/ Duel Universe
/ Author: The Cowboy of Oklahoma
/ Ch 15: Returning Training
/ word count: 1858
Oceanica Super Transport:
The debates took two full days before 99% of the fleet agreed the whole fleet should go back to Earth together. Since it was a majority vote, the remaining percentage begrudgingly followed the decision. Several of the ships and crews offered to ferry Dark Magician Girl back to Earth but she chose to remain on the Oceanica for the duration of the debates. Now, however, since the debates were over, she said she must take her leave and return to the monster world to prepare for the humans' arrival.
"I've over extended my stay in the human realm, and I must return with what little energy I have left." She explained. "I could use one of your engine cores to recharge, but it would take so much of the energy that that ship would be left behind. Now if I open a portal here, on this ship where there are more natural energies, I can go through it here, and make it back in only a day, but your fleet must return via your own power using the special fluid I've given you. Remember, just a drop in your engines and subsequent systems so they're all at the same power capacity." She reminded us.
She opened a portal and stepped through, disappearing from us, but we would be seeing her soon enough. The General ordered all ships to make preparations for the jump to lightspeed. Merideth divided the solution up amongst the other ships, with all the instructions and directions necessary.
"This is General Marcellus to the fleet! All ships and vessels begin final checks and make ready for lightspeed. We are heading back to Earth. The trip is estimated to take us only 3-4 months to complete this time around with the special fuel we've been given. Modified sleep rotations will still be observed, since it will take far less time to reach our destination. However! That does not mean we can relax and just take this trip nonchalantly. We are going home to prepare for the battle of our lives!! Along with the time we will be taking to get back, we will have an undetermined amount of time to keep preparations going! As crazy as it sounds, all our hopes truly lie in a card game. With that said, once we get underway, all military personnel, and able bodied civilians alike are to begin training with the new Duel Monsters cards we were just given. We must each find a way to master these cards and the monsters therein to fight back against the Black Goo! As of this moment on, until the Earth is back where she belongs in the vast heavens and her natural inhabitants are returned to her surface, WE ARE AT WAR!!
A Corporal manning the Washington's helm watched as the countdown breached the 2 minute mark and reached for the lever to release the ship into hyper speed. At 110 seconds, he informed the General. "Sir! 1 minute, 50 seconds to hyper jump!" He declared loudly.
Marcellus positioned himself onto his command chair and then continued the fleet wide announcement. "All ships, countdown to hyper jump in 90 seconds!"
The General's words inspired some to straighten their backs and cement their resolve. The system began an auditory countdown, all hands moved with purpose to be ready for the initial jump.
"15, 14, 13, 12, 11, 10"
Doors shut, people got into seats and an all clear was sounded from every single deck.
"5, 4, 3, 2, 1. Initiating hyper speed engines. Engage!"
Every ship had a faint glow and shimmer come across their outer hulls, inside the ships, a star field formed on every surface, and then everyone felt a slight shift as the ships in one massive wake, moved into hyper speed as one. As the ships all safely slipped into the desired field of lightspeed, the order was given to begin training all personnel and civilians in the game of duel monsters.
"Alright you slackers, I've only got three months to make you all into a fighting force!" Gunnery Sergeant Emery rallied all that could hear his Scottish accent.
"Sailors and Marines, lads and lasses, ships and guns are practically useless against our future foe! Therefore your new weapons will be the cards of the game of Duel Monsters! Take up this final call, and join the last battle of the human race!"
Training got underway, we only have three months to truly prepare, after that, we'll be in for the fight of our lives, and it will be the hardest thing the human race has ever done. United as one, standing shoulder to shoulder as the Earth has never done before, and face an enemy that will surely kill us all if we should fail.
A crowd in unison, "Draw! Draw! Draw!"
The drill Sergeants pushed everyone to keep practicing, drilling in the basics of dueling over and over again. Others that are more adept at using the cards trained everyone else to use their cards. As different sets of people became more understanding of their individual cards, and how they worked together, they moved on to another aspect of the game. Most everyone considered fusions and rituals too easy and flew right through every course that was set up. When the group was introduced to synchro summoning, then we had a few falter behind and needed some extra time to understand the mechanics. But a fair number of them grasped it quickly enough and moved on to xyz summoning. With each new alteration to the game, some found it harder and harder to let go of a favored card in favor of using something new. Some of us that were well established to know just what these cards are capable of, were occasionally challenged by recruits, and even the occasional player that showed exceptional promise as a duelist. But still, many of them greatly regretted their decision to try and skip some training. Slowly we figured out who would possibly be the front lines in our fight for Earth. It took us nearly one full month to get even half the populace to grasp xyz summoning. Some would stay in rituals, fusions and synchros and try to specialize in their respective fields. Nothing wrong with that, but they were still encouraged to try to grasp even some of the basics of the other forms of summoning. Then during the second month, we brought the pendulum cards to bare, and we greatly blew away expectations. The first demo we showed, filling our fields with monsters again and again each turn, made it seem like we had an endless stock to draw from. Then I told the trainers and teacher to hold back on one aspect of the training and just get everyone to understand the basics of the pendulum monsters. I wanted to see just how many could grasp the fact that they just filled their fields with multiple monsters and then just left them there. Then one female with crimson red hair made the choice to pendulum and fill her field with tuners, then went into multiple synchro summons, decimating her opponent. There it is. A few others that saw her do this, began to see how they had monsters available for other things, and soon the training field was full of pendulum fusions, pendulum synchros, pendulum xyzs, and even some pendulum rituals.
"Alright everyone." I said. "It seems many of you are becoming more familiar with the cards you've been given. And the hidden possibilities that different forms of summoning may bring about. But now, we're about to turn your whole world of dueling on its head. The next set of cards isn't something just anyone can just add to their decks and make it work. These new cards make it harder to perform other forms of summoning, and yet they are also just as capable of being as strong or stronger than other forms of summoning." I held up what some had mistaken for a ritual monster. "These are new link monsters, and they are going to turn your dueling upside down!!"
The new cards really threw the recruits for a major loop. Reducing their field capabilities to just one extra deck monster card at a time, including their pendulum cards, unless they choose to use the new link monsters.
"Man it's much harder to get out my fusions!"
"My synchros are locked behind a technicality!?"
"Just when I get used to having as many cards on my field as possible, I'm reduced to only a few, man this sucks."
Different people were arguing and whining about all the card strategies they'd have to change to be able to get around these new card and field rules. They'll get over it. After about a week of letting the idea of link summoning sink in, we began practice duels, learning by doing I say. The groans started in, and then the drill instructors began their berating and pushing everyone to perform their duties. Duel drills and summoning cards over and over again until they're hands ached. When we were done, everyone hated us and just wanted this to be done with. Some of the duelists were wondering how much more they'd need to train since they've pretty much left everyone else in the dust. A few found that they were the perfect pair when dueling, others found their dueling adversaries. Even though everyone was growing extremely tired and worn-out from all the practicing, almost everyone was finding life long friends, and even a few potential lovers, we still had to quail anyone from going too far. The fight ahead is going to take a while to complete yet, and we can't afford a single person here to be bed ridden or taken off the front lines because of accidents.
I stepped up to the training field and got everyone's attention. "Alright people, listen up. There will be a change to the game plan." I started.
"What!? What now Captain!? What's with the new alteration!?" Some of the recruits asked.
"Calm down people, the change is in favor of your particular older game styles. The new zone which was added to the field play is now strictly for the newest link monsters. However, everyone still needs to learn the link monsters. Even if you're not actually going to use them often, link monsters have a unique play that can increase and enhance your deck's capabilities." I explained. "So now with the new system active, you're all about to undergo the last round of training until we reach Earth."
Everyone broke off in groups of two and resumed their training for the battle ahead. Everyone knew we were headed back, but almost nobody knew about the world we were going back to, nor about the allies we had acquired that was going to help us. Some of the trainees got the hang of the new link monsters, others still just kept them as mere collectors items. We put a stop to that, every card was needed for the fight ahead, nothing would be hoarded.