<USS Avalon> Day Six: Cry Havoc......

Day Six: Cry Havoc??

Dodge Thomas

 

Dodge awoke the next morning fresh and revitalized. Technically, on a planet of 
perpetual internal daylight, morning was nothing more than an iconic memory, 
but Dodge was used to extended periods of light. Onboard a starship, a strict 
twenty-four hour cycle kept the entire crew in check, and as Dodge was 
learning, prepared for the most unexpected of planet-scapes.

For a while, he lay awake beneath the mound of blankets, the air outside his 
thin layer of warmth too chilling for such an early hour. Eventually, he worked 
up the courage and crawled out of bed, tentatively. The floor was icy cold, but 
the Vann had been considerate enough to provide warm, fuzzy slippers for the 
three humans. Dodge shuffled over to the single stone hewn window and pulled 
aside the curtain. Pale blue light shone in, brighter than one would expect so 
far beneath the surface.

Carson Fuller popped his head into Dodge?s room. ?They?re here?the admiralty?s 
warriors. They?ve come to put an end to the rebellion. You should probably get 
ready for a fight.?

Dodge glanced over at the stack of metal armor that decorated one corner of his 
room. ?Thanks for the heads up.?

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Outside, on the castle perimeter wall, several Vann soldiers including Rhonth 
the Brave (as he had been named the previous night after the feasting 
ceremonies) watched as the three humans struggled to subdue their armor.

It was clumsy and of course, too large, but Rhonth had insisted that they all 
wear it. The leather leggings jolted and pulled at each step and the bronze 
breastplate was an unrelenting drag at Dodge?s chest.

He had absolutely refused to wear one of the flaring helmets that the rest of 
the Vann had donned. Even a child?s size wouldn?t have fit. His head would have 
rung around like a clapper in a bell.

Finally, they managed to get their unfamiliar attire under control. The three 
of them joined Rhonth and Urma Klandra, daughter of the supposed king of the 
Vann near one of the raised crenulations. 

?Any sign of them yet?? Dodge looked out across the open sheet of ice towards 
the distant city of Vanngard. The three humans and some four or five hundred 
Vann dissenters had gathered at the ancient castle of Vestooth. It seemed to 
Dodge a last ditch effort, but he didn?t say so. Even if they were able to 
overpower the trained soldiers of Vanngard, there was no way they would be able 
to hold their own against an Intrepid-class ship. 

?They come nigh.?

Urma nodded. ?Soon they will be here.?

A single ice-craft appeared on the far horizon. It grew steadily closer.

?A parley raft. They?ve no reason to expect us to actually fight. Surrender 
would be far more profitable for our side.? Urma could have spat.

?They underestimate our numbers.? Rhonth replied.

The parley raft pulled up beside the wall. It had taken it maybe ten minutes to 
cross the distance.

A herald?s voice boomed out. ?Here approach those representing the gods Garret, 
Lambert, and Jonas, the protectors of this domain and ruler of the world! I am 
upset to see so many armed men on your walls. Surely you make a mistake in 
gathering against the gods. They are willing to forget, should you surrender.? 
A tall Vann whom they recognized to be Svalld-Va-Rusch announced. ?What is your 
answer.?

Rhonth spoke out, clean and clear. ?Listen to me well, butcher Svalld. Yes, we 
know who you represent. The armed men you see who upset you so will do more if 
you wish. Take your putrid self away from us, for I must remove the stench that 
will surly linger for days!?

Svalld had stiffened at the first word, but had heard Rhonth out. ?I have heard 
and considered every word you said. Your response is welcomed.?

?That?s wonderful. Would you like to hear it again?? Urma shouted back.

?No, that will not be necessary. I will repeat every word, every inflection to 
our masters. Now then, Rhonth the beast, put firm paw to sword, for when I next 
see you, I will not find you so talkative, I think.?

The parley raft turned and vanished.

?We have passed the event horizon. From this minute on, we are committed. The 
Vann, and the humans.? Rhonth clapped Dodge on the back, nearly knocking him 
over. ?What you have done is a brave thing.?

?If not foolish,? Dodge muttered, but silently so none could hear.

?Why, Leila! You have no weapon.? Urma looked aghast.

Leila made a helpless gesture. ?I--I guess you?re right. I can?t very well 
handle one of the men?s swords. They?d be far too heavy for me.?

Dodge snorted. ?They?re far too heavy for me! I?d feel better with a class two 
phaser compression rifle.?

?I too would feel better with one of your great weapons, Sir Dodge.?

?Take this.? Urma practically shoved a double bladed battle axe into Leila?s 
hands. 

?It?s--it?s surprisingly light. I think, yes, I can handle this!?

?Good. Sir Dodge, Sir Carson, think it wise that you have such a blade as 
well?? Urma held out two more of the lethal looking axes.

?I?ll take one.? Dodge answered.

?I?m good with a sword personally.?

?Give me both then.? Urma shrugged and handed both of the weapons to Dodge. 
They were incredibly light, not more than four or five kilo?s each. ?What are 
they made of??


?Tritanium alloy.? Rhonth answered nonchalantly.

?How?d you get ahold of tritanium??

?The gods?we also have benefited. They think they use us, but we use them far 
more!?

?Look yonder!? Urma interrupted the two of them.

Far off in the distance, several hundred dark shapes were moving rapidly 
towards the castle.

?Foot soldiers!? Urma screamed, more of delight than terror. ?Good! That means 
more of the vermin to slaughter.?

?Down!? Shouted Rhonth.

Immediately, the entire body of soldiers on the wall dropped to the ground. 
Dodge hugged the stone as closely as he could. A shower of arrows, like the 
flight of a billion bees, came sailing over to clatter on the stone. Some 
screams could be heard further down the line.

Another hail of arrows flew overhead, accompanied by the angry roaring of 
hundreds of Vannish soldiers. It occurred to Dodge that despite four years in 
the academy and almost six months of service aboard a Starfleet vessel, he was 
utterly helpless in the face of a bunch of hysterical primitives.

?Up, now!? Rhonth ordered.

Dodge stood up quickly, only to find himself face to face with one of his 
hysterical primitives. Huge yellow eyes stared hypnotically into his. He froze, 
his dual axes dangling limply from each hand. He had never been in intensive 
combat training. Sure, he had killed a person or two, but this was quite a bit 
more personal. The soldier raised his heavy metal mace high above his head. It 
began to descend in slow motion. 

A long pike thrust out of nowhere skewered the snarling Vann through the chest. 
It gurgled, spat some blood, then fell backwards over the wall. That broke the 
ennui that had coated Dodge and before too long he was swinging his axes, 
slashing and cutting anything that showed it?s ugly face above the clean gray 
stone. He never got a chance to thank the pike man who had saved his life.

The yelling and shrieking, crying and bellowing drowned any coherent speech 
out. In one harried moment, Dodge caught a glimpse of Leila. Roaring like a 
pride leader, the blonde haired barbi-ish girly girl was swinging her dual 
headed axe in great arcs, lopping off hands, arms, and heads like a thresher 
taking up wheat. It was somewhat disturbing?and a little bit arousing?Dodge 
could have slapped himself, but the next second he too was caught up in the 
seemingly choreographed death scene that unfolded before him.

Then abruptly, the screams and bellows died down. The Vannish soldiers from 
Vanngard were retreating!


Cheers broke out among the surviving fighters. Never in the history of their 
world had such a resistance taken place and actually succeeded. Leila walked up 
to Dodge, Carson following behind her closely. His arm hung loosely from it?s 
socket, but he was grinning all the same.

?We beat the bastards!? He shouted.

?You were very brave.? Dodge could have sworn that Leila had batter her 
eyelashes at him. Her axe was stained crimson.

Dodge indicated a small cut on her shoulder. ?You?re bleeding.?

?Well, so I am! Suppose I should go get my manicure kit out too. I?m sure I 
broke a few nails.? She fluffed her hair, turned and walked away.

?That was some fight, Dodge.?


Dodge sat down on the cold stone. ?You said it. I?m glad we get to rest awhile.?


?They?ll be back, you know.?

?I know.?

?It?s not like we?ve beaten the admiralty.?

?I know. Still, it?s nice we can rest, because I am completely and totally 
finished. Out of it. Tired.? His right hand was resting in a pool of ice water. 
He raised it and patted gently under his eyes before it could?wait a minute?ice 
water? At this temperature?

He looked down. His glove was resting in a pool of rich, red blood which had 
just begun to congeal from the sub-freezing temperatures. Both his glove and 
the shirt he was wearing beneath the clumsy armor had been soaked to a point 
halfway up his forearm. It looked like a scrap from a slaughter house. 

?Damn. Now I?m going to have to find a fire and melt this out.? Then he fell 
over in a dead faint.

 



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