As she sat down in the seat, Xiao nervously looked at the door across from her. The door led to Anthony’s office and two people were inside, Anthony and Kristina. After providing the retired pilot the Zavaso founder’s contact info, she agreed to meet with him. Now, the two of them were discussing behind closed doors while she and the others waited outside. The young woman couldn’t even imagine what was being discussed and what deals and offers were made for cooperation to be possible.

  “Here is something to keep you busy,” said Vesna as she handed over a tablet. “Your next match has been decided.”

  <

  Match Type: Casual

  Mech Weight Class Allowed: Light Mechs only

  Format: 4 versus 4

  Arena: Casual Standard

  Win Condition: All opposing mechs can no longer continue combat

  Attendance: 20000

  Salvage Reward: 12

  >

  Xiao couldn’t believe that this was her eighth match already. It felt like she only just fought her first match a week ago. Not only was the attendance growing larger but the salvage reward was also becoming more alluring. She smiled at the thought that she already had better equipment stocked up for the future. As she thought about rare equipment, she turned to Vesna.

  “How did your research go? Any small tournaments coming up that caught your eye?”

  “Well, I was making a lot of progress. If Kristina wasn’t here, Anthony probably would have accepted my plan already. Your matter takes higher precedence.”

  “Not sure how my schedule will change if she becomes my teacher. I expect a fierce training regime.”

  “Don’t worry about that for now. Check the videos I included in the folder. They should give you an idea of what opponents you are facing.”

  A minute into the first video, Xiao realized that the upcoming match was going to be a tricky one. Her opponents all belonged to one mech organization so it was becoming clear that they picked their mechs specifically to maximize their teamwork and coverage of the mech weaknesses. The frontline of her foes was made up of a mantis and a hornet. Meanwhile, a beetle and a bomber handled the rear with their medium ranged weapons.

  That’s quite the diverse mech pool. They’re versatile enough to change their approach when their opponents least expect it.

  Except for a mantis, she had faced all the other mechs. However, their diverse combination of equipment could make them perform quite differently in actual combat. While she and Puhi could achieve some level of teamwork, the same couldn’t be said with the allied squad. After finishing the first video, she noted that the goal of her opponents was to exploit the lack of cohesiveness between the two squads. Four pilot squads weren’t that common so the opposition had a distinct advantage with its setup.

  “Talk about being sly with their strategy,” said Xiao.

  Since the group was made up of four pilots, they would only be put into four versus four formats. Therefore, her opponent had already taken the initiative in matches before a single weapon had exchanged fire.

  “It’s not against the rules,” replied Vesna with a cookie in her hand. “They might have an easier time now but, once they enter the leagues, they will be in for a rude awakening.”

  Stolen story; please report.

  The young woman knew what the girl was referring to. Four pilot squads were far more common in the leagues as this was oftentimes the only way for some pilots to move up in the leagues. Fighting solo sounded great but the fierce competition meant some might never get a chance to go very far. Banding together would be the only way for these pilots to get ahead. At the thought of getting ahead, Xiao looked towards the door, wondering what was being discussed.

  “I personally think it’s a great chance to use the two new subcomponents,” offered Wattan.

  Xiao knew the head mechanic was referring to the melee weapon and a bolt on weapon. The two would give her ant mech a surprise factor her hornet couldn’t achieve. The bolt on weapon would be easy to use but she still needed more practice with the melee weapon which was much shorter than the pitchfork she wielded on her cattlemech. The shorter reach meant she had to position much closer. For an ant mech, such positioning usually spelled bad news. The head mechanic emphasized that such a weapon should be a last resort only.

  “If things get that bad, I’ll be sure to give them a surprise!”

  “What do you think are your odds of winning?” asked Vesna who had just licked her fingers clean.

  “Zero unless the other squad is competent and very adaptable,” answered Xiao truthfully.

  The level of teamwork they were facing was unlike anything she had faced before. The young woman didn’t need to watch the other videos to know how effective her opponents were. The ideal scenario for the opposition would be holding off one squad with one mech while the other three focus down the other squad. Such a case would always yield success, as seen by the perfect record boasted by the four pilot squad.

  “What if I tell you that you know the pilots in the allied squad?” Xiao saw the mischievous smile on Vesna’s face and decided to tickle her until she spoke. After a minute of tickling, the girl begged for mercy, agreeing to share the identity of the other two pilots. “They are Huxley and Zander. They piloted the mantis and the hornet respectively. Remember?”

  Of course Xiao remembered who they were. She just couldn’t understand why they were present. Last she heard, they were attending something that would allow them to bypass the standard route of making the relegation matches. The fact that they returned couldn’t be good news, making this a bittersweet reunion.

  “I know what you are thinking and, no, they are fighting this match as a way of meeting all their prerequisites for their competition.”

  After hearing Vesna’s summary, the young woman now understood that they needed one more win in a casual standard match to fulfil all the prerequisites. Their connections got their foot in the door but they still had to complete the prerequisites within a certain deadline. As luck would have it, they were fighting together.

  Or is it luck? Knowing the craftiness of Vesna, I wouldn’t be surprised if she scheduled all of this.

  The surprise still made her excited for her next match. She contacted the two pilots now and then but, with all her time invested in her career and the fighting ring, she had yet to see how much those two had improved since they last separated. This would be a great chance to learn more from one another.

  “They’ve requested to meet you and Puhi for a casual chat tomorrow as a way to prepare for the upcoming match. I already accepted the request in your place.”

  Xiao hadn’t expected to be so easy to read but she couldn’t deny that she spent a lot more time with Vesna than all the other people in Zavaso combined. Just as the girl knew her pretty well, she knew Vesna pretty well. Therefore, she took the last cookie on the table to the dismay of the little girl.

  Chocolate chip cookies? I’ve been missing out!

  When she finished, Xiao noticed Vesna staring at her with puppy eyes. She tried looking away but she could feel Vesna’s eyes bearing into her. After a full minute, she gave in and told the girl that she would buy her a whole box of cookies when she had a chance. Only then did Vesna walk back to her room, claiming that she had more research work. One after another, the other people walked out of the room, leaving just Xiao waiting for the result of the discussion between Anthony and Kristina.

  I hope they don’t take all night! What could they discuss that would require so much time?

  To avoid dozing off, Xiao went and made some coffee. As she sipped the beverage, she watched the other videos of her next opponents. The matches were all one-sided in favor of her opponents which terrified her. Somehow, the four pilots achieved a level of teamwork that could be matched by few outside the leagues. Even if Huxley and Zander could work well with her squad, there was only so much teamwork they could achieve in the limited time they had. In other words, the odds of them winning were still way too low, if not nonexistent.

  Huh? A message?

  Xiao checked her phone, surprised to see another match request for her specifically. The requested match would take place several days before her main match so the two didn’t conflict. However, she still debated if she had the luxury of having sufficient preparations for both the fighting ring and her standard match. Since she formed a squad with Puhi, Xiao was no longer just fighting for herself.

  I wonder what is offered upfront for acceptance. If it's good compensation....