by John Davis
“Good. Inform them of our plans.” the queen replied.
“My queen, they request to speak with you at once.” Tahian remarked.
“Of course.” she replied, though Queen Karie did so hesitantly. She understood the conversation that was to take place. A scolding by those who would have thought our planet to be an easy catch.
Walking slowly toward a door of thickened composite metal, the queen was soon escorted by two of the larger breeds of Ancient soldiers. Juggernauts.
They were nearly ten feet in height with the weight to fill out such a frame with ease. Rare among their kind, Juggernauts were immediately forced into a life of protecting their people's queen. It was considered an honor, not that they had any choice in the matter.
Not that she needed protecting. Not this queen. Karie was an elemental, taken with the fleet many years ago after the Ancients finally earned a commanding victory over her people.
Karie's powers had proven invaluable to the freedom of her people, holding off Ancient attacks many times through. As her kingdom fell, however, she was offered the gift of their throne. The highest of honors among the Ancients.
Though even Queen Karie knew her audience with them was running thin, given the damned war at hand with a race thought to be so easily to enslave.
Just as her superiors, she'd grown tired of the fight at hand. A simple mission of invasion, resupply and return to a fleet which currently prepared itself for a much larger war. One that would see them face a mortal enemy.
“Yes, my lord?” Queen Karie asked, bowing a bit as an image of an Ancient covered the wall's large monitor.
She was the queen, a symbol of power and prestige among their race. Many bowed to her – most, in fact. Not all bowed to the queen, however, and Karie had long known the chain of command among their race.
As long as she did the bidding of the elders, they would allow her to remain queen of their people.
“I am disappointed to learn that such an easy task was long ago handed to you, only to find you struggling with it.” the elder commented.
“Yes my lord. The humans have proven worthy of record. They fight with everything in their power to remain alive. Their surviving have fallen back to a single city, but it is only a matter of time before we...”
“Silence!” the elder yelled with anger. “Do not speak to me of time when you have had years!”
“Yes my lord.” the queen replied with obedience.
“Our fleet is approaching the outskirts of their pathetic solar system. We will arrive soon enough, and when we do their planet had better be under Ancient control and ripe for the plucking.”
“Understood my lord.”
“If we arrive to this planet of wretched filth to discover its inhabitants still resist our control, I will not hesitate to raze the entire rock and be done with the entire affair. Including your throne and the army in which you control. You explain this to the warriors fighting for you. Do not take my threats easily.”
“My lord, when you arrive the planet will be under our full control. You have my word.”
“Good,” elder replied, seeming to calm a bit. “Up until now you have been a mighty queen for us. A valuable asset. Still, you are in no position to fail us. Not even once.”
“Yes, my lord. I understand. You are wise and forgiving.” the queen replied.
“No my dear. I am not forgiving.” the Ancient stated, turning off his monitor a moment later.
Quickly rising to her feet, Queen Karie collected her thoughts a bit.
“Assemble every general we have aboard this ship. Tell them I will meet with them in the planetarium at sunset. They have failed me for the last time.”
“Yes my queen.” one of the juggernauts replied, bowing low to the floor before turning to execute her commands.
Queen Karie knew of the love between their humanity's most respected soldiers. Soon that love would be put to the test by the queen herself. For she understood the strength in love, and the weakness in the absence of love.
-
The four Rise of Allies soldiers scouted ahead, traveling with Samantha, while Perk trailed back a bit, ensuring they weren't being followed.
Though it happened quietly, Alicia and Jackson found themselves with a bit of room to talk privately. At least within the privacy that twenty paces would provide.
“So, what do you think of the new chick?” Jackson asked, speaking of Samantha.
“I'm not sure what you mean?” Alicia asked, hoping her wandering glances had not been picked up on.
“Well, I was just thinking that if you continue to push me away and my wife continues to grill me for doing my job – I could always try my luck with Samantha. Always keep your options open, right?”
“Your options?” Alicia asked with a roll of the eyes. “I believe you have one too many options now, yes?”
Alicia had the cunning ability to use sarcasm while asking question, knowing damn well they were statements in disguise. Something most people never picked up on – something Jackson fell in love with immediately.
He turned to her with a smile, as he usually did. Understanding it was Alicia's way of making her statement while questioning his common sense.
Always with that damn smile!
“Maybe.” he replied.
She had her weapon of sarcasm in the battle of cuteness, and Jackson has his smile. Just a simple, innocent smile. It sounded harmless, but the sight of it completely destroyed Alicia's inhibitions and he knew it. Countering her weapon of cuteness with his own.
“Maybe?”
“I suppose I do, but it just feels all wrong. I don't know how to explain it. Like I'm powerless to do anything, because no matter what happens someone gets hurt. That's not what I want.” Jackson admitted.
“No. That's what happens when you fall for two different people though, trust me.” Alicia replied.
He looked to her for several tense moments. Trying to read Alicia's expression. Searching her soul a bit.
“I've always heard it explained in two different ways.” Alicia said.
“Do tell.” Jackson replied.
“I've heard that it's impossible to love two people at once,” she stated. “As long as you are loving the first one in the way that you should be.”
“And?” Jackson questioned.
“I've also heard that if you do love two people, you should be with the second. Because if you fell for another, the first couldn't have been love.”
“I've also heard this shit for a half-mile now,” Perk stated, pitching his words ahead to the two. “How's about you both shut the hell up about it before Ancients hear you, and begin committing suicide from this depressing shit?”
“How about you stick to dumpster diving on girls that make their rounds and leave us romantics to it?” Alicia asked. “You intruding fuck.”
“You are very cute when you degrade other women to their lovers' face. I have to admit.” Jackson said with his world famous grin.
“And you,” Alicia replied for a moment, finding herself becoming lost in the moment. “You're just a mess soldier. You're just a smug, handsome...mess.”
“You need to understand that I didn't know,” Jackson said, stopping his walk to ensure that Alicia understood that very fact. “Had I known she was alive, I would have searched night and day. My heart wouldn't have rested until I found her. But I thought she was dead. Then I met you and everything just fell into place.”
“Let me guess, now it's falling apart?” Alicia asked, beginning to walk once more.
“Yes, that's what it feels like,” Jackson replied, walking briskly to catch up to her. “What hurts the most is having no idea how you truly feel? Just getting pushed away from you so easily.”
“How I feel?” Alicia asked, tears swelling into her eyes a bit. “How do you think I feel?”
“I don't know Alicia. I truly don't.” Jackson replied with sincerity.
“I'm hurting Jackson, because I love you. I'm
in love with you. I'm also hurting because I see that you're hurting.” she replied.
“Then why just cast me off like that? Why is it so easy to cut me loose like I don't matter to you?” Jackson demanded to know.
“Because I love you.” she replied, offering nothing but the truth with her statement. “Because I want what's best for you. I don't want to see you going through all of this. I've been there and it sucks.”
“Wow! That was pretty much an epic speech up until you threw out sucks. Maybe I expect too much, but a woman of your sarcasm and wit?” he asked with a chuckle.
“Oh my God, you are such an idiot,” she replied with a laugh of her own. “You're so oblivious to everything that's not directly in front of you. It's so childish,” she added. “And, I'll admit. It's one of the reasons I love you.”
“Well, you are standing in front of me right now 'ya know? I'm not oblivious to you.” Jackson said, brushing his hand through the back of her hair slightly.
“Oh yea?” she asked. “What does your gut tell you to do cowboy?” Alicia asked, putting his heart to the test.
Part of Jackson wanted to lean in for a kiss that both of them wanted so badly, but his better judgment warned him against it. A wife patiently waiting for him to return. Not that he'd have a chance to decide.
It was the moment of truth for the man's affections to be known. Jackson had thought on it long and hard, feeling his decision was the right one.
But it would have to wait.
Bullets began to zip through the air, striking one of the Rise of Allies soldiers at the group's front. Then a second. Samantha was knocked to a ditch which ran beside the narrow road, two soldiers accompanying her – their weapons drawn.
With the screams of two dying soldiers filling the air, so did an array of gunfire from both Ancient weaponry and American iron. Giving Alicia and Jackson enough warning to slide down into the ditch and await Perk, who remained out of sight but hauling ass toward them.
The group was essentially cut in half, with the Ancients never catching the first glance of the three members to the rear. Alicia made sure the other two kept it that way. Their heads down and their mouths shut.
Normally they would have rushed to the rescue of fellow soldiers in need, but hundreds of Ancients began to emerge from the tree line nearby. They had run smack dab into the middle of a force headed for Washington.
There was absolutely no chance of mission success, or survival for that matter, if they were to stand up and begin shooting. It would only make their own demise official.
Several minutes of gunfire was exchanged when the small group of three, led by Samantha, finally quit firing back.
“They're out of ammunition.” Alicia said.
“What are we going to do?” Jackson asked.
“There's absolutely nothing we can do. It was stupid luck that the Ancients didn't see us to begin with. If we intervene now, we're as dead as they are.” Alicia said.
“Alicia,” Jackson pleaded in a hushed voice. “We've got to do something.”
“Samantha knew the risks of this mission. We all did.” Perk added.
“I'd expect her to leave us to it as well, if things were reversed.” Alicia said.
“We need to worry less about them and more about getting ourselves to safety. Either way, the Ancients are going to comb these bushes for survivors.” Perk said.
Jackson hated the decision, though he knew it was the correct one. Glancing to Alicia for a moment, all noise seeming to become background noise, Jackson looked back. Watching as the demons of the sky blistered a single shot into the head of two pleading soldiers and Samantha, who remained silent as only a hero would.
Jackson wouldn't forget the moment. The look on the Asian woman's face. He'd use it as ammunition in the fight to come, though he fled at the moment, following Perk and Alicia to the thick of nearby forest.
-
“Hear me,” the queen said, summoning the highest ranking Ancients within her military. Her voice one of both concern and urgency. “If you value your own lives, you will begin a full-on assault to this last remaining city as though it were filled with nothing but blades of grass. Fight as if your lives depend upon it, because they do. All of our lives hang in the balance of this coming battle, I have confirmed that with the elders.”
“My queen, that cannot be. Surely they would not harm their own.” one of the generals that stood before her commented.
“They grow tired of this cat and mouse game for such a pathetic stretch of rock. As do I. Make no mistake,” she replied, slowing her pace a bit to ensure that every soldier before her understood what was to be. “They will not hesitate to unleash the flurry of hell upon this planet when they arrive if we have not done our jobs.”
“What would you have us do, my queen?” a second general asked.
“I think that would be obvious by now!” she jolted, menacing teeth finally showing themselves a bit. “Take the city!”
“My queen, if I may?” Tahian asked, bowing as low to the floor as his body would permit him.
He was perhaps the most elite soldier among them, and greatly trusted by the queen.
“What is it my champion?” Queen Karie asked.
“This race before us,” he answered, pausing long enough to stand to his feet a bit. “They fight unlike any we have encountered. Their will to live is undeniable. They mirror your own people in terms of battlefield zest.”
“You dare compare this pathetic race to MY people?” the queen questioned, approaching her finest warrior.
“I mean no disrespect to my queen,” Tahian replied. “But these people have no hope, yet look to a warrior as their savior. Her legend grows, as did your very own.”
Karie stood for a moment, taking the time to process her champion's statement. Though it was vague, she remembered a time in which she led a race of proud people. Doing her best to provide hope in a world where there was none.
“Go,” she shouted, directing her top generals to a large door in the meeting room. “Show them the battle tenaciousness of OUR people!” she added, turning to her champion once more. “Tell me of this woman champion among them.” the queen said with a grin. An array of teeth shining as though she were the devil himself.
“My queen, she fights like no other. As if she were a wild animal cornered with no escape. I have seen her cut down dozens of my own men with ease.”
“You have seen this and have allowed her to go free?” the queen asked.
“Three battles I have been close to her, and her presence on the field of battle is overwhelming to her people. This warrior brings fight to the other warriors around her. Two times I was not able to get close as her people protected her, sacrificing their own lives while doing so.
“And the third?” the queen asked.
Tahian eased his armor from his torso by unsnapping four bands of leather. Raising the solid black shirt which rested beneath – he exposed a scar which ran nearly three feet across. An obvious knife wound, which appeared to run deep.
“That is what you get for rushing to battle without chest armor my champion.”
“My queen,” Tahian replied. “I wore the armor. It did not matter. This warrior fights as though she wishes to die. A single dig from her combat blade bit into my armor and filleted my chest as if it were the hide of a slave.”
Walking close to him, Queen Karie looked directly to the soldier. “You would pray to be a slave if our fleet arrives to find this woman and her people still alive. Take what resources you need and bring this woman to me – I will deal with her myself. Should you fail my wishes, you'd be best suited to fall onto your own blade.”
“You would kill me, my queen?”
“No,” she replied. “But as our elders arrive, we'll each be layered from the bone and processed as meat for the fleet's coming war. Be it human or Ancient, they will have their food reserves stocked.”
“I see.” Tahian replied.
“Good, do not fail me,�
�� she said. “Go.”
-
“Anything?” Perk asked.
“Well,” Alicia replied, having crawled up to a small hill which partially overlooked the position of the Ancient's mothership. “A lot of activity. Don't think I've ever seen so much of their armor moving at once.”
“Most likely planning an assault,” Jackson commented. Doing so as he kept watch over the wooded area surrounding their position. “We should double back and warn everyone.”
“It would be for nothing,” Alicia replied. “We're only three guns and Washington is already on full alert. Not much we could do in the way of getting them more prepared.”
“What should we do then?” Jackson questioned.
“Stick to the plan. Get in there and stir up as much shit as we can.” Perk replied with a grin.
Jackson began to laugh, as did Alicia – though she nodded her head in agreement.
“He's right, they'll never be expecting us. We can likely cause enough damage on this end to force them into a retreat.” Alicia replied, still grinning a bit.
“Well, just say the words.” Jackson replied, double-checking his ammunition by pulling the clip from his rifle, then slamming it back into the stock with a single motion.
“Not until dark,” Alicia replied. “They are moving a lot of pieces down there. I'm seeing a shitload of boots on the ground. Each set of boots brings a set of eyes.”
Jackson eased his way up to her position, taking the small set of binoculars to investigate for himself.
“Wow.”
“How many are you guys counting up there?” Perk asked.
“Hard to say,” Jackson replied, studying the battle positioning in front of him. “At least five-thousand grunts and around one-hundred moving parts. Mostly crawlers with a few tanks mixed in with 'em.”
“Five-thousand?” Perk asked, nearly leveled by the number. “Our people will never be able to push that kind of number back. Never.”
“No,” Alicia replied. “Which means we better do our job right the first time.”
“When we get there buddy,” Jackson said, turning to Perk for a moment. “You lay that C4 down thick as thieves. Plan on lighting that son of a bitch up like a Christmas tree.”
