The Rebellion

[TheRaisin]

In the interest of bringing meaning to your bleak, meaningless lives, I have decided to once again try my hand at crafting a fanfic. Hope it doesn't suck!

Clecky shifted nervously as the trio of blimps drew closer.
"Stand still!" another Mud ordered in a hushed tone.
"They're going to find us!" Flit said in a shrill and nervous tone. "They're going to find us and make us mop floors or make Slog fodder out of us or experiment on us or..."
Dwight smacked him in the face and clapped a hand over his mouth, but the nervous, insubordinate Mudokon would not be silenced.
"They'll kill us all!" he shouted, abandoning silence. "They'll find us and kill us if we stay here! I don't know about you losers, but I want to live!"
With that, he leaped out of the small grove and sprinted away from the massive machines, abandoning the only cover for miles in the barren wasteland.
"Ha! I'm not gonna die like a cornered rat! See you losers when you're..." zzzZZZAP! A bolt of burning red energy streaked from the blimp at the center of the V formation like a sword across the sky, leaving a small, blackened crater where Flit had been. Having presumably met their quota of "renegade" Mudokon kills, the blimps turned and headed back toward the icy, lifeless mountain range at the edge of the horizon, at the heart of which was stationed Vykkers Labs Type II (#28), performing classified experiments in total secrecy.
When the blimps were vague blobs on the horizon, Dwight, the leader of the resistance group, turned to his twenty-three Mudokons and let out a sigh of relief. While Flit hadn't intended to sacrifice himself, that was exactly what had happened. The pitiful group silently set out towards the distant forest, offering comments of gratitude as they passed Flit's blackened grave.

So, whaddya think? Is it worthy? Just you wait, there's more to come!

[TheRaisin]

The small rebel group was entering its fourth year of existance. It was officially known as "The Mudokon Freedom and Civil Rights Movement", but as the group's numbers and morale slowly dwindled away to almost nothing, so did their inclination to call it that, until it was more like a twisted, humorless joke. Now they simply addressed each other by name. They had started out with over 100 members, enough to do a few pinpricks worth of damage to the Cartel. But over the years they had been killed, captured, injured, or otherwise lost, bit by bit, until less than a quarter of their original numbers remained. Now, disheartened by yet another loss (even though they'd all hated Flit), they had to admit to the truth: they had lost. In fact, they had never had a chance. So, with a heavy sense of defeat and weary bodies, they returned to the small strip of forest from whence they came, where various Mudokon villages were scattered. It was an extremely narrow domain, as to the west was an industrious portion of the vile Glukkon empire stretching all the way to the sickly-looking sea, and to the east stood the looming Kintosian Mountain Range, a formidable obstacle made even more dangerous by the fact that Vykker forces inhabited the deep caves and tunnels. Beyond that was a vast desert that almost seemed to be there for the sole purpose of keeping this particularly nasty part of the Glukkon/Vykker empire from spreading, and to keep the rest of Mudos away, although it was pointless anyway: the Cartel controlled most of Mudos, as it was scattered across myriad stretches and patches of land throughout the continent.
As the despairing Muds made their way back to their doomed home, they kept silent, absorbed in private thoughts. The few that had yet to give up hope and resign themselves to being slaves considered how they could possibly win their freedom now. It appeared that they would need a miracle, and, unbeknownst to them, that's just what they were going to get.

Okay, Chapter II down. Send your comments, suggestions, praise, exaltations, and money.

[TheRaisin]

So, it's the third chapter. Mmmmmkay. Hope you likey. (BTW, if you don't know Roman numerals, I suggest you learn.)

Clecky, Splint, and Dipp sat playing cards. Iggy and Dirk lobbed a ball back and forth. Everyone was just piddling time away, waiting for something to happen. Some just slept. They had mostly resigned themselves to wearing pinstripe suspenders and a degrading hat for the rest of their lives. But four still had hope and determination. In an empty corner of the large, mostly unused HQ (a reminder of how many they had lost, and how they had fallen apart), Dwight, Down, Carver, and Wurm sat discussing ways of strengthening their numbers.
Down, Carver, and Wurm were siblings, and their self-appointed nicknames reflected their individual skills. Down, the only female of the three, was an expert fletcher, able to make the truest-flying arrows of anyone in the forest, and had taken a great liking to birds, hence the name. Carver, one of the two brothers, could carve perfectly straight arrow shafts without any tools except a good stone knife, relying solely on intuition to tell him when a shaft was straight, and could whittle arrowheads down to perfectly symmetrical needle-points. Wurm was a weaver, able to produce thread that rivaled paramite silk, and could tie knots so strong and complex, even he could barely undo them. Together, they had amassed a small fortune making and selling crafts, mainly arrows, and all three were experts with arrows and other projectile weapons.
Dwight, while not possessing any particular skills as great as the trio's, lent a hand in everything, having a basic knowledge of almost all crafts, and was a quite brilliant tactician and coordinater, and had thus been dubbed the unofficial leader by his peers. But even he had his limits, and knew he would need great numbers and some plain heroism to win freedom from the gluttonous Gluks. Which was why he asked the question he asked at that point:
"Do you think Abe makes house calls?"
It was a pretty unlikely plan, but then again, Abe had been on vacation for months, ever since he and Munch had blown up Vykker Labs. Maybe he had time for a little task like this. The only problem was, no one knew where he was, or how to reach him.
"I've got an idea," Down said, and bolted out the door and towards the small outbuilding which served as her own private aviary. She returned with a sleek-looking bird with piercing, intelligent eyes. A message was strapped to it's left leg. The four Mudokons rushed to a window, and Down gave some complicated instructions in the bird's own tongue, then did a fair imitation of The Almighty Raisin. The bird nodded, hopped onto the windowsill, then took off.
"Now, we wait... and hope for the best."

Wow! Okay. Glad I got that out of my system. So, send, send, send those comments (and point out any spelling mistakes, they drive me nuts!).

[TheRaisin]

The sleek, intelligent-looking bird proved to be a fast and effective messenger: the four planners had to wait only 48 hours for The Raisin's reply. As Dwight unclipped the small scroll from the bird's leg and read it to the others, their spirits fell.
"It sounds like a noble cause, and I'm sure Abe will be happy to help. Unfortunately, he's somewhere on the eastern coast. You'll have to go find him to get his help. Find Abe, and then... and then..."
They sat in stunned silence. Finally, Carver spoke up.
"We have to cross the entire continent to get Abe's help?"
"Sounds like it," Dwight said.
"Okay."
They immediately began making plans.

An hour later, they began preparations. They would travel light: all three siblings would ride elums, and they would tow a meetle to carry supplies. The large creature would slow them down somewhat, but it would allow them to leave their supplies for a short while and scout ahead if necessary, leaving the elums unburdened except for their riders. Down, the best archer of the three, would carry a bow and one quiver of arrows for combat, plus an extra quiver packed away for hunting. Carver, being the strongest, would carry a long pike, a javelin for throwing, and a sling (for which he could find pebbles along the way). Wurm would carry only a whip for a weapon, leaving himself room for rope, tools, and a small survival pack. Three shortswords would be kept on the meetle, just in case. Also, a small perch would be set up on top of the supplies for the messenger bird, so the search party could keep in touch with Dwight, who would be staying behind to lead the rest of the group as they prepared themselves for the imminent war, making weapons, stockpiling supplies, and scrounging up what recruits they could before Abe came, although the only way the plan could work would be if Abe could strengthen their numbers ten times over. Then would come the hard part: the war. The plan was to go as far as they could into the mountains before they were noticed, then punch a hole in the defense forces surrounding Vykker Labs. They knew they wouldn't be able to slip in, as security in the Cartel and the Vykker Labs installations had quadrupled since Abe and Munch's little escapade. When they had gotten into Vykker Labs, they would take control: they knew there had to be some master control center, and they intended to take it. Then... well, then they might just have a chance to do some damage. But right now they had to focus on the problem at hand.

Okay, this might turn out to be a longer story than I had expected. But unlike my other stories, I intend to finish this one.

[Sekto Springs]

Oddito ergo sum! mega cool story.......

[TheRaisin]

Alrighty, chapter V is dedicated to my first and so far only replier, sligslinger!


Down, Carver, and Wurm set out early the next morning. Wurm, the lightest of the three, rode on the back of the meetle so he could focus his attention on the sky while they rode out across the open plains, while Down and Carver towed his elum in addition to the meetle. It was important to keep close watch over the sky while riding across this vast, open land, as Vykker blimp patrols often swept the area.
Around midday, after hours of uneventful travel, his vigilance paid off, and he spotted a single blimp coming from the direction of the mountains. They quickly ran to the nearest grove of trees and waited for what seemed like hours as the blimp passed by. They were fortunate that it was a simple patrol blimp: the blimps deployed when searching for something in particular had special scanning equipment, and one of those might have spotted the group before Wurm spotted it, even with his powerful telescope.
The rest of the day passed without incident, and by the time the sun went down, they had entered the foothills of the great mountains. They made camp in a dense old growth grove, thankful that there was a dense forest at this altitude. Not being able to risk a fire lest they give themselves away, they ate a few cold biscuits and some jerky and went to sleep, taking sentry duty in rotation.
When day came, they set out again, and by midmorning, they were thankful that they had not betrayed their presence with a campfire, as they soon came across a Vykker installation. After a quick recon from the upper branches of a tree, they were relieved to find that it was only a remote research outpost. They saw three Interns guarding the small building, and guessed that there were at least six more inside, plus a Vykker-- two day shifts, a night shift, and a scientist. Knowing that these were easy odds, they quickly slew the on-duty guards with two skull-cracking slingstones and a perfectly executed arrow. Then Wurm cautiously(SP?) opened the door and his siblings jumped in, shortswords drawn, to find the room deserted. In a room to the left, they found a Vykker staring intently through a microscope, and killed him before he even noticed their presence. Then, venturing further into the building, they found a bunkroom where five Interns were slumbering peacefully. Although they hated to kill even such cruel creatures in their sleep, they could not risk leaving any alive to raise the alarm. After disposing of them, they scanned a small arms locker, took a few shocksticks and Snuzis, and left as silently as they came, like ghosts in the high-altitude forest mist. They had been lucky to catch this group off-guard, but they knew much more taxing obstacles awaited them, and they would need all the luck and skill they possessed to complete their mission.

Thanks again, sligslinger. If only some other people would follow your example and respond.

[Sekto Springs]

yes, you have so many views yet im the only replier, thanx for the cool chapter

[TheRaisin]

As the trio continued further into the dense pine forest, it grew more and more difficult to manuever the huge meetle through the tightly packed trees. Finally, they knew it could go no further into the dense forest, so Down and Carver took what supplies and weapons they would need to get over the mountains and tied the rest to the legs and underside of the lumbering beast, leaving the wings unbound, and lashed together a small rope harness for Wurm to ride in. He took off towards the other side of the mountain, where he would wait for the other two as they made their way over the mountain. He had to fly low so he could tow his elum from his aerial perch, using the whole length of rope they had brought.
Down and Carver set out once more, and by nightfall had come to yet another Vykker outpost. Seeing that this one was larger, and therefore probably more well-guarded, they cut around and continued for at least a mile before choosing a well-hidden place to sleep for the night, not wanting to be anywhere near the Vykkers when they slept. The next morning they came across yet another installation, this one even larger and more well guarded than the last. It was obvious that the further up they went, the more close together the outposts were, and more heavily guarded. Now they were constantly on edge, expecting a platoon of armored shooters to pop out of the underbrush at any moment and gun them down.
In the early afternoon, they came across another installation, and here faced a problem: a fifteen foot-high concrete wall topped with razor-wire stretched as far as the eye could see in either direction, broken only by a gate just large enough for two trucks to pass, with a guard tower on either side manned by an armored slig popper, with several armored Intern shooters milling around on the ground. The Vykkers rarely solicited the help of sligs, preferring to rely on Interns, but although Interns were unmatched for pure sadistic cruelty, sligs were much better warriors, and had much better shots. Though this alone would be enough to stop most intruders, but beyond that was a huge Vykker compound teeming with security forces. There was no doubt about it: this was a military installation, and this was where the security forces really started taking hold. Down and Carver guessed the huge barrier stretched around the whole mountain range: whatever the Vykkers were doing, they really didn't want anyone finding out, and they didn't want Abe messing it up.
As the two sat despondently trying to think of how they could get past the guards, one of them, an armored shooter, began to jerk violently. It quickly subsided, but the Mudokons, who were very attuned to spiritual power like Spooce, could see small blue lights floating around the Intern's head, winking in and out, and instantly they knew: "Abe!" they whispered in an almost reverent tone.
As if in response, the Intern began shooting the other two ground guards, knocking them down in turn so that every time one got up, it was knocked down again. The slig guards in the guard towers heard the commotion, but couldn't see anything because they were directly above it. The two Interns died quickly, and the sligs seemed to think that if they couldn't see it and could no longer hear it, it wasn't their concern.
Seizing the chance, Down grabbed her bow, selected one of the special, true-flying arrows she and her siblings had made, and let it fly, straight between two neck-plates on the armored slig to the right and into his spinal cord. He died instantly and almost noiselessly, only emitting a small yelp before slumping over onto the guardrail on the small tower.
"What?" asked the other slig. He turned to see the shaft of a sleek green-feathered arrow sticking out of his partner's body. Before the wheels in his tiny brain could turn and tell him to sound the alarm, a small, perfectly smooth slingstone flew from Carver sling, through the slig's goggle, penetrating his eye socket and lodging in his brain. With the other guards defeated, the one being possessed suddenly began to shudder, much more violently this time. Great ripples and waves rolled through his body, emanating from his chest and flowing to the ends of his limbs and head, until he simply blew apart like water after a boulder has been chucked into it, making a small wet popping noise.
As small gobs of flesh and bits of bone and metal fell to the ground, two figures dropped from a nearby tree. As they approached Down and Carver, the one with a dinky striped ponytail at the back of his head made a nonchalant greeting, as if nothing had just taken place:
"Heya, fellow chumps."

[Reptile]

my you're very talented, did anyone tell you that you'd make a good author?

[TheRaisin]

did anyone tell you that you'd make a good author?

No, but thank you. Unfortunately for you, I need a break. I've been doing this every day, sometimes twice, for the last five days. I need to enjoy this summer, darn it! So, break time, be back soon.

[TheRaisin]

Okay, sorry about the longer-than-expected hiatus. After my computer deleted the chapter I was going to post, I lost inspiration. But now, inspiration strikes!


As Abe lounged on his meetle, Wurm told Down and Carver about Abe's arrival.
"Apparently, after a few months on the coast, Abe payed The Almighty Raisin a visit, and he told Abe about what we're doing. So he jumped on his meetle and was flying to get to our HQ when I ran into him crossing the mountain. We circled back to find you, and I guess we did just in time."
"Well, it's a good thing you came, otherwise we would have had to spend months looking for Abe, and I think The Cartel is planning against us," Down said. "Now we might be able to get them before they get us."
Abe, who had been dozing after his long flight, leapt up at the prospect of striking a blow at the Magog Cartel.
"Well, what are we waiting for then?"

The return trip was quick and uneventful, and when they got back to the resistance headquarters, the three siblings were shocked to see that the number of Mudokons had doubled in the short time they had been away. Dwight approached them, with a smirk on his face and a smug tone in his voice.
"Over twenty new recruits in under a week. Speaking of which, why are you back so soon?"
Then Abe stepped out from behind the three siblings. Dwight looked awestruck and reverent at being so close to the living legend, and soon the whole room was silent. Then someone started chanting "Abe, Abe, Abe, Abe..." and soon it was taken up by the entire group.


Grr, that one really sucked. After the first one got deleted, I just couldn't get it to feel right. Next one'll be better, I promise.

[TheRaisin]

"Personnel list, current as of today; supply inventory; weapon inventory; map of the region, you'll notice we've marked our land, civilian Mudokon land, Gluk land, Vykker land, and uninhabited land; forces and outposts summary..."
"I think that's enough," Abe said, cutting Dwight off. Taking the stack of papers to a planning room, he began to work, with the help of Dwight, Down, Carver, and Wurm.
"Alright, we don't have time to focus on one task, so we split into units. First, we keep around 30 Mudokons here to make and stockpile weaponry. The remaining ten or so will scout for recruits. Dwight will stay at headquarters and oversee it all. We'll probably need five-hundred Mudokons all together, each armed with a minimum of one projectile weapon, ammunitions, and a short range combat weapon. The plan is simple, or maybe just not thought out well: we sneak up the mountain as far as we possibly can before getting noticed, then punch through the Vykker defenses. Once we get inside, we access the nearest computer terminal and find the location of the bridge. We fight our way to the bridge, seal it, and then gas all the compartments below it. Then we'll have an entire flying fortress and a small fleet of blimps. Using that, we destroy the ground installations, and then... well, then we can do something else."
"It's so crazy it just might work," Carver said.
"... Well, what are you waiting for?" Dwight said, and they all jumped to their tasks.


Okay, I know that wasn't great, but I promise it's gonna start picking up. And I promise I won't do any more with only dialogue, 'cause that just plain sucks.

[TheRaisin]

A month of hard work passed, with the resistance growing in numbers and potency every day. With Abe's help, and his natural knack for raising morale, they recruited two-hundred able-bodied soldiers before the month was out, plus a few extra helpers, go-fers, and organizers. In the village, now a small city with all the new recruits, Down, Carver, and Wurm were leading the weapon-making team with their incredible skill and knowledge. At headquarters, Dwight was the model of efficiency, overseeing the whole operation, fixing glitches, and taking charge. With the promise of freedom, the resistance's village, as well as several others, had broken their vow of neutrality and were working overtime to produce enough food to support the growing army, and ten spies had been sent to do a thorough recon of the area surrounding Vykker Labs.
Meanwhile, plants posing as scrubs in Vykker Labs and many major parts of the Cartel were reporting a sudden surge in wildlife populations, despite Glukkon efforts to stamp out all things natural. Creatures across the continent were abondoning ancient mating rhythms to mate as often as possible, and it seemed even the plant species were adjusting, as if to help the animals. Then, their numbers being sufficient, many animals were attacking Glukkon and Vykker installations, working together in a bizzare way. Even the plants seemed to be aggressive, as huge growth spurts were happening among plant colonies, vines gripping buildings, fungi and small trees blocking roadways. Suspicious of this coincidence, Dwight asked The Almighty Raisin if he had anything to do with it, but his response was predictably criptic: "I may have had a hand in it..."
As their goal became more and more attainable with each rising and setting of the sun, the members of the resistance entered an almost trancelike state, knowing with unshakable certainty an inarguable truth: it was going to happen. After countless eons of slavery as an entire race, a change was going to happen.

[TheRaisin]

Two months after Abe joined The Mudokon Freedom and Civil Rights Movement, things began to get hectic. Mudokon plants were reporting that the Glukkons were preparing to wage war with the flora and fauna, getting ready to redouble their efforts in destroying nature. Meanwhile, the resistance was short one-hundred soldiers. The villages throughout the forest simply couldn't relinquish any more Mudokons if they were to continue supporting themselves as well as the massive army.
As Abe and Dwight were supervising the unloading of a truck they had hijacked full of small arms, something happened that was odd even by their standards, and was the boost the resistance needed. First, two concentric circles of egg-shaped stones seemed to appear out of nowhere on the ground. Then, a figure shimmered into being in a vertical wave of existance: the shaman.
"Heya, Abey! The Almighty Raisin has been monitoring your progress, and frankly, it looks like you could use some help. So consider this a gift. Use it wisely! It's takin' a lotta The Raisin's power to do this!"
The shaman vanished in a small puff of purplish light, then a huge portal opened where he had stood, easily ten times the size of the biggest portal Abe had ever managed, and two lines of Mudokons began to march out, one of Tomahawkers, and one of Mudarchers. They filed into the large open area, with Tomahawkers next to Mudarchers, interspersing to form a huge square. From the sky, it might have looked like a large purple carpet had been laid out in the dirt. They all looked unnaturally hardened and trained, clubs strapped to their belts like swords rather than being dragged on the ground, bows clipped to holsters on hips rather than being swung clumsily in hands. It was a welcome change for Abe, whose company usually consisted of rag-tag, boisterous slackers.
A Mudarcher marched crisply towards Abe, stopped a few paces away, and saluted. Abe, taken aback at this treatment, was caught off guard, and returned an awkward salute. The soldier lowered his hand and spoke.
"75 Tomahawkers and 75 Mudarchers are under your command, as per The Almighty Raisin's request. Each of our Mudokons carries rations for one week, a medical pack, refined Spooce ammo, and a weapon. We are trained in all known forms of combat, have basic strategical training, and can operate independently from the group if need be, or as individuals. We await your orders."
"Are you familiar with all the Mudokons in this unit?" Abe asked.
"Yes."
"Then pick four other Mudarchers and five Tomahawkers to act as squad leaders. They will each command a group of fifteen of their own kind. The squads will be addressed by the first letter of their type, M or T, followed by a number based on the order in which the squad leader was assigned that position. Your group is M1. I will give orders to the entire group or individual squads. It is up to the squad leaders how they choose to handle their tasks and give orders within their squad. When the squads have been assigned, assemble in the field north of the town. Understood?"
"Yes."
"Then choose the other squad leaders and relay this information."
The soldier jumped to his task.


Reply.Please? I'll be your friend! How about if I talk cooler? l-l0vv's
tl-l1s? L33t 1z l<3vvl, r1gl-lt? Oh PLEASE RESPOND!

[TheRaisin]

Umm, you can respond any day now. I'm back. I have been for like, the last week.


Less than fourty-eight hours after The Almighty Raisin's reinforcements arrived, the army left. Their HQ village was nearly deserted: every single Mudokon and elum in the resistance was now making their way up the mountain, leaving only a few families of neutral Muds and a few meetles that would have been to big and slow for the trip. Since the army was over five-hundred strong, it would have been impossible to cross the wasteland with the few small groves it had, but fortunately, a bit of observation had yielded a predictable and rigid patrol schedule, and it was easy to slip through in the gap between shifts. The Mudokons were strong, being used to a life of hard work, and had made it many miles into the mountain forest by nightfall, when Abe, who had pretty much assumed command from Dwight, called a rest. He sent a two mounted soldiers forward as scouts, then set about the process of making camp.
A few hours later, when everyone had eaten and were conversing quietly, the scouts returned.
"There's a tiny Vykker science station a few miles away. No resistance, just some old bodies and rotting supplies. Looks like those three passed through here on the way up." He inclined his head at Down and her brothers, lazing on a rock a few yards away.
"Oh, and we found these."
He presented to Abe a sack filled with Snuzis, shocksticks, and syringe-like ammo.
"Good work!" Abe said, grinning. Adjourning to a tiny tent, he said: "Grab some food, then spread the lights-out order."

The next morning they continued, passing the small outpost since Abe knew there was nothing of value in it. The day passed uneventfully until evening, when the scouts came across a slightly bigger outpost, this one still inhabited. The Mudarcher Abe had spoken to the other day, "Squad M1 Leader", as he was known, raised his weapon and tensed himself, but Abe told him to stand down.
"I have a weapon too, remember?" He chanted briefly, forming a purplish ball of light, then guided it through an open window in the small building. A prolonged burst of shooting followed, as well as some surprised gasps and drawn out, melodramatic death cries. Finally, a few pieces of Intern body flew out the window, and Abe returned to his body.
"They were eating," he explained. "Unarmed."
"Shall we requesition some ammunitions?" asked the highly militant Mudarcher.
"Nah, just look around," Abe replied.
Every soldier was armed with a Glukkon or Vykker weapon, as much ammo for said weapon that they could carry, a sword or close combat weapon, a sling or bow, and a full slingstone pouch or quiver.
"I guess it would be a little redundant," the soldier replied.
And they set off again, over five-hundred Mudokon soldiers, each armed to the teeth and pissed at the Magog Cartel. Alone, they would have made hell for the Glukkons and Vykkers. Together, they were going to make them wish they had never been born.


Okay, like I said, just waitin'.... for a response.... which I'm not getting.... any day now.... take your time.

[TheRaisin]

Your response to my pleads is less than promising. Howevah, I shall continue this thread in the name of superior science fiction evahrahwhere! And in the name of me.


The army skirted carefully around the next Vykker station the next morning. By midday they had come to yet another, this one with a large razor-wire fence around it. As Abe made the first cut with the large wire-clippers he had brought for just such an occasion, an alarm klaxon sounded. Three Interns with Snuzis and a saw-wielding Vykker ran out the door. The Interns were killed almost the second they ran out the door by three expertly shot arrows, but one soldier chose to use a sling to take down the Vykker. Though a good slingstone would usually be enough to kill an enemy instantly, the Vykker's freakishly large skull thick enough that he only stumbled, then ran back inside.
"Stop him before he sends a distress signal!" Abe yelled.
Squad M1 jumped into action. One by one they leaped onto the nearest elum, then vaulted from it clear over the fence, weapons instantly in their hands. The Vykker was moving slowly because of his injury, and he hadn't even made it out of the entry room when Squad M1 Leader burst through the door. He fired a quick burst of shots from his spoocebow to kill the Vykker, then ran into the room it had been crawling towards. He quickly destroyed the radio equipment, then he and his squad ran out of the house, backstepping expertly and firing. Already Interns were pouring out of side doors, supplemented by two or three armored Vykkers. The Mudarchers shot through the hole Abe had made in the fence, and prepared themselves for defense. Abe began shouting orders.
"Squads M1 through M3, sniping positions in the trees! Keep 'em back! Remaining M and T squads, attack, but stay clear of those Vykkers! The rest of you, cover fire!"
It worked perfectly. Ten of the fifty or so Interns were killed straightaway by the snipers before they even came in range of the others. The hundred or so Mudarchers and Tomahawkers on the ground laid waste to the remainder like a tidal wave hitting a wall of toothpicks. They herded the Vykkers together while keeping their distance, then let the snipers concentrate all their fire on them. When it was over, within about five minutes, not one soldier had been killed, though a few of the attack party nursed small wounds: Snuzi potshots or close calls from the maniacal saw-swinging Vykkers.
They then began to raid the compound. Two steady lines had formed at one of the bunkers, one going in with empty clips, the other coming out with full ones. A few medical packs were found, not many, but just enough for the attackers to dress their wounds without having to break open their own med packs. It was obvious that the Vykkers cared as little about the welfare of their troops as the Glukkons. Mudarchers scoured the ground in the compound for spooce, as the soil was rich and the climate good, and found it bountiful. Finally, when the bodies had been dragged inside, they made camp. Extra portions were served: they had earned it. By lights-out, they all looked so content that one might not have known they were on a mission to seize control of an impenetrable flying fortress. But they were.


Rrrgh, you stink!

[TheRaisin]

Because I'm in a good mood, I've forgiven you for not responding. Hence the smiley Mud face. So here's the next chaptoir.

After another two days of sneaking about, camouflaging themselves with branches, dodging between Vykker encampments and compounds, and in one case digging under a concrete fence, they reached their destination.
The top of the ancient mountain was obscured by the dense forest, but it still looked like their was clear sky ahead. And there was. As the first troops reached the place where the sky was visible, led by Abe, they yelped, stumbled, and almost rolled backward down the steep slope in their surprise: the mountain had simply ended. Where it should have continued upward, there was simply a huge indentation, as if Odd himself had taken a giant ice-cream scoop and lopped of the top half of the mountain. Abe quickly regained his senses, and realized that he was looking at the crater of an immense and ancient volcano that had long since blown its top. The fact that it was only half a mountain was obscured from a distance by the mountains to either side and behind it, and the mist that always enshrouded the range, and it was impossible to tell when you were on or near the mountain, because the angle of the ground and the thick trees.
Abe silently signaled a halt, and took stock of his surroundings. They stood on the rim of the crater, the ground below them dropping steeply to level out near the center of the caldera, which must have been at least three miles away. Being a natural rain-catcher, the entire crater was heavily forested, another testament to how old this volcano was, how long it had been since its last eruption, and the fact that it was long dead. Nestled among the towering ponderosas and old growth redwoods sat Vykker Labs, shining dully in the amber and crimson light of sunset. Large spotlights were beginning to snap on around its base, trained on the humongous disc at an angle so no light would escape into the sky and make the Mudokons suspicious. Scrawny Intern shapes could be seen laboring among muscular Mudokons, commanded by bulging, spidery Vykkers. Workers were moving crates in and out of cargo lifts, as the fortress itself was actually several score feet of the ground, supported on huge stilt-like structures attached to pod-like landing devices. Abe noted with satisfaction that there were hardly any guards. They had made a huge tactical mistake by assuming that any invaders would have been dealt with before they reached the base. He also noticed that the lifts were numerous, being rigged so that the descending cables carried empty lifts, and the ascending cables carried full lifts. This two-way pulley system allowed many lifts to be attached to one cable, so one group would be able to ascend right after the other, and they would nopt have to risk leaving a group on the ground until they could send the lift back down.
Abe took in all he was seeing, made a decision, and turned to address his troops.
"Make camp. No fires. You'll have to eat food that doesn't need to be cooked. Keep silent, and go to sleep as soon as you finish eating. We attack at dawn!"

[TheRaisin]

The stage was set. A small refined spooce flashbomb had been set up under cover of darkness on the other side of the Vykker loading zone. It was set so that any rupture of the container would set it off, causing a blinding flash of light and a loud sound. Now the whole group sat tensely waiting. The Vykkers and Interns had taken no notice of the army camped so close to their base, but a few Mudokons had looked up briefly at the edge of the crater, to quickly glance away so as not to cause suspicion. One could see subtle ripples of excitement passing through the crowd as a message was whispered inconspicuously. Every once in a while a worker would squint at the crater rim as if to confirm the rumor, but they knew how to be discreet. Finally the time came. A soldier had snuck around to where the device had been planted, and just as the sun started to appear over the mountains, he set it off.
There was an incredible flash of light, like a sky's worth of lightning concentrated into one point and let out all at once, accompanied by an echoing, reverberating, pit-of-the-stomach-rumbling CRACK! All the Vykkers and Interns ran to the source of the flash and sound, and the instant they had turned their backs the Mudokon slaves broke open some of the crates and took a Snuzi and Lil' Hacker each, as well as as much ammo as they could carry, and waited as the soldiers ran toward the lab, with the soldier who had created the diversion doubling back.
"Are you here to save us?" asked one of the slaves.
"Can you help us fight our way to the bridge?" Abe questioned.
In response, the slave cocked his gun and, holding it in his right hand, brandished his Lil' Hacker in his left hand. Behind him, slaves were cocking their weapons and standing ready.
"Right. Come with us," Abe said.
The army, their numbers now increased by over one-hundred, surged toward the cargo lifts. They instinctively knew what to do, and began filing into the lifts as they made their rotation. As Abe got into the last lift, he saw the Vykkers and Interns rushing back to check on the slaves, realizing they had been duped.
"Too late," Abe said to himself with a grin. He punched the up button and began his ascent into the very midst of his enemies.

[TheRaisin]

Sorry if this chapter sucks a tiny bit. At first I just wanted a story where they invade Vykker Labs, but that wouldn't be much of a victory against the whole Cartel, would it? So invading Vykker Labs (actually only one of a hundred new Vykker Labs) is only part one.

Abe stepped off the lift into the loading bay. Looking around, it was obvious the first boarders had met a bit of resistance. Several Intern bodies lay sprawled in grotesque positions of death, and among them was one Mudokon body. Abe saluted the fallen soldier. A few others did the same, others lowered their heads, most just stood silently.
"Right," Abe said, breaking the trance. "First of all..."
He turned to the lift control panel, studied it for a second, then punched a series of buttons to lock it. He made a gesture at a nearby Tomahawker, who took the hint and diligently smashed the control panel.
"Ok, now we find out where to go."
Abe stepped to a computer console, and tried to access the ship's schematics, but the security system had been upgraded since Vykker Lab I, which had obviously been insufficient. Finally he turned away.
"I can't get in without an access code. We're running blind here."
A voice like swamp gas bubbling up came out of nowhere.
"Mebbe I can help."
Munch hopped out of the shadow of a crate.
"When Da Raisin told me what you were doin', I thought I'd tag along."
"But who's watching all those baby Gabbits?" asked Abe.
"The Shaman's keepin' tabs on 'em. Besides, they're almost grown. We mature fast, y'know."
Abe pointed at the computer, and Munch hopped up to it.
"Haven't done this in a little while."
A small current of electricity surged from his head to the computer.
"Voila!"
Abe accessed the information he needed.
"Great. The bridge is at the very top of the ship, in a tower right in the center. Wait, there's a lift that runs to the bottom of the tower. It goes to all decks. Looks like we won't have to fight our way to the top."
They took to the maintenance accessways. They were eerily deserted. Not only did the ship not need maintenance since it was at rest, but most of the forces that would normally be crawling all over the ship were spread across the mountain. The group met no resistance as they made their way to the center of the massive ship. When they reached the lift, they saw it was guarded by a team of armored Intern shooters and armored Vykker sawbones. From their perch high among the sprawling myriad catwalks, they were able to gun them down before they even noticed them.
The gargantuan lift was designed to transport massive numbers of troops and supplies simultaneously, and the army was just able to squeeze onto it. It seemed a bit odd to ride towards a huge firefight in a fluorescently-lit elevator, listening to elevator muzak. But then, was there one thing about this plan not odd?

[TheRaisin]

I woulda gotten this one up sooner, but I accidently deleted the first one. Enjoy!


When the elevator doors opened, two Interns were standing with their backs to it. Down executed a quick left-right movement with her scimitar, and they fell in two pieces. A large group of Mudarchers moved into the small antechamber between the elevator shaft and the hall. They formed two rows, one crouching, one standing, and hit the button. The large steel doors slid open, and the Mudarchers' preparation was appreciated. Beyond the antechamber was a hallway full of Vykkers and Interns. Seeing the intruders, they attacked, and more began pouring from the doorways. A few Mudarchers fell to concentrated Snuzi fire, but there were more to take their places, and the casualties were reduced by the fact that the enemies wielding the more powerful melee weapons couldn't get close enough to use them. The hallway was soon silent.
Abe pointed at the leader of a regular Mudokon squad, and made a forward motion with his hand. The Mudokon nodded, and he and his squad moved forward, checking each doorway as they passed it, and finally they reached a pair of gigantic, important-looking steel doors. The leader gave a thumbs-up, then repeated the forward motion. The rest of the army moved forward, and Munch hopped up to the door. A small zap hit the electronic lock in the middle of the doors, and they slowly creaked open. The soldiers tensed, ready for an immense fight.
They were surprised to find that the only people in the room were unarmed Vykkers, who were quick to panic and run. It seemed that the Vykkers either belived no one could get this far at all, or that if they did, no number of guards could make a difference. The soldiers quickly shot them down, then shoved their bodies out the door.
Abe turned to Munch.
"Can you hack into the system?"
Munch zapped a control panel.
"Done."
Abe pressed a button and sealed the doors. He then turned to a freed Mudokon slave.
"Are there any Mudokons working on the ship?" he asked.
"Nope, we were all working below, loading and unloading supplies."
"Good."
Abe turned back to the control panel, hit a series of buttons, and hit "EXECUTE COMMAND". From somewhere deep within the ship came a rumbling sound, then a sinister hissing. After a few minutes, Abe turned back to the computer and shut off the gas. Using the voice command option, he asked the computer:
"Are there any Interns, Vykkers, or slogs left alive on the ship?"
"Negative."
"Good. Now we hack into the control system for all the labs, and destroy all the others."
"Well, we could do that," Munch said, hopping onto a stool. "Or we could do this."
He zapped the computer once again, then began to type furiously. He then hit execute, and waited for a few minutes. He tapped another few buttons, then keyed the communications system and spoke into the mike:
"Awright, enemy forces neutralized. Move in and seize control!"
A hundred Mudokon voices replied "Aye!!!" in unison, then Munch shut the channel. Seeing Abe's puzzled look, he explained.
"Me and The Raisin figured, why just crash the other ships? Why not use 'em? So we told all the resistance movements across the continent to find the nearest Vykker Lab and wait for us to hack into the system and gas 'em, then they would walk right in an' take control."
Realization began to dawn on Abe.
"You mean Mudokons now control one-hundred Vykker Labs, each with it's own fleet of blimps and high-tech weaponry?"
Munch nodded.
"I like these odds," Abe said.

[TheRaisin]

Within one hour, all the Vykker Labs were accounted for and reported to be secure, except for a few that were in the air when the inhabitants were killed and had crashed. After a few hours of excited speech over the comnet, the individual groups turned to their own devices, reconfiguring and securing their ships. Abe focused his attention on destroying the ground forces still inhabiting the area around where the ship had been parked. He assigned former scrubs who were used to Vykker technology to man the weapons, and sent out several groups of blimps. By the end of the day, the blimps that had been out on patrol were captured or destroyed, and the Vykker forces in the area were either destroyed or scattered in disarray, fleeing for the relative safety of the high and rugged mountains.
After a week of taking on supplies from the abandoned Vykker outposts and clearing the dead bodies off the ship, it was time to focus on getting airborne. It wasn't hard, and after an hour of adjusting controls, calibrating sensors, and accustoming themselves with the system, the bridge crew was able to get the massive structure to lift off. After verifying that the other groups were airborne, it was time to coordinate battle plans. Abe spoke via comlink to the leaders of the other 95 remaining ships.
"Your target will be the nearest, largest Glukkon industrial center. Since the Glukkons have no air forces, your only concern will be slig stationary guns. Deploy all your blimps, and concentrate fire on those guns. After they are destroyed, you'll have a clear shot at the buildings. Your primary objective will be the largest factory within the industrial sector. After that is destroyed, fire at will at any and all Glukkon and slig structures. Any questions?"
One Mudokon spoke up.
"What about all the Mudokons in those structures?"
Abe smiled.
"You leave that to me."

[TheRaisin]

Abe and Munch walked into the Glukkon communications center. Abe stopped, gave a mock salute to a slig, and with an air of duty and seriousness, flipped him off and continued down the dark hall. The slig simply stared vacantly at the space he had been in, took a swig of Soulstorm, belched loudly, and turned away. Munch tweaked a face tendril on a sleeping slig, who jumped up and swore at another guard nearby, and they began wrestling and punching. The two continued to the end of the corridor, passed a reception desk where a bored slig sat polishing a rarely-used gun, walked through a door with an Employees Only sign on it, and found a closet in the following hall that looked fairly sound-proof. They waited as the Invisible vendo wore off, then Abe spoke.
"Okay, there was a pretty important-looking door at the end of the hall. I'll try through there."
"Okay," Munch replied. "I'll listen for sligs, and try to keep the chanting quiet, would ya?"
"Yokay," Abe said with a nonchalance like he was grabbing a drink.
He began to chant and move his hands, forming a possession orb. He guided it under the door and down the hall, between the cracks in the large double-doors, and towards a Glukkon chump snoozing in a leather chair behind a cluttered desk. He shuddered and gasped as the orb dissolved around him. After a moment he spoke.
"Hey you," he called to the nearest slig, who was sitting at a work terminal in the round com area. "Record a message."
The slig pushed a button and a computer screen slid up out of the desk, with a tiny camera and mike mounted at the top. The Glukkon (Abe) composed himself, then pressed a button on the side of the monitor with his pipe. A small red light blinked on on the camera, and the screen showed him. He began to speak in a voice that could break the strings of a harp.
"Attention all Glukkon factories. The Slave Welfare Committee has issued the following order: all Mudokon slaves are to be transported via train to Feeco Depot No. 81 A.S.A.P. for an inspection. Due to traffic problems, no slig guards are to accompany them. Failure to comply will result in a temporary shutdown during which worker conditions will be inspected, closure pending. Thank you, and have a nice and productive day."
The Glukkon/Abe pressed the button on the side of the monitor once again, and the light on the camera blinked off. He then gave more orders.
"Bootlick! Transmit that to every Glukkon factory! And uh, gimme a PDA with a self-updating list of all the factories that have complied and who hasn't yet, you buttwipe!"
"Yessir!" the slig shouted nervously, and frantically rushed to fulfill his orders. After a minute of typing and clicking at his computer terminal, he opened a drawer, took out a PDA, and plugged it into the computer. A small progress bar started climbing, then a message came up, reading "Download finished." The slig unplugged the tiny device and set it on the big cluttered desk.
Abe leaned back in his temporary Glukkon body for a moment, reveling in the sense of power. And all he had had to do was wave his arms and chant. Finally he stood up.
"I uh, gotta hit the can. But first... You!" he shouted, pointing at a randomly picked slig. "Yer fired! You!" He pointed to the slig next to the one he had just fired. "Promotion! You cover your station and his! And you!" Finally he pointed at the slig who had helped him. "Fifty percent pay hike, and, uh, ooh, health insurance!" he added, seeing the murderous looks of the envious other sligs. He stood up, grabbing the PDA in his mouth. The doors slid open, and he walked out with as much swagger as a creature that walked on it's hands could muster. As the doors slid shut, he could faintly hear the slig he had just given a pay hike getting beaten up, and smiled even more. He walked down the hall, opened the closet door, tossed the PDA to Munch, closed the door again, and walked toward the bathroom. Sometime later that night, a slig condemned to mopping the floors would find pieces of him all over the walls, ceiling and floor of the bathroom, along with a smashed pipe lodged in a stall door from the force of the explosion.


W00t, that one was gooood!

[TheRaisin]

Abe stood talking and laughing with Munch on the platform as the next trainfull of Muds came in.
"....a Slave Welfare Commitee in the Cartel! Ha! These guys are so gullible! Ah-hahahahaha!"
Unknown to the depressed Mudokon slaves arriving by the thousands, Feeco Depot No. 81 had been under rebel control for over a week. In that time, most of the Gluk factories had already sent their employees away, doubting the legitimacy of this Slave Welfare Committee, but too scared of being shut down and losing money to disobey or question their authority. The various resistances, now simply going by the name The Rebellion after their amalgamation, had known this and used it to their advantage.
As the first gloomy Mudokon scrub got off the train, his eyes widened in awe at seeing the huge mass of free Mudokons, having expected just another soulless Glukkon machine. Abe approached and, shaking his hand, said:
"Welcome to freedom."

After another few days, the last group of Mudokons arrived, and were quickly armed and trained, then joined their brethren. One of the 96 ships had been preordained specifically as a troop transport, as it had the largest number of blimps. The blimps had been stripped of most of their weapons, which had been sent to the other ships to make their blimps even more potent, leaving only the bare minimum for self defense, leaving a maximum of space for troops. All the Mudokons not serving on one of the other ships were given a bunk on this transport ship, now named The Deliverer, as a sort of reserve force in case something happened to the air forces. Finally, after several days of preparation, trans-ship shuttling, and organizing, the vast fleet, each ship now with it's own name, set off towards their designated points of attack.

The Liberty, Abe's ship, moved directly over the first cluster of anti-aircraft guns. They hadn't so much as turned in the direction of the Vykker ship, or hailed it. It was like a bodyguard walking into a building and assassinating the person he was supposed to guard: so commonplace, so inconspicuous, that the fates of the Glukkons were already sealed. The Liberty's armada of blimps deployed, each trio closing in on a different gun cluster, and still no alarms were raised. A more intelligent Glukkon businessman might have been suspicious, but since all the factories were closed down temporarily, the only people there were moronic slig guards. By the time they realized what was happening, it was too late.
A volley of missiles streaked downward from the massive floating fortress, turning at sharp angles just meters above the ground to hone in on their individual targets. At the same time, the blimps unleashed a punishing salvo of combined ballistics, energy weapons, and small rockets. A few quick sligs managed to get to the guns and fire before they were incinerated, but they foolishly focused on the closer threat, the blimps, and only a few were lost. Then, before a minute had passed, it was over: the guns were destroyed. Now they focused their fire on the towering factories, the lab releasing blazing bolts of energy, the blimps firing combinations of weaponry. Within a few hours the whole industrial city was reduced to a gigantic smoldering crater, every last building blown apart or crushed by rubble. Abe knew without even listening to the incoming comlink reports that the same thing was happening all over the continent. Just as dawn began to break, they received a message from the corporate headquarters of the Magog Cartel. It said simply:
"We surrender."

[TheRaisin]

Gee, there are SO many people I'd like to thank for their continued support: Sligslinger, Reptile... well, that's it. The rest of you, your support was horrible. Your parents have all received letters instructing them to love you less. Y'know what? I'm not even going to go into it, and risk unleashing the despise I feel in a flame, thereby tarnishing my reputation. Let me just say, I think you've given me an idea of the literary taste of the general public. Thanks for nothing.

Hate,
TheRaisin

P.S. You suck!

[TheRaisin]

Gaaahh, rrrrgggghhhhhhhhh!!!!! @#$^*&(%!@!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
@!#%$#&*%@$*(^^$^)(&^%#$!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Needed to get that outta my system. Mods, close it down. This thread is done.