The Iccan Massacre
That night, everybody was either to worked up from the high of the up coming events., or from the on going party. But for Lelouch, he was in a desolated, silent mixture of anger and depression. Where you could not tell that he was in that state, but the atmosphere around him could tell. To him, it was nothing a bottle of liquor couldn't fix.
But in non liquor land, a.k.a. reality, Havox had his guard duty over Solaris. She was a very kind person, nothing like her other self. She always enjoyed Havox's company, and hearing his many stories alway made her laugh like a real person. But she was the prisoner, and there is a law about not dating your prisoner. Any-who, the doors opened as Havox walked in. He took off his helmet and put it on the small table; outside of the invisible force field shield. Blayde sat on his helmet and started to peck at his feathers.
"Welcome back, Havox-kun." Solaris smiled. "Are you alright?"
"I had to dodge alot of party goers outside." Havox lit a cigarette.
"There's a party?" She seemed almost disappointed. "I've never been to one."
"You've never been to one?" Havox asked, surprised at her answer. "Not even a birthday party?"
"Nope..." She said quietly. "Dorothea would always take over. Am I a bad person, Havox-kun?"
"You're a good person, Solaris." Havox said. "I'm the bad one."
"What do you mean?"
"Listen to me. I have been through a lot during my life, and I have seen and done all sorts of things. I'll tell you them, so you, and Dorothea, don't repeat the same things. I was born and raised in a small farming town just east of our capital. That is where it all began."
XxXxXxX
Well I should begin with this saying my old man used to told me this, "Remember the Mandalord of the Mandalore system. They were chosen by the Gods to always protect those in their system… they would always strive of achieving peace in chaotic times, and bring prosperity to the people."
Mandalord the First: Rage Tymon, Mandalord the Preserver: Canderous Ordo, Mandalord the Wise: Ung Kusp, Mandalord the Destroyer: Ranah Teh Naast, Mandalord the Father: Jaster Mereel, Mandalord the Unite: Zanatos Links, Mandalord the Immortal: Marcos Wynne, Mandalord the Protector: Gran Louge, and Mandalord the Resurrector: Aaron Wynne. They would bet everything, even their lives, in order to make sure the people stayed safe and that Mandalore's honor would live on.
XxXxXxX
Along time ago I witnessed the greatest man in the universe executed and become an immortal. Marcos had everything that the universe had to offer. Wealth, fame, power, and respect all while staying within Mandalore's boarders. He wasn't intimidated by anyone, which was cause of his death. When they walked down the streets to the execution platform he acted like it was a victory parade. He was walking to his death and to him it was like his coordination. "Destiny, fate, dreams. These unstoppable ideals are held deep within the heart of man. As long as there are people who seek freedom in this life, then these things will never perish from this universe." Those were the words he said as he climbed the stairs to the platform. I was young at the time and I still remember every detail. It was hot and sticky, without a cloud in the sky.
"Any last requests?" the executioner asked. From his expression, he almost seemed afraid of his answer.
"Do you mind taking these restraints off? They're starting to itch."
During the whole execution, even to his death, he acted like I was a joke, like they weren't going to kill him.
"I'm sorry sir, we can't do that." The first reasonable thing said.
"Then where am I supposed to run to?" he sat down on the platform. "Never mind, it looks like I'm on my own this time."The executioners turned there spears so that the blades were crossed. "C'mon boys, enough with acrobatics. Let's get this over with."
The massive crowd was in awe. "HEY! MANDALORD!" a man yelled out. "WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO WITH YOUR TITLE! I MEAN YOU DON'T HAVE ANY LIVING EIRS!"
"You there," the executioner said. "Hold your tongue!"
"WHO WILL BE THE NEXT MANDALORD!"
Marcos started to laugh at the remark. "You want my title!"
"Shut up!"
"You can have! I left everything I own to that person! Now you just have to become it!"
"EXECUTE!" The two executioners thrusted their blades through Marcos's chest, killing him instantly.
The nobles thought they had silent the people forever. But at that moment, Marcos became Marcos the Immortal. The crowd's cheers were so loud and so great that no one could possibly here the nobles excuse for killing him and it felt like a minor earthquake. People were throwing each other in the air as they celebrated cheer. "LONG LIVE THE MANDALORD! LONG LIVE THE MANDALORE!"
XxXxXxX
"Mandalore has a Noble system?" Solaris asked.
"Had them." Havox said. "Our Civil war made quick work of that."
XxXxXxX
Now the noble system was put in as a form of protection by Mandalord…er…Lady, Ranah Teh Naast. She became the Mandalord with her valiant display in battle against the virus-like creatures we called the Torgues. She put the noble status spot in place as people to honor and to help her watch over the Mandalore system… they did not. Over the years they started to do more and more illegal activities. Slavery, drug cartel's, murderers, they practically made they're money on the misery of others. They would wear these masks made out of high grade material so they wouldn't have to breathe the same air as "comeners". Shun war orphaned kids away. And wouldn't follow the old traditions. Things got so bad, that when Marcos finally stepped in, they executed him. They said that Marcos was funding universal terrorist sanctions and selling parts of the sectors away. The true reason was because he fell in love and married a commoner woman and had our now Mandalord, Aaron. The Nobles weren't so found of that, they believed that the Mandalord should always keep their blood "clean", of any "common blood." Whatever that means
XxXxXxX
Years later, I won an Interplanetary Sharp shooting competition with a revolver. The other competitors, who were using sniper rifles, accused me of cheating and eventually had me banned from the competition for "unsportsmanlike conduct," although many of witnesses noted that he didn't display any unsportsmanlike behaviors until after the accusations began. So I stole the Rifle that son-of-a-noble owed me, and I still use it to this day.
XxXxXxX
After that, money became tight, so I joined the military academy on Mandalore. Cadets are sent to the battlefield for on-site training during their final year. Soon after a rebellion started in the on Icca, so we were sent in to quiet them as a final exam. I was deployed because my school was the most prestige, but the real reason was because of the troop shortage on the front. They took anyone they could. After that, I was dragged deeper and deeper into the war zone. Icca is a harsh moon filled with nothing but rock ands sand. It wasn't surprising that an environment like that gave birth to a population with such a server code of conduct, which stretched back to the times of the Mandalords', or that the people became so resilient. The Iccan people are ethnic tribes' which strongly believe in God Hashi and Goddess Kendo as the one and only creators. They draw from a different history, so they see through a different lens. The Nobles tried to win them over with the Laws of motion and advance machinery. They believed everything could be explained by numbers and that survival of the fittest was the one just law.
Iccan people saw machines as the work of the devil and blinded people from their own abilities to brake objects down and reconstruct them as something different. The Iccan believed that Equivilent Exchange, where you can't gain without giving in return, was the way to live. As a result to these colission's of view, resistant movement would pop up time to time. And that made the Nobles angry.
What happened there was nothing less then a massacre, and it was all because the Noble's said that the sudden spike in taxes, which they pasted, were the cause. At first, I was put in charge of the refugee camps. In there, they hated us, and we hated them. It was only a moment time of time until someone did something stupid... and they did. One morning an officer accidentally shot an Iccan kid, which was enough to spark the war against them… The children used to sing this chant as we first marched in.
"One day till we play our last game. Two days till we laugh. Three days till we disappear. Four days till we suspect. Five days till we learn. Six days till we plan. Seven days till we scream. Eight days till we run. Nine days till we cry. Ten days till we die."
And the sad thing was that they stood true to every word of that rhyme. But do to the soldiers becoming killing happy, we sped it up. Now one thing we did, which I'm not to proud of, was that we would drive warriors and innocent men, women and children into a trap.
"Retreat, retreat!" they yelled as the warriors stayed behind to give the civilians a fighting chance. "To the east! Get out of the city."
But they never did.
"What's wrong!" a women said, a grandmother I think. "Hurry and…run?"
"What's with this wall!"
"Well, it shouldn't be here"
I was on the other side of that damn wall that Noble's soldier built. And I heard everything.
"Let us out!" they would yell as they banged on the metallic death trap.
"Run…a…way…" A wounded warrior limped towards them. "Hurry…hurry…"
He was then killed by being shot in the back. Then the soldiers turned their murderous intentions to unarmed.
"SOMEONE HELP!" they pleaded as they were slaughtered. "SOMEONE-GOD HIZASHI!"
…Screams I heard, thought came from little girls were actually from full grown men… When I finally walked through those streets of death, I tried my hardest not to cry. Because if I did, there was a good chance I wouldn't stop. In a broken down house I found two survivors. One was old women, and her young daughter. Know if you thought our constant killing was bad, our enjoying the spoils of war was far time worse.
"Run away! And hurry," I said standing before a newly made hole in the wall. "Live and tell the rest of planet what happened here. And try to find sanctuary with the Mandalord army."
That was the last time I saw them…they looked back to try and thank me, as if I deserved it, and then they were both blown up by one of our tanks. I sat in my knees in disbelief.
"That was a close one, Master Chief Havox." My commanding officer said. "To look over an enemy like that, if anyone else were to see, you wouldn't be able to escape a court marshal."
I had good warriors, in fact they follow me to this day, they were doing their job… but that still doesn't make it right.
"Hey Master Chief-?"
"You can call me Havox, Mustang." I was followed my commanding officers with the scope from my rifle. We were stationed inside a bombed out tower, which I'm still shocked that it was able to stay balanced, as we gave our commanding officers covering fire. Riley "Mustang" Jakob was my spotter for this escort mission.
"The look in you eyes has changed." He said as he rested his head in boredom.
"So have yours. They're the eyes of a murderer."
"It seems like yesterday we came here, but at the same time, it feels so long ago."
The Havox family and the Jakob family were, and still are, good friends. Riley was the youngest so he easily dodged the hard work that his eldest brother, Winchester, in inheriting the gun company. The reason why I call him Mustang is because he almost rammed his father's vintage Mustang into me. That was when we first met.
"It's not like the beautiful future we talked about as we were kids growing up."
"Yeah, a beautiful future." HaBULLSHIT…excuse me. Nothing screams beautiful future like rotting dead bodies. "Hey, Mustang."
"Hm?"
"This campaign…we're supposed to put down these rebellions. But Icca is desert planet, with no up-to-date weaponry, no true rescores, and little usable land. The only true threat is that they follow the old ways, and their Shaman monks. So don't you think bringing in the army is a little…overkill?"
"I've been wondering the same thing. Maybe they intend to use this as a base for trade to the rest of the eastern sector."
"If that's true than why are turning it into Gods damn pile of scorching rubble."
"Private, Private Jakob!" It was messenger, and if no one knew there was a sniper out then, they sure do know.
"I'm a Corporal now."
"Ooops sorry, sir. Mail."
After he left, I swear his tongue hit the floor. "What is it?"
"It's my beautiful future!"
He practically shoved the letter in my face, so I had to read the name. "Faith Thurinos? Your fiancé?"
"Yep, back at Keldabe! She's waiting for me to come back! AAAAH!"
"Mustang?"
"What am I gonna do if some other guy tries to muscle in on her!"
"Mustang."
"Nah, there's no way Faith would cheat on a good looking guy like me!"
"Mustang!"
"But a good looking girl like her must have every guy in the capital asking her out! No, no, no, no!"
"MUSTANG! ...word of advice. Its simple movie and novel science: Soldiers who preach about their lovers are the first to die."
"What about you then. Don't you have someone waiting for you?"
"You know girls don't look my way."
At that moment General Solf decided to move with the rest of his men. At that moment a warrior came from amongst the dead and almost slit his throat…if I didn't shoot the assign through his head.
"Nice shot Havox."
"Hey Mustang, did you know that more than half of all officers death are cause by assignation by their own subordinates."
"Ha hah ha. Don't get any ideas."
On the way back down, we caught up with another one of my subordinates. Private Silara Stormchaser, was making a grave next to the building we were in. she was a good girl, kind hearted. But this war…it was tearing her in two.
"What's that grave for? A fallen comrade?"
"No," she said, not even bothering to look us in the face. "It was for a young Iccan boy that was crushed by an artillery shell. Master Sargeant Havox. If you can please answer this. Why are we soldiers, who we are supposed to be protecting people, slaughtering them?"
I understand why she didn't look me in the eye. Because her bubbly flower-like eyes were replaced with my own. How could've we fallen this low? Why? Simple answer, because that is the honor of serving in the Noble army. Why are soldiers…who are supposed to be protecting the populace, killing them instead? Because those are the orders we were given. Those are from the mouth of Captain Xiarr Spince, my commanding officer. Also the guy who was working that tank. He would always wean out the weak by putting them in disgusting conversations. This time he was picking on Silara.
"Well then… how about you there, little lady? You don't like your work, do you? It's written all over your face."
"That's right. I don't enjoy killing." To appoint she was afraid of him. Then again, who wasn't? Eye's that could slice your very soul in two. Long hair that was dyed in the blood of the people he killed. And his partially insane ways made a maniac.
"Really? When you drop an enemy… can you honestly tell me that you don't get some kind of rush of satisfaction and pride of a job well done, Ms. Stormchaser?"
"That's enough Xiarr!" I said.
Like I said before, he enjoys weaning people out. And he knows my weaknesses are my subordinates.
"From my prospective, you are much harder to understand. To seek justice in a special place like a battlefield is what's strange. Is it heretical to kill? Is it better not to kill at all? Or is it that you were prepared to kill one or two, but can't bear killing thousands." He then pointed to his uniform. "When you wore this of your own will, weren't you already prepared? If you don't like it, you shouldn't have worn it in the first place. You moved forward onto this path on your own, why are you playing the victim now? If you're going to take pity on yourself, don't kill people in the first place. Don't avert your eyes from death. Look forward. Look at the people you're killing in the face. And don't forget them. Don't forget. They won't forget you either. Considering that you can see them eye to eye from nine hundred yards away."
The siren for a late night attack went off. "Well, it looks like we have work to do."
"See you later, Havox." Riley said as he followed the rest of Xiarr's men. "I have to report to section eighteen."
"Mustang." I called out. "Why are you fighting?"
"It's simple 'I don't want to die', that's it." He said with one beat. "The reason is always simple, Havox."
'I don't want to die.' 'The reason is always simple'…what a load of horse piss. If it was so simple, then why didn't we just throw down our guns and leave? Why? Because those are the orders we were given. Ironically though, later that day I left the hospital from a land mine wound. That when I met…
"You're Maec Havox son of Jak Havox, from New Crinohl. Right?"
This was the first time meeting Jacques Von Scorpion. Back then he already had enough sins from the Project program. But just like me money was running tight, and he had a little girl to feed. Screams of pain and torture were coming from the fortress like building behind as he tried to hide in his smoke.
"What's going on in there?"
"Didn't you hear? The higher ups decided see what makes the people from Icca so strong."
"It's simple, they still believe in the old ways of training their children to fight."
"If it's so simple, then why are they torturing them?"
"I wouldn't know." I said. "But you're a doctor…and they're making you do these things?"
"A doctor…that's right, I am a doctor, aren't I?" he twisted his words in fifty different directions. "Two doctors from Enceri, a couple of Iccan descent, came down to try to help the people here. Even before all of this shit hit the fan."
"That's foolish…" I said. "It's suicide."
"Foolish?" He questioned while rubbing his eyes. "That might be true, but what's so wrong with prospective? On the one hand, you have doctors who kill to follow orders. On the other, you have the couple who side with the weak and powerless. So tell me Mr. Havox. If I'm a doctor, then why am I killing people?"
The next day it was quiet, almost a holy quiet. I was out scouting with the guys in my squad, and then….That's when I saw that young ruler. Mandalord the Protector: Gran Louge. Now I know I said that Marcos was the last Mandalord before the Nobles took over. Buuuut, the people of Icca elected the child to be the new Mandalord. That was the true reason why were here. Not for taxes, but to set an example. Anyone who defected from the Nobles and followed the Mandalord's teaching would be eradicated.
"I can't believe it…" I couldn't believe it. "You're Gran Louge, the Mandalord! But I heard you were hiding in the wilderness of Icca."
He was a true Iccan, brown-skin and white hair. "I have not the temperament or behavior to sit by and watch my people be slaughtered like cattle. I wish to speak with Major General Shavin Solf."
"What!" to us, that was a form of suicide.
"I'm offering him my life in the exchange for the lives of civilians of Icca. I wish…my life to be the last one taken in this war."
"I understand, my lord." I bowed before him. "I will honor your request."
For just a child, he knew things that most adults wish to know. I just wished the head General knew that.
"So you'd wish me to spar tens of thousands of innocent Iccan civilians, and warriors, in exchange for your life."
"Yes. I am-."
"How arrogant." Coming from the guy who embodies that word, it's saying a lot. "Do you really believe that one life, even if it is a Mandalord, is equal to that of tens of thousand of others? Spare me your conceit. One person's life is worth only one life. Nothing more, nothing less. Their will be no exchange. Neither will I end the extermination. You've wasted enough of my time with this childish-foolishness. Master Chief Havox, take these dogs back and shoot them."
"Major General Shavin Solf. An interesting statistic… did you know that more than half of all officers death are cause by assignation by their own subordinates."
I shot that fat general through the head. Then again, Jakobs don't call it a SkullSmasher for nothing.
"If any others ask it was a stray bullet that killed him."
"Yup. That's what we saw." They all agreed. "Until more show up. I guess you're taking command."
"So Gran, what will you do now?"
"I still plan to go through with my original plan. So will you help me achieve it?"
As I put the bullet in my gun, he was silent whispering old Mando'a prayers.
"Any last words?"
"Long live Mandalord the Resurrector…"
Unfortunately, though, his wish wasn't truly fulfilled. During the war there were doctors; didn't matter what side you were on. Military or Iccan, they would treat you just the same. However, they were casualties as well.
"Why? We've already had to kill the Mandalord! Do you want us to soak our hands in blood even more?"
"This place is becoming a new head-base for insurgents." Xiarr told me.
"Insurgents? These people are doctors! They are trying to help as many as they can-"
"That's right, and the people they helping are coming back and murdering my soldiers. Now get to work."
I got my orders in the morning, and I shot them that night. I still remember the blood stain their bodies left and the streaks on a happy, peaceful, picture of them with their young daughter. After that I tried to kill myself, but if it wasn't for Mandalord Aaron, I would be dead.
"Stop it, kid! Killing yourself won't bring them back." I removed the gun from my head. "You were a soldier following orders; the real guilty are those who make you do it."
"Is there no way we can atone for these sins?"
"Take up the cause. Inherit the will. Least that's what my father always said."
XxXxXxX
"And after that?"
"After that I took an oath." Havox leaned back in his chair.
"An oath?"
"Yeah, to the only brother I've got."
Havox, for some reason, started to lowly laugh. "What's so funny?"
"I'm sorry…it's just that…I'm reveling my deepest darkest secrets, some that I keep secret from my own squad, to my prisoners. Talk about irony."
The alarm on his watch went off; eight o'clock p.m. "It's that time already? Alright Solaris, I need you hands for a second."
"What are you gonna do?"
"You need to go in for a simple physical." Her face turned redder. "Relax! You get a women doctor."
He put the L.R.C (Light Restrain Cuffs) cuffs on Solaris, and then escorted into her to the infirmary. But something hit him like a ton-of-bricks. Kitari was a partier, so she not even be at her office. What would be the point?
"Remind me," He said in a semi-sly tone."You have never been to a party, right?"
"Yes." She was trying to catch on.
"Then," He removed her cuffs and pulled her to where the part was happening. "Come on! I'll show you what the center of the Universe looks like."
XxXxXxX
Speaking of Kitari's office, Havox was one-hundred and twelve percent right. No one was in there. Not even Kallen; Naoto moved her to Aaron's Oblivion so she would be safer. It was a tearful-joyful reunion to say the least. But I'm getting way a head of myself. Back in the office, Maxi was doing a little sloothing. When I mean sloothing, I mean break into Kitari's secret cigarette stash.
"I don't get it..." He tried to light his lighter. "She probably smokes as much as I do and yet she scolds me for it. What a life. Huh?" He notice a small vile in the safe. "What's this?... Wait... it's that enhancement syrum I made. I thought I lost it."
In one gulp, he drank the hole thing. Practically sucked the vile in as well. Then his body was starting to feel brand new... in fact a little too brand new. He looked the same as animal in heat; and he only had one person on his mind.
He ran like a lust drunk animal back to his room, found her on the couch and whisked her off to the bedroom. Maxi was kissing her wildly, but he gained some consious and looked down at Celeste. Her face was curled up in fear, and she was mentally praying for it to stop.
"Celeste," Maxi said with hunger in his voice. "Why are you affraid."
"Because I don't want you to hurt me." She said timidly. "I'm sorry, Master."
"Master, won't hurt you." The lust was coming back. "Because... Master loves you. So much, you can't understand."
With those words, she relaxed a bit and returned the love for the rest of the night. Flashes of her memories started to flare before her eyes. Most of them were of the other times they made love, but one stayed amounst the rest. It wasn't a love making one, it was different to say the least. They were in a cave. Maxi was on one end a roaring fire while she was on the other. She was wet, cold, and voilenty shivering in her half-sleep. Maxi got up and threw his coat on her then went back to his side. He had nothing on under the coat, but that did not both his sleep. she had no idea why that memory came up, but it made the sensation more heavenly.
XxXxXxX
Outside the armory for the Ikaruga, Tamiki paced back and forth with an incredible strong urge to take a piss. Lelouch, drunkly, walked by half awake.
"Lelouch! Thank God! Can take over for me?"
"Piss off." He said.
"Common!"
"Can't, drunk as a skunk."
"Please! It'll only take a second!" He handed him his pistol.
"Fine." He took the pistol as Tamiki ran off. He sulked down as Naoto came by.
"Lelouch? Lelouch, what are you doing?"
"Manning this fucking post, sir!"
"Are you drunk?"
"Why?" He pointed the gun at Naoto. "Do you want to do something about it?"
"Now you are pointing a side arm at?"
Tamiki then came up from behind and grabbed the gun away from Lelouch. "I'm sorry, Naoto. I had to take a quick piss and Lelouch was filling in for me."
He pushed Lelouch to the wall. "Stand down."
"Fuck you!"
"I said stand down."
"AND I SAID FUCK YOU!" He yelled as he started to break down.
XxXxXxX
People who go this long in chaos, no matter how strong of moral, they will always break down. Those people are just... tired. I guess you the case.
Hope for the best, expect the worst,
The world's a stage, we're unrehearsed,
Some reach the top, friends,While others drop, friends,
Hope for the best,
Next Time: Expect the worst!