by Adrian P
“You must’ve hated the Brotherhood.”
“Personal feelings are irrelevant,” Audi crossed his arms. “Now let’s get to business. I need you to storm the hill in Kotabaru’s outskirts and cover me while I defeat their leader.”
Captain Farzan nodded. “Tell me a summary of your plan.”
The boy opened his UFX-PDA and stretched it wide to two arms’ length. He stuck it on a nearby wall and opened a strategic map outlining the area surrounding Kotabaru’s observatory.
“Brotherhood forces have fortified the area surrounding the hill,” Audi said. “Scouts have spotted emplaced guns and anti-armour cannons on high grounds, and it would be suicide to storm it directly.”
“So what’s on your mind?”
Audi drew a red line on the foothill using his finger. “Troopers will fortify buildings prior this line and wait, while your Marines manoeuvre to take out their heavy weapons. The Troopers will advance afterwards to clean up the mess.”
“That shouldn’t be a problem. Anything we should watch for?”
The boy nodded. “Superpower.”
“What?”
“Have you not heard any report from Gleicherde?” Audi asked. “The Brotherhood might be inferior technologically, but their individuals possess strange powers which could turn the tide of battle with a blink of an eye.”
“I’ve heard the report, but I find it difficult to believe,” Farzan frowned. “Any advice what to do when encountering these…superpowers?”
“Each individual has a unique power, but only a select few actually possess planet-destroying potential. Most of them don’t really use their power; don’t ask me why, I don’t know.”
“So most are just regular soldiers, but we need to watch out for the few with superpowers?”
Audi nodded. “Don’t approach anyone with crimson red eyes. Just make sure their conscripts don’t get the chance to cut me off from escape.”
Captain Farzan took out his communicator and spoke with his officers. He stepped away and gave directions to his marines, summarising Audi’s points and organising a briefing meeting.
He hung up and turned back to the boy. “My marines will be ready shortly,” he said. “When are we going to strike?”
“Tonight,” the boy replied. “I’ll forward more details of the operation later. I need to organise the mercenaries as well.”
“Mercenaries, huh?” the Captain crossed his arms. “You love playing a dangerous game.”
“How so?”
“Mercenaries are declared criminals after the assassination of our previous Monarch. I could’ve ordered an arrest right now if I want to.”
“Do you?”
“We cannot defeat The Brotherhood without your help.”
“Excellent, we have a mutual understanding,” the boy turned around.
“I will see you tonight on the battlefield.”
Audi walked on a corridor and approached a door; Christina’s voice echoed from within. As he walked closer, her voice grew louder, and her tone soured in rage. The boy sighed and opened the door.
It was a simple square room with concrete wall and cheap lighting. A wooden, rectangular table sat in the middle with chairs evenly placed on all sides. Christina stood behind a sitting, yet silent Bryant, and bombarded him with scolding. Charlotte and Rachele turned to Audi; the former shrugged her shoulders.
“The exchange is one-sided, I see,” Audi pulled a chair and leaned forward. “But at least he got out of the room.”
Rachele pushed her chair forward. “I heard from Charley about what happened,” she said. “Your other friend…he shot himself?”
The boy nodded.
“How can you be so affected by his death? Didn’t you just meet recently?”
“He shot himself in front of us.”
Silence.
“No matter how many people I’ve killed, I don’t think I’ll be able to normalise suicide,” the boy’s voice softened. “The greatest act of defiance against our inherent nature to seek survival. How much pain? How much agony does our world impose on the living that it’s possible for someone to think of death as more beneficial than life?”
Charlotte took a breath.
“Pain is not the reason why people choose to take their own life.”
Audi turned to her.
“When you have a purpose internal to your existence, you will push forward and keep on surviving no matter how much pain and agony you must bear. When I dreamt of becoming an athlete, I would run under the rain, the heat, the storm, over the mud, even if it means getting sick and injured,” she said. “It is when your purpose is taken; when you are deprived of your raison d'être that even a painful death is preferable over a meaningless life.”
Rachele nodded, albeit subtle. “Or when you start doubting your life purpose.”
The boy turned his sight to Bryant, who was still silent as Christina desperately begged him to retort back.
“Big man,” Audi stood up as Bryant glanced at him. “Do you want to fight for a better world?”
Bryant closed his eyes. “Is it even possible?”
“Why wouldn’t it?”
“For there’s nothing we can do,” he replied. “Either we conform to the ways the world work, or perish in poverty, starvation, or worse, humiliation.”
Christina clenched her fist. “Why are you so defeatist, you damned gorilla? I thought you’ll be a little braver, considering the amount of muscles you bulk up from brain to toes!”
Bryant sighed and straightened his posture. He looked at the boy. “Tell me what we’re up against,” his voice was weak.
“Very well,” Audi said. “The Brotherhood has entrenched themselves in key positions on the hills. High grounds and emplaced guns will practically turn any head-on collision into a massacre fest…on our side,” he paused. “Unless we can identify weak spots in their defences, Konstantin will be unstoppable.”
Christina pulled a chair and sat next to Bryant. “So what’s your genius plan?”
Audi opened his UFX-PDA and laid out a battlefield map. With his finger, he drew a line between the hill and a residential suburb, circling a few houses. “Troopers of The Armed Forces will fortify themselves in these positions. Meanwhile, Marines of The Naval Armada will jump through the forest areas and pressure their fortified points.”
“Bad plan,” Charlotte interrupted. “The forest doesn’t provide covers strong enough to mitigate their heavy fire. No matter how fast the marines move, they would be torn apart the moment they enter their range.”
“That’s where we come in,” Audi replied. “Konstantin knows we’re coming; he knows I am coming for him. The ambush in the city proved that he’s willing to dedicate a significant manpower and firepower to counter us.”
“Isn’t that bad news?”
“Not necessarily,” Audi turned to Bryant. “Big man. You and Christina are the strongest among us, so both of you will draw their fire.”
Christina frowned. “I have two complaints.”
“Entertain me.”
“One,” she raised a finger. “I feel insulted that you’re treating me like a cannon fodder.”
“Get used to it,” the boy replied in monotone. “What’s two?”
Christina raised a second finger. “Working alongside this gorilla? You’ve got to be kidding me.”
“Why is that an issue? Isn’t it natural?”
“I don’t want to stand next to this sulking and depressed lad. He’s giving off bad vibe, and I’ve had enough negativity fighting against The Brotherhood in this planet. All this massacres and deaths.”
The boy rolled his eyes. “That’s the stupidest complaint I’ve ever heard. Why do you hate him so much?”
Charlotte stood up. “Because he reminded her of William Chance.”
“Charley, shut up,” Christina frowned. “We promised not to talk about this anymore.”
“No, I won’t be silent now,” Charlotte replied. “I know your traum
a with the disappearance of William Chance and the rest of William’s Green, but projecting his image onto Bryant is simply irrational.”
Christina gritted her teeth.
“We’ve established that The Red Berets, Crowned Confederacy’s military spec-ops unit, was responsible for their disappearance,” she continued. “Until we discover the true nature of Red Berets and their ultimate goal, we will never know of William’s fate. That you have to accept.”
Bryant turned to Christina. “I’m sorry…I…”
“It’s not your fault—shut up you damned gorilla,” Christina glanced away. “Getting sulky and all depressed about the world. As if you’re the only one who’s been through hell.”
The big man smiled. “You’re right, I shouldn’t act this way,” he firmed his tone. “Continue with your briefing, Audi. If it means defeating Konstantin, Chrissie and I will do our best to tank the hell out of their fire.”
“My name is Christina, you damned—“
“Alright,” Audi drew several arrows from the foothill towards a building on the hilltop. “Both of you will draw their fire, and the Marines will take out their guns. Afterwards, you will be deep in enemy’s territory and strategically useless, so I’ll have you retreat.”
Bryant crossed his arms. “We need cover to retreat. Unless someone got our flank, they will surround and butcher us.”
Audi turned to Rachele. “That’s when you come in,” he said. “Use your railgun to suppress any pursuers, and ensure these two make it to the safe zone.”
Charlotte pointed to herself. “What about me?”
“You stay behind.”
“Ehh?” she stood up and pouted. “So all these fights, and I’m just an observer?”
“No stealth is needed in this mission, as we’re going loud with a bang. Your presence will overcrowd the battlefield.”
“I’m sure I can—“
“Rejected.”
“But—“
“Rejected.”
Charlotte grumbled and sat down. “What are you going to do?”
“Konstantin,” Audi replied. “He’s the reason I’m here. I’m the reason he’s putting up heavy defences.”
“How are you going to reach him?”
“Amidst all the commotion, they will be focused on the main battle. Our attack will be so intensive, that he cannot afford to leave behind any manpower.”
“Again, you forgot that Konstantin has his superpower,” Charlotte frowned. “You almost died last time.”
“But I learned his weakness,” Audi replied. “I didn’t expect him to use his power to build an improvised battlesuit, but this time, I take that into account, and I’ll be ready for him.”
Charlotte sighed.
“If that’s sorted, any question?”
Silence.
“Excellent,” he wrapped his UFX-PDA and folded it to a palm size. “Tonight we’ll begin the assault. I will coordinate our strategic manoeuvre with The Military Sector.”
“Together, we’ll end Konstantin’s madness, whatever his endgame is.”
Audi exited the room and pocketed his UFX-PDA. As he walked away, Rachele chased after him. “Bandana Boy.”
He stopped and turned back.
“I…do have a question.”
The boy frowned his eyebrows. “Ask away.”
She took a short breath. “You were thinking of Charley, weren’t you?”
He paused. “What are you talking about?”
“The reason you don’t want her to fight,” she said. “It’s nothing to do with strategic consideration. Stealth is not needed? Your operation to reach Konstantin is the textbook definition of a stealth mission. Charley could’ve helped alongside you—“
“I don’t need her, I can do things on my own,” the boy interrupted. “She’s better off staying behind the line.”
“I call nonsense,” Rachele interrupted. “Likewise, in our first failed assault, you told her to stay behind because you don’t want her to fight.”
Audi kept silent.
“I understand that you want to protect her, but she’s not so weak that she needs your constant watch,” Rachele replied. “Charley is one of the best fighters I’ve ever seen in the battlefield. Young as she is, her agility and intelligence trumped even the best trained among the police and military. She is not—“
“Not meant to live this kind of life.”
Rachele paused.
“The only reason she joined your Petit Fantome is because she doesn’t have a place in the world otherwise,” he said. “Her dream of becoming an athlete was crushed by her parents, which in turn are influenced by the way our world has always worked.”
Silence.
“The Ghost Girl realised that there are other children whose dreams were crushed by reality, that the only way to survive in this world is to serve the economy through jobs and occupations that are determined by arbitrary market forces,” the boy continued. “The higher a job is paid, the more competition there are, and the harder it is to get in. Children are forced to abandon their dreams, no, their childhood and teenage years to drill themselves to hell, to get into universities and plaster themselves with a degree which is required by companies. But even that’s not enough—they have to further degrade themselves by obtaining the highest academic grade so companies will consider hiring them.”
He paused.
“Opportunity, they say, is reserved for the best. But the best, by definition, is few, so the many rest must concede and be swallowed into the abyss of insignificance.”
“That—“
“She watched how the world glorifies a system based on natural selection, of the weak who must perish, and the strong that will dominate. How the world wishes to govern modern humanity by primitive ideological principles.”
He paused.
“But she could only fight through violence. Her zeal in wanting to kill Princess Victoria was to shock the world into chaos, forcing the entire galaxy into a dark place, hoping this will convince people to rethink their reality lenses.”
“So that’s why she was really eager to kill the Princess, why she took it so personally,” Rachele glanced away. “Charley…I didn’t know—“
“That’s why I stopped her,” Audi said. “I won’t let someone with such good heart and intention create a chaos that will breed even more suffering, defeating her original purpose, her adopted reason for existence.”
“And for this reason I won’t let her kill another soul.”
Chapter 3 / Part 4
At the observatory hill, Brotherhood conscripts assembled the final piece of launch pad for Celestial Anvil. Barring the sounds of nature, the surroundings were quiet. Delta Conscripts communicated in whispers and through communicator, while Konstantin was nowhere to be seen in the open.
Sasha Gryaznov sat on a rock on the hillside, surrounded by five conscripts. He unloaded his pistol and threw the bullets to the ground. The conscripts gaped their mouth in shock.
“Rear Admiral,” one said. “Why did you—“
“I don’t need ammunition. You can have this pistol,” Sasha gave the empty gun away. “The battles I’m fighting cannot be won by simple firearms.”
“But—“
“Listen, conscripts,” Sasha spoke. “Whatever happens to me, whether I reign victorious or fall in defeat, never betray The Patriot of War’s values.”
The conscripts kept silent.
“As our Great Liberator’s nephew, The Patriot of War has stayed true to his philosophy. The reason why Brotherhood existed. The path that The Brotherhood must tread in this Great Liberation,” he continued. “Konstantin Simonovsky has let himself be strayed by emotion and false conscience, legitimising the death of millions to satisfy his misunderstanding of The Great Liberator’s philosophy.”
“But how?” a conscript clenched his fist. “I’ve witnessed myself how people of The Tyrant Empire acted. How self-centred they are. How they glorified the suffering of others as necessa
ry.”
Sasha frowned. “Would death somehow convince them otherwise?”
Silence.
“True to its name, The Great Liberation is a grand project of liberation; to free the people from the Tyrant’s clutch which prevents individuals from realising their true destiny: to reach greatness, to become Superior Beings,” Sasha stood. “But you must believe in hope, that humanity can be redeemed. That even the most inferior of Inferior Beings can be elevated into superiority. This is why you fight, is it not? So that no soul born into this universe is barred from becoming a Superior Being?”
The conscript nodded.
“So fight for our true purpose, and never let despair take over,” Sasha walked forward. “Konstantin needs to be stopped, for he twist this purpose to fit his rage.”
“What about The Bandana Boy?” another conscript asked. “Are you not going to fight him?”
“I will,” he replied. “The Tyrant’s warriors are coming. I can feel it. The Bandana Boy will be sneaking through while we’re busy fighting off the main army. What a simplistic tactic.”
The communicator echoed a crackle.
“Attention to all units! We are under attack!”
Sasha grinned. “Here we are, the decisive moment,” he said. “Occupy your positions, and whatever happens, do not reinforce me.”
“But—“
“I must kill The Bandana Boy in a fair fight, or else my quest for vengeance is meaningless,” he turned his eyes crimson red. “He went through the trouble of killing Petrov with his own hands.”
“And so, I will butcher him with my hands in return, and mine only.”
Crowned Confederacy Marines jumped through the forest using their back-boosters, landing near trees to cover from Brotherhood gunfire. One marine missed his spot and exposed himself to rapid bullets, tearing his armour and flesh apart to the ground. The rest planted their portable shield on the ground, expanding to cover their entire body. Brotherhood conscripts kept firing, locking the Marines into their place.
“Where are the mercenaries?” one shouted to the communicator. “We can’t close our distance, dammit!”
