Rise of an Empire
Chapter Seven: From Force with Treachery
"What?!" I shouted. Me? Carrying out an assassination? No way!
"Yes…you are to assassinate a high official that's interfering in our sacred mission…" Qyntar nodded.
"Hell no! No way I'm doin-" a guard put the barrel of his AEK-971 against the side of my head, cocking it. "Ok…ok, what do I do?"
"Simple…" he sat down in his chair and pulled out a folder. "Russian general Mikhail Varnyjovik will arrive at Brazil's capital city, he's siding with the corrupt government, and so, you'll need to kill him before he meets the dictator…"
"But how do I do that? I'm not a good assassin…" I sneered.
"No problem, our forces will divert theirs, while you sneak up on him, and kill him point-blank with this…" he opened a drawer and pulled out a Saiga 12 semi-auto shotgun.
I gulped as I picked up the heavy shotgun, and checked its magazine. "Ok…what do I need to do?"
"Just listen closely, this is simple, yet critical" he leaned forward, wearing a serious expression…
XXX
"You're Majesty!" Benjamin rushed in. "We have the location of William!"
"Oh thank Ara'jak! Where?" Stitch shouted joyously.
"In…" he gulped. "Brazil, South America…"
Stitch became horrified and collapsed in his chair, staring at the floor.
"What do you want us to do, my king?" Benjamin stepped beside him, speaking softly.
"Send in the Royal Nariijia, I can't afford to lose him…" he said simply.
"As you command you're highness" the general bowed and left the room. Stitch walked back to his bedroom and turned on the Holo-vision and switched to CNN.
"…as of now, the TE Military has confirmed the whereabouts of Prince William of New Earth, but they have refused to divulge, stating it is not important at the moment, and they will reveal it once he has arrived home…" a purple-furred anchorwoman reported. Stitch was about to turn off the HV when another report made him stop.
"Breaking news…the United States has been hit by a surprise raid by unknown forces at the John F. Kennedy Space Center…" she shifted her papers, showing some nervousness in her voice. "Force Recon security report that they have put up a valiant defense, but the launch platform containing the new explorer ship, the USS Vesuvius, has been destroyed…none of the crew members survived…US General Norman Smith has this to say"
The screen shifted to the American general. A gray-haired, old-aged male wearing his Service Uniform, with his chest containing many medals, ribbons and badges.
"This raid has caught the US Marines completely by surprise…we have not noticed any clues that foretold this event…" he began. "I am greatly saddened by the loss of so many eager and fresh interstellar explorers, but I will say this: because of this attack, we won't back down in fear, but we fight in remembrance of those lost in this raid, and we will not stop until this new terrorist organization is brought to justice…"
The screen returned to the anchorwoman, who had set down a glass of water.
"The US Military confirms that they will mobilize their Navy SEALS in order to find and combat these terrorists…" she said. "However, they have also said that resulting information will be classified until they are sure that they are too weak or destroyed to cause much fear…the Russian Federation president, British prime minister, German Chancellor and Japanese president has expressed their sadness in this event, and they publicly announced that they will assist the US in fighting this new organization"
Stitch stared at the HV awe-struck. Sure the US has lost its power after the Oil War of 2019, but its military is still formidable and stubborn. If a terrorist group managed to get past Marine security, who knows what else they can do?
"Wait…I'm getting something here…" the anchorwoman placed a finger on a hidden headset. "The European Union, and the Republic of Cascadia have been attacked by the same forces just an hour after the JFK Space Center raid, both being key forts and arms factories. None of them were destroyed beyond function, but they've received damaged…who are these people?"
You ain't the only one asking that… Stitch thought, now much more troubled. If this new threat attacked the US, RC and EU on the same day…good god!
Stitch rushed out of his bedroom and contacted Chief Commandant Kevin Ryan.
"Kevin! It's King Stitch! We have a major problem, start mobilizing the Royal Nariijia!" he said hastily.
XXX
"…and that was the information we have on these surprise raids…" the anchorman said sadly.
"Holy crap!" Jonathan exclaimed. "Who are these guys?"
"I don't know…but something tells me something is gonna go down soon…" Bryan said, crossing his arms.
"What about that…guy, Tim?" Andrew asked.
"What about him?" Andre batted an eye.
"My cousin, a musician, told me that he was pissed off to a new level after a meeting about a new law on his planet!" he explained.
"Shut up man!" Jonathan laughed. "How could a governor pull off this kind of stuff?"
"Dude, he was seriously pissed! I know he's up to something!" Andrew insisted.
"Can it! We don't have any evidence that he was the mastermind! So until we do, I suggest keeping it shut!" Bryan sneered. "Understood?"
"Yes sir…" he slumped in his chair. The fighting at the town stopped with a clear victory for Cascadian forces. The town has been converted to a Forward Operations base. There were minor injuries, but the locals has taken a beating pretty bad, retreating into an unknown area.
"Sure…America isn't a global superpower anymore, but their military remains the strongest! We may give them a run for their money in technology, but they're pretty tough!" Andre shrugged. "If terrorists got past them, that puts a major hurt in their ego!"
"Yeah…that's true…" Bryan nodded. "But…it's like the old saying…you can't rely on brawns over brains all the time…and those terrorists used brains…"
"Agreed man, it takes brains to beat brains!" Andrew nodded.
"You lost me there…" Jonathan said, wearing a dazed expression. Andrew only laughed.
XXX
Deep in the deserts of an undisclosed location, a massive building lays towering above the sandy dunes, and inside, houses a battalion-worth of forces inside, using out-dated weaponry and armor, but their vehicles are heavily modified to be formidable armor.
"Sir…the Americans have lost the platform as you foretold…" a trog in a balaclava bowed. "And the attacks on the Europeans and Cascadians have been carried out as planned…the Americans will suffer a huge damage to their ego…"
"Excellent…" the leader said cryptically. "If I am correct…oh mighty King Stitch will mobilize the Nariijia to strengthen his hold…"
"He has begun to do that sir…" the soldier nodded.
"All according to plan…" he tapped his claws together, naming him a trog. "How's our mole coming along?"
"Kevin is reporting that the plan will go forth as you expect it…"
Kevin Ryan is the mole for this group, named the Phantom Army. The leader expects him to take his Nariijia battalion, mercenaries in disguise, and begin an assault on the trog capital, and destroy the greatest icon to the citizens.
"Order Kevin that when I give the order, he is to covertly plant explosives on the Statue of Zekylma in the Kaneesha Bay…" he chuckled.
"As you wish sir…" the soldier backed away, and left the room.
You will pay for making a fool out of me… the leader growled.
