《The UEC Stories》
The Altair Prime Revolt
It had been six months since the Altair Prime Revolt erupted, and the United Earth Coalition (UEC) was slowly, though surely, taking back the mining world Altair Prime from the rebelling workers. The UEC 9thand 13thIndependent Military Groups, also known as the Podolsky and Cisalpine Legions respectively, had been tasked by the UEC High Command to crush this worker¡¯s rebellion after the undermanned Altair Prime Defense Force was surprisingly defeated.
The two legions were expected to handle this job with ease, but instead they found themselves bogged down on the planet as the rebels turned out to be more heavily armed and entrenched than intel had reported.
Even so, that wasn¡¯t the reason for the UEC¡¯s struggles. Nor were the legionary commanders to blame, for Colonel Scott Harrington Britannicus of the Podolsky Legion and Commander John F. ¡®Jack¡¯ Green of the Cisalpine Legion were two of the finest military leaders in Earth Space. It wasn¡¯t an issue with the soldiers either as the men of the 9thand 13thwere known for their bravery and competence.
The issue was two-fold. First was the High Command with their initial rules of engagement forbidding the use of certain things like tanks and air support. But the real problem was the commander of the Altair Prime Counter-Insurgency Task Force: Major General Tyrone Murray.
To say that Major General Murray was incompetent would be a severe understatement. And his decision-making was indeed responsible for the initial difficulties the Podolsky and Cisalpine Legions faced in the invasion. More importantly, Murray¡¯s callousness regarding civilian lives had leaked onto the people of Altair Prime.
***
At the outskirts of Lexingtown, soldiers of the 13thwere scouring the farmlands. They were looking for something to eat. Or to be more specific, they were looking for something natural to eat. Something that would have been nowhere near as disgusting as the UEC mil-rations.
Corporal Marco Icardi shook his head in frustration, his brows sweating. He looked ready to scream towards the sky.
¡°What¡¯s wrong, Corporal?¡± Jack asked. Having been busy with communicating with the 9th, the commander of the 13thdidn¡¯t partake in the foraging.
¡°I can¡¯t seem to find any food here,¡± responded Marco. ¡°In fact, I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve ever found foodstuffs on this planet. All I¡¯ve got are cash crops like tobacco, cotton¡ I even found some cannabis.¡±
The Commander grinned. ¡°I thought you were a city boy, Icardi.¡±
¡°I was, but my gran papi was a corn farmer. He used to let me pick some of the crops for me to eat. Anyways, there¡¯s nothing to eat here. Where are the wheat or corn or rice?¡±
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¡°There are none,¡± a third person answered, he was none other than Major General Murray himself. ¡°They only plant cash crops here on Altair Prime. When the people aren¡¯t making money by mining, they do it by farming.¡±
¡°Major General, sir¡± Jack said in surprise. ¡°What are you doing here?¡±
¡°I go where I please, Commander.¡±
¡°But sir,¡± Icardi interjected, ¡°how do the people of this planet get their food?¡±
¡°How else, Corporal?¡± responded Murray. ¡°Trade. They import all their food.¡±
Commander Green¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°That¡¯s just asking for trouble, if you ask me.¡±
¡°Indeed,¡± Murray said, smiling. ¡°If it were up to me, I would¡¯ve skipped the whole ground invasion and simply blockade the whole damn planet. Starve the rebels into submission. Unfortunately, the pansies at the Pyramid don¡¯t have the gumption for that kind of thing.¡±
Jack grimaced. ¡°You¡¯d be starving 20 million people to death, sir.¡±
¡°A small price to pay, if you ask me,¡± Murray said.
Commander Green didn¡¯t respond, neither did Corporal Icardi. Chilled to their bones, both men could only look to one another.
Unfortunately, the people of Altair Prime had caught wind of this conversation. As it turned out, a child of twelve had been eavesdropping. This leak of information lengthened the campaign by a few more months as civilians became less willing to cooperate with the UEC.
***
Despite the setbacks they suffered, the 9thand the 13thwere able to fight their way to Karlsburg, the location of the largest rare-earth mineral mine on the planet. The mine was a huge pit, with Karlsburg City built entirely around it.
Seeing the wealth before his eyes, Commander Jack Green was disgusted. He turned to his friend Colonel Scott Harrington. ¡°Look at that! How many credits worth are in that mine alone? Millions? Billions?¡±
Harrington groaned. ¡°Not this again.¡±
But Jack ignored his friend. ¡°Yet these poor miners are struggling to make a living while their employers make a killing.¡±
¡°Brother, why do you sympathize with those accursed rebels?¡± asked the Colonel.
¡°Why do you not?¡± the Commander countered. ¡°These people are simply fighting for their shot at an honorable living. And we are killing them for it.¡±
¡°Need I remind you that thosehonorablerebels have terrorized this entire planet and killed not just our fellow soldiers but innocent civilians as well?¡± responded Harrington. ¡°How many orphans and widows were made because the rebels decided that violence was the answer to their grievance?¡±
¡°They were pushed into a corner, dammit!¡±
¡°Maybe, but that doesn¡¯t matter. Not anymore.¡±
Green¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Scotty! How can you even say that?¡±
Harrington took a deep breath. ¡°I understand the plight of these proletarians. Really, I do. However, they have chosen a course of action that only worsens the situation. Now, we either allow their reign of terror to continue or we stop them by force.¡±
¡°There has to be another way.¡±
¡°Jack, you know I admire your determination to avoid a no-win situation. But sometimes you can only choose the least abhorrent option.¡±
Before Commander Green could respond, the recently promoted Sergeant Icardi arrived. He saluted the two legionary commanders. ¡°Pardon me, sirs. General Murray wishes to speak with you both.¡±
¡°Speaking of abhorrent,¡± Jack said.
Harrington groaned and shook his head. ¡°Let¡¯s just go, brother.¡±
Enter Lambda
After about a year, the United Earth Coalition (UEC) finally crushed the Altair Prime Revolt, thanks to the efforts of the UEC 9th and 13th Independent Military Groups, known respectively as the Podolsky and Cisalpine Legions. Their commanders Colonel Scott Harrington and Commander Jack Green wanted nothing more than for the war-torn planet to recover. Alas, the peace that followed was more terrifying than the war itself.
Despite the best efforts of the two legionary commanders, Major General Tyrone Murray had evaded punishment for the war crimes committed during the counterinsurgency. To add insult to injury, the UEC High Command promoted Murray to the rank of General and appointed him to be the Governor General of the UEC Occupational Government in Altair Prime. Under Murray¡¯s governance, the people of Altair Prime were deliberately starved to death as punishment for their rebellion against Earth¡¯s rule.
In the months that followed, millions perished, mostly in the northern regions where the people had to endure the hunger winter.
To investigate the charges against General Murray, High Command sent the Cisalpine Legion to Altair Prime once more.
***
To their own surprise, it didn¡¯t take long for Commander Green and the men of the 13th to rid Altair Prime of General Murray. The evidence was clear to see, from graves of infants to emaciated people on the streets begging for bread. Most damning of all, however, were the storehouses full of food, deliberately withheld from the people on the orders of the Governor General.
And thus, High Command recalled General Murray. He was to be court-martialed on Earth, at the UEC High Command headquarters in Meridian.
Sergeant Major Marco Icardi was the first soldier of the 13th to be informed by Commander Green of this good news. With his legionary commander all smiles, Icardi hated to be the party pooper, but the whole thing simply bothered him. And Marco was never one to leave any stone unturned.
¡°Don¡¯t you find this weird, Commander?¡±
¡°What do you mean?¡± responded Jack.
¡°It¡¯s just that, High Command had been overlooking everything Murray did, all his errors, all his war crimes. And now all of a sudden, they decided to court martial the guy? Now HighCom¡¯s responsive?¡±
The Commander grimaced. ¡°You really know how to bring the mood down, don¡¯t you, Marco?¡±
¡°Sorry, sir.¡±
¡°Don¡¯t be,¡± Jack said, his smile sad. ¡°You¡¯re absolutely right. The UEC¡¯s definitely up to something, but I wonder what.¡±
¡°This might sound crazy, sir,¡± Icardi began, ¡°but with General Murray leaving, the UEC Central Army will also leave the planet. This left only the Cisalpine Legion as its defenders. Well, us and the Altair Prime Defense Force. But we both know the APDF is worse than useless. This is the best time for anyone to invade this planet.¡±
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Jack¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°You¡¯re right. And with General Murray¡¯s reign of terror still fresh in people¡¯s memory, everyone in Altair Prime¡¯s still pissed off at the UEC. Any hostile invader will be welcomed by the populace, no question.¡±
***
Commander Green¡¯s worst fears came into fruition just a few days after General Murray and the bulk of the UEC Army left Altair Prime. An unidentified spacecraft landed just outside the city of Arksburg, where the 13th had set up their base. Exiting the vessel was a man in a suit of battle armor that made him look like an oversized gorilla. He was also carrying a huge shield with him; one that was reminiscent of a medieval knight or an ancient legionary. As for his face, it was obscured by his helmet.
Cautiously, Jack decided to approach this stranger. He knew his military gear was easily dwarfed, but he needed to know more about this unknown factor. For his own safety, he brought with him Icardi and Special Agent Nikolai Petrovsky. The Commander never cared for the UEC¡¯s psi-op program, but he might be needing Petrovsky¡¯s powers.
¡°Welcome to Altair Prime,¡± Jack said to the stranger. ¡°Who might you be?¡±
¡°Greetings, Earthborn,¡± the man responded; his voice was menacing thanks to his helmet. ¡°My name is Alexios Spektre, Prince of Lakamodis and Commander of the Alliance Task Force to liberate Earth.¡±
Icardi looked on in disbelief. ¡°Earthborn? Lakamodis? Alliance? Liberate Earth?¡±
¡°Indeed!¡± Alexios pointed to his shield; a golden lambda was emblazoned upon a scarlet background. ¡°This shield shows my allegiance. And by your armor, I assume you are UEC?¡±
¡°We are,¡± said Green.
¡°Then I have but a message for you, Union scum,¡± Alexios said with venom in his voice. ¡°Surrender or die! Our ships are right outside this planet.¡±
Jack¡¯s first thought was one of suspicion, he wondered if this heavily armored stranger was lying. But Nikolai had been reading the Commander¡¯s thoughts.
¡°I know what you¡¯re thinking,¡± the psi-op agent said to Jack. ¡°But this man is telling the truth. He has a fleet of ships in high orbit. And now you¡¯re wondering how our sensors didn¡¯t pick them up. The short answer? Cloaking technology.¡±
Alexios laughed. ¡°A mind-reader, huh? So that story¡¯s not a lie after all.¡± He turned to Jack. ¡°I await your answer, Union commander.¡±
¡°The 13th does not surrender without a fight!¡± Green said indignantly. As he said this, he pointed to his legionary emblem on his sleeve: a boar in red and green.
I was hoping for you to say that,¡± responded Alexios. ¡°Then we shall meet on the battlefield, Earthborn.¡±
***
The Cisalpine Legion never stood a chance of holding Altair Prime, that much was clear to Commander Green. And so, he ordered a general retreat from the planet. It was an orderly retreat, mostly helped by the fact that they didn¡¯t even bother evacuating civilians. This was not callousness on the part of Commander Green. Quite the opposite; he knew they would have welcomed the Alliance with open arms.
The UEC was outclassed, to put it simply, even the skilled men of the 13th. The APDF, meanwhile, were cut down like butter sliced by hot knife.
Despite their small numbers, Alliance Hoplites were a nightmare to deal with. Thanks to their armor, they were individually powerful; a single hoplite is as good as ten UEC soldiers, to put it conservatively. And worse were the medics at the rear; armed with guns that heal rather than kill, they made the already sturdy hoplites almost invincible.
But almost was the key word, because it was indeed possible for the hoplites to be defeated. During the Cisalpine Legion¡¯s retreat to Khankord, a small pocket of Alliance troops had advanced much further than the rest. Taking advantage of this error, Sergeant Major Icardi launched a counterattack, surrounding the Alliance soldiers with overwhelming numbers.
And the UEC soon picked up their first victory over the Alliance. A small victory, but with a big prize: a prisoner, the sole survivor of the isolated Alliance vanguard¡
A medic named Arlena.
Love Your Enemy, Part 1: Prisoner of War
Sergeant Major Marco Icardi of the United Earth Coalition was not supposed to be on Altair Prime to begin with. Born and raised in Rosario in the Earth-nation of Argentina, he had planned to join its national army. Had that happened, he would have been on Earth, far away from the front, when the Alliance of Planets invaded Altair Prime and began the Lambda War. But Providence had other things in store for him. His bride left him at the altar all those years ago; and he too seek escape. So he looked up, looked to space, and in time found himself a member of the UEC¡¯s 13th Independent Military Group, known also as the Cisalpine Legion.
Earth was lucky to have Sergeant Major Icardi on that unfortunate planet. With the UEC in full-retreat on Altair Prime, anyone else would have missed the opportunity to ambush and surround the isolated Alliance vanguard.
Not Marco Icardi.
Thus, the UEC finally prevailed over the seemingly invincible invaders from planet Lakamodis. Not through exceptional bravery or skill, but rather through sheer numbers. That, and cunning.
Even then, victory at the time was by no means assured...
Alliance hoplites drew themselves into a phalanx, daring their enemy to attack. Icardi saw where this was going. After all, he was witness to horrendous UEC casualties when the Earthborn first clashed with the Alliance. But simply attacking from afar with artillery was not an option either, as Alliance energy shields meant that they could hold out long enough for reinforcements to arrive.
Icardi had one final weapon to break the deadlock, but he was loathe to use it. Commander Green had already authorized its use in the Altair Prime Revolt, and the Sergeant Major did not like the results. The look of terror on the rebels when it was unleashed upon them was enough for Icardi to want to swear off its use. Of course, Marco was in no position to ever make such a decision.
That weapon in question was the the Insectoid Army of Antarctica, known to the soldiers as the ¡®Buggies¡¯.
The Sergeant Major shook his head in frustration; he had made his decision. And the ground shook. Alliance soldiers, despite their powered armor, was losing their balance. The UEC, knowing what was about to happen, kept steady. Creatures of claws appeared out of the ground. They swarmed the Alliance position, and crashed into the shields of Lambda. Far from helpless, the hoplites began to slice the bugs with their energy swords and pikes. In the middle, medics with healing guns kept the frontline intact. It was a slaughter... for the buggies.
But Icardi kept calm; everything went according to plan. It was finally time; he told his artillery to fire. Explosion rang out; Under his helmet, the Sergeant Major forced a grin. Alliance soldiers were being blown apart. The buggies too, but the UEC had reserves of them.
The time was finally right, and Icardi sent in his riflemen. Even without their energy shields, the armor of the Alliance hoplites remained sturdy. But the tanks got involved, and the killings began in earnest.
Icardi could still remember the screams of the Alliance warriors when buggie claws sliced into their armor. Hoplite powered armor was tough, but they still had their chinks, which the buggies under the Cerebrate known as Gracchus took full advantage of.
Marco thought that his enemy would surrender once it was clear that their position was untenable; he was sorely mistaken. The men of Lakamodis always fought to the death. Icardi could only watch in horror as his enemy fell one by one. Eventually, all the hoplites were killed, leaving only the medics, shown by their white powered armor. And much to the shock of the UEC soldiers, they began to pick up the weapons of their fallen comrades. But their resistance didn¡¯t last long and they were soon put down as well.
Remnants remained, but they dropped dead, suddenly; it was poison injection from their armor. But one medic remained, her injection was a dud. She was now surrounded by Icardi and the UEC; the medic moved to pick up a weapon on the ground.
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¡°Don¡¯t,¡± Icardi said, his rifle drawn. ¡°Please... just surrender.¡±
The woman in the white powered armor ignored Marco.
¡°Open fire!¡± Icardi commanded.
The UEC infantry focus fired upon the medic until she lied prone on the ground, presumably dead.
Icardi shook his head. ¡°Stubborn idiots.¡±
The Sergeant Major wished he could take a prisoner, and not just out of mercy; he wished to know why there was war between the two. Alas, he had lost his opportunity.
Or so he thought.
¡°Sergeant Major!¡± one UEC soldier called out. ¡°I detected vital signs from the white Lambda. She¡¯s alive.¡±
***
When Commander Jack Green heard that Icardi had just defeated an Alliance vanguard and even captured a prisoner in the process, the legionary commander felt only relief. Finally something went right for the UEC. They were now in the process of moving her. But they needed to move fast, as the Cisalpine Legion were still in full retreat from Altair Prime. They were now in Khankord, the last UEC-held starport on the planet.
At the moment, Jack was flanked by Special Agent Nikolai Petrovsky. Jack hated using the psionic soldier, but he knew he had to use what weapons he could. The commander remained impassive as Marco and his squad brought in a large person in white-powered armor. Jack had been informed that the person was a woman, as all Alliance medics were women. Hard to believe, given how this woman was towering over the men of Earth, but Nikolai had learned of this through mind-reading. And Jack knew he could trust the information, despite his personal feelings.
¡°Sergeant,¡± Jack began. ¡°I assume this is the medic you¡¯ve been talking about?¡±
Icardi saluted. ¡°Yes, sir! Our men had taken to calling her Lambda.¡±
Green¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°You don¡¯t know her name?¡±
¡°No,¡± responded Marco, ¡°she¡¯s been silent ever since we took her. The Alliance symbol is the only thing we have to identify her.¡±
Both Green and Petrovsky were taking a good look at the Lakamodian woman. Though she towered over everyone else, she was looking down. It was impossible to tell what she was thinking or feeling.
¡°I see.¡± Jack crossed his arms. ¡°Well, we can¡¯t have that.¡± He looked at the medic in her visored helmet. ¡°What¡¯s your name, young lady?¡±
In response, the medic spoke, but in her native Lakamodian tongue.
Petrovsky was not impressed. ¡°Don¡¯t bother!¡± he barked. ¡°You can understand us perfectly.¡±
A feminine gasp came out.
The special agent continued on, ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Princess? Never seen a psi-op before? Better talk unless you want me to fry your brain!¡±
Despite the helmet covering her face, it was clear that fear was gripping the maiden of Lakamodis. She was unable to respond, so horror-stricken she was. It was as if her mind had gone blank. But an unlikely hero came to her rescue.
¡°That¡¯s enough you freak!¡± cried Icardi. The Sergeant Major turned to the girl, his face showed warmth. ¡°Listen, Miss. I¡¯m sorry for my friend here. Our commander just wants to know your name. I promise we won¡¯t hurt you. The Cisalpine Legion are soldiers, not brutes.¡±
A pregnant pause hovered over everyone.
Green broke the silence, ¡°This can¡¯t possibly...¡±
¡°Arlena.¡±
¡°Pardon?¡± asked Icardi.
¡°My name is Arlena,¡± the medic said. ¡°Arlena Spektre.¡±
¡°Spektre?¡± Jack interjected. ¡°As in Alexios Spektre?¡±
Once again, Arlena went into total silence.
But once again, Petrovksy was not impressed. He barked, ¡°I already know what¡¯s on your mind, wench! So you might as well tell the rest of us!¡±
¡°Stop it!¡± Icardi cried. He turned to the girl once more. ¡°Arlena, please tell us. What is Alexios Spektre to you?¡±
¡°Alexios,¡± Arlena began, ¡°is my brother.¡±
Icardi¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°No way...¡±
¡°Talk about a lucky coincidence,¡± Green said. ¡°Perhaps we can use this to our advantage.¡±
¡°Don¡¯t bother, Earthborn!¡± Arlena responded, almost shouting. ¡°We knew the risks when we embarked to liberate you. My brother will not jeopardize our mission, not even for me.¡±
¡°Now she¡¯s talkative all of a sudden,¡± Jack quipped. The UEC Commander was deep in thought, then turned to the special agent next to him. ¡°Petrovsky, take her to the brig. Show our prodigal sister here our accommodations.¡±
¡°Yes, sir!¡±
¡°You can¡¯t win, Earthborn,¡± Arlena cried. ¡°Surrender while you still can!¡±
¡°Move it!¡± Petrovsky commanded.
And the UEC soldiers, led by the psi-op agent, took away the Alliance medic.
Icardi moved to join his comrades, but was stopped by Green:
¡°Wait, Icardi,¡± he said. ¡°Good job, Sergeant.¡± He placed a hand on Icardi¡¯s shoulder.
¡°Sir?¡±
¡°You and Petrovksy did a masterful job in getting that Alliance girl to divulge her identity. Can¡¯t believe she fell for the old good cop, bad cop routine though.¡± The Commander chuckled.
Icardi¡¯s mouth was agape. ¡°But I wasn¡¯t...¡± He sighed. ¡°I guess it doesn¡¯t matter.¡±
Love Your Enemy, Part 2: Nuts for Chocolate
With the complete withdrawal of UEC¡¯s 13th Legion from Altair Prime, the Alliance now had full control of the planet. With a deft hand, Prince Alexios Spektre of Lakamodis moved to solidify his position on the planet and by extension, Earth Space as a whole. At first, it was smooth sailing for the men of Lakamodis; the local populace welcomed the Alliance as liberators. An honorable man, Alexios forbade his soldiers from exploiting the locals. All the Prince of Lakamodis asked in return from the people of Altair Prime was food for his soldiers. But hence was the problem. There was no food in Altair Prime. With its farmlands dedicated to nothing but cash crops, the planet was utterly dependent on trade for food.
Upon hearing this, Alexios resisted the urge to scream. This was the second worst news he had received since he embarked from Lakamodis. The worst was the capture of his sister Arlena by the Earthborn.
***
Hovering dangerously close to planet Altair Prime was the UEC Waterloo, the flagship of the Cisalpine Legion. There was an air of nervousness throughout the ship. Everyone wondered if there were more Alliance ships, perhaps cloaked, ready to pounce on them. Meanwhile, Commander Green had just received his orders to leave the Altair System entirely.
With the ship now getting ready for electro-travel, the soldiers could presumably rest easy.
But this was not completely the case on the lower levels of the ship, where the brig was located.
Down at the brig¡¯s entrance, Sergeant Major Marco Icardi was pensive. He took a deep breath, he wasn¡¯t sure if what he was about to undertake was a good idea to begin with. But he had to give it a shot; so he did.
The man who saluted Marco was the Waterloo¡¯s prison guard. There was not much to say about the man; he was of an average build for a soldier, and his helmet covered his face.
¡°What can I do for you, Sarge?¡±
Marco saluted back. ¡°I¡¯m here to see prisoner Arlena Spektre.¡±
¡°Who?¡±
¡°Uh... Lambda.¡±
¡°Oh,¡± the guard said knowingly, ¡°she¡¯s in Cell 3.¡±
¡°Thank you.¡±
Now that he knew where to go, the Sergeant Major moved to find his target. It did not take long to find her. It was Marco¡¯s first time seeing the girl without her armor. Clearly, Lakamodian powered armor had given her some height. But of greater importance to the Sergeant Major, much greater than he cared to admit, was how the girl looked: her hair was golden blonde tied in braids, her skin was light, and she was beautiful. But the strangest part about her were her eyes; bright violet filled the iris, it was proof that she was not of Earth. So this is the woman under that armor, thought Icardi. Quite the contrast.
Marco and Arlena were now separated by a huge bulletproof glass. And it was a good thing that the two were separated; to say that she was upset to see him would have been a complete understatement. If looks could kill, Sergeant Major Icardi would have been KIA right about now.
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¡°You!¡± Arlena said with hatred.
To his credit, Marco remained calm. ¡°Hello, Miss Spektre.¡±
¡°You have fooled me into giving away my identity,¡± she said. ¡°No more! Begone, Earthborn!¡±
Rather than repaying the girl¡¯s harshness in kind, Marco smiled. ¡°Listen,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯m here to check up on you. It can¡¯t be easy here, being alone as a prisoner. Especially since all your comrades died. I¡¯m sure you wish you could have joined them.¡±
Arlena maintained her frown; she was suspicious. ¡°What do you want?¡±
¡°As I said, I want to check up on you. Be honest, you must feel lonely being stuck in this cell with no one but the prison guard to talk to.¡±
The response was silence. Awkward silence. And it remained that way for a good minute.
Icardi sighed; he wasn¡¯t getting anywhere with her like this. But he had his trump card, and it was time to play it. He reached into his pocket and took it out. At the edge of the prison glass was a small hole, made to transfer over small items to prisoners. And what Marco had was small enough, so he put it through.
Arlena¡¯s eyes now showed curiosity. Slowly, she moved her hand towards this object. It was a small rectangle, silver in color.
¡°Go on, take it,¡± Marco said. ¡°It¡¯s yours. Don¡¯t forget to open the wrapping.¡±
Still curious, Arlena did as was told. The Lambda¡¯s surprisingly delicate fingers ripped through the silver, revealing something brown. ¡°What¡¯s this?¡±
¡°I know for a fact we don¡¯t give prisoners anything but those disgusting mil-rations to eat. Thought you might want some sweets.¡±
¡°But what is it, exactly?¡± asked Arlena.
¡°It¡¯s chocolates, silly girl.¡± Marco smiled. ¡°Don¡¯t you have them back where you¡¯re from?¡±
¡°No.¡±
Icardi shrugged. ¡°Your ancestors must have forgotten about them.¡±
Arlena frowned and crossed her arms. ¡°Hmph.¡±
¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±
Arlena¡¯s eyes were narrowed, showing suspicion. ¡°How do I know you¡¯re not trying to get rid of me? For all I know, this could be poisoned!¡±
Marco grinned, then chuckled. ¡°Miss Spektre, if I wanted to kill you, I would have finished the job back when I captured you, don¡¯t you think?¡±
¡°That¡¯s true.¡± She paused, her frown remained. ¡°Fine! I will eat your... chocolates.¡±
The maiden was hesitant, but she took a bite. Slowly, a smile formed on her face. ¡°This is delicious!¡± She began munching on the chocolates like she was starving.
Icardi could hardly believe himself; not even he had thought the proud Lakamodian girl would go nuts for chocolate. ¡°Whoa!¡± he cried. ¡°Slow down, Miss Spektre.¡±
But Arlena ignored Marco and soon there was nothing left of the snack he gave her. And Arlena¡¯s lips were dirtied by chocolate.
Marco grinned. ¡°So you like it, then?¡±
¡°Yes, I...¡± Arlena stopped, having caught herself.
¡°Miss Spektre?¡±
Once again, the girl¡¯s frown returned. ¡°Do not think that this changes anything, Earthborn! We are still enemies!¡±
¡°Yes,¡± Icardi said, nodding. ¡°Yes we are, Miss Spektre.¡±
¡°Then why are you doing this?¡±
¡°Because Our Lord commanded us to love our enemies.¡±
Arlena was surprised, to say the least. She looked at the Earthborn like he was insane. ¡°Love... our enemies? That sounds like nonsense to me. The only good enemy is a dead enemy.¡±
¡°I¡¯m sorry you feel that way,¡± responded Icardi. ¡°Since you love those chocolates so much, I can give you my share every week.¡±
Arlena¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Yes, please!¡± But the girl caught herself once more; she pouted. ¡°I mean... if you want to waste your time and resource on me, your enemy, then I won¡¯t stop you.¡±
But before Marco could respond, the prison guard approached him.
¡°Sergeant, Captain Nyerere¡¯s looking for you. He said you¡¯re 10 minutes over your time.¡±
¡°Crap!¡± Marco said with a grimace. With regret, he turned to Arlena. ¡°Well I¡¯ll see you later, Miss Spektre.¡±
And he left in a hurry.
The prison guard was to follow suit. But Arlena, having paid attention to the conversation, realized something odd. ¡°Wait,¡± she said. ¡°He was here on his free time?¡±
¡°Apparently.¡±
¡°Why? I thought he was just trying to draw information out of me.¡±
¡°Icardi?¡± The prison guard shook his head. ¡°No. He¡¯s an altar boy, that one.¡±
Ever since Arlena Spektre was detained by the Earthborn, uncertainty had dominated her mind. But now the maiden of Lakamodis had one thing she could be certain of: the deliciousness of chocolates.
Love Your Enemy, Part 3: Earthborn and Lambda
After the Cisalpine Legion made their retreat from the Altair System, the Lambda War between the Alliance and the UEC achieved a state of equilibrium as both sides began to fortify their positions. This was not ideal for Prince Alexios Spektre; he knew his situation was perilous thanks to Altair Prime¡¯s food issues. The Alliance needed to make deeper inroads into Earth Space, and they needed to do it fast.
But the UEC were moving quickly - quicker than the Lakamodians had anticipated. With frightening speed and efficiency, fleets of Earthborn ships sailed through the electro-currents to counter the invaders. And now, it wasn¡¯t just a single legion against the might of the Lakamodians. Now, the Central Army was involved, as were the other legions, including the Podolsky Legion under Colonel Scott Harrington.
With desperation in mind, the Alliance launched a multi-pronged series of invasions from Altair Prime, attacking many Earth-class worlds in the vicinity. And as to be expected, the 13th Legion was the tip of the spear, having to face the worst of the Alliance hoplites.
***
At the moment, the UEC Waterloo was at the low orbit of planet Ouros. At the bridge, Captain Joseph Nyerere, the second-in-command of the Cisalpine Legion was looking outside to the yellowish Ouros, the savannah-dominated planetscape. Nyerere was pensive; he wondered how he could phrase his concerns to his legionary commander. Speaking of...
Commander Jack Green finally made it, and he was in no mood to waste time. ¡°This better be good, Nyerere. The whole legion¡¯s still prepping for the ground war.¡±
¡°I know,¡± Joseph said apologetically. ¡°It¡¯s about Sergeant Major Icardi. He...¡±
¡°...saw that Arlena girl again, didn¡¯t he?¡±
Nyerere nodded.
Jack sighed. ¡°Leave him be, Captain.¡±
¡°But...¡±
¡°Let¡¯s think through this,¡± Green said. ¡°When you think of the Sergeant Major as a soldier, what comes to mind?¡±
Nyerere was deep in thought. ¡°He¡¯s... decisive, competent. He knows what he¡¯s doing. More importantly, he¡¯s dedicated and always makes sure to do things the right way.¡±
¡°Indeed,¡± responded Jack. ¡°And what of his performance? Has it declined? Is his unit suffering?¡±
¡°Well... no.¡±
¡°Then leave him be,¡± the Commander said. Yet he still noticed the look of hesitation in his subordinate¡¯s face. ¡°And besides, Icardi might be able to get some intel out of her. Keep in mind that it was he who got our prisoner to tell us who she is.¡±
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Joseph was deep in thought, processing what his commander had told him. ¡°Ah!¡± he said finally, ¡°I understand.¡±
The Commander smirked; he knew his executive officer all too well.
***
Down at the brig, Marco was making his way to Cell 3. There, he saw Arlena once more, and her beautiful face. And he could have sworn she was smiling when she recognized who was coming to see her; or maybe he was just seeing things.
¡°Greetings, Sergeant Major Icardi,¡± Arlena said.
¡°Back at ya, Miss Spektre,¡± responded Marco. ¡°I hope the brig¡¯s treating you well.¡±
As always, Marco put in a bar of chocolate into the side-entry of the glass. Arlena took it. She opened the wrapping and bit into her snack; it was as delicious as ever. By now, the Lakamodian girl had learned to be more civilized in her consumption of cocoa. This time, her mouth was not dirtied by chocolate.
Marco smiled. ¡°Very good.¡±
¡°Pardon?¡±
¡°You¡¯re actually eating like the princess that you are rather than a barbarian as you had been doing.¡±
¡°S-shut up!¡± responded Arlena. ¡°How rude of you, Sergeant Major Icardi!¡±
¡°That¡¯s another thing,¡± Marco said. ¡°You keep calling me Sergeant Major Icardi. That¡¯s a lot of syllables. Don¡¯t you ever get tired of saying it?¡±
Arlena looked away, her cheeks red with embarrassment. ¡°I don¡¯t see the problem.¡±
¡°Just call me Marco.¡±
¡°Mar-co?¡±
Icardi smiled. ¡°That¡¯s my name, Miss Spektre. Don¡¯t wear it out.¡±
¡°Wait a minute!¡± Arlena cried. ¡°Aren¡¯t you tired of calling me Miss Spektre?¡±
Marco opened his mouth, but the words wouldn¡¯t come out. ¡°You... made a good point.¡±
¡°Then call me Arlena,¡± the girl said. She slammed her fists onto the glass. ¡°Do it, Marco Icardi!¡±
Marco grinned; he put his hands up mockingly. ¡°As you wish, Ar-le-na.¡±
Arlena pouted. ¡°Now you¡¯re just mocking me.¡±
¡°My apologies, Arlena,¡± Marco said, chuckling. ¡°It¡¯s a beautiful name. Honest.¡±
Arlena smiled; but having caught herself, her face turned haughty. ¡°Good. If you keep this up, I shall allow you to call me Lena. Only my family calls me that.¡±
Marco paused, he didn¡¯t expect the prisoner girl to be so open with him. He felt glad, but also guilty. It felt like he was taking advantage of the situation, and he couldn¡¯t have that...
¡°Leo,¡± he said.
¡°Pardon?¡±
¡°Sorry,¡± answered Marco. ¡°My parents and sisters call me Leo, just so you know.¡±
Arlena¡¯s eyes raised up in surprise, pleasant surprise. ¡°Leo? As in lion? I love it.¡±
Marco shrugged. ¡°Eh. It¡¯s based on my middle name, Lionel. And that name¡¯s everywhere in Argentina; that¡¯s my neck of Earth.¡±
¡°Is that so?¡±
¡°Yup. Lionel Messi was a well-known hero in the centuries past. He was so beloved that he was elected Presidente of our country.¡±
Arlena¡¯s eyes glimmered. ¡°Wow. This Messi must have been a mighty warrior for your nation.¡±
¡°Um....¡± Marco shifted his eyes. ¡°Something like that.¡± At this point, Marco¡¯s watch beeped, forcing him to turn it off. ¡°Oh, my time¡¯s up.¡±
¡°You¡¯re keeping your time now?¡± asked Arlena.
¡°Yup,¡± Marco said. ¡°It¡¯s not good for an Earthborn like me to spend too much time with a Lambda.¡± Icardi, of course, left out the part in which Nyerere had been on his case for his visits.
And with that, Marco parted ways with Arlena. The Sergeant Major had neglected to tell the Lakamodian maiden that he was to fight her people on planet Ouros. The less said, the better.
But Arlena was not stupid; having paid attention to the prison guards¡¯ chatters, she knew what was going on. And Arlena the Lambda found herself worrying for Marco the Earthborn.
Love Your Enemy, Part 4: Interrogation
The Battle of Ouros had been brutal for the Cisalpine Legion. The 13th Independent Military Group was on the receiving end of the main Alliance offensive upon the yellow planet. Even with the help the Central Army and the 9th Legion, the 13th once more had to contend with the might of the Alliance hoplites. But not just, as the Alliance showed other aspects of their Army, showing the depths unexpected to the Earthborn when the Lambda War first broke out on Altair Prime.
First, the helots; these were lizardmen, much smaller in stature than the armored giants known as the hoplites. The cold-blooded reptilians made up for their size with numbers. Though the helots were armed only with spears, their numbers meant chaos for the opposition. Their purpose was to take enemy pressure away from their hoplite allies.
The opposite to the helots were the valkyries, Lakamodians in flying armor. Like with the medics, all valkyries were women. Up in the sky from afar, they sniped their flying enemies. While the hoplites and the helots took center stage for the Alliance, the valkyries lurked from afar. Their mighty sniper rifles had proven to be very lethal, causing havoc on UEC lines.
The warriors of the Alliance worked terrifyingly well in tandem. But even so, the UEC were able to overpower them with numbers. The helots could never outnumber the buggies of the UEC. Meanwhile, air support was able to put an end to the valkyrie threat; that and Special Agent Petrovsky as UEC psi-operatives were formidable snipers also.
And thus, the the Alliance attack on Ouros failed, forcing Prince Alexios Spektre to withdraw back to Altair Prime. But the UEC¡¯s victory came at a heavy cost. So many of their dead littered the fields of the savannah. So many more Earthborn were wounded, among them were Sergeant Major Marco Icardi. Marco could have been killed himself, but a timely warning from Petrovsky, sent directly to his mind, allowed him to duck just in time to avoid a valkyrie sniper. Rather than blowing out his brains, the bullet instead grazed his upper cheek.
And now, Marco had to spend his time at the Waterloo¡¯s medbay.
***
¡°Sir?¡± Icardi said in surprise. He did not expect to see Commander Jack Green flanked by Captain Nyerere. To see the legionary commander with his second-in-command... Icardi knew something serious was going on.
¡°Sergeant Major,¡± Jack said warmly. ¡°It¡¯s good to see you recuperating well. I need your help with a prisoner.¡±
Marco narrowed his eyes. ¡°Prisoner? Who?¡±
¡°Who do you think?¡± Nyerere interjected with sarcasm. ¡°Your lady friend, Lambda!¡±
¡°But she¡¯s not my...¡±
¡°Oh never mind that!¡± interrupted Green. ¡°The point is, she has been open with you. So we really need your help.¡±
The Sergeant Major paused. In all honesty, he didn¡¯t want to do it. Duty demanded it, to be sure. But Marco Icardi had no desire to exploit Arlena Spektre - the prisoner girl whom he had developed a relationship with - like that. Of course, Marco would say that ¡®relationship¡¯ was a bad word to describe the situation.
Nyerere noticed Icardi¡¯s hesitance. He began to shout, ¡°Sergeant Major! If you refuse to obey...¡±
¡°Peace, Nyerere,¡± Commander Green said. ¡°Let¡¯s not pull rank just yet.¡± He turned to Icardi. ¡°Sergeant, I don¡¯t know if you¡¯re aware of this, but General Tyrone Murray had assumed command of the Central Army ahead of the Altair Prime campaign.¡±
Marco¡¯s eyes widened, his mouth agape as horror filled his heart. He knew exactly where his legionary commander was going with this. From the UEC briefings, he was well-aware of the Alliance¡¯s food issues on Altair Prime. And he still remembered the conversation he and Commander Green had with then Major General Murray during the Altair Prime Revolt...
¡°Indeed,¡± Murray said, smiling. ¡°If it were up to me, I would¡¯ve skipped the whole ground invasion and simply blockade the whole damn planet. Starve the rebels into submission. Unfortunately, the pansies at the Pyramid don¡¯t have the gumption for that kind of thing.¡±This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.
Jack grimaced. ¡°You¡¯d be starving 20 million people to death, sir.¡±
¡°A small price to pay, if you ask me,¡± Murray said.
At that moment, Marco knew what he needed to do; all sense of scruple disappeared right then and there. The Sergeant Major knew he needed to talk to Arlena, if only to save the lives of everyone - the soldiers of Earth, the warriors of Lakamodis, the hapless people of Altair Prime - from the wrath of General Murray. Even if the Lakamodian girl ended up hating him for this, it would all be worth it.
¡°Let¡¯s go, sirs.¡±
***
Down in Cell 3, Arlena grimaced as she saw Commander Green and Captain Nyerere approaching her. She knew she was in for yet another interrogation. But she couldn¡¯t help but feel comforted when she saw Sergeant Major Icardi among them. Of course, she knew all too well why he was here. Even so, she was glad that Marco was well, especially after she heard how he nearly lost his life on planet Ouros.
Jack was the first to speak, ¡°Miss Spektre.¡±
But Arlena ignored the Commander and instead focused on the Sergeant Major; she smiled. ¡°I love the scar, it fits you.¡±
Marco smiled sheepishly. ¡°Um¡ thanks?¡±
Arlena continued, ¡°You would have made a fine Lakamodian, Marco Icardi.¡±
Green shook his head. ¡°Enough of this! Miss Spektre, I¡¯m not here to listen to you flirt with my soldiers.¡±
¡°My apologies, Earthborn Commander,¡± Arlena said sarcastically. ¡°I was¡ pleasantly surprised at the company you brought. I had expected the mind reader.¡±
Nyerere interjected, ¡°We thought we might change things around this time, Lambda. I heard the Special Agent makes you uncomfortable.¡±
Arlena narrowed her eyes, disbelief evident. ¡°Uncomfortable? Frightened is the right word, I believe. I don¡¯t know what kind of terrible things you Earthborn did to produce that freak!¡±
¡°Listen here you colonial...¡±
¡°Enough, Captain!¡± Jack said. ¡°And calm yourself, Miss Spektre. I am not here to listen to you badmouth my soldiers.¡±
¡°It appears there are many things you are not here for, Earthborn Commander,¡± muttered Arlena. ¡°Fine then, state your business.¡±
Jack suppressed a grimace as he struggled to remain calm. ¡°Miss Spektre, I¡¯m sure you are aware at this point that the UEC are going to retake Altair Prime.¡±
¡°You can try.¡±
¡°We will try and we will succeed,¡± Commander Green said, his voice raised. ¡°But I won¡¯t waste my time arguing the point. Will you not go to your brother and ask him to cease this senseless conflict?¡±
But Arlena was not impressed. ¡°As I have said before, my brother will not let his personal feelings get in the way of his mission. And neither will I. We will liberate Earth from your UEC!¡±
¡°Again with this talk of liberating Earth,¡± Jack said in disbelief.
Nyerere spoke up, ¡°Earth has no need for liberation, Lambda. We are not the bad guys.¡±
¡°Are you sure about that?¡± Arlena shot back. ¡°Unnatural psionic soldiers? Insect war monsters? What about your brutal subjugation of Altair Prime?¡±
That last point sent both Green and Nyerere into silence. That Arlena even knew of General Murray¡¯s reign of terror raised so many questions. More importantly, they had nothing to refute the Lakamodian maiden on that last point.
Thus far, Marco had only been observing. From the start, he knew his superiors wouldn¡¯t get anywhere with the girl. But he had been struggling to get a word in. Now this was his opportunity:
¡°Lena, please...¡± Marco quickly caught himself; he cringed, expecting the girl to take offense.
But instead, she looked on curiously, waiting for him to say his piece. And with both Commander Green and Captain Nyerere doing likewise, Marco knew he had to press on.
First, Marco told Arlena of the food situation on Altair Prime. Icardi then explained to her the ruthlessness of General Murray and his readiness to starve everyone in Altair Prime to death, just to defeat the Alliance.
Arlena¡¯s shock was unparalleled as she listened to Marco¡¯s explanation. Her eyes widened, and her fists clamped in outrage. ¡°Unbelievable!¡±
¡°That¡¯s why,¡± Marco said. ¡°Please talk to your brother, ask him to surrender. I promise you we will treat the Alliance soldiers with honor and dignity.¡±
Arlena¡¯s response was shocking, to say the least. She started laughing softly, but her laugh grew louder and heartier. It was a good minute before she calmed down.
¡°I¡¯m serious!¡± Marco said indignantly.
¡°I am aware,¡± responded Arlena, suppressing a chuckle. She smiled haughtily. ¡°If it had been anyone else in this ship, I would have dismissed him as a liar. But you? I believe you.¡±
¡°Then...¡±
¡°But I cannot do what you ask of me. Victory or death, that is the way of Lakamodis.¡± Arlena then turned her back on the three men. ¡°I have nothing more to say to you gentlemen... Except for you, Leo.¡±
¡°Leo?¡± Jack asked in confusion.
¡°Me?¡± Marco said, ignoring his commander.
Arlena looked back at Marco in the eye. ¡°Thank you for everything you have done for me. You have shown me nothing but kindness ever since I was imprisoned here. I will remember you when my brother rescues me. And when that day comes, I will make sure that your death is swift and painless.¡±
***
Special Agent Nikolai Petrovsky had to do a double take when he saw Icardi at the Waterloo¡¯s bar. A drunkard the Sergeant Major was not, not even close. With a quick delve into his psyche, the mind-reader learned everything.
Petrovsky made his way to Icardi and tapped him on the shoulder. But the Sergeant Major was not in the mood to talk:
¡°What do you want, psi-op?¡±
¡°I know what happened down in the brig, with Lambda. It must not be easy, especially since...¡±
¡°What do you know?!¡± interrupted Icardi.
And with that, Marco made his way out of the bar, shoving past anyone in his way.
As Petrovksy watched his interlocutor walking away, he could only whisper, ¡°More than you think, Icardi. I know more than you think.¡±
Love Your Enemy, Part 5: Love and War
Under the command of General Tyrone Murray, the UEC Central Army did what Commander Jack Green had feared. The entire planet of Altair Prime was besieged by UEC starships, preventing anything from entering or leaving the world. Given the UEC¡¯s space superiority over the Alliance, this was the easy part. The hard part was waiting for starvation to do its part.
Down on Altair Prime, the Alliance of Planets was already feeling the effects of the UEC siege...
Prince Alexios Spektre was in horror and disbelief as he saw the ruins of Lexingtown. The small town had been bombed to oblivion by UEC starships, and the farmlands were torched by orbital bombardments. ¡°Unbelievable!¡± he said to his companion.
Accompaying the Alliance leader was his young cousin, Xenophon Spektre; he was serving as Alexios¡¯ shield bearer and personal chamberlain. Xenophon nodded in agreement. ¡°Disgusting.¡±
¡°It was bad enough for the Earthborn to cut us off from food,¡± said Alexios. ¡°But for them to also mercilessly bomb those attempting to grow something edible here, even their own people.¡±
¡°I¡¯ve compiled the casualty reports,¡± Xenophon said. ¡°Millions have perished, vast majority of them locals. The situation is so dire that they¡¯ve resorted to¡¡±
¡°Barbarians!¡± Alexios cried in disgust. ¡°Every single last one of them.¡±
Xenophon responded, ¡°Perhaps. Though I have heard Arlena is being treated well by her captors. Not that I trust anything coming out of the Earthborn.¡±
Alexios¡¯ eyes widened. ¡°Lena¡¯s still alive?¡± But he shook his head. ¡°I don¡¯t believe it. Even if she has yet to perish, surely they have done unspeakable things to her.¡± He shuddered.
¡°For what it¡¯s worth,¡± Xenophon began, ¡°The Earthborn doesn¡¯t seem to be a united bunch. The men who captured Arlena were the same group of men who kept us from securing Ouros. They are a tenacious bunch, better warriors than the rest. And we know it¡¯s the same group because of their heraldry, the boar-warrior in red and green.¡±
Alexios was deep in thought. ¡°I seem to remember something like that. I believe the men who greeted me back when I first touched down on Altair Prime had that heraldry along with their Union ones. The leader said something about the 13th not surrendering without a fight.¡±
¡°I see,¡± responded Xenophon. ¡°They must have been of the 13th Earthborn elite group, also known as the Cisalpine Legion. At least that¡¯s my theory based on what we¡¯ve intercepted from Earthborn communications.¡±
¡°The 13th Legion, huh? If what you said about them is correct, then I shall remember them,¡± Alexios declared.
***
General Murray¡¯s siege was much shorter than he had intended. Thanks to the Mass Interstellar Communications Network (The MaICoN), people on Earth quickly became aware of the UEC¡¯s actions. Outrage over the genocide being committed against the people of Altair Prime reached a critical mass back on Earth, and the Pyramid in Singapore expressed the will of the people by putting pressure on the UEC High Command in Meridian.
Almost immediately, HighCom forced the UEC Central Army and the Military Groups to invade the planet and put an end to the Lambda War right then and there.This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.
When Sergeant Major Marco Icardi heard this news, he was glad. He was no longer a part of this massive war crime perpetrated by General Murray and HighCom. That said, he knew that the 13th now had to put their lives on the line once more. No complaints from him, but now he had a personal matter to settle. Down in the brig.
Marco hadn¡¯t seen Arlena after their last conversation. The Lakamodian girl¡¯s final words were chilling, to say the least; and Icardi got the message. In the weeks that followed, he had done nothing as the UEC Waterloo was sitting idle in high orbit of Altair Prime.
It was a dumb thing to begin with, so Icardi told himself. For an Earthborn and a Lambda... What am I even hoping to achieve with her? Nothing!
Thus, Icardi was content to wallow in learned helplessness. In that time, his mind was swarmed by thoughts of his impotence, his inability to change his circumstances.
But now the situation had changed, and that change of orders was the jolt the Sergeant Major needed to take action - much needed action. Marco entered the brig with chocolate in hand. The prison guard was sitting down on his chair, utterly relaxed; but upon seeing his guest, he stood up straight and did a double take. Only his helmet prevented the guard from fully-expressing his surprise.
¡°Well, well, well...,¡± the guard said. ¡°It¡¯s been a while, Sarge. But she¡¯s in Cell 3, as always.¡±
¡°I didn¡¯t say anything yet,¡± responded Marco.
¡°Yeah, but it¡¯s clear as sin why you¡¯re here.¡±
Marco said nothing.
¡°Well, what are you waiting for?¡± the guard said mockingly. ¡°You¡¯ve kept your girlfriend hanging for so long. Go on!¡± Emphasizing his point, he made kissing noises with his lips; then he chuckled.
Marco sighed and shook his head.
The Sergeant Major made his way to Cell 3. He wondered where he stood with Arlena after their last meeting. And after ghosting her, he feared that she now hated him. But unbeknownst to Marco, the girl was actually waiting for him.
¡°Marco!¡± Arlena cried.
¡°Arlena,¡± he responded. ¡°How are you holding up?¡±
Marco put the chocolate through the side of the glass. Arlena took it, but it was clear she was not interested in sweets at the moment.
The girl smiled, though tears were in her eyes. ¡°Fine as I can be. I thought I¡¯d never see you again.¡±
¡°My apologies. After what you told me, I thought you wanted nothing to do with me.¡±
¡°You idiot!¡± cried Arlena. ¡°I miss you.¡±
Marco raised his eyes. ¡°Wait, you... miss me?¡±
¡°S-shut up!¡± Arlena said. ¡°I had none to talk to but the damned prison guards.¡±
Icardi grimaced, having remembered what had just happened. ¡°Apologies. I can see how that can get annoying after a while.¡± He shook his head. ¡°But never mind that. I¡¯m sure you know what¡¯s going on with the war.¡±
Arlena nodded. ¡°You¡¯re going to invade Altair Prime and confront my brother.¡±
¡°Providence had prevented us from a direct battle on Ouros,¡± said Marco. ¡°But now there¡¯s no avoiding it.¡±
¡°I understand.¡± An awkward silence reigned before Arlena continued. ¡°But you don¡¯t have to do this.¡±
¡°Pardon?¡±
¡°If you surrender, my brother will treat you with honor. I¡¯ll make sure of it!¡±
Marco looked at Arlena with absolute disbelief. ¡°Last time I was here, you told us quite clearly: victory or death. The way of Lakamodis!¡±
Arlena could say nothing.
¡°Regardless,¡± continued Marco, ¡°surrender is truly not an option for us. We are winning this war, Lena. But you can still talk to your brother and ask him to make peace with us. If you change your mind on this.¡±
Arlena looked down, tears in her eyes. ¡°My apologies. I was being selfish.¡±
Marco was ready to make his exit. He put his hand on the glass separating the two. ¡°After this, the 13th will finish the fight on Altair Prime. If you see me again, that means your brother is dead.¡±
In return, Arlena put her own hand on the glass, matching Marco¡¯s. Arlena¡¯s palm was much smaller than Marco¡¯s, but that was simply proper. For a moment, the Lambda and the Earthborn would have had their hands touching, if it wasn¡¯t for the glass separating the two.
Love Your Enemy, Part 6: Inevitable Struggle
The UEC invasion of Alliance-held Altair Prime finally commenced. But it wasn¡¯t the cakewalk that the Earthborn thought it would be. The Lambdas had successfully rationed what little food they had, allowing them to stave off complete starvation. As for the denizens of Altair Prime, they knew full well who was to blame for their misery, and they had no desire to cooperate with the UEC.
Despite being outnumbered and outgunned, the Alliance were able to inflict heavy casualties on the UEC. Of course, they couldn¡¯t have done it without the help of the local populace. Through the use of the terrain, the Alliance and their local allies had ambushed many UEC divisions, leading to the complete destruction of some. If it wasn¡¯t for air and orbital support, the UEC attack would have been a complete failure.
Once again, General Murray¡¯s strategy had backfired.
Such was the story of the UEC in the Lambda War. Unable to defeat their enemy in direct combat, the ground forces must rely on air strikes, bombs, and orbital bombardments. Those, and sheer numbers.
It was only the numbers of the Central Army and the heroics of the legions that allowed the UEC to deliver victory. The Podolsky Legion under Col. Scott Harrington was able to secure major strongholds, most notable being the mining pit city of Karlsburg. But the c
redit for the now inevitable victory on Altair Prime as a whole belonged to the Cisalpine Legion under Commander Jack Green.
Speaking of the 13th, the legion¡¯s flagship the UEC Waterlo was flying at low orbit of Altair Prime. In the brig, Arlena Spektre was simply waiting for the whole thing to end. She knew that the 13th were now on the ground. Either her brother would perish or Marco would. She found both outcome equally undesirable. The maiden was lost in her thoughts when she heard footsteps nearing her. And her heart was filled with hope.
¡°Marco!?¡±
But she was to be disappointed, as it was actually the prison guard.
¡°Oh, it¡¯s you.¡±
¡°I have a name you know,¡± he said sarcastically.
In fact, said guard had once told Arlena his name. But for the Lakamodian girl, there were only three names in the Cisalpine Legion that she cared to remember: Marco, Leo, and Icardi.
¡°Aren¡¯t you supposed to be fighting?¡± asked Arlena; she was in no mood for a conversation.
¡°What can I say? I got ship guard duty.¡±
Arlena said nothing, leading to silence in the brig.
¡°Anyways,¡± the guard said. ¡°I can tell you¡¯re worried.¡±
¡°Should I not?¡± responded Arlena. ¡°There is a war down there, and my brother and the man I love are fighting on opposing sides.¡±
As soon as the words left her mouth, Arlena realized her error. She covered her mouth with her hands, but the prison guard had heard everything.
¡°Uh huh.¡±
¡°You heard nothing, Earthborn!¡± cried Arlena, her cheeks red. ¡°Do not tell anyone about this. Please.¡±
The guard chuckled. ¡°Worry not, m¡¯lady. Your secret¡¯s safe with me.¡±
***
Down on Altair Prime, Prince Alexios Spektre of the Alliance was somber. His decision to evacuate the wounded Lakamodians was not received well. Even so, he wanted to avoid the slaughter of his men. His cousin, Xenophon, saw things differently.
¡°You can still change your mind,¡± the younger man said. ¡°I know I speak for everyone in that wounded fleet that we will fight ¡®till our dying breaths.¡±
Alexios smiled, his eyes betrayed melancholy. He put his hand on Xenophon¡¯s shoulder, one that was wrapped in bloodied bandage. ¡°I know you will. But this is not your decision to make.¡±
¡°My lord,¡± cried Xenophon. ¡°I will die for you. And for all Lakamodis!¡±Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.
Thank you,¡± Alexios said. ¡°But I want you to live. This war had seen enough deaths.¡±
Xenophon¡¯s eyes were filled with tears. ¡°Victory or death. That is the way of Lakamodis.¡±
¡°I am aware. But I see no honor in being slaughtered like animals in this hellhole.¡± Alexios embraced his cousin. ¡°Live, Xenophon. Take what¡¯s left of our army, and lead them. I entrust them to you.¡±
¡°And then?¡±
¡°I cannot say. You must figure that out on your own.¡±
And finally, Xenophon left with the rest of the Alliance¡¯s wounded fleet. As he saw the ships activating their cloaking devices - thus disappearing into the air - Alexios wondered if he was sending them to their deaths given the UEC blockade. But at least they had a chance, which was more than can be said for the Prince and those who remained in Arksburg.
***
Upon entering Arksburg, Sergeant Major Icardi sighed. It felt like it was only yesterday when the Alliance was invading Altair Prime, and the 13th as well as the UEC as a whole was fleeing from its planetary capital with their tail behind their legs. But Marco remained calm as ever.
Indeed, Icardi had little to worry about. Arksburg¡¯s city-streets had little defenders. There were some helots and local guerrillas to contend with; yet for the most part, the UEC had gone through the city without a fight. A scouting report courtesy of Special Agent Petrovsky revealed the reason for this: the bulk of the Alliance army was stationed in the town square.
Thus, the 13th wasted little time as they made their way to the heart of Arksburg. As they entered into the market square, the fighting began to grow fierce. Valkyries sprang out from the buildings, but Commander Green was ready for them. UEC fighter aircrafts began their sweep to clear them out.
Seeing the valkyries fall like flies, Icardi felt relief; he had lost his fair share of comrades to those demons, almost lost his own life too. But he also felt horror. For some reason, he couldn¡¯t help but see Arlena as one of those flying figures.
The job was far from over...
On the ground, the hoplites defended the narrow city streets. The intricately sculped Alliance defense was centered around the city-square. Right in the middle was their commander, the gallant Prince Alexios, his armor shining in scarlet-red even amongst his companions.
***
Having surrounded what¡¯s left of the Alliance position in Arksburg, the 13th Legion halted. Commander Green knew that breaking through the Alliance defenses would mean horrific casualties. There was the easy path to be sure: merciless aerial and orbital bombardments. But Green wanted to avoid slaughter, and so he sent an electronic message, asking for a parley with Alexios.
To his surprise, the Lakamodian prince accepted the request, the two commanders had agreed to meet in a building located in the no man¡¯s land between the two armies. That a temporary ceasefire could have even taken place after everything was remarkable.
The meeting itself brought feelings of deja-vu for Commander Green; after all, he also brought with him Icardi and Petrovsky, like the first time they had met Prince Alexios.
The Lakamodian¡¯s voice was menacing like before. But this time his tone was respectful as he spoke, ¡°Earthborn soldiers, you have proven to be worthy opponents. Identity yourselves so I know to whom do I have the honor of combat.¡±
¡°Commander Jack Green of the United Earth Coalition,¡± the legionary commander said.
Alexios nodded. ¡°Well met, Jack Green.¡± He then motioned his arm towards Icardi. ¡°And this soldier of yours? I have seen him fight in the frontlines.¡±
Marco spoke up, ¡°Sergeant Major Marco Icardi of the UEC¡¯s 13th Independent Military Group.¡±
¡°Well met, Marco Icardi,¡± said Alexios. ¡°I can see you are a brave warrior. You are indeed a credit to the Earthborn, something that is severely lacking in your race...¡±
Marco was about to thank Alexios for his compliment, but the armored Lakamodian was not finished.
¡°... which is why I hope you are ready to die by my weapon.¡±
¡°Wait, general,¡± cried Icardi. ¡°Why do you continue to fight? Your forces are beaten! Surrender to us, and we will make sure that you and your men have a fair hearing.¡±
In response, Alexios pointed to his crimson shield, the golden Lambda front and center. ¡°Do you see my armor, Marco Icardi? When a soldier of Lakamodis marches off to battle, his mother would tell him: return with your armor, or not at all. Victory or death, that is the way of Lakamodis.¡±
Icardi looked to the general, his eyes filled with pity. ¡°Arlena said the same thing.¡±
¡°My sister?¡± responded Alexios, his voice betrayed shock. But he soon regained his composure. ¡°What game are you playing, Marco Icardi!?¡±
Icardi shook his head. ¡°No game, Sir Spektre. Your sister is alive and well. And I would love for you both to reunite once more. Regardless of what you think of us, the Cisalpine Legion are soldiers, not brutes. On my honor as a soldier, we will make sure the Lakamodians are treated with honor.¡±
There was silence after Icardi finished his speech; Alexios was looking down to the ground, his true state masked by his helmet. The Sergeant Major couldn¡¯t help but think that he was getting to the Lakamodian prince.
But he was sorely mistaken.
Petrovsky, having kept silent, finally interjected, ¡°You¡¯re wasting your time, Icardi. The Lambda¡¯s tempted, sure. But he¡¯s just stalling us. As we speak, the Alliance is sending their wounded in a fleet of starships out of Altair Prime.¡±
¡°What!¡± said Green.
Alexios was enraged. ¡°Get out of my head, mind-reader!¡±
Petrovsky for his part, was unperturbed. ¡°How about this, Lambda? Lay down your arms, and we¡¯ll tell our fleet not to blast your wounded into smithereens.¡±
¡°You monster!¡± Alexios cried. ¡°I can now see that words are meaningless with you Earthborn. The time for talk is past. Once again, we shall meet on the battlefield!¡±
Love Your Enemy, Part 7: Prince of Lakamodis
Planet Lakamodis was a jungle dominated planet; the humid lowlands were inhabited mostly by the diminutive lizardmen, the native race of the planet. Though numerous, the cold-blooded natives were primitive both socially and technologically. When a fleet of generation starships from Earth landed on the planet, it was the beginning of the Lakamodian people. The colonists took apart the ships they had arrived on the planet in and constructed cities with them; thus the base of a generation ship became the heart of a city in the highlands of planet Lakamodis. In time, the descendants of the fleet¡¯s commanding officers became the patricians of Lakamodis, and the patriarch of a patrician family would be known as a Prince of Lakamodis.
One prominent patrician family came from the generation ship known as The Spektre, the largest amongst the ships that formed the blind-journey colony fleet. And thus, House Spektre became the most prominent patrician family on Lakamodis. They were instrumental in the conquest of the planet and the subjugation of the native lizardmen, who became the helots.
After the conquest of planet Lakamodis, the Lakamodians expanded to other planets, forming settlements. Eventually, the homeworld and the colonies banded together to form the Alliance of Planets.
In the centuries since their founding, the Lakamodians lived in ignorance of Old Earth, the world they came from. That all changed when the Ephors, the patrician elders of Lakamodis, received word from Earth herself. The electronic message was one of request: for the liberation of Earth from the tyranny of the United Earth Coalition.
When a young Lakamodian maiden from House Spektre heard of the news from her older brother, she could hardly believe it.
¡°Quite the story,¡± Arlena said. ¡°What happens next?¡±
Absent his armor, Alexios was a handsome young man with straight golden hair that reached his shoulders. But his most striking feature was his glowing purple eyes, the trait that marked a Lakamodian of patrician breeding.
¡°The Ephors consulted the Oracle of the Most High,¡± he responded. ¡°She prophesied: From the tyrants of the Pyramid, Old Earth will be liberated.¡±
Arlena smiled, she knew exactly where her brother was going with his words.
Alexios continued, ¡°Thus, they voted for a campaign to liberate Old Earth. And they nominated me to be the leader of this expedition.¡±
¡°As they should,¡± Arlena said. ¡°If they had chosen anyone else, it would be an absolute blasphemy.¡±
Alexios chuckled. ¡°Settle down, Lena. I am not a god, surely you know that.¡±
¡°That remains to be seen. I assume you¡¯re mustering the army now. It¡¯ll be quite the undertaking, and you¡¯ll be needing a lot of manpower.¡±
¡°Indeed, I...¡± Alexios paused. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me...¡±
¡°You know me all too well, Alexi,¡± Arlena said with a sly grin. ¡°I shall take part in this campaign also. My marksmanship still needs work, so they won¡¯t let me be a valkyrie. But a medic...¡±Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.
Alexios shook his head. ¡°You know not what you seek, sister. We don¡¯t know what these Earthborn are capable of. There¡¯s no need for you to be a part of this.¡±
¡°You want me to stay?¡± Arlena asked indignantly. ¡°What am I going to do?¡±
¡°Marry a good man. Have children.¡±
¡°A good man wouldn¡¯t stay at home while Lakamodis marches off to war! The way I see it, I shall only find a good man in war.¡±
Alexios was bemused, to say the least. ¡°This is not a game, Lena. Who knows what will happen out there.¡±
Whatever happens, we will prevail,¡± Arlena countered. ¡°We are the Lakamodians. We shall overcome!¡±
¡°Foolish girl. This campaign may very well be the death of me.¡±
***
Arlena opened her eyes and saw the all too familiar view of the UEC Waterloo¡¯s brig. Must have been a dream, she thought. But it was not just a dream, it was also a memory. Memory of home, and Alexios. And the vividness of that dream shook the girl to the core. Tears fell from her eyes; somehow, she knew that she was never going to see her brother again.
***
Despite the blood of millions already poured upon the ground of Altair Prime, Jack Green refused to waste the lives of his men. Faced with the challenge of cracking through the impenetrable wall of hoplites, the UEC legionary commander chose to bombard the Alliance position instead. From the sky, UEC aircraft delivered death to the Lakamodians who simply did not have the means to respond. The Lakamodians viewed projectile weapons such as guns with contempt; they saw them as weapons for cowards and women. And now, they were being killed off by the weapons they despised the most.
But not quite, as Jack halted his bombardment. Yet the job was far from finished. A man of honor, the Commander wanted to give his enemies a fighting chance. He sent in the buggies.
The swarm of insectoid creatures moved to mob the hoplites. Now able to act in return, the Lakamodians fought like demons. The hoplites cut through the buggies with frightening efficiency. Before long, mangled parts of giant insects - sliced by Lakamodian energy lances - littered the ground upon which the hoplites stood.
From afar, the Commander saw the action and was utterly impressed. But his executive officer, Captain Joseph Nyerere, was of a different mindset:
¡°Why are you smiling, Commander?¡± asked Nyerere. ¡°Our bugs are being crushed.¡±
Jack shrugged. ¡°These warriors have made a good accounting for themselves. It would be a shame if they were to die by the buggies. It¡¯s time to finish the job myself.¡±
¡°You are going down there?¡± Nyerere asked in disbelief.
¡°I¡¯m not going there alone. Worry not, Captain. Icardi and Petrovsky will be with me. Keep an eye on battlefield for me, will you?¡±
***
In the end, sheer numbers prove to be too much for the brave Lakamodians. Yet they fought on. Alexios looked on as his comrades fell left and right, yet he refused to lay down and die. He skewered a UEC bug with his energy lance. But just as he pulled his weapon free, he was buffeted by a hail of bullets hitting his armor. The source was unmistakable, the Earthborn commander Jack Green with his rifle.
Alexios brought his shield down to protect himself. But he was completely unaware that a third man was targeting him from afar. Petrovsky the mind-reader would have blasted the prince¡¯s head off if he hadn¡¯t been pushed to the ground by a fellow Alliance hoplite; the prince¡¯s life was saved, but at the cost of his savior¡¯s.
The Prince of Lakamodis was quick to recover. Yet another buggy was about to pounce on him but a well-armored punch to the face put an end to that creature. Alexios got back to his feet and picked up his energy lance. Then, he saw a challenger in front of him, a UEC soldier who held an energy lance, surely pilfered from a dead hoplite. Alexios knew exactly who this Earthborn was - Marco Icardi.
No words were exchanged; both men knew what needed to be done. They charged at one another.
If Alexios had been at full strength, he would have easily won this joust. But the Prince of Lakamodis was gassed out. His body was no longer as responsive as he wished. And the urge to let his arms down, just for a few seconds, was simply overwhelming. Also, his armor had sustained severe damages; instead of powering the prince¡¯s strength, it was now weighing him down.
Icardi¡¯s handle of the lance were clumsy, as to be expected. Yet he was deceptively agile. Alexios misjudged the Earthborn¡¯s movement, and the Lakamodian¡¯s lance thrust was easily sidestepped. Now Icardi had a clean look. He thrusted his energy lance forward as hard as he could and pierced through the Lakamodian powered armor.
Thus was the death of Alexios Spektre, Prince of Lakamodis.
Love Your Enemy, Part 8: Enemies No More
¡°My lord, we are under attack! The Earthborn¡¯s blockade¡ it¡¯s too much! The ships¡ they¡¯re everywhere! Truly, we are done for.¡±
Those were the panicked words of Xenophon Spektre, blaring through the speaker of his cousin Alexios. Yet the Lakamodian prince, lying in a pool of his own blood, was helpless as well. In the chaos of battle, his own helmet had been knocked off; his armor was in shambles. Dyaus the god of victory and Altina the goddess of war¡ they had abandoned him. Pride, honor, and strength of arms were not sufficient to save his men. But all was not lost for the Prince of Lakamodis. There was yet hope, if only he would cast aside his pride. And he did. Alexios looked to the UEC soldiers before him, his vanquishers. Reaching out an arm to them, he spoke:
¡°Earthborns, you know of my wounded fleet. The ships full of men escaping this death trap. They are no longer a threat to you or your UEC. I beseech you to let them go! I plead as one warrior to another.¡±
Green responded sternly, ¡°You are not in a position to make demands, General.¡± Yet he paused, and his voice softened. ¡°That said, I¡¯ll call off the bombardments and have the marines capture the ships.¡±
¡°No!¡± cried Alexios. ¡°They may be wounded but they will still fight to the death. Every man, woman, and lizard. It is the way of Lakamodis. They only way for them to live is...¡± Alexios coughed blood.
"Don¡¯t talk, Sir Spektre,¡± said Icardi. He turned around. ¡°Medic!¡±
¡°Don¡¯t bother, Marco Icardi,¡± Alexios said, smiling. ¡°I know I¡¯m done for. Again, Jack Green. I ask of you...¡±
¡°I cannot! So long as we remain at war, it¡¯s my duty to make sure that the Alliance poses no threat to Earth. Surely you understand.¡±
¡°Then they will all perish,¡± Alexios said, horrified.
In response, Green was deep in thought.
Petrovsky, having observed the conversation, spoke up, ¡°I know you¡¯re seriously considering his proposal, Commander. But you know damn well that HighCom isn¡¯t going to like this.¡±
Rather than answering the psi-op agent, Green remained silent. That pause reigned for what seemed to be an eternity. Then, he made his decision. The legionary commander activated his communicator and spoke:
¡°This is Commander John F. Green of the UEC 13th Independent Military Group. All ships, cease your attacks on the Alliance ships! Let them go. I repeat, stop attacking the Alliance starships!¡±
Alexios smiled. ¡°You have my gratitude, Jack Green.¡±
¡°Don¡¯t celebrate just yet,¡± responded Petrovksy. ¡°I doubt they¡¯ll listen to a maverick legionary commander like Green.¡±
But another voice sounded from the communicator, ¡°This is Colonel Scott Harrington Britannicus of the UEC 9th Independent Military Group. All ships, do as Commander Green says! We have your back, Jack.¡±Stolen story; please report.
¡°Well I¡¯ll be damned,¡± Petrovksy said, his words finally betraying emotions. ¡°But the colonel¡¯s not the last word in this.¡±
¡°Much as I hate to admit it, he¡¯s right,¡± Icardi interjected; in vain he was tending to the wounds of Alexios. ¡°There is only one person who can stop the slaughter. And it¡¯ll be a miracle for...¡±
Yet another voice came from the communicator, ¡°This is General Tyrone Murray. All ships, cease fire! Let the Lambda ships pass through the blockade. I repeat, let the Lambdas pass through.¡±
¡°A miracle indeed,¡± Green said.
Once more, Xenophon¡¯s voice boomed from Alexios¡¯ speaker: ¡°My lord, the Earthborn had stopped firing on us. Thank the gods! I don¡¯t know what you did, Lord Alexios, but thank you. I swear¡ we won¡¯t waste this gift of life you have given us.¡±
Alexios said nothing, but he had a serene smile on his face. Xenophon¡¯s words were the last thing the prince heard before he finally succumbed to his wounds.
¡°I can no longer detect thoughts from him,¡± Petrovsky said. ¡°He¡¯s dead, Commander.¡±
Icardi struggled to contain his tears. ¡°Rest in peace, General Alexios Spektre. I wish we could have met under different circumstances.¡±
¡°Damn straight,¡± Jack added.
***
The Lambda War was finally over. And now the UEC had the unenviable task of picking up the pieces and putting them back together, especially Altair Prime. As for Sergeant Major Marco Icardi, he had a personal business to attend to... at Cell 3 of UEC Waterloo¡¯s brig.
To Marco¡¯s surprise, Arlena was no longer in her cell. Instead, she was being escorted by the prison guard. Icardi¡¯s heart was moved by pity when he saw the girl¡¯s disheveled face; it was clear she had been crying her eyes out.
¡°Arlena,¡± he said.
¡°Greetings, Marco,¡± she responded. ¡°I¡¯ve heard the news. And what happened to Alexi.¡±
Marco looked away. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±
Silence reigned supreme. Both had a lot to say to the other, but couldn¡¯t find the words to express them. It was up to the poor prison guard to break the silence: ¡°If you lovebirds have nothing more to say, then it¡¯s time for us to go.¡±
¡°Yes,¡± Arlena said. ¡°Take me away.¡±
Plagued with indecision, Marco was about to let Arlena leave. It wouldn¡¯t be the first time he had allowed a girl to walk out of his life. No... not again. He reached out his hand and cried, ¡°Wait, Lena!¡±
She stopped, as did the guard.
¡°Private,¡± Marco said to the UEC soldier. ¡°I would like to have a word with her. Alone.¡±
After a brief hesitation, the prison guard nodded. And he promptly left.
Now alone with the man she grew to love, Arlena gave him a strange look. It was one of puzzlement, but also hope. ¡°Leo?¡±
Marco took a deep breath. ¡°The Commander told me what¡¯s going to happen, that they¡¯ll try to get you back to Lakamodis or the wounded Alliance fleet. But what about us?¡±
¡°Us?¡±
¡°Now that the war¡¯s over, we are enemies no more. I...¡±
¡°Say no more, Marco Icardi,¡± Arlena interrupted. The girl smiled, and crossed her arms over her chest; this was a sign of submission in Lakamodian society. ¡°You wish to claim me as your war bride.¡±
¡°What!?¡± Icardi cried. ¡°No! I...¡±
But the Sergeant Major stopped himself, having caught sight of his girl; the smile on her face disappeared, her expression now was one of fear and confusion. Icardi was certain there was a cultural misunderstanding somewhere, one that he needed to dispel immediately.
¡°Please... listen to me,¡± Marco stammered. ¡°On Earth, we do things differently. I want you to be mine, yes. But I will not take you without your consent.¡±
¡°Con-sent?¡±
Marco sighed. His mind wandered for the best way to express himself. Perhaps this might work. ¡°Two choices, Miss Spektre. You can return back to Lakamodis; back to your own people. If you wish it, I will not stop you. Or... you can go to Earth with me. But you can never go home again. The choice is yours, Lena. It always is.¡±
¡°I...¡± Arlena stopped. Having purged her doubts, she took his hands in hers. ¡°I choose you, Marco Icardi. I choose to be yours. Now and for the rest of my life.¡±
The Promised Land
For the men of space, Old Earth has always been the Promised Land. The Vidivicians, seeking to reclaim the Lost Paradise, invaded Earth Space. Countless Earthborn colonies were glassed, their inhabitants put to the sword. In response, the nations of Old Earth formed the United Earth Coalition. Yet that would not have been enough without the enigmatic Ry¡¯lethians, and the ¡°Buggy Swarm¡± they brought with them. United Earth emerged victorious, but only by the skin of their teeth - the full story of that war I shall recount in a later chapter.
-A.S. Icardi, The Annals of United Earth
Old Earth, the Promised Land, the Land of Milk and Honey; these were the names in which Arlena Spektre of Planet Lakamodis knew the cradle of humanity as. Now that she was here, there wasn¡¯t a word, no sentence, which could begin to describe what she was feeling. Excitement... happiness? More than that. But also, a bit mixed.
Many of her comrades - including her brother Alexios - had perished to reclaim Old Earth, to liberate the Promised Land from the tyrants of the Pyramid. From Icardi, her beloved husband-to-be, she had deduced what the Pyramid could possibly be. In a city known as Singapore, a great trading port at the intersection of sea-routes, lied the UEC Cabinet, which Arlena understood as Old Earth¡¯s equivalent to the Lakamodian Ephors. The Earthborn Ephors were based in a pyramid, and they were led by this so-called President; Arlena understood him to be the King of Old Earth, though there was only one such President, unlike the King in Lakamodis, in which there were two.
Arlena frowned as her thoughts went to the Pyramid, whom she understood to be her fianc¨¦¡¯s master. What would her late father Lysandros or her cousin Xenophon think of her decision to marry the man who killed her brother? To wed him, to bear his children? She could think of a few choice words.
Back in the Waterloo, after the end of the Lambda War, she could have returned to Lakamodis. Yet what would that mean for her? Victory of death, that was the way of Lakamodis. Return with your armor, or not at all.
A timely interruption put an end to Arlena¡¯s ruminations.
A loud voice blared within the starship Arlena was on: ¡°Ladies and gentlemen, we have landed on the Quadricentennario Starport in Montevideo, Uruguay. We welcome you to Earth - the Heart of Humanity. Please remember to grab your belongings on your way out. Thank you for using Galactico Star.¡±
Just like that, all the passengers in the starship got out of their seats and began gathering their belongings. The cacophony born from the Earthborns¡¯ intense desire to leave their transportation was unnerving, to say the least. Arlena took Icardi¡¯s hand and held it tight, so tightly that he grimaced, not expecting the strength behind her grip.
¡°What¡¯s wrong, Lena?¡± Marco asked.
Yet Arlena said nothing. She leaned her head on Marco¡¯s shoulder. After all, he was her only link to Old Earth.
Arlena felt Marco¡¯s lips on her head - a kiss. And she was calmed. There was an unspoken promise, that he would protect her and keep her safe in this strange new world.
She would need that assurance.
***
Upon leaving their starship, Arlena¡¯s sense of wonder took over as she gazed at the starfields of the Quadricentennario. She could see rows of starships lining up, ready for takeoff at a moment¡¯s notice. Not even the Starport of Spektre, the largest on Lakamodis and all of Alliance Space, could compare. She began to calculate how many Earthborns could possibly be there. If each starship can hold a thousand men, then...
Yet Arlena¡¯s thoughts were interrupted as Marco pulled her away from the window. Marco wrapped his arm protectively around his bride-to-be, almost too protectively.
Arlena¡¯s instinct was to protest, but she caught sight of the Earthborns around her. They rudely pushed and shoved past each other. She could hardly believe that these people were related to Marco - her gentle Marco.
¡°They¡¯re really in a hurry,¡± Arlena said.
Marco nodded. ¡°Many of them have a flight to catch. We do too, actually.¡±
¡°Really?¡±
But Marco didn¡¯t answer Arlena¡¯s query. Just as the were stepping onto the starport gates, they were unexpectedly welcomed by three people...
The one on the right was a tall but heavy-set man with knife-shaped ears dressed in a robe of red and white. Later on, Arlena would know this man as a ry¡¯lethian, a race of men with great influence over Earthborn politics, despite their interstellar origins. Arlena could feel an air of mystery to this strange breed of man; she shivered.
The one on the left was no man. She was a painfully beautiful woman with bright red hair, yet for some reason her features weren¡¯t as striking as it should have been - and it wasn¡¯t her nondescript clothes.
Finally was a man with blond hair in military uniform. He was an imposing figure, a mighty warrior. Despite that, he had a gentle smile. More importantly, Marco¡¯s respectful gesture and tone to him indicated to Arlena that he could be trusted.
¡°Colonel Harrington, sir.¡±
The man, Colonel Scott Harrington Britannicus of the United Earth Coalition, waved his hand. ¡°At ease, Sergeant Major. I still remember you from the Altair Prime Revolt, my brother Jack filled in the rest.¡±
¡°You mean Commander Green?¡±
Scott nodded. ¡°Yes. Never mind that, though. You seem surprised to see us.¡±
Icardi¡¯s tone remain respectful, ¡°I was expecting us to get through immigration first.¡±
¡°Fair enough,¡± responded Scott. ¡°Allow me to introduce my companions here.¡±
The fat ry¡¯lethian stepped forward, extending his hand. ¡°Greetings, I am Porcus Junius Scutari, the Director of the UEC¡¯s Office of Military Intelligence.¡±
Icardi suppressed his disgust as best as he could as he shook Junius¡¯ hand. ¡°Sergeant Major Marco Icardi,¡± he said, for Marco could not bring himself to say that he was pleased to see the Director of OMI.
Then, Junius shook Arlena¡¯s hand. As he did so, he spoke, ¡°So this is the Lambda who chose to leave behind her people, huh? Purple eyes, so exquisite. I can see how you captivated our Sergeant Major.¡±
Arlena opened her mouth, but Junius continued his spiel:
¡°Welcome to Earth, my dear. Truly! But better not be up to some funny business now... or else.¡± Junius¡¯ then chuckled heartily.
But Arlena was not laughing. She could tell that behind that joke was a real threat. Neither did Marco, who struggled to keep his anger in check.
¡°Let us move on,¡± Scott intervened, knowing where things were going. ¡°This lovely lady over here is Special Agent Natalia Ilyasova.¡±
Marco responded, ¡°So she¡¯s a mind-reader.¡±
¡°That is true,¡± Harrington said.
But Junius was not happy at this turn of events. Frowning, he turned to Scott. ¡°What is the meaning of this, Colonel! Why did you disclose that?¡±This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work.
¡°Come of it, Director,¡± responded Harrington. ¡°You really think the Sergeant Major wouldn¡¯t have figured that one out?¡±
¡°Yep,¡± Marco said. ¡°A mind-reader was attached to my legion during the Lambda War, so I¡¯m familiar with psi-op stench.¡±
Junius frowned, his eyes narrowed. ¡°Your forget yourself, Sergeant Major.¡±
¡°Does it even matter?¡± Marco said. ¡°What¡¯s the point of being respectful when someone¡¯s reading your mind?¡±
Scott interjected, ¡°Let¡¯s be calm now, Sergeant Major. I promise that we¡¯re not here to harm you or Arlena...¡±
And thus, Scott began to explain the UEC High Command¡¯s interest in Arlena and the Lakamodians as a whole. By this point, everyone had been sitting down at the starport gates; there were no passengers in sight, for Junius and Harrington made sure that the gates would be cleared for this.
Arlena, for her part, was lost. While she understood the Earthborn language, it was only at a conversational level. And when Junius was saying his piece, the explanation became more technical, especially as he took out a small metallic object, it was circular in structure. Yet again, she looked to Marco, who paid close attention to everything that was said, and was able to put it in layman¡¯s terms...
¡°So you¡¯re putting a tracker on Lena?¡± he asked.
¡°Indeed,¡± responded Junius. ¡°You can attach it to her communicator, which I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll be getting now that she¡¯s living on Earth. Or put it in some article of clothing of hers, I don¡¯t really care. Just make sure she has it on at all times.¡±
Marco shook his head, and groaned in disgust. ¡°Unbelievable.¡±
Scott put his arm on Marco¡¯s shoulder, as if to console. ¡°Sergeant Major, I understand why you¡¯re pissed. But this is for Earth, for our safety.¡±
¡°She¡¯s just a girl,¡± Marco pleaded.
¡°You¡¯re right,¡± said Harrington, he looked down, his face apologetic. ¡°But we can¡¯t be too safe. Just as the Vidivicians a century ago wanted to reach Earth - the promised land, they called it - the Lakamodians have the same idea. Surely you understand.¡±
I don¡¯t, thought Marco. He wanted to say it, but out of respect for the Colonel he kept his mouth shut. Not that it mattered, he was sure that Ilyasova was reading his mind.
Marco took his tracker from Junius before handing it to Arlena. Then he stood up from his seat.
¡°Are we done?¡± he asked.
¡°Yes,¡± Scott said. ¡°Give Jack my regards, Sergeant Major.¡±
Marco nodded. ¡°I will. And the Commander gives you his regards, Colonel.¡±
And with that, Marco and Arlena made their way to leave. After all, they still had a flight to catch - to Rosario, Argentina. Thankfully, Scott had been kind enough to give them both First Class tickets, always appreciated even if the flight would be a short one.
Arlena could feel Marco¡¯s hand dragging her, he wanted to get out of there as quick as he could. But before they could, a feminine voice cried out:
¡°Wait!¡±
Arlena turned back and was shocked - it was Ilyasova! ¡°What is it?¡±
¡°Arlena... right?¡±
The Lakamodian girl nodded.
¡°You¡¯re...¡± Ilyasova began, ¡°you¡¯re one of us. I can sense it.¡±
Arlena shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but that¡¯s impossible. I¡¯m not a mind reader.¡±
Ilyasova responded, ¡°The preternatural energy is present! Used differently, but is present. Be strong, Oracle.¡±
Junius¡¯ call would soon draw Ilyasova away from the two. Yet Arlena was left dumbfounded. That word: Oracle, weighed heavily on Arlena.
***
From the tyrants of the pyramid, Old Earth will be liberated, such was the prophecy that came from the Oracle of the Most High. Said prophecy emboldened the Alliance of Planets to invade Earth Space, believing that the gods will deliver them victory. Yet the Lakamodians were defeated, and the warriors sent to liberate Old Earth were killed or scattered. None reached Old Earth - save for Arlena, who did so only as a war bride.
Had the Oracle lied to them? Arlena did not want to believe it.
To Arlena, the Oracle was not just a wise woman, she was also family. As the Oracle of the Most High was none other than her aunt, Olympia Spektre. The powers to prophesy had long run in the women of House Spektre. Though the gods saw fit to skip over Arlena, or so she had thought, until Ilyasova¡¯s revelation.
When Arlena first learned that she was not to be an Oracle, she was devastated. She prayed, ¡°let it be done, according to your will¡±. The same prayer known to be used by the oracles of Lakamodis through the centuries. Even so, it had stung. And looking back, she knew that that was the impetus behind her rash decision to join the ill-fated task force to liberate Old Earth.
Arlena opened her eyes, yet again she dreamed of memories. The flight accommodations had been lavish. Across from her was Marco, whom she thought was asleep until she saw his hands clasped, his mouth whispering, praying. She knew that sooner or later she would have to tell him about the Oracle; he did ask about it back in Montevideo, to which she deflected, unready she was to divulge that part of her life. But now she wanted nothing more than to open to up to him, if only he hadn¡¯t been busy.
She would have to wait, especially as the plane was about to land on the Rosario International Airport.
***
Like Montevideo, Rosario had elicited a feeling of wonder and awe in Arlena. From the tall buildings, skyscrapers as the Earthborn knew them, to the great multitudes of men in which Arlena had tried to count, unsuccessfully for there were too many of them, Rosario struck Arlena as the capital of Old Earth. Or at least one of its major cities, given its absence of a pyramid.
Yet when Marco told her that Rosario was just one of many, many minor cities of Old Earth, Arlena¡¯s eyes widened in disbelief. To think that a mere town had about as many souls, if not more, than the largest city on Lakamodis...
It was then that Arlena realized that the Alliance never stood a chance against the Earthborn. The Lambda War, as the Earthborn called it, had been decided before it even began.
Thankfully for Arlena, the impersonal aspects of Old Earth would soon give way to familial warmth as Marco soon introduced her to the Icardi family. The abode of the Icardis was simple, a far cry from the estates of House Spektre, but Arlena cared not. For so long, Arlena wondered how Marco¡¯s family would receive her. A part of her was expecting disappointment, rejection.
Instead, she was welcomed with a hug by Marco¡¯s abuelita, which she understood to be the mother of her fianc¨¦¡¯s mother. Speaking of... Marco¡¯s mother was similarly welcoming, mobbing her with kisses on her cheek.
¡°After that witch left him,¡± she told Arlena. ¡°I thought my little Leo would never move on. Yet here you are, and you are even more beautiful than her. This can only be the work of Dios!¡±
¡°Thank you,¡± was all Arlena could say, as she couldn¡¯t fully understand the accent of her future mother-in-law.
Yet she was able to catch that last word, Dios. And she wondered if Dyaus, the god of victory, had been on the side of the Earthborns all this time.
***
It had been a few days since Arlena lived in Rosario with Marco¡¯s family. Mama Icardi, as Marco¡¯s mother was known, was adamant that Marco and Arlena didn¡¯t live under the same roof until they were married. Yet she was also insistent that the two of them were to be married in the Church.
Thanks to this familial complication, Marco had to live in a cousin¡¯s home, a few blocks away from Arlena¡¯s newfound home. This was a blessing in disguise, for this forced Arlena to make acquaintances with the Icardis other than Marco. Even so, she still saw Marco every day, though many times he would be out of the house taking care of family business.
Stuck at home, Arlena studied the ways of Earth; its geography, culture, and most importantly: its history.
She learned much of Old Earth. Of the uniqueness of Earth, unique amongst all the inhabitable worlds, the only one not located in the Electrosphere. She learned of geography, the seven continents of Old Earth, the origins of the ry¡¯lethians, the founding of the United Earth Coalition, and so on. Marco through his communicator had sent over so much reading material, and Arlena simply couldn¡¯t go through them fast enough. Yet that didn¡¯t stop her from trying.
And today, Arlena was holed up in her room for hours on end, leading Marco to take a look at the behest of Mama Icardi.
Marco entered the room politely. Yet to Arlena, so focused she was in her studies, he might as well barged into her private realm. Shocked to see her fianc¨¦, Arlena stood up hurriedly, her communicator in hand.
¡°Leo! I didn¡¯t expect to see you.¡±
Marco smiled. ¡°At ease, Lena. Just checking up on you.¡±
Despite the assurance, Arlena bowed. ¡°My apologies. I know I have been too absorbed in my studies.¡±
Marco didn¡¯t say anything in response. Instead, he looked around. ¡°Very tidy. I like it.¡±
Arlena¡¯s face turned red. ¡°O-of course it¡¯s tidy. I am a daughter of House Spektre! Do you take me for a pauper?¡±
¡°No,¡± Marco responded, grinning. ¡°But I¡¯m taking you out of the house.¡± Marco took Arlena by hand. ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡±
¡°Wait!¡± was all Arlena could say as she was dragged by her fianc¨¦.
Yet right before the two left, Marco caught sight of a book on a study table. At first, he thought it was one of those paper books of his, but he didn¡¯t recognize the title. ¡°What¡¯s this... The Annals of United Earth? I don¡¯t recall having this.¡± Taking it in his hands, he then opened it and found empty pages.
¡°That¡¯s mine,¡± said Arlena. ¡°Your mother got it for me. She saw me reading all those texts you sent me and thought I should write things down.¡±
Marco narrowed his eyes. ¡°You¡¯re writing a book?¡±
¡°Yes, I want to write down the history of Old Earth. Not just for me, but for my people back in Lakamodis. Um, if you don¡¯t mind.¡±
¡°I don¡¯t,¡± responded Marco. ¡°The UEC... that¡¯s a different story. But there¡¯s nothing we can do about that. If Porky has a problem with your little project, he is free to put an end to it himself.¡± Marco said this knowing that someone in OMI Headquarters was most likely listening in on their conversation.
Arlena nodded.
¡°Anything you¡¯ve written yet?¡± Marco asked. As he said this, he cracked open the opening pages of the book, and was surprised to see a drawing of a beautiful woman covered in a blue tunic robe; her head was covered. The drawing was amateurish, but it showed talent. Below the woman was a text:
Let it be done, according to your will.
¡°La Virgen?!¡± cried Icardi. ¡°You drew this?¡±
¡°I admit I could have done a better job at it,¡± Arlena said defensively. ¡°I tried sketching one of the images of her in this house.¡±
¡°No, no,¡± Marco said, waving a hand. ¡°She¡¯s fine. I just... didn¡¯t expect this. I can tell you¡¯ve done a lot of reading. That¡¯s all well and good, but it¡¯s time for you to get some fresh air.¡±
¡°Where are we going?¡±
¡°In Rosario? In light of your artwork, there¡¯s only one place to go.¡±
The Legion at Cisalpina
The Vidivician War left scores of colonies devastated in its wake. To tackle the chaos that followed, the United Earth formed the first Legions (known formally as the Independent Military Groups, but no layman refer to them as such). Unlike the cohorts of the Central Army, Legions may act without prior approval from Meridian. That independence had allowed them to counteract pirates, revolts, and alien incursions when Earth Space was at her weakest. Yet it also fostered resentment within the military leadership of Earth; many saw the Legions as troublesome and in need of enforcers.
-A.S. Icardi, The Annals of United Earth
Planet Cisalpina was home to the UEC 13th Independent Military Group, also known as the Cisalpine Legion.
From space, Cisalpina was an orb of grey, green, and white. The most defining feature of the planet was its high mountains and jagged hills. The forests were lush, but filled only by the hardiest of trees and greeneries. At the top were the snow-capped mountaintops. The few valleys on Cisalpina were dotted by human settlements. Most of these settlements were small, mere villages; the folks who lived there were mostly farmers and loggers, hardy people.
The largest settlement - the capital world of the colony - was the City of New Milan, located at the flat plains known as the Ambrose Valley. But calling New Milan a city would be quite the stretch; by Earth standard it would hardly qualify as a town, or even a hamlet. Yet it was the location of the only starport on the planet.
Or to be more accurate, the general area known as New Milan was the location of the only starport on the planet, for the San Siro Starport (SSS) was located at the intersection between New Milan and Delle Alpi, the Legionary Base of the 13th. Snugged beneath the white mountains of Cisalpina, Delle Alpi was mostly invisible to those on the outside. Inside, it was a fortress. When they were not on mission, the thousands of men who formed the Cisalpine Legion lived in this underground base; them and their families, though family members would stay behind when the legionaries of Cisalpina took flight in the UEC Waterloo. In addition, Delle Alpi also served as the evacuation spot for the citizens of New Milan in case of planetary invasions.
Yet Delle Alpi was a small base compared to others of its kind. In fact, Commander Jack Green had been planning to expand the legionary base. He only needed to get approval from the UEC High Command. Little did he know, he would soon meet one of its representatives...
***
Jack Green looked to the holographic plans of the new Delle Alpi base. It was much smaller than his original plan, but that one was rejected out of hand by HighCom. It was only thanks to the intervention of his friend, Colonel Scott Harrington of the 9th Legion that he was given a chance to rework the plan.
¡°And you think HighCom will approve of this?¡± Captain Joseph Nyerere asked. He was giving his legionary commander a skeptical smile.
This one¡¯s a lot less ambitious,¡± responded Green. ¡°For example, I took out the plans to expand the Buggy Hive. Poor Gracchus... after all he did for us on Altair Prime. I promised him the expansion of Delle Alpi¡¯s hive. Guess that¡¯ll have to wait.¡±
Nyerere shook his head. ¡°The cerebrate will understand! The real issue is HighCom, will they understand? I did not think they would reject our initial proposal.¡±
¡°Sorry,¡± Jack said.
The Captain raised his brows. ¡°Sorry? For what?¡±
¡°I¡¯m sure it has something to do with the Lambda War...¡±
But Commander Green was interrupted; Sergeant Major Marco Icardi arrived to greet his two superiors. He saluted. ¡°Sirs.¡±
¡°What is it, Marco?¡± responded Green.
Icardi had a nervous look on his face. ¡°You wouldn¡¯t believe it sir, but a UEC Alpha-class starship is landing on the SSS as we speak. We have a guest, a very important one.¡±
¡°What!¡± cried Nyerere.
Green narrowed his eyes. ¡°Who could that be?¡±
¡°Lieutenant Tan said that it was General Tyrone Murray,¡± responded Icardi.
¡°Speaking of... why didn¡¯t Tania message me through the comms!?¡± Green asked with anger.
¡°I apologize on the Lieutenant¡¯s behalf, Commander,¡± Icardi said. ¡°She thought that it would be better for you to receive this message in person.¡±
¡°Hmm,¡± the Commander said, having calmed himself.
Nyerere interjected, ¡°What a snake, this General Murray. There is no way he could have landed on this planet without the Colonial Magistrate¡¯s permission. But someone of his stature and knowledge should know better than to contact Cisalpina¡¯s Magistrate without contacting the Legion - us - first.¡±
¡°I have underestimated him.¡± Green laughed. ¡°Very well, let us face this challenge head on.¡± The Commander turned to Marco. ¡°Come Icardi, I¡¯ll be needing you.¡±
***
Jack Green and Marco Icardi rushed through the hallways of the Delle Alpi but not in the direction that Marco had expected.
¡°Commander!¡± cried Marco. ¡°We¡¯re going the wrong way. The Lobby¡¯s this way,¡± he said, pointing behind him.
¡°I know,¡± responded Green. ¡°We¡¯re getting Special Agent Petrovsky.¡±
Icardi narrowed his eyes. ¡°The psi-op?¡± He shook his head. ¡°I don¡¯t follow.¡±
¡°He¡¯s on our side,¡± responded Green. ¡°Yes, yes, I know you¡¯re skeptical, Icardi. But hear me out. Back on Altair Prime, when Prince Alexios pled for the lives of the wounded Lakamodians. I knew I had to do the right thing, but I knew full-well that nothing will ever be the same again once I defied General Murray and HighCom in such a public way. So I hesitated, and then...¡±
Icardi nodded. ¡°He read your mind didn¡¯t he?¡±
¡°Not just. He reached out to me...¡±Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.
¡°Your conscience screams, Commander. Clawing at every fibre of your mind. If you ignore it, this war will eat you up for the rest of your life. And you will never forgive yourself. For what it¡¯s worth, I do not think you will succeed. But do what you must in the eyes of God.¡±
¡°He...¡± Icardi began, ¡°said that? I can¡¯t believe it.¡±
¡°Right?¡± said Green.
Icardi looked deep in thought. ¡°Perhaps I have misjudged him.¡±
¡°Thanks for the vote of confidence, Sergeant Major,¡± a third voice rang.
Icardi jumped in surprise, but Green was calm and unperturbed. The two turned to the source of the voice. There was nothing, though the wall was a bit... off, inconsistent. A mass of bright light shined, revealing the person of one Special Agent Nikolai Petrovksy.
¡°Glad you can make it, Special Agent,¡± Green said, bemused.
Petrovsky shrugged. ¡°Eh, just making use of this new cloaking suit you commissioned for me. Thank you, by the way.¡±
Green nodded. ¡°No prob. Make the 13th proud, Agent.¡±
Icardi in the meantime, looked on in amazement. He didn¡¯t expect this turn of events. It was no secret that psi-op agents were attached to a unit - especially a UEC Legion - for one reason and one reason only: to keep an eye on them. These mind-reading commissars were just as likely to use their deadly sniping against a misbehaving commander as they would against a legitimate threat to Earth. Yet Commander Green trusted Agent Petrovsky. Will this turn out to be a mistake? Only time will tell, so Icardi thought.
¡°But enough about that,¡± Green said. He turned to Icardi. ¡°We need to talk, Sergeant Major. You¡¯re back for over a week now, and still you said nothing. Tell me about your wedding.¡±
At this, Icardi¡¯s face turned red with embarrassment. ¡°W-what about it?¡±
¡°Of course,¡± Petrovsky chimed in. ¡°You and Lambda... talk about sleeping with the enemy.¡±
Icardi was indignant. ¡°Her name is Arlena! Also, she¡¯s not our enemy anymore.¡±
¡°I jest, Sergeant Major,¡± replied Petrovsky.
Green spoke up, ¡°So when¡¯s the wedding? You will invite me won¡¯t you, Sergeant Major?¡±
Icardi sighed, and grimaced. ¡°Please, sir. One question at a time. But in all seriousness, it won¡¯t be happening for a while. She¡¯s still getting used to life on Earth. She¡¯s also in catechesis.¡±
¡°You mean she agreed to convert?¡± asked Jack. ¡°That quickly?¡±
Marco nodded. ¡°Yup. It¡¯s... a long story. But regardless, my mami¡¯s glad that we¡¯ll be having an actual Catholic wedding. As for the invitation, sir. I... was actually hoping for you to be the ringbearer.¡±
Jack had the widest smile on his face. ¡°Really now? I¡¯m flattered.¡±
¡°Sir,¡± said Icardi, ¡°you¡¯ve more than earned it. In a sense, it was you who brought us together.¡±
Petrovsky interjected, ¡°What about me? Will you invite me, Sergeant Major?¡±
Icardi gave Petrovsky a look of disbelief. ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s a good idea. Will your handler even allow you to attend a wedding?¡±
¡°Probably not,¡± responded the psi-op agent. ¡°But I can always mind control my handler, or threaten him. Or maybe trick him, he¡¯s a bit... weak-minded.¡±
The Sergeant Major narrowed his eyes, then turned to his Commander, only to see him trying desperately to suppress a laughter. In response, Icardi shook his head. ¡°Just do what you must, Petrovsky.¡±
***
Commander Green, Sergeant Major Icardi, and Special Agent Petrovsky was waiting at the train station of Delle Alpi. Their respective demeanors could not be any more different. Icardi was nervous, not sure what General Murray was intending to do. Meanwhile, Petrovsky was lax, lackadaisical; like he had no care in the world. As for Green, he was calm - focused.
And finally, the train arrived. It was small, made up of only a few railcars. This train carried scant few passengers - just a few bodyguards for the man himself: General Tyrone Murray, who was now making his grand entrance.
It had been a year since Icardi saw General Murray in person, back when he was just Major General Murray. At the time, he had his full armor on, including his helmet. But now, General Murray was sporting his general¡¯s uniform, decked-up with medals and accolades that Icardi had no idea even existed. To the people of Earth, the Black Irish was a great hero of Earth, the man who put down the Altair Prime Revolt and defeated the invading Lakamodians. For the glory of Earth! Yet Icardi, like everyone else who had served under General Murray, knew better. It was Murray¡¯s incompetence which had extended the Altair Prime Revolt by a few months. It was Murray¡¯s reign of terror on Altair Prime, the hunger winter, that drove the people of that planet into the arms of the Lakamodians. Murray¡¯s callous disregard for human life had backfired during the Lambda War, nearly costing the UEC the Altair Prime offensive. And who was there to clean up Murray¡¯s mess? The Cisalpine Legion! The men of the 13th... with a little help from Col. Harrington¡¯s 9th, of course. The wisest fool in Earth Space, thought the Sergeant Major; that was the moniker the general had earned amongst the rank-and-file of the UEC. What could he possibly want from us?
¡°Welcome to Cisalpina, General,¡± Green said in the warmest way he could. ¡°To what do I owe the pleasure of this visit?¡±
Murray waved his hand, frowning. ¡°You may dispense with the pleasantries, Commander. First, the psi-op must go! We can¡¯t have him here.¡±
At this, Green turned to Petrovsky. ¡°You heard him, Agent.¡±
Petrovsky saluted. ¡°Sir.¡± Then he left.
Green frowned, crossing his arms. ¡°What could be so important that you sent away Petrovsky?¡±
¡°I cannot afford to have any mind-readers picking at my brain,¡± responded Murray.
Green asked, ¡°And what is in that brain of yours, General?¡±
At this, Murray pointed his finger at the Commander. ¡°Don¡¯t act dumb, Green! Back on Altair Prime, you have defied me, undermined my authority.¡±
Icardi interjected, ¡°Is this about the Lambda War?¡±
¡°Indeed, Sergeant Major,¡± said Murray. ¡°When the good Commander ordered our blockade to let the Alliance remnants go, thus letting a potential threat to Earth to lick their wounds out there in God-knows-where, you lot landed me in trouble with HighCom!¡±
Green shrugged. ¡°Last I check, it was you who gave the final order to let the wounded Lakamodians through...¡±
¡°Shut up!¡± cried Murray. ¡°The only reason I gave that order was because you have convinced Harrington to go along with your plan. What do you think would happen had I overruled the two of you heroes? You sneak! You knew exactly what you were doing.¡±
¡°But I wasn¡¯t...¡±
¡°You¡¯re on notice, Commander!¡± Murray said with venom. ¡°I¡¯m General Tyrone Cliff Murray of the United Earth Coalition. You see these medals? Don¡¯t fuck with me!¡±
¡°Sir.¡±
And with that, Murray turned back towards his train. ¡°Now let me off this freezing ball.¡±
Icardi looked on in disgust. Perhaps don¡¯t come in the winter just to scream at us, you pompous fool.
***
Commander Green and a select men of the 13th now found themselves back in the Command Center of the Delle Alpi base. It was not fun being being threatened and yelled at by General Murray, but there was one good thing that came out of this...
¡°Now we know who was behind the rejection of our base expansion plans,¡± said Green.
¡°Makes sense,¡± Captain Nyerere said. ¡°We know Murray has friends in HighCom.¡±
Icardi added, ¡°And he sounds like the kind of guy petty enough to use it against us. Now what?¡±
¡°Whatever you do,¡± Petrovsky interjected, ¡°be careful around him! Don¡¯t underestimate him!¡± The Agent turned to Green, who was shocked to see his outburst. ¡°Commander, when he first arrived... he was thinking about the Super Bowl.¡±
Icardi raised his eyes. ¡°The Super Bowl?¡±
¡°Ah yes,¡± Green said, ¡°The Super Bowl. Also known as America¡¯s Game. The New York Giants pulled off a great upset against two-time defending champions Tokyo Tremors, winning their first championship in over a hundred years. Riveting game, though I¡¯m more of a Packers guy myself.¡±
¡°And what does this sporting event have to do with our situation?¡± asked Nyerere.
¡°Absolutely nothing,¡± Jack said, ¡°which is the point, he¡¯s trying to keep Petrovsky from reading his mind.¡±
¡°And old trick,¡± Petrovsky added. ¡°But not a lot of people know of it.¡±
Nyerere tapped his chin. ¡°Troublesome. But the question remains the same: what is our next move?¡±
Green was deep in thought. In front of him was the table displaying the holographic plans for the expanded Delle Alpi base. After the rejection of the first plan, the new plan was of a greatly reduced expansion. The Commander had intended to send this to HighCom for approval just before Murray made his little visit. The Commander chuckled; he clicked a button on the table, changing the hologram into something more grandiose.
Nyerere¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Is this not...?¡±
¡°Yes,¡± Green said. ¡°The original expansion plans. Complete with an expanded buggy hive and our own starport. Get Lieutenant Tan, Nyerere. Tell her to send the original expansion plans to Colonel Harrington. I know Scotty will come through for me.¡±
¡°I don¡¯t need my psionics to know that your heart is set,¡± Petrovsky said. ¡°But surely you know that you¡¯re playing with fire. Shouldn¡¯t you be taking it easy?¡±
Green smiled. ¡°I¡¯ll take it easy when I¡¯m dead.¡±