YC0024
Mount Chong An comprised of a wide range of mountains, some of which are volcanos which could erupt anytime - on the outskirts that divided both Dai Dynasty and Shibeibu Empire. Because of its surroundings on wide and vast space, it was also where most of mecha battles were fought between warring kingdom armies unless one chose to launch a surprise attack on the other - which happened before.
What lay beyond those mountains and certain lakes that were still filled with fresh water was unknown to many. What was known however other than it being a battlefield, was that years of fighting with machine and weaponry had gradually polluted the air, ground lakes and rivers. The death echoes of the decayed and diminished corpses, aura emitting from the graves that were once built but now abandoned were the main themes of what had happened and was going to happen again.
General Xue Lei and his Dai armies waited and readied in their Gladiator MK battle units for the enemy to attack. It could be what they expected or something else. But whichever was the case, he had given clear instructions to his men on following his lead and stayed focused on the plan unless the enemy deployed tactics they did not expect.
But three things remained imminent.
They were ready to fight and even sacrifice themselves to find and rescue Dai Chong and all Dai captives they believed were imprisoned somewhere in the vast territories of Shibeibu Empire as citizens and soldiers.
His only consolation was his long-time lover Ling-Er - whom he had known for a long-time, developed feelings for and just proposed to her on battle day eve, was now with him and prepared to do the same as his new wife though their relationship might not last long and wedding might not take place given the circumstances.
Their mecha were both in colors of pink which stood out from the standard blue and white of their soldiers they had at their deposal and on standby. They were wedding gifts from the Majesty and could probably the last if they did not survive.
After waiting for some time, the enemy finally emerged in the form of three circular and dark carriers. Red ovals of amber radiated from the black metal alloy hulk as what seemed to be the top halves suddenly ascended, giving others the impression that the carriers were opening their mouths.
Four sections were displayed and revealed to comprise numerous equally oval-shaped black heads - with tubes and red eyes - launching forth. Looking closer, they turned out to be Shibeibu pod-fighters otherwise known as Gerwingers. Though oval, they could accelerate at twice the speeds of conventional aircraft and given their dark colors, they were able to blend with the darkness of evening soon turned to night skies.
Scores of Gerwingers came out in what looked like hundreds and even thousands to meet General Xue and his Gladiator MK units. As they did so, they instantly configured into bipedal and humanoid Gerwalkers which were armed with long javelin spear rifles fueled by red tubes of Energon stored in the middle red points of their spears. What was amazing while they did so, their side-mounted twin cannon guns keep firing orange spheres.
Their helmet-like heads looked the same as their pod-fighter forms. With black helmets and emotionless red visors as the only significant feature on the dark faces, they lunged at their Dai counterparts in full-scale assault of their firing and hand-held energy weapons.
While being able to model their battle units upon their Shibeibu foes, the transformation process was the one area Dais still had no answer and were struggling to come up with and counter. The Gladiators remained in their humanoid forms and counterattacked with their own beam rifles emitting blue brilliance against the enemy fiery red blasts.
"Follow my lead and stay sharp!" Xue Lei commanded his soldiers via his unit commlink as they exchanged fire.
Activating both the beam rifle and shield, his Gladiator MK-O and lover Ling Er's MK-9 spearheaded their army into what could be their first and last battle together as couple.
Though they were facing just the standard Shibeibu assault forces, they were still proved to be handful.
Not only were they more, bigger, and faster but were also relentless in what they did. Their javelin spears had the ability to fire both amber steaks of lightning beams that penetrated Dai Gladiators' metal alloy like knife through butter.
Afterall, their engineers were the first to come up with and deploy mecha technology and their Dai foes were just imitating upon their models.
Despite facing the odds, Xue Lei would not allow himself to be discouraged even if most of his men might despite his command. But knowing the stakes were high, they were to do whatever it takes necessary to accomplish what they set out to do.
Enemy at 3' o'clock, He muttered mentally to himself as two of them accelerated menacingly towards him with ten firing points of twin shoulder-mounted cannons and javelin spears.
Keeping himself cool, he got his MK-O Leo to shield himself from with one of his wrist-mounted shields which also doubled as close-range weapons with sharp protruding blades while the other hand aimed the auto beam rifle and opened fire as the enemies closed in.
As expected, his two enemy Gerwalkers - which were supposed to be converging on him - were destroyed instantly in fiery spherical explosions that lighted the dark blue skies.
However, while he managed to overcome them with ease, the same could not be said for his men - most of whom were struggling to defend themselves.
Already he lost six of them - who were destroyed before they could even reach - to the accelerating enemy units who were able to switch to and forth rapidly from pod-fighters to humanoid units and back while still opening fire with four-mounted cannons that were affixed in both their modes.
It would be a matter of time before the skies turned from dark blue to orange red. And more of his men falling despite him doing his best to assist them, he could and would not give up easily.
Despite them being well-trained in military combat and tactics, they were not accustomed to fighting a large-scale battle in Dai Gladiators. Nonetheless, it was what they had to adopt and adjust to protect what mattered to them.
As he was still engaged in combat with another six Gerwalkers / Gerwingers with three Gladiators on his side, he was still wondering where his wife Ling Er was. He knew she was fighting out there and despite being one of his best students and soldiers, she was still relatively inexperienced when dealing with engaging enemies in mecha warfare.
Despite doing his best to lead his men, he had to find and do the same for her.
TWO YEARS LATER
"Your Highness, please wake up! You're having a nightmare again!"
Upon opening her eyes, Princess Dai Yu saw the light-green haired and innocent porcelain face of her handmaiden Er Fen.
Her eyes looked anxious and despite of her not putting on any lipstick today which Dai Yu gave her permission, she still looked cute and pretty despite her worried look.
The next thing that greeted her was the surrounding. She was still seated in the royal hovercraft assigned to her and handmaiden - whom she now grew close as her god-sister despite their differences in family status and current rank.
"Your Highness, we are reaching Dai palace soon," Her driver Zhou Kai informed her. "While we do not wish to disturb your sleep considering what you had been through, it will not look good on us should our Majesty is there to welcome you with other ministers."
Still looking worried, Er Fen asked, "Are you still having the same nightmare, Your Highness?"
Reluctantly, Princess Dai Yu nodded.
Though it had been years now since their enemy Shibeibu Empire had invaded their original central capital city and split apart her family, she still had
Like any human and daughter, she wanted to be with her family. But because of the circumstances, it was not to be.
Her father - who was then Emperor and mother - then Dowager had to make a choice of keeping her and siblings alive as future Dai Dynasty generations to defend their kingdom and people.
That was also why she enlisted in Dai Academy as student and military combatant despite her status. She never wanted any special treatment and demanded to be treated like anybody though her instructors clearly felt a heavy sense of responsibility and still being protective because if anything happened to her, they would be liable to the Majesty who was also her brother Dai Zhong.
But until her older brother Dai Chong was rescued, she would never feel at peace and complete as a family. Despite of the fact that she and her people were now living in prosperity and harmony, she could not help feeling her other brother had changed since taking over as new ruler.
Though there were no news of Dai Chong and even General Xue Lei's and his men whereabouts, she had a strong feeling they were still alive somewhere out there fighting their Shibeibu foes.
The fact that she was having the same nightmare of her other brother Dai Chong being pursued relentlessly by the dark enemy troopers and bio-mechanical hounds also known as Cougars, it revealed to her there was more to it than met the eye.
Even though time and again, her current ruler brother Dai Zhong choose to believe the assumptions of Premier Hu and his Imperial Royal Circle - that the chances of them being killed were higher since there were still no news of their whereabouts even today.
Because she was young, inexperienced, and immature in the ways of the world, she chose to enlist in Dai Academy.
Unlike other princesses of most tales she read, she decided not to be one needing some guy, Prince Charming or even her brother to come and help her.
Even as a child, she knew she had to fight for herself and others after what happened to her parents.
With so much going on within her kingdom and in the enemy terrains, what she had acquired and learnt in the Dai Academy could now be put to greater use.
But right now, she had to continue playing her part as Royal Highness and accepted the homecoming banquet that would be arranged specially for her by her brother - now the reigning ruler and his Imperial Royal Circle.