CHAPTER 14: ONSLAUGHT (i)

Grimly, The Truth Sayers stepped up to the teleportation field. They seemed so fey and dark that the Blood Fist members, the Truth Sayers opponents in this round would have felt fear if they could, for the Truth Sayers now had a bigger goal in mind than merely winning the tournaments. They were trying to save humanity. But the Blood Fists could not feel fear. If anything, they were confident that they would win.

The Blood Fists members were not organic beings to begin with. They were battle droids. Created by their creators to kill. Created so perfectly, that they not only killed, but excelled in it. The advantage they had over their opponents was their super computer chips. The advantage the Truth Sayers had over the Blood Fists was that they fought not for themselves but for everyone else. They had no choice but to win.

Edmund watched the opposing team also step up to the teleportation device. The crowd gathered this time was massive. The robots of Blood Fists team were so far the best in the Onslaught match in the tournaments. Their ability to communicate instantly and coordinate their actions were unmatched by any human. However, the Truth Sayers had Edmund, one of the newest rising star in the tournaments.

Edmund recalled what the Templar had said.

The Kulgans are coming Edmund. You must resist them. By the end of this year's tournaments, they will be here. Their aim would be to first kill the winner of the tournament. They have been monitoring your race, Edmund. They know that if what they perceive the best warrior of your race is killed, other resistance will be disheartened and falter. Not only that, it will be a morale booster for their own troops. They have already sent their scouts Edmund. The Quagrim are the Kulgans shock troops.

They will probably teleport their own best warriors to the arena the moment you finish the tournament. I know what you asked. You have been chosen and not Malcolm because I believe that you are the one who is the most suitable to defeat the Kulgans. And so you and your team, the Truth Sayers must win the tournament. You must beat everyone else until you reach the top of the ladder.

Do not despair Edmund. I will guide you in your final battle. If you manage to defeat the best the Kulgans have to offer, they might decide that not to attack you. If you fail? Then the Truth Sayers and all of humanity die with you.

Edmund. You must win the tournaments!

The applause was deafening. The announcer had just finished introducing the Truth Sayers, and he now moved on to the Blood Fists.

"Renegade! No mercy will be granted by this drone as this feature was removed in the last operating system update!"

"Thorax! This robot has been relentless in competition and possessed of a digital immortality that the organics are incapable of understanding; Thorax seeks only one goal. Victory!"

"Widowmaker! One of the few battle drones to be wholly inorganic. Advanced threat detection and onboard evasive logic make this being a force to be reckoned with!"

"Mandible! His programmer thought it would be interesting to have his creation contemplate the meaning of life. Three days and seventy six bodies later, the automaton still lacked an answer but had gained extensive knowledge of human physiology!"

"And last but not least, it slices, it dices, eviscerates and decapitates, sees in the dark and can track you by your DNA just like the girl you stood up on prom night, presenting Rapier!"

Cheers mixed with applause and laughter.

After the debriefing Soun had given them, he had used the Core's energy to teleport the Truth Sayers back to Edmund's room. Steven and Lee were rushed to the medical station. Edmund could only pray that the Liandri doesn't know who the intruders were.

"And the Onslaught match will be held in...Torlan! They're fighting in Torlan ladies and gentlemen. In five...four...three...two...

One. The Truth Sayers spawned in their blue base. Vehicles of all sorts meant for assaulting the enemy base were ready for them to ride. Edmund quickly recalled the specifications of the map. It was a square battle field, more or less, surrounded by high cliffs and mountains. The two teams bases were situated at two opposite corners of the map. In these bases were their Power Cores.

The match was straight forward enough. It was like a giant game of connect the dots. Situated around the map, were various power nodes, which were linked to each other in a specific manner. The objective was to gain control of these power nodes, slowly linking them to the opponent's base. When that was done, the shield protecting the opponents Power Core would be lifted. Destroy the Power Core, and you win the game.

The problem? There were many ways of connecting the power nodes to each base. And each time would be trying to reach the other's Power Core first. You would have to not only destroy the enemy's Power Core but protect yours too. This required an intricate strategy, which the Blood Fists excelled in. They would know every strategy inside out and knew the way to counter everyone of them. Because of this, Edmund knew he had to get his team to do something unexpected.

He quickly shouted orders. "Lee, get yourself a vehicle and take control of the power node north of here. Sud, and Aaron, take the power node east of here. Steven get in that Raptor attack craft and provide air support. Rita, follow me."

Quickly, the team ran to do as their leader told. Rita followed Edmund as he ran up to the weapons rack and loaded up with every weapon he could find. Then, he ran to a nearby Hellbender jeep and jumped in. The Hellbender was a very versatile vehicle. One person would be the driver, one more next to him and control the shock turret, the third riding in the rear, controlling the massive charge up plasma gun.

Edmund shouted to Rita over the sound of the engines revving up, "Get in the back!"

Rita climbed into the back and quickly powered up the rear turret.

"What have you got in mind, lead?"
Edmund smiled. "We're gonna pay the Blood Fists a visit."

Edmund put the vehicle into top gear, and charged out of the base. He then directed the vehicle towards the Red Base. Rita's voice came back on. "Why are we heading there for? We can't attack their Power Core yet. It's still shielded."

Edmund was happy that Rita was no longer so cold like steel. She had begun to realize that Edmund was not like the men she had grown up with. She respected him for respecting her. "The Blood Fists are computer run. They do everything orderly. We're going to disrupt that."

"Right. Contact! Twelve o clock!"

Edmund saw them too. Two figures making their way to a power node on foot. Edmund charged the vehicle at them. He heard the plasma gun charge up behind him. The two figures, Thorax and Widowmaker turned to face them, AVRIL anti-vehicle rockets held in their metallic hands. "So much for his onboard evasive logic!"

The Plasma cannon discharged. Widowmaker exploded in a shower of sparks and coolant fluids. That left Thorax. He fire the weapon. The explosion almost overturned the Hellbender, and sparks flew in Edmund's face. But he continued to step down on the accelerator. The vehicle smashed into the robot, carrying it until the vehicle crashed into the cliff wall. Widowmaker died.

Alarms rang in Edmund's HUD, warning him of a missile lock. "Get out!"

Rita and Edmund scrambled out of the vehicle just as the missile slammed into it. The Hellbender exploded in a ball of fire.

Edmund drew the shock rifle he had taken from the weapons rack. Rita was carrying a rotary minigun. "You okay?" Edmund yelled at her. She nodded. Edmund looked around for the robot that had fired the missile. He found it. It was a few hundred feet in the air, in a Raptor attack craft.

"Craps. Rita, take cover." Immediately, Rita ran alongside Edmund to hide beneath a clump of trees. The Raptor circled above, daring them to come out.