In A Just Cause: Know Your Enemies. by Edward Becerra ___________________________________ "Know your enemy, know yourself, and you will win the battle..." - Sun Tzu, "The Art of War" "There's a price for too much arrogance, a price for too much greed, And in complacent ignorance we've sown the whirlwind seed!" - Don Simpson, "Serpents Reach" The next morning, Sally and David rose early. Kickaha wasn't in the lodge. A note on the kitchen table told them to come to the bluff where he and David has spoken the day before. When they got there, they found him sitting cross-legged in a circle in the grass, a long cerimonial pipe in his teeth. Sally blinked once or twice in surprise. She'd never seen him dressed quite like this before. David had, though. "What's with the clothing, Kicker? I mean, it's nice, but I thought you weren't a shaman." Kickaha was wearing fringed buckskins decorated with turquoise beadwork, a beaded headband of odd design and open-toed moccasins. A leather vest with silver and turquoise conchos partly covered his chest. His red, black and white headcrest had eagle feathers woven through it. "That's what you told me in cyberspace, during your lessons." He opened his eyes and looked back at them. "I'm preparing for the council, Dave. You'll need to do the same. There are clothes waiting for you and Sally in the village." He stood and turned towards the lodges. "We don't have much time. The council begins in a few hours." *********************************** A group of coyote women were waiting for Sally when the three came back from the bluff. They took her in hand and led her to another lodge near the edge of the village. David was similarly helped by some of the warriors. An hour later, the three met in the center of the village. Neither David nor Sally could believe their eyes. "You look fabulous, Sally!" breathed David. She was wearing a doeskin dress covered with beads and silver, with intricate geometric designs forming a pattern around her waist. "Better not let Sonia hear that, David. She might get jealous." She laughed. "Besides, you're looking pretty fine yourself." "Yeah. It is a different look for me, isn't it?" He was garbed much the same as Kickaha, but with a more militant look. A stone arrowhead dangled from the choker around his neck, and crossed knives formed the design on his headband. "I look like one of the warriors here." "And that's deliberate, Dave." said Kickaha. "Here, you'll need these." He handed a tall, carved staff to Sally and a long, wicked looking spear to David. "In council, the only others allowed in beside members and speakers are the people at my hands." He pointed at David. "The warrior at my right hand, to guard me" then to Sally, "and the wise one at my left, to guide me. No matter what any say, this way you cannot be refused." "Well, if that's what works, then I don't have a problem with it." noted Sally. "Shall we go?" "Let's do it." added David. The climbed aboard their hovercycles and sped away, with Kickaha leading the way. * * * They headed for the mountains, following the river. Kickaha pointed to the highest peak. "That's where the meeting will be. Where earth and sky meet." "Impressive." said Sally. "Is there a reason for that?" Kickaha looked uncomfortable. "Ahh... Maybe we can talk about that later, Princess? Please? I may _have_ to get involved in politics, but I _don't_ want to wind up in a religious argument." She nodded. *Oops! Looks like I hit a touchy subject there. Well, religion always is a delicate thing.* As the drew closer, Sally noticed that the top of the peak was split in two. It looked as if some giant ax had cut a valley right through the center of the mountain. Kickaha waved to them. "That's where we go. But land _outside_ the cleft. No machines allowed. It's a tradition." The three cycles set down, and they walked towards the cleft. A *HUGE* grizzly stood guard outside the entrance. Kickaha approached him. "Who [petitions?] entrance to the council?" "I am Kickaha of the High Prairie Coyotes. Grandson of [something] and [High One?] of my Tribe. I come not to petition, but to claim my rightful seat in council." "By what authority?" "By my own, as chieftain of my people." The grizzly stepped aside. "Pass, and take your place among equals." * * * The inside of the cleft was lined with seats, much like an colosseum. Kickaha went straight for a group of seats below the carved head of a coyote. They all sat and waited while the others filed in. After all the chieftains had arrived, a squat ghila monster stood and led Snivley to the center of the council. "Burning Stone," muttered Kickaha. "Damn him. If I survive this night..." "Calmly," whispered Sally. "Your time will come." "So will his," he growled back. "His scalp will decorate my vest this very night!" Sally shuddered at the icy hatred in his voice. *Oh, no! Is he going to start to self-destruct on me, too? First David and his father, now Kickaha and this lizard.* Then Burning Stone began to speak and the cleft went silent. "This is the messenger from the Great Robotnik! From the goodness of his mighty heart, he offers us the chance to strike at the hated city peoples." "Sheeya, right!" murmured David. A nearby prairie dog glared at him, and he quieted down. "He offers us much, and asks little in return, save that we aid him in defeating our mutual enemies. I sponsor his words to this council." The ghila finished speaking and returned to his seat, while Snivley went into a long and excruciatingly dull speech. So dull, that near the end of it, several of the tribal chiefs were pointedly sharpening their knives. Seeing this, Snivley brought his speech to a quick close. Then Kickaha took David and Sally to the center of the floor to speak. They kept it short. Sally explained that her father wished only peace with the Pack. David described Robotnik. "...he has betrayed everyone who tried to trust him. His enemies, his allies, he has betrayed them all. He lies for enjoyment, even when the truth would best serve his purpose." He paused for a breath. "I can't tell you what you should and shouldn't do. But I can say that it is _never_ safe to trust Robotnik." The three returned to their seats. An aged mountain lion strode to the center, and called for the vote. Around the circle, each chief took turns standing up, holding a knife by the hilt. Sally noticed the the blades were pointed up for a yes and down for a no. When the vote reached Kickaha, he stood slowly. Drawing the Acorn dagger she had given to him, he slowly drew the edge across his palm. He held the bloody knife high for all to see. Blade down. * * * Reynard buzzed in Sally's ear. "I think we have a problem, Bean." "What's that?" she whispered back. "I asked Kickaha's wife for permission to talk to their computer, Minerva. According to her, what Kickaha just did with the knife means that he's chosen to defend his decision with his life. If the vote goes against him, he'll be killed." Sally winced quietly. Couldn't these _stupid_ males *ever* settle anything without fighting? Just then, Davey nudged her. "I've been keeping track, Sally. We're ahead by fifteen votes. If they keep voting the way they have been, we'll win easily." David was right. About ten minutes later, the voting ended. The Pack had rejected Robotnik's offer, by nine votes. All of the coyote tribes had waited for Kickaha to vote, then followed him as a group. The five votes this brought gave them a decisive victory. Kickaha looked down at Snivley, a twisted grin on his face. "That's for Nightsky and all the people your master ever roboticized," he breathed. "The Pack will _never_ serve the likes of Robotnik." Suddenly, a shout came from the other side of the cleft. "NO! I CONTEST THIS! I REFUSE THIS DECISION!" Head snapped around throughout the natural colosseum. Burning Stone had stood in protest, angrily waving a spiked axe. He continued to shout. "I challenge this! I will battle any the council choose! Anyone!" raved the furious ghila. "We are called to destroy the city people. We MUST ally ourselves with the mighty Robotnik or die!" An terrible joy filled Kickaha's face, his eyes burning with a dark and unholy light. "yes," he whispered. "Yes. YES!" Before Sally or David could stop him, he leapt to the center of the council floor. "I accept his challenge! I will enter the circle against Burning Stone!" * * * A few moments later, a circle had been drawn in the sand and the two enemies stood across it, glaring at each other. Kickaha was carrying his bat'leth. Burning Stone, the spiked battle-ax he'd waved before. Sally and David looked on from their seats as a tall timber wolf with a steel hook for a left hand approached the two. Davey cranked up the mike built into his cyborg arm so the two of them could hear what was happening. "Hello, Pyre. It's been a while. How is Zephyr?" smiled Kickaha. "She's fine. Two new cubs since you left, old friend. Where's the cane?" asked the wolf. "In a place of honor at my new home. It's saved my life many a time. And brought me to my new family. Thank you. It was quite a gift. Although the spike inside was a nasty shock to some of Robotnik's metal thugs." The wolf grinned humorlessly. "That it would. Some of our best metalwork went into that blade." He nodded at the bat'leth. "And this one, as well. If it's the one I think it is." The ghila spat in the sand. It smoked where the poison in his spittle struck. "Enough with the pleasantries, Pyre Steelhand. Are you the judge of this circle, or not? I have chosen my weapons. I would fight!" The wolf spared him an angry glance. "You'll battle soon enough, lizard. Are you that much in love with [easeful?] death?" "I will not be the one to die today, wolf. And you will suffer for speaking so to me, when I come to power!" "And prairie dogs will chase deer, too." Pyre snorted contemptously. He turned back to Kickaha, jerking a thumb at Burning Stone. "Kill him for me, won't you?" A sere smile spread across Kickaha's muzzle. "It would be my pleasure, old friend. A very great pleasure, indeed." Pyre took several steps back from the circle and announced to the on-lookers: "This challange of refusal has begun. Two will enter the Circle of Honor. Only one may leave. Let the battle be joined." He moved further back, as both Kickaha and Burning Stone stepped over the line. * * * The fight was fast and furious. But that didn't stop either of them from taunting each other. "You've returned to your death, coyote. I am younger, stronger, faster!" Their blades met with a `Clang!'. "Yeah. You smell worse, too! I should have insisted on mouthwash and a shower before the fight. Ungh!" Kickaha grunted as he parried a swing from the ax. Burning Stone screamed wordlessly, and delivered a stroke that could have split a boulder. Kickaha danced aside, and the ghila hit nothing but the sand at his feet. "Fool! I will make you suffer and die a thousand deaths!" screeched the lizard. "Yep. Uh-huh. Right. Where'd you learn the bad dialog, 'Stone? Robotnik giving classes in `How to Sound Like A Dramatic Villain 101'?" "Yaaaahhhhhhh!!!" shouted Burning Stone and he raced towards Kickaha, who simply stepped aside and extended a foot. The ghila tripped and rolled to the edge of the circle, barely avoiding crossing the line. Kickaha laughed. "Don't cross the line, 'Stone! I don't want the guards to kill you for trying to leave the circle. I want that pleasure for _myself_!" He stood, waiting for his opponent to rise. Instead, the lizard spat at him. A droplet of the spit hit the bat'leth and sizzled, tarnishing the bright finish of the steel. The guards surrounding the circle stirred. Stone noticed, and froze. "No!," shouted Kickaha. "He's mine!" He shook the venom from his blade. "Try that again, quvHa'wI [honorless one?], and I'll let them take you anyway. Now try and fight as though you still had some honor left." "Honor is for fools and dreamers," hissed Burning Stone as he climbed to his feet. "All that truly matters is ... power!" He charged Kickaha, swinging his ax wildly. Their blades clashed. "Well, then, I think class is in session, lizard!" He parried a blow. "Time to learn the facts of life!" "Lesson number one, 'Stone: Youth and enthusiasm will never win out over old age and experience!" laughed the coyote. He blocked another swing of the ax with his sword, then kicked Burning Stone in the groin with his artificial leg. The was a muted `clang!' and the ghila dropped like a rock. *Clang?* thought Kickaha. *What the...?* He shook the thought from his head and continued with the fight. "Lesson number two: Know your enemy!" He kicked the ax from the writhing lizard's grip and out of the circle. "Lesson number three: Don't make me angry!" "And lesson four," choked out the agonized ghila. "Never underestimate me!" He rolled over suddenly and clamped his powerful jaws around Kickaha's calf. There was a bright flash of lightning and a small explosion shook the circle. Kickaha was thrown across the circle as smoke filled the ring. When it cleared, the onlookers received a shock. Kickaha had struggled back to his feet, supporting his weight with his bat'leth. The sparking, smoking wreckage of his bionic leg hung limply as he hopped over to where Burning Stone lay. The ghila had bitten into the power supply for Kickaha's leg, and the sudden, unexpected electrical discharge had revealed the truth. On the ground, stripped of it's disguise by the power of the current, was a 'bot. It twitched, jerking spasmodically. The electrical shock had done it serious damage, causing it's own power supply to explode, ripping open it's chest. "...Burning Stone?" whispered Kickaha. "...yes... #SHRRK# ... damn you ... #BZZT# ...did this to ... #ZZAK# ... get you ... #BZZK# ... Robotnik promised ... could reverse later ... #SPZAK# ... offered chance to ... #ZZOP# ... rule Pack ... #BRZZ# ... fulfill ... #ZZZT# ... my destiny ..." The voice faded away. Kickaha had a horrified look on his face. "You hated me that much, 'Stone? Oh, Mother Earth! How could you do this to yourself? Did I hurt you that deeply?" He began to shiver uncontrollably. Pyre rushed over and grabbed him by the arm before he fell. He shrugged the wolf away. "Damn it, you idiot, you're in shock! You need help!" "Perhaps, old friend, but I have a job to finish first." He steadied himself and raised his sword. "Now it ends, Burning Stone. May Mother Earth and Father Sky be merciful in their judgement." The blade flashed downwards. Then Kickaha allowed himself to collapse. * * * David and Pyre helped him back to his feet and half-carried him to his seat on the council floor. He sank into it with a grateful sigh. Then he looked down at the ruins of his leg with a rueful expression. "Looks like I just gave Rotor and Sir Charles a couple of days worth of repair work, eh, Dave?" "Don't worry, Kicker. We'll get it fixed as soon as possible." David looked at the damaged leg curiously. "You know, I didn't think it'd be that easy to wreck it." "I think it was the poison in Burning Stone's teeth. Sir Charles told me that Ivo never could resist trying to improve things, and ghila venom is already mildly corrosive. Five Mobians says that he `improved' it into a full-blown acid, when he roboticized Stone." Dave took a closer look at the leg, and nodded. "Mmmm... From some of the burn marks, I'd say you're right." Sally interrupted angrily. "`How' isn't important. Can't you idiots see Kickaha is injured? He needs medical attention!" He reached out and caught Sally's hand. "I can't leave yet, Princess. The council is still in session. And it's just my tin leg. If Davey can disconnect the nerves so it'll stop hurting, I can keep going. There's things yet to be done." He grinned lop-sidedly. "I can hold out, Princess. I've held out against much worse, remember?" She frowned. "All right! I understand political necessity. But as soon as this meeting's over..." "Yeah, yeah, I know. Right to a healer." Kickaha sighed dramatically. Then he sat up straight, and lifted his leg. "David, if you would..." * * * A few moments work with Davey's Data Spear, and the leg went comfortably numb. Kickaha borrowed a spear from one of the guards to use as a crutch, and hopped to the center of the council floor. "You have seen what the creature Robotnik is capable of." He waved at the still-smoking wreckage of the roboticized Burning Stone now lying to one side. "The truth is not in him. He has no honor." An angry rumble rolled through the council. "Can we trust one who would do something like this? Can we trust cho'faki [dirt-eaters? lost to honor?] such as he?" He took a deep breath. "Battling the cityfolk is an ancient tradition. I cannot speak to it. But joining with Robotnik would destroy us. In both body and spirit. For honor's sake alone, we must reject him and his offer. I have spoken." He hopped back to his seat in a deafening silence. Then all eyes turned towards Snivley. Kickaha shot upright, almost falling on his muzzle. David caught him by the shoulder. "NO!" he shouted. "Snivley _must_ be returned safely. We pledged our honor that he might stay in safety, and return to Robotnik unharmed. _Anything_ less dishonors us." A vast sigh filled the cleft. Then a huge white windigowak stood. "The coyote is right. We must return Robotnik's toady safe and sound. But nothing prevents us from sending a message with the messenger." An evil smile spread over it's fanged features. "And I know just the message." *********************************** Back in the coyote village, in Kickaha's lodge... "That was pretty cruel, Kickaha." "Perhaps, Princess, but we ARE savages. That was why Robotnik wanted us to join him willingly. There's no way he could program the true virtues of a warrior into his swatbots." "Beside," added Pyre, "We didn't _actually_ hurt Snivley. Just ... embarrassed him." The wolf grinned savagely. "It's Robotnik that's going to be hurt. With any luck, he'll have a stroke." As David worked on removing what was left of Kickaha's damaged leg, he laughed. "We should be so lucky. But I can't wait to see if the bugs I've installed in Robotropolis recorded the expression on his face when he saw how you delivered Snivley." Kickaha broke into a wide smile. "If they did, how about selling copies to the Pack? I'm certain the council members will pay almost any price to get their hands on a copy." Pyre nodded. "We've plenty of silver and gold in the Timberwolf tribes. It isn't used much, aside from jewelry. How about a hundred Mobians per copy?" Sally rolled her eyes and sighed. "Males!" *********************************** At Robotnik's headquarters... "WHAT DO YOU MEAN, HE'S UNHARMED??" shouted the fat tyrant. "I _saw_ him covered in gore when they left him outside the city, tied to the front of a captured Hover Unit!" Packbell shrugged, un-phased by Robotnik's anger. "When you ordered me to save him, I found he wasn't injured. So I tested the liquid covering him. It wasn't blood." "THEN WHAT _WAS_ IT?" "Barbeque sauce." "WHAT??" "Barbeque sauce." The android laughed. "I suppose they thought he didn't taste spicy enough." Robotnik's scream was heard as far away as Knothole. ----------------------------------- Now for the legal stuff. Sonic the Hedgehog, Princess Sally, Knothole, et cetera, (c) by Sega of America Davey Crockett, Blood and Metal, and The Wild Pack (c) 1995 David Gonterman [DGONTERMAN@aol.com] Packbell (c) by David Pistone Kickaha, Nightsky Windrider, Jon Quick Kills, Burning Stone, Pyre Steelhand, Zephyr, and all other characters (c) by Edward Becerra Coyote is a spirit of the native peoples of the Americas. Please respect him as you would your own beliefs.