"Payback"


Author: Captain Stephen Maruu
Stardate: 2460307
Earthdate: April 22, 2383
Location: Xenon III

Stephen heard the huge explosions in the background and knew it was time to act. He motioned to Dweezle. "Okay, you're going to need to act very much like a Horde. With the universal translator, you don't need to speak their language. But you need to act like they do. Even hit me if you have too."

Dweezle nodded. "How will we get out?"

Stephen smiled. "Leave that to me." He signaled to a Horde guard. One of the few people that wasn't fighting. "Sir! Sir! This man here. There's something you should know about him."

The Horde approached the cell. He didn't get too close though. "Orrk?"

"Come closer! If he hears what I am going to tell you, he will bite my leg off."

The Horde positioned himself closer to the cell. "Fanti orrk?"

Stephen whispered, "Well, you see..." Suddenly, he extended his hand through the bars, grabbed the Horde's neck, and began to choke the Horde against the bars. "Dweezle, grab the keys!"

Dweezle grabbed the keys and fumbled with them until he found the right one. Then, he opened the cell.

Stephen choked the Horde harder until the vicious animal stopped moving. Then, he got out. "Dweezle, switch clothes with him."

Dweezle quickly did as he was told and reappeared in full Horde battle dress. "Just like old times, eh?"

Stephen smiled. "You know it." He grabbed the dead Horde with Dweezle's clothing and placed him in the cell. "Now, take me to Stephen."

Dweezle grabbed Stephen's arms, loosely tied them, and led him along as his prisoner.


Stephen was in a large room decorated with dark stone and grime. He was standing before a man who, by his dress and the throne he was sitting on, was the commander-in-chief of Stonefist. "Your majesty, I place my case before you because I am in need of that prisoner that looks so much like me. He will become a sacrifice I will take to the Dark Mountain and ensure the continuous reign of the Horde Empire!"

The Horde nodded. "Horeinn oseringu ase juosk!"

"Thank you." Stephen was about to leave when a huge Borial-like giant burst into the room. He was wearing armor bathed in gold but darkened by gunpowder and cracked in a few places.

Thuddius yelled out, "Die, Horde!"

The Horde commander pulled out a weapon. "Heroculik! Thudd iu lemtko!" He jumped at Thudd.

Thudd only backhanded the man. The Horde was thrown against the wall so hard that when he hit, blood splashed everywhere. Thudd smiled as he saw Stephen. "Leader of the Virgo. Your people are among the most honorable I have ever encountered."

"Thank you. You do me too much honor."

"Watch out, Borial! He is not Stephen!" came a voice from the door.

Thudd turned around and saw another Stephen clad in only leather pants and boots. His chest and arms were bare. Dweezle was standing behind him.

Thudd looked at both of them, closed his eyes in prayer, and reopened them in the evil Stephen's direction. "You will not leave this place!"

An explosion of smoke revealed a large centaur-like beast with curved horns on his head. He stood between Thudd and the evil Stephen. The monster grabbed Thudd and threw him against the now-empty throne.

Meanwhile, the evil Stephen grabbed the good Stephen. He lifted his arm and disappeared in an explosion of black smoke.

Dweezle decided to help Thudd. He ran to the centaur. The centaur tried to trip Dweezle with its tail, but Dweezle jumped over the monster's tail and used his telekinesis to throw him against Thudd's arms. Thudd squeezed the monster with all his might, crushing its chest.

The centaur fell to the floor and burst into flames. It disintegrated in the fire.

Dweezle looked at a gasping Thudd. "So, who are you? You seem a bit larger than the rest of the Borials?"

"I am Thuddius. I'm not a full Borial. I'm Kalmar's son with a Borial woman. I'm a demigod."

"Wow." Dweezle sighed.

"And who are you? You look like a Horde, but you are not a savage beast like them."

"I'm a Virgo. My loyalties are to them."

"Well," said Thudd, "now that we have killed their leader, let's turn the Aody against their masters."

"What about..."

"Stephen will be fine. Kalmar promises me that."

"Okay. Let's do it." Thudd and Dweezle left the throne room and ran out to find Aody being led into a group of dungeons.

Thudd grabbed two Horde and threw them back into the air. They landed on a group of bricks. "Listen up, Aody!"

Dweezle ran up to the Aody. "The destruction you see before you has been caused by the attack of the Virgo and Borial troops. They bleed and die to save you! Now is the time to rise up! Be free! Rise and defend yourself!"

"Right, he is! Freedom!" yelled a little Aody.

"FREEDOM!!! FREEDOM!!!" yelled the whole of the Aody slaves. They began to grab the shovels, rakes, pitchforks, and other such weapons. Then, the little army ran to the Horde and began to kill them off one by one.