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Skirmish 01
By: Nathaniel Payne
Sabrina stands on the steps of
the palace, the others long gone. She surveys the land in front of her. Elder 7
appears behind her.
Elder 7
Are you ready?
Sabrina
Don’t
think I have a choice. Ready or not they’re coming here for us.
Elder 7
Don’t worry we will assist you. You are stronger that you
give yourself credit for young one.
Sabrina
I hope you’re right elder.
Elder 7
Look at it this way, if you fail, no one will ever know the
difference. There are no authorities to answer to if you do not succeed because
no one will ever have existed to remember.
Sabrina
But I don’t want to be the one responsible for that
happening.
Elder 7
You wouldn’t be; you would never have existed in the first
place.
Sabrina
Quantum mechanics have a way of rendering our petty fears
irrelevant to the situation.
Elder 7
We will assist you in anyway we can…however, the battle will
be yours alone.
Retreats into the castle
Sabrina
Sighs
That is exactly what makes me afraid.
She exits the gates and opens a portal
If you can hear me Pamona, mother, protect me; give me the
strength to not fail my mission…we may have no other chance to exist as
mother-daughter again.
Disappears into the closing ovular portal
Adreanna and Minna, Anthony’s
teacher, arrive in a sandy desert between dunes. Soldiers look like ants in
front of them and violent windstorms are beginning to form. Miranda Jorgensen
is the opposing commander of the Rising Arms forces.
Adreanna
Her bow is a ready posture
Jesus Christ….this is what we’re up against?
Hez
Nods
I suppose so; so many are here to die…ironic isn’t it, both
sides see their position as righteous, and yet neither one is wrong…or at least
no one will be proven wrong until far too many are already dead, whether
organic or machine.
Adreanna
We won’t have the element of surprise for much longer.
Hez
We never did, look
She points to a lone figure coming into view.
Adreanna
Well, there goes that battle plan…this is going to be worse
than I thought.
Miranda Jorgensen
Speaking into her PVCA
River, one of them is here, and she seems to have some sort
of assistant with her.
River
So they’ve allotted themselves back up, interesting….proceed
…but be cautious. River out.
Miranda Jorgensen
Lands 20 ft from the pair
Welcome; you are lucky the weather is sympathetic, would be
a terrible thing to die in poor conditions.
Adreanna
Perhaps you should take heed of your own words.
Miranda Jorgensen
If you surrender now you will not be destroyed, however, if
you resist, I will gladly parade your dead shells across the countryside back
to River Johns.
Hez
Why would we make it that easy for you? I suggest you leave
and return with your troops.
Adreanna
It will be so much more gratifying to take your head in the
heat of battle…I hate anything anti-climatic.
Miranda Jorgensen
Smirks
Comments best left to your lover I assume then? Very well, I
prefer the latter choice as well.
Hologram vanishes
Adreanna
Well, looks like we’re in for a long night.
She uses her power to send them flying towards the enemy.
Derek and Deja, Kira’s Teacher,
and Xerx, Sabrina’s mentor, all stand on the abandoned beach kilometres from
the invading forces. The relatively flat sightline means they are easily
viewed.
Derek
Looks relatively straight forward one would think.
Xerx
Yes, the water from the beach gives us a large advantage. We
will probably be able to deal them quite a blow…even if only once.
Deja
It looks to be a war of attrition for either side.
Derek
That makes me think Sabrina will need the help of one of
us…Deja?
Deja
I want you to be with Sabrina…I know she insisted on going
it alone, but she is not yet strong enough to hold off an entire force like
this on her own.
Xerx
Perhaps, but maybe you underestimate her abilities with your
humanitarian nature.
Derek
No, I am more worried about how well she will cope with all
the mental pressure…we can’t have her broken before we even begin.
Deja
Fair enough, if she fails here then the entire mission is
doomed.
Xerx
You are right, for whatever belief Chris has placed in her,
we do need to move her along at a steadier pace.
Derek
Thank you Xerx for supporting this. Deja, will you allow
Xerx to send you to join and fight with her?
Deja
Of course, we all understand what is at stake.
Xerx
Opens an ovular portal.
May the evolution keep you safe and prolong its invitation.
Deja
Same to you old friend.
Pats Xerx’s shoulder
Disappears into the void.
Derek
We’ve got company; it looks like Jan-Ivar.
Readies his Chinese swords.
Xerx
Probably just a hologram.
Jan-Ivar
I hope you enjoy the scenery of your execution site.
Derek
It’s rather fetching, thank you…I’ve always loved water.
Xerx
What have you come to tell us?
Jan-Ivar
River is generously offering you the chance to lay down arms
and spare your lives and the abject humiliation of your tattered corpses.
Derek
We decline; however, we graciously offer you the same
immunity.
Jan-Ivar
A comedian yes? We will see who stands alone at the end of
this battle seeking mercy.
Xerx
Yes, we will.
Derek
Return with your troops or face us alone either way the
result will be the same.
Jan-Ivar
At least your are right about that. Die well.
Hologram disappears.
Kira and Remi, Chris’s mentor,
arrive at the gusty polar region to the North of the world. Down into a manmade
cave west of a large plateau they observe the camp of soldiers. Sun Ji Tie is
the commanding officer whose hologram appears behind the unsuspecting
interlopers.
Sun Ji Tie
Such a terrible place for a beautiful woman.
Kira
Turns around, yari drawn.
Death will come for you sooner than you anticipated.
Remi
He’s just a hologram; even he wouldn’t be so stupid as to
appear alone without striking.
Sun Ji Tie
Why indeed you are correct sir. Consider this a necessary
part of the game.
Kira
What has River commanded you to do now?
Sun Ji Tie
He offers terms of your surrender: you do and you will not
die nor will your flesh be used for the amusement of his scientists.
Remi
You realise of course there will be no surrender and there
will be no terms, not even on the count of your forthcoming forfeiture.
Sun Ji Tie
Oh I am so keen to see you put that theory to the test.
Aggressively approaches and inspects Kira.
I’d much rather take my pleasure than have it handed to me.
Kira
Overcompensating are we?
Sun Ji Tie
Smirks
Curious to entertain that assumption are you?
Kira
Actually, no.
Sun Ji Tie
That’s what they all say.
Remi
I’m sure you fight better than you woo.
Sun Ji Tie
As with all things…power and women are similar…both need a
little…convincing to see things the right way.
Turns his attentions to Remi
Enjoy what little remains of your pathetic lives.
Vanishes.
Anthony and Ilian, the missing
seeker’s instructor that uses ‘Earth’ wander through the empty farm fields with
plants at their shoulders and others as taller than their heads. They are
heading for the large mountain range and encounter Jeremi’s hologram.
Jeremi
I can see you’re surprise to encounter me so early in the
engagement.
Anthony
We were hoping to warm ourselves up to seeing something as
ugly as you.
Jeremi
Is the little soldier nervous?
Laughs
Ilian
What purpose do you serve as a hologram to greet us here?
Jeremi
River has taken great pity upon you, and is offering you the
chance to spare yourselves.
Anthony
You mean surrender?
Jeremi
You must be the brains of the group.
Ilian
There will be no surrender on our part; however, you have
given you and your troops a welcome alternative to their destruction.
Jeremi
Very cute, a counter offer…I take it we’d all rather die
than be at the mercy of another.
Anthony
Very well said. Let us hope you have the same conviction
when my sword approaches your neck.
Jeremi
Have you ever seen God infidel?
Anthony
Nah, he was in concert last year and I was a few hundred yen
short.
Jeremi
When I am finished with you, you will think me your God.
Anthony
Funny, I always pictured him a bit taller.
Ilian
Obviously we do no fear you…ready your troops sir.
Jeremi
Vanishes.
Chris and T’lau, Derek’s teacher
stand just south of the equatorial zone. Open plains as far as the eyes can see
rule the landscape on one side and small lakes and streams run through them.
Chris is greeted by River’s hologram and can see the camp trail kilometres
ahead.
T’lau
Are these formal greetings between adversaries common on
your world?
Chris
Not for centuries. River is clearly making this elaborate
gesture to satisfy his needs.
T’lau
Strange,
Chris
For now I will indulge him.
River
So nice of you to include me. Before we battle, why not you
and I enjoy a little conversation between worthy foes.
Chris
No games River.
River
On the contrary, this is rather serious; as one of us will
surely perish why not take time to enjoy the ensuring pressure?
Chris
Very well, where?
River
In my quarters, I trust you can find it. I will have the tea
prepared.
Vanishes.
T’lau
Are you sure this is wise?
Chris
He will not try and kill me now; he wants to save that for
part of the spectacle. Besides, I may recover some useful information from him
T’lau
Very well, I shall meditate here for your return.
Chris
Speeds off and then
appears in River’s tent as he is pouring tea.
What is it you want?
River
Ever so prompt, how enjoyable. Sit Christopher.
Sits in full lotus on the floor.
Chris
Sits with his heels under him.
What rules are there to this little game of your River?
River
You have something I want, something that is the property of
the Rising Arms Corporation and I will not nor cannot leave without it in my
possession.
Chris
What you want, you cannot have. This power does not belong
to me and certainly not to your company.
River
You seem to think ownership is philosophical and not a
matter of law.
Chris
Fuck your laws. The Arcane Evolution is beyond the
consideration and scope of human beings. It is not something to profit from.
River
Where is your honour? You Japanese always speaking of honour
and duty and yet you seemingly have none.
Chris
Unlike you, your father, and your kind, the rest of the
world lives by a set of principles.
River
Yoshi, Lotus and I have principles, but they change
according to what makes the most sense for us at the time. We are people of
purpose if not principle; nothing is more sacred than the lives we lead.
Chris
I despise humanity because of people like you. You have no
morals or values save when it benefits you to use them. You have no
River
Raises his tea cup.
To health.
Chris
Stands.
I will save your death for the spectacle you have so kindly
arranged.
River
Touché.
Chris
Once your unwitting followers see what I do to you they will
have no qualms surrendering.
River
My blade will be ready for you.
Chris
No, you won’t.
Speeds off.
River
I hate that smug little bastard.
Finishes his tea.
