The arena transformed into a vast, virtual underwater battlefield. Towering coral spires and submerged ruins created a labyrinthine maze of cover, with bioluminescent flora casting an eerie glow. The faint sounds of whale-like calls and creaking wrecks echoed through the depths, adding an otherworldly tension.

Inside the Wyvern’s cockpit, Jackie Stewart adjusted her neural interface, her expression calm but focused. The Wyvern’s systems adapted seamlessly to the simulated aquatic environment, its jump jets converted to thrusters for enhanced mobility in the dense medium. Across the battlefield, her opponent materialized—Ryn Verrick’s Specter.

The Specter gleamed under the blue light, its angular, stealth-optimized frame gliding effortlessly through the simulated water. Its dual beam lances and scatter-shot plasma cannons hummed with latent power. Ryn Verrick had proven to be a master tactician, and Jackie knew this would be her toughest fight yet.

“Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to what promises to be a battle of brains versus brawn! Jackie Stewart, piloting the Wyvern—a modular heavy assault mech that has stunned us all with its power and versatility—takes on Ryn Verrick and the Specter, a sleek, medium-weight marvel designed for precision strikes and surgical combat. Jim, we are in for a treat.”

“No doubt about it, Howard. These two machines couldn’t be more different. The Wyvern is a bruiser with surprising agility, while the Specter relies on speed, stealth, and precision. This underwater arena adds a whole new layer of complexity—mobility and tactics will be everything here.”

“Three… two… one… Begin!”

The Specter surged forward, gliding through the water with a predator’s grace. Jackie kept the Wyvern steady, firing a burst from the Gauss Rifle. The projectile streaked through the water, slower but no less deadly, smashing into a coral outcrop as the Specter vanished into the maze.

“Stealth tactics,” Jackie muttered, her eyes scanning the sensor feed. “Classic.”

The Wyvern’s sensors lit up as a scatter-shot blast from the Specter’s plasma cannons erupted from the shadows, lighting up the murky water. Jackie fired the Wyvern’s thrusters, dodging the brunt of the attack, but a few shots seared into the armor on her left torso.

“Brilliant opening maneuver by Verrick, Howard. That scatter-shot plasma cannon forces Jackie to stay on the move, limiting her ability to line up those big, heavy-hitting shots.”

“Indeed, Jim. It’s the classic speed-versus-power dynamic. But let us not forget, the Wyvern has proven time and again that it can adapt to any scenario. The question is, can Stewart keep her composure in the face of Verrick’s relentless precision?”

Jackie maneuvered the Wyvern through the coral maze, using the terrain to limit the Specter’s angles of attack. She fired her ER Large Lasers, the beams slicing through the water and narrowly missing the Specter as it darted behind a sunken structure.

“Come on,” Jackie muttered, lining up her Gauss Rifle. She fired again, the slug clipping the Specter’s right thruster. The mech faltered for a moment, but Ryn Verrick recovered quickly, turning the stumble into a feint.

The Specter lunged, beam lances igniting with a flash. Jackie barely had time to fire her thrusters, propelling the Wyvern upward as the lances carved through the coral where she’d been standing.

“Did you see that, Jim? Verrick turning a mistake into an opportunity—remarkable reflexes and tactical awareness.”

“And Jackie’s no slouch, either, Howard. She’s keeping the Wyvern mobile, which is crucial in this environment. But Verrick is relentless. This is a battle of endurance as much as skill.”

Jackie’s sensors picked up movement behind her—too late. The Specter appeared from the shadows, its plasma cannons firing at close range. Alarms blared in the Wyvern’s cockpit as the shots hammered its rear armor, sending damage reports cascading across the HUD.

“Enough of this,” Jackie growled, spinning the Wyvern around and unleashing a salvo of missiles. The Specter darted sideways, avoiding most of the barrage, but a few connected, throwing it off balance.

Jackie pressed the attack, firing her ER Large Lasers in quick succession. The beams scored direct hits on the Specter’s right arm, damaging one of the beam lances.

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“Got you,” she muttered, closing the distance.

“And just like that, the momentum shifts! Stewart has exploited a rare opening, and the Specter is now on the defensive. Jim, this is why the Wyvern is such a formidable machine—its ability to turn a fight on a dime.”

“Absolutely, Howard. But Verrick isn’t out yet. He’s one of the smartest pilots in this competition, and the Specter’s agility still gives him an edge.”

The Specter retreated into the ruins, using the shadows to its advantage. Jackie followed cautiously, her eyes scanning every corner.

“Where are you?” she muttered.

A flicker of movement caught her attention—a feint. The Specter struck from the side, beam lance ignited and slashing toward the Wyvern’s torso. Jackie blocked with her Gauss Rifle, the impact reverberating through the cockpit.

The Specter fired its plasma cannon, but Jackie was ready. She triggered the Wyvern’s jump thrusters, propelling the mech upward and out of harm’s way. From above, she unleashed a devastating combination: missiles, lasers, and the Gauss Rifle firing in perfect synchronicity.

The Specter’s systems overloaded as the barrage connected, explosions rippling across its frame. Ryn Verrick ejected just before the final hit, his mech collapsing into the simulated ocean floor.

“And there it is! Jackie Stewart, piloting the Wyvern, claims victory in a battle for the ages! Jim, this was nothing short of a masterpiece in strategy, determination, and execution.”

“No doubt about it, Howard. Stewart’s composure under pressure and the Wyvern’s versatility made all the difference. Ryn Verrick fought valiantly, but this time, the Wyvern was simply too much.”

Jackie exited the simulator pod, sweat dripping from her brow. The roar of the crowd was deafening, but she barely noticed, her focus still on the battle.

Kovacs was waiting, a proud smile on his face. “Told you the Wyvern could handle it.”

Jackie smirked, shaking her head. “It wasn’t the Wyvern. It was me.”

“Fair enough,” Kovacs said, his grin widening.

As they left the arena, the weight of the competition loomed heavier than ever. One final match stood between them and victory, and Jackie knew the hardest fight was yet to come.

***

The quiet hum of the staging area contrasted with the roaring arena outside. Jackie Stewart sat on the edge of a bench, still in her pilot suit, her head leaned back against the wall. Her breathing was steady, but Kovacs could see the slight tremor in her fingers as she fiddled with the strap of her glove. The battle had been grueling, and the exhaustion was evident.

Kovacs approached, his tablet in hand, the glow from its screen reflecting on his face. “Hey,” he said softly, sitting down next to her. “Hell of a fight out there.”

Jackie opened one eye, smirking. “You doubted me?”

“Not for a second,” he replied with a grin. “But Verrick had me nervous. That Specter… tricky piece of work.”

“Tricky, yeah,” Jackie said, sitting up. “But predictable. Once I realized he was relying too much on hit-and-run tactics, it was just a matter of baiting him into a bad spot.”

Kovacs nodded, scrolling through data on his tablet. “Still, I want to make sure you’re ready for the next match. Any feedback on the Wyvern? Anything that felt off or needs tweaking?”

Jackie tilted her head, thinking. “The Wyvern’s solid. The reactor’s holding up great, and I can’t complain about the firepower. But…”

“But?” Kovacs prompted, raising an eyebrow.

“The rear armor,” Jackie said, her tone serious. “That scatter-shot plasma cannon Verrick used—if he’d hit me again, it might’ve breached the core. I know we’ve been balancing weight, but I think we need to reinforce the back plating. Just in case the next opponent has similar tricks up their sleeve.”

Kovacs made a note on his tablet, nodding. “Good call. I’ll shift some weight from the missile pods to reinforce the rear. Anything else?”

Jackie leaned forward, her elbows on her knees. “The jump thrusters… they’re incredible for dodging, but the recharge time between bursts feels just a hair too long. Against someone faster than the Specter, that might be a problem.”

“Hmm,” Kovacs murmured, tapping his screen. “I can tweak the power routing. We’ll lose a bit of efficiency in sustained fire from the lasers, but it’ll cut the thruster recharge time by about twenty percent. That work for you?”

Jackie nodded. “Perfect. If I can stay mobile, I can control the fight.”

Kovacs leaned back, closing the tablet and exhaling. “You know, when I started designing the Wyvern, I didn’t think I’d be tweaking it on the fly for a live competition. This whole thing feels… surreal.”

Jackie glanced at him, her smirk softening. “You’re doing great, Kovacs. Seriously. The Wyvern’s a beast, and the fact that we’re in the final rounds proves it. You should be proud.”

“Proud, sure,” he said, rubbing the back of his neck. “But I’m also nervous as hell. This isn’t just about winning anymore. It feels bigger than that. Like, if we pull this off, it’s going to change everything.”

Jackie chuckled. “You’re overthinking it. Me? I just think about the next fight. One move at a time. Do that, and everything else falls into place.”

“Sounds simple,” Kovacs said with a laugh.

“It’s not,” Jackie admitted. “But it works.”

A soft chime echoed through the staging area, and a voice announced over the intercom, “Final match preparations in twenty minutes. Contestants, please report to your stations.”

Jackie stood, rolling her shoulders. “Guess it’s time.”

Kovacs looked at her, his expression a mix of pride and determination. “Let’s win this thing.”

Jackie flashed him a grin, the exhaustion fading from her face. “Wouldn’t dream of doing anything else.”

As they walked toward the prep area, Kovacs felt a strange sense of calm settle over him. The Wyvern was ready, Jackie was ready, and for the first time in a long while, so was he.