I'd like to hear from you guys. Is there any way I can improve, any fixes and discrepancies? Suggestions for the direction you would like to see.
Should I keep each chapter around 2k each or drop it to between 1k and 1.5k? Let me know
Power stones are appreciated.
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Moving back to the group of kids from the Knight and Serdran clans, we can see them slowly making their way back to their respective bases, their faces smeared with dirt and exhaustion etched in their expressions.
The battle lasted around 20 minutes, but it was intense and left these kids tired, their small bodies still not accustomed to the rigorous demands of combat. Adrenaline flooded their body, but fatigue quickly set in, making the journey back feel longer than it should.
Both clans took casualties, with the Knights now reduced to 14 troops while Serdran found themselves with only 9 remaining. The ambush they endured significantly impacted their numbers, surging emotions of both frustration and determination amongst the young warriors.
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Once the troops returned to their individual clan bases adorned with banners fluttering in the breeze, they switched roles with the defenders. The attack team would take over the base, resting before the next phase of combat, while both clans sent their original defenders out to launch an assault on Vhar'kar, setting the stage for the showdown against each other.
Rayden and Lexi remained back at their bases to command the battle and guard against any surprises from each other's clan.
Within each base, as the sounds of preparation rustled around them, Lexi and Rayden spoke to the troops they were sending to attack Vhar'kar about their plan, ensuring that everyone understood their roles amidst the rising tension.
Rayden had a solid 26 of his original 35 troops left, a testament to their teamwork and resilience. At the same time, Lexi counted 21 remaining, her brow furrowed in concentration as she made mental calculations of their strategy.
"Are you ready, Ray?" Lexi asked earnestly, her voice steady despite the nervous energy in the air.
"Yes. The teams will meet up en route and attack the base together," he replied, sounding confident.
"Shouldn't we split up like we did with Tov'ra to distract their defenses?" Lexi suggested.
Shaking his head decisively, Rayden replied, "No, let's use the smoke tactic again. Their base is in a swampy area, so there should be plenty of that nasty-smelling plant. We can use it to suffocate the defenders, softening them up for our attack."
Lexi's eyes narrowed slightly as she recalled the awful smell that lingered on the troops returning from the battle. "That's both genius and evil, Ray. You're going to traumatize them. What if it affects our own troops too?"
Shrugging his shoulders, he felt a small pang of pity for the defenders, but he reminded her, "This is a battle, and we're in it to win. We have to take every advantage we can."
"That's for them to deal with, Lexi. Our priority is the flag, then our battle to determine the final winner," Rayden emphasized, his determination igniting a spark of resolve within her.
Agreeing with him, they continued to discuss the finer details of their plan. Lexi even suggested a daring idea of using some of the animals in the arena to distract the defenders, a hint of mischief twinkling in her eyes.
Their conversation, like two evil masterminds, was broadcast to the clan heads in the special observation room, prompting some amused reactions from the adults, who exchanged incredulous looks.
Camren Vhar'kar, sharing a chuckle with the others, but also had a slight twitch, indicating a slight annoyance, questioned Varn, Elyse, and Veyra about how they were raising their kids.
Ravik, savoring the moment, found a sense of schadenfreude in knowing that the kids from Camren's clan would soon face a challenge remarkably similar to the harrowing experiences his own clan's children had endured.
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The combined forces of the Knights and Serdran, totaling 22 in number, advanced on the swampy purple-flag base, moving through drifting smoke as they approached the treeline.
Serdran children ignited the foul bog-plants, hurling burning bundles over the walls. The acrid fumes from the plants forced the Vhar'kar defenders to cough and flee from their positions after a minute or two of attempting to hold their ground.
A few boar-like creatures, captured by the combined force during their approach, were released into the base to create chaos. Defenders had to leap aside as the beasts charged at them.
Snipers hidden in the trees picked off exposed sentries while assault teams waded through the knee-deep muck, shields raised and stun rounds ready. The defenders fired volleys of gel rounds, managing to slow down three Knights, but the smoke obscured their aim. Meanwhile, Serdran flankers scaled the rear wall, stunning the guards over the purple flag. One of the Serdran children rushed to seize the purple banner as the last defender fell after ten minutes of fierce fighting.
All 23 defenders were eliminated thanks to the tactic devised by Rayden and Lexi. Clan Knight lost 5 members during the attack, while Serdran lost 2.
As everyone took a moment to celebrate their victory over another clan, a sudden turn of events occurred.
A hidden Knight squad of 5 burst from the reeds, stunning four Serdran stragglers. The main Knight force of 6 combined with them to encircle the remaining 5 Serdran members. Rapid stun fire dropped them in seconds.
Most of the Serdran kids, having just fought a battle, had begun to relax and were caught off guard. However, 3 of them had remembered Lexi's warning and were prepared for anything. Even as they were being eliminated, the three managed to take someone out with them.
All 11 Serdrans were eliminated, while 8 remained from Knight.
Knight: 18 vs. Serdran: 10
Both clans had agreed to send 11 defenders each. However, Rayden, without informing Lexi, decided to send a 5-man squad to follow and ambush Serdran once the flag was captured.
It worked like a charm.
======
Lexi's eyes widened in shock and anger. "You planned this?!" she yelled at Rayden through the commlink.
"What can I say, Lexi? I came prepared to win," Rayden taunted as he reviewed the recent battle report.
Rayden's grin crackled over the comms: "Told you—may the best Mandalorian win, Lexi."
Among the clan leaders, Varn laughed proudly; Veyra sighed, "Clever bastard"; Camren smirked at Rayden's ruthlessness; and Ravik nodded his approval. Torin and Drenar toasted to the success of Rayden's plan.
Most of the audience cheered at the turn of events, while others cursed Rayden for his sneakiness.
As everyone reacted to what had just happened, no one expected that Lexi had a plan of her own. Away from the remaining Knight kids, a lone figure was preparing something to give them a surprise.
Lexi received word that the lone figure was ready. Giving the go-ahead, she turned to Rayden, still on the comms, and smirked.
"You're right, Ray. May the best Mandalorian win." She giggled, most of her earlier anger and shock replaced by a gloating smile.
"Wha—" Before Rayden could ask what she meant, he received word from his team that they were being ambushed.
Shock plastered itself across his face.
The team was being gunned down by a stun turret.
"You moved the turret from your base just to set up an ambush?" Bewildered and impressed at the same time, Rayden looked at her gloating face and asked.
"Yep, I knew you would try something, and I was right! But you didn't expect I would counter-ambush, did you, Ray?" Lexi hummed, bragging about one-upping him.
"You got one up on me, Lexi, but don't underestimate us Knights."
He looked back at the battle and realized he was right. His troops were able to take cover quickly and, just as quickly, take out the turret gunner—not without taking casualties first.
Of the originally eight, only three remained. They were the ones farthest from where the gunner started firing. That gave them enough time to take cover and allow two of them to draw fire while the last circled and eliminated the gunner.
Lexi, seeing that the turret had taken out most but not all of his troops, felt slightly disappointed, but it still gave them a fighting chance for the next battle.
"Hey Lex, thanks for the turret," she heard Rayden's voice, and that's when she realized she had just handed him a powerful weapon to use against her.
"Shit," she muttered, hanging her head down.
=====
The three returned with the turret, slowly making their way back through the base to meet Rayden. As they trudged through the corridors, their tired but resolute eye shone after tasting another victory out in the field.
As they entered the command center, Rayden was standing at the main console, directing the other kids to set up defense facing the Serdran base. Turning to the trio after talking to George about the fortifications, he gave them a congratulatory clap and a nod, pride glinting in his eyes before diving into a detailed briefing of the situation outside.
Everyone in the base was determined to win, and that showed in their work.
After a brief break filled with light banter and quiet reflection, the three rejoined their clansmen, their bodies rested, to prepare for the final clash. Lexi and her teammates were doing the same from their base, steeling themselves for the imminent fight.
Noticing that both teams were planning to stay holed up in their respective bases, the clan leader decided to spark some excitement into the match.
"Testing," came a voice over the loudspeakers throughout the arena, sending a shiver of anticipation through every participant.
"Welcome to the final battle match in this battle royale! On the right, we have Clan Knight, led by Rayden, and on the left, Clan Serdran, led by Lexi," Elyse announced, her voice booming with an enthusiastic tone reminiscent of a sports commentator.
The spotlight momentarily illuminated her as she struck a pose, drawing cheers from the crowd gathered around.
"The clan leaders have decided to introduce a twist to encourage both teams to engage rather than turtle in their bases." She paced back and forth, her gestures animated, amplifying the tension building in the air.
Varn looked at his wife, shaking his head while smiling, delighting in the spark of joy lit in her eyes. It was adorable to see her embrace the moment with such vigor.
"During the team rounds, Clan Knight scored a total of 495 points, while Clan Serdran scored 380 points. The clan leaders have chosen a two-fold approach to increase the stakes. First, if more than three players from the same clan are guarding their base at a time, a timer will start," she paused for dramatic effect, scanning the audience with a sly grin.
"You may be wondering what this timer does—"
Torin leaned over to whisper to Varn, "She's having too much fun with this."
"Yes, she is, but it adds more flair to the competition. Just sit back and enjoy her performance," Varn whispered back, chuckling.
"The timer will count up, and for each minute more than three players from the same clan are in their base, that clan will lose points. You might be asking how many points," Elyse continued. The atmosphere grew heavier with tension as everyone leaned in closer to hear.
"It's exponential! Two points will be deducted after the first minute, then three for the next, four for the minute after that, five, and so on," she explained, her voice rising with excitement.
Rayden and Lexi exclaimed in unison, "Damn it, that's harsh!" The implications of the new rule settled over them like a weight; this would make it incredibly challenging to defend their bases, rendering many meticulously laid plans nearly useless.
If even one person entered the base to help defend it, the timer would start, and they couldn't afford to lose points, even if they eventually claimed victory. Winning would feel like a hollow victory if a third of their points vanished in the end.
"But we're not done yet. Oh no, we've saved the best for last! We will be deploying release devices around the battlefield." The crowd buzzed with murmurs of curiosity.
"But Elyse, what do these devices release?" one brave team member shouted from the back. "Great question!" she chirped, "The devices will release sleep gas."
"There are two types: one will go off randomly, acting like mines scattered throughout the field. The other will create a perimeter so that the players can only stay inside and fight. If they get too close to the perimeter for too long, it will trigger an alert and release the gas." The implications of her statement sent ripples of apprehension through both teams.
Many in the crowd were stunned that the clan leaders would choose to do this.
"That's all for our little twist! To be fair, we will give both teams two minutes to prepare under these new rules before they must engage in battle," Elyse smirked, her tone soft yet mischievous, taking pleasure in the chaos she had just unleashed.
The players felt goosebumps hearing how little time they were given while she pretended to be fair. Adrenaline flooded their bodies as anxiety and exhilaration coursed through them; they had two precious minutes to rethink their strategies and prepare for the most unpredictable and exciting battle of the competition.