Post by Oldmankrondas on Feb 16, 2011 20:45:21 GMT
The young Private levelled his rifle at the silver figures down below, McCallum had ordered him to clear a path for their visitor's coach so he could make it to Holyrood to warn the King. He froze, he hadn't been with McCallum and his men long, and had not yet seen conflict. This was to be the first time he fired his rifle and he couldn't. He thought of his father, a military man killed in battle, he could feel the old mans eyes on him now, yelling at him, telling him to stop being such a daft wee laddie and fire a shot right between that mans eyes. If it was a man. It was certainly well armoured and he didn't think a shot from his rifle would make much of a scratch.
He steadied his aim and brought the rifle round, aiming it into the centre of a group of these armoured soldiers advancing on the coach and fired, reloaded, then fired again, this only seemed to draw their attention towards him and were now raising their own weapons.
The Doctor took advantage of the sudden distraction and signalled to the horses with another tug of the reins that it was time to go. They were running in a shot, setting the coach rolling fast down the Mile, clattering through the group of distracted Cybermen and down towards the Tron Kirk, the Doctor trying to weave round Cybermen dotted around the head of the Royal Mile, also trying to keep the carriage from toppling over if he took a turn too quickly. If he could make it through the blockade of Cybermen then he could reduce his speed a little and reduce his risk of breaking his limbs.
He was aware of the increasing amount of gunshots from the Castle and could only hope that McCallum and Anna would be able to convert the rifles into glitter guns before it was too late.
Constable Norrie took the rifle Anna had handed him and looked it up and down, he had never held a rifle before. He was more used to chasing down criminals and thugs with his trusty stick then firing warning shots into the night. Not that any warning shots would be fired this night, a lot was at stake and every shot counted. 'That's one of the guns the Doctor wanted us to convert. Should be loaded and ready to fire.' Anna told him. 'It fires a musket ball as usual, but we've also added gold dust to the gunpowder so it should stall or completely stop any Cybermen within range.'
Constable Norrie nodded. 'You'll have to...er....show me how to fire it.'
Anna raised an eyebrow and smirked, even in the moonlight she could see the police constable blush at having to ask a woman how to operate a weapon. 'No problem Constable! We'll turn you into a sharpshooter in no time!' She patted him on the back and left McCallum to finish the last couple converted muskets.
Fairfax looked out his windows on to Surgeons Square, deathly quiet in the still moonlit morning, he looked to the clock on the wall of his bedroom. A few hours and he would be in Holyrood, he and his creations in front of the King. Suddenly he shivered, knowing what his benefactors were planning for the meeting. Could he really go through with it? He paced the room, feeling his chest tighten and another coughing fit coming, he doubled over, letting out a violent cough, a hand outstretched against the wall to balance himself.
Of course he could, he thought, his was the most significant discovery in modern medical science. The King would see that, there would be no need to launch a full assault on the Palace. There was a knock at his door, his butler's voice on the other side of the door. 'Sir, if I may have a word?'
'Of course Crowley, enter.' Fairfax replied, taking a seat on the foot of his bed, struggling to get his breath back.
'Sorry to disturb you at such an hour Sir, but the servants and I have been arranging breakfast for you...'
Fairfax could not see how this could be considered a reason to disturb him and indicated for Crowley to continue.
'...well I took a delivery from the local greengrocer Sir and...well, he talked of the sounds of a battle at Edinburgh Castle.'
Fairfax raised his eyebrows, feigning surprise. 'A battle at the Castle? Really? Dear me, what could that mean?'
'That we are at war Sir, or that someone means to attack the King in his residence this very day.' Crowley replied.
Fairfax nodded, pretending to consider this information for a long time. 'Thank you for this Crowley, I will await confirmation from someone higher than the local greengrocer if that's quite alright.'
Crowley shrugged, then bowed his head. 'As you wish sir.' He turned on his heel and left, closing the door behind him. Leaving Fairfax sitting on the end of his bed. Well then, he thought. It's started....
Anna, Norrie and McCallum had handed out the converted guns and McCallum had given his new orders, to make every shot count, in as close quarters as possible, because they were fighting for King and Country and this silver menace could not be allowed to enter the Castle walls.
Anna had to say it had been a rousing speech, and it seemed to do the trick, the men were ready for battle now, engaging the Cybermen on the Esplanade and the Mile, and in some cases, succeeding in bringing them down. She was painfully aware too, however, that many of McCallums men were being gunned down by the Cybermen. 'We have to fall back.' she told McCallum, as the two of them stood, glitter musket's raised ready for the oncoming forces.
'Fall back? And what would you know?' McCallum snorted dismissively.
'I'd know it's stupid to patronise a woman in so close quarters to you in possession of a musket.' she replied sharply. 'Think about it Major, your men are dying out there. But noone knows the layout of this Castle better than those brave men out there.' She looked down on to the Mile as another soldier took a disruptor blast to the chest. 'You said it yourself, your men need to get into as close quarters as possible. If we can lure the Cybermen into the Castle we can funnel them into tight corners and pick them off one by one.'
McCallum narrowed his eyes and looked her up and down, shaking his head. 'Okay, I'll give the order to fall back into the Castle, you better know what you're doing here lass.'
Anna winked at the Major before turning to Constable Norrie, a triumphant smile on her face. 'You heard the man Constable, fall back!'
Norrie shook his head, dazed. 'You are nothing like my wife....'
The two of them edged backwards inside the Castle, as did McCallum and his men as the Cybermen began working their way up the drawbridge.
He steadied his aim and brought the rifle round, aiming it into the centre of a group of these armoured soldiers advancing on the coach and fired, reloaded, then fired again, this only seemed to draw their attention towards him and were now raising their own weapons.
*
The Doctor took advantage of the sudden distraction and signalled to the horses with another tug of the reins that it was time to go. They were running in a shot, setting the coach rolling fast down the Mile, clattering through the group of distracted Cybermen and down towards the Tron Kirk, the Doctor trying to weave round Cybermen dotted around the head of the Royal Mile, also trying to keep the carriage from toppling over if he took a turn too quickly. If he could make it through the blockade of Cybermen then he could reduce his speed a little and reduce his risk of breaking his limbs.
He was aware of the increasing amount of gunshots from the Castle and could only hope that McCallum and Anna would be able to convert the rifles into glitter guns before it was too late.
*
Constable Norrie took the rifle Anna had handed him and looked it up and down, he had never held a rifle before. He was more used to chasing down criminals and thugs with his trusty stick then firing warning shots into the night. Not that any warning shots would be fired this night, a lot was at stake and every shot counted. 'That's one of the guns the Doctor wanted us to convert. Should be loaded and ready to fire.' Anna told him. 'It fires a musket ball as usual, but we've also added gold dust to the gunpowder so it should stall or completely stop any Cybermen within range.'
Constable Norrie nodded. 'You'll have to...er....show me how to fire it.'
Anna raised an eyebrow and smirked, even in the moonlight she could see the police constable blush at having to ask a woman how to operate a weapon. 'No problem Constable! We'll turn you into a sharpshooter in no time!' She patted him on the back and left McCallum to finish the last couple converted muskets.
*
Fairfax looked out his windows on to Surgeons Square, deathly quiet in the still moonlit morning, he looked to the clock on the wall of his bedroom. A few hours and he would be in Holyrood, he and his creations in front of the King. Suddenly he shivered, knowing what his benefactors were planning for the meeting. Could he really go through with it? He paced the room, feeling his chest tighten and another coughing fit coming, he doubled over, letting out a violent cough, a hand outstretched against the wall to balance himself.
Of course he could, he thought, his was the most significant discovery in modern medical science. The King would see that, there would be no need to launch a full assault on the Palace. There was a knock at his door, his butler's voice on the other side of the door. 'Sir, if I may have a word?'
'Of course Crowley, enter.' Fairfax replied, taking a seat on the foot of his bed, struggling to get his breath back.
'Sorry to disturb you at such an hour Sir, but the servants and I have been arranging breakfast for you...'
Fairfax could not see how this could be considered a reason to disturb him and indicated for Crowley to continue.
'...well I took a delivery from the local greengrocer Sir and...well, he talked of the sounds of a battle at Edinburgh Castle.'
Fairfax raised his eyebrows, feigning surprise. 'A battle at the Castle? Really? Dear me, what could that mean?'
'That we are at war Sir, or that someone means to attack the King in his residence this very day.' Crowley replied.
Fairfax nodded, pretending to consider this information for a long time. 'Thank you for this Crowley, I will await confirmation from someone higher than the local greengrocer if that's quite alright.'
Crowley shrugged, then bowed his head. 'As you wish sir.' He turned on his heel and left, closing the door behind him. Leaving Fairfax sitting on the end of his bed. Well then, he thought. It's started....
*
Anna, Norrie and McCallum had handed out the converted guns and McCallum had given his new orders, to make every shot count, in as close quarters as possible, because they were fighting for King and Country and this silver menace could not be allowed to enter the Castle walls.
Anna had to say it had been a rousing speech, and it seemed to do the trick, the men were ready for battle now, engaging the Cybermen on the Esplanade and the Mile, and in some cases, succeeding in bringing them down. She was painfully aware too, however, that many of McCallums men were being gunned down by the Cybermen. 'We have to fall back.' she told McCallum, as the two of them stood, glitter musket's raised ready for the oncoming forces.
'Fall back? And what would you know?' McCallum snorted dismissively.
'I'd know it's stupid to patronise a woman in so close quarters to you in possession of a musket.' she replied sharply. 'Think about it Major, your men are dying out there. But noone knows the layout of this Castle better than those brave men out there.' She looked down on to the Mile as another soldier took a disruptor blast to the chest. 'You said it yourself, your men need to get into as close quarters as possible. If we can lure the Cybermen into the Castle we can funnel them into tight corners and pick them off one by one.'
McCallum narrowed his eyes and looked her up and down, shaking his head. 'Okay, I'll give the order to fall back into the Castle, you better know what you're doing here lass.'
Anna winked at the Major before turning to Constable Norrie, a triumphant smile on her face. 'You heard the man Constable, fall back!'
Norrie shook his head, dazed. 'You are nothing like my wife....'
The two of them edged backwards inside the Castle, as did McCallum and his men as the Cybermen began working their way up the drawbridge.
Let's hope that Anna's plan works and the Cybermen don't gain the advantage once they're inside the castle!
;D