A world where there is no peace, only two nations and two different worldviews.
The girl known as the Steam Fox walked slowly across the summit of the Clock Tower. The building's stainless-steel roof, from which the upper parts of gigantic gears jutted out like metallic teeth, was cold.
Despite the stillness and the height, the steady, rhythmic hum of the enormous gears deep within the tower was, for her, soothing in its own way. It was the sound of order and stability—the sound of her nation.
A report of enemy reconnaissance, transmitted from the Digital Dominion, had brought her here, despite the fact that she was due for a leave of absence.
"What is the point of this prolonged struggle?" the thought flashed through her mind. "I'm already exhausted and can't sleep, and yet the Leader canceled my leave and sent me on an urgent call. Do they truly believe I don't deserve at least five hours of rest?"
She was about to turn away from the edge when she felt a cutting heat near her temple.
Pure, pulsating energy—an Energy Saber—whipped past. She barely managed to pull her head back, reacting purely on instinct.
She caught herself yawning, covering a part of her mask with her hand.
"One of the Energy Sabers," she murmured. Her voice was flat and even, the note of sleepiness easily mistaken for deep boredom. "It's been a while since I fought one of those."
She saw him. The figure in the glistening gray armor of the Digital Dominion stood fifteen meters away.
A rookie,she instantly realized. Overconfident, fast, but far too impatient.
A plan was born instantly.She took a step forward.
"Hey, kid! Put away that toothpick you mistakenly call a sword and let's talk!" she shouted. "From what I can tell, you can't see the difference in experience. And yes, I can put you on your back without a weapon."
The Saber roared and charged forward.
She dove into a rapid corner roll—a maneuver executed low and fast across the roof. Mid-flight, as the Saber passed over where she'd been standing, she sharply spun in the air and delivered a precise kick aimed at his helmet. The Saber, though blinded by fury, still managed to dodge.
Damn, he's talented!Her mind instantly acknowledged. But clearly inexperienced. Too emotional.
Giving him no chance to regain balance, she dropped onto her hands and began to rotate, turning the skirmish into breakdancing on stainless steel. Her metallic boots pounded against the Dominion's armor.
"Damn, kid, can't you see I'm dancing?" she yelled. "Don't interfere, or I'll break your arm!"
Just as her foot was about to land the promised hit, the Saber let out an animalistic roar, and his armor flared. Full Charge. The azure light of the sword turned blinding white, and its size seemed to surge. She tried to leap back, but she only managed a second's delay. The blade didn't hit her, but it sliced with a screech of pure energy across the edge of her Steam Fox mask.
The mask cracked and, unable to bear the tension, ripped away from her face.
The Saber's charge ended, and he froze, his eyes locked onto her now-revealed face.
"You finally saw it, didn't you?"she asked quietly, her voice now perfectly clear. Her lips curved into a bitter, crooked smile.
She efficiently and quickly activated the armor's lock on his shoulder joint. A sharp mechanical click sounded.
He was no longer a threat. She easily pushed him, and he sank onto the cold metal.
Capture.
She wasted no time. She quickly wrapped the broken pieces of her Steam Fox mask in a piece of cloth and tied them to her belt. It was her life, her dangerous secret.
First, she took the long, dark-gray scarf from her neck and carefully wrapped it around her head and face, leaving only a narrow slit for her eyes. The disguise was absolute. If any of her own people saw what the Saber saw, it would shock them to the core.
The captive Saber was stunned and paralyzed. She activated the internal technical elevator, reserved for high-access personnel. Grinding its mechanisms, the lift quickly lowered them to the base beneath the Clock Tower.
Upon landing, sheefficiently handed the captive in his paralyzed armor over to the interrogation team.
End of Pilot Chapter.