Dawnstar's three-trailered Gustav pulled up, dusty from the long journey across the wastelands to reach the battle site. They were set to challenge . . .
"Team Pointy Darkness," Kyne repeated into his headset. He was in his customary suit and tie, driving the Gustav with the practiced ease of one who has been around zoids his entire life.
Craters guffawed. "What're we expectin' here?"
"That's a big 'unknown', Hank." Kyne sighed. "And it doesn't look like our third pilot's shown up. I'll be taking one of the Shield Ligers out, then."
"Roger that." Jenny Xaratan acknowledged. She was Kyne's cousin and pilot of one of Dawnstar's two stock Shield Ligers. Jenny was a fairly competent, though average, pilot.
"Spiffy. I'll try not to hit you." Hank "Craters" Fisk was a man who had artillery bombardment down so flat, it was a . . . you get the idea. He had a thing for guns and his modified Gordos, sporting a dual hiblit mount on both flanks, a pair of Republican supercannons mounted to the rear hips and a quartet of large gatling cannons a la Wild Weasel Unit, complete with the radome, on the back, just above the cockpit, reflected that passion.
"Right." Kyne pulled the Gustav to a stop and walked around back, heading for the second of the three trailers as the third opened up, letting Hank's deep, dark blue Gordos with chrome highlights out. Each of Dawnstar's zoids had the same paintjob, as well as their names stenciled in under the cockpit and the Team logo, a rising sun, to either side of the zoid's head.
Jenny's Shield Liger leapt out of the first trailer, landing 'lightly' about ten meters away. The feline circled back around, the black canopy turning to track Kyne's movements.
Kyne ducked as the Liger leapt over him, rising back up. "Dammit, Jenny!"
"Sorry."
Kyne shook his head, walking past the empty trailer and climbed up into the second one. A few minutes later he was back in the cockpit of a Shield Liger, about to lead his Team into combat against another enemy. This was his first time going into an actual battle with these pilots. Before him they had served under the venerable Rick Xaratan, and Craters had even been one of the pilots who won the last Royal Cup Tournament four years ago.
"Alrighty. Let's form up and move into position. Once that Judge Capsule lands it's gonna be-"
"-Chill, tiger. We know how to do it." Jenny laughed. "We're Team Dawnstar."
Kyne stifled snapping back at her. He liked to be in charge, and he really didn't like it when people back-talked. "Alright. Jenny, you go hide in those dunes about forty meters to the north-west. Hank, you go with her. The enemy will be coming from the north, and I want you to cover her as she charges in."
"What about you?"
"I'm going to go make sure they don't have artillery," Kyne replied as he set his Liger into high gear, stopping at the boundaries of his starting point. The other Team would be half a kilometer away, give or take fifty meters. He would run in a wide arc, coming in from behind while Jenny came in from the front and Craters laid down his customarily-heavy barrage.

Team Pointy Darkness' Zoids were running as fast as they could to get to the battle in time. Siren's Helcat and Hughes' Snipe Master kept stopping for Silberner's Dark Horn to catch up.

"Sil, we're going to be late," Siren practically yelled at her sister.

"I'm moving as fast as I can!"

Hughes said nothing as they finally reached their destination. Siren held her hand over her controls as Sil happily held her controls eagerly.

"Who are we up against?"

Hughes was the one to answer Silberner.

"Team Dawnstar."

Silberner grinned.

"Doom Technology Guard Formation! Don't forget that!"

Siren groaned as she shook her head.

"I swear you two are going to kill me."

The Judge Capsule plummeted down, hitting a sand dune and cracking open to reveal the Judgeman.
"The area within three kilometers has been designated off-limits to all but Team Dawnstar and Team Pointy Darkness and supporting personnel. The teams have reached their designated starting areas. The terrain is listed as 'sand dunes'. The Battlemode is zero-nine-nine-two."
A number 'three' appeared on its forehead panel, and on the communications panels of each of the zoids. Then it was a two. Then a one.
"Let the battle begin!"

Kyne's palms were sweating as he shoved the joysticks forward, setting the Liger into a full-out run. "Hank, I saw a Helcat."
"On it," Craters replied crisply. He thumbed the switch, activating the Gordos's sensory array and piping the information to his teammates. It would only allow them to keep tabs on the enemy, though.
The quiet of the battle shattered when Craters taped down the firing switches, his four hiblit vulcans and four Gatlings spraying suppression fire while the Republican supercannons blasted explosive-tipped depleted uranium shells across the battlefield, giving the enemy zoids a real good reason not to stand still for very long.
Jenny looked at the stampeding Gordos and sighed. She, too, brought her Shield Liger into an easy lope, jogging alongside the Gordos. She didn't want to risk friendly fire.

Siren flicked on her stealth and started running towards the other Zoids, out of Hughes and Silberner's line of fire. Silberner happily held down the firing controls while Hughes stayed out her line of sight and went into sniping mode. He twitched as Silberner laughed her crazy trigger happy laugh.

"Silberner, shut up! I'm trying to concentrate!"

"Aww, is Hughes all bitter because I got the Zoid with guns?"

Hughes gave her a glare.

"No, shut up so I can snipe."

Silberner shut up as she kept firing her guns. Siren sighed as her little Helcat continued on its way, watching out for any shots coming towards her.

"Hey, I got one."
"Dammit! Craters!"
Jenny's Shield Liger was momentarily exposed to fire as the Gordos changed paths, trampeding off to intercept the rapidly-approaching Helcat. The radar only gave him a vague idea where the little kitty was.
The blast radii took care of the rest.
Jenny glanced at Kyne's Shield Liger. It was climbing up an incline towards the hilltop where the other two of the three enemy zoids shot down at her. "Shit!" She accelerated, her Shield Liger almost doubling in speed as it crossed the depression, trying to get there before Kyne did.
She didn't. Kyne cleared the hilltop, coming into full view of the enemy. "Ah, Hell."

Siren hit the controls as the stealth went off and the computer's buzzing rang in her ears.

"Dammit, I'm out!"

Hughes took no time in aiming at the first Shield Liger's front left paw and firing a shot at it. Silberner just kept on firing off her guns with no stop in sight.

Kyne snapped up the shield after the shot, aiming for the Snipe Master. He went after the little thing at full speed, knowing it was probably the easiest to deal with.
Jenny cleared the hill, coming in low and fast, her shield up and withering under the Dark Horn's assault. She watched the output readings dropping at a slow but steadily increasing rate, and it was at eighty percent by the time she bounced off the ground, leaping on the Dark Horn's back mount.
It was then that Craters decided to open fire on their position. Large-caliber fire came in at an obnoxious rate, spraying back and forth across the hilltop, the occasional supercannon shell landing like the hammer of God. Craters didn't seem quite capable of discerning between friend and foe.
"Rar . . . ragh . . . snarl . . ."
"Craters!" Kyne was seeing red. His knuckles were bone-white on the controls.
"Zah?"
"STOP PLAYING WITH PLASTIC DINOSAURS!" Kyne was in a rage, his face turning red he roared into the headset's mic.
" . . . Sorry." A bit sullenly, Craters put down the plastic stegosaurus and veloceraptor. He picked the controls back up, demonstrating the skill that got him and his Team through the Royal Cup. He drew a bead on the other big boomer on the field, the HUD zooming in a bit to get a shaky close-up of the Dark Horn, complete with the Shield Liger on top of it. He squeezed the triggers, his eight rapid-fire guns pouring fire on the Horn.

Hughes saw the Shield Liger, got out of sniper mode, and then screamed.

"Siren, get it away from me!"

Siren, who was in her Helcat, kicked the controls. Silberner gave Hughes a glance before she decided to deal with the Shield Liger on top of her. Hughes and his Snipe Master curled up into a little ball and sobbed as the Shield Liger got closer.

"Stupid kitty, get off of me!"

Silberner then saw the Gordos fire at her.

"Nevermind, you can stay up there..."

Kyne's Shield Liger stepped towards the cowering Snipe Master, dropped the shield, then prodded it with the forepaws.
"I think it's dead."
The Liger lunged forward, catching the Snipe Master's throat with its jaws, sinking the claws into the Snipe's flanks. Kyne dragged the raptor zoid down to the ground as he raised the shield back up, effectively trapping the victim in with him.
"Yep. It's dead."
Jenny, on the other hand, did not fare nearly so well. Taking fire from both the front and behind, her shield and armor withered rapidly. Rattling from the impacts, her Liger fell off the Dark Horn, the HUD going blank and the three dread letters scrolling across. "I'm out, guys."
Craters made no response. He reached over and snagged the second firing stick, the one that controlled the supercannons. He raised the secondary targeting reticle, painting a little red dot on the Dark Horn, then squeezed the trigger. He squeezed off the remaining three shells from each barrel, six supercannon shells landing dead-on in the Dark Horn's back.
The shells struck in rapid succession, shattering the enemy zoid. By the time the last had landed, the Judgeman had already raised the colored hands and indicated Dawnstar's victory.
"Team Dawnstar is the winner!"
"That's what I like to hear," Kyne sighed, leaning back in his chair while the combat systems shut down. He glanced at the damage report the Judgeman's Capsule broadcast.
Kyne's Shield Liger had taken no damage during the battle, and expended no ammunition. It would require no repairs. Jenny's Shield Liger had suffered a CSF, but expended no ammunition. It would require heavy repairs before the ZBC would clear it for combat use. Craters had suffered no damage, but expended ridiculous amounts of ammunition -- and yes, the Judgeman did say 'ridiculous amounts of ammunition -- and thus would require reloading amounting to moderate repairs. He nodded, praying their cut from the viewers would cover the costs of repairs and ammunition.