THE UNDEFEATED
The legoan's chest tore open as the Axe cleaved through it, the man tumbling through the clearing to the edge of the hillside. The wound oozed gallons of blood, spraying across the trees, coating their branches with blood as the legoan's back cracked against the outcropping, ridged stone drilling into him as he fell stiff and broken. Trees swaying to either side as the Titan stepped out from the forest of basalt to join him. Foot rising to pin the Legoan's chest against rock, holding the dying man in place. Aureate eyes looked about the sunset lit cities of Lego, carved among the spires, the natural beauty of the planet was unmistakable. Long shadows extended outward across one and other, blood-orange sun casting glimmers against the bronze rock all around them. Gunboats flew overhead, darting between the spires as the enemy artillery cannons ripped shades of green through the air, battering the sound barrier with each fired bolt.
The Axe brunt with a fluorescent red in his left, high above in low orbit the Divine Brutality fought against the opposing enemy fleet, a composition of smaller ships. He nor the fleetmaster recognised them, but they fell all the same. With the slightest of efforts, the pressure applied on the man crushed the edge of the rock, the body concaving as a gush of blood spurted up to Tathra's knee. The clatter of metal boots came from behind as the Honour Guard's darted between the trees of basalt; coming to the edge of the clearing as well. Two in total, the half-jaw and one his eyes did not recognise. With an exhale, steam curled out from his nostrils, stepping down from the destroyed ridge.
"Their vanguard is destroyed, any who remain have been chased into the forest. We wasted time fighting them, Sire." The half-jaw spoke, a hand gesturing to the canyon below and the city built into the spires.
He was by no means mistaken, but Tathra found it a shame that the obvious did not occur to him. It was wasted time in a practical sense, but not a moral one. It would've been wrong to simply use orbital bombardment to smash them into pieces.
"They rode out to meet us. Honour would dictate we do the same."
He explained, turning to the two as he accessed the Mind Stone - calling their Gunboat to them. Tathra was calm, collected. His mind nearly elsewhere, thinking on greater matters. There were choices to make, hard ones. But that did not provide him opportunity to set aside his duty to teach those who came after.
"We must always test ourselves. Remember."
