NBA Dramatique : It Begins

"Stand your ground. Don't fire unless fired upon, but if they mean to have a war, let it begin here. - John Parker

It was essentially a lack of patience that caused the war to begin. Young armies with lofty aspirations grew bored with preparation and decided that initiative was ripe for the taking. If given the opportunity though, each would likely change their decision and sit still for just a little longer than they had.

In the east, The One Who Would Be King awoke on that morning pledging to interrupt the legacy of the Bastion. The Prize had rested within their stronghold after so many of the previous wars that the citizens of that land considered it their rightful possession, and considered it merely on loan when not in their keep. Though they had rightfully secured it last time, King James would not allow their self-centered righteousness to be validated any further. The Prize would be his, and he would begin his claim to it by striking at those who had most recently denied him.

He mobilized his army and boldly led them to the Bastion, feeling no desire at all to disguise his intent. His men were dressed for war, and he answered directly any questions from the common people about their purpose: "We're going to win it all. We're going to hold the Prize. Anything less is failure."

When they reached the outer walls of the Bastion, King James grabbed a handful of dirt from the ground. He then threw it into the air and watched the wind carry it away. "War is in the air!" he declared to his troops. They were anxious, somewhat nervous. He could read it in their body language even though they all tried to hide it. Even for all of his confidence, he would be a liar if he did not admit to himself that he , too, felt the cold hand of the unknown squeeze into a fist around his gut.

It was the young knight Delonte that actually fired the first salvo. He threw two grenades at the fortress wall, and war had begun.

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Because King James made his opening move without subterfuge, word spread quickly of the start of war. The Tribe of the Great Stag had been lying in wait at the boundaries of a dilapidated headquarters. Redd had led his people to this spot for the purpose of attacking those that lived within - a weak and disinterested force, he had heard. One of his scouts had just returned with the news that the army of King James was marching on the Bastion. Redd took this to be a good omen, and decided then to strike. He stood within the shadowy tree line and loudly ordered his tribe to attack. They came out of the woods running towards the headquarters, screaming and with weapons held high.

*****

The Bastion was not ready. The Lucky Ones had celebrated their victory from the moment it had occurred, and were celebrating still when the first explosions struck the wall. They were no fools, though, and moved quickly into battle position both inside and outside the fortress walls. There was little about the ensuing combat that was spectacular, as both squads seemed to be shaking off the cobwebs from months of peaceful activity. King James could be a ruthless blood-letter at times, but the Bastion forces held him at bay. Likewise, Kevin, Ray, and Paul were deadly in combination, but the Royal Battalion was able to keep them separate and out of sync. The fighting was quite evenly matched, and it looked for the first hours that King James would achieve his initial goal of besting the Bastion, but their luck had not yet run out.

Leon and Tony were younger and less experienced than their more well-known comrades, but their contributions had been essential to the capture of the Prize, and their refusal now to bow to The One Who Would Be King energized the rally towards victory. They found the speedy saboteur Rajon and hatched a plan. Rajon began making excursions into the heart of the King's squad, while Tony and Leon followed just behind to brutalize the stunned knights. As the Bastion army surged, James grew increasingly frustrated with the tone of the battle. With the opportunity to land a crippling blow, his arm failed him, and Leon was able to slip past. Leon then detonated a concussive blast that drove back the knights and left no question as to the victor of this encounter. A few straggling swipes were taken by the knights, then the Royal Battalion retreated with their King.

*****

The Underground was in some ways the reverse construct of the Royal Battalion. They made their move under the cover of darkness, not parading towards their enemy under the watchful eyes of the day. The Underground was structured to utilize the strength of all its members, with an augmentation from their secret weapon: Oden. The Royal Battalion was designed to utilize the strength of their king, hoping to be augmented by contributions from those that he gathered at his side. In common, they both were confident enough to challenge a fierce opponent. As Leon deliverd the finishing blow against King James' army, on the other side of the continent the Underground broke into the castle of the Western Banner.

*****

The Tribe of the Great Stag had miscalculated. Skiles had become their medicine man after being cast out from this army that lived in the run down headquarters, and it was his information that led the tribe to believe they were going after an easy slaughter. However, the medicine man had never met the New Guy, and for all of the unlikelihood that the youngster would be able to lead this gang of underachievers, they were at least inspired enough to not let savage forest-dwellers invade their home.

The New Guy was far from perfect, but he brought his pride to the fight. His determination to live up to the uniform and the legacy of the Super Hero was apparent in his actions on the field. His presence alone renewed the vigor in several of his fellow soldiers that had felt it slipping away before his arrival. With each minute that passed, the followers of the Stag knew that the cause was lost.

*****

As they made their way through the lower tunnels of the castle, McMillan whispered encouragement to his fighters. "This won't be an easy fight. They are experienced and battle-tested. But understand that they are the present. You are the future."

They ascended a wide staircase and came to a stop at a pair of ornate doors. The maps that they had acquired indicated that these doors would lead them into the castle proper, and that's when the real work would begin. Oden stepped forward and knocked the doors down with a mighty shove, breaking them into splintering fragments. The rest of the Underground fighters quickly charged through the opening he had made into the vast castle foyer and found themselves face-to-face with an unpleasant surprise.

"Glad you could make it" said the Master from a balcony at the far end of the room. "We've been waiting." The knights of the Western Banner were lined up along each side of the doors that the Underground had just busted through. They were suited up and fully armed, and most wore expressions of cruel self-assurance. The Black Knight stood on the balcony beside the Master, wearing the loose and soft garments of a martial artist. He allowed a second of bewilderment and dread to invade the minds of the Underground fighters, then leaped from the balcony towards them. In the air, he drew a katana from the scabbard on his back and shouted "Attack!"

'It's a trap!" McMillan yelled. The Underground was too slow to react, and the knights were upon them instantly. It was a relentless attack. The Western Banner had an answer to every plan that McMillan had formulated, and demonstrated superiority in every possible way. Though the killers from the Underground made moves and attacks that were impressive in their own right, there were simply too few of those that could rival the onslaught of the Banner. Even Oden, the monster of a man, was overwhelmed within minutes and left lying on the cold floor of the castle. The assassin was able to take his time, take things easy, recognizing the inferiority of every man that faced him. It was like a game. The Underground was a collection of toys for his amusement, and but for a brief and ultimately meaningless moment of resistance from Przybilla, not one of them even gave him any real exercise.

When the fighters of the Underground were battered and bloody, with the result of their ill-advised invasion a clear failure, the knights of the Western Banner simply commanded them to drop their weapons. They complied. Aldridge and Przybilla lifted Oden from the floor and supported him enough to stand. The knights motioned to the broken door that the Underground had entered through and, understanding, the Underground filed back out the way they came. Their heads hung in humility.

"Come back and see us sometime!" said the Master.

'You bet" answered McMillan, the last man to exit through the battered doorway.

*****