"For Guardia!" Chapter 26
Thief in the Night
By Master Odin
The sun was beginning to set when Scorpion landed three hundred yards in front of the gates to the city of Porre. Again he activated all his weapons, but not the guards noted his presence and sounded the alarm. The gates opened and soldiers began pouring out, running toward Scorpion. Scorpion smirked from under his helm. "Like lambs to the slaughter." His targeting system locked onto its targets. "Firing all weapons!"
The lasers mowed down the soldiers rushing him, as the two missiles took out the main gate. Several more missiles destroyed more of the wall, as others found their targets in tanks that were trying to attack him.
After a short time he heard one of the men, probably a captain, yell, "Bring out the Guillots!"
Shorty after that three biped robots walked through where the main gate once was. They stood eight feet tall. The bodies were blocky. The top of the heads were flat, save for a strip down the center, and came to a point in the front. Instead of forearms the robots had large blades with a temperature gauge at the elbows.
"Yeah, right!" Scorpion exclaimed, then fired his lasers, and the lasers just bounced off the well polished armor of the robots. Scorpion deactivated his weapons and thought for a moment. "I think this is my que to amscray!" He pressed the side of his helm. "Larissa! I need an evac here!"
"On my way."
Moments later Sleipnir landed behind him and he dived into the waiting opened hatch. He closed the hatch as the ship took off.
Meanwhile, Fargo watched the Porre harbor. "The soldiers be leaving fer the main gates," he noted aloud to Crono. "Scorpion be doin' a good job," he set the binoculars on the barrel next him and looked at Crono, "and that be the signal, Yer Highness. Have ya chosen who'll be goin' with ya?"
Crono nodded. "The Devas and Norris will join Marle and myself. The rest of you attack the city."
The Light Forces chased after the fleeing Porre soldiers in waning light of the setting sun. Jerome and Cyclone flew overhead as the White Dragoon and Mario led the way on the ground.
The White Dragoon slid to a stop as he watched the soldiers run past three dozen Guillots. The others stopped shortly behind him as Jerome and Cyclone landed beside him. He fired a blast of energy at them, just have it deflect off of the armor. "This could make things interesting," he noted aloud as the Earth Edge appeared in his right hand. "Let's get 'em!"
He ran off in a blur, and with one quick stroke cut the lead Guillot in half, and thus realizing what they really were. "They're robots!" he called back.
Mario turned to Sean. "Ya hear that?"
Sean was already concentrating. "I'm on it."
"Circle around and protect Sean!" Mario ordered. Mario, Rebecca, WhiteBlade, Summoner, Dragon Claw, Cyclone and Lorivette formed a circle around Sean.
"Try not to destroy them!" the White Dragoon ordered the remaining warriors as they engaged the Guillots.
Serpent was trying to fight off two Guillots when a being with light blue skin and long blond hair that stood straight up approached him. A red kerchief covered his face from below the nose down. His right arm was bionic, the upper arm forged from black steel. The forearm was built quite large in comparison to what his left arm looked like, and was painted dark blue with the red emblem of the Porre army painted on it.
He waved his hand, and the two Guillots stepped back away from Serpent. "GROBYC-CHALLENGES-YOU," he told him bluntly, his voice sounding semi-robotic.
Serpent drew his short swords. "Whatever's your pleasure, pardner."
Serpent went for the attack, swing his left sword down at Grobyc, but Grobyc was quick and blocked it with his oversized forearm.
It was the day's final moments when the pirates' lifeboats moved into Porre's harbor. Again Fargo lit the lantern on his boat and threw it into the air. A moment the sounds of cannon fire thundered as cannonballs tore through the air, crashing into the watch towers, and anything else that got in their way.
The pirates, joined by Lucca, Magus, Schala, Robo and Serge rushed ashore and killed the few patrolling guards. "For Guardia!" Lucca cried out.
"For Guardia!" the others echoed, save the Magus, and they started their assault on the city of Porre.
Commander Modan entered General Ulric's office. "Sir, the city is under attack."
The manor was rocked by a cannonball that struck just outside. "Tell me something I don't know!" the furiated general ordered.
"Sir, we haven't heard from the troops sent to battle the demons. If they have lost the battle, then the demons could be heading here, too."
"What are you trying to say, Commander?"
"Sir, I recommend that we raise the white flag and surrender. They may still be willing to accept our surrender."
General Ulric walked from behind his desk and over to Commander Modan. He looked him straight in the eye and asked, "What part of 'I can't afford to lose this war' do you not understand?"
"Sir, we will lose this battle, and if not this battle, then eventually the war. These demons, or what ever, use magiks without the need for elements. Their weapons are space-aged. Guardia gave us a chance to surrender because they knew they these demons would slaughter us. I think now is a good time to take them up on their offer."
Ulric glared at the commander. "Get out on the battlefield, now!"
Sleipnir flew over the battle north of Porre, Scorpion looking out one of the window. "That son-of-a-bitch is beatin' the shit outta my li'l bro!" He ran over to the hatch, opening it before he jumped out on his jet board.
Grobyc lunged forward. Serpent made to block with his swords, but Grobyc was too fast and knocked Serpent to the ground. It was then that he heard someone yell, "Sumo slam!" Grobyc looked up just in time to see Scorpion just before the latter landed on him.
Serpent got up and ran over to help his twin brother up. "You okay, bro?"
Scorpion dusted himself off. "Yeah. You?"
"I'm fine." Serpent looked down at Grobyc. "Dude, you drove into the ground like a nail!"
Scorpion reached down with his right hand and pulled Grobyc up by his hair. "You still alive?"
"GROBYC-STILL-FUNCTION."
Scorpion activated the guns on his left arm and pressed it against Grobyc's chest. "Not fo' long, ya ain't."
"YOU-HAVE-DEFEATED-GROBYC. GROBYC-OBEYS-ONLY-THE-STRONGEST. GROBYC-WILL-FOLLOW-YOU-NOW."
"Say what?" Scorpion asked.
"I think he's on our side now," Serpent attempted to translate."
"AFFIRMATIVE," Grobyc agreed.
"Oh," Scorpion said as he set the android down. "Wanna help us retake Guardia?"
"IF-THAT-IS-YOUR-ORDER."
"It is," Scorpion commanded. "And don't pick on my li'l bro here anymore."
Sean looked up. "Hot damn! Got it!" At the moment all of the Guillots stopped.
The White Dragoon let out a deep sigh. "Command them to return to Porre and battle the Porre army."
Sean concentrated for a few more moments. "There ya go." The Guillots started marching back to Porre.
Mario shrugged. "Let's go!"
Crono and Marle waited in a lifeboat by the harbor wall with the Dragoon Devas and Norris. Norris was peering over the wall, watching the battle. He looked down to Crono. "Now would be an opportune time, sire."
Crono nodded. "Let's go."
Norris and the Devas pulled themselves up onto the wall, followed by Crono as Glenn helped Marle up. Norris led the way through the city, keeping them to the shadows.
Magus drew his scythe from the chest of a Porre soldier. He turned to see Lucca shot down three more soldiers. She then quickly holstered her gun and drew her mallet in time to spin around a crush another soldier's skull with its business end.
Robo crushed soldier's skull in his hand as he blasted another in the chest with his laser arm. Fargo was negotiating with three soldiers with extreme prejudice. "Don't give these land lubbers no quarter, mateys!" he yelled as he felled the last one, then turned his fury to the next closest soldier.
Serge's swallow spun around in a fluid motion, killing anything that came near him as he protected Schala. She had been using magic to battle, but Kid had taken over the body, so her dagger was ready in hand.
The Guillots reached the remains of the main gates, with the Light Forces right behind them. "Attack!" the White Dragoon yelled as soon as they were in the city, and they all rushed into the battle to help the pirates.
Commander Modan entered Ulric's office once again. This time he was followed by the Black Wind. "Sir. The demons are attacking the city. We will stay by your side here, sir."
Ulric nodded. "Very well."
Zoah and Karsh snuck up behind two guards at the back door of Ulric's manor, and with a quick motion each, they snapped their necks.
Norris led the others to the back door, where Zoah promptly knocked it down, then grabbed the two guards beside the door inside and smashed their heads together. Glenn rushed in and caught a guard's sword with his right sword, then quickly swung the left sword into the guards side, the blade biting deep into the flesh as Karsh buried his axe deep into the chest of another guard. Marcy and Norris stayed close to the king and queen to make certain that nothing befell them.
They made their way through the manor until Norris stopped them. He motioned for Zoah to take care of the door, who quickly obeyed. Glenn, Zoah and Karsh led the way into Ulric's office, only to find themselves surrounded by the Black Wind, their guns aimed right at them. The Black Dragoon sat in a chair in a back corner.
"No...." Marle whimpered under her breath.
They made to flee, but more of the Black Wind had gathered behind them.
Ulric walked from behind his desk, his hands behind his back, over to Crono. "So, King Crono of Guardia really does live. It's too bad that all you have worked for today will be lost." He then looked to Norris. "And Norris. You really have betrayed me, haven't you?" He walked back behind his desk and sat down. "Commander, eliminate them."
Commander Modan hesitated. "Killing us won't save you," Crono informed them. "Our friends will come here and kill you all."
"I said kill them!"
Again Commander Modan hesitated a moment, then pointed his gun and Ulric. "I'm sorry, sir, but I cannot follow the orders of a madman."
"Wha?!" the general said as he stood back and the guns of the Black Wind were now trained on him.
"Sir, due to your actions in this war I have to relieve you of your duty."
"What's going on?!"
"It looks like a Coup de tat to me, General," the Black Dragoon said calmly as he stood. He walked over to Ulric. "You've failed, Ulric, and you know the price for failure." The Earth Edge appeared in his left hand, and, with one quick motion, he relieved General Ulric's body from the burden of his head.
Commander Modan stood there, stunned for the moment. Once he regained his composure he walked behind desk and retrieved white flag from one of the drawers and threw it to two of his men. "Get this flying, now!" The men with the flag ran out the door.
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