Earning the Stripes (Franz)

[Kujo]

AD 2880, December 2nd
Western Star system, orbiting Both
11:21 AM

"Damn that upstart, damn the Eldergrain..."
"Milord?"
"I was not speaking to you. Is everyone in position? What of the target?"

A cruiser sat in the void and stared down at the dusty planet of Both. Its form was sleek and elegant, likewise the bridge and those manning it were noble and lavish. The man at the helm, Lord Silo Weihart of the noble Fillmore house of the very same name, looked to his subordinate grimly. "Yes sir," came his reply. "We've sent down the last MH and our scouts still have sir- the target's location locked down, milord." Weihart narrowed his eyes and turned to face Both in the ships view port. "Then prepare my Siren and fetch Celes." The crew member hurried off with a salute and left the Lord to stew in his silence.

- - -

Planet Both, Jastapo, west of the Kastenpo region
11:35 AM

While mysterious cloaked strangers are frankly almost daily occurrences on Both due to its ripe, or perhaps unripe, plains and wastelands well suited for the Joust, Pryam would have been blind to disregard the figures flanking out of the corner of his eyes, hiding within crowds, and not so subtlely bumping his shoulders in the dusty streets of Jastapo. In secret, Lord Weihart's men had effectively taken over the town, paying off local transports and strong arming local merchants into making sure the errant Fillmore knight stayed right where he was.

During one of the odd brushes in the bustling streets, a note was slipped into the knight's hands.

If you want to leave this planet-
Noon, the plains to the north.
✧
​

The note bore the mark of house Weihart and its short statement was clear, Pryam's fate would be decided in the Joust.

 

[Franz_Korderos]

The dark-haired Pryam looked at the short note with resigned amusement. He raised it up to the bright sky above and the message remained the same. That was, indeed, the insignia of the House Weihart and they did indeed throw the proverbial gauntlet. With a sigh he lowered the small note and pockets it inside his voluminous cloak.

"Nobles really have too much time in their hands." He mused out loud. Loud enough to be picked up on the hubbub of the busy streets of Jastapo. Loud enough to be heard by the amusingly unsubtle forces of that House.

"Tell your lord I'll be there, boys~!" He tauntingly hollered, waving the note held between his two fingers as he changed directions and headed where his dorrey was parked, stride languid and unhurried as he went.

The young headdliner was supposed to buy a little bauble, perhaps something interesting or unique for his beloved Dafne ... but now those plans were shelved for another time because a Lord wished to be felled by his blade.

 

[Kujo]

As if on cue, on the outskirts of Jastapo two cloaked figures hopped aboard a digg and raced off to the north.

Across the sandy and rocky plains hovered the digg. The rider behind the driver pulled out out a hand radio and cupped his hands around it against the buffeting wind. "The target will appear shortly; all Headdliners standby," he said to his cohorts on the other end. The hooded pair eventually came to an alcove in a rocky ridge and dismounted, locating a kneeling MH with a distinct hood of its its own and begging to scale it to make their way inside.

"Unit B3, you're on survey," said the man into the radio as he tossed his cloak out of the MH. "We're on you're mark, don't signal until the unit is in position."

 

[Franz_Korderos]

Almost half an hour later, a dorrey crests over the horizon. It was basic and unassuming, though clearly of the design of the Empire he serves despite the irritants wishing him dead for some reason or another. It gradually slowed down and once it halted, the largest hatch of the transport slowly opened up, revealing the plating and the fearsome visage of the Mortar Headd that the House Weihart sought to destroy,

Its leering facade glared over the barren lands beyond, cobalt paint making it a dark spot on a rather bright landscape as it prepared itself for combat.

"All systems go and in optimal condition, sire." The beautiful Fatima reported dutifully as ever to her lord and lover.

That being said, Pryam had been with her long enough to notice the difference.

"Something bothering you, dearest?" Pryam asked even as he surveyed the lands ahead.

"... nothing, sire. Just worried for the battle ahead." She demurely replied.

The Electric Knight began to stir, taking a languid step outside and making its way towards the designated location, the dorrey's hatch closing with each step the Mortar Headd takes.

"We'll get through this, Dafne." Pryam promised. voice subdued but full of determination.

"Yes, Pryam." She replied just as quietly, a smile on the blond Fatima's gorgeous face.

 

[Kujo]

"Visual confirmed, target is in position. All units commence teleport."

The dust of the plains whipped about in the wind as the Eldergrain made its way across the dry land. Silence sat all around the MH, but only for a moment. In the distance, the roar of multiple ezlasers rang out and large heat signatures would appear all around the Eldergrain. All at once, bright flashes of lights surrounded Pryam and left behind 6 Mortar Headds
The bright eyes stared out from the signature hoods of the Barunja, their pointed plating marking them as house Weihart's.

The mass produced Headds made no move against the lone knight, most leaning on their blade, axe, or veil. Another moment passed and yet another light appeared, and one much larger than the Barunjas.

"Pryam Avariz, we'll settle this now. Only one of us will leave this place."

​

 

[Franz_Korderos]

"Ezlazer build-up, sire! Mortar Headds arriving!" Dafne called out, surprise coloring the beautiful fatima's voice.

"Weihart's not the kind of man who will orchestrate something as barbaric and as crass as ganging up on a lone mortar headd." Pryam mused as the lightshow stopped and revealed the uniform appearances of Barunjas.

"Then again, there's a first time for everything ..." He added as another Electric Knight 'ported in, this time a distinctively Fillmorian model; the venerable Siren A, massive pauldrons and knightly regalia in all. Compared to that, the Eldergrain looked positively more villainous.

And he spoke like a knightly gentleman too! How wonderful!

"Communications, please."

"Yes, sire."

"Lord Weihart!" Pryam greeted excitedly over the speakers, as if he wasn't being cornered into a fight, as if he was greeting a friend he hadn't seen in awhile. "Such pomp and circumstance for little ol' me?"

"You shouldn't have!"

The imposing yet lither Eldergrain started walking towards its bulky foe, it's spaad raised in front of it in a more casual way a dueler gives his due to his opponent.

"Shall we?"

 

[Kujo]

For once, Lord Weihart fully steeled himself in the face of dishonorable refuse. This wasn't just a matter of personal satisfaction or chivalry, this was to be an example. The houses of the greater Fillmore empire must be able to prune those who refuse to raise their sword in support of the others. Weihart narrowed his eyes as the Siren A shifted, digging in its heels as it stared down the horned MH. "A Siren's a Siren; I'll turn that Eldergrain into cheese with this lance," he muttered to himself. "Celes, run the ezlaser as hot as you can." The response from the lord's Fatima came from above. "Yes Master, I'll set it to high dynamic and monitor the veil draw."

"Your last words should have been chosen more carefully."

Ezlaser roaring, the Siren A bolted forward. The heavy armor hardly holding the old Mortar Headd back as it shifted with its movements. Stopping at the prime range of the lance, just outside of the sword wielding Eldergrain's reach, Weihart dug the Siren's heel in and thrust the piercing weapon forward with a swaying step to its left. Meanwhile a cluster of T-mines twirled out from under the Siren's wide pauldron and scattered to its right.