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Week 3 - The Duel of Champions

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Week 3 - The Duel of Champions  Empty Week 3 - The Duel of Champions

Post  Admin Fri Apr 29, 2011 5:29 am

"This is Jenna Steel reporting for IEN at the Lost Hope Space Station. Just outside of Iron Republic jurisdiction, the Lost Hope Gladiator pits are some of the most brutal in the Polar Expanse. Truly Extreme for our Extreme news fans. The typical pit is ringed in Barbed Wire, and has a synthetic sandy floor, rumored to absorb the blood better. It has eight different cameras allowing the audience at home to enjoy the highest level of holographic sports. Supposedly this battle will not be to the death, but instead to three wounds. So the audience at home can feel free to let their kids watch, it'll just be a little bit of blood for the whole family!
The audience at home will see Sector General Palomedes return to the fencing ring for the first time since leaving the college circuit ages ago. Known as the Butcher of Bootes, he was unbeaten on the college circuit.
His opponent is supposedly an advanced combat clone filled with all the data gathered by the terrorist group known as the Unity. This battle between Prime of Unity and Sector General Palomedes may be the finest display of swordmanship you could ever hope to see."
The Camera zoomed down to focus on the two brave contestants on the sands.
The old Sector General Palomedes took a moment to flex his sword a few times, until it seemed to bend in his grip like a whip. No trechery involved, merely training and experience. He was warming up the metal so it would stay supple and bend when needed.
They saluted each other in silence.
The signal was given, and Sector General Palomedes dived into a deep lunge, cutting deeply into the tendons on the back of the hand of Prime. The deep laceration wasn't just wound 1 in a three wound contest, but it caused Prime to drop his rapier.

Prime grimaced, catching his blade before it hit the very ground. Palmodes was fast, and for his age there was a grace to his movements. His eyes, though, belied no such sense of age. They shone brightly, observing Prime's every movement.

Ever the champion Prime had observed in old holo-vids as he trained.

Prime began the fight showly, testing his opponent stroke for stroke in the old style of earther swordsmen. They each moved with swift strokes, each one faster than the one before. A crowd, once racus at the sight of blood, fell quiet.

Prime's voice was even as he spoke, his movements quickening over the course of their duel

"I've been waiting a long time to speak with a General of the Iron Republic who does not froth at the mouth."

Their swords crossed, and the two combatants came face to face, pushing for advantage against nearly equal strength.

"You are a man of honor, how can you let men starve in the name of profits in a world where resources are infinite? How can you sit on the sidelines instead of finding a better way?"

Palomedes sneered, "A better way, this way has served Humanity well for a long time. The cold impartial hand of the corporation deciding the fate has been better than the religious anarchy proposed on planets like Infernus. No Emperors or Kings rule over mankind. No Primes either. None are greater than the Board of Directors, but status of birth has no effect on the ability to rise within the I.R.
If you produce results you advance.
Sector General Deer may not be able to put together an inoffensive communication if someone payed him, but he is loyal to the Iron Republic to a fault. He would give his life, and the life of every soldier under his command to keep the majority of civilians safe from the threats posed by creatures like your Allies, the Manslayers and the Nightmares!!!"

The two swordsmen pushed back from each other, disengaging only for a second before rushing towards one another. Their blades flicked in forward, probing for weaknesses in nigh perfect stances.

"Have you ever considered that you are on the wrong side of this conflict?"

Prime rushed forward, flicking his rapier low than high in the classic fencing style. At the second parry, his style changed dramatically, becoming fluid. Instead of moving linearly, Prime whirled around his opponent's off hand. As he moved, Prime ducked below the sword of his opponent, performed a swift sweeping kick, and slashed at the ankles of his opponent as he jumped above the sweeping strike.
The cut wasn't deep but it clearly struck one of Palomedes' ankles leaving a bleeding gash. Prime had been used to the Unity Harmonic blade which would have cut the leg clean off on a strike like that. But a rapier is a stabbing blade not a cutting one.

Prime continued his assault in the flowing style of Unity duels. Parrying with harmonic blades is impossible, and so Unity duels involve mobility and dodging. He slashed again at his opponent, following no rhyme or reason that Palmodes could easily follow. Prime's blade danced next to its opposite, and his bad hand suddenly struck out against the hand of his opponent, creating a small opening. Prime's blade flicked out as he attempted to scrape the blade across Palmodes's brow. Instead the blade became tangled in the Quillions of the hilt of Palomedes rapier. Prime's blade snapped clean off about a foot up from the hilt, but it also ripped the basket off the hilt of Palomedes rapier. Pieces of the hilt's metal was embedded in Palomedes' right hand.

Prime surged forward in his unique and aggressive style, attempting to end the battle decisively. He ducked and weaved, letting the injuries he inflicted do their work for a moment. Prime thought of the stakes, the connected who were depending on his actions for their freedom. He could not fail them, he WOULD not fail them. In a flurry of motion, Prime's blade worked against the defenses of his opponent. He laid down blow after blow against the general's sword in a savage style, and then suddenly was fluid once again. He flipped over his opponent, sending quick blows to the shoulders of Palmodes before landing cleanly. A single cut across Palomedes right shoulder.

Palomedes switches to the other hand and says, "I guess Im lucky Im a southpaw"

Then he fakes a strike towards Prime's throat. And then a randowm flick down, into a lowest thrust position to line up next to both of Primes' legs. Palomedes was bent into the deepest lunge, Prime had seen, and as his body naturally tried to return from the lunge his blade whipped sideways. He slashed back down bringing the blade across the back of both meaty calves. It hit with a smack and cut deeply.

As Palomedes expected, Prime tried to flip away. Instead it was Palomedes' rapier that flicks up to catch Prime mid acrobatic dodge. "Its a good thing my father taught me how to use a sword from horseback hitting those small rings," thought Sector General Palomedes as his final strike finishes its momentum.

Sector General Palomedes stood proudly.
"We will deliver your P.O.W.s as promised, but we claim the rights of Victors of this duel. It was an honor facing you Prime of Unity. It is a shame we cannot convince you to enlist in the I.R. Military.
"I have considered if I am on the right or wrong side of the conflict. Yet when I think of the trillions of Human lives that depend on me I know the Iron Republic I have served faithfully will provide for them.
Sometimes a few must be sacrficed yes, to show that the danger posed is more important than the bottom line."

The Holocamera Meks clicked away for photo ops.


Rewards:
Sector General Palomedes gains +50 Max Morale, total Max moral now 150%

Unity Prime gains respect as a legitimate human being by the Iron Republic audience, causing many to wonder about the distinction between these many enemies they face. He also recovers all P.O.W.s


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