“Elder Vthree,” Xeight informed the woman with anxiety etched as lines into her forehead, “We will be entering combat mode. The cockpit will be filled with a gel fluid to help assist impact distribution.”

Elder Vthree nodded with a croak, her mouth dry with nervousness.

Combat mode engaged.

The cockpit filled with a gel fluid as many elastic straps secured both Xeight and Elder Vthree.

Xeight frowned as his sensors provided his mind with information on the opposing nexarm. From what he could sense, the opponent could control twelve motor devices. That meant they also had twelve different sensory devices.

He considered activating over thirty combined neuro devices to dominate the battle about to break out, but then curiosity got the better of him. How does the haisnaf differ from a nexarm?

In order to test that properly, he decided to only use as many neuro devices as his opponent, at least, for now.

Right off the bat, Xeight could already identify a strength and a weakness of the haisnaf. With so many more integrated weapon systems on the mainframe, if he could get into close quarters combat against this opposing nexarm, he was almost guaranteed to win.

The nexarm was designed primarily with the concept of long-range combat in the vast darkness of space, and thus the mainframe was only given an extra four laser arms and two vibrating x-alloy daggers for emergency situations.

Xeight also instinctively understood that the haisnaif’s huge close-quarters advantage came at a cost-- the mainframe would certainly have much more weight.

A conditional downside was also that much more firepower would come from the mainframe as a source-- this is only a conditional downside, because a pilot of a haisnaf could always choose not to activate the integrated weapon systems of the mainframe.

Xeight rapidly scanned the available devices and decisively connected himself to eight attached to the mainframe and only four detachable weapon devices.

Observing some snowy as well as rocky areas around, he accelerated toward the top of the Grand Teton Peak as he bid the onboard system to analyze and recalibrate the haisnaf for such an environment, to prevent the mainframe from slipping on some icy slope.

The opposing nexarm settled on Middle Teton Peak as it dispersed a total of twelve detachable sniping devices that spread and secured themselves on many high jagged vantage points.

In her nexarm, Athena had barely awoken from her stupor. She could still feel the weight on her mind from the scene of the crab automatons slaughtering the armed protestors within the concrete urban blocks.

When she had returned, her sensors picked up this unidentified unit of a bulkier form compared to the nexarm. It must be an imitation nexarm from a questionable group, she concluded. Thus she promptly shook the mud in her head away as much as possible and entered combat.

Gazing at the matte-black opposing nexarm imitation, her immediate response was to analyze the opponent’s capabilities. Yet, from a quick scan, she was unable to discover any meaningful information beyond the nexarm imitation being somewhat heavier due to its bulk.

Then, she saw only four enemy sniper systems detach themselves, and instinctively thought that the person inside must be a terrorist similar to those she had fought against in Pacific City over half a year ago. Those terrorists also could not control that many neuro devices.

From her perspective, she had an undeniable advantage!

“Xeight.” Vezna drawled through the comms. “Since it’s come to this, do not aim for Salt Lake City. I had wanted to avoid attracting attention, but since the combat here will inevitably draw eyes… please attempt to launch to space using the startram system to the northeast attached to the geothermal plant generating energy from the yellowstone supervolcano. Ensure you attack the plant.”

“Agreed.” Part of the arrangement was that the Kasvallian Group would provide different technologies to the martian coalition. Thus, it would be best for the Kasvallian Group to avoid any suspicion.

Xeight knew that by attacking the geothermal plant attached to a supervolcano… In his mind, the Kasvallian Group should avoid suspicion--the geothermal plant belonged to the Kasvallian Group after all! It would appear ridiculous to suggest that the Kasvallian Group would attack itself.

____________________________________________________________________________

Within an underground lab of the Kasvallian Yellowstone Complex.

“Jones.” Vezna simmered with a threatening air. “Why did deep-sync fail? Explain yourself.”

“S-Sir…” A flustered sixty-year-old researcher replied with a bowed head. “I’m n-not sure” 

“Give. Me. An EXPLANATION!” Vezna slammed a fist that knocked a glass of whiskey shattering against the concrete ground of the observation center.

The flustered Jones kept his head down while surrounding staff occupying other tables ignored the occurring incident as they intently observed the status of the haisnaf through holographic images before their eyes. 

Jones both respected and feared Mr. De Lerna. Good results would lead to endless praise and a rewarding payout. A few complications? Absolutely fine. But Jones knew that Mr. De Lerna hated one thing the most-- unexplained errors. 

“Speak! How long will it take?!”

“Sir!” Jones calmed his heart. He also knew the Mr. De Lerna hated stuttering fools unable to overcome setbacks. He needed to display resolute confidence in resolving any issues. “Once the unit has been transported, we will be able to run diagnostics! It may very well be the pilot’s rather old neuro circlet!”

Vezna visibly reigned in his anger. In but a few seconds, he regained a rather lighthearted demeanor as he paced with a skip like a prancing baby deer around the observation deck.

“Continue the combat analysis.”

_____________________________________________________________________________

What Vezna had indicated for him to do, Xeight knew. Executing it was another matter.

Yet, he felt that the stars were with him. Why did he feel this way? He was not entirely sure who was piloting the enemy nexarm, but he could tell that whoever they were, they acted impulsively with an incredibly confident and aggressive push.

It was only because of that aggression that Xeight was able to lead the enemy like a dog on a leash. He repeatedly backed away towards the geothermal plant to the northeast, only using his four detached snipers to somewhat harass the enemy.

The opposing nexarm believed him to only have the capability of operating four weapon systems and pursued like a ferocious cat after a mouse.

“Watanabe. Status.” James had already been notified of the appearance of the odd nexarm imitation, and had begun returning to the Kasvallian Yellowstone area immediately. Yet, he was originally cleaning up the zone around Seattle, so it would take a while longer for him to arrive.

“Enemy nexarm is only capable of operating four motor detachments. I will have it cornered sooner or later.” The gap between the two units had already closed down to two hundred meters. To Athena, it made sense-- this imitation model before her is much heavier and slower. With the additional pressure from her twelve sniping devices which occasionally shift their position due to their northeastern shift, the pressure was very much on the imitation model.

Very soon, they reached the northeastern slope of the Grand Teton Mountain Ranges, and the distance between the two units had reduced to a hundred meters. It was precisely here that Xeight suddenly activated his thrusters to the max and accelerated towards Athena’s nexarm in a collision course!

Athena’s unit was on a slanted snow patch when this occurred, and she barely had time to react as she attempted to push off with her nexarm’s left foot to dodge. Yet, unlike Xeight, she had forgotten to analyze and recalibrate her systems upon returning from the urban area of LA!

Her left nexarm foot disastrously slipped on the snowy surface, and she lost her balance as the enemy nexarm imitation unit crashed into her unit!

Both pilots within their exo-armors felt their units shuddering from the crash. Athena assumed that the enemy unit would disengage after knocking her down, but that was not so. Instead, Xeight had grappled onto Athena’s nexarm as the two exo-armors now formed a sphere and tumbled down the rocky mountainside!

It was only now that Athena discovered that the enemy had two upper laser arms above the shoulder that grappled tightly onto her shoulders. Then, another two extending downwards from the back grappled onto her unit’s upper thighs. Meanwhile the normal arms immobilized hers’ at the elbows.

That was not all. Four compartments then opened and began pelting her unit with kinetic rounds! Athena finally realized that the reason the opposing nexarm imitation was significantly bulkier was due to these integrated weapon systems! She now knew that she had badly miscalculated the number of motor channels the enemy pilot had.

Was she incompetent? Some might say so. Yet, in battle, intelligence on an enemy’s capability is key. Xeight already knew what a nexarm’s capability was. He also had a degree of understanding regarding the new unit since he was piloting the haisnaf himself! Athena was very much in the dark on the haisnaf.

Athena exclaimed in shock and rage at the enemy’s deviousness as she immediately disconnected four sniper devices such that she could activate the four laser arms of her nexarm to put up a form of resistance.

Plate integrity eighty percent.

Sixty percent.

Finally, her laser arms activated and she immediately controlled them to attack the enemy’s grip on her nexarm.

It was then that her mind was sent reeling like a discombobulated fool once again.

Xeight immediately activated another two pairs of laser arms that grappled with the four that Athena had activated.

Xeight had changed his mind mid-battle. Initially, he wanted to test the haisnaf’s capabilities-- he had quickly determined its huge advantage in close-ranged combat, and now believed it beneficial to the T3ST colony to remove this enemy nexarm before him!

He had no desire to take James MacLeod’s life, but he knew that the pilot before him was not James. James MacLeod has thirteen motor and thirteen sensory channels. The pilot before him has twelve of each.

Thus, he continued firing the kinetic rounds as his eight laser arms, much like the spider arms of an exo-suit, grappled the nexarm into submission.

As they tumbled down the rocky slope, the weight of the two units kickstarted a small landslide that sent dirt and dust into the air. The x-alloy plates and the gel liquid within the cockpit completely protected those in the cockpit.

Then, the two tumbled into a magma vent of the Kasvallian Groups’ geothermal plant. 

Xeight felt no concern despite a warning from the haisnaf indicating the sudden rise in temperature. The x-alloy plates were designed to last quite some time even in intense heat.

Athena could feel the devil’s scythe resting across her neck, ready to reap her soul.

Plate integrity: five percent.

With both her nexarm limbs immobilized and her four laser arms locked against the extra four the enemy had activated, her unit had continued receiving the kinetic rounds from the four openings of the enemy’s nexarm imitation.

It was already a miracle that her vain attempts at twisting the body of her nexarm had managed to somewhat prevent the kinetic rounds from hitting the exact same spot every single time, delaying her unit’s imminent destruction.

Now? They had entered a steaming magma vent!

“Fucking Bastard!” Athena once again condemned the underhanded methods of the enemy pilot.

“Eject!” She had no choice!

Xeight’s sensors suddenly picked up a silvery spherical ball that is the cockpit of the enemy nexarm shoot down into the depths of the magma vent! The ejection of said cockpit of a nexarm supposedly aimed backwards, and a pilot would only use this feature if they believe that they would have a better chance of survival despite abandoning the nexarm.

Due to the tumbling nature of the two exo-armor units, Athena, within her cockpit, was ejected down into the magma vent! Within a few seconds. The cockpit sphere rapidly bounced out of sight down a curve illuminated with a red-hot glow.

Xeight had to admit, he never thought there would be a situation where one would choose to abandon the nexarm. The cockpit sphere, quite obviously, has no combat capability. In most situations, such an escaping cockpit sphere would be quickly noticed and destroyed.

Xeight frowned in contemplation. A part of him wished to pursue the cockpit sphere down the curve, but he did not believe it would be worth the effort. The enemy had lost their nexarm unit and effectively would no longer be an obstacle to him. Earth had billions of citizens-- if he killed one pilot, they’d just find another. It was the nexarms that mattered.

With Athena abandoning her unit, Xeight now held a nexarm unit in his hand! Yes, some plates had effectively zero percent integrity, but changing the plates should be easy. As far as Xeight knew, the unit in his hands remained at perfect function in all other aspects!

Xeight directed his sensors to observe the surroundings. A few other plates on the haisnaf slid open as a few missiles shot out and bombarded the walls of the magma vent. 

Xeight activated his thrusters and he accelerated back out of the collapsing vent with the captured nexarm slung over the haisnaf’s shoulders.

He controlled the haisnaf further northeast over the Kasvallian Yellowstone geothermal plant. Vezna had already sent him a map of key targets he needed to hit. A siren in the complex had already been sounded-- Xeight assumed that Vezna had long activated the warning sign to protect his workers. Even gazing around, Xeight could not notice any signs of human activity-- this was nothing but an abandoned plant!

This certainly reassured Xeight. He had no desire to take the lives of some random workers in this somewhat remote area.

Without delay, the plates on the haisnaf slid open again as many AI-directed missiles were launched at all the key functionalities of the geothermal plant. Without even confirming the delivery of the missiles to their targets, Xeight had already turned and sped towards the startram system belonging to this geothermal plant.

The siren had done its work-- the startram system was similarly unmanned.

With no obstruction, Xeight communicated with the startram system and a rocket was primed. He placed the captured nexarm inside and then secured the haisnaf as well.

A single beep of his neuro circlet and the startram began accelerating!

“Goodbye, Earth. Goodbye, James MacLeod.” Xeight muttered to himself as the startram system activated and their transport began accelerating due to electromagnetic forces.

Their transport angled up a slope the peak of Teewinot Mountains. The very end of the startram rail was at the Teewinot Mountain Peak. Once the space shuttle left the end of those rails, the rockets powered by e-cube kicked in.

“Fuck.” It was only now that Elder Vthree swore in relief. She had held in her breathe and tongue through the whole ordeal-- she was, after all, not in the driving seat, and she herself had also never piloted an exo-armor. Thus, she could only remain silent and trust in Xeight’s judgment.

Xeight could only slyly smile, rather amused at the lady elder’s stress release.

Starship Oneiroi had already been notified by Vezna of Xeight’s launch. Using the EFSF code that Vezna somehow obtained and had given to them, they had been in high orbit awaiting Xeight and Elder Vthree’s return.

Metallic sinewed cords were shot out towards their locations in orbit, and Xeight attached these cords to the haisnaf and the captured nexarm, as the hanging cords swung by their transport overhead. Starship Oneiroi picked up speed as it reeled-in the two exo-armors towards the hangar like an expert fisherman.

With their members and the exo-armors retrieved, Starship Oneiroi subsequently warped out of Earth’s vicinity.