Thorvald of Lym
A Little Sketchy
It was only called a tent out of tradition. The wonders of modular construction meant they had what amounted to a portable assembly hall. Its avant-garde architecture was cleverly hidden by an assortment of anachronistic martial livery and masked by the heavy odour of beer and bacon. At the moment, the soldiers were gathered around a group of generals, immersed in weighty philosophic discourse.
The open steppe, said a young Mongol, Fleet horse, falcon at your wrist, and the wind in your hair.
To crush your enemies, replied a Saiyan, To see them driven before you and to hear the lamentations of their women.
Hot water, an elder answered, Good dentishtry and shoft lavatory paper.
All heads turned to the top of the staircase that led into an adjoining passageway as the Warlord Thurkiel entered. He kicked the severed head of a Praetorian down the steps as he joined his comrades. Thurkiel! cried a warrior, His sage counsel shall surely settle this debate!
Thurkiel, called another, What is best in life?
The warlord surveyed the room. Everyone assembled gazed at him expectantly. Pony, he declared.
This unorthodox pronouncement was followed by a good deal of chatter, and an impudent shout of Die in a grease fire that was quickly silenced by Thurkiels phaser pistol. His thunderous voice immediately silenced the room.
For when the adventurers arrived in the hallowed city of Kethenicia, they did find a Portal; and lo, the Warlock didst summon the immensity of his strength to open the gateway; and as he hung crucified, the whole of his Power dedicated to maintaining the bridge, did he declare, with an unearthly fire blazing in his eyes: For Pony.
The troop pondered what had been spoken, and concluded that Thurkiels insight was infallible. Now, brothers, the warlord boomed, We make for the valley. May what you have heard carry you to glorious victory.
Dawn crested the hills as the robot army marched west. One of the Praetorian escorts looked toward the horizon and signalled for the contingent to halt. Small figures were emerging along the summit. It magnified its view; they were armed, a motley crew of humans, humanoids, and shaggy beasts. All at once they advanced, rows and rows spilling over in a raging swarm. The robots reformed and prepared for combat; within minutes the shouts of their adversaries were picked up by their microphones. As the two armies drew into engagement, the Barbarians let loose a single cry that reverberated across the battlefield:
FOR PONYYYY!!!
------------------------------
Psychic powers and mental stress are a dangerous combination. Levi Kellerman could testify to this fact all too readily. First the AB-bombs had triggered a surge in mutant activity that had forced a retreat from the east; then Eggmans salient had pushed Fringe into full rout. President Farnsworth had vanished, the chain of command had splintered, and despite its best efforts the armys fragile grip on Sermats westernmost peninsula was faltering.
Levi was conscripted into the militia when the war turned sour, and had been at the front for almost the whole sorry fight, most of his time spent trying to rally with one scattered unit after another. He believed he was now technically acting commander of the 12th Patriots Platoon, but at this point the soldiers would answer to anyone with a clue as to what was going on. Levi had been too busy trying to stay alive for the stress to get to him, but after arriving in a bivouac outside Janetsville, the retreat had slowed enough for his thoughts to turn on themselves.
It all seemed so hopeless. They could dig in for a day or two before the damn robots overwhelmed them. He didnt even think they were bothering to secure what theyd won; they just kept pushing on as though theyd explode if they ever stopped. Soon theyd have him on the coast, and then... what? Fringe still had naval superiority in the region, but wholesale evacuation was virtually impossible. Where could they go, for that matter? The islands in the southwest couldnt handle refugees. He didnt even know if they had anything left on Angel Island.
He was pacing back and forth, revolver in hand. Hed broken out in a steady sweat; every errant breeze now sounded like the onset of an attack. He kept glancing down at the gun. Hed heard of what they did to resisters; quite an ingenious way to replenish their numbers, he had to admit. He didnt even know what he was doing with a gun; he sure as hell couldnt shoot worth a damn, even with the little training hed received. In fact now that he thought about it, hed probably botch his own suicide.
Before Levi could contemplate alternative ways to off himself, he sensed someone approaching and hastily tried to clear his mind, although with his nerves shot hed probably been putting out a strong signal anyway. He turned around to see Stacey Cutts running toward him. She was a student, drafted like him, but had been spared the agony of running after a steadily retreating front line. Shed taken a liking to him soon after they met, which to Levi meant yet another weight on his addled brain.
Robotnik, she panted, doubling over as she caught her breath, gesturing behind her.
Levi shook his head. He knew the reprieve wouldnt last. How soon?
Stacey broke into a broad grin. You wont believe it..!
Over the next three days the retreat ground to a halt as Freebotniks shock troops gradually lost strength. Fringe was understandably suspicious, worried they were rallying for a concerted assault; but by the second week they realized an attack wasnt coming. Finally able to catch its breath, the weary army reorganized before trying to figure out what to do next. They soon enough found out that their saving grace was the UBS, who had launched an ambitious invasion of Freebotniks surviving provinces across the continent. The badniks had to divert to protect their flank, buying Fringe desperately-needed time. With the presidents whereabouts still unknown, General Marcus Lance declared himself acting leader of what remained of the country and began organizing the counterattack.
Ive gotta hand it to em, given their standing wars Im surprised theyd have the strength to go after the Black Arms, let alone Eggman. But, he fixed a meaningful glare around the table, We cant count on them to win, and we sure as living hell dont let them take any more land than absolutely necessary. When theyve broken the badniks theyll turn on us. We have to be ready for them.
With respect, sir, interjected a fellow officer, The armys barely fit to hold what we still have. We should dig in, find out what happened to Angel, and then look at reinforcing the front.
No, hes right, Levi muttered, examining the map, We dont have time to wait. At the speed theyre advancing, theyll be on Prometheus Bluff in two or three weeks.
The M.O.M. Center? The officer spun around. How does a conscript know about that base?
Because, Levi retorted, I was part of the suicide squad sent to keep Eggman from finding it.
The officer opened his mouth but quickly checked himself. Lance continued: If we can retake control of the Psionic Decimator, the UBS wont pose a threat. Prometheus Bluff is now our top priority.
Prometheus Bluff is a good three hundred miles outside our zone of control, another officer put in.
Then wed best hurry, Lance replied, unfazed. He turned to Levi. Since youre familiar with the area, Im assigning you to the task force thatll lead the salient.
It took all of Levis concentration to mute his thoughts to the soldiers assembled, managing a Thank you, sir through gritted teeth.
The open steppe, said a young Mongol, Fleet horse, falcon at your wrist, and the wind in your hair.
To crush your enemies, replied a Saiyan, To see them driven before you and to hear the lamentations of their women.
Hot water, an elder answered, Good dentishtry and shoft lavatory paper.
All heads turned to the top of the staircase that led into an adjoining passageway as the Warlord Thurkiel entered. He kicked the severed head of a Praetorian down the steps as he joined his comrades. Thurkiel! cried a warrior, His sage counsel shall surely settle this debate!
Thurkiel, called another, What is best in life?
The warlord surveyed the room. Everyone assembled gazed at him expectantly. Pony, he declared.
This unorthodox pronouncement was followed by a good deal of chatter, and an impudent shout of Die in a grease fire that was quickly silenced by Thurkiels phaser pistol. His thunderous voice immediately silenced the room.
For when the adventurers arrived in the hallowed city of Kethenicia, they did find a Portal; and lo, the Warlock didst summon the immensity of his strength to open the gateway; and as he hung crucified, the whole of his Power dedicated to maintaining the bridge, did he declare, with an unearthly fire blazing in his eyes: For Pony.
The troop pondered what had been spoken, and concluded that Thurkiels insight was infallible. Now, brothers, the warlord boomed, We make for the valley. May what you have heard carry you to glorious victory.
Dawn crested the hills as the robot army marched west. One of the Praetorian escorts looked toward the horizon and signalled for the contingent to halt. Small figures were emerging along the summit. It magnified its view; they were armed, a motley crew of humans, humanoids, and shaggy beasts. All at once they advanced, rows and rows spilling over in a raging swarm. The robots reformed and prepared for combat; within minutes the shouts of their adversaries were picked up by their microphones. As the two armies drew into engagement, the Barbarians let loose a single cry that reverberated across the battlefield:
FOR PONYYYY!!!
------------------------------
Psychic powers and mental stress are a dangerous combination. Levi Kellerman could testify to this fact all too readily. First the AB-bombs had triggered a surge in mutant activity that had forced a retreat from the east; then Eggmans salient had pushed Fringe into full rout. President Farnsworth had vanished, the chain of command had splintered, and despite its best efforts the armys fragile grip on Sermats westernmost peninsula was faltering.
Levi was conscripted into the militia when the war turned sour, and had been at the front for almost the whole sorry fight, most of his time spent trying to rally with one scattered unit after another. He believed he was now technically acting commander of the 12th Patriots Platoon, but at this point the soldiers would answer to anyone with a clue as to what was going on. Levi had been too busy trying to stay alive for the stress to get to him, but after arriving in a bivouac outside Janetsville, the retreat had slowed enough for his thoughts to turn on themselves.
It all seemed so hopeless. They could dig in for a day or two before the damn robots overwhelmed them. He didnt even think they were bothering to secure what theyd won; they just kept pushing on as though theyd explode if they ever stopped. Soon theyd have him on the coast, and then... what? Fringe still had naval superiority in the region, but wholesale evacuation was virtually impossible. Where could they go, for that matter? The islands in the southwest couldnt handle refugees. He didnt even know if they had anything left on Angel Island.
He was pacing back and forth, revolver in hand. Hed broken out in a steady sweat; every errant breeze now sounded like the onset of an attack. He kept glancing down at the gun. Hed heard of what they did to resisters; quite an ingenious way to replenish their numbers, he had to admit. He didnt even know what he was doing with a gun; he sure as hell couldnt shoot worth a damn, even with the little training hed received. In fact now that he thought about it, hed probably botch his own suicide.
Before Levi could contemplate alternative ways to off himself, he sensed someone approaching and hastily tried to clear his mind, although with his nerves shot hed probably been putting out a strong signal anyway. He turned around to see Stacey Cutts running toward him. She was a student, drafted like him, but had been spared the agony of running after a steadily retreating front line. Shed taken a liking to him soon after they met, which to Levi meant yet another weight on his addled brain.
Robotnik, she panted, doubling over as she caught her breath, gesturing behind her.
Levi shook his head. He knew the reprieve wouldnt last. How soon?
Stacey broke into a broad grin. You wont believe it..!
Over the next three days the retreat ground to a halt as Freebotniks shock troops gradually lost strength. Fringe was understandably suspicious, worried they were rallying for a concerted assault; but by the second week they realized an attack wasnt coming. Finally able to catch its breath, the weary army reorganized before trying to figure out what to do next. They soon enough found out that their saving grace was the UBS, who had launched an ambitious invasion of Freebotniks surviving provinces across the continent. The badniks had to divert to protect their flank, buying Fringe desperately-needed time. With the presidents whereabouts still unknown, General Marcus Lance declared himself acting leader of what remained of the country and began organizing the counterattack.
Ive gotta hand it to em, given their standing wars Im surprised theyd have the strength to go after the Black Arms, let alone Eggman. But, he fixed a meaningful glare around the table, We cant count on them to win, and we sure as living hell dont let them take any more land than absolutely necessary. When theyve broken the badniks theyll turn on us. We have to be ready for them.
With respect, sir, interjected a fellow officer, The armys barely fit to hold what we still have. We should dig in, find out what happened to Angel, and then look at reinforcing the front.
No, hes right, Levi muttered, examining the map, We dont have time to wait. At the speed theyre advancing, theyll be on Prometheus Bluff in two or three weeks.
The M.O.M. Center? The officer spun around. How does a conscript know about that base?
Because, Levi retorted, I was part of the suicide squad sent to keep Eggman from finding it.
The officer opened his mouth but quickly checked himself. Lance continued: If we can retake control of the Psionic Decimator, the UBS wont pose a threat. Prometheus Bluff is now our top priority.
Prometheus Bluff is a good three hundred miles outside our zone of control, another officer put in.
Then wed best hurry, Lance replied, unfazed. He turned to Levi. Since youre familiar with the area, Im assigning you to the task force thatll lead the salient.
It took all of Levis concentration to mute his thoughts to the soldiers assembled, managing a Thank you, sir through gritted teeth.