The two stood beside the flipped sand speeder, the engine within crumpled by the impact with the Unrelenting. With a hefty amount of effort, Jarvis managed to push it back upright, and with a muffled thump, the speeder sat still among the stretches of sand. The storm had died down somewhat, enough to allow visibility, but the winds continued to push hard against anything standing.

Suzanne climbed into the back, pulling out a medical kit and bandaging herself. "I... I could override the Arachno-Walker's security system. We'd put a big target on ourselves, but it's safer than walking home." Her breaths were heavy and strained, the stress and pain of the fight leaving her sore and exhausted. "It might take some time."

Jarvis nodded, sitting beside her and placing a comforting arm around her waist, allowing her to lean on him. "We've got time," he assured. "I'll keep watch. That mind won't be coming back anytime soon, with the condition I left it in." She laughed softly, her eyes meeting his with a soft, admiring gaze. "Mhm... I saw the bit where you cut it to pieces midair. Pretty badass, scrapper boy." She relaxed into his embrace, her breaths coming out softer. "I just... I need a second before I even think about trying to deal with the mech." 

"Yeah. Yeah, I've got you." Jarvis sighed and pulled her closer, holding her as if she could disappear any moment. 

...

With a bit of effort, Bento lifted a folded tarp filled with the day's last haul of scrap over his shoulder before tossing it into a dusty shipping container. He made his way to the front of the scrapyard, flipping the open sign to closed before shutting off the electricity. Usually he'd wait for Jarvis to turn in the last collection of the day, but it'd been over five hours since anyone had seen either him or Suzanne. 

Bento wasn't one to worry, but he couldn't shake off the unease from their absence. "Bastard... guessing he's too busy on some joyride to come back yet," he said, almost as if trying to assure himself. Even still, he had a feeling that something was wrong.

In the end, he pushed it aside. He can take care of himself, he thought. No reason to worry. 

...

Finally, the dust storm had cleared. 

After resting for nearly an hour in relaxed silence by Jarvis' side, Suzanne had gotten to work, her old enthusiasm returning as she fiddled with some holograms atop the Arachno-Walker. Meanwhile, Jarvis had picked up his helmet from the sand, running his thumb over the scratched visor. Suzanne bit her lip, attempting to crack through the mech's relatively outdated security. "It doesn't operate at all like the usual Vox war machines... no digital prints or electro sequences. Just... a password? Twelve digits... I might as well brute force it-"

Before she could finish her thought, Jarvis knelt beside her, slamming the butt of his rifle into the glass windscreen. The seal cracked as the glass slid open, sinking beneath the metal surface atop the head. Suzanne paused, raising her brow up at Jarvis. "You're like a caveman, just smashing things to make them work." She shook her head but couldn't help the small smile on her expression as she climbed into the cockpit after Jarvis. 

The twin pilot seats were rather cushy, with soft foam lined in synthetic leathers likely from the Oasis, the only region on Vexra to have plant life and water sources. "Not bad," Jarvis stated as he observed the control panels before him, the windshield sliding back into place while the mech fully powered on. Sand fell from all over the mech as it slowly rose to full height, its eight massive legs creaking from years of unuse. Though difficult at first, the mech began to walk, its feet slamming into the sand with each movement, kicking up small dust clouds as it began its trek.

Suzanne excitedly fiddled with buttons and knobs of all kinds, the windshield turning into an interactive touchscreen. Her injury was forgotten momentarily as she tried to discover what every single control was capable of. "Wait, wait... look!" She pointed to a lever on the ceiling, grasping it firmly. "I'd only heard about this from old logs, but... this thing can fly!" Jarvis leaned back into the cushiony chair. "Fly? You're serious," he remarked, scoffing doubtfully. "This big, clunky thing can fly?"

She grinned, her eyes narrowed teasingly as she nudged his shoulder. "Oh, don't be such a spoil sport. Prepare to be proven wrong once I get this big guy in the air!" With a quick pull of the lever, the mech came to a halt, curling its legs inward as it slowly lowered itself. The engine roared, causing the sand beneath it to vibrate. For a moment, nothing happened.

Then, the knee panels opened, revealing massive thrusters that burst to life, melting the sand beneath them with explosions of flame. 

Slowly but surely the mech rose above the ground, hovering almost ten feet over the sand. Suzanne gripped the control stick tightly, pushing it forward as the mech tilted just a bit, flying forward nearly at the speed of Jarvis' sandspeeder.

He held tightly onto the sides of his chair as Suzanne laughed, her voice filled with glee. "I told you! Oh, I can't wait to see the look on everyone's faces when we come home in this thing!" She flicked a switch and opened a small window on her side of the cockpit, yelling out into the endless dunes as the mech soared, creating a trail of plumes in its wake. 

Jarvis shook his head, his nerves relaxing at the sight of Suzanne's excitement. Though, his enthusiasm faded when he stared out his side window.

"...Suzanne? How do I use the weapons?"

She paused, turning to face him with a confused expression. "Weapons? Why do we need... oh. Oh god."

Strange shimmers in the air could be seen hundreds of feet to the left, gliding almost unnoticably across the sands. Her eyes narrowed as she pressed in a button atop the control stick, locking it in place before she took hold of two red handles right in front of her seat. The plasma cannons on the front of the mech's head turned to aim at the shimmers before firing a rain of blazing projectiles their way. 

In an instant, an explosion of metal and fire emerged in the impact, leaving behind the wreckage of one hidden vehicle and two dismembered Vox within, flying in the air before crashing into the sand. From the inferno, three cloaked speeders burst forth, chasing after the hovering mech as they disarmed their invisibility. 

Jarvis held tight to the weapon control handles, smirking at Suzanne. 

"Well? Ready to give her a test?"

Suzanne nodded quickly, thrilled by the battle prospect. She took hold of the stick once more and turned the mech in place, the thrusters exploding with intense flame once more as they charged straight towards their pursuers.

The sudden shift in course barely gave the Vox speeders time to react as the left and right ones quickly diverted course around the flying Arachno-Walker. The middle speeder wasn't so lucky as it collided into the bottom of the mech, exploding against it and leaving a large scorch mark and a wreckage in the sand. The two remaining attackers shifted course and followed along the sides of the mech before firing harpoons attached to cable into the plating. A sword-wielding Vox emerged from each vehicle, climbing along the cables as they attempted to board. 

Jarvis grit his teeth as he loaded his rifle and leapt from the cockpit, standing atop the mech's back. With one explosive round, he destroyed one cable, sending the Vox into the sand as it held tight, dragging behind its speeder and pilot. Before he could fire a second round, a laser dart from the second speeder struck Jarvis' shoulder, yelling out as he fell backwards onto the cold metal. 

Jarvis barely rolled out of the way as the climbing Vox lunged at him, striking the mech right where he had just been. With a swing of his rifle barrel, he knocked the Vox in its domed head, stunning it before Jarvis managed a quick shot, blowing off its arm and the sword along with it. 

He took his machete by the hilt and swung, and the Vox raised its hand to stop it before the blade cut into its wrist, lodged in the dark metal. Jarvis paused, breathing heavily as he stared down at the now one armed robot beneath him. The look in its eye had an odd sense of certainty and calm in it that caused Jarvis to hesitate. 

Oil leaked in droves from its open shoulder, and as its movements began to stutter, it spoke. "They won't let you get away with it. Never again will you rest." Jarvis glared before screaming in frustration and pain, plunging the blade right into the robot's eye. With a flurry of sparks and a final crackle of the speakers on its face, the Vox crumpled in a heap, lying in a puddle of glowing orange. 

He shakily stood up, his body yearning for rest from the never ending conflicts. The two remaining speeders turned away, cloaking themselves once more and disappearing from sight. 

Jarvis sighed, sheathing his machete before kicking the broken body off the mech, watching it tumble and vanish far behind the Arachno-Walker's flight.