depending on the right.

"I have no use for him..." Nick stood than backed away from the unconscious pilot. Her full attention turned to the wing blade soldier.

"His ZOID should be able to walk when you leave." She gripped the blood stained dog tags for the last time before ripping the chain from her belt.

"Here." Her hand outstretched toward Angeliena, the tag tight in her fist. With her hand out stretched Angelina would be able to see more of the weapons she had hidden. A sharp whip at her side, a few more knives and daggers... she was loaded with some cruel looking equipment.

"Give it to his family... please." Nick added after a moment. Surely he had some somewhere. If not Nick was sure it would mean more for the Republic to have it. Her eye dimmed slightly as she spoke.

She had thought about asking if this soldier knew Kai, but second thought told her that Kai might get in trouble for ever having associated with her. Especially after the whole ordeal Kai was in. Being MIA for a year... Still... Nick couldn't help but wonder if she had made it back alright.

Nick caught every emotional change through Angelina's facial expressions. The man obviously meant a great deal to this Republic soldier.

Black Wing's canopy was smashed heavily by Jury's hooves. However, there were still some smaller claw marks melted into the canopy that they had found. It was believed an Organoid had done it.

Before Nick could say another word more ZOIDs could be heard approaching. Zaber fangs this time... It was the Imperial army on their own investigation mission. Wouldn't be long before thier ZOIDs too suffered the same fate at the wolf. If they drew too close.

Seriously? Nick thought with slight aggravation. It would seem as though she was quite the people magnet today. At least the headache was still non existent.

Nick glanced over her shoulder at the group of soldiers slowly approaching. The situation had just become more interesting... Imperials were out for her blood over the murder of the Imperial officer, Sergent Richicard. She was completely innocent of the crime, but they wouldn't believe that. Nor would they believe that he was the one betraying them.

Her right hand flexed into a tight fist. The joints and metal groaned and clicked as the fist tightened than released. Hopefully she was unrecognizable... The glow in her right eye brightened visibly representing her annoyance.

The cloak was pulled back more as Nick readied for anything the soldiers might try to pull. Hopefully they wouldn't recognize who she was. Unlikely...

Nick looked back at Angelina as she drew near to Cruse. Cruse no doubt weighed more than Angelina did. It would be impossible for her to thrust the unconscious lump into the cockpit of her ZOID... Nick could probably do it, grant it that he get several cuts on him from being tossed over her right shoulder... The down side would be the Wing Blade would fall into a sleep as well if Nick drew closer. Not that it would let her approach any ways.

But her suggestion was a good one. Once she was gone the soldiers would no doubt help the Angelina get the lump into his ZOID. "The murderer of your friend. They are already dead... rest assured." Nick spoke as she turned around and started to walk away. However it wasn't going to be that simple for anyone... Before Nick could get to far a warning for her to halt was issued by one of the Zaber fangs. They would shoot if she got any further.

Ah, of course... Nick thought as she glared at them from under the hood.

"What happened here?! Republic Soldier, are you alright?" A familiar voice called to her just before the ZOID fell to its belly. Captain Rynalds, Nick's former colleague. It was most an unpleasant surprise. The seven other soldier's ZOID's soon feel as well. Nick couldn't help but chuckle at the sight. Man was a twerp... It was part his fault she was turned against by her own nation.

Nick looked at the Zaber fangs and agreed that this was going to be her best time to escape. The republic soldier obviously didn't want anything more to do with her and The imperials would take a moment to escape from their cockpits.

"Alright..." Nick whispered to the dormant Jury. The ZOIDs would receive another spike in whatever was jamming their systems. Even Seraphim would feel more of a drain in his consciousness. Cruse begun to lash about and scream as a terrible nightmare grasped over his thought. A particular nightmare that would forever affect his military carrier.

The Iron Judge grinned. "Fate should be kind to you today..." She chuckled at Angelina before vanishing into a plume of ashes. The scene was surreal. When the ashes settled there was no evidence of anyone ever being there. A terrible banchie-like screech tore over the lands soon after the land calmed.

The strangest part, Angelina would not be able to remember the face of the cloaked person she had just spoken with. Any memory now seemed like a fearful dream with some dark being wearing a crazed mask and a strange dragon like organoid at its side. Even the ZOIDs were affected by this memory loss. None of their cameras would show any evidence of what took place since they entered the strange area.

Chase continued to scream in terror and flail about on the ground.

None of the Imperial ZOIDs moved, nor did their pilots.

Cruse's eyes burst open suddenly. His heart raced as he looked Angelina in the eyes. It was as if he were staring off into nothing. Both pupils were very narrow and full of terror, no conscious thought existed behind them. From head to toe the boy trembled violently.

"I-I wanna go h-h-home..." He mumbled between pants of breath. "Leh-let me g-go hu-h-home... STOP LAUGHING AT ME!" The boy grabbed his head and curled into a fetal position. His skin had become very pale. "please stop.... STOP!"

Above a pteris scanned the area. He had been sent to figure out why the two soldiers had not reported back at the specific time. When he saw the eight Zaber Fangs and the two Soldiers he immediately called for back up transmitting the location to the ready squad. Needles to say the sight was very odd... What happened?

Cruse reached out and clung to Angelina's uniform. "Don't leave me, don't let it get me! Please!" He pleaded desperately. Cruse seemed to be more in the real world now, but his head was still plagued with the dark illusions that taunted him and attacked him.

Three Konig wolves appeared over he fields approaching the group at impressive speeds. Overhead a medical hammer head also approached the group.

Ash kicked up as the AMT made its landing not far from their location. Four medical officers were already exiting the ZOID even before it had made a full landing.

All but one command wolf stopped near the Zaber fangs to check up on them. The one that did not stop went straight for Angelina and her liger. "Cadet, what happened here?" An unfamiliar officer asked over the loud speaker in his ZOID.

The Medics swarmed around Cruse and begun immediately tending to his condition. They checked his eyes for any reponse to light, and found there was none at all. "No response..." One of them mumbled. He seemed unresponsive to anything that they did to him.

The lead Koning wolf's canopy opened as his head lowered to the ground. A rather short, but well built Captain leapt out of the cockpit. He was only slightly shorter than Angelina was, but boy did he have a reputation. He was one of the best Republic pilots that often accompanied the General on missions. It was quite humorous to see as he was one of the shortest soldiers in the military and Nicodmeus was obviously the tallest. Capatin Alan was normally a funny guy, but this time he was quite in a serious mood. He listened to the story and found it to have many odd holes. She must be suffering from whatever Private Cruse was...

"hmn..." He rubbed his chin. The story didn't make a bit of sense. A radio update came through the com piece attached to his ear. His amber eyes widened as the report came through. "And what of the Imperial Soldiers? How did they all die?"