Scorch

Hannibal ran through the desert for ten miles toward the squaw mountain base. The sun blazed down on him as he repeatedly tried to make contact with his fellow barons on his wrist gear.

Damn, why can’t I raise anyone? And this heat...even for a Kellan officer...this is too much.

Panting and approaching dehydration, Hannibal shuffled to a shaded rock to map his progress to Rylan’s house.

I made good time. From here it’s only four miles to Rylan’s yard...Haha stupid earth cops. No earth-man can survive in this desert. So they never searched for me out here.

Still winded, the veteran warrior stood up and jogged another ten feet, trying to stay in the shade of the rocks. But he stopped when voices echoed in the mountains.

Crap, cops!

Hannibal jumped behind a boulder and listened for their location. The next sound, a flute chord, followed by bass music, and lyrics, ♪ Live fast, die young, bad girls do it well..♫

Hannibal crept out of his hiding spot and peeked around a rock at a path to Rylan’s house. In the path, twenty feet away, a blue Dodge Challenger parked in the sand and blasted music. And in front of the car stood..

“Eh? Maya?” Hannibal muttered, surprised to see her.

Lady Maya danced to the bass track. Hannibal emerged from the rock cover with a confused expression. Maya, still dancing, turned and smiled at him with a wave.

Hannibal, perplexed, waved back and tepidly walked toward her.

“Hannibal, what the hell took you so long?” she shouted over the music.

Hannibal cocked his head.

“Eh? I um..Wait, what are you doing out he-”

He never asked his question as Maya aimed her gear at him and blasted him with a force field shot.

“Graaaah!” he howled as the shot knocked him ten feet backwards into the base of the mountain. He barely blocked the blast with his own shield, but took all of the impact.

“Ouch,” He grunted as he tried to stand up and pulled himself to one knee.

Maya strolled in front of him, with her twin dragon lance formed, and a cruel smile on her face.

“Hannibal?” She spoke softly. “You must be exhausted and thirsty after running in that desert for what? Ten miles now?”

Hannibal pulled his striker, but didn’t extend the blade. Still groggy, he stalled.

“Maya, wait!”

“Oh it’s Maya now? Not My Lady? Damn, baron, can you get your story straight?”

Hannibal bit his lip and fired a force field blast at Maya. She sidestepped it.

“Too slow!” she yelled, and fired a counter blast at him, blowing him back into the mountain base.

“Aaaah!” he shouted and bounced off the rocks. The impact of her second blast hurt every bone in his body. Again, he tried to stand up, “My Lady...I only meant-”

Maya wasted no words and swung her spear at his head. Hannibal leapt up and extended his bardiche, blocking her swing. But Maya continued her attack, forcing him on the defensive. He formed his banner shield and blocked strike after strike, panting at each of her blows until he fell to his knees.

Maya stopped her attack.

“Hm hm hm hm,” she cackled in her mother’s voice, “What’s the matter baron? Did I do to you what you did to my brother? Hmm? Don’t you remember when you sicked those sentinels on him the other night? You ran him to exhaustion and stabbed him with your blade?”

Without warning Maya jumped forward and cracked Hannibal’s jaw with a flying knee, while song lyrics blared from her car ♫ Girl, you got me down, you got me stressed out ♫

Hannibal hit the ground, but jumped back up ready to fight. He glared at Maya while wiping his bloody lip.

“You fucking cunt! I spared-”

As he swore, Maya thrust her spear in his face, and he dodged the strike by a hair. Pushed off balance, he swung wildly at her. But the well rested and super fast Maya, countered with a slice to his striker arm.

“Gaaah!” Hannibal yelled and dropped his bardiche. He stumbled back clutching his bleeding arm.

Maya, stared at him, expressionless.

“I’m sorry baron, but what did you say? You spared me?” she asked in a mocking tone. “And why exactly did you “spare” me, hmm?” Maya smirked and cocked her head sideways.

He glared at her.

“Hannibal, did you really think I’d let you Fuck Me?”

He said nothing and Maya burst out laughing, “You aren’t too bright, are you?”

Her words cut him like a knife. Enraged, Hannibal charged at her firing his force field. Maya evaded his blasts as he recovered his striker. Now panting, he extended his bardiche.

“You Cesar bitch!” he shouted, and sliced at her.

She smiled, blocked his strike, and thrust her spear through his right shoulder. “Raaah!” he cried and stepped back scowling.

Maya twirled her spear the way she did on stage earlier. When she stopped, he glanced at her face and saw…

Anya?

Hannibal stared in Maya’s cruel green eyes, fully aware of his situation. Even at his full strength the lightning fast Maya would prove a fearsome fighter. And now he faced her exhausted, dehydrated, and bleeding.

“Heh heh!” he chuckled to himself and raised his shield. He knew Maya was toying with him, and that ultimately, he was fucked.

Hannibal panted and took a defensive stance. But he couldn’t lift his striker arm above his waist. He shifted to pistol.

“Let’s get on with this!” he growled, trying to hold the weapon steady.

Maya frowned at his desperation.

“Baron?” she whispered. “You understand I’m not here to fight you, right?” she twirled her spear in front of her and pointed it at him. “No sir, I’m here to kill you!”

She shifted her spear to a double-handed bastard sword. A blade not used since-

“No!” Hannibal howled and fired his pistol at Maya from the hip.

Maya blocked every shot he fired with her sword and speed.

“What?” Hannibal growled at Maya. He couldn’t believe her skill level at her age.“You demon!” He shouted and charged at her, shifting and thrusting his bardiche at her chest.

Maya leapt and spun, evading Hannibal’s strike. And as she spiraled in mid-air, time slowed to a crawl. Her eyes met his, and he looked at her with longing, as her blade...

...sliced his neck.

“Gaaah!” he gurgled.

Hannibal fell to his knees and clutched his throat. A stream of blood, and the sound of wailing wind, echoed in the sands.

Technique

Maya stood over Hannibal, her bastard sword held with both hands. Hannibal squinted at her.

“The Whirling Bastard Strike...Lady Maya...you mastered Anya’s technique..graahh!” He spit blood on the sand.

Maya smirked, “No baron. I’ve perfected her technique!”

Hannibal, now seconds from death, forced a bloody smile. “Hm hm hm..gaaah...you treacherous Cesar.” He glanced up at her, “You truly are…....your mother's child!”

Maya said nothing, as Hannibal's eyes rolled back and he stopped smiling. His hands released his neck, and his body collapsed in the sand, dead.

Maya stared at the lifeless baron. Then retracted her blade, and knelt beside him.

“Yes Hannibal. I am my mother's child...and I am a Cesar!”

……..

Maya's Bastard sword