Trepidation and excitement vied for prominence in Codi's mind as she settled into her seat alongside Ripple in the fighter's lobby to watch probably most highly anticipated opening fight of the knockout rounds.

In just a few moments time, Rokki Thakkar would take on Keefer Darkwood, and the whole galaxy wanted to see just how Firequake's warrior would fare against the mechanical brute force of the enigmatic first seed. Codi wasn't the only one eager to see the outcome, as fighters from every academy flooded into the lobby to witness the clash – team-mates who'd been eliminated by still remained to watch as well as the remaining contestants in the different disciplines.

The Firequake group weren't far away, gathered around the magenta-haired Targon Fenz, Thakkar's pairs partner. Without him present, however, the girl's demeanour lacked the same easy confidence Codi had seen earlier. Even Firequake's wild competitors had their limits – there was no doubt, she was worried.

Codi folded her arms and sighed. When it came down to it, whatever happened in this fight wasn't really her problem. All she could do was watch and silently hope that Rokki Thakkar might pull off the upset of the tournament. If there was anyone who might do it, he would have been her choice.

A hush descended on the lobby as the banks of huge screens flared into life to show huge panning shots of the crowds of the day. This clash had been billed as the one to watch by the competition's relentless PR team, and the result was not a single empty seat.

They would be fighting it out in a shallow black-metal bowl of an arena, made up of a dozen rings that rotated in different directions, constantly moving the fighters into and out of each other's path. Some had weapons embedded into their structures for the fighters to dig out if they chose.

The roar of the crowds echoed, coming both from the screens and the Arena itself, muffled by several sets of walls and doors. Along with it came a concerted cheer from the assembled fighters as Rokki Thakkar entered the arena. He exuded a feral energy like hard radiation, even on a screen, racing out into the open space pumping his fists in the air and screaming at the top of his lungs, working the Firequake fans into a frenzy.

He'd need all the help he could get, she thought unhappily.

Keefer Darkwood's entrance garnered a big cheer from the Gauntlet fans, but in the fighters' lobby he received hisses and boos. No-one seemed to like him. His sudden appearance and dominant form, coupled with his utter isolation made him someone impossible to relate to. Instead he'd turned into a kind of bogeyman, the one person the best fighters wanted to knock out of the competition.

Well, Rokki Thakkar was about to get his chance.

Codi clasped her hands together and pressed them to her lips as the klaxon roared to begin the fight. As she expected, Thakkar didn't hang around. He blazed a train down towards his target, negotiating the shifting surface of the floor with the ease of a veteran. En route he freed a quarter staff from its housing, and made a beeline toward Keefer Darkwood.

The other fighter moved at an easy lope, not bothering to even pick up a weapon as they approached each other.

But no fight involving Rokki Thakkar was going to develop normally. Codi watched in amazement as the Firequake competitor gripped the staff in both hands by one end, and after whirling his whole body 360 degrees, flung the staff at Darkwood. It spun like a propeller, scything across the air between them, and only at the last second did the Black Horizon fighter swerve his body and throw up a double handed block to deflect the impact. The edge of the staff clattered off his vambraces with enough force to make him sway.

And that was all the opening Thakkar needed. An instant of distraction and imbalance was enough for him to continue his wild charge. He went low, wrapped both arms around Keefer's left leg and shoved. His furious momentum sent the giant from Black Horizon flying backwards until he slammed into the arena floor twenty feet away, the thud of armour on metal echoing through the screams of the crowd.

"C'mon," Codi whispered, willing Thakkar on.

But it would take a lot more than that to stop Keefer Darkwood. He was already back on his feet, an expression of mild annoyance on his face, like he'd just stubbed his toe. His huge strides soon brought him back into fighting range, and this time he grabbed a hacktor. The blunted sword looked comically small in his hands.

They clashed again, and Thakkar dived inside the sweep of the hacktor, using Darkwood's reach against him. In a deft motion he twisted and hammered a chop against Keefer's wrist, dislodging the hacktor in one smooth motion. Codi didn't get a chance to be happy about it, however, because Keefer had already reacted. Even before the hacktor fell from his grasp, his other arm was moving, lashing out like a striking snake and delivering a thunderous blow to Thakkar's face that sent him spinning.

She winced, and a groan went up from the Firequake fighters that were watching. Thakkar was quickly back on his feet, still gesturing furiously to the fans to keep up the noise, as though he needed it for fuel. Then he went tearing back into combat, not showing the slightest hint of fear.

For a short while his sheer fury seemed to pay off. He forced Keefer backwards for minutes, forcing him around the arena, but the big fighter kept his footing on the shifting floor, weathering the storm from Firequake's leader. Then, as though someone had shifted a gear in his brain, Keefer started attacking. After each block, his gorilla-like arms would lash out. Sometimes Thakkar was ready – sometimes he wasn't. When the blows connected you could almost feel the impact through the screens.

As she watched it unfold, Codi felt a sinking sensation, already able to see where this was heading. Thakkar was putting on a good show, certainly better than anyone else who'd tried to go toe-to-toe with the tournament's top seed so far, but it didn't look like it would matter. A few moments later she got her confirmation. The pair clashed and grappled, and somewhere amidst the jungle of limbs Keefer managed to gain a positional advantage. In a sudden twisting move, he rammed his massive forearm into Rokki Thakkar's elbow joint.

A breath caught in her throat as she saw his arm bend just a little bit too far the wrong way. She leaned forward, eyes wide as Thakkar let out an animal howl of pain. He seemed to channel it, yanking Keefer off balance with a savage pull, and ramming his head into the other fighter's face.

The blow caught Keefer by surprise and he disengaged, shaking his head to clear it, but the damage had been done. Even from the screens Codi could see that Rokki Thakkar was in a lot of pain, his right arm hanging by his side, trembling. He still seemed able to move it, just about, but it was clear he wouldn't be throwing any more punches from that side.

And with that knowledge, Keefer Darkwood only had to keep to Thakkar's weak side to finish the fight. Firequake's top seed did his best, but the outcome was inevitable. Eventually, the last of a dozen punishing haymakers send Rokki crashing to the ground to the accompanying wail of the Firequake support. He pushed himself to his knees, but couldn't go any higher.

It was over.

Codi stood slowly, disappointment turning her stomach as the ending klaxon sounded. Well, so much for the chance of an upset. Keefer Darkwood had thundered through that match just as he had in every pervious fight. She glanced at Ripple. The other girl gave a fatalistic shake of the head. With a sigh, Codi turned for the door, joining the disappointed shuffle of fighters. She clearly hadn't been the only one hoping for Keefer's early exit.

Just beyond the door, however, she discovered Kye was waiting for her, leaning against the wall with his arms folded. With a deft sidestep she slipped from the flow of bodies to join him, Ripple close on her heels.

Kye cast a suspicious eye over the other Battlecast fighter for a moment, then shrugged, turning his gaze on Codi. "Some show, eh?"

"You could say that," she replied grimly. "Tell me you've got some good news."

"I'm not sure that's quite how I'd look at it, but yes, I've found something."

"Codi, what's going on?" Ripple asked, though her tone remained calm, almost nonchalant.

Codi glanced at her. "We want to prove Keefer's up to something. I asked Kye for help. Problem?"

"Just something you might have mentioned it earlier." Ripple shook her head. "But never mind. What have you found?"

"I think I've figured out a way you could boost an exoskeleton's servo power without the stewards picking it up. How does that sound?"

"Sounds exactly like the kind of thing we're looking for," Codi blurted out, eyes widening in excitement. "You're sure?"

"Not one hundred percent, but given everything you've told me, and the level of security that goes into vetting the exoskeletons before they reach the Gauntlet, it's the only solution I can come up with."

"So what is it?"

"Well, the way I see it his exoskeleton has to pass the regulations, so whatever is happening to give him a boost happens after those checks."

"And how would they do that?"

"They use the impact sensors," he said, as though that explained everything.

Codi and Ripple exchanged blank looks.

"And how does that work?" Codi asked after a moment. "All our exoskeletons have impact sensors."

"Exactly. What better place to hide something that's not meant to be there than inside something that is? I'm guessing, but it's the only thing that makes sense. Those sensors relay a constant feed to an external source to measure the impacts throughout a fight. I think Keefer, or his coach or whoever had the tech to do it, has turned them into receivers as well."

Codi's eyes widened as she tried to grasp the technical implications. She just wore the exoskeletons and had very little insight into how they actually worked. Ripple, however, seemed to have a deeper understanding.

"So they can transmit some kind of signal through the impact sensors that somehow... ramps up the power in the exoskeleton?"

"If I wanted to cheat, that's how I'd do it."

"And a signal can do that?" Codi asked, not quite convinced. "It can actually push the specs so he hits harder?"

"Sure." Kye shrugged. "All you'd have to do is have a line of sleeper code embedded in the exoskeleton's internal system. Would never show up on a scan in its dormant state. Then, as soon as his fight starts, someone just sends the activation signal via the impact sensors and voila, his servos will drive harder. It wouldn't even need to be a dramatic increase – just five or six percent extra will add that weight to every punch."

"Then we've got him!"

"Hang on, hang on." He raised a hand to curb her excitement. "We've got nothing yet. I told you I'm guessing. The rub on this is that I can't be absolutely certain without actually examining the sensors themselves."

Codi felt her excitement fade. "How can we do that? When they're not being used the exoskeletons are stuck in the lock tech. No-one except the staff have access to them between fights."

"And that, I'm afraid, is the problem."

"Why don't we lodge a complaint?" Ripple suggested. "If it's simple as you say."

"I didn't say it was simple to do," he shot back. "And if the judging panels thought there was anything about his performances that warranted an investigation they would be doing it already. And what if I'm wrong? What if we kick the hornet's nest only for them to find nothing?"

Codi bit her lip, mind racing as she tried to think of an alternative. She looked around, foot tapping anxiously, frustration beginning to churn inside her. Then her eyes were snagged by a sign pointing towards the Gauntlet infirmary, where the injured fighters were tended to after a match.

An idea sparked in the back of her mind and she turned to her companions.

"Kye, you remember that spot down in the construction levels?"

His eyebrows rose. "Yes..."

"You and Ripple head down there – we could use some privacy. And I think I know someone who can get us to those exoskeletons."

*

She found Rokki at the back of the medical centre, having his arm attended to. He didn't look like he was in pain. His expression had more the look of someone suffering a mild inconvenience. As the medical attendant worked, he exchanged words with his coach – a tall, lean limbed woman with dark brown skin. Her thickly braided hair swung as she shook her head, disagreeing with something Rokki had said.

His response was... animated, to say the least. A violent shove sent the attendant stumbling across the room and he ripped his arm free of the apparatus she'd attached to it, storming past his coach with a torrent of words Codi didn't recognise. From the woman's expression, however, she could take a guess that they were some suitably colourful Ioan curses.

Maybe now wasn't the best time to approach him, but Codi couldn't see a better one on the horizon. She moved back out of the doorway as he came storming towards it, his face screwed up with suppressed anger. As he swept by like an angry hurricane, she raised her voice.

"Rokki," she called simply.

Thakkar stopped in mid-step, pivoted back and planted his feet, folding his arms and fixing her with a baleful stare. "Now ain't a good time, girl," he growled.

"So I saw."

"You need somethin' from me?"

"Maybe." She motioned down the hall back into the main building. "What say you and me take a little walk?"

Rokki gave her a withering look. "I got no time for games. Speak your piece or leave me the hell alone."

"Alright, alright," she said quickly, raising her hands defensively. "We should talk – about Keefer Darkwood, I mean."

"Looking for free tips? Sorry, I can't help you. But you're Codi James – big tough favourite. I'm sure you'll figure him out."

She felt her temper rising at the barb. "Look, I get that you're pissed right now, but will you wind your attitude back for five seconds and hear me out? This isn't about me – it's bigger than us."

"Well get on with it!"

"Something's not right about Darkwood," Codi hissed, stepping close and lowering her voice. "We've been studying the vids, all the way back through the opening rounds to his practice tournaments. He shouldn't be as good as he is. Something is giving him an edge. You're the most experienced fighter who's had to take him on. You know I'm right."

Rokki's face split into a grim smile. "Maybe I do. What do you think I was arguin' about back there, eh?"

"So you see it too?"

"Anyone who fights him should be able to." He cast a quick glance around to make sure no-one was watching, then took her forcibly by the arm. "Right, let's take that walk. What you got in mind?"

Codi waited until they'd cleared the main flow of people, guiding Rokki down level after level of sloping rampways towards the Arena's lower regions, before hopping into a mag-elevator. After a brief, stomach-flipping descent the machine deposited them in the bowels of the Gauntlet. Here a huge manufacturing complex sprawled, several hundred feet below ground level; a cavernous hollowed-out cube filled with a forest of thundering industrial factory blocks that served to build and maintain the equipment and arena constructs for the spectacle above.

Kye and Ripple were waiting for them, standing on a gantry near the elevator that looked out over the monumental spectacle. Codi could feel the heat and smell the tang of molten metal – the air tasted faintly chemical, not unlike that of Kantha, the world where her Gauntlet journey had started. It felt like a lifetime ago, but the smell of heavy industry pulled her back to that small, dead end colony. She didn't relish the reminder.

"Well, well," Kye said, grinning as they approached. "So we're not crazy after all?"

"I think we're all a little crazy," Thakkar returned smoothly, stopping and lounging against the guard rail, as though he was oblivious to the scene beyond. "But Codi here tells me you've got some problems with our pal from Black Horizon?"

"The entire competition does," Ripple interjected flatly. "So has Codi explained it to you?"

"I got the gist of it, yeah." Thakkar looked at her with amusement. "You all think that big bastard's cheating. And I think you're bang on the money."

Ripple cocked a dubious eyebrow. "You seem very sure of that."

"And why not? I just spent the last little while trading bricks with him. It's clear if you know what you're looking for. He doesn't move normal. It's all too smooth – like he's being moved by his gear, not the other way around."

Codi blinked in surprise. She'd expected Rokki to share their suspicions, but this went beyond on that. He spoke with such complete certainty. He knew that someway, somehow, Black Horizon had rigged the game.

"If you're so sure, how come you didn't say anything before?" Kye asked.

"What am I gonna say, Earth boy?" Thakkar shot him a pitying glance. "If he's made into the actual arena without them pickin' it up, I don't think someone like me complaining about it will make much difference. Besides, until I actually had to fight him I couldn't be one hundred percent about it. Now I'm sure."

"So, if we wanted your help to prove it, what would you say?"

His grin returned. "I'd say hell yes. Show me what you got."

So they ran him through their theory, letting Kye explain the situation as best he could. Rokki listened intently, his brow occasionally furrowing as he processed the information. At length, they made it to the part he would play in the whole shady business. Without seeing Keefer's fighting equipment up close, they couldn't be sure of anything, and Codi had an inkling that someone like Rokki knew just how they could get that closer look. When they'd finished, he cocked his head quizzically, a perplexed expression stamped on his coarse features.

"So, you're tellin' me that all you need is to have a fine-eye at this guy's exoskeleton?" Thakkar asked, his tone surprised, as though they'd asked him for nothing more than a cup of coffee.

Codi exchanged confused looks with the others, then shrugged. "Pretty much."

"Should've said that at the start and saved us all some time." He shook his head and let out a short, rasping chuckle. "I'll need to do a little refresher on the Arena layout, but I can do that. Just get on with your day job. I'll come callin' when I'm ready."

And with that, he turned and strode back into the elevator, leaving Codi and her companions in stunned silence.