[i]Year: 4010 AD
Quadrant: Eastern
System: Achaemenid
Planet: Babylon 0412[/i]

[i]Death smiles at us all. All a man can do is smile back[/i]...

[hr] 

Xemaratus knew how to punch. His fist hit Brasidas' ribs hard, taking the wind out of him. But the Laconian was patient, knowing the Beotian was getting desperate. His jaw had been loosened, and Brasidas had weathered his worst hits. Now Xemeratus felt as Brasidas did, that the next few seconds would decide their fight. Brasidas feinted right, watching a split moment later when Xemeratus spun with a powerful kick. Had Brasidas caught it, he knew Xemeratus was good enough to use his other leg to kick whilst he caught himself on the ground. Instead, Brasidas did what all good Spartans did, and he simply stepped in and kicked Xemeratus's other foot the opposite direction, causing the spun to stall and fall short. Xemeratus landed just a glancing blow, and as he fell he took Brasidas' knee into his stomach, full force. The Hellenes around them beat their knees and pumped their fists, hooting and roaring. Xemeratus was thrown two strides by the blow to land outside the mat, stunned and likely with a broken rib or three.

Xyclophius tossed a towel to Brasidas, who caught it without skipping a beat and rubbed it on his sweat glistened face, feeling the dryness in his throat. The time to relax was soon at an end, when the alarm went off. It made the sound of a trumpet blaring, bringing brunt abruptness to ones ears that was hard to ignore. Not that anyone would ignore such a summons, as it announced the time when the generals were meeting with Artaxerxes II, the Overlord of the System they now found themselves in. As the men went to go into the great chamber, Brasidas went to clothe himself. 

He passed into the 'locker room,' though it was merely an area of the barracks with their belongings placed in stasis boxes to keep everything undisturbed and without dust. He certainly wished he was in a more fortified building, the material of the base collapsible, made of a high tech nano-polymer of olympus steel. Very good for portability, with a semi-resistance to small arms fire and a stable structure. But not a true barracks or place to rest when not on campaign, even for a Spartan. They lived simply, but on Laconia, there were still walls and orbital defenses. Here they were packed together and exposed. 

He slid his gear on, knowing that whenever the generals brooked the peace, they were going to be moving out. He preferred to be ready, and did all but grab his weapon or place his helm on, hustling to the great chamber where the meeting was to be broadcast on a live feet. Making his way down two corridors, he found himself amid the crowd that had just watched him defeat Xemeratus, all now muttering among one another and drinking watered down Ouzo. 

Upon the center of the room was a dais, and a lectern that held a large receptor for what was a hologram, where any and all the soldiers would be able to see a clear audio and picture of what was occurring in that room from a 360 degree angle. Screens were used for singular tablets personally, but each column of the ten thousand Hellenes was gifted a lectern, originally to be used to receive their thanks and congratulation from their paymaster Cyrus, but he was slain not days ago. Now all they could hope for was a cordial agreement with an honorable king.