Operation: Home Front, The Duel

By Trooper Cecrops, Doberman Empire

   Cecrops and Fredrickson held their wooden practice swords out,
  and started to circle each other, and circle each other,and...
   "Hey you idiot, -swing- at him!" yelled the troublemaker from
  the mess hall.
   Cecrops asked back, "Would that be me 'you idiot' or him 'you
  idiot'?"
   This drew a chuckle from the soldiers who had gathered to watch
  the duel. The heckler shouted back, "Both!"
   Cecrops smirked. "All right!" He raised his sword high, and
  made as to rush at his opponent.
   Fredrickson swung low towards where his opponent's abdomen
  would be, but passed through air. "Delayed attack!" Cecrops
  yelled as he now rushed Fredrickson and swung.
   Fredrickson blocked the blow and the next few that followed as
  Cecrops swung wildly, and then ducked a high swing and struck
  out low.
   Cecrops dodged to his left while blocking Fredrickson's sword
  with his weapon. Cecrops, now on the defensive,
  blocking the blows Fredrickson was delivering to him. Cecrops
  tried to use some fancy footwork in conjunction with blocking,
  but nearly lost his balance, mainly because he was tired from
  the morning's hike. Cecrops flung his left arm outward in an
  attempt to keep his balance. Fredrickson swung at this target,
  and Cecrops quickly moved his arm out of the way as Fredrickson
  missed. Cecrops then swung down and left at Fredrickson, missed,
  then brought his sword up over his left shoulder in one fluid
  motion, and swung out at Fredrickson.

 *thwack*

 "Ouch! What the..."
   The entire group on the sidelines began to laugh, and
  Fredrickson brought down his sword and stepped back, laughing
  himself. Cecrops shook his arm, and clutched at his wrist.
   Fredrickson turned to the audience. "Look at that, he killed
  himself!" The gathering laughed louder.
   "Hey!" Cecrops shouted, himself beginning to laugh. "I can
  fight with one arm!"
   One man i
  chance. Put your left hand in your pocket, and continue the
  fight."
 "Thanks," Cecrops thanked him. "What's your name?"
 "Rooker, sir."
 "Thanks, Rooker. Now, um... What's your name?"
 "Fredrickson. Don't think you ever said yours."
   "Cecrops. Let's continue this." Cecrops placed his left hand in
  his pocket. He began to snicker, and then started to sing:
 o/~ And I've got one hand in my pocket... o/~
   Cecrops burst into laughter, and Fredrickson moved in and
  collected an easy kill while Cecrops was incapacitated.
   The audience cheered Fredrickson as Cecrops tried to regain his
  composure. Soldiers in the audience began giving Cecrops some
  tips:
 "Hey, learn to use a sword!"
 "Yeah, and don't try singing in battle!"
 "Yeah, leave the singing to B'harnii!"
   Cecrops now stood tall and waited for the noise to die down.
  When it became quiet enough, Cecrops announced, "I WOULD like to
  remind you, this was a best o
   "Sure, Cecrops is it?" Fredrickson asked. Cecrops nodded, and
  Fredrickson continued. "I wouldn't want to deprive you of a
  further beating."
 "Hey!" shouted the mess troublemaker. "That's -my- line!"
   "Well..." Fredrickson started as he walked toward Cecrops, and
  never finished as he swung high for Cecrops's head. Cecrops was
  caught by surprise, and was barely ducked the blow. Recovering
  quickly, he swung his sword violently upward.

 *THWACK*

   Fredrickson was lifted off his feet by the blow, and fell
  backwards onto the floor. "Ouch!" he cried out, then began
  rubbing his jaw which was starting to bleed from a cut.
   "You all right?" Cecrops asked. Fredrickson got to his feet and
  nodded. "Looks like this point is mine," Cecrops declared.
   "How 'bout you keep fighting, just Freddy has to shut his
  trap?" It was the heckler making another smartass remark. Rooker
  stepped forward and announced, "No, it looks like this one goes
  to Cecr
   The heckler snickered. "Didn't think you had it in you to lay
  him flat like that."
   Cecrops turned to him. "Hey, you're actually complimenting me?"
   The heckler nodded and grinned a little. Cecrops asked, "What's
  your name, soldier?"
 "Adams, sir."
 "Thanks, I'll have to remember that. You ready, Fredrickson?"
 "Round three..." called out a voice from the group. "Fight!"

   Cecrops came out of this one swinging, and Fredrickson stepped
  back as he blocked a flurry of blows. Cecrops then jumped back
  and began to assume a defensive position.
   "What are you doing?" Fredrickson wondered aloud, not sure
  whether Cecrops was trying to draw him into a trap.
   "Oh, I'm just planning my next move." Fredrickson chanced a
  step forward, and Cecrops stepped back. Fredrickson again
  advanced on Cecrops and was met with a rush and another flurry
  of blows.
   Cecrops dropped back, all of his attacks having been parried by
  Fredrickson. Fredrickson came at him,
  while swinging high. Fredrickson lunged forward and grabbed
  Cecrops's leg, not noticing Cecrops' sword swishing above his
  head. Cecrops twirled his arms to maintain his balance, and then
  brought his sword back to Fredrickson as Fredrickson brought his
  weapon above Cecrops' leg.
 "Say goodbye to your leg," Fredrickson said mockingly.
   "Say goodbye to your head." Cecrops replied sardonically, as
  his sword was at Fredrickson's neck.

 "Whaddaya call this, Commander?" Adams asked Rooker.
   "Commander?" Cecrops asked, then realized the joke. "Commander
  Rooker. Funny."
   "Yeah, it's my nickname. I'm really just a private." Rooker
  explained.
   "Yeah, close, but no cigar. What do you think about this
  situat
   Rooker stared at the predicament played out before him. "I'd
  call this a draw," he said.
 "A tie?" Fredrickson asked.
   "Works for me," Cecrops stated. "What say we go get something
  to eat, I'm hungry."
   As Cecrops shook Fredrickson's hand, Adams asked, "Hey, don't
  you two have to break the tie?"
   "Well.... I don't really feel like it." Cecrops said. "I'd
  rather go get something to eat."
   Fredrickson rubbed his aching jaw; the cut had stopped
  bleeding. "Uhh.... I'd rather not go through that again. He's
  ruthless."
   "Try skill-less," taunted Adams. "C'mon, I'll show you how
  swordfighting is -really- done." Cecrops shrugged his shoulders
  and brought up his weapon. Adams took Fredrickson's weapon,
  swung it a couple of times to show off, a
  swinging. Cecrops was barely able to parry Adams's quick
  movements and stepped back. Adams stepped forward and swung his
  weapon in a left-downward slash...

   "What the hell???" Adams shouted out loud. He tugged on his
  sword, but it did not move.
   Cecrops was grinning widely, having caught Adams's sword in his
  Shield. He raised his weapon and began rapping Adams on the head
  with it.
   "Never (thump) under(thump)esti(thump)mate your (thump)
  oppo(thump)nent." Those in the audience who didn't have their
  jaws dropped were cracking up in laughter. Cecrops dropped the
  Shield, and Adams lowered his sword and just gawked. at Cecrops.
  Cecrops began walking out the door. "Now where's the food..."

The base shenanigens shall be concluded in 'Preparations'.