[S] Team Rumba

[Burter]

PCs: Pan, Sazuaa

The troops of the Rumba group were the first to move out from the Croix Noir castle. Led by a small girl, many soldiers questioned whether or not she could actually live up to the General image. Still, no one questioned Zarbon as he was fresh off a coup de tat.

The troops marched away from the castle in an organized fashion, conversing as Pand her luietenant led them away.

[Banned Dana]

?Seriously, who would put a child in charge of a unit, let alone make her a general??

?Yeah, I know. A tiny little girl leading all of us? We?re all going to die.?

Pan gritted her teeth and turned to face the ranks of her soldiers. Her face immediately began to take the dark shade of maroon. Clenching her hands into fists, she walked up to the first soldier and looked directly up into his face. Levitating off of the ground, she came to eye level with him and then sighed.

?If any of you even so much as think to disobey a direct order.? threatened the thirteen year old. ?I swear to all that?s holy I?ll make you regret it. And if you think I?m joking around, try me.?

Looking over the command, she smiled, hopefully that was enough to teach them some respect. Lowering back to the ground and marching back to the lead, she glanced around and noted the terrain. Hoping that she had actually made the right decision by yelling at her troops, the young general closed her eyes, but felt a tap on her shoulder. Simply shaking her head, she felt the presence of someone?s mouth closing in on her lips.

?Oh my god, he?s going to kiss me!? thought Pan as the heat from the mouth grew ever so close. ?No, not like this! I don?t want my first kiss to be like this!?

Grabbing the hand that still sat upon her shoulder, the tiny Halfling squeezed hard and pulled forward. Using her hip, she thrust the kisser forward, sending him up and over her body. Yanking down hard, she drove him hard into the ground, splintering it out in all directions. With a look of contempt, she wiped off her hands and marked briskly from the man.

Ignoring the chorus of chuckles, Pan looked out over the surrounding area and noticed them heading in the right direction, thankfully. Holding up her hand and motioning for everyone to follow after her, the Sayajiness glanced backwards and noticed that man she had driven into the ground motion for them to follow after. After a series of doubtful grunts, the soldiers packed up and followed after her, or rather him. Slowing down so the man could gain on her, Pan looked up at the soldier and noticed that he was a Lieutenant.

?The name is Justinian ma?am.? reported the soldier. ?And no worries miss, I wasn?t attempting to steal your first kiss.?

Pan blushed.

?I would advice you, General, that you should take this job a bit more serious or the others won?t take your words seriously.? Instructed the Lieutenant. ?And trust me when I say that it?ll be important down the road, especially if you plan on surviving the war.?

Pan looked forward and kept marching.

?You seem to know a lot about war.? replied Pan with a smirk. ?You wouldn?t happen to be trying to take my position, would you??

Justinian laughed nervously.

?Ah, no ma?am.? he replied quickly. ?I?m quite pleased with my current position, General just isn?t something I?m striving for, yet at least.?

Pan laughed back, though everyone could tell her words weren?t light hearted.

?You?ll be too to remember that soldier.? she replied coolly as she turned to face the fleet. ?That goes for all of you piss ants. If any of you try anything, so help me god I will destroy the very thing that makes you all men, and for all you women and asexuals, I?ll simply pluck the humanity from your souls and devour them in front of your families, got it??

A synchronized chorus of ?yes ma?am?s rang out into the air as Pan turned once again to lead their command off into what seemed to be a rather desolate plain. Tapping Justinian on the side, she turned her face up and questioned the soldier.

?Who?s our strongest soldier, registered at least?? she inquired.

After peering through a single booklet that he had locked against his belt, Justinian found one name that stuck out from all the others. Looking down at his commander, he made a gesture that was only nodded to in response. Turning around and calling the flight to halt, he allowed a moment of shuffling before barking his commands.

?Soldier Sauzaa come forward!? shouted the Lieutenant. Looking down at Pan, he smiled. ?This one is pretty powerful, he?d make a find soldier for the job.?

Pan looked shocked, she hadn?t even announced the plan yet, but before she could question Justinian, Sauzaa approached and after a quick bow of the head, smirked.

?You called??

Pan nodded.

?We need to make sure that we?re not attacked, so I?m going to send you forward a few hundred yards ahead of us.? commanded Pan as she scratched her head. ?Take as many soldiers and one medic as you see fit. I trust your judgment, but don?t let me down or it?s not only your life you?ll need to worry about, savvy??

Sauzaa nodded and turned to gather his own small flight and Pan returned to Justinian who gave her a thumbs up. It seemed things were going good for now, but for how long, she didn?t want to know.


OOC: Sauzaa, take any amount of soldiers, make any NPC's you want and all that, just state how many are going with you. You're group is to go ahead a few hundred yards as sweepers to be the first wave if anyone attacks.

[Banned Dana]

After Sauzaa and his troops pushed forward, the tiny Sayajiness called her own soldiers to march once again and with grunts of disobedience, the gathered themselves and continued onward. Justinian made it a point to keep up with the tiny woman as she began to pick up the pace. So far, he was trust worthy, but something about him just gave Pan the willies.

?Perhaps I should be your voice ma?am.? spoke the lieutenant as he caught up with the General. ?the men will probably work better with someone a tab bit, older, barking out the orders. Nothing against you general, but listening to a thirteen year old give orders in a war is like listening to your own death sentence. You just give me the orders and I?ll command the troops, sound like a plan??

Pan didn?t respond at first, but she knew that it could work out to her advantage to have a ?voice?. Hoping and praying that she wasn?t going to make a mistake in allowing her lieutenant this much power, the teenager shook her head. If there was one thing she did know, was that giving up her power to voice herself would instantly lower her command and though the troops would possibly see it better coming from a man that was much older, Pan knew that she could do just as good on her own.

?I?ll think about it Justinian, but for now, I just need you to watch my back.? smirked Pan as she turned westward.

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A few hours later, Pan and undoubtedly her entire fleet were growing quite fatigued under the scorching sun. Calling for a halt and a fall out, she got her first cheer as she initiated a few minutes of down time. Smiling as the cheer died down, the Sayajiness took refuge under a tree and out of the sunlight. Justinian and a few infantry soldiers kept guard on the general by forming a parameter around her, but far enough to as to not disturb her.

Opening her eyes, Pan spotted the lieutenant whispering commands to what looked to be a sniper. A feeling of caution swept over the girl as she continued to watch them send quiet messages between themselves. Wondering what they were talking about, the Halfling whistled and motioned for the humanoid to come to her. Nodding once, he turned and fired a looked at the sniper then briskly marched to Pan.

?What was that all about?? she questioned with haste.

?I?m going to have a few snipers keep watch.? spat Justinian with a hint of disrespect in his voice. ?there?s nothing worse then having someone sneak up on you and kill you from a distance.?

Pan frowned and squinted her eyes. There was something that she just didn?t get about her lieutenant; he didn?t seem to be acting like his true self, whatever that was. Grabbing onto his arm as he made to stand up, Justinian looked down at her and for the first time, she saw hatred. Her face instantly hardened and she stood to her feet. Looking the humanoid directly in the face, she balled up her fists at her sides.

?What?s with the front lieutenant?? demanded Pan as she began to levitate.

The manlike creature snarled and shook his head. Balling up his hands into fists as well, he turned to find a group of soldiers has formed around the two, obviously aware of the friction between general and lieutenant. It seemed that everyone expected something to happen soon, but neither person moved a muscle.

?Trust me when I say that you don?t want me to be my real self.? spat Justinian as he cringed. ?I wouldn?t want to make a little girl cry.?

Pan?s anger got the best of her. Lashing out with a balled up fist, she struck the lieutenant hard in the face, knocking him to the ground. Grabbing his nose and looking up at the girl as though she were some kind of freak, he scrambled to his feet and snarled once again. The entire surrounding area had become deathly silent and all eyes were firmly gazed upon the general and her subordinate.

Lowering herself to the ground, she shook her head and pointed to the rest of the soldiers.

?If any of you want to survive this war, do not, I repeat, do not put up a front.? commanded the teenager. ?I need all of you to act as you would had you not been forced into a war, got it??

A chorus of yes ma?ams rang out through the air once again and Pan turned to return to her shade, but not before motioning for Justinian to follow. Reluctant at first, the lieutenant slowly followed after the general. Motioning for him to sit, the Sayajiness called for a medic to look at the humanoid?s bleeding nose.

?Good news is,? began Justinian. ?I think you just earned the respect of your soldiers and my nose isn?t broken, the bad news, I?m bleeding.?

Pan chuckled.

?Just be yourself, don?t play around anymore.? commanded Pan lighthearted, but seriously. ?I?m a big girl, I can handle it.?

Justinian nodded.

?Yes ma?am.?

[Banned Dana]

?Listen up guys. Tonight, we rest and have a good time, tomorrow, we work as hard as we can. So far, you?ve all done a great job and I respect you all for that. And I know that I?m not exactly what you would consider the ?normal general?, but with your help, we can work through these problems.?

Pan turned to the nearest trooper and nodded. The soldier turned and pulled something from his bag. Spinning the leather oval around in his palm he tossed it to the general who smirked. Spinning it on her finger, the Sayajiness pointed to another male soldier.

?You?re a team captain and you over there, you?re a team captain. Select seven people each and play a bit of football.? she tossed the pigskin to the soldier, who smiled widely at his general. ?As for the rest of you, split up into teams. For the next few hours, we?ll have ourselves a football tournament, just do yourselves a favor and don?t kill each other, we have plenty of time to die and tonight is not that time.?

The soldiers let out a roar of approval and they began to divide into different groups, each of which held seven soldiers, but as the ranks began to wither down, one team was left with only six. As the downed team looked around, they found only one person that remained, but he was speaking to the general.

?Get this message to them as quickly as possible and then return as soon as you can. Make haste, there?s no telling when I?ll need you again.? commanded the general to the messenger, who merely nodded before rushing off into the distance.

Looking around the fields, Pan smiled, it seemed as though the soldiers were enjoying themselves, for now. Unsure as to how much longer she would be able to keep them entertained and not at her throat, the tiny Halfling began to worry, but her concentration was broke as someone shouted out her name.

?General Pan, how?s about it?? questioned the voice.

Pan looked over to the right and noticed six men standing around tossing a football around. Cocking her head to the side, she wasn?t sure what they wanted, but she was hoping that it wasn?t to play. Walking leisurely over to the six needy soldiers, the Syntech General smiled and flipped her hair out of her face. Stopping a few feet from the group and placed her hands on her hips and chuckled.

?Let me guess, you want me to play?? asked Pan, though she already knew the answer, even though she didn?t want to hear it. After a quick nod, she sighed. ?Remember that if I do you this favor, you need to work twice as hard tomorrow, deal??

After another nod, she tied her hair behind her head and began to stretch out her arms and legs. Watching as the rowdy men began to beat their chests, smack each other on the head, and begin to rough house; Pan began to wonder if it was smart for her to join up with these soldiers. Wishing that she could ask Justinian, the teenager kicked herself for allow him to go with Sauzaa to press on.

?You coming?? yelled the soldier. ?Get over here by Leo, you?re going to be wide receive this down.?

Pan nodded and jogged over to a rather rough looking soldier who bore a medics patch. Nodding to each other, the Sayajiness and medic looked forward and glanced at their competition. Two huge men stood before them, each looking as though they could crush the two of them with ease. Gulping, Pan waited for the snap, which came sooner than she expected.

OOC: Some down time for the soldiers so they don?t break mentally?it?s what we did while on a deployment in Guam..it really helps. =D

[Banned Dana]

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END OF DAY 2
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After a great tease of a game of American football, Pan and her soldiers closed off the night with a cheer as one of the teams were victorious in the finale of the tournament. It had been a great, surprisingly clean, series of games and the worst injury that there was happened to be only the losers pride and even that was raised up as an announcement was made.

?Gentleman, ladies, and everyone in between. Raise your glasses.? yelled out Pan, who held in her hand a glass of clear liquid. ?Today was fun and you all played well, but the time of fun and games are over, tomorrow begins a new day, and the start of our first task. We will be building Aztec, a watch tower, only twenty of you will work at a time, meanwhile, the rest will stake out, 500 yards in all directions, making a complete circle to protect the perimeter. But that?s tomorrow, tonight, sleep well, have good dreams, and may the glory of tomorrow keep your spirits high. Enjoy.?

The speech, though improvised, came out as though it had been scripted many a years ago. Its passion, it?s drive, sent a shiver of pride down each soldiers back and as they downed their beverages, they found themselves feeling as a unit for the first time. Tonight, they would sleep as a family and tomorrow, they would unit once again, as a unit. They were going to be undefeated in this game and that alone was enough to drive each soldier to their best.

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DAY 3
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Night came and went quickly and soon, Pan found herself being woken by a rough looking man donning a medics patch. Glancing at his name badge, it read ?Leo?, it was the same guy from the football game. Rubbing her eyes and stretching her arms, she let her feet dangle off the side of her cot as she stood and nearly fell over. Catching her in his arms, Leo smiled as he looked down on her, but Pan simply shrugged him off and began to dress into her battle uniform.

?I beg your pardon ma?am, but a messenger has just arrived from Commander Zarbon, it?s urgent, it seems as though the war is about to begin.? the medic spoke quickly, but surely, obviously not to startle Pan, but to make her aware. ?Our help is needed; shall I show you the orders??

Pan glared at the soldier.

?Do I have reason to distrust you Leo?? she questioned as she tugged on her shirt. ?If not, than I suppose that I shall believe you until I have reason. As for this reason, I will leave you in charge of a flight of twenty support soldiers. You are to complete the tower within twenty four hours, or I?ll have your head, understand??

Leo nodded with a smile and turned to the messenger, who handed him a piece of paper. Moving up to his general, he placed the scripture on the desk next to her and backed away quickly, giving her some space. The messenger sudden became quiet antsy.

?The coordinates, ma?am.? spoke Leo after glancing at the glazed eyes of the soldier. ?it would seem as though they are just out of a twenty four our travel distance, from this location anyway, however, if you move quickly, you may have a decent chance of getting their before its over.?

Pan shook her head and looked at the paper. Smiling, she turned to the medic and cocked a brow.

?You underestimate me my good sir.? she replied. ?Just because I am only thirteen doesn?t mean that I can?t make that kind of trip in twenty four hours. Are you trying to imply something Sir Leo??

Leo?s face blushed dark red and the medic became deathly silent. Shaking her head once again she smiled.

?I?m joking of course.? she laughed. ?Leo, go gather twenty men and begin on the tower, the rest of us shall begin moving out as soon as possible.?

Leo smirked after the blood left his face.

?The tower is already under construction, but I shall choose twenty fresh legs and the rest will be yours.? Leo instituted. ?Good luck to you madam, I look forward to being under your grace later on.?

Pan smiled and placed her last boot on her feet and hurried out of the tent. A long journey into war was ahead of them, were they ready?


OOC: I apologize for not getting it up sooner. I had work, school, a business meeting, a doctors appointment, had to buy a new phone, and sleep...lots and lots of sleep. I'm having surgery tomorrow, so I'll be around ALL the time for the next 2 weeks.