The Protectors

Summary written by John (Channel Zi). He has graciously given me permission to post several of his summaries.

Van & Fiona are continuing through the desert on their quest to find the Zoid Eve. As this episode begins, they are camped out for the night, sleeping under the twin moons of Zi. But not everyone is asleep. Van stirs from his snoring slumber to find Fiona awake, looking up at the sky. Fiona tells Van that she can hear water, although she is not sure where. Van hears nothing, and tells Fiona she's dreaming. Reminding her that there is water is she wants any back in the Liger (but to save some for the rest of the journey), he drifts back off to sleep. Fiona concentrates...and hears the sound of water again.

Morning. Van has awakened to find that Fiona has emptied all of their water because it "smelled disgusting". At first, Van thinks Fiona is joking, but quickly finds she isn't...much to his chagrin. Furious, Van reminds Fiona that he had added his special protein energy boost mix (which had cost him a lot of money) to the water . Fiona retorts by telling him that water that has gone bad couldn't be good for them. Furious, Van stalks off and begins pacing.

Zeke takes up pacing beside Van. Grumbling about how Fiona won't be earning any brownie points for her actions, Van imparts a touch of envy on Zeke, since he doesn't need water to survive. Fiona asks Van if he wants to use his hoverboard, but he refuses, saying he's not tired...just thirsty. Then, Van collapses. As he is lying on the desert ground desperate in his thirst, Van hallucinates that several mini-Fionas are approaching, bringing him jars of fresh water. Then, to his horror, they pour the water from the jars out in front of him. Fiona snaps him out of his delusion long enough to tell him that she's found some water...

Fiona leads Van over to an oasis. Van queries Fiona as to how she found it...Fiona tells him that she could smell the water...it was nice and clean. Van wastes no time, diving into the lake below from the cliff overlooking the oasis...and promptly finds that the lake is quite shallow. After recovering, Van continues swimming around the lake, and tells Fiona that he loves to swim, because the water helps to cool him off after he's been so angry. But they aren't alone here at this lake. The stranger who attacked them at the hidden fortress not so long ago is waiting by the lakeside...

At last, the stranger divulges his name: Irvine. Irvine had come to the lake because he mistakenly thought Van & Fiona were bandits. Van goes on the defensive, yelling at Irvine that he'll not give up Zeke to him. Irvine brushes Van off, telling him he's not going to fool with that because he's been hired for the time being to protect the lake. Van, confused, looks up at the rim of the cliff surrounding the oasis, and sees several villagers gathering.

Back at the village, Irvine explains to Van that the village is a fairly important place. Several bandits, formerly soldiers for the Guylos Imperial military, raid the village from time to time. In order to stop the bandits, the villagers hired Irvine as a protector. According to the village chief, the bandits raid on a regular schedule, and today is one of the days they are slated to make a raid....

On the ridge high above the oasis, Nero, Bianco, and Bull have spotted Zeke, Fiona, & Van at the lakeside. Nero comments that they'll be able to not only obtain Zeke, but deal with Van as well. Bull is especially anxious to get ahold of Van after the incident at the Helic ruins (See Episode 1).

At the lakeside, Van attempts to convince Fiona that they need a mission, and that serving as protectors of this village will suffice in that respect. Irvine disagrees, telling Van the village needs only one protector. Van starts to boil, but Fiona douses him with a jarful of water. Fiona then approaches Irvine, explaining that they only want to help. Asking Irvine if helping is so bad, Fiona finds a soft spot in Irvine. She asks him if he hates them, probing for a reason why he is resistive to their assisting him in protecting the village. Finding it difficult to resist that wide-eyed bishoujo face, Irvine backs down from his previous position...somewhat.

Meanwhile, out in the desert...Rosso, a former Guylos army regular who has gone AWOL, has gathered his gang for a meeting. The Desert Alcavaleedo Gang consists of several members, Including Viola, Bull, Nero, Bianco, and Welda. After hearing Nero's report that Van and Zeke are in the village, Rosso has decided to personally take charge of their next raid. Rosso comments that if Zeke is indeed an Organoid, the rest of the gang would have a difficult time dealing with it, as evidenced by their previous run-in with him and Van. Viola doubts the existence of Organoids, saying they are the stuff of children's fables and legends. Rosso disagrees, reminding her that most legends have a basis in truth. It all depends on what you choose to believe...

Meanwhile, Van, Zeke, & Fiona are out in the fields near the village with one of the village elders. Van is still fuming at Irvine when he suddenly drops into a deep hole when the ground beneath him gives way. Zeke makes a quick save with his tail, and hoists Van back up. around to show them the numerous sinkholes that have opened. These sinkholes are the result of the village being located over aquifers...underground waterways that flow through the porous rock beneath the village and provide it with fresh clean water. Over time, profit-minded water seekers had dug up the aquifers, making the ground very unstable and prone to collapse. Imparting a little green ideology, the elder notes that mother nature will bite back if you exact too heavy a toll on her...

Then, Zeke senses something. Rosso and his gang are approaching.

Irvine slides down the cliff embankment into the cockpit of his waiting Command Wolf. Van calls Zeke to head for the Shield Liger, but...Zeke decides it's time to go for a swim. Van follows him, becoming more and more frustrated with his apparently disobedient Organoid. Zeke dives into the lake, and gives Van a good soaking while he stands on the lake's edge pleading with Zeke to come and fight. Fiona calls to Van from the Shield Liger, asking him if he's going to come and fight. Van turns to answer her, at which point Zeke leaves the water, fires up, and merges with the Liger.

Irvine, meanwhile, has sized up the competition, and decided that they may appear impressive, but he might be able to outdo them with his skill. He charges out to meet the oncoming attackers. The first casualty is Welda's Molga, which Irvine dispatches with ease. Bianco tries his hand at attacking Irvine, but ends up eating the side of a cliff. Rosso fires repeatedly at Irvine, but doesn't land a single hit.

Van then makes his way out to the fight in the Liger. His first opponent: Bull in his Guysack. Bull is anxious to get some payback, but...Van makes quick work of him with a missile attack. Van then heads for Rosso. As he is charging, he fails to notice Viola closing fast from behind in her Redler. Activating the cuter blade, Viola dives for her attack, but the Liger manages to dodge the speeding Redler. Viola is in disbelief, as is Irvine...

Irvine decides to break off his attack and pull back to let Van deal with the remaining attackers. In doing so, he intentionally draws Viola away from the Liger. Van decries Irvine for leaving him, but Irvine tells him there's only room for one protector. As Irvine heads into a narrow canyon, Van is left to face Rosso's Red Horn and Nero and Bianco in their Command Wolves...

Viola, confident in her ability to take Irvine down, takes her Redler into the canyon. Irvine then turns on her, and disappears. Viola loses Irvine in the confusion, but Irvine has climbed the canyon wall, and attacks Viola from above...diving out of the sun. Unable to see him coming, Viola crashes as Irvine pummels her Redler into the canyon floor.

Rosso, meanwhile, has cut Van a deal: turn over Zeke, and Van can go free. Van struggles to think of a way out. Low on missiles and with nowhere to go, he thinks hard. Getting flustered, Van tells himself to cool down. Jokingly, Fiona reminds him that there is water nearby. Van brushes her comment away at first, but it starts those gears upstairs turning in Van's head...

Thinking hard, Van forms a quick plan. He breaks away from Rosso and the others and sets his plan in motion. With Fiona using her water-sensing ability to guide him to the exact location to fire upon, he uses the Shield Liger missiles to burst one of the aquifers near him, which empties others and destabilizes the ground in the immediate area. Sure enough, Rosso and Nero and Bianco fall into one of the sinkholes as they charge Van. Van thinks he's won, but...But Rosso manages to claw his way out. Just as he's about to tag Van, Irvine shows up and nails Rosso's Red Horn in the side, taking him down. Van sighs a great sigh of relief...and Irvine smirks the smirk of a smug know-it-all...

With the threat to the village gone, Irvine and Van's work is finished. Irvine and Van have a few cross words at the lakeside as the day draws to a close. Irvine reminds Van that he still intends to take Zeke for himself at some point. They decide to move on...Irvine to parts unnamed, Van & Fiona to continue their search for the Zoid Eve.

Limping away from his wrecked Red Horn, nursing his injured arm, Rosso swears revenge...