Reply to review left by "grey fox anon": You're not a registered user on this site, so I have to go on here to say thanks so so much for reading and reviewing! I'm so pleased that you liked Chapter 12 and how I portrayed Cobar and Radec. This goes not just for you, but to all readers: I hope you like how it's going so far and want to keep reading. I'm especially curious of what you think about Runa. With OCs I try not to make them Mary Sue-ish/Gary Stu-ish, so feedback on opinion of OCs is valuable and appreciated. This is very much a passion project of mine since the Killzone fandom is pretty much dead, but I'm interested enough in Radec to keep writing regardless. Still, knowing that there are readers enjoying this totally makes my day.
The Hounds of Helghan (13)
With numb feet and blood flowing thickly against the sides of his skull, Radec barely registered walking out of Visari's office. With palace guards at their posts, however, the colonel didn't let the reeling sensation within him show as he stepped smartly down the great hall. Guards saluted him as he passed.
They wallowed in ignorant bliss. They had no clue of the knowledge that Radec now possessed. He was under strict orders to keep anyone below him in that ignorant bliss, so he didn't stop to strike any conversation.
He entered the academy, activating his cloak in the shadows of the entrance hall before heading into the main courtyard. Cadets had gathered in a loose circle around Runa, who held an StA-11 submachine gun. Radec found the lieutenant where he had expected her. He caught the beginning of her discussion with the cadets.
"When it's a gun against a knife, of course the gun wins," she said to them, then held out the SMG that was empty of cartridges. "But what happens when it's dry, you can't reload, you don't have a knife of your own, and no one's around to cover you? An unlikely scenario, I'll admit, but you need to be prepared for anything. Don't panic—there are still ways to get the upper hand on a knife-wielder."
Runa had her helmet off and her face exposed so her voice could easily carry throughout the courtyard. Radec knew she'd rather have the helmet on, though. The cadets were in full battle gear, covered from head to toe, but the colonel was willing to bet that at least a few took advantage of their helmets to marvel at Runa's striking beauty. Those unlucky few would soon pay for being the most distracted. The thought made Radec crack a smirk.
Runa proceeded with the gun-on-knife exercises, playing out the moves to disarm and stun a knife-wielder with a fellow elite shock trooper: another demonstrator. The elite shock trooper switched weapons with Runa. Now she was the one wielding the knife against cadets, who had to show that they had learned the moves.
Grunts and thuds sounded through the courtyard as she took them on. Radec had put her up to this, and this was her first time in a teaching role, but from his cloaked position, he judged that she was handling the role well enough. She didn't have the surly aggression of Sergeant Fomenko, though. Radec remembered with wry fondness how that one-eyed, one-armed sergeant put him in his place. He resisted scratching at the scar along his nose.
He continued to observe the training exercises in cloaked obscurity. He liked to see how instruction and learning went on without the influence of his presence. Only when Runa ended the exercises and dismissed the cadets did he approach her with the cloak deactivated. She didn't flinch. Instead she snapped a crisp salute.
Radec raised an eyebrow. "Not surprised to see me, Lieutenant?"
"You took me off guard before, sir, but not this time." He caught a glimmer of mischievous light in her eyes before she donned her helmet. "You did come back from the palace earlier than I expected, but I'm not too surprised you'd be around to see me teach."
"You did well."
He could hear how pleased she was underneath the helmet. "Thank you, Colonel. I'm just doing what I can to prepare future soldiers for the campaign."
"What will you do next today?"
His question took her slightly aback. "Well, I'm going to walk the dog around the academy for a bit, then I will head home. Why do you ask, sir?"
He didn't answer her directly. Instead he said, "May I join you on your walk? There's something I need to tell you."
"Certainly, sir. Let me go get Sikla first."
On the other side of the courtyard, sitting next to the post tethering his leash, the guard dog Sikla had been waiting obediently for his master. He straightened his long legs and wagged his stumpy tail as Runa freed him from the post.
"A parting gift from General Metrac," she said as she rubbed the dog's head. "He took the rest of the dogs with him to Vekta."
Radec's hands behind his back tightened for a moment, but he held his tongue as he accompanied Runa to the outskirts of the academy, where they could put distance between themselves and most cadets who stayed within the premises.
Sikla trotted ahead of the two officers. The sky overhead was a pale yellow, with no storms in sight. A light breeze stirred up the ends of banners hanging from the academy's walls. Good weather by Helghast standards. Fine day for a walk with the dog.
Radec broke the silence by clearing his throat. "Lieutenant, promise me first that whatever I tell you next will be kept a secret of the highest order. Can I trust you on that?"
"I promise, sir." The solemnity of her voice told him how much she understood the gravity of his request. She even stopped in her tracks to lock gazes with him, and the leash stretched taut for a moment as Sikla kept walking. Only Runa's grip on the leash stopped the dog from going farther. "You can trust me with anything."
"Good." He forced himself to go on. "General Lente and Colonel Cobar are dead. More recently the body of General Metrac was found in the mountains, shot down by the enemy. Our forces are in full retreat from Vekta. The invasion is lost."
He heard a breath hitch in her throat.
"That's...it can't be..." she managed to say in a hushed whisper. "Impossible. We've been told of nothing but victories earned and cities captured since the invasion started. We've even had highly ranked ISA officials defect to our side, have they not?"
Radec closed his eyes. "Yes, but despite our progress in the war effort, we've lost too much to hold onto Vekta. That is the harsh reality we face, but it's the reality that much of Helghan can't know. Not yet."
Runa shook her head. "I...I still can't believe it..."
"Nor could I, to be honest, until I heard it declared from the Autarch himself. For the time being, what I've told you is known only among Helghast high command. All personnel below the rank of colonel are not privy to this information. Well, all but one." He looked down at her. "You are General Metrac's sister. That's why I believe you ought to know. I'm sorry for your loss, Lieutenant."
She said nothing for some time, only standing still and straight as a rod. Sikla whined and pressed his nose into her hand. Only then did she stir and made an absentminded rub behind his ear. "Thank you for telling me, sir," she finally said. "It's certainly a lot to take in, but I'm honored that you entrust me with this information."
"All is not lost. The general's death had not been in vain. He managed to steal a vital weapon from the ISA: a radiation bomb they call the Red Dust. It will be delivered to us soon. The Autarch sees that as newfound hope, and a chance to strike back at Vekta. According to Helghast intelligence, the ISA plans to launch a counter-invasion. Thanks to the general's efforts, we will be ready for them."
"If I may be so bold to ask, sir, how do you know all of that?"
Radec made a grim smile. "Visari appointed me as the chief of defense forces, starting today."
Runa took a step back in surprise. "Congratulations. That is a huge honor."
"And an even bigger responsibility."
"Whatever help you need, Colonel, just say the word."
"I appreciate the support, Lieutenant." He turned his gaze upward, imagining the sky filled with ISA cruisers poised like daggers over the capital. "You and I have a lot of work ahead of us. We are biding our time, and we will need to arrange a significant amount of preparations..." He curled a hand into a fist at his side. "But I assure you that we will have our revenge. We will make the ISA regret ever coming here. We will have our streets run red with the blood of Vektans."
Visari may be the true master of oration on Helghan, but Runa found that Radec's last words to her today stirred in her a fiery desire for vengeance she didn't think she had. She walked Sikla home with resolution in her stride, only for it to leave her as soon as she shut the door behind her. She let Sikla off his leash and sank onto the living room couch.
The apartment she lived in now was a stark contrast to the family estate she was born and raised in. Her aristocratic parents would balk at the sparse furnishing and a closet completely bereft of party gowns, with only armor and uniforms in their place. To Runa, the current living space suited her just fine. Accommodating the dog now under her care wasn't much of a hassle.
Recalling how she had received Sikla brought on a pang in her chest. Before departing for the Vektan invasion, her brother had met up with her at the entrance of Radec Academy and insisted on leaving her with the dog as a gift.
"Someone's got to look after you while I'm away," he had told her. "Sikla has grown attached to you since you've sometimes stopped by the estate to walk him. He might as well be yours."
Runa had been taken aback when Sikla's leash was placed into her hands. "This is too much, brother. Now I feel guilty that I have nothing for you in return but hopes that you come back alive and in triumph."
He reached out to clasp her shoulder. "That hope is all I need, my dear little sister. Justice and power are on our side. It is only right that we will return to bring back glory for Helghan." The general glanced up at the academy, then back at her with mischief twinkling in his green eyes. "Actually, you know what would make a great gift for me in return? I come back to Helghan to see you married to Colonel Radec. Maybe even come back to nieces and nephews."
Runa had felt heat blaze through her cheeks. "Brother, I thought we were already past this—"
He belted out an earnest laugh at her flustered reaction. "No, I'm not quite over it, to be perfectly honest. I still think that you two would be excellent partners for each other. It's a shame that neither of you can accept the fact." He shrugged. "Well, I suppose I have to settle for you serving under his division."
It had taken her a few seconds to compose herself. "I'm glad that I can at least put you in a good mood before you depart," she managed to say.
Colonel Cobar strode forward to break the exchange between brother and sister. "General Metrac, our forces are ready to leave."
Metrac nodded. "Very good, Cobar. I will join you on the flagship soon."
The Metracs had made their farewells, and with Sikla by her side, Runa watched the cruisers take off before turning away and entering the academy. She'd been prepared for the fact that it would be the last time she would see her brother alive. It was common rationale for a soldier. Still, hearing the bad news from Colonel Radec was a heavy blow.
Yes, her brother was known to be shamelessly cruel to his enemies, and he took pleasure in relentlessly teasing her, but out of everyone in her family, he had treated her with more kindness and acceptance than her parents put together. If it wasn't for him, she wouldn't be serving under who she considered to be one of Helghan's finest military commanders.
Runa stretched out on the couch, too weary and wiped out to move over to her bed. She draped a hand over her forehead and eyes. She remained grateful to Radec for sharing the news with her. Before the rest of Helghan could know, she had the chance to grieve over her brother alone, in the privacy of her home and in her thoughts.