The General watched..he looked at Hirr as she   decided the trooper    she   jumpe dover   wasn't worth her  time... she Bounded   to wards  the    left  sid eof the Endzone,  , the  General ran to the Gola posts  and  called for  Help..The trooper#2 chased   Hirr  with an angle that would  put him between the Cat  and his General..

 Lirg  Droved his Balde   into   trooper #1 one's  thigh... as  Shade had  done..he two left the Blade in the Man's thigh, and picked  up that fellow's Blade . then began   loping  towards   The general

………………………………...

 Shade   Took a Look back at  Roll  and Roy  then to the General.., he  Pivoted  and   ran towards  the  Endzone   his head  turned to watch.

 Roy had  his   Guy on the Ground.. it would be  a simple Roy  to drive his  blade into the Man.

……………………………………

 Jug was  on top her  trooper # 5 she was in the same postion.. a Stab and he was  done..

 Trooper  #6  had  about a yard lead on Garrat  as he neared the   5  yard  line...

 Roll moves  passed the  'people' side Hashmark   as he wathed  the  Three  Herminite   with thier Troopers  and, Shade   dropping  Back  so he   could   try to   placehimself  between  the  trooper on the toehr side of the field...and Roll.. the difference  was.. Shadw  was on the  25 , on his side of the   field... the trooper  was on the  5 with Garrt crossing  the 7.

Jug needed to be quick.  Others needed her help including the boy.  To teach this one a further lesson she stabbed him, in his butt cheek!  He began screaming.  It was gonna be hard for him to pull out with his one good hand and arm, since the other now also in pain and probably swelling from being dislocated.  That was gonna be a hard pop back in, if she had left it in.  She pulled it out since she still needed to use it.  Moving she stepped on his back she grabbed trooper #5's vibroblade to use as well and began to run and cover the boy from attack.

The Gava cheered louder.  Even jumping up and down that Jug took out that trooper.  Goji even gave a snickering laugh.  It was obvious he was not going to move anywhere quickly.  A useless arm, useless leg, drool over his ear and face, plus now no weapon!  He probably could not even roll off the field on his own accord.

  General Higgins now  moved   more to the  right of the field  ( looking from Roll's  endzone)...   Hirr had  reached his Goal Line, Trooper #2   was crossing trhe Goal line between  Hirr and  Lirg..Lirg  was  at the  10 yard line on an angle to   meet the General

……………………….

   Jug was  running  toward  the   endzone  as   the trooper  Garrat was  chasing  neared the goal line, at   the far hashmark.

  Roy had his guy down..

 Shade  was  about  at the 8

 Rolls took another step to the   left of his  endzone.

 Two men screamed in pain with the Vibrablade  humming away.. the third   was crippled  on the  field.

 The General  called out to Hack,..HACK....  We'll Concede!

 ADMIRAL...Hack.... and  you can concede  if you wish.. but the    contest doesn't  end  until the   flag has been stabbed.. I spent  over 5 years  teaching my  people, that we  don't ease up.... i won't set a bad example now.

Roy put his blade into the back of the man he had down, and pushed off the man's body in a full sprint, no thought about a blade, aiming a crushing body block at the trooper Garrat was chasing, counting on the Asgardian's heavy footfalls just behind the man to keep him distracted from something like two additional oncoming Hermes personnel.  Even if the trooper managed to get a good shot in on Roy, it would slow him down...and Garrat would be all over him at that point.  If he tried to evade Roy and Garrat, he'd be running right into Jug.

But Roy was planning on putting the man on the turf.  HARD.

  The   General was  backpedaling to the  far side of his  endzone.. he had his blade ready, but it  showed he might  have  had a little bit of training All that stood  between him and a Grinning  CAt  and a stern looking  Hyrian was one Lone  trooper  (#2).

  Shade  veered from his  Angel as Roy  got up from his  screaming trooper  to put himself  in the same postion with  Roll, as Trooper #2  was  with Higgins.

 It may have  been a had  full of seconds... when Roy slammed Into the  trooper.. The  Fellow  was brought  down, to the Back of the endzone, Just past the far hashmark..

 a heart beat Later Garrat was there... and a breath later.. as printing   Jug..

  across the  field  3 men were screaming with  Vibra Blades  in them..while and other  was failing with one arm to try and move in some way.

 Shadow  Saw Melia  and COMed her  softly..when this is over,  look to the one with the real injuires  first..no hurry on the blades... Then he COMed  Med tech.

 Higgins Shouted  at  The Admiral...HACK!.. this has Gone to Far.. we Yield!

  The Admiral  moved  down the    40 yardline, his  hands  clasped behind his back.. he said  loud, and Calmly ,ADMIRAL.... Hack.   Relax , Higgins? you aren't the  first to fluff up thier feathers only to get your neck wrung ...We didn't start this.. well? Shadow might have..

 ..HEY!..

 at any rate, General. You came up with this game..My people  play to win.. there is no stopping this , until a flag gets  stabbed...

(Assuming a man body checked in front of him gives Garrat the ability to take initiative)  If Spencer didn’t knock the man On his back, Garrat would have grabbed him by the scruff of his uniform and thrown him on his back, either way the Einherjar would’ve dropped on the man before he even hit the ground driving his elbow into the soldiers sternum crushing his rib cage and injuring his internal organs.  The medical deck would be able too save him but he probably wouldn’t be able too do much soldiering after this.

    Once the man was crippled the blade went into his gut...and stayed.
This message was last edited by the player at 18:24, Thu 02 Jan 2020.

"our 'Flag safe?" she wanted a check.  She stood between the young boy and opposing troopers still up.  Both blades ready in case they got past Roy and Garrat.  She could see Shade moving towards the General.  The cat people stalking him.  She smiled broadly.

Roy looked around, assessing the situation.  The Hermes people were favoring a few limbs, as a result of slashing injuries...but they were all up.  The General had one trooper left, with Lirg and Hirr closing in on him.

"Pretty sure we've got this...but if you hurry, you might get to land the final blow on the General, while Lirg and Hirr take down his guard.  If not, you still did damned fine work out there."

He turned a scowl to Garrat.  "We were supposed to HURT them, not break them.  They may be a bunch of arrogant dickheads, but they're still our allies."  He shook his head.  "You couldn't have satisfied yourself with dislocating a hip or something?"

Without waiting for a response, he got up and walked over to Roll.  "You did good, Roll.  I'm proud of you."  He knelt down beside the boy, one hand on his shoulder.  "Kept your wits, listened to Jax and me, and showed faith in us.  Remember this...you're part of the Hermes family now, and anyone that wants to hurt you has to get past us.  He gave Roll's shoulder a gentle squeeze and a pat, then turned to watch how the end of the General's distressing choice of tests would play out.

She smiles and heads off to deal with the general.

    “Do you really trust a man who will take a vibrablade to a small child Just for sport?  I feel dirty just being part of this competition.  Mark my words, anyone who survives this has an 85% chance of becoming EDT, and a 100% chance of getting good men killed for their own glory.  If I had killed Shade’s step mom when I suspected her of being a spy, if I had killed Lady V’s nephew when I learned he only wanted a command at any cost down in the tunnels, if I had found a way to crack a lot of bad eggs I’ve seen since starting here, a lot of good people would still be here.”

   Shade stopped at the 50... The general couldn't leave the  'box' with out losing... he wasn't Goignt to make it  in time so he stood  to watch.

 The Chorus of   4 suffering  troopers  echoed  through the field, and the other  Just gave up and laid there.

  Rolls  held his blade  and Looked  at  Roy, his eyes  shifted to the    screaming men,..they were gonna  hurt me like that...

 Chief  post, with nothing else to look at, went  down to the  General's  45 yardline to watch he didn't step out on the chief's  side of the   field.

 The trooper   looked  left and   Right.. a  slinking Felrite and a Lumbering Hyrian.. Hirr  Jumped in the  Air  again, The trooper  was  expecting this.. Hirr...expected him to  expect it.. he  slashed   and   caught her  Calf.. She let out a loud , Cat-cream.. But the  plan had  work   Lirg Picked the Trooper    up and Tossed him out of   the  40 yard line  to land  on  the General's  30...

 Chief Post shouted..he's off the field.. he cannot be attacked or attack!...he's  done... he  fiddle  with  somethign  in the box in his hand  and that trooper's blade shut down..

   Hirr was limping..a slight  mewling from time to time..Lirg  was taking strides to  The general...

 Jug was  at the 'Roll's  25  as she  scampered  forward.

 Garrat  by  the last trooper

 Alright , Higgins? you are on your Bridge.. your   SEC has been defeated.. and the enemy is closing in on your Command..what do you do...

 I said I yield!!! I Yield!!!

 Post spoke up...doesn't work that way.. a Flag  has to fall..and you can even leave you 'box' to try to take the other one out...

Roy gave Roll a sad smile.  "They wanted to hurt us, by hurting you...but they wouldn't have hurt you like that.  They just needed to get you with a blade to win.  But because they chose to pick on a child to be their target, we decided to hurt them a lot worse than they were going 5o hurt you.  The General thought he was being funny...but we aren't laughing, and now, none of them are, either."

He gave a little hint of a grin, and added, "I don't think any of them has been in actual combat in a long time...they've forgotten how much we sacrifice to fight, and a lot of the time, we're fighting for people we don't even know.  The General would have been smarter to pick one of his own people to take your spot, though.  We would have still protected him...but he picked on family, and made it about something a lot more than just showing him that his men aren't as good as they think they are.  When he picked you, Roll, he made sure that his men were going to suffer, because we're dangerous when we're fighting...but we're just plain old mean and vengeful when you try and hurt family.  And you're part of the Hermes family, Roll.  Every one of us would have fought all of them, alone, to protect you.  Even everyone up in the stands would have done it.  And if we thought for a moment that they actually meant to really hurt you?  Those men wouldn't be screaming, they'd be dead.  Because we protect our family."

In reply to Admiral Hack (msg # 25):

Melia glanced at Shadow and gave him a slow imperceptible nod.

She watched the final moments of the match playing out as the clearly victorious Hermes crew descended towards to the General who was looking increasingly out of place. Waiting for the match to end and the triage to begin.

  Lirg  stopped  about  1 yard from  Higgins.... Lt Hirr  was limping, but she   was coming  down  the 'back line' of his box...

   Jug was  not  at the    50.. on the  far Hashmark.

  The General  Looked around   his hands  shaking  with his  Blade... the screams of the men with the Vibra Blades in them  making him even more worried.

Hack smiled  at Him.. and Nodded  to the Three  who were there..  Lt   Hirr  Leaped on more time  to  stop  the general from  escaping out the back... Lirhg charged   in  with  Jug....and three Blades  Flashed Into the General  as  she dropped to his   knees  Screaming  as if he fell into the  9 Hells  itself..

 HAck  called out  to Melia...Melia!.... Tend to him first.. i need him for a Meeting.. the rest of you..Well  done.....

 Hack   jogged   down the field  as  Chief   post shut off the blades.. the  handles  falling to the  turf.The Admiral stopped  By  Roll and  Roll as    thier blades  died...Roll.... You did   good.... you stood  your  ground, held your  place... You Get  Trooper  Jax  and   Sneak to take you  to the rec Dec... anything you want...on me..

  Shadow  snorted  as he  helped retrieve  some blades for Post. Coulda  used  the  reporter on this.... bet no one ever  saw  training like this...

 Jax  and  Sneak  came down to   check Roll

"That ...felt good." She picked up the vibroblades from the others right there to take to the Post.  She looked to her fellow Gavans and gave a victory arm up.  In collective whoops they cheered and then began to rush the field.  She walked by Garrat "That was good learning.  Learned a new trick of two."

Roy grinned at Jax.  "Thanks for being his tactical advisor," he quipped lightly.  "You two did a good job of preparing him for life...let's hope he never has to rely much on that training.  Admiral Hack promised him a treat on the Rec Deck...whatever he wants."

He gave Roll a pat on the shoulder, wincing slightly with the lingering aftereffects of the vibroblade slashes on his left forearm.  The blades were deactivated almost immediately afterward, but there was still a little tenderness from the overexcited nerve endings.  "You did good, Roll.  A few more years and we'll have Jax training you how to be a Marine, if you want, or maybe Shadow teaching you how to fly.  But you did us all proud today."  One more shoulder squeeze, and he stood up, looking around as med techs began to arrive to take care of the wounded (all Marines from Higgins' detachment...the only wounds the Hermes folk suffered were simulated knife slashes).  He waved Lirg and Hirr over, then gestured to Garrat and Jug.

"Hey, want you all to come meet the young man who anchored our team!" he called out.  He'd been, effectively, an orphan as a child, himself...his father was present, physically, but pretty much just a vacant body in terms of Roy's life...so he understood the value of having friends.  And while a bunch of Hermes officers and non-coms were not peers, they could still be a form of moral support.  He waited for those who were coming to get there, before introducing Roll to them, and them to Roll.

   Hirr was  limping a bit.. Lirg held out a  well muscled arm for her to leab on.

   I  am being here...The  Cub stood  firm.. did not break and  run... Hirr  said.

 Lirg smiled a  toothy  Hyrian  smile,..it is   a shame  rule   did not let the  Young  one attack..he may have won the  contest  himself.

 Shade   was standing there  Green eyed  and gave Roll a Thumbs  up.

 Shadow  smiled as he stood a few paces  behind Jax  and Sneak.

Roy grinned.  "Roll, this is Sergeant Lirg.  He was one of the first Hyrians to agree to fight under the APF banner, and decided he wanted to serve on the Hermes to get to know Humans better.  Lieutenant Hirr leads the Felrite ground troops aboard the Hermes, and was one of the first Felrites to sign on."

He looked at the pair, and grinned a little.  "It took a little doing to get them to not threaten to kill each other on sight, initially...but it's amazing what a little mutual respect accomplishes."

He gestured at Shade.  "I think you've already met Shade, I'm pretty sure I saw him coaching you on programming your vidboard a time or two.  His grandma is the leader of the Blue Verians, also called the Udenese, and his sister is captain of their flagship in the Delta Fleet."

He dropped an arm over Roll's shoulder, standing next to him and looking at the rest.  "This is Roll. He is one of the orphans that Sergeant Wolfrim rescued from the Stem on Etna.  Jax and Sneak taught him what he needed to know to survive, there, and they did a good job, because he did everything he was supposed to do here, despite never being part of a formal military organization.  But he's part of our Hermes family, now, and we're glad to have him."

  Lirg's  tail swishes  a bit as he reaches into his Belt Pouch...You take this , Little one it is my Clan Token...'Moon Hunters".. you show it to a Hyrian, and they will portect you, as one of thier Pups..

  Hirr  Grins, her tail  twitching.

  Roll nodded   rapidly, as he put the  token into is  pocket..he was looking up at  all the tall people.

 Chief post was shouting, General first.. and make sure he gets to the meeting, even if he has to  go strapped to a hover Cart!

 Shadow  Chuckled,well, Folks, I'm going  to bed..gonna  have  soemthign going on tomorrow.... Roll?  Great Job buddy..

 Sneak  spoke up,..let's go get your  treat, when you are ready, then we'll get  you home...

In reply to field (msg # 34):

Already Done." Melia replied grabbing a med bag from one of the hover carts on the sidelines. She pulls the medtech and guardian on the cart with her. "You two on me. The rest of you see to it that any non-vibra blade injuries are treated first. As far as I care get our people stable and to medlab first. These morons can wait unless they have life threatening injuries."

She runs out onto the field towards the general, and begins treating his injuries.

 The General moan   and Groaned, the 'healthy  trooper' made his way over to them from the spot Lirg had thrown him.

  I have to get him to the Admiral's meeting as soon  as  you can get him to walk, Ma'am

You'll get him in time for your meeting, trooper. And its Petty Officer, I work for my pay. She bites at the impatient trooper as she works on the vibra-knife wounds. It'd be easier to treat in the medlab but for the time being the medkit was what she had. She began with a very mild local pain killer. Hoping at the very least to get the General to stop squirming long enough to stabilize the injuries.

  The trooper  shrugs,..Right PO...but it was your  Admiral that  said he had to be there..not me..

 The Parde of hover  carts began to make its  way up the   stadium steps to the RecDec and the lifts.

 The Battered  trooper  was the first with his  'real wounds.. the  Vibra  Cases  were  sat on  hover carts  in pairs  as they held the  throbbing areas   where the   Blades made there home for the last 15 minutes.

"Aye and I'd told him the General would be ready for the meeting, and he will be but if you rush me he might be attending as wet noodle instead of his usual cranky self."  She says measuring out a small amount of muscle relaxant. The General's nerves and muscles were spasm-ing around the stab points, that said too much of the relaxant would render the man catatonic. Deciding on a 5th of the normal dosage, she carefully administers about a third of the measured amount into the skin around the stab points. It should be enough to relax the muscles and nerves and dull a large amount of the pain.

"General this should allow you to regain use of your muscles, try not to exert yourself too much for a few hours. The sting and pain will fade, unfortunately we don't carry anything in our medkit to treat deflated egos so try not to trip over it at the meeting."

She says nodding to the Marine, "He should be able to walk on his own but might be a bit wobbly see that he makes it to the meeting safely."

Grabbing the bag and remaining medical equipment she checks around for any other wounded.

Garrat hunkers down next to the boy, “Good job Rolls, you’re a real trooper.”