Tale of the Week 6 - Submissions

[Aldgarkalaughskel]

Can you tackle this one?

(POTW 71 winner, "Bowling for Palpatine" by Argent Usher)




Stangely, the rules haven't changed this week:

1. Post a short text about this picture, with min. 200 max. 300 words, in a spoiler, with the picture in the front.
2. If you are a contestant you are honour bound to not read other contestants' writings until you have submitted yours.
3. The winner gets 1 point on the Leaderboard, if there are at least 4 contestants.

[Desperado †]

Death





The troops had gathered, upon the Archbishop’s command. Word had it that Death itself strode the land, with a long black cloak. Though be it legend or true, at least thirty people had been killed and a village razed to the ground.

Jacob, or Sir Jacob to precise, was sceptical on the situation. He had no time of the paranormal, and was a busy enough man as it was. A grizzled veteran as he was he knew that there was nothing to be feared but King and Church. But petty bandits these men must be.

And so, the party of Knights rode into the valley where Death was rumoured to be. It was surprising that the men truly where all Knights, though Jacob knew most had been but Knighted this month and he was the only true man in the group. The rest had fine armour and good sword hands, but none he knew would stand for long in a true battle.

Not that he expected one of course. Just a quick chop up of bandits, ride after them and cut as many as they could down and be back at the castle before nightfall.

But things did not go to plan.

First, the horses halted. They neighed and stopped, all in a line. None would go further into the valley. They shook their heads and neighed and whined. One man whipped his horse till it bled and it’s fine white coat trickled with blood. But nay, the men would have to go on upon foot.

After about half an hour walking in silence with but the clinking of their armour in the empty valley, they saw him. Like a lightning bolt Death flew towards them. They raised their swords, which were suddenly weightless. And then there was darkness.

[Chlο๋]

Confusion
The TIE Fighter spiralled away from the Death Star. As it whirled farther and farther away, it became apparent to him that he was going to a new region of the galaxy. Even his radar map was whizzing uncomfortably and there was a serious fluctuation in the Force. It was not a disturbance. The Force just...disappeared. It slowed its appearance slowly at first, and then it disappeared. All was black....
****
"Ey! Pantagruel! Lookit what I found!"
"Oi, stow it, Epistemon! You cuckold you, I will not look for four-leafed clovers with you again!"
****
Light slowly came back through the mask. He could see the sun, but not the stars. Funny. He had pressed the button on Alderaan. What nonsense ws this?
Sudden panic seized in. He was on Endor! He had been captured by the rebels!
A slight pain in his side. His head lolled to his left. A weird creature, with red and yellow markings on his CR2-BOX space suit. His light saber looked rather odd as well, the glow was more dull than any he had seen before.

In the bat of an eyelid, Darth Vader was on his feet.

****
"Pantagruel! Help!"
"Oh be quiet, we are not scared of a beaver like you were last time. Man up!"
"Pantagruel! Really! It's moving!"
Pantagruel grumbled something about beavers and muskrats, and turned around fro a split second. Then blackness enveloped him.
Epistemon tried to run, screaming about witches and sluring his Pater Nosters in vain hope. But the figure cloaked in black was much too powerful.
****
Darth Vader flicked his lightsaber off with a casual gesture. It was time to get back home.

[TheTrueGreek]

Knights of Dissent

Henry tried not to think of the past, he tried, but failed. The years of peace and tranquility, farming and pleasure. now, he has to be enslaved. this suit, so hot, why can't this suit come off. why did George have to rebel? Was he just unhappy with is life, well, he doesn't have a life anymore. Vador made sure of that, but im sure a few of his particles are left.

Henry landed with a thunk.
"Why are you not dead?" Vador asked.
Henry laid there.
"I sense the life in you. Speak or Die."
Henry laid there.
He felt the grip, the death coming to find him, he closed his eyes and thought of his wife, then felt nothing.

"It is done" Vader said, the Emporers hologram appearing in front if him.
"Good, now this rebel scum has been wiped out, i have work for you to do.

Henry awoke, bruised and battered. He left me alive, then he looked to the ground around him, all his friends lying there, dead. Henry began the trek back home, to find his wife. he didn't see the laser, he didn't feel it either. Henry became nothing, fading into oblivion, to live eternally with his wife.[/spoiler]

this was actually the easiest one to do so far

[Juvenal]

I found this one really difficult, I just couldn't think of an angle that would yield something non-obvious. But now the muse has struck!

Disclaimer: This is a work of fiction, any resemblance to persons living or dead is purely coincidental.



Revenge of the Sith

The Dark Modder sat brooding over his monitor, his face in the gloom
showing an enigmatic expression as he glanced at the clock.

Once he had been happy, the burning light of his genius illuminating the
inner workings of the flawed gem that the Chitinous Amalgam had created.
He had tested, and tweaked and slowly found ways to improve it until it
became a respectable opponent for the baying fans.

And then at the height of his fame, the acclamation of his followers ringing
in his ears, he had offered his towering skills to the pathetic Cretinous
Autarchy ... and the craven fools had rejected him!

Stunned at their folly, he considered moving on. But then he realised that
simple Justice demanded there be a reckoning. So he threw himself anew
into modding. He found bugs in the program that enabled him to inject new
code, and his subtle algorithms grew so powerful that even on-line players
were drawn into his thrall.

And so now the hour was upon them. He watched the machine intently,
fingers wrapped tightly around the emergency cut-out as the final minute
rolled over – 11:11pm November 11^th. At first nothing seemed to happen, but
then there was a low rumble, it became louder, and the ground on the
screen began to shake, soon the little A.I. figures were literally thrown into
the air as the sound became a scream and a light brightened in the sky. An
ironic mushroom cloud could be seen growing on the horizon until the light
drowned it out.

The PC itself now began making an alarming grating noise and a curl of acrid
smoke emerged from the case. The Dark Modder threw his switch and the
machine fell silent.

Striding to the window, he threw back the curtains in triumph and looked
out over the city as one by one the lights started going out.