War Games 2010 - The Story
Story collaboration between Ted Cross, Mike Grams/Jason Tippett and Scotty Benthin
The air was thick as I moved through the narrow hallway, the heels of my boots clacking as I moved towards the large double doors. It was always hard to breathe on this planet - the oxygen content not being the same as home, always took time to adjust. If I am lucky I won’t be here long enough to worry about it. It was my time to stand before the leader of this event and to assist in the upcoming games as much as I could. This was part of the tradition, the last years’ winner was assigned to assist the new teams, and they will need it. If their arrival was anything like my team had been, they are going to have a ton of questions.
If I only knew then what I know now…
I’m not sure where we are. The last thing I remember was being on the front line with the rest of my command group. We were assaulting an enemy stronghold and getting mauled pretty bad for the effort. That’s our job. The 13th Penal Legion, that is. We are all convicted criminals facing various punishments. We get all the crappy jobs. Command decides which missions are too dangerous for “good” line troops. That’s where we step in. The good thing is if we survive all our missions, we get a full pardon. The bad thing is if we don’t survive, we get a full pardon posthumously. We are all given one ‘last chance’ at redemption by fighting in the worst combat zones in the galaxy. Not many make it. That’s why we are called the ‘Last Chancers’.
That’s all in jeopardy. We got snatched from our current assignment by unknown aliens. This is bad. Command doesn’t like not knowing what our location is at all times. They are liable to add desertion to our list of crimes if they don’t just shoot us on sight. The only information we have was given to us by a human in Red body armor…
The doors flew open, and as they did five bright red laser dots appeared on the center of my chest. The grouping I had noticed was about the size of a dime. I was facing five haggard looking men, but with eyes wide as dinner plates. They were the faces of veterans.
” Easy soldiers. I am more than likely the only friend you have right now.”
I slowly raised my hands. ” Nothing in these hands…or up the sleeve.”
The dots didn’t waver.
” Listen, I know this is … well kinda weird, but even though you have no reason to, you have to trust me right now.”
My eyes roamed from face to face. Pausing on the one I knew was in charge.
” Besides, your weapons were deactivated during transport. They don’t work”
Five triggers pulled instantly, the loud “CLICK” almost sounding as one.
Oh…this is going to be fun, I thought to myself.
He never gave us his name. The man was somewhat short and stocky, a common trait in people from heavy gravity worlds. That makes them especially strong and tough. He looks to have seen some action. His red body armor was scarred from heavy fighting.
‘He has definitely seen some action.’ I thought.
He is a warrior. Not one to be screwed with. That much was obvious. He carried himself like a person that could handle himself in a fight. All of us had a bead on him, but I’ll be damned if none of our weapons would work.
“You are to be part of a game and you are the grey team leaders.” Said the warrior.
“Why us?” I ask
“Because the game masters have been watching you. They felt you would provide a good game.” He replied.
“What sort of game?” I asked
“It is a game of life or death for their entertainment.” He said with a wicked grin.
“What is the prize?” I asked.
“Life.” He said with a sad smile.
Then he walked away, laughing.
After the Red warrior left the room, I looked at my men. I could see the anger and worry on all their faces. This group of convicts and I go way back. I could read their faces like a SITREP. They were pissed and looking for someone or something to kill.
“Well boys, what do you think?” I asked.
“I dunno boss, he didn’t give us much to work with.” said one trooper.
“There is no doubt we are in it deep boys, but we are used to that. We are always in it up to our eyeballs.” I said
Worried looks all around.
“Sir, some of us are close to receiving our pardons. The way we disappeared from the front line could see us shot for desertion.” said one worried trooper.
“We will burn that bridge when we get to it.” I said. “Right now, we need to concentrate on getting off this rock. To do that, we are going to have to win this ‘game’. So win it we will, even if we have to kill every living thing on this planet.”
They all agreed with that philosophy. All these grim faced men had a certain moral flexibility. They would do whatever it took to accomplish the mission. Right now, that mission is to win.
************************
We have been sitting here in this room now for several days. The men are starting to get snippy. This much down time is not good for front line combat troops, especially this group of malcontents. Even I am starting to get testy. If we don’t get out of this room soon, it’s possible we could end up at each others throats. It could come to blows but I won’t allow it to go any farther. Blow off some steam, yes. Kill each other, no. I doubt it would go that far anyhow. We have had each others backs for far too long for that to happen. Brotherhood forged in the fires of combat.
All the men have their little quirks. Some are more obvious that others. If you spend enough time around a person, you learn to gauge their temperament by those quirks. Like I said, we have been a team for a long time. Prisoner 070179 was the first Last Chancer I met. He has been sitting by the door almost the whole time we have been trapped in this room. To someone that doesn’t know him; he is just checking and re-checking his gear. I know better. I know he is quietly watching and listening to everything and everyone in the room, waiting for the right moment to make a move if necessary. He won’t light the cigar he has been chewing on because it’s his last one. He will save it for a special occasion. He loves his cigars almost as much as he loves to fight.
Prisoner 070179 hails from Telos. It’s a heavy gravity mining colony on the outer reaches of human controlled space. Gamma sector, if you look on a star chart. A frontier world where brawling and drinking is the favorite pastime. That makes him the strongest, toughest, and meanest S.O.B. in the room when it comes to bare-knuckle brawling. His strength and temper is what landed him in the 13th.
The day this team was put together, I was standing on the landing platform of Atten Prison Facility waiting for the rest of my command group. When the first prisoner shuttle arrived, they didn’t bother to land. The Imperial prison guards just tossed prisoner 070179 out of the rear hatch, 10 feet off the platform, shackles and all. I remember them yelling just before they sped off, “Hey! Good luck with that one!” I noticed one guard with a black eye and another with a fat lip. As he picked himself up off the plascrete no worse for wear, I thought, ‘Oh goody, a hard nose brawler and a tough one at that. I hope he can take orders. I would hate to have him shot right here and now.’
“Prisoner 070179 reporting for duty!” he barked.
The lack of ‘Sir’ got my immediate attention. He was testing my authority already. One thing I learned when dealing with these convicts was to not give them an inch. I fixed him my command stare and raised an eyebrow.
“I don’t believe I heard you correctly troop.” I said coldly while resting my hand on my empty side arm holster. Maybe that scared him, but I doubt it. I think he recognized I would broker no disobedience.
“Prisoner 070179 reporting for duty, SIR!” he replied after thinking for about 1 second.
“Prisoner 070179,” I said while looking through his file. “A.K.A. Dando. Heavy weapons specialist. Convicted of: Manslaughter, disorderly conduct, drunk in public, destruction of public/private property, resisting arrest, assaulting an officer, and my personal favorite, urinating in public.”
“Yes, sir.” He answered.
“My kind of trooper.” I said with a grin.
Dando single-handedly dismantled a squad of Jantin Paladins, several MPs, and the bar they were all in in fairly short order. Ended up accidentally killing one of the MPs. Scuttlebutt had it that it took 6 MPs with stun wands set to maximum to bring him down. One stunner will knock a horse goofy. With my most sincere smile, I said, “Welcome to the 13th Legion.”
Prisoner 022586 is keeping himself busy trying to figure out how the aliens shut our guns down. I think he has had that assault rifle apart more than a dozen times. He keeps telling us they should work. Every circuit in the rifles appears to be in perfect order. The damn things just won’t work. The disgusted look on his face tells me he is about to take the weapon apart for the umphteenth time. Pretty much the same look he had when I told him he was going to be a Last Chancer.
Prisoner 022586, he prefers the handle Hammer, is a tech prodigy. One of those kids that is too smart for his own good. He was on the fast track to becoming one of the greatest tech minds of our time. Then he got cocky. According to his file, he hacked into the Ajax Planetary Defense Grid and managed to set off a global red alert. All the orbital MACs came online, the Navy scrambled fighters, defensive ack-ack batteries were readied, and Guard units were mobilized to repel a planetary invasion. Pretty much scared the poop out of the entire population. World leaders were not happy. What really sunk his ship was that he refused to tell the government how he managed to crack the 528 bit encryption from his home desktop computer. In theory, that is impossible without a mainframe supercomputer.
He was the second Last Chancer I met that day on the landing platform. This time the shuttle actually landed. As 022586 was escorted out of the rear hatch, all the guards were grinning and laughing. Hammer didn’t look old enough to be out of high school much less a criminal of the caliber required to be in the 13th. The scowl on his face told Dando and I that whatever was so funny was at Hammers expense.
“Prisoner 022586 reporting for duty, sir.” He said.
“We just call him cupcake.” One guard interjected with a chuckle.
The nasty look that Hammer shot at the guard brought more laughs.
“Feth you, Jake!” Hammer snapped.
All the laughter stopped, however, at the cold stares the guards got from Dando and I. After all, we convicts have to stick together. Poor little Hammer was stuck between two groups of very mean, nasty, and bad tempered men that clearly didn’t like each other. The tension in the air was thick enough to cut with a combat knife.
“Well, he is all yours.” The ranking guard said with a chuckle.
With a hand signal the shuttle started to spool up its engines and the guards retreated to the safety of the rear hatch.
“Thanks guys. Those jackasses think that name is hilarious. They’ve been calling me that since we left…..” he paused. He noticed we weren’t smiling at him either.
“022586, lets get something straight. We may have to work together to survive, but that don’t make us friends nor will we ever be friends.” Dando said with a scowl. Now it was Hammers turn to be nervous.
“Ah, sir, what exactly am I doing here?” he asked.
“We needed a tech guy and your it. You are going to be a Last Chancer.” I said.
There was that truly disgusted look I told you about earlier.
“I think I would rather stay in my cell.” He said under his breath.
“Too bad,” I said with a small grin. “Welcome to the 13th Legion…….cupcake.
(Special Ops 141)
We had been stuck in the same foxhole for days when the orders came in. I knew that if they needed the Roughnecks, this mission was of extreme importance. It was going to require 8 weeks of special training, and we were going into outer-space. That is all they would tell us. The news got everybody excited, but i had an uneasy feeling in my gut.
It’s been 8 weeks and were getting ready to launch and they still won’t tell us anything. What kind of training was that, weapons straight out of a Sci-Fi movie. Survival techniques that would be illegal on earth. Everyone’s excitement has turned into anxiousness and caution. What in god’s good name could they be training us for. It’s obvious space is not where this battle is going to take place. All that is going through our minds is what are we going to encounter.
It’s been 3 weeks and we are nearing our destination. Orders will be coming through, but information is still on a need to know basis. The alarm starts going off and that is are queue to strap in and get ready for a rough landing. Everything starts shaking and we can feel gravity, a good sign that this planet is habitable. Everything got still for a few moments and then impact! The way we were bouncing around we must have landed in water. It wasn’t to long before getting beached. We had no idea what we were getting into…….
022477 had been pacing the room. It’s not that it’s a small room. Quite spacious, actually. Larger than our cells, at any rate. 022477 just don’t like being stuck in places with no way out. That is probably the main reason he ‘volunteered’ for the 13th. He would get a chance to get out of his cell. If there was a way to get out of this room, he would find it. That’s what he does. He can get into and out of places no one else can, usually with things that don’t belong to him. He’s not just a thief, he’s an exceptional thief. If it has wheels, wings, or value, he can and will steal it.
022477’s file says he got an early start in the criminal world. His father was a small time crook. Dad would take the boy on some of his heists. 022477 was in and out of the juvenile justice system most of his life. Once he turned eighteen, the judge gave him a choice, prison or Imperial Guard. 022477 decided the Guard would be better than a jail cell. He became a master of “appropriating” items in the guard. Goodies just sort of showed up in the platoon barracks. Just like magic. That’s what the platoon started calling him. Majik.
One night while snooping around the warehouse district, he noticed some vehicles and people moving in and out of an “abandoned” building. Being the type of person Majik is, he snuck in to investigate. Turns out, there was some type of top secret weapon system in that building. So top secret, it didn’t even flag top secret. So top secret that if they catch someone snooping around that shouldn’t be, they just disappear. He was lucky that I was able to talk the intelligence guys into giving him to me on the condition that he kept his mouth shut. To this day, he hasn’t spoken a single word about what he saw in that building. We catch glimpses of people watching him. Pretty sure they are spooks with a kill order if he talks.
The day Majik joined my merry band of cutthroats always brings a smile to my face. Dando, Hammer, and I were going over the logistics of the Legion when a sonic boom got everyone’s attention. We saw the fire trail of a shuttle doing an orbital drop.
“Looks like a combat drop.” Said Dando.
Combat drops are pretty much straight down. Very bumpy and very fast. Anybody that says combat drops don’t scare them is either lying or crazy. Most people take the long way down. A nice gradual glide in from high altitude. This pilot knew what he was doing. He didn’t scrub one bit of speed on his approach. Very much like going into a hot LZ. The guards surrounding the platform were watching the shuttle very intently. They were backing away from the platform. Just when it looked like the shuttle was going to make a large hole in the world, it flared out, engines screaming in protest. The shuttle settled onto the platform like a leaf on the wind. When the rear hatch opened, a naval rating stumbled out and promptly puked on the deck. While Navy was heaving his guts out, a tall, thin prisoner walked out of the hatch with the swagger of a fighter jock. He grinned as he walked past the ensign. I noticed that his shackles were hanging form one wrist. ‘How the hell did he get out of those?’ I thought. The sound of more engines could be heard approaching fast. Dando was watching the sky.
“Gunships.” He said calmly.
The Valkyrie gunships came in fast. They came to a hover on both sides of the shuttle. If having that much ordinance pointed at him bothered him, Majik didn’t show it. He came to attention in front of me.
“Prisoner 022477 reporting for duty, sir!” He said with a smile.
A second shuttle came in behind the gunships. As soon as the shuttle touched down, a fire team poured out of the hatch. They ran straight for Majik.
“Freeze 022477! DO NOT MOVE!” The team leader screamed.
The fire team surrounded us, weapons at the ready.
“You are going back to the hole and you’re going to stay there until MY kids are old and grey.” Growled the guard.
A Navy pilot got out of the second shuttle and was busy yelling at the rating that, by the way, still looked pretty green. I’m betting the shuttle that Majik landed belonged to that pilot. Security-wise, somebody dropped the ball and somebody was going to pay for it. That somebody was going to be Majik.
“He’s not going anywhere.” I said “His butt belongs to me now.”
“Like hell, he escaped and stole a shuttle!” The team leader snarled.
“Do you really want to tell your CO that a prisoner not only escaped but took YOUR shuttle on YOUR watch?” I asked.
He was still pissed, but his common sense prevailed. He must have decided he didn’t want that particular blemish on his record. With a huff, the guard spun on his heel and stormed back to the shuttle with the rest of his fire team. Once aboard the shuttle, the gunships peeled off and both shuttles chased after the gunships.
“Thanks, sir.” Majik said.
“No problem, welcome to the 13th.” I said.
“Ah, sir? You don’t suppose that fire team leader would want this back do you?” said Majik while holding the guards wallet.
I think they could hear us laughing from orbit.
I stood atop the cliff, looking down at the transport bobbing in the water, the slight sea breeze sliding over my skin and the scent of the ocean filling my nostrils. I had been informed that the craft had been snatched from space and brought down here for the purpose of the game. I was also told by the powers that be, that the occupants had no idea this had occurred. With that in mind I started down the small trail on the cliff face leading to the shore.
I stood waiting, just out of reach of the lapping waves, for the hatch to open. The sounds of men moving and equipment getting checked echoed through the metal hull of the transport as I shifted from foot to foot in the soft sand. It was a strange looking craft, not one I recognized at all, the marking were very similar to those I had seen on the first group, not the same, but alot alike? I wondered if perhaps these two parties may all ready know each other? Perhaps engaged on another world? I began for the first time to wonder about my ” hosts” motivation? Maybe this time its more than just a game?
The hatch blew with a loud report, jarring me from my thoughts. Two men, both fully armed sprang from the breech seconds behind the flying door, landing poised and ready for action. Both barrels swung immediately towards me.
” Step back! Hands in the air!” one shouted as he stepped towards me. Of course I did as I was told.
” I mean no harm” I stated as I took a slow step backwards.
” On the ground!” he shouted as he moved closer.
” Don’t think so soldier…its kinda wet.”
CLICK! CLICK! He pulled the trigger of his weapon twice. And his eyes grew wide.
In a flash he was on me, knife drawn for the kill. He bounced off the force field and flew back into the water.
” Like I said…kinda wet”
The flustered soldier sprang to his feet, a look of hate in his eyes. I knew that if this one ever caught me off guard it was going to get messy.
” AT EASE!” The voice of authority boomed forth.
I turned to look at what I then assumed was the commander of this group of men.
” This is not Alon 6 is it?” he asked.
” No…it is not.” I responded
” So what has command gotten us into this time?”
” I doubt if command even knows where you are right now. You may have already been written off.”
His eyebrow raised slightly.
” Then perhaps you can enlighten me.”
It was apparent he was a man in charge, and wanted answers.
” As far as where you are, well I am not really sure. As far as what your doing here, that I can explain.”
Out of all the people in this room, 092182 is the hardest to read. The whole time we have been stuck here, 092182 hasn’t said more than a few words. He’s one of those quiet types that don’t say much unless it’s really important. He looks like he is meditating. It would be a mistake to think he is vulnerable sitting on his rack with his legs crossed. 092182 has to be the fastest human in the galaxy. He uses a martial art that no one has ever seen before. It’s almost as if he knows what you are going to do before you do. Even Dando won’t tangle with him. Sometimes, the rest of the command group debates whether he actually IS human.
Very little is known about 092182. His file was virtually empty. No name, no date of birth, no home world, no unit, no nothing. I didn’t even get a list of his crimes. It’s as if he doesn’t even exist. All I got from him is his prisoner ID number and a list of all the supermax prison facilities where he has been a guest. I asked for a scout. 092182 is what I got. Over the years, we have pieced together small bits of his life. The only name he gave us was Duke. We don’t know if that’s his first name, last name, or just a nickname. He doesn’t volunteer any information. We are pretty sure he was an outdoorsman of some type. Maybe a game warden or a hunting guide. His abilities as a scout are unmatched in the Imperium. Duke has all the traits of the perfect scout. Stealth, cunning, speed, and most of all, a killer’s instinct. If we need a sentry quietly removed, Duke is the guy for the job. The only thing I can tell you for sure about him is that he scares the crap out of everyone. Friend or foe. When he looks at you, you can tell he is working things out.
The day command dropped 092182 on that prison landing platform still sends shivers down my spine. The men and I were working out the command structure for the Legion when a klaxon sounded. The hatch that led into the prison proper opened. A platoon of Special Forces troopers rushed out and took up stations around the platform alongside the guards that were already there. These guys were loaded for bear, complete with heavy weapons. Their blue battle armor wore the badges of heavy combat. You see, it wasn’t uncommon for line units to bolster prison guard ranks from time to time whenever a supermax lockdown like Atten had a special guest. These were specops troopers, not common line troopers and they weren’t screwing around. Every one of them was deadly serious. If one of my crew so much as farted loud, these blue armored warriors would cut us down and not shed a single tear about it.
‘What the hell is going on?’ I thought.
The whine of thrusters could be heard in the distance. Lots of thrusters. I spotted several gunships flying in formation around a transport. As the transport made its approach, the gunships took up station around the platform. I glanced at Dando. He gave me a small shrug and nodded toward the transport as it landed. The rear hatch opened. Three troopers backed out of the hatch with their weapons trained on something still inside. Then we saw him. He was wearing the militaries version of a straight jacket. Two guards flanked him holding six foot poles that attached to a steel collar around his neck.
“Christ on a crutch! Is that a muzzle on him!?” said Hammer.
092182 did indeed have a steel muzzle that enclosed the lower half of his face.
‘By the Emperor, what kind of monster did they send me?’ I thought.
He had a shuffling kind of walk due to the shackles that tied his legs together. Three more guards followed him down the ramp with their weapons trained on his back. Whoever this guy is, they are scared to death of him. As he shuffled across the deck, every weapon in sight tracked 092182, including the gunships.
“I don’t like this boss.” Said Majik.
“Neither do I, sir.” Said Dando.
Hammer was nodding his agreement. I can’t say I was happy about the situation either. This wasn’t the prisoner I asked for. Whoever he is, he is dangerous, very dangerous. I couldn’t explain it, but I had a good feeling about him.
“I don’t care if you like it or not. He’s one of us now. Understood?” I growled at the men.
“Yes sir.” They said in unison.
092182 shuffled to a stop in front of me.
“092182 reporting for duty, sir.” He said with a muffled voice.
Then our eyes met. He bore into me like he was searching my soul for all the things that terrified me. I think he found them. I’m pretty sure I shivered, but I locked his gaze with my own.
“Turn him loose.” I said.
“Are you nuts!?” said one guard, clearly not happy to be holding onto a pole.”We aren’t supposed to take off his restraints until he’s in solitary lockdown.”
“Turn him loose, NOW!” I barked.
“BELAY THAT ORDER!” came a booming voice from behind me.
I turned to face the voice and found the CO of the blue warriors staring at me.
“He is far too dangerous to have him out of his restraints outside the prison.” He said
And just like that, I didn’t like the blue CO. I could tell we weren’t going to get along. He wasn’t going to back down and neither was I.
“What’s he gonna do captain? Run right past three dozen guns, evade the gunships, and escape?” I said sarcastically.” If he does, I’ll put him down myself.”
I turned to 092182 and asked, “Are you gonna play nice?”
I saw a twinkle in his eye.
“Yes, sir, I’ll be good….for you.” He replied.
There was a sinister undertone on that last bit. The blue captain definitely did not like the tone either.
“If he so much as blinks at us wrong, we will kill everyone of you.” He said with a snarl
“You’ll try.” Said Dando.
Both command groups bristled at the threats. Both sides were looking for a fight. Everyone was squaring off with their opposite. I wasn’t going to give the bluetards the satisfaction.
“Stand down Legion!” I barked.
They didn’t like it, but they followed orders.
The blue captain threw the keys at me. The guards holding the poles gave them a quick twist and disengaged them from the collar. Everyone but me was backing up. I looked 092182 in the eye.
“Your word?” I whispered.
He gave me a slight nod. Once I had the restraints and the muzzle off him, I discovered a young man. He was average in height. Well muscled from hard labor. Not the type of muscle found in a gym, but the type found working with your hands and back. His skin was tanned from a lifetime spent outside. He gave me another nod and stared past me at the blue captain.
“Say the word, sir.” 092182 whispered to me while staring very intently at the blue captain.
“Not now troop, not now.” I said.
‘That blue captain really, REALLY doesn’t like us.’ I thought.
With a smirk, the blue captain yelled.
“ROUGHNECKS, LOAD UP! WE HAVE ANOTHER JOB. NO MORE BABYSITTING WORTHLESS CONS!”
“OOOOO-AHHHH!” All his men yelled in unison.
With the precision of a watch, the well trained blue team loaded up on the transport. The captain, I noticed, was the last one to board the shuttle. He was making sure all his men were accounted for.
‘Good leader.’ I thought ‘Takes care of his troops. Leads by example.’
When the last trooper was aboard, he started to climb the ramp. Just before he disappeared into the shuttle, he turned and stared at me. He pointed his hand at me like he was holding a gun and pulled the trigger. He turned away with a smirk and was gone.
I looked back to my men and noticed they were all giving the blues a one finger salute. Even 092182. I knew then I had a good command group. As I watched the transport and the gunships leave, I said to myself,
“I wonder if I will ever run into that piece of work again. This isn’t over by a long shot.”
“You will.” 092182 said over my shoulder.
He said it with the conviction of someone that truly believed what he was saying. That conviction made me shiver again. I looked at him and got the closest thing he had to a smile. I had a bad feeling about that.
“Welcome to the 13th.” I said.
092182 didn’t respond.
**************************************************************
As I sit in this room, I wonder if the men can read my mood like I can read theirs. These guys have been stuck with me for five earth years. It seems like a lifetime. Constant combat operations can age a man like nothing else. We have grown old together. Almost like a family. One seriously screwed up family, but a family none the less. I can’t help but think back to how I became the leader of this merry band of misfits. Now, I have never thought of myself as a bad man, but I have always had a certain moral flexibility. I am not one to take a life without reason. If you try to do me or mine harm, I will put you down permanently and not lose a minute of sleep over the affair.
My life started out just like any other humans. I was born to good parents on a military outpost. Epsilon 331 is a small world in the middle of nowhere. A galactic backwater. We called it Haven. A temperate world with a slightly heavier gravity than earths. My father was a Master Sergeant in the Imperial Guard stationed on Haven. A true lifer. Worked his way up the ranks. He ended up being the quartermaster for the food depot. My mother was a teacher in the base school. Like I said good people.
All manner of ships would put in at Haven. Everything from light frigates to the huge dreadnaught ships of the line. They would put in for refit or resupply. Sometimes to repair battle damage enough to limp back to the big space docks surrounding Mars. And with these ships came the Imperial Guard. My father, after much pleading and begging from me, would take me with him when he would meet old war buddies at the local clubs. He never really talked about his early days in the Guard. I was too young to understand why he didn’t talk about his fighting days. Once in awhile, when he was talking to his buddies, I could see the pained expression on his face when remembering fallen brothers. I didn’t understand then, but I do now. My father always told me that war was an ugly thing. It wasn’t always about glory and valor. The good guys don’t always win. I didn’t care. I would daydream about winning the day and coming home to proud parents with a chest full of medals. As soon as I was old enough, I joined the guard with every intention of being a lifer like my dad. Dad was proud. He would always tell me that there was no higher honor than to serve the Emperor and the Imperium. Mom worried.
“The galaxy is a big and dangerous place.” She would say.
“That is why I joined. I want to make it a little smaller and a little safer for everyone else.” I would tell her.
She still worried, but she was proud of me. My family didn’t have the money or the political clout to get me into the Academy. Looking back, I’m glad I didn’t. It seems that enlisted men have more respect for a trooper that earns his rank versus a snot-nosed rich boy with connections that bought his. I always remember what dad told me the day I got my first bar.
“Always lead from the front. Always lead by example. Experience every hardship your men have to endure right beside them. Remember, they are not your friends, they are troopers and you are their commanding officer. Don’t let them forget that. Be hard, but fair with them. Listen to your NCOs. You might be the head of your outfit, but they are the heart. Listen to your men and help them if you can. You do these things, boy, and they will follow you to the gates of hell and help you kick them in. They will never let you down. “
This has proven true many times over to me. It even works with these convicts. That’s what landed me in the 13th Legion. I cared for my men too much.
I had command of Epsilon 331 2nd Regiment. The Dark Angels. We were called up to help stem a rebellion on Centari 2. During the transit from Haven to Centari, command attached a major to the 2nd Regiment. An Academy boy. You could tell by the holier-than-thou attitude and the bright and shiny gold ring. Apparently his daddy was some political mucky-muck that wanted his boy to be a “war hero.” Command figured a light police action would be a good place for the Major to draw his “first blood” without getting killed. He was a real by-the-book type. It didn’t matter if the book was wrong. His idea of a military unit seemed to be based on the war vids that most civilians thought was the real deal. Everything spit and polished all the time. It didn’t matter to him that in reality, these things weren’t always possible. If a trooper’s uniform wasn’t up to his impossibly high standards, that trooper would get berated and assigned extra duty. Then the Major would scurry back to his cabin to “write disciplinary reports.” Probably a good thing he did. Towards the end of the transit, the men were ready to “accidentally” space the horses’ ass. Nobody liked him, including me.
I must admit, it was fun watching him toss his cookies during the combat drop to Centari. As a matter of courtesy to the pilots, if you puked, you cleaned it up. There was a certain amount of satisfaction watching him clean up his own mess among the snickers of the enlisted men. Once on the ground, the Dark Angels were supposed to move up a valley toward a suspected rebel outpost. Intel told us to expect light to moderate resistance. What we got was a giant fething shit storm. We ran headlong into a well organized, well equipped, and well led rebel army. The rebel s hit us hard and fast with everything they had. Before we knew it, we were neck deep in heavy fighting. Bullets and energy beams zipped over our heads. Mortars were dropping on our positions. The rebels had the whole valley zeroed in. We were in trouble.
“We have to get out of here!” screamed the Major.
He had that wild look in his eye. I could see the panic starting to set in. Like an animal trapped with nowhere to run.
“Negative, major.” I said. “If we pull out, the rebels will over run the landing area. We have to buy time for the next wave to hit the ground.”
“Are you out of your mind!? We’ll all die in this valley. We have to escape.” He cried.
“No. I’ll not run while my men die. I’m no coward.” I stated.
With a wild look in his eyes, he pulled his sidearm and aimed at my head.
“I’m ordering you to get me out of here!” He screeched.
“No.” I said.
Only my reflexes, honed by years of combat experience, allowed me to dodge his shot. I can still feel the heat of the passing round. In the same instant, I pulled my own sidearm and shot him through the chest. The Major was dead before he hit the ground.
I ordered a fighting withdrawal to a small rise at the mouth of the valley. Once all my living troops were at the rise, I called in the orbital strike.
“Crimson Sun, this is Dark Angel 1, do you copy?” I said.
“Dark Angel 1, this is Crimson Sun, we copy. What can we do for you?” the heavy cruiser in geo-synchronous orbit above us replied.
“Crimson Sun, we are in it deep, do you think your gun bunnies can help?” I radioed back.
“That’s an affirmative Dark Angel. Where do you want us to drop the anvils?” They replied.
“We have our Friendlies beacons on. This is a danger close fire mission, repeat, danger close. Drop the anvils all around us. Turn this valley into a parking lot.” I said.
“Rodger that Dark Angel. We have a firing solution. Anvils on the way. Cover your asses, boys, it’s gonna get loud down there.” Said the Crimson Sun.
With that, the world lit up around us. When the barrage ended, there was very little left of the rebel army. Matter of fact, there was very little left of anything in the valley. I saved most of the 2nd from certain death. Unfortunately, I sealed my own fate as well. Apparently, the brass doesn’t like it when you kill your superior officer, especially one with political connections. I was tried and convicted of capital murder and sentenced to death. Looking back, I have no regrets. I think I saved a lot of good men that day. My life for the 2nds was a good trade in my book.
The day of my scheduled execution, I was visited by a colonel from the Imperial Commiserat. The Colonel told me I had a talent for leading men and to execute me would be a waste of that talent. The Imperium had invested a great deal of time and money in my training and didn’t want to lose that investment. Then he explained to me what the 13th Legion was and what my choices were. Death or the Legion. He wanted me to put together a command team comprised of convicts like myself. He offered me a chance for redemption, my last chance. I took it. And now, here I sit, waiting for the next fight.
The voice boomed inside and outside of my head.
” You have met with the teams.”
It was not a question.
” As your instructions.” I responded.
” They seem receptive.” Again, not a question.
” As is usual.” I answered.
” Then all is as it should be. The teams are present and our guests will be arriving on planet soon. They have wagered much on the outcome of these games.”
” And my role?”
” Will be defined soon my friend.”
” Right.” I said, as I thought to myself, “you’re no friend of mine…”
It had been a very long day. Once more I stood before the bright light of the conductors of this little drama, the headache already starting to pound, the voice echoing inside and outside of my head.
” That was very Interesting.” The sound reverberated.
” Yes, I thought the role you thrust myself and my men into was a little rough.” I responded through slightly clenched teeth.
” It was necessary Red warrior.”
” And costly” I mumbled.
” Are you standing before us, the blood of innocence on your hands and questioning?”
” My apologies…I meant no disrespect”
The light brightened even more behind my closed eyelids, and the voice rose.
” What we do…we must. As you know warrior, galaxies are on the line here. The odds must be established through a certain order of play. Those that gamble, on the fate of not only this universe but many others, need to know the strengths and weakness of the players.”
I winced with pain on every syllable and word, the sound stabbing into my brain.
” You owe me no explanation”
” I - OWE - YOU - NOTHING! ” The blast of words dropping me to one knee. ” DO NOT THINK I HAVE FORGOTTEN YOUR DEBT!”
I knelt on the floor, head pounding, and hoping those S.O.B’s could not read my mind.
“Awwww, crap!” shouts Hammer while throwing down his cards.
“Looks like you owe me two months pay, well, if we got paid that is.” Said Majik with a playful smile
“I know you are cheating! Nobody is as lucky as you!” Cried Hammer
“It’s only cheating if you get caught.” Said Majik
We all laugh at that. Smiles and laughter is a rare commodity in our line of work. It’s good to see everyone smiling. These guys deserve it. They have earned a few moments of happiness. I look at Duke just as his eyes snap open.
“Someone is coming.” Said Duke
With that remark, everyone is on their feet. Our guns may not work, but our combat tomahawks are plenty lethal. Everyone is in position and ready to move within seconds. The door opens and the Red captain steps through. Half a heartbeat before I launch myself at the warrior, Duke grabs my arm.
“Can’t you feel it?” Duke asks
I pause, looking at the warrior. Then I feel it. A tingling that makes the hairs on the back of your neck stand up. Force field. I wouldn’t have gotten close enough to do any damage before the ‘field would have knocked me on my ass.
“Damn.” I said
The Red captain gave me a small smile.
“It’s time.” He said, “Follow me.”
He spun on his heel and walked out of the room leaving the door open behind him.
“Well, you heard the man. It’s time to make war.” I said
We followed him out of the room and noticed more of the Red armored warriors all around us. They escorted us into the forest. I could see a large group of people standing in a clearing ahead of us. They wore the grey armor of the 13th Legion. Some of the faces I recognized, others were too new to the Legion for me to know their names yet. That’s when I saw him. Across the clearing from us stood the blue armored captain and all his Roughnecks.
“Hole-eeee….” Said Hammer
“I don’t fethin’ believe it.” Said Dando
“I’m seeing it and I don’t believe it.” Said Majik
Dukes’ eyes narrowed. I growled. The Red captain stopped midway between the groups. His red troopers surrounded both groups watching for any trouble. He held up two folders and said,
“These are the rules of engagement for this game. Also in this folder is a list of game pieces and their point values. The team with the most points at the end of the game is the victor.”
He handed the folders to the blue captain and me.
“The location of your starting points is in the folder. I suggest you be there at the beginning of the game.” Said the Red captain “Oh, and one more thing. Don’t even think about leaving the field. The boundaries are clearly marked. If you do, you die. It’s that simple. You have 15 minutes to prepare yourselves.”
The Red captain collected his men and disappeared into the forest.
“We had better get moving, sir.” Said Dando, “I don’t think we want to be out of position when the game starts.”
“I agree.” I said “Legion, let’s move out!”
As we started moving toward our starting point, I was able to pick a face out of the crowd. He was a young logistics officer that everyone called “Try Again”. He was a notoriously bad shot. Every time he shot at something, he would usually have to ‘try again’ to hit it. Sometimes several times. Troopers really, REALLY, didn’t like being in front of him. You never knew where that first shot was going to go.
“Try Again, front and center!” I called to him.
He trotted over to stand in front of me.
“Prisoner 082079 reporting as ordered.” He said
“Take this points list and figure out which items are high value targets.” I said “What assets do I have with this group?”
He never looked up from the points list.
“We’ve got a few of the old timers. Doodles, War, Buttercup, Mongo, and Hillbilly to name a few. The rest are pretty new to the Legion. I don’t know all their names yet.” He said while scanning the list.
“Ok, get everyone on comm channel delta. Then relay the high value targets to the command group.” I said
“Aye, Aye, sir.” Said Try Again
He moved off to do as he was ordered. Our start point was a small structure in a heavily forested area. While scanning the forest around our base, we found a bunker complex that completely surrounded the base and appeared to extend out indefinitely.
“Plenty of cover.” Said Dando
“Yeah, for us and them.” I said with my normal cynicism.
“The map puts the blue base in that direction.” Said Dando pointing off into the woods.
I looked at Try Again and asked, “Comms?”
He gave me a thumbs-up. I toggled my radio.
“Listen up everyone. Our goal is to find as many of these game pieces as possible. Try Again has a list of the high value targets. Keep your eyes open for them. If you run into hostiles, hit ‘em with everything you’ve got. Radio your position back to command. If you need support, call for it. I want to pressure the blues for the entire game. Keep them re-acting instead of acting. Everyone got that?”
I received a chorus of radio chirps as conformations. Try Again handed me a list of all the people we had on this adventure. The command group and I divided up the people, trying to spread out the firepower evenly. Once that was done, I gave everyone their marching orders.
“Dando, take the heavy assault squad right to their base. Keep as many bluetards occupied defending their base as possible. Take the base if you can.”I said
“Aye, Aye, boss.” Dando said with a vicious grin.
“Majik, follow the right boundary all the way around the perimeter. Search every building and bunker you find.” I said
“Yes, sir.” Majik replied
“Hammer and Duke, take your squads up the middle. Head for this area called the Hornets’ Nest. Push through and search all the buildings then hook up with Majik. Then as a group, take this area called the Mine Field. Search that area as well.” I said pointing at the map.
“Rodger that, sir.” Said Hammer
Duke nodded in agreement.
“My squad is the reserve group. We’ll plug any leaks in the lines.” I said “Let’s make it happen people.”
They all turned away to relay the orders to their squads. It was getting close to the start time. All my squads were in position and ready to move. I noticed hovering camera platforms moving about the field. No doubt they belonged to the ‘game masters’. Heaven forbid if they were to miss an action during the coming game. Something deep down told me that there was more to these games than just ‘entertainment’.
“One minute to start.” A voice rang out
Suddenly, our weapons clicked. The high pitched whine of power cells coming on-line was music to my ears.
“Weapons hot!” I yelled “Lock and load!”
Dozens of clicks rang out as safeties were snapped off. Feral grins appeared on the faces of many troopers. In less than a minute, I would unleash these juggernaughts of the battlefield. They would stop at nothing to accomplish their missions. I was both proud and sad. Proud that they would not fail, that they would fight with honor, and never give up. Sad that many of them would never leave this battlefield.
A horn blast rang through the forest.
“GO!GO!GO!GO!” I screamed at the top of my lungs.
With a howl, my dogs of war bounded away through the woods, each heading for their objectives. My reserve group spread out around me. Try Again was hovering close by, monitoring the radio chatter. One of the few females in the 13th was out in front of me. Fun Size, as the troopers called her, was ever watchful for enemy troops. She seemed to feel the need to protect me. She made it her job. If the blues were going to try and kill me, they would have to go through her to do it. I wish them the best of luck. Prisoner 050675 is a whirlwind of destruction in a fight.
The chatter of weapons fire could be heard from the direction of the blue base. I glanced at Try Again.
“Dando reports heavy contact with blue forces. Majik, Hammer, and Duke all report light resistance and are continuing their sweep. All groups report finding game pieces and are sending them back as we speak. Sir, all groups are reporting contact with Reds.” Said Try Again with a look of concern. “Contact is minimal; they take a couple of shots then disappear back into the woods.
‘Hmmmm, I wonder what they are up to?’ I thought
I toggled my radio
“Legion 1 to all battle groups. Watch the Reds. They are up to something. Possibly probing our lines for weak points. Keep an eye out for them and report their positions.”
The Last Chancers started pushing the Roughnecks back on all fronts. Runners were bringing in one game piece after another. Try Again was busy checking pieces off the list as they came in. The more ground we took, more items flowed in. The sound of fighting intensified coming from the blue base.
“2 to 1.” Came Dandos voice over the comms.
“Go ahead 2.” I replied
“I have the blue base in sight. They are dug in like ticks. I’m going to need more firepower to get them out.” Said Dando
“Keep them penned in their base. As soon as units are available, I’ll send them to ya.” I said
“Rodger that.” Said Dando
The fighting went on for several hours. Skirmishes breaking out all over the field. We continued to push the blues back toward their base. The Reds continued to probe our defenses. It seems like they are testing us. I wonder if they are doing the same to the blue team. At one point, a Red squad somehow slipped into our backfield. It took everything my reserve squad had to repel their attack on my base. It wasn’t a long fight, but it was a messy one. We lost several Last Chancers.
“Legion 1, do you copy?” came Hammers voice over the radio
“Go ahead 3.” I replied
“3, 4, and 5 are pushing into the blues base area across from 2. How do you want us to proceed?” said Hammer
“Hit ‘em with everything you’ve got. Take that base.” I said with a wicked grin. “Watch your sixes. There are still Reds prowling about.”
“Legion 2, did you copy that?” I asked
“Affirmative.” Said Dando
Fun Size looked at me with pleading eyes. She was like a child asking permission to play outside.
“Fun Size, take your fire team and support Dando.” I said
With a whoop, 050675 and her fire team bounded off to join the fray.
“I think you just made her day, sir.” Said Try Again
“I just hope there is enough blues left for those two to share.”I said with a smile. “I hate it when they fight over leftovers.”
A firestorm erupted on all sides of the blue base. I could hear war whoops and maniacal cackles over the din of battle. The 13th was in its element now. All out war. We are not known for being subtle. A few minutes passed and the fighting reached a fevered pitch. Then, suddenly, the woods got very quiet.
“2 to 1.” Chirped my radio
“Go ahead 2.” I replied
“We have their base.” Said Dando
“Good job troopers. Now steal any game pieces they may have found and pull out. I don’t think the blues have much fight left in them now. Let them lick their wounds in peace. All units fall back and form a defensive perimeter around our base. The Reds are still out there looking to cause trouble.” I said
Half an hour later, a horn blast signaling the end of the game rang out through the woods. 30 seconds after that, our guns shut down again.
‘Crap!’ I thought
The Red captain appeared and sheppareded us back to our holding cells.
“What about my wounded?” I asked the warrior
“They will be cared for. They will be healthy for the next game.” He replied with a measure of respect. “You will have a month to prepare for the next game.”
I glanced at the men. They all had weary looks on their faces. It was a long day of hard fighting and being told that another fight was coming didn’t help.
“We will be ready.” I promised
“You better be. The games don’t get any easier.” The Red captain said
He turned and walked out of the room.
We will be ready.’ I thought ‘We have to be.’
“We have to start pushing them back.” I told the trooper next to me.
The trooper just nodded, “Sir, support coming up behind us.”
I turned to see Mongo’s squad approaching. Mongo was another of my heavy weapons specialist. He isn’t especially fast or nimble, but a solid fighter that I can count on to get jobs done. As he lumbered beside me, his squad spread out around us.
“What do you need, boss?” Mongo said.
Looking out over the bunker wall, I could see a tower with an attached building complex.
“I want that tower.” I said.
“All over it, sir.” He said with a grin. “All right fellas, you heard the boss, let’s shake and bake.”
Mongo’s squad slipped over the wall and disappeared into the bush. Moments later, a firefight broke out near the tower. I could hear the chatter of Mongo’s heavy weapon chewing up the building surrounding the tower. Then it was quiet.
“Mongo to Legion 1.” Chirped the radio
“Go ahead Mongo.” I replied
“We have the tower.” Said Mongo
“Rodger that, now hold it at all costs.” I said with a smile.
“Aye, aye, sir” He said
“Time to move on.’ I thought. ‘Mongo has this side under control.’
The skirmish lines started to stabilize. It was time to get down to the business of winning this game. Just like the previous game, the Red captain gave both teams the rules beforehand. This time, we were supposed to figure out who committed a murder by collecting clues from non-combatants walking the fields. Right up the Legions alley. If anybody knew anything about murder, it was the Last Chancers. The idea was to find one of the non-combatants, escort them back to one of the flag stations and present one of the weapons choices to them. If you could do all that, the non-combatant would present you with clues. Gather enough clues and make a guess as to who, where, and what weapon to win the game. Sounded easy enough. Tracking down the non-combatants proved to be difficult. Some of them were downright elusive. Many seemed to look for areas were the fighting was the heaviest to wander through. We were warned that any injury to the non-combatants would result in penalties. I don’t know what the penalty could have been, but I imagine they were swift and brutal. Fire control was extremely important.
Slowly, the Last Chancers were able to accumulate enough clues. It was hard, hairy work, but the Legion managed to collect enough of the non-combatants to piece together an educated guess. After the last set of clues were read to us, Try Again called me over.
“Sir, we are sure it was Colonel Mustard and we are sure that he used the rope, but we don’t know for sure of the location. It could be either the Den or the Chateau. We are running out of time. I think we need to make an accusation.”
“Ok,” I said, “Which location though?”
Try Again just shrugged and shook his head.
“Alright, I’m making an executive decision. The Den.” I said.
I ran back to the neutral area and relayed my guess to the game master that was stationed there. She opened an envelope to check the answer. I caught myself holding my breath while I waited for her reply.
“Incorrect.” She stated flatly.
I felt like I had been kicked in the gut. The heavy fighting had cost a great many lives. Many of my troopers made the ultimate sacrifice so that their fellow troopers could live. My wrong guess rendered those sacrifices pointless. My only hope was that the Roughnecks captain also made a wrong guess. The game would go into a sudden death round of guesses if he did.
As I left the neutral area, I watched the blue captain approach the game master. Moments later the game horn sounded. The blue team had guessed right. The Roughnecks won the game.
‘My, wouldn’t this get messy if that force field dropped before the game started.’ I thought.
The looks I was getting from the blue team told me they were thinking the same thing.
For this game, it was imperative that we control one area of the field. A small building called the Alamo held all the points for this game. The first team to reach it would have the advantage. The building stood at the crest of a hill. Whoever held the high ground would have clear fields of fire downhill. The other team would have to claw and fight their way to the top, paying for every inch with blood. The beginning of this game would be a foot race to the objective. It would be a close thing. Both teams trained constantly, so fitness alone would not win it. This would come down to who had the fastest fit people. Whoever could get more people on location first would have the advantage. Once the building was under control, the command groups would enter the building one at a time and retrieve an item worth points from a game board. The trick was that it took a great deal of dexterity to remove the game pieces from the board without setting off an alarm. Sounds easy, you say? Try doing it while being shot at.
“One minute!” a voice sang out.
Just before the horn sounded, our guns came online. Everyone was making sure they had fresh power cells. Nothing quite like going into battle with a dead battery to ruin your day.
At the sound of the horn, both teams exploded from their starting areas. I was running flat out with the lead group. No stealth, no sneaky tactics, just running as fast as possible through the forest.
‘Lead from the front, boy.’ I remember my father telling me, ‘Be the first into battle, and let your men see that you are not afraid, and that you are one of them.’
A smile crossed my lips as I ran.
‘First into battle, eh?’ First to die most likely.’ The cynical part of my brain thought.
No sooner had the thought crossed my mind when the world exploded around me. Gunfire erupted all around us, ripping vegetation and men apart.
“Ambush! Everyone down!” I bellowed as I dove to the ground.
I don’t know if the men disregarded my command or they just didn’t hear me over the gunfire, but many of them continued forward, shooting as they ran. The Legion pressed the attack, turning the ambush back on the Red warriors. Within seconds, the next wave of Last Chancers was pushing past my position. The rest of the 13th was spreading out to surround and overrun the ambushers. Soon the fight was over. Last Chancers were continuing on to their objectives. Most of my lead group was dead or wounded.
“Damn it! I should know better!” I said to myself. I had wasted the lives of many Last Chancers. I should have known that an ambush was possible. A young trooper ran up to me.
“Sir, are you alright?” He asked.
“Yes, I am.” I said with grim determination. “Get me to the objective. Plow the road for me boy.”
He turned on his heel and started running. As we ran though the forest, I spotted Dando and Hammer taking the fight to the blue team in the Hornets’ nest. Dando turned and gave me a ‘thumbs up’.
“2 to 1.” Dando said over the radio.
“Go, 2.” I replied
“This end of the nest is secured, starting our push shortly.” He said.
“Rodger that.” I said. I could almost see the evil grin on Dandos face. I was going to be a bad day for any blues in the nest when Dando and Hammer starting pushing through. Everywhere I looked, gray armored troops were pushing the blues back. The Alamo was in sight and what a beautiful sight it was. The building was completely surrounded by the 13th Legion. Majik was setting up a defensive perimeter. The Legion had total control of the top of the ridge. This was going to be a long day for the Roughnecks. They were completely cut off from all the points.
“Majik, SITREP!” I shouted.
“Area secure, sir. Setting up defensive positions as we speak. Blues are trying to push up the ridge, but MeatShield and his squad have them penned up on the other side of the valley. Reds are probing our positions again, but no serious pushes. They keep hitting different spots along the perimeter, then melt back into the forest.” Majik replied.
“Good job, troop. Stay on your toes and keep me informed of any changes.” I said.
“Aye, Aye, sir.” Said Majik and turned back to his squad.
I walked to the entrance of the Alamo. Now it was up to me. Inside the building stood a game master. He held out his hand for the card I was carrying. The card told you what game piece to pull out of the game board. He verified the card and nodded toward the gray game board. The openings that you pulled the game pieces out of were just slightly larger than the game pieces themselves. Touch the edge and it would set off a buzzer. Set off the buzzer and your turn was up. I picked up the forceps and tried to steady my hands.
‘Calm down, dummy. Deep breaths. Take your time.’ I said to myself.
Carefully, I reached for a game piece. Just before it cleared the hole, touched the side. The buzzer sounded and a red light flashed in my face.
“Damn it.” I grumbled under my breath.
“Turn in the card and send in the next player.” The game master reminded me.
As I left the Alamo, Try Again got on the sqwauker and told Dando to be ready. Dando met me at the Neutral Zone when I turned in the card. As soon as I did, he picked up his card and headed back to the Alamo. This was how the rest of the day would go. As soon as one of the command group left the Alamo, Try Again informed the next tunic to be ready. We had group leaders constantly rotating through the building. Eventually, we started retrieving game pieces. I even dug out a few without setting off the alarm. The whole time the command group was rotating through the Alamo, the rest of the Last Chancers fought to keep the Roughnecks at bay. Every time the blues would push into an area, the grays would push back, forcing blue to find another way. A few of the Roughnecks got close enough to touch the Alamo but were promptly cut down. We held the high ground and were dug in like ticks. Removing us proved to be too much for the blues. When the game horn sounded, the blues had not been able to retrieve a single game piece. The Last Chancers had won the day.
