On the desert planet of Barros, Sierra watches over the horizon on the shoulder of the Battle Kong mark two. It’s been several months since the crew of the Humpback were branded traitors to the Republic. Since then, the Republic had stolen the Adaptus program in a deadly conflict resulting in Jack leaving the crew. Now, Sierra is searching for her longtime friend to stop him from doing something he’ll regret.

“Sierra. We’re leaving soon so you better get back to the ship.” Says Xel, communicating via radio.

“I hear you. I’ll be there soon.” Says Sierra, disappointed by the lack of any signs of her friend.

Sierra enters the driver’s seat of the Battle Kong and begins making her way back to the Humpback. While the driver’s seat of most mechs is located in the head, APE units like Battle Kong have the Driver’s seat in the torso instead. Sierra travels for miles on end before arriving at the Humpback. The ship in question is in a state of disrepair due to a previous skirmish. As Sierra enters the Humpback, she finds that the disrepair is not just external but internal as well. The crew work around the clock to repair the Humpback. Upon exiting the Battle Kong, Sierra is met by Xel, one of the medics on board and the most experienced.

“Look. Sierra, I get your concern about Jack but we can’t stay here anymore. The longer we stay, the greater the likelihood the Republic will find us.” Says Xel.

“I’m aware of that Xel. Ever since we were ambushed by the Republic, we’ve been trying to recover from that while on the run. I don’t doubt that Jack likely blames himself for what happened.” Says Sierra with concern in her voice.

“Can’t blame him though. We all were left with our share of scars.” Says Xel, pointing to their cybernetic right eye.

“You’re right about that. I need to speak to the Captain. I’ll see you around.” Says Sierra.

After the conversation, Sierra leaves and finds Captain Farron assisting with the repairs. Given how old Farron is, Sierra is worried the old Sauren might injure himself. Sierra enters a nearby orangutan unit and lends a helping hand. Farron and the crew are grateful for the assistance but Farron could tell Sierra was upset. Farron asks to speak with Sierra in his office to which Sierra obliges. In his office, Farron pours some coffee and is about to say something before being interrupted by Sierra.

“I can guess why I’m here. I know we should prioritize avoiding the Republic and figuring out a way to stop them but…” Sierra says, struggling to get the words out.

“Sierra, as captain it is my responsibility to look after the well-being of my crew. This includes you, Xel, Jack, and everyone else. Plus, I think the Republic will be too busy to be dealing with us right now.” Says Farron before turning on the telescreen.

On the telescreen, a news reporter reports on an incident involving a rogue timber wolf unit escaping Republic confinement.

“Well at least we know the Adaptus program works. Makes you wonder where that mech went.” Says Sierra, looking at the damage done.

“So long as it’s not in the Republic or Federations hands, we have little to worry about. Speaking of mechs, I do believe yours is in need of maintenance.” Says Farron.

“Oh shit! Your right. I’ll go get that done right away.” Says Sierra, leaving Farrons office in a hurry.

“Go right ahead Sierra. Mechs always lifts your spirit.” Says Farron.

As soon as Sierra leaves, Xel enters Farrons office with something important to say.

“Captain. The repairs are fully complete but we have a new problem. We are running low on supplies ranging from mechanical parts to photonium energy cells.” Says Xel.

“Alright. We’ll make a quick stop at Avion and resupply there. By the way Xel, keep a close eye on Sierra. She could use all the support right now.” Says Captain Farron.

“Alright captain. It shall be done.” Says Xel.

Elsewhere, Sierra check on the Battle Kong for any damage or debris. Sierra quickly finds traces of sand in the joints of her mech and removes the sand from every nook and cranny. After that, she analyses other parts of the Battle Kong and gets an idea. Sierra heads to her room and sits at her desk. From there, she takes a sheet of paper and paper and starts planning her modifications for the Battle Kong. Since the previous Battle Kong got crushed, Sierra decides to improve the actuators and the plating to make it more pressure resistant. In addition, Sierra designs a new bunker drill and a new pulse cannon. The new drill bunker has a more refined tip and a faster rotation to improve its drilling capabilities. The pulse cannon has been overhauled to enter a recharging state rather than having a set number of shots. Upon completing the sketch, Sierra takes one look and gets a big smile on her face.

“Yeah. I can do this. I can absolutely do this!” Says Sierra with glee.

As Sierra refines her idea for the Battle Kong, she thinks back to when she first joined the Humpback. She had just finished her degree in engineering at the time and it was unclear if Sierra had what it takes. But over time, Sierra proved to be just as capable as any mechanic on the ship. This, combined with her cooperation skills and knowledge on mechs, helped boost the engineering side of the crew to new heights. Back in the present, Sierra finishes the designs for the modifications. Sierra exits her room an prepares to put these mods to the test. Just in time too as the Humpback begins to take off and leave Barros behind. With the coordinates set for Avion, this trek to the planet should go smoothly. Little do they know, the Humpback is being followed by a very familiar looking starfighter.