(Unova Syndicate- Sector Alpha-099)

(Unknown Planet)

"Do you need any assistance?" Captain Dawn asked politely as he saw Sophie struggle to get her body on the hoverbike.

"No thanks," Sophie replied with a thin smile as she swung one leg over the machine.

It was a bit tricky at first to hoist her body onto the seat with one arm, but she managed without a problem.

It came as a bit of a surprise but apparently captain Dawn wanted to set up camp at a new rest site.

The reason why was because knights had spent the last few days searching the nearby area, but no trace of the mysterious plant could be found.

Captain Dawn had decided to travel a few kilometers in a north eastern direction to look for new leads.

Naturally, Sophie and Lily had to follow with the group.

"Big sister can you pick me up?" a sleepy voice whispered softly as Lily struggled to stay awake.

"No problem baby," Sophie stroked Lily's hair and picked up the little girl smoothly. She placed Lily on her lap facing forward.

There were spare pieces of plastic- based rope in her storage device so Sophie took out a chain to secure Lily tightly to her chest.

Operating a hoverbike with one arm was not impossible as Sophie had a great sense of balance and impressive hand-eye coordination.

"Men we will be travelling a bit slower today and in the standard formation," Captain Dawn yelled.

"Yes sir!" came the enthusiastic replies from the men in his squad.

Sophie narrowed her golden eyes as she stared at the figure standing tall in the middle of the temporary rest site.

Captain Dawn truly resembled a fantasy knight of old. Long blonde hair that flowed down his shoulders, a metallic armour that glistened under the rays of the sun and an androgynous sense of beauty.

But his good looks had no effect on Sophie as the goosebumps constantly rising whenever he came too close were enough to send chills down her spine.

A dangerous beast was the secret evaluation Sophie had in her heart.

Just as the thought flashed across her mind, Captain Dawn walked over to their location with a peaceful smile on his face.

"I'm sorry to inconvenience you by moving the rest site today," he said apologetically.

"No I am grateful enough that you rescued me and gave us a place to stay," Sophie replied with no trace of her revulsion.

Captain Dawn nodded and walked away. This interaction was seemingly innocuous, but something didn't seem right.

From the moment the captain had arrived, his attention would occasionally drift to the little girl in Sophie's arm.

Why did he keep staring at Lily?

Sophie frowned slightly and shifted the little girl so that her figure was partially concealed by her cloak.

"Alright men, make sure to pack up your tents before we depart," one of captain Dawn's deputies a man named Martin ordered.

The temporary homes in the shape of metalloid spheres suddenly shrunk to the size of an apple.

Disassembling the campsite was clearly a well rehearsed operation as it only took ten minutes for everything to be stored away.

Sophie closed her eyes and enjoyed feeling the warm sun gently shine on her face. It was the calm before the storm.

The departure date for the mercenaries heading to the frontier region was in three days time which meant that the captain would probably make his move either tomorrow or the day after.

Sophie had no clue about what he wanted to do but could feel a strong sense of malice hidden behind the seemingly gentle facade.

Whatever it was. she would not let Lily get hurt.

Vroom! Vroom!

The loud noises of the hoverbikes echoed through the empty desert as one by one the knights activated their vehicles.

Sophie followed their lead and pressed a small red button on the dashboard. The sleek hoverbike glowed a bluish colour before ascending into the air.

It was a powerful machine.

Sophie could feel small vibrations shake her arm slightly as the hoverbike roared and made the thin layers of sand on the ground blow away.

"Let's depart," Captain Dawn spoke tersely and steered his hoverbike towards the front.

The rest of the knights filled the ranks of the formation and soon a V-shaped pattern emerged.

Sophie steadily held onto her bike and smoothly drove into an empty spot at the tail end of the formation.

It was not her first time operating a hoverbike as the Duke had once built a private racetrack for Sophie's tenth birthday.

The captain didn't speak anymore and just drove forward. There was a squire behind Sophie to make sure that the hybrid girl didn't suffer any accidents.

Although his real purpose was monitoring.

Captain Dawn did not want the hybrid to die. at least not yet.

To break her mortal link with the child clearly attached to her would require a carefully constructed scenario.

Sophie gripped the handle and leaned sideways as her hover bike tilted to the right.

The wind blew her hair backwards and the feeling of flying through the air caused Sophie's lips to unconsciously turn upwards.

Lily was now fully awake and the little girl's eyes sparkled as she watched the endless sand dunes pass by.

"Have you ever been in a hoverbike before?" Sophie whispered as she saw Lily smiling.

"No big sister this is my first time!" Lily excitedly spoke.

"It's amazing!"

The trip passed in a comfortable silence as Lily was content to experience riding on a hoverbike while Sophie's attention was drawn to the squire following them.

He wore the standard armour for the Hyperion knights but there was no sun painted in the center of his outfit.

His entire body was covered by the metalloid armour, so Sophie had no way of knowing what his species or facial features were.

Sophie slowed down purposefully, and the squire responded about two seconds later.

Quick reflexes.

For someone sent to guard and protect them. he reacted exceptionally well.

Sophie resumed the normal speed as if nothing had just happened. Thirty minutes passed by uneventfully as she didn't bother to test the squire again.

A large vibration caused Sophie's hoverbike to shake unexpectedly. Sophie hurriedly pressed the breaks with her leg as her bike stopped in midair.

The other knights in the formation also paused as an area in front of the squad begun to tremble violently.

Boom!

A large flower rose up from the ground. Sophie could feel the space where her arm and eye used to be tingle as she recognised the familiar colors on the plant.

It was a member of the same species that had crippled her!