| H BRACKET Match 1 - Mark Ailshie Connor Macleod vs. The Shoveler Connor breathed deeply, smelling the rich smells of his homeland. It had been too long. Some fifty yards away stood a man wearing a hard hat, and carrying a long shovel. The man brandished it like a weapon. Connor had to laugh. "Laugh if you wish, but I have a gift. I shovel well," said the man. "Be that as it may," said Connor, drawing his broadsword, "You have no hope against a Scottish Highlander." So saying, the two closed the distance, and with a mighty roar, Connor swung at the Shoveler. >>Clang!<< The Shoveler deflected the swing with the flat of his shovel, and swung wide to try to smash Connor in the face. But, of course, Connor is too quick to allow that. The Highlander hooks the shovel with the edge of his sword, and yanks hard. The shovel flies out of his grip, as the mystery man yelps in dismay. Connor slices into his shoulder on the backswing, and the Shoveler falls with a bloodied arm. "You seem a decent man," says Connor. "But there can be only one." With that, he swings widely, and the Shoveler's head is taken away from the rest of his body. Winner: Connor MacLeod, of the clan MacLeod, The Highlander Match 2 - Brian Ailshie Legolas vs. Zorro Legolas crouched low by the mound of rock. With his greater elvish vision, he had seen the dark rider approaching miles away. He had his bow out and an arrow ready. For all the good he knew it would do. The ringwraiths were not susceptible to regular wounds. Only a special warrior and weapon could harm them. He only hoped that the arrow he held, made by his father Thranduil king of the Sylvan elves of Mirkwood would be magic enough. As he heard the hooves of the fell horse carrying the rider approach he wondered why he felt no more than the fear of any warrior approaching battle. Normally Sauron's captains sent fear in their path that would be palpable by even the greatest elf prince. But Legolas felt none of this. The thought was pushed aside as the rider loomed into view. "O ELBERETH! GILTHONIEL!" Legolas shouted as he let the arrow fly. The elven arrow flew true and struck the dark rider in the throat, knocking him from his steed. Quickly drawing his dagger, the elf prince charged to his fallen enemy. As he stood over the crumpled body he realized his error. "A dark cloak and mask makes you out to be an agent of evil nonetheless," Legolas muttered as he carefully retrieved the arrow, cleaned it, and puck it back in his quiver. Next he approached the horse singing to it in the Sylvan tongue to calm its fears. Carefully he released the saddle, placed it over Zorro's body, and mounted the horse. Winner: Legolas Match 3 - Mark Ailshie Skeleton Key vs. Thorin Skeleton Key didn't like all this open space. He much preferred small spaces with cracks that he could seep in and out of--that was how he had gotten his name. As far as he could see, there was nothing but grass. And, of course, the little bearded man some ten yards away that was his opponent. Thorin Oakenshield would also have preferred somewhere less open to the sky. He drew Orcrist and advanced on the taller man. He didn't seem to be armed, but Thorin wasn't bothered by that. He was more bothered by the fact that he seemed to be getting bigger. Key could tell by the way Thorin held his sword that he knew how to use it. Not that any blade was much of a threat to him. Still, he might be served by a longer reach. So thinking, he purposely stretched himself a few inches. Thorin growled and attacked. With a triumphant yell, he sunk Orcrist up to the hilt in Skeleton Key's stomach. That hadn't been so hard after all! He was to be disappointed. Key punched the dwarf hard in the face, sending him flying to his back. Astonished, Thorin looked up to see Key pull Orcrist out of his stomach, leaving no visible mark. He hadn't even bled. Key grinned at the dwarf's consternation. He had obviously never encountered a liquid-based life-form before. He shook a few stray droplets of the sword, and then stretched his arms to at least twice their length. The over all volume change caused him to shrink to the Dwarf's height, but Thorin didn't seem to notice. He turned and dove for the cover of a tree. Skeleton Key followed, swinging the sword madly. Thorin ducked behind a branch, and Orcrist got stuck in the bark. Not knowing what else to do, Thorin grabbed for his opponent's arm. Mistake. Skeleton Key let him have it. And the shoulder. And the rest of him. In seconds, Thorin was mired, as if he had been sealed in a Jell-o mold. He struggled violently, but Key kept a bit of himself over Thorin's nose and throat until he passed out and died. He had drowned inside his opponent. Winner: Skeleton Key Match 4 - Brian Ailshie Lt. Worf vs. The Sheriff of Nottingham Worf faced the man dressed in tunic and dark surcoat from a distance of perhaps 20 meters. The man carried a tremendous longsword. No match for the Bath'liff Worf carried; unless the human was incredibly skilled with the sword. As the Sheriff charged yelling, Worf decided not to risk it. "Drop your weapon or you will be destroyed!" He yelled pointing his phaser. The human laughed. The laugh turned to a scream as the blast of energy disintegrated him. That was almost too easy. Winner: Lt. Worf Match 5 - Brian Ailshie Qui-Gon Jinn vs. Van Pelt On a grass-covered slope in the Scottish Highlands, a man stands with his hands folded against his chest. He is dressed in a dark brown robe and has a lightsaber clipped to his belt. He is Qui-Gon Jinn, Jedi Master and listener of the living force. At the Jedi's feet is a strange drumming board game. Positioned on the board are over 200 animal shaped playing pieces. Qui-Gon watches as one explodes from the board and disintegrates. Suddenly the dice roll, and a mist begins to swirl from the middle of the board. An arc of light bursts from the swirling mists and sweeps to a spot on the ground about 50 meters from where Qui-Gon stands. Van Pelt feels the rush of adrenaline and knows that he has once again been called to battle on behalf of 'the game.' He adjusts his safari hat and lifts his elephant gun. The image of a bearded man with a glowing sword flickers in his daydream filled mind. Casting his eyes around he sees the man no more than 55 yards from where Van Pelt had begun the game. "Nothing personal, but it is now your turn." Van Pelt calls. Just as Qui-Gon began to wonder what he meant by it being his 'turn,' Qui-Gon's danger sense went off. He ignited his lightsaber and dodged just in time to miss being hit by an ancient slug-thrower weapon. He'd have to close quickly, or make some cover if he was going to avoid being hit by the next slug to be shot out of the ancient gun. Confidently, Van Pelt continued to fire his gun and stride slowly toward his opponent. The man had unbelievable reflexes. He was literally dodging bullets! Van Pelt didn't know what made the sword glow like that, but he knew he would have to manage to hit this guy before he got close or that sword would find a way to hurt him. Latching on with the force, Qui-Gon hurled a large stone against the side of the man's knee. The soft 'pop' was quickly followed by the man's loud cursing. Acting fast, Qui-Gon bolted toward the man lightsaber humming in front of him. He only had a few seconds before the man would see him coming and take up firing his gun again. Luckily Qui-Gon was a Jedi Master and a few seconds was all he needed. He ended it quickly so the man would feel no pain. His lighsaber cauterized the wound as it pierced his heart. Kneeling by the man, Qui-Gon closed the pain filled eyes with his fingers. He then disengaged his weapon and began to meditate and draw on the living force. Winner - Qui-Gon Jinn Match 6 - Brian Ailshie Sorsha vs Sam Gerrard Special Agent Gerrard had never been to Scotland before, but he knew where he was instantly. There was no mistaking the rugged beauty of the place. He stood on the top of a jagged outcropping overlooking a narrow valley. The grass was tall and green, and the air had a clean, sweet, earthy smell to it. Sorsha rode her horse down a narrow valley covered with tall grass. This area reminded her of the badlands near Tir Asleen. Well, whatever her opponent might be, she would be ready. She carried her sword, with it's jagged back edge, across her lap. It pinged ever-so-slightly against the armor on her leg as she bounced on her horses back. Suddenly she spotted a man on the crest of the hill. His dress was odd looking. He wore a plain white tunic, tucked into his trousers, and low black boots. She hadn't seen anyone else since she arrived here, and this guy just looked strange. He must be her opponent. She spurred her horse and charged up the hill her sword now held over her head. Gerrard heard the clapping of hooves behind him and turned around. He about jumped at the sight. A woman on a horse in full plate armor was charging at him waving a sword over her head. He didn't have to belong to Scotland Yard to know this was against the law. He drew his pistol and yelled "F.B.I. FREEZE!" though he hardly expected her to stop. He could easily see the murderous intent in her eyes even from fifty yards. Sorsha wasn't sure what the man yelled as he drew a short knife(?) from a strap around his shoulders. Suddenly there was a tremendous bang and something smashed her off of her horse. As she hit the ground she sensed a sharp pain in her chest and then the world started going black. Winner: Sam Gerrard Match 7 - Robert Newell Paul Atreides vs Jean-Claude VanDamme This land was very wet, thought Paul Atreides. It reminded him somewhat of his childhood home on Caladan. Suppressing the nightmares about his father that that thought brought on, Paul sought out his opponent. Jean-Claude did not know what happened to the movie set that he had been on a second earlier. He was very disoriented and started to wander around, trying to find his bearings. Paul saw Jean-Claude and one of his ancestors, from the twentieth century of Earth, positively identified him. Paul was annoyed. His first opponent was to be an actor?! The Kwizsatz Haderach was more capable than this! Disgusted, Paul turned off his body sheild, drew his crysknife, and approached Jean-Claude VanDamme. VanDamme drops into a fighter stance as Paul approaches him, but it is a laughable attempt at self- preservation. As he easily disembowls Jean-Claude, Paul hopes that this blood will not defile his holy blade. He sheathes his weapon after it has been appropriately ied in the water of his enemy. Winner: Paul Atreides, the Kwizsatz Haderach Match 8 - Aaron Bartholomew Mystique vs. Robin The Boy Blunder scrambles through the briar filled slopes of the Scottish Highlands, seeking the strange green skinned woman he had been set to kill. "Holy bludgeoning broadswords... how'd I get my self into this mess?" he mutters, scaling the last hillside and reaching an open moor. Scanning the mist filled plain at his feet, he noticed an old man leading a cow to pasture. Stopping the man, he asks, "Have you seen a green woman around here?". The man coughs, hemms and haws for a moment, then responds, "I dinna ken ye, man". Robin, exasperated, points to the grass, then at his skin. The man's face, wrinkled like old parchment, brightens noticeably. "Aye", he states, pointing off into the mist. Robin turned to race off, and then suddenly the old man pulls a dirk from his tunic, and stabs Robin in the back. As the world slowly turns black, Robin hears a definitely female voice laugh, "And you even dress like a target". Mystique turned away from the dying lad. "How fortunate I met that old farmer," she laughs. Resuming her guise, she continues to lead the cow back to the nearby field where she acquired it. Winner: Mystique ROUND 2 Match 1 � Brian Ailshie Connor McLeod vs. Legolas Connor shook his head sadly. The poor guy with the shovel had never really had a chance. Well that just made winning 'the game' that much easier. There could be only one after all. Turning he went to search out his next opponent. Suddenly an intense pain seized his throat. As he fell to the ground, Connor's hands went to his neck. The fletchings of an arrow protruded from his windpipe. Rolling on his side, he managed to yank the barb the rest of the way through, before the pain of a wound that would kill another man, caused him to pass out. Using the powers of stealth only an Elf possessed, Legolas had managed to sneak within 50 paces of his enemy. Another quick shot to the neck had dispatched him as easily as the fellow he had mistaken for a Nazgul earlier. Again, the Elf Prince approached his fallen enemy to investigate. However this time, Legolas noticed something that stopped him short. Amazingly, his opponent was not dead! Perhaps imperceptible to any other being, Legolas could see the slight rise and fall of the man's breathing. Shocked, Legolas staggered backward and nocked another arrow. Just as he did so, the man shook and sat up slowly. Legolas was still stunned enough that Connor made it to his feet before the Elf remembered to continue his attack. A second arrow flew outward, but Connor dodged aside and the shaft missed his heart and cut into the Highlander's bicep. Connor dodged a third arrow completely as he snapped the other from his arm. Now this opponent was a better fighter than the shovel guy had been. Legolas knew his short blade was no match for the man's long curved sword. So he called to the horse and leaped to it's bare back. Perhaps if he could get far enough away, he cold set another ambush and be more sure of killing the man. Although how to do that when the man survived an arrow to the neck was beyond him, at least for the moment. Leaning into the stallion's neck, Legolas let the animal carry him across two valley's before he turned and reset himself. Surely the man would be cautious of a trap, so he would have to plan carefully. Connor shook his head again, and then wished he hadn't. His neck was still very sore. It seems neck wounds didn't heal as fast. Breathing was difficult and he couldn�t make more than a wheezing sound when he tried to talk. The bowman would pay! Especially for making Connor hike across the countryside. Who knew when he might catch a man on horseback! Oh well, nothing for it but to start. A few hours later, Connor cleared the rise of a hill and stopped. His eye had caught the glint of sunlight on steel hidden in the bushes halfway up this valley. A perfect spot to ambush him. Connor carefully circled to a position where he could come at his opponent from behind. A little bit of careful climbing and he could see the bow and nocked arrow in the bush below him. Connor prepared to jump down when suddenly another blast of pain seared his chest. Looking down Connor saw the fletchings of another arrow protruding from his left breast. Blood gushed from the wound. Spinning, Connor fell from the cliff into the bushes below. The trap had worked perfectly. The man had 'snuck' around his decoy and right into range of Legolas' bow. The curved stick and tied arrow below had set him moving to just the right spot. Legolas had seen the flow of blood and knew he had hit the man's heart. Leaping down, Legolas went to retrieve his arrows. Connor held his breath as he heard the archer approach. If he could just stay still long enough . . . there. Before he could react, Connor's katana swept the archer's head from his shoulders. "There can be only one" He tried to say, but it came out as only a low growl. Winner: Connor MacLeod of the Clan MacLeod Match 2 � Mark Ailshie Skeleton Key vs. Lt. Worf Worf opened his tricorder and scanned for life. These plains went on forever. His tricorder indicated the presence of human life in a nearby bog. He unhooked his phaser and approached. Suddenly, a form began to grow up from the bog. A liquid based life form. "No!" shouted the Klingon. "You're the thing that killed Tasha Yar!" Skeleton Key had no idea what Worf was talking about, but he knew a threat when he saw one. Worf pointed his phaser, and Skeleton key surrendered his form to the water. He skimmed along the surface, dodging anywhere the phaser hit. Once, it hit his watery form. Key winced, and transferred the wounded flesh to a place where it wouldn't inhibit his movement. He whipped one long arm out of the pool and seized Worf's weapon. Worf struggled against it. This creature was strong, but he was clearly the stronger. It formed itself beside him as a human male, as tall as he was, if a bit thinner. Snarling, Worf drew his knife and sliced off Skeleton Key's hand. Key winced again. It didn't hurt, of course--He could always reform his buttocks into another hand--but he couldn't reclaim that fluid until the fight was over. Worse, Worf's weapon was free. The Klingon pointed and fired. Skeleton Key felt it that time! That beam could scorch him! He'd better put it out of commission before he lost more matter. Instead of reforming his hand, he changed it into a long sword, and struck off a few of Worf's fingers. Worf howled and dropped the phaser. Then, he drew his knife and attacked! Skeleton Key had rarely seen such a berserker fighter. Even Wyvern didn't have this kind of rage. But Key always knew what to do with Rage. He calmly shifted his form, first soft, then solid, forcing Worf to spend all his energy attacking fluid parts of him, while more solid parts continued to score on him. Finally, Skeleton Key scored a direct hit with a spike into the Klingon's left eye. He fell dead. Skeleton Key fell, too. Man, he was tired! He collapsed into liquid form and followed the contours of the field, seeking his lost matter. It would take some time to reclaim it all. He only hoped he would before his next opponent arrived. Winner: Skeleton Key Match 3 - RJ Harris Sam Gerrard vs. Qui-Gon Jinn Everything was quiet on the highlands as an early Fall day arose--there was already a chill in the air that was unmistakable. Sam Gerrard didn't like the cold weather, although he had gotten used to a bit of it in Chicago, the fierce wind of Scotland was no comparison. He walked around the rocky cliffs looking for his next competitor; suddenly he saw him. The Jedi Knight, Qui-Gon Jinn had very little experience with the cold weather of the hostile Earth planet. It was very unlike the city of Coruscant, the mild temperate of Naboo, and certainly different from the heat of Tatooine's dual suns; yet, his instincts were always on alert and he sensed his foe was quite near. When Sam first saw the Jedi from the height of the cliffs, he instantly remembered calling out to another foe from a lesser height. He yelled out "Mr. Jinn!" The Jedi flipped behind a rock , and drew his lightsaber. When their eyes met, the chase was on: Sam Gerrard ran down the perilous cliffs, while Qui-Gon Jinn ran up them. Nearly halfway down , Sam slipped and began going over the edge. He hung precariously by one weakening root. When the Jedi saw this he Force jumped up to where Sam was. "Well, my friend," the Jedi began, "it seems to me that you are in quite a predicament. So, let's bargain; I'll help you up and the we can fight when we are both ready. Otherwise, I will just destroy you now--at least you'll have a chance then, right?" Sam Gerrard shook his head yes, and Qui-Gon helped him up. But as soon as Sam's feet hit the ground, he drew his gun from his ankle and shot the Jedi. "I don't bargain!" he yelled as he watched the Jedi fall. He put his gun back and trotted off. However, with his last bit of strength, Qui-Gon Jinn ignited his saber and speared the US Marshall. Sam looked down at his already cauterized wound and fell off the cliffs; but Jinn's lightsaber stopped spinning on the edge and waited. Winner: *BYE* Match 4 � Robert Newell Paul Muad'dib Atreides vs. Mystique The Highlands reminded Paul somewhat of his childhood home on Caladan. Water was definitely abundant and there was no spice in the air. His last opponent had been a fool, he could not expect that he would be lucky a second time. Just to be sure, he activated his personal half-shield. The Holtzmann field snapped into place with the familiar hum that it always brought. Mystique had changed her appearance many times since the old man with the cow. Currently, she wore the face of a middle-aged peasant in rags. She warily watched for her next opponent. Paul saw Mystique from quite a distance away. He did not know who, or indeed what, she truly was, but he could tell from the stance that she held herself in that she knew how to fight. He approached and bluntly shouted out "What are you doing here stranger." Mystique was sure that this was her opponent, but she wanted to lull him into a false sense of security before she struck. "I am but a poor peasant" she shouted in response "Please lord, leave me be." Paul was not fooled for a second. He could see right through her ruse, though he still did not know what her true form was. Paul played along and acted the part of a noble. "Bow before me", Paul could act convincingly in any role, as his other memory gave him the life experiences of every possible type of person. Suddenly, blindingly fast, Mystique lashed out with her foot. The blow should have castrated Paul, but he was amply prepared. First of all, he had his shield. It was unfortunately on the wrong side of him. He also had the prana bindu body control rivaling that of any Reverend Mother. A normal man would not be able to react the Mystique's reflexes, but Paul moved so fast that it made Mystique seem incredibly slow. He subtly shifted his position so that her foot hit the edge of his shield. Her fast kick bounced harmlessly off of the shield. Paul then drew his crysknife and gutted Mystique. He followed through with two hamstringing cuts and a savage blow to her throat. An observer would have seen two people conversing one second and one person standing over a bloody mess the second. Mystique changed back to her natural form upon her death. A Tleilaxu! At least this is what Paul thought. She was a Face Dancer, at least after a fashion. The other memory told him differently. This woman's mutation was the basis for the Face Dancer abilities. Once it entered the human genome, the Tlielaxu could bring it back. Paul shivered and walked away. Winner: Paul Atreides the Kwisatz Haderach ROUND 3 Match 1 � Mark Ailshie Connor McLeod vs. Skeleton Key Connor tried not to move his neck. If he was lucky, it would heal a bit, and he'd be able to talk normally again. He wandered across the moors, looking for this Skeleton fellow. He came over a rise, and saw another empty valley, with a strangely shimmering pool in the bottom. Connor stopped. The birds were all flying, as if something had disturbed them. None of the highland creatures rested in this valley, or drank from the pool. His opponent was near. Key cursed to himself. The man obviously knew he was around. Maybe he had some kind of danger sense. He was cautious, but he crept ever closer to the puddle, never guessing that it was his opponent. When he was close enough, Skelton Key struck out with one long arm and knocked him to his back. That stunned him enough for Key to reform into a human shape, and change his arms into sharp blades, to combat his opponent's sword. Connor gritted his teeth. He didn't know what this was, but this demon must be his enemy. He shouted a highland war cry, and charged! A fierce combat later, and Connor sliced his sword through the demon's neck. "There can be only one!" he rasped, but then he noticed that his decapitated enemy's head had not fallen to the ground. Instead, it was still on his shoulders. Another fight ensued, and Connor cut the head off again. This time, he watched as the sword passed right through Skeleton Key's gelatinous body, without leaving a mark. "Impossible!" breathed Connor. "For you to beat me?" taunted the Tribesman. "That was just what I was thinking." So saying, Key plunged back into melee, growing two more arms just to make it quicker. Connor was by far the better swordfighter, but inevitably, Key eventually scored a hit, cutting off Connor's hand. The immortal screamed in pain and frustration as his sword fell to the ground, although he knew it wasn't a killing blow. Unfortunately, Skeleton Key decided to finish him off with the one attack that actually would do so. Connor's head dropped to the earth, and Skeleton Key breathed a sigh of relief, and collapsed into liquid form. That had been hard! But it wasn't over yet. The quickening is not meant to be fatal, or even dangerous. It is meant to allow the killer of an immortal to absorb the power and skill of his defeated enemy. But lightning has a peculiar effect on a liquid-based lifeform. When Key saw the lightning, he tried to flee, but the shock struck him dead center, and instantly shocked through his entire system, separating molecule from molecule, and sending his corpse splashing all over the Highland Valley. Thus, Paul Maud-dib Atredies becomes the first fighter to ascend to the finals bracket. Winner: BYE Match 2 Paul Atreides takes the Bye from Match 3, Round 2. ROUND 4 Match Paul Atreides takes the Bye from Match 1, Round 3. |