The hangar north of Excalibur held some air vehicles used by the Dust Knights, sometimes by some of the people they had, either engineers, doctors, or just those who held any sort of military job. Although they had several aircraft, only half a dozen were available to be piloted. Some of them were broken or they didn't know how to make them fly.

The one waiting in the helipad was the biggest they had, a massive helicopter, colored with a bronze tone. It was one of the ways the vehicle was powered, absorbing energy from the heat and the sun.

It used two gravitic manipulators. They were similar to a metal cross, covered in an intricate web of what they called 'energy capillaries' The ends were rounded, and the two manipulators were above, on the roof. One in the front, another in the rear. They formed a big diamond shape in the middle. That part was left open since the gravitic manipulators used to generate massive amounts of energy and heat.

Inside, in the cabin, there were two seats for the pilots. Although only one pilot was needed, a second one made possible an efficient control of the different parts of the aircraft. Sometimes it was needed to power more one of the gravitic manipulators or to change the system to 'shooting mode'

The middle part was designed for transport. Around eighty percent was used for different kinds of equipment, and now it was filled with some metal crates fixed with metal cables, so they wouldn't drift. Mei made sure they had everything they needed to establish a makeshift laboratory.

Twelve seats could be used by sixteen soldiers if some of them were standing up. The problem usually was the size and weight of the Dust Knights, so that was always something to consider. They had to take into account Sol Liora and Sol Aveline's size and weight.

Ren, one of the most experienced pilots they had, was a fifty-year-old man capable of piloting any kind of aircraft. He was the one making sure they didn't surpass the weight limit.

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"Show me the report," Ren, in the pilot seat, said while looking at a small monitor in the middle. "While you are at it, calculate distance and energy consumed."

The monitor flickered with different numbers. The equipment Mei needed occupied around 40% of the cargo bay. The numbers were good. Counting the weight of the armor, they would be able to even receive a boost in energy consumption efficiency.

His assistant, Lydia, was checking the different components of the outside. Most of the surface of the helicopter had the most advanced solar panels. They weren't actual panels: a kind of layer that made anything capable of acquiring energy from the sun and the heat, and that was something that the Wasteland never ran out of.

Ren moved to the middle of the transport. Six on one side, six on another. Besides the pilots, the group consisted of four members, all of them chosen by Mei.

They could sit near the cabin, while the two Dust Knights had to stand still in the middle, incapable of sitting. Even with the armor suits, Ren knew the journey they were going to embark on would face all sorts of dangers. Having two Dust Knights capable of defending the sides of the helicopter was something he thanked.

Lydia descended from the helicopter as Ren exited the vehicle.

"Everything ok?" Ren looked at the outside of the aircraft. "The panels are ready?"

"They are great, chief."

"Propellers?"

"I looked at them with a couple of engineers. They are used, like everything, but we won't have problems"

"Well," Ren sighed "Let's hope so. Maybe we will run into some pale bats."

"We have Sol Aveline and Sol Liora, boss. Marcus is coming along too."

"Maybe we'll need at least one more squire. I know Marcus personally. I trust him, but going near Highpoint there are some nests. Do we have a report from the North-East Outpost?"

"They don't expect dust storms. One of the sand-seas experienced movement, but we might be far from there."

Ren nodded.

"Everything in the cargo bay?"

"Everything. We need to wait for Mei, she is the one in charge of the equipment"

After a deep breath, Ren looked at the horizon.

"One thing is going there," he said as doubt filled his heart "But I don't know what lurks near Highpoint after what happened there."