by SF Edwards
Deniv crossed his arms and uttered a statement that stung at his ears. “It’s just a game, Zithe.”
“It’s more than a game. You, I, and everyone here know that.” The stakes are far higher than that.
“He doesn’t have any real weak points.”
“There has to be something.”
Zithe could see that Deniv was holding something back and pressed until he yielded. “Since it’s your time of the tridec,” Deniv snapped, “he broke his left antenna two annura ago and fractured his upper right mandible last annura.”
Zithe looked back across the field at Bichard and Chris talking together. The pair laughed as if they had no worries. Bichard’s laugh tore at Zithe’s ears. “And?”
“He’s sensitive to them. Grab or twist either one and he’ll drop to the ground like a scolded puppy. He won’t risk them getting hurt again.”
Zithe looked back. “Good. What about the others?”
“Blazer won’t taze you. He knows better. Gokhead, I have no idea about, and, as for Datt, your guess is as good as mine.”
“Arion?”
“You disabled him pretty effectively last time.”
Zithe gathered the team back together, forcing them all to wait for his instruction. He looked over his shoulder as they formed up--found Blazer watching them. With a knowing smile on his face, Zithe turned to his team. “I’ll make this quick. Rudjick, take out Chris. I’ll handle Bichard. Deniv, the ball is yours. Gavit run interference. Pass it back and forth if you have to but get it downfield until Rudjick or I can retrieve it. Treb! Seri!”
The two of them looked up expectantly.
“The defense is yours. While the rest of us are attacking, you two can stay behind and watch how it’s done.” He clapped his hands and they raced to their positions.
The whistle blew and Zithe was on the ball in an instant. Arion raced for him and Zithe feinted left before throwing an elbow into the back of Arion’s knee, dropping him to the ground. Even though Arion was a self-healer, the blow served to hobble him for several steps. Zithe smiled as Rudjick headed straight for Chris on an intercept course. Rudjick dove, wrapping his arms around her legs, dragging her down to the ground.
Chris thrashed against his grip. “Get off of me, you damn little elf!”
“Heh, heh! No way, lady. Not until Zithe’s in the clear.”
With a savage glaze in his eyes, Zithe ran straight for Blazer and Bichard. Moment of truth, do I trust Deniv didn’t just feed me a load of garbage? He had to commit. Taking a quick look over his shoulder, he slapped the ball back to Deniv.
Deniv intercepted the ball as he ran past Chris and Rudjick. Rudjick released Chris and was on his feet an instant later. Gavit kept on Deniv’s tail, running interference against Arion and jumped into the big man’s path every few steps to force him off his pursuit.
Zithe’s target remained clear and he leapt at Bichard. Wrapping his hand around the left antenna, he yanked down, hard. Bichard dropped to the ground, clutching at Zithe madly. Zithe looked down and saw something that every predator saw in the eyes of prey, fear. He reveled in the emotion in those big alien eyes. This powerful creature below him was as weak as anything he had ever seen.
Blazer jumped on Zithe’s back screaming. “Let him go!”
Zithe just smiled as he felt Blazer’s arms wrap around him in a vain attempt to pry him off Bichard. Blazer was so preoccupied with helping his friend that he had forgotten the true goal. He had left the defense open to attack. Your error spells our victory Vaughnt.
***
Deniv sprinted forward, looking for an opening. Gokhead and Treb blocked the goal well. Deniv looked over his shoulder. Arion was far too close for comfort. If I pass the ball to Rudjick, Arion will catch me. Frag it all Zithe, I’m a defender, not an attacker.
He shook his head and kept forward. He knew how defenders thought and tried to determine which one would open a hole for him. Gokhead was a Drashig. Those reverse hinged knees would allow him to jump further and give him a longer reach. Deniv had to stay away from him at all costs. He looked at Treb and saw his opening. Treb kept edging towards the outer part of the field relying on Gokhead’s greater jumping distance. As Deniv neared he made his decision and went for it.
He sped right towards the middle of the pair. Surprise filled Treb’s face as he reversed and moved to intercept. Right before Deniv reached Treb, he dodged to his left around the big man, spinning around just as Gokhead jumped. Instead of catching Deniv, Gokhead slammed into Treb opening a clear path to the hoops. Deniv threw the ball at the upper hoop before they could recover and it sailed through for two points.
Gavit ran up behind him, slapping him on the back. “Good move, buddy!”
Deniv panted as he watched some of the cadets that had gathered to watch collect the ball. “Yeah, I’m not used to being on the attack though.”
The pair headed back towards their end of the field as Arion flashed them both a thumbs up. “Nice one, Deniv! Good blocking, Gavit!” he yelled and the pair accepted the compliments gracefully.
As Deniv passed by, Blazer grabbed him by the arm, pulling him aside. “That was a dirty move.”
“What do you mean?”
“You know what I’m talking about. You told Zithe about Bichard’s antenna.”
Deniv motioned at Bichard as Chris stood over him examining the spot where the antennae sprouted from his head. “You know as well as I that he needs to get over that. Sheol! The doctor said that the antennae and the mandible healed stronger than before the break.”
Blazer grabbed him by the shirt and pulled him face to face. “You told him about the mandible?!”
“You think he would be crazy enough to go for the mandible? Of course I told him about both of them.” Blazer looked at him confused. I can read you like a macomm B, he thought to himself. “If I just told him about the mandible, he would have gone for it and you know exactly what Bichard would have done.”
Blazer looked over at Bichard, then at Zithe, and back at Deniv, relaxing his grip. “Yeah, he would have bitten his fingers off.”
“Just like the last guy that tried. The antenna was the safer option.”
“Why not tell him the right one then?”
“Because, I didn’t want to see the other antenna or Zithe broken. Like the doc said, the left antenna has healed a lot stronger than the right. If Zithe tried the right one, it could have broken or Bichard might have torn him apart to prevent it.”
“Still, you know how he reacts whenever anyone even touches it.”
“Like I said, he needs to get over it. Hey, I’ll buy him a honey mead later.”
Blazer nodded in response.
Bichard’s antennae perked up. He had heard the whole conversation. “Two honey meads!”
Deniv laughed, and yelled back, “All right! Two!”
Zithe flashed Deniv a disapproving look as he passed. “He bit someone’s fingers off?”
Deniv didn’t say a word in response and just stared. How the Sheol did he hear that?
Zithe flicked his ears in response. “Lycan. Remember?”
Deniv nodded. “Yeah, I didn’t think you’d be dumb enough to go for it anyway. I had to tell you all of them because I knew you wouldn’t relent unless I did.”
Zithe nodded. Deniv was right. He would have pressed. Deniv headed back to his position as Blazer gathered his team together again to strategize. Deniv could tell that Gokhead was Blazer’s new strategist and looked forward to seeing what the little Drashig came up with.
***
Zithe on other hand wasn’t impressed. What do the Drashig know of strategy? And what is Vaughnt thinking? Their tactics are all brute force, no sophistication. They only made it into space by stealing spaceships from the Vedekian Horde over a millennium ago.
Suddenly Blazer did something that Zithe truly couldn’t believe. He reversed his team’s layout by putting Arion and Chris in the rear while Treb and Gokhead took the front. Those two are
defenders, not attackers. What insanity is this?
The whistle blew and Gokhead ran for the ball, scooping it up. Zithe felt confident that Gokhead would not be a match for him and was on him in an instant. His tunnel vision was his undoing and he didn’t see Treb until it was too late. Treb’s shoulder met Zithe’s face the instant before he could get to Gokhead and threw him backwards off the ground. Zithe forgot just how big Treb was and how much force all that mass hitting him could generate.
Zithe toppled to the ground with Treb and caught Gokhead out of the corner of his eye. Rudjick went for Gokhead, diving for his legs, but Gokhead jumped and Rudjick met the grass, Gokhead leaping over him by two body lengths.
When Zithe looked up, Blazer and Bichard ran past while Chris and Arion waited at the midline in case the ball came back at them. Zithe commanded himself to think, to strategize, to analyze what Blazer’s team was doing, and to find a weak point. He looked back, desperate to chase after Gokhead, but knew there was more going on. Gokhead danced between Gavit and Deniv, piercing his second line of defense. Bichard raced ahead of Gokhead towards Seri to block. Stop them, do something.
Seri slid underneath Bichard’s legs as he spun about to grab her and caught only air. She anticipated Gokhead’s next move and launched herself backwards past Bichard and into Gokhead’s path just as he jumped. They crashed together and fell to the ground before Seri slapped the ball away from Gokhead.
Datt ran up and kicked the loose ball with all he was worth, firing it forward. Blazer intercepted the ball and ran forward again. Deniv was on Blazer. Grabbing him around the middle, he dragged Blazer to the ground. The wet ball slipped from Blazer’s hands. Gavit scooped up the ball and ran forward. Zithe signaled Gavit to throw him the ball, but Gavit shook his head no.
Infuriated, Zithe ran after him, signaling him to pass the ball. Gavit’s eyes were on Arion and Chris though. Zithe read the situation and tried to guess which person Gavit would go up against. Chris is quicker and more nimble, her hard body’s like a coiled spring. Arion is bigger, and more powerful, but less maneuverable. Gavit went wide around Arion, hoping that he wouldn’t be able to catch him. Gavit judged wrong, Arion wrapped a big arm around his chest twisting him around. Zithe scowled as the ball slipped from Gavit’s hand and he kicked hard at Arion’s ankle.
Arion just waggled a finger at him. “Uh uh! You aren’t strong enough for that, little man.”
Before Zithe could think of anything Rudjick ran past scooping up the ball, and sprinted toward the open goal. Chris raced after him and Zithe followed her with Blazer picking up the rear. The goal lay wide open. Zithe watched with a smile on his face. Rudjick was just too fast for Chris. She’ll never catch him.
Without missing a step, Chris stripped her shirt off causing Zithe to smile at her glistening back. That trick won’t work twice. She balled up her shirt and threw it at Rudjick’s legs. The unfurling shirt slammed into the back of his knees, tangling up his legs. He took several faltering steps before falling to the ground. Chris reached him a moment later and stole the ball away before the whistle blew.
“Foul!” yelled the drill instructor.
***
Blazer was on the drill instructor in an instant. “What foul?” There were few rules to slamball and the only one that everyone remembered was the prohibition against weapons on the field.
“Use of a weapon on the field,” he replied.
“What weapon? It was a shirt!”
“Which she used as a ballistic to bring him down. That makes it a weapon.”
Blazer wanted to argue back and thought back to when he would referee. There has to be a loophole. Before he could, Seri walked over and laid a hand on his shoulder. “Vaughnt, don’t try and argue semantics with a drill instructor. They know the rules just as well, if not better, than you and can even quote precedent.”
“Are you going to lawyer ball me?”
The instructor smiled at him. “I’m halfway towards my law degree. You tell me.”
Blazer didn’t like the sound of that and knew better than to argue the point. Don’t get yourself booted off the field, not now.
“Foul stands!” the instructor yelled as he walked up to Rudjick and placed the ball then picked up the shirt. He handed it back to Chris. “Don’t do it again. A distraction can be classified as a weapon.”
Chris grumbled under her breath, but accepted the shirt and pulled it back on.
Blazer gathered his team back up. “Set the skirmish line,” he ordered as he took ten paces towards the goal from where the ball sat. The rest of the team jumped into ranks beside him.
Blazer’s and Gokhead’s adapted strategy hadn’t worked out the way they’d planned. The hope had been that once Arion or Chris got the ball they could have made it to the goal if Gokhead failed. Their goal wouldn’t have been undefended for long since he or Bichard would have dropped back to cover it. However, no plan survives contact with the enemy. It could work though; it threw Zithe off for a while. He’s a better strategist than I thought so we’ll have to adapt accordingly.
The whistle blew and Rudjick kicked the ball. Blazer’s team made to grab for it. Faster than Blazer could have imagined, however, Zithe ran down the skirmish line and plucked it from the air. Blazer roared to try and distract Zithe, jumping after him as Zithe twisted about, throwing the ball at the goal. It sailed through the bottom hoop for one point. It wasn’t much, but it was a point. The game wasn’t tied, but Zithe was turning it around.
Blazer could hardly believe how the tide had turned against them and it continued much the same. The ball traded ownership as it went back and forth across the field. Zithe’s team made a good showing of keeping the game close. As PT time drew close to its end, the game remained tied nine points to nine points. Zithe’s learning his team’s moves and it’s working. But then, so am I.
Blazer looked around. I can’t let this end in a draw. This has to be decisive. He looked around for some kind of inspiration. Across the field, he saw that many other cadets had come to watch. Some were other PT groups while others were just random cadets. Right in the middle of the horde stood Marda.
Marda smiled at him and waved. “Go Blazer! Score one for me!”
Blazer looked back at the team. She wanted me to score for her.
Arion laid a hand on his shoulder. “Not what she meant,” he said sternly as he looked back at Marda with rage in his eyes.
I can’t let her distract me right now, I need to focus. Blazer couldn’t help it and stole a glance at her as he strategized. Orbs congregated around her. It wasn’t just the two he had known for so many annura, but at least a half dozen others.
As he looked back at the team he read Arion’s angered expression and the big man shook his head at him. “Get your head in the game, B!”
Blazer looked up at the team. “Yeah, I’m here,” he said knocking on his head.
We’ve got the ball. It’s time to show Zithe just what we can do. “Bichard! Frontline and you take the ball. You need to make a delivery,” he said with a wry smile. Bichard returned the look as none of the others flinched.
“Long distance delivery?” Bichard asked.
“Let them think they can make a call.”
Bichard’s smile widened and he rubbed his elbow. “Sounds good to me.”
Blazer read the confusion on Gokhead, Treb and Chris’ faces. “Trust us on this. Arion, Chris, stay close to Bichard. Let them take the ball from him.” Blazer watched the curious looks turned to concerned ones. With so little time left, they couldn’t afford to lose the ball, especially not if they wanted the win. “Let them take the ball from him,” Blazer repeated.
He turned to Gokhead and Treb. “If you have never trusted me before, trust me now. If this plan fails, you two have just one job. Get the ball to me. Understand?”
They nodded and Blazer looked at the other team again.
“I’ll take point ahead of Bichard and block. Chris, Arion, stay close to Bichard’s flanks.�
�
Arion fixed Blazer with a curious look. “You’re going to block?”
“Trust me on this. I’ll block.”
They all nodded. Blazer could tell that they weren’t all that supportive of his plan, but they would follow it just the same. Blazer clapped his hands to break them out and they all ran to their positions. Zithe’s watching everything we do, let’s see how he reacts to this. He and Bichard took the frontline. Blazer read the confusion in Zithe’s eyes. The change in lineup is throwing him again. Blazer had never put Bichard in front before and he could tell that bothered Zithe. Blazer watched Zithe’s eyes dart to Chris and Arion. He doesn’t know how to react with us, probably hopes that it’s some kind of feint.
The whistle blew and Blazer ran for the ball for all he was worth. He kicked it a step forward then punted it backwards to Bichard, once again throwing Zithe off. Bichard caught the ball, slapping it down with his left elbow as he grabbed it with his right hand before he tucked it under his shoulder. He ran with it upright for once and did not drop down on all fours as Chris and Arion took up flanking positions on either side of him. Blazer went straight for Rudjick as he approached. He grabbed the elf by one of his pointed ears and pulled him down to the ground.
As he took Zithe’s more nimble frontliner down, Blazer caught Zithe’s eyes. Zithe didn’t look phased by the move. Shreg, he planned for that, put Rudjick up front as the easier target. Rudjick tried to get back up but Blazer kicked his legs out from under him. “Just stay down and watch,” he ordered.
Blazer grinned as Bichard ran past with Chris and Arion on his flanks. Zithe circled around behind them and ran for Bichard. Chris dropped back and threw an arm into Zithe’s chest. Her blow knocked the wind out of Zithe before she slipped her leg back and tripped him. Blazer heard Zithe growl and curse under his breath before he released Rudjick and joined the chase. Looking up, he found Deniv and Gavit were nearly upon Bichard. Bichard had no forward blocker. Just like the plan.
