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| - Irvine and Melissa leave the transport aboard Melissa's Storm Sworder. Due to Tornado's damage, they would go ahead to begin the extensive repairs. Tornado is carried in a special Storm Sworder called "Yunjian" (Cloud Blade). Van and the others don't head straight for the republic capital. Instead they take a detour and move towards Mule. Herman had suggested someone might know about the Zoid Eve at Mule. As fate would have it, this person was also Melissa's sister. Herman had originally instructed them to head straight to the capital, but Melissa was able to update the group with more recent information - her sister was in Mule, hence the detour. It took three days to arrive at the border city. Mule was a large city protected by massive walls. The lands around it contained fertile farmland. Moonbay takes her Gustav and heads into the city, leaving Van and Fiona to wander the crops. Fiona, not knowing any better, picks a grape from a vineyard. Van scalds her, stating it's not theirs to take, but promptly finds himself picking grapes as well. Before long, a woman approaches them and likewise scalds them for picking fruit that doesn't belong to them. Van quickly apologises, but Fiona still doesn't quite understand, and asks why picking a single grape is a problem - considering there are so many around. The elderly woman begins to explain that it's not a matter of how many grapes are picked, but the effort that someone went to in order to cultivate them. Yet she is quickly cut off, a group of Zoids are seen running amok nearby. Two Rev Raptors were chasing a Heldigunner, and were rampaging straight toward the field. The elderly woman tells Van to stay back, while she briskly walks towards the oncoming Zoids. It was her hometown, and she wasn't going to sit idly by watching it get ruined. Van immediately questions what she could do against Zoids unarmed, and offers to protect the fields in her place. Promptly fusing with Zeke and Caesar, Van confronts the oncoming Zoids. Van stands in front of their approach, and tells them to stop immediately, but a reply comes from an Imperial officer piloting one of the Rev Raptors. 1st Lt. Kirsche Hartriegel explains that the Heldigunner is out of control, and it's the Imperial army's duty to deal with it - interference from the Republican army would be considered an act of hostility. Even though Van explains he isn't a member of the Republican army, the Imperial officer pays no heed, regardless of his affiliation, if he damaged an Imperial Zoid it would be considered an act of war. Van tries to stall - only using his shield to prevent damage to his Zoid and the Heldigunner, but the Rev Raptors continue to use firearms, causing collateral damage to the fields below. As he attempts to come up with a way to stall them, the old lady from before speaks out in a loud voice. She reiterates the importance of the farms they were fighting on, with people pouring their souls into the land. Her speech works, the Imperial Zoids stop in their tracks, the Lieutenant recognising her voice. Van promptly seizes the opportunity and directs all power to a fine point in his shield, repelling the Heldigunner a great distance (but not actually harming it). With the Heldigunner tamed, the Imperial forces reluctantly leave (or rather, are forcefully told to leave). With all the commotion over, Fiona offers her sincerest apology to the elderly woman, which the woman warmly accepts. Fiona then introduces herself, Van, Zeke and Caesar. As she spoke, Moonbay arrived back. Moonbay had heard Zoids were on the loose and had come to check. Fiona tells Moonbay that "Ms. Louise" (the name of the elderly woman) had helped stop them. Moonbay's jaw dropped as she realised exactly who "Ms. Louise" was. She was none other than Louise Theresa Campford - the President of the Republic. Van is just as shocked as Moonbay, however Fiona doesn't understand the reaction, she didn't even know what a "president" was.
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![[RDF Data]](/fct/images/sw-rdf-blue.png)