Knocking down the Stalk

Ye Chong waited right outside the door, silently like a huntsman’s jaguar standing by in the dark corners. He was anticipating the moment for the prey to be immobile. As Ye Chong explored the pirate ship all the way, he encountered nobody. It was as if the whole craft was a fraud, a hollow shell filled with no one. That was his impression till he hit the main control room and his ears caught some mumbles. He stopped by and hid himself.

He peeked into the control room. There were only 2 persons. Apparently the one with an eye-patch at the side seemed to be the leader… judging by how his only eye blinked with charisma as he spoke to another who seemed to be in respect… a respect by fear…

Ye Chong’s fingers fiddled the dagger in his waist. The laser sword was too long to be carried around in a small space like this. Plus, the light it produced was too distinctive, it would alert the enemy in no time. As soon as he made his way into the craft, he dropped it somewhere in the darker corner of the corridor. He also discarded the space suit since that plump thing was too clumsy to walk with.

Mr. One-eye was giving commands through the interface projected before him, while Willow stood behind his supreme leader. Both of them were facing their backs to Ye Chong outside.

He waited on, waited for the best time to strike!

Mr. One-eye muffled some considerable matters and disconnected the transmission, gasping in the end. That’s the moment Ye Chong had been waiting for!

Ye Chong tiptoed, his back slightly hunched, and sneaked to the back of Mr. One-eye. The thick carpet over the floor of the control room was such an advantage to keep his movement silent. Mr. One-eye who had spent almost his whole life dancing between the brink of life and death seemed to have his instinct surprisingly calling, calling him to take a glance to his back as he sensed something.

Damn! Ye Chong was agitated! He sprang up on his legs and pounced quickly, with the dagger in his right hand stinging like the venom of a snake. The process was fast, accurate and painful. As usual, he did not held back. The next moment after that was him locking his dagger right onto Mr. One-eye’s neck. From his experience, he could guarantee that if this blow was landed right, his neck would have a huge cut!

Mr. One-eye could hear the wind whooshing from his back. Terrified, he couldn’t be bothered of how graceless he would look, he lifted himself off the armrest and bounced off like a ball, rolling to the front as he dodged this very blow from Ye Chong. Of course, as past experience taught him well, right as he bounced off, he switched on the transmitter.

Willow the strategist didn’t seem to have reacted in time. He only saw how his supreme leader rolled on the carpet out of a sudden and was in deep confusion. What the heck is our leader doing?

Ye Chong thought he would have landed the hit, but in fact he didn’t. That was uncalled for… He couldn’t help but flinch a little. Then his sight shifted upon the Willow guy frozen at the side. Intuitively, he launched his left fist upon his waist. Wham! Willow was sent flying like a ragged doll, in a gorgeous curve, right onto the wall as blood splashed and painted the plain white wall a mural of cherry blossoms.

Mr. One-eye who witnessed the power of a mere punch being this devastating had his face drained of colour! Ye Chong was going to react.

Beep! Ye Chong jumped at the interface suddenly popping out.

The grunt in the screen was stupefied, wondering why his leader called him right after the transmission was ended. “What’s your command, sir?” He asked.

“Are you dumb or what!” Mr. One-eye couldn’t control and baffled, “I command your dumbass! Don’t you have eyes or something? Don’t you see I’m getting assaulted? How about you act fast and cal-” He choked on his words and his rampaging temper was abruptly extinguished, as he saw Ye Chong jumping onto him.

He knew well in his mind, as long as he bought himself a little bit more time, his men would make it here. Just one more minute… No! Half a minute maybe! Comforting himself in his mind.

He went dizzy for a brief moment while Ye Chong then had already haunted right in front of him. He was travelling like a phantom in the room, with the blade of his dagger glowing coldly as he brandished it, making orbits and orbits that flashed one after another.

The afterimages further frightened the old pirate. His face paled further. He was not expecting a mere man having such strength would also possess such horrifying agility. His past reminded him of how he recognized the capability of immense speed more than immense strength. Immense strength could be threatening, but not as practical as immense speed. Speed, brutality and accuracy. It’s always speed that mattered most. There had been a saying among the pirates – Nothing shalt avoid its defeat, unless speed it was. One could only have either. With great strength you let go of your dexterity, and vice versa. However if there would be an exception to this balance, one who possessed both immense strength and speed… that would be…

A. Big. Terror.

Mr. One-eye never thought of having such an encounter today, with such a powerful force. His hope sank over time.

He reacted reflexively in the experience of a great man like himself. He knew he couldn’t dodge, so, girtting his teeth, he raised his arms and warded himself from the fatal blow!

Sphhhlt! Crack! It was the sound of the blade piercing the flesh at first, followed by the bone crushes. Ahhhh! Mr. One-eye shrieked. The pain penetrated right through his marrow, flooding his thoughts like a tsunami wave. He wanted to do something. He needed to something! How to do it? His subconscious urged him to do something, anything would do, as long as the pain could be lessened.

Ye Chong noticed the moment when Mr. One-eye was shouting in pain, the opportunity when he loosened his guard. Clink! He pulled out his dagger from the flesh, blood poured out like fountain. His eyes locked on, with the dagger locked right onto the throat, like a snake’s fangs. It didn’t miss this time!

The one eye on his face bloated, like a dead fish he was, glared at Ye Chong, as if he was in disbelief of what had happened to himself. One hand holding his throat, while his lips lifted, wanting to mutter some words but only fizzes rushed out like a broken pipe. The blood gargled out of his mouth next. It lasted for a few seconds before the old pirate collapsed into the annals of history.

The grunt in the interface was shocked by the sight. His brain remained malfunctioned. He couldn’t react and could only watch on. It was when he saw his leader collapse, he only reacted, in screams and shouts.

Ye Chong glanced nonchalantly and shut down the transmitter.

The next thing on the list… Ye Chong was aware of. One last thing to do. Run!

He hopped onto the control seat and piloted the ship backwards. As this was the first hand-on experience to pilot an actual space craft for him, he acted rather awkwardly. There was quite a number of guarding crafts nearby and Ye Chong crashed into them occasionally as he made his way to escape.

The crewmen on the ships outside did not know their leader’s death. They just assumed it was one of the mischievous moments by their head. Moreover such minute impact wouldn’t harm their ships that much. So the crewmen just laughed on as they watched their leader entertaining them like a clown. It would be a precious moment to behold! Of seeing the leader acting like a joke!

It didn’t take long till Ye Chong got a hold of it. He realized it wasn’t that much of a difference compared to piloting a mech.

…

Back on the battlefield, Fid was pleading in agony. These pirates couldn’t stop harassing! His team was running low on power for their mechs. But the constant harassment was preventing them to refill. It would only take about 2 to 3 more minutes before he and his team would be hunted like a pen of helpless lambs by a pack of wolves outside. He was almost depressed.

Out of the blue, something occurred on the battlefield. Something strange!

It began with one of the pirates stopping the attack, then the next and the others… as if an infection, in less than half a minute, almost the entire crew held their attacks.

Fid, witnessing such a creepy sight before him, was puzzled.

Was this another diabolical plan by the filthy owls? These crewmen did not need conspicuous tricks like these! Or had mercy got into their heads to let us all go? No way! Pfft! Barbarians like the pirates would be religious enough to spare the life of others? Then I must be a saint too!

Fid ceased his thoughts. He saved his speculation and commanded his team to head back and refill immediately. He couldn’t bear to lose this very chance.

He evacuated the team and ran back for his life. He turned his head as he escaped, which the sight nearly widened his eye balls. The enemies… The enemies! They… They turned back and ran too! They even fled faster than our team! Out of shock, his craft almost crashed into a vessel, such an unwieldly act he did!

It was still a scorching battlefield with bombardments and slaughters.

The next second, it was nothing.