Chapter 3 Loyalty

"When you think about life…do you think about your memories? About what's happened to you in the past?  This is the question of life I must ask you before I go on.  Because if you regret what has happened in the past…then be happy you can remember it."

Union Blade Officer Shauna Winters

            "The question of the hour is you loyal to me?  Are you loyal to the Union?  Who are you loyal to Winters?  That is my question, and you should know that since you are the Blade there should be only one answer."

"…Yes…"

            "The answer should always be yes Miss Winters. There is no 'No' answer to this question. Lest you end up with a bounty on your head like our last subject Skrymir."

            "Yes sir I am loyal to the Union and the Union only there is no other loyalty."

            "Good…good you understand perfectly don't you?"

            The young woman nods at the question posed by the older man.  The Proctor of the Union Nicholai Seriyev.  A straight and poised man he was not to be denied of his loyalty.  He had to make sure they stayed loyal to him that was the reason they gave him this funding.  Not to chase some rogue fool around, it was to destroy the Swarm.  The First One was capable of taking them out, and this Third One would point out the locations.  That was their purpose they had no other reason of living at least in this new persona.  Their old lives might have had meaning but of course one of our Blades always needs a little incentive…

            "Is that all you needed me for sir?"

            "Yes Miss Winters you are dismissed go on home."

            "Yes sir…"

            The young woman goes to the door and looks back at the Proctor.  She had a sad look on her face.  He didn't notice but she was depressed over the recent chain of events.  But the fact was they were looking for more subjects…  The more experiments they got now the better off the Earth was.  Thus the search soon began for more people.  She walks out and the door creaks as she leaves.  Her footsteps are the one sound you can hear clearly.  Thus the night was coming and most were leaving.  As she kept walking she heard conversations, which confirmed the search of the new Blade.  She kept going not thinking not having a purpose to think at all. 

            "I am a Union Officer…nothing else. The past should be left alone…"

            But you can't help to wonder…is she on their side?  Is the other one on their side? Who is the loyal one?

            The evening turns into night as the moonlight sparkles on the ruined Earth below…

After Colony 235

            The year had come and gone and the progress on the Swarm was not going as well.  Due to shorthand decisions made by the Union Fantoma and Aphelion were busy.  Fantoma cleared the way for nuclear strikes and Aphelion was her protector.  Really to her he was a close brother figure.  She needed to depend on him to help her on the battlefield.  Outside it he would not give her the time of day.  Although she did tease him and call him Big Brother Deacon when she could just to see how he would react.  The Union Pair had managed to clear most of North America and the Northern parts of Europe mainly France, England, Spain and such.  There was still much work to do however.

            The Union asked the Alliance for more help.  Being the only place that could produce Swarm based weaponry they had the opportunity and reason for the funding.  This time the Alliance gave enough for 6 Blades which would give them a total of 8 altogether.  The Alliance had grown tired of it and would not give them any more and such The Union was on their own.

            "Bah! Those Alliance people gave us enough money to fund the project we don't need to waste time with this."

            "Sir we have the next experimental subject ready."

            "Good….good bring him in soon enough. But now we need to start the briefing."