The battle was being broadcast throughoutAlluva and Malara, and Zia found herself glancing at the overheadmonitors, just to be sure she wasn’t missing anything. For the lastfifteen minutes, the Alluvan mechs had been sitting still,presumably still without pilots. Perhaps the Alluvan officials wereeven making last-minute adjustments to their strategy, now thatthey knew it was Carrak, not Zia, who would be piloting the Malarangiant.
If they’re smart, they’re terrified thatit’s Carrak, Zia told herself as she watched the blue colossusin action. Unlike its stationary Alluvan counterpart, the Malarangiant kept stomping around, waving its arms, demonstratingoutstanding mobility despite the shifting sands under its feet. Theprowler was also active, zipping happily over the sand.
Like the others, the orange Malaranskirmisher was exhibiting some pre-challenge personality, jumpinghigh into the air every few minutes. “Testing its jets,” Rem calledit, but Zia knew it was more than that. These Malaran warriors wereengaged in some first-class mind grubbing, and Zia loved everyminute of it. Especially since the Alluvan pilots were so reserved,they didn’t even bother entering their robots until five minutesbefore noon.
By the time the signal to begin flashed,Zia’s pulse was racing, and she leaned forward eagerly in her seatto get a better view. She expected the skirmishers to forge aheadfirst, but it was the prowlers who did so, adopting zigzagpatterns. Within seconds, the Malaran one had actually disappearedfrom view as if by magic, and Zia realized it had been painted thatparticular shade of green for a reason—to match the distinctiveJairquan vegetation.
“He’s so stealthy,” she murmured. “Maybe itwasn’t a mistake after all.”
“My cousin is the pilot,” Gannor told herproudly. “It is a she, by the way. That is why Maryak wishes topilot one. To be like Annyak.”
“And because skirmishers are boring,” Maryaksaid teasingly. “Oh!” She grinned in apology as the Alluvanskirmisher made its first jump. “I guess they have some goodqualities.”
Zia’s breath caught in her throat as theenemy skirmisher landed within twenty yards of Carrak’s giant,clearly challenging it. The general and her colossus had beenproceeding at an unhurried, almost casual pace. Now the fight hadcome to them, but Carrak didn’t do anything about it other thanstop.
It was the green prowler that took on theskirmisher, attacking from the side, blasting him with a storm offirepower. After witnessing the practice fights, where paint wasthe only ammunition, Zia was unprepared for the kind of damage realcannons could do—in this case, by blowing away a section of theAlluvan skirmisher’s right arm.
“Yeah!” Rem, Gannor and Maryak wentwild with excitement, and Zia smiled proudly. She was about toremind them that that prowler had been her idea when theAlluvan prowler roared into the fray, slamming into the Malaranprowler at the same time the damaged Alluvan skirmisher fired aperfect shot, blasting the Malaran prowler hard enough to send itcareening into a sand dune.
While the focus had been on the smallermechs, the two giants had continued to move forward, and now Carrakopened fire, not on another robot, but on the Jairquan underbrushahead of the Alluvan giant, setting it on fire. Then she used herleft arm to lob a foot-long canister into the blaze, and a hugeexplosion erupted.
The chaos that ensued left Zia breathless.Even with their prowler out of commission, the Malaran mechs wereannihilating their competition. As the Alluvan prowler sped back tohelp its colossus, the two opposing skirmishers went at one anotherviciously, firing and jumping, and slamming against one anotherwith enough force to knock entire cannons loose from their armsockets.
And through it all, Carrak dominated thescene with her amazing aim, firing again and again, tireless andmagnificent. The bronze-and-white Alluvan giant that had onceseemed so menacing was now in shambles. Yet it was stilltechnically able to move and fire, right up till the moment whenthe orange Malaran skirmisher jumped away from its own battle andcrashed into the giant’s head and shoulders at the same time Carrakfired a cannon straight into the mech’s midsection, toppling it tothe ground.
The roar from spectators on the battlecruiser was deafening, with Zia’s shrieks of delight sounding abovethe rest. She turned to Rem, ready to sack him right there, and sawthat his expression had grown rigid.
“What?” she demanded.
“We lost our skirmisher, Zee.”
“Oh, my God, don’t do this to me.” Shecould barely stand to look, but forced herself to confirm Rem’swords. The orange mech was lying in a heap beside the toppledAlluvan giant.
Meanwhile, the Alluvan skirmisher and prowlerhad backed away, regrouping for another attack.
“But their skirmisher only has one arm. And aprowler can’t take down a giant. Isn’t it a good thing thattheir giant is gone? Isn’t this the dream scenario?We have a giant, and they don’t.”
“Their giant is down, but it might still beable to fire. So Carrak can’t turn her back on it.” Rem was keepingone eye on the robots circling the giant as he spoke. “According tothe rules, once a giant is toppled, it’s considered immobile forthe rest of the bout. So yes, officially, they lost their giant.But if it can still fire, it’s still a lethal threat.”
“I can’t watch,” she moaned, but the truthwas just the opposite. She couldn’t keep her eyes off the mechs,especially the one-armed Alluvan skirmisher that seemed so muchmore dangerous in its damaged condition.
Like a wounded animal . . .
“Carrak needs to make her move.” Rem’s voicewas hushed, as if he feared the Alluvans might hear him if he spoketoo loudly. “If the pilot in the other giant is still alive, hecould be making repairs to the cannons. And he’s definitely playinga role, probably coordinating the movements of the other mechs.That gives them a huge advantage.”
“What about our other pilots? Can’tthey do that for Carrak?”
Rem shook his head sadly. “There’s no way ourskirmisher pilot survived that crash. The Alluvan prowler hit himwith some extra shots to be sure of it. And Gannor’s cousin isprobably dead too.”
Zia stared out the window, unnerved by thestillness of the scene. Carrak wasn’t making wild, confidentmovements any longer. She was standing eerily still while theAlluvan mechs circled her.
“She should jump on that prowler and
