Chapter 4
Force
"Today begins a new era of heroism." Aidam began his speech, the ratification process more than necessary. "Our fears and anxieties once ruled our judgement. As humans, we have always hope to strive toward change or actually doing something to change an outcome for the better, but recently our helplessness has stopped that instinct." The backboard lit up with footage from the Demonstration; the camera work was choppy and wavered, but still had the desired effect. A few surprised gasps fluttered over the audience, and Christopher simply crossed his arms and regarded the tape. "Now, the new Era is to be known as the Force Era. The Force mechanism has already revolutionized the military, now we must let it revolutionize our hearts as well." Shane coughed loudly at this, but not many seemed to notice. "It has given us back our reason to fight and alter the lives of our foes and ourselves. In other words, a piece of our humanity has been revived. Together, let us use it to defend and free the future." He finished, and stepped down.
The Manager returned to the podium and announced, "I do hope you'll all join us at the reception this evening in the Officers' Hall."
Shane clapped hollowly along with a score of other councilman, but he noticed their softness lacked one who was profoundly standing and walking loudly out of the room. Shane got up a little more quietly.
Trunks trudged and stomped over the hall, his cloak billowing behind him. Shane dashed up, "Trunks-
He barely let him say a word before he blew up, "WHY? No, tell me, why?!" he gestured to the outside, "I killed Cinder on my own, and he gets rewarded. Why did this have to be ratified after all the damage they caused??"
"They recorded the entire battle, Trunks, edited it, and released it to the public as an add campaign for their military. It was immediately ratified because everyone knew about it already." Shane wasn't done, he noticed Trunks unconvinced and still being stubborn with himself. "His gun cut off Cinder's other wing. That clip is a heavy favorite, by the way. They cut as good as your sword. The military likes, the people like, and god forbid if we get in a war, we sure as well are going to need it." Shane shoved his index finger at Trunks, bearing down on him, "And what you need to get in your head is that this is done, it has happened, accept it." Shane turned away and was silent, staring at nothing, almost disbelieving on how he just acted.
Trunks was silent and unmoving for some time, then he frowned and grumbled, "Like you should talk."
"Pardon?" Shane asked darkly.
"Heh, you hate him as much as I do."
"Possibly." Shane nodded, then looked up at his comrade, "But at least I know when to stop being a kid with his petty fights." And he departed to his quarters.
Hyle caught Shane halfway to his quarters. "Hey, did you hear the news?" he chimed excitedly.
"Hyle," Shane began slowly, "I was in the room, not two rows in front of you, I think I would know about the ratification."
Hyle stopped him in the hall, "Hey, don't think I'm ignorant because I'm new, I'm not talking about that." He continued walking. Shane noticed now a folder clutched tightly in Hyle's left hand.
"What's that?" Shane pointed.
"This," Hyle lifted it, opened it, and flipped through a few files, "is a collection of progress reports of a certain individual in the Infiltration Training Facility in Africa."
"Hmm, let me guess, Aidam's son?" Hyle nodded. "Now, what was his name?" Shane thought.
Hyle looked back to the folder, "Torik."
"Ah, yes, Torik Stronkhold." Shane turned his attention back to Hyle, "And what has caused this sudden interest in a young successor?"
Hyle snapped the folder shut and returned it to his side, smiling broadly, "He's here."
"Wha-What?" Shane had to run it over in his mind a few more times.
"Yep, just what I had said when Chris told me." Hyle smiled even more broadly, "I wonder if Trunks knows."
"Where is he?"
The young councilman stopped him at the door to one of the intersections of the basement and pointed. A lone private was standing in the middle of the three paths, reading a document clutched in his hand. The private had dark blond hair, combed nicely, but still unable to hide its youth, with one prominent hair hanging out over his forehead. "Ask that private what he thinks of the ratification, and he'll tell you exactly where Torik is."
Shane gave him a what-the-hell-are-you-talking-about look. "Just trust me." Hyle answered and shoved him forward. The older councilman looked back, then rolled his eyes and sighed.
"What do you think of the ratification process, private?" Shane approached him.
"It's amazing sir."
"What?...Is so amazing about a destructive power being ratified, private?"
"The spirit sir." The private focused his answer, and Shane waited. "Almost....well, twenty-thousand men and women have signed up voluntarily, all focused on Force specialist positions. It's like something ignited their courage when footage of the Demonstration was released. They saw what they could do, even against an enemy like Cinder."
"A fine analysis of opinion, private. What is your name?"
"Oh." He stiffened and saluted, "Private Torik Stronkhold sir."
"Ah, so you're Aidam's successor, I see. I've heard a lot about you." He shot a glance at Hyle waiting at the door. The young councilman grinned.
Torik grinned at the title. "You could say that. I'd prefer student."
"Back early from training?" Shane asked casually.
"Uh," Torik surprisingly hesitated, his answer stumbling, "I, uh, decided to-
"I thought the Infiltration training only permitted you out when you were done, which would mean you would be back about..." Hyle looked at his folder, "well, in about three more weeks."
"Well, private?" Shane waited.
"Aidam cleared it." He said in a rush. "He doesn't normally like expressing the fact that-
"How'd he get clearance?" Hyle had made his way over.
"He has his ways." Torik said this quietly, but still straightforward, then abruptly left. Shane and Hyle began walking at equal pace again.
The wooden pillars grew out of the holes in the floor, extending their pole arms and beginning spin. Trunks' arm knocked against the first pole, altering its course to spinning the other way. The process continued as six more pillars rose. Trunks' was going faster, and faster, and he hadn't even gone SSJ yet.
He began breaking them. Growing so angry that the weakest punch shattered the wood into pixels. A massive, seven-armed rose directly behind him. He whirled. "Kamayhamayhaaaa!" it torched.
"Having fun?" It was Bra.
Trunks watched the charred wood crumble into nothingness.
"Getting out your anger?"
"Perhaps." Trunks murmured.
"There's a reception in the Officers' Hall where you could be having the time of your life. But, then again, you never have fun."
"I don't dance well." He rushed out.
"Pff! Big deal, you can TALK to people!" she cupped her hands around her mouth to amplify the sound, "That's why it's called a SOCIAL EVENT!"
"You don't know what real "fun" is, Bra."
"Oh, well, I wouldn't mind a lesson from the master of it standing before me." She hopped down the stairs.
"It isn't about that."
"Ah, of course, you're back to being the small boy."
"I'm not a child!" he screamed.
"Yes. You are. And you know it, don't you?" she took a few steps up.
Trunks didn't speak.
"I know what it is." She got closer to his face, her tone growing very serious. "You keep going like this, you keep hating, you never let go. Just so on that fateful day that Aidam disappears, and you can say, 'I never liked him' or 'I knew he was bad all along'. And you can wallow in your glory and announce to the world 'I was right. I did the right thing to hate him'." Her voice had grown louder in her speech, but it grew calmly serious again. "But what if that day never comes, Trunks, huh? What if at every great accomplishment Aidam makes in his lifetime you slunk down here and fight some wooden poles and ask the Eternal Dragon, God, or whoever else you blame of why he did something you couldn't stop? And this room becomes your only Sanctuary, your only escape from the rest of us who realize how petty you are." Trunks had been looking at Bra, nearly glaring, crouched, leaning on his sword.
Bra started back up the stairs, still looking down on her elder brother. "So you think about that, little boy, you continue to be the whiny kid with the lost father. I, on the other hand, am going upstairs. Aidam has asked me for a dance, and I haven't given an answer yet." Trunks' eyes flashed, "I think I'll say yes." Trunks half stood. Bra noticed, "And if you don't like it, you can take one of splinters you so nicely made and, well, you know where to stick it."
Slam!
She was gone. Trunks was silent for a long time, but at the next ascending pole, he whirled with a roar and his sword crunched through the center of the shaft.
"All I'm saying is that you shouldn't have done it." Savi said.
"Well, what about you?"
The master put his hands up to quiet his apprentice, "Fine, we're even. I screwed up at the cinema, and you should have left Cinder where he was." Savi walked past the tall Sesix.
"Hey he pleaded with me. I had the power to get him free, so-
"And what did you get? What did he give you?"
"Uh, gratitude?" Sesix experimented.
"He gave you chaos, and that's what you wanted. You wanted to see how these humans dealt with it."
"Naw, that was just an added bonus."
"And what about that warlord being sliced in two as well?" Savi questioned.
"Yet another bonus." Sesix nodded, then laughed.
Savi was to him in a millionth of a second, freezing him in his place, "Someday your lust for death and destruction will get you killed. That day may be sooner than you think."
Sesix freed himself and laughed harder, "And when would be your estimate?"
"How about TODAY!" a deep voice had risen behind the two observers, and they whirled to find a city guardian regarding them. The guardian was the one called Vengeance, with crimson black suit covering and gold claws/gloves ranging from his arms. The face was masked, and a brilliant display of four flexible cape/wings protruded from the back of his armor.
Without warning he whipped one arm up and fired a blue energy blast, singing toward Savi. It sang through his image, the projection fading. Savi looked on from a roof aways in the distance. "Ah," Vengeance started, "Good," he turned to the surprised Sesix, "Your master is quite equipped and alert."
"Why do you think he's training me, huh?"
"Yes, indeed." Vengeance sighed, "I wonder how his student fares."
"You'll see, old man." Sesix dashed forward and swiped several times. Vengeance ducked only once, and sliced open with his claws just under the sternum of the apprentice's armor. He never grooved into skin, but he created the nook for his grasp and easily lifted the now flailing Sesix up, then turned and hurled him to the black sky. Now, with both hands, Vengeance unleashed a three-blast volley at the disappearing dot.
Savi was at the dot, then gone, disappearing with his apprentice to safety. Vengeance watched him go, "Someday indeed." Then brought two fingers to his helmet and spoke more softly. "Yes, Jon, cancel the case, I know who did it. I'll give you the recording. But be warned, these guys have immense power, I suggest extreme caution if we take action." He removed his fingers and took flight into the darkening sky.
Aidam sat at his desk, watching the clouding sky, when Shane entered. Aidam stood at his entrance.
"Not a business trip, Aidam, just had to ask you something." He said.
"Shoot." Aidam returned, sitting.
"Are you pleased with yourself?" the question was not harsh sounding, nor was it aimed to be.
Aidam grinned, "Pleased? Yes, but not with myself."
"Glad to see you're being modest."
"Is that the only question you had for me?"
Shane could have said something to the effect of an insult, but however tempting it was, he suppressed the urge and nodded, turning to go.
"Oh, Shane, here." He gestured a Force gun to him, similar to his own. "They're being distributed all over the building, I suggest you take this one."
Shane shook his head and said with purpose, "I am a chancellor, I am not prone to violence."
Aidam's eyes locked onto him as he spoke, "There is still hostility all over during this movement. When you leave this building, there is still violence." He glared even more intently on Shane, "Take the gun."
The Chancellor's hand twitched ever so slightly, then clenched. Shane stiffened and stood taller, taking a deep breath through his nose while he rose. "I am a man of my word, Aidam, and so are you."
"I never took that oath."
"And for that I pity your heart." He left quickly and proudly, the words he had wanted to say for so long finally said.
Force
"Today begins a new era of heroism." Aidam began his speech, the ratification process more than necessary. "Our fears and anxieties once ruled our judgement. As humans, we have always hope to strive toward change or actually doing something to change an outcome for the better, but recently our helplessness has stopped that instinct." The backboard lit up with footage from the Demonstration; the camera work was choppy and wavered, but still had the desired effect. A few surprised gasps fluttered over the audience, and Christopher simply crossed his arms and regarded the tape. "Now, the new Era is to be known as the Force Era. The Force mechanism has already revolutionized the military, now we must let it revolutionize our hearts as well." Shane coughed loudly at this, but not many seemed to notice. "It has given us back our reason to fight and alter the lives of our foes and ourselves. In other words, a piece of our humanity has been revived. Together, let us use it to defend and free the future." He finished, and stepped down.
The Manager returned to the podium and announced, "I do hope you'll all join us at the reception this evening in the Officers' Hall."
Shane clapped hollowly along with a score of other councilman, but he noticed their softness lacked one who was profoundly standing and walking loudly out of the room. Shane got up a little more quietly.
Trunks trudged and stomped over the hall, his cloak billowing behind him. Shane dashed up, "Trunks-
He barely let him say a word before he blew up, "WHY? No, tell me, why?!" he gestured to the outside, "I killed Cinder on my own, and he gets rewarded. Why did this have to be ratified after all the damage they caused??"
"They recorded the entire battle, Trunks, edited it, and released it to the public as an add campaign for their military. It was immediately ratified because everyone knew about it already." Shane wasn't done, he noticed Trunks unconvinced and still being stubborn with himself. "His gun cut off Cinder's other wing. That clip is a heavy favorite, by the way. They cut as good as your sword. The military likes, the people like, and god forbid if we get in a war, we sure as well are going to need it." Shane shoved his index finger at Trunks, bearing down on him, "And what you need to get in your head is that this is done, it has happened, accept it." Shane turned away and was silent, staring at nothing, almost disbelieving on how he just acted.
Trunks was silent and unmoving for some time, then he frowned and grumbled, "Like you should talk."
"Pardon?" Shane asked darkly.
"Heh, you hate him as much as I do."
"Possibly." Shane nodded, then looked up at his comrade, "But at least I know when to stop being a kid with his petty fights." And he departed to his quarters.
Hyle caught Shane halfway to his quarters. "Hey, did you hear the news?" he chimed excitedly.
"Hyle," Shane began slowly, "I was in the room, not two rows in front of you, I think I would know about the ratification."
Hyle stopped him in the hall, "Hey, don't think I'm ignorant because I'm new, I'm not talking about that." He continued walking. Shane noticed now a folder clutched tightly in Hyle's left hand.
"What's that?" Shane pointed.
"This," Hyle lifted it, opened it, and flipped through a few files, "is a collection of progress reports of a certain individual in the Infiltration Training Facility in Africa."
"Hmm, let me guess, Aidam's son?" Hyle nodded. "Now, what was his name?" Shane thought.
Hyle looked back to the folder, "Torik."
"Ah, yes, Torik Stronkhold." Shane turned his attention back to Hyle, "And what has caused this sudden interest in a young successor?"
Hyle snapped the folder shut and returned it to his side, smiling broadly, "He's here."
"Wha-What?" Shane had to run it over in his mind a few more times.
"Yep, just what I had said when Chris told me." Hyle smiled even more broadly, "I wonder if Trunks knows."
"Where is he?"
The young councilman stopped him at the door to one of the intersections of the basement and pointed. A lone private was standing in the middle of the three paths, reading a document clutched in his hand. The private had dark blond hair, combed nicely, but still unable to hide its youth, with one prominent hair hanging out over his forehead. "Ask that private what he thinks of the ratification, and he'll tell you exactly where Torik is."
Shane gave him a what-the-hell-are-you-talking-about look. "Just trust me." Hyle answered and shoved him forward. The older councilman looked back, then rolled his eyes and sighed.
"What do you think of the ratification process, private?" Shane approached him.
"It's amazing sir."
"What?...Is so amazing about a destructive power being ratified, private?"
"The spirit sir." The private focused his answer, and Shane waited. "Almost....well, twenty-thousand men and women have signed up voluntarily, all focused on Force specialist positions. It's like something ignited their courage when footage of the Demonstration was released. They saw what they could do, even against an enemy like Cinder."
"A fine analysis of opinion, private. What is your name?"
"Oh." He stiffened and saluted, "Private Torik Stronkhold sir."
"Ah, so you're Aidam's successor, I see. I've heard a lot about you." He shot a glance at Hyle waiting at the door. The young councilman grinned.
Torik grinned at the title. "You could say that. I'd prefer student."
"Back early from training?" Shane asked casually.
"Uh," Torik surprisingly hesitated, his answer stumbling, "I, uh, decided to-
"I thought the Infiltration training only permitted you out when you were done, which would mean you would be back about..." Hyle looked at his folder, "well, in about three more weeks."
"Well, private?" Shane waited.
"Aidam cleared it." He said in a rush. "He doesn't normally like expressing the fact that-
"How'd he get clearance?" Hyle had made his way over.
"He has his ways." Torik said this quietly, but still straightforward, then abruptly left. Shane and Hyle began walking at equal pace again.
The wooden pillars grew out of the holes in the floor, extending their pole arms and beginning spin. Trunks' arm knocked against the first pole, altering its course to spinning the other way. The process continued as six more pillars rose. Trunks' was going faster, and faster, and he hadn't even gone SSJ yet.
He began breaking them. Growing so angry that the weakest punch shattered the wood into pixels. A massive, seven-armed rose directly behind him. He whirled. "Kamayhamayhaaaa!" it torched.
"Having fun?" It was Bra.
Trunks watched the charred wood crumble into nothingness.
"Getting out your anger?"
"Perhaps." Trunks murmured.
"There's a reception in the Officers' Hall where you could be having the time of your life. But, then again, you never have fun."
"I don't dance well." He rushed out.
"Pff! Big deal, you can TALK to people!" she cupped her hands around her mouth to amplify the sound, "That's why it's called a SOCIAL EVENT!"
"You don't know what real "fun" is, Bra."
"Oh, well, I wouldn't mind a lesson from the master of it standing before me." She hopped down the stairs.
"It isn't about that."
"Ah, of course, you're back to being the small boy."
"I'm not a child!" he screamed.
"Yes. You are. And you know it, don't you?" she took a few steps up.
Trunks didn't speak.
"I know what it is." She got closer to his face, her tone growing very serious. "You keep going like this, you keep hating, you never let go. Just so on that fateful day that Aidam disappears, and you can say, 'I never liked him' or 'I knew he was bad all along'. And you can wallow in your glory and announce to the world 'I was right. I did the right thing to hate him'." Her voice had grown louder in her speech, but it grew calmly serious again. "But what if that day never comes, Trunks, huh? What if at every great accomplishment Aidam makes in his lifetime you slunk down here and fight some wooden poles and ask the Eternal Dragon, God, or whoever else you blame of why he did something you couldn't stop? And this room becomes your only Sanctuary, your only escape from the rest of us who realize how petty you are." Trunks had been looking at Bra, nearly glaring, crouched, leaning on his sword.
Bra started back up the stairs, still looking down on her elder brother. "So you think about that, little boy, you continue to be the whiny kid with the lost father. I, on the other hand, am going upstairs. Aidam has asked me for a dance, and I haven't given an answer yet." Trunks' eyes flashed, "I think I'll say yes." Trunks half stood. Bra noticed, "And if you don't like it, you can take one of splinters you so nicely made and, well, you know where to stick it."
Slam!
She was gone. Trunks was silent for a long time, but at the next ascending pole, he whirled with a roar and his sword crunched through the center of the shaft.
"All I'm saying is that you shouldn't have done it." Savi said.
"Well, what about you?"
The master put his hands up to quiet his apprentice, "Fine, we're even. I screwed up at the cinema, and you should have left Cinder where he was." Savi walked past the tall Sesix.
"Hey he pleaded with me. I had the power to get him free, so-
"And what did you get? What did he give you?"
"Uh, gratitude?" Sesix experimented.
"He gave you chaos, and that's what you wanted. You wanted to see how these humans dealt with it."
"Naw, that was just an added bonus."
"And what about that warlord being sliced in two as well?" Savi questioned.
"Yet another bonus." Sesix nodded, then laughed.
Savi was to him in a millionth of a second, freezing him in his place, "Someday your lust for death and destruction will get you killed. That day may be sooner than you think."
Sesix freed himself and laughed harder, "And when would be your estimate?"
"How about TODAY!" a deep voice had risen behind the two observers, and they whirled to find a city guardian regarding them. The guardian was the one called Vengeance, with crimson black suit covering and gold claws/gloves ranging from his arms. The face was masked, and a brilliant display of four flexible cape/wings protruded from the back of his armor.
Without warning he whipped one arm up and fired a blue energy blast, singing toward Savi. It sang through his image, the projection fading. Savi looked on from a roof aways in the distance. "Ah," Vengeance started, "Good," he turned to the surprised Sesix, "Your master is quite equipped and alert."
"Why do you think he's training me, huh?"
"Yes, indeed." Vengeance sighed, "I wonder how his student fares."
"You'll see, old man." Sesix dashed forward and swiped several times. Vengeance ducked only once, and sliced open with his claws just under the sternum of the apprentice's armor. He never grooved into skin, but he created the nook for his grasp and easily lifted the now flailing Sesix up, then turned and hurled him to the black sky. Now, with both hands, Vengeance unleashed a three-blast volley at the disappearing dot.
Savi was at the dot, then gone, disappearing with his apprentice to safety. Vengeance watched him go, "Someday indeed." Then brought two fingers to his helmet and spoke more softly. "Yes, Jon, cancel the case, I know who did it. I'll give you the recording. But be warned, these guys have immense power, I suggest extreme caution if we take action." He removed his fingers and took flight into the darkening sky.
Aidam sat at his desk, watching the clouding sky, when Shane entered. Aidam stood at his entrance.
"Not a business trip, Aidam, just had to ask you something." He said.
"Shoot." Aidam returned, sitting.
"Are you pleased with yourself?" the question was not harsh sounding, nor was it aimed to be.
Aidam grinned, "Pleased? Yes, but not with myself."
"Glad to see you're being modest."
"Is that the only question you had for me?"
Shane could have said something to the effect of an insult, but however tempting it was, he suppressed the urge and nodded, turning to go.
"Oh, Shane, here." He gestured a Force gun to him, similar to his own. "They're being distributed all over the building, I suggest you take this one."
Shane shook his head and said with purpose, "I am a chancellor, I am not prone to violence."
Aidam's eyes locked onto him as he spoke, "There is still hostility all over during this movement. When you leave this building, there is still violence." He glared even more intently on Shane, "Take the gun."
The Chancellor's hand twitched ever so slightly, then clenched. Shane stiffened and stood taller, taking a deep breath through his nose while he rose. "I am a man of my word, Aidam, and so are you."
"I never took that oath."
"And for that I pity your heart." He left quickly and proudly, the words he had wanted to say for so long finally said.