User:Nextoy/Book of 100 Warriors/Dance of the Galaxy Knight

''The beam saber is a notoriously difficult weapon to use. It likes to jerk in your hand cause of the energy from it, the weightlessness tends to make it hard to remember where the blade is unlike a standard kinetic weapon, and unlike a normal sword how much damage it causes tends to be based more on contact exposure than anything else. However, those who master the beam saber are known to be an unstoppable force, thus our title of Galaxy Knights.'' Although, in my case a mech is far more appropriate. It’s easier to get around in, and anything short of ultrafauna isn’t much of a threat. Plus, fuel isn’t that hard to get ahold of and it beats hiking. Well, when the damn thing works anyways. For whatever reason, right now there’s a critical failure that’s keeping me from getting anywhere in it. I’ve spent the better part of the day trying to fix it, but I’m starting to think it’d be better to call the insurance guys back on base and have them deal with it. Still, I’m pretty far out in the middle of nowhere. Who knows when backup would arrive, and if they’d be able to find me. So far the indigens haven’t been much of a problem, but unfortunately it seems I’ve landed in a spot where they’re pretty hostile. I just hope the enemy doesn’t spot me in this compromised position, cause that’d be far more trouble than it’s worth. This, kids, is why you don’t go wandering off on your own. Something goes wrong, and you’re screwed. As I think this, I hear a roar from somewhere off in the distance. Thankfully I can tell it's not an ultrafauna, but I really hope it isn’t a tyrant. That’s the last thing I need right now. “Backup has been sent out. Just hang on a bit longer, it could take a few hours.” I hear over my coms. A few hours, great. I might have this thing fixed myself by then. “Sure thing, won’t be a problem. Not like I’m swarmed in hostile indigens while waiting for enemies to come in and riddle me with holes.” I radio back, not really caring if they like my tone or not. “What was that sound?” Base asked, hearing that roar as it calls out a second time. Much closer this time. “Honestly, I’ve got no clue. I’m hoping not a tyrant, and I doubt it’s an ultrafauna.” I answer back, continuing to work on the mech. “Hopefully you’ll get here before I have the pleasure to find out, yeah?” “We’re on our way.” With that I hear the com line closing. ‘On our way’ my ass, I know there’s enough of us out here where that same supply crew is probably going to hit multiple people on its route. I doubt I’ll be first, but thankfully I don’t think I’ll be last. They tend to not prioritize people close to home. Nevermind that indigens keep bugging me. So far my subgun has been able to deal with them, even if it’s not exactly the intended ranged weapon for my class, but screw following class expectations. I like my two guns better than those weird floaters I’m supposed to use. That roar again. Now it's close enough that I can tell its coming from multiple sources. Pack hunters, and they probably are gunning straight for me. Oh if only I had that talking potato to distract them, but sadly I’m going to have to deal with this alone. With a sigh I grab my beam saber and ready myself for whatever’s about to happen. After all, if these things are hunting down crashed pilots someone’s going to have to deal with them. Not that it’s really my job, but even a mediator has to go out of base to kick ass sometimes. Just as I’ve prepared myself for a fight I see them come into view, gunning straight for me as expected. One of my guns in my left hand, I fire off a few shots to catch them off guard. I know it won’t deal much damage, but it’ll do just enough to disorientate their formation as I activate a special talent that comes with these guns. I slowly strafe around them while firing, afterimages on my tail. A decoy that gets hit more often than I do, thankfully. Plus, it lets me draw the fight away from my already damaged mech. Predictably, they charge after me and end up just catching the decoy; leaving them free to catch my beam saber over the head. It only takes a second to get surrounded, but that’s how I like things. The dance of a Galaxy Knight feels pretty great alongside these decoys, letting me counter everything thrown at me with a slash from my beam saber. Step left, cut down. Step back, slash left. Rush forward, turn, and uppercut. Turn again, spinning the blade as it slashes through multiple opponents. Once I hit my groove, it’s hard to stop. Tyrant be damned. Still, I have to keep my decoys active. Which means I can’t just smack everything with my beam saber and call it a day. Multitasking is a dear friend, although my bad habit of getting tunnel vision isn’t. At this point it’s muscle memory, but even then someone can trip up. The damage is minimal, as I’ve learned to shake off injury while fighting, but a few claw marks and grazed bites still show on my body. After all, even if they can get past my decoys they still have to deal with a moving target. I’m not staying in one spot long enough to get hurt, and they aren’t willing to injure themselves just to take me down. It’s almost a shame, I’d love to let them kill themselves and make my life easier. However, with only a few retreating indigens left my dance ends. Although I still find the beam saber flipping back and forth in my hand, thanks momentum, this fight is over for now. The beam dissipates and the handle spins in my palm for a moment as I put it and my gun away. It feels like barely any time had passed while I was dancing, but that fight took much longer than expected. The sun’s noticeably gotten lower, and this place gets far more dangerous at night from what I remember. Because don’t they always…. Still, that supply crew should be here soon. I may be far out, but it's not like I’m on the other side of the planet. Not that I’m anywhere near figuring out what’s up with my mech anyways. Personally, I’m starting to wonder if maybe it got sabotaged somehow. Sounds like something that would happen, at least. Or maybe I’m just too frustrated to figure it out myself. Somehow, I didn’t notice their initial approach. In fact, I only noticed when I heard a voice that I really didn’t want to hear. “Hello, hello!” That talking potato called out. The little firby-looking thing had went with the supply crew, which was not what I wanted to see. That hunting party before? That was a fluke. I know that they only came cause they heard me having a fit about my mech, but this thing would draw their attention easy. “What. Are. You. Doing here!?” I ask, almost growling as the supply crew touches down. “Don’t bother with repairs, just take it back to base!” I shout at them, firing up my beam saber again and turning to face the only entrance to this natural bowl. “What’s wrong, Haru?” He asked, bouncing forward to me. “Harukage, what’s the situation?” The supply crew’s leader asked as they loaded up the mech for transportation. “This place is crawling with hostile indigens, and they probably see the furball as food.” I explain, readying myself as the howling started up again. It’d be a matter of seconds before this place got flooded, knowing my luck. “Worry not, for I-”

“Shut up and go home!” I growled out at the furball, hearing the howling again. It was upon us, I could tell. I grabbed one of my subguns and aimed it at the mouth of the canyon to ready myself. Thankfully, the supply crew scooped up the talking potato; but I’d still be the main one protecting them when those things came out again. And so they did. Their blackened claws and fangs, charging forth on all fours, and the dark eyes gazing at us. The supply crew had some back up, mostly men with rifles, but I’m the main defense line. “Guess I’m going to have to kick it into overdrive if I’m getting past this!” I call out, feeling a surge of energy rush through me as I emptied the mag of my sub gun into everything coming towards us. Again it was ineffective, but weakened them enough so that I could go in with my beam saber. Even with the nature of the situation, how dangerous these things are now that they’re acting as predators instead of just scouts, I couldn’t help but to find myself having fun. Couldn’t help but to resume my dance from before. Especially since I’m not holding back this time, either. Not that I should have been before. Still, my attention was split. It wasn’t before long that the supply crew’s guards were getting overwhelmed. I could only do so much providing cover support with my gun, but I had enough mobility to almost make it work. Almost. The supply ship ended up getting damaged, most of the crew was badly injured, and my mech almost unable to be recovered, but there was exactly enough of a lull for them to head off. Not much more. It was then that the alpha, a giant among their kind, had showed itself. It growled down at me, almost as if to say something. No doubt a threat of some kind. All I could do was smile. Smile, knowing that regardless of what happened my mission was finished. The mech had what I was transporting in it, and this fight allowed us to get valuable intel on the indigens. Plus, for better or for worse, the potato got out alive. “Come on, then! Don’t keep me waiting!” I call out, charging it and jumping up into a vertical spin, my beam saber colliding with it like an energy buzzsaw. It didn’t like the approach, and tried batting me away with it’s claw. I jumped back and started walking along, the decoys forming again. With them out, I had the advantage. I slide under it, firing up into its belly, before popping back up and watching a decoy catch a smack from it’s tail. I dance along and slash at its back legs, another decoy catching a kick in response. A jumping slash straight into its midsection cased a pained roar as it bounded ahead, gathering itself. I thought I had it on the ropes, when I realized what that roar was. One of those things crashed into me, knocking me to the side as another came in and trampled over me. I rolled out of the way before another could deal any more damage, getting up with some difficulty. That energy was still surging inside me somehow, but I could feel it weakening. I regained my decoys as I began to engage all three. Shots were fired as I slashed at them, catching one in the eye, but it was a short moment before I realized my mistake. I turned around just in time to see the alpha come in and chomp off my arm, taking it with as he passed. Worse yet, that was the hand I used for my beam saber. My subguns weren’t enough to deal with this, but I tried to survive best I could. Circuits and machinery exposed on my body now, and my back against the wall. Almost literally, at that. I managed to fend off the smaller ones with just my gun somehow, but my vision was starting to fade. For whatever reason, what killed me wasn’t the indigen before me. Instead, when I was on my last legs this gigantic, majestic bird came to my rescue. Of course, in doing so the shockwave of it landing hard on the creature knocked me back and caused me to hit the rock wall. That bird was the last thing I saw, but I was pleased. Machines can be recovered, so this was a temporary set back. Besides, what a beautiful bird that was.