Chapter Eight: Outlining The Plan


Zack called the training sessions to a halt, after about six or seven hours straight, he arranged the debriefing session of their mission. His siblings walked over to where Zack had signaled them, both of them wondering about what more Zack still had to tell them about the mission. After all, it definitely wasn't like Zack to have even one debriefing session with just part of the unit that was going on the mission, but two?? Ty just shook his head as he thought about this. He, Risa and Zack hadn't been reunited for very long, and despite not seeing his older brother for the last eleven years, Ty very distinctly remembered how it was that Zack organized missions. It had been his own way, and not something Lydecker forced on him. And Ty remembered that it definitely wasn't like Zack to debrief missions, without half the unit there. But then, Ty reasoned with himself, he hadn't seen his brother in the last eleven years, so something definitely could've changed. What he didn't know, was that something had definitely changed in his older brother. Zack had fallen in love, and even though he was no longer with the one he loved, it seemed that she still affected everything he did, and perhaps for the better. Risa was the only one, who knew this however, and she knew how much inner strength, and emotional turmoil had finally driven Zack to tell her about his relationship with Jessica, and Jessica's sudden death. Risa knew the real reason that Zack had decided to hold two debriefing sessions. He wanted to spend more time with the siblings that he lost. He wanted to reconnect with them again, to get to know them again, the way he used to. Zack said nothing about that however, and his expression always revealed nothing of what he was thinking or feeling. Risa only knew this, because it was her, and her alone who had been close to Zack all those years ago, and the only one who was ever able to read Zack like a book. Something, apparently that she still could do, despite eleven years of being separated. No matter how well she knew her brother, however or how well she learned to read him, nothing in the world could've prepared Risa for what was to come, after the debriefing session.



Zack called his siblings over to fairly secluded area of the desert, behind several large boulders, as to not draw any unnecessary suspicion from any of the locals who might have been passing by. "Ty, I need you to secure a transport vehicle for us, as well as some explosives. I have the rest of the artillery, and I know it's not what you used to do, but I need this done. Can you do that for me little brother??" Ty nodded briskly, proud that his brother had chosen him for the task, knowing that his brother hadn't tried to forgive and forget about what had happened between them, but was still willing to put it all behind them. Zack then nodded approvingly, and saluted his brother, a salute that Ty returned. "You're dismissed soldier. I need to speak with Risa alone on our plans for the mission." Ty nodded and briskly sauntered off towards the car to wait for Risa. Zack then turned towards his sister, and pointed to a spot on the map of Manticore, which he stole the last time he was in there. "We're going to meet here, and then the split will occur. I need you and Ty to infiltrate your section, lock it down, obtain any and all information that you find, secure the area, and disable all security measures, and personnel that you find. The rendezvous point is here," Zack pointed to another spot on the map. "And from there, we'll exit the premise." Risa nodded, understanding her part in the mission. After Zack folded up the map, he turned towards her and did something that shocked the life out of Risa, and forever changed their relationship.



Zack cupped Risa's face in his hands, and kissed her. Risa, at first was stunned and shocked, but then began to respond, almost instinctively, without even realizing it. She then pushed Zack away as the kiss got more passionate, and walked away with out a second glance, a look of confusion and shock on her face. She had nothing at all to say to her older brother, and it was something she knew that they would eventually have to work out together, but, she needed some time to think. Her emotions were so mixed, and she didn't know what to do. She just needed time to sort things out, before even confronting Zack about what the hell he was doing.



Risa and Ty arrived back to the Crashdown, only to have Maria barrel out the front door, screaming at Risa more than Ty, about her whereabouts. Brushing past Maria, Risa completely ignored her, leaving Ty to tend to Maria's antics. Right now, she had to find Michael. She ran into Michael in the back room. "Listen, Michael, I know that a lot has been going on lately, and I want to thank you for sticking by me through all of it. And I know that things might seem a little off about me and Kyle right now, and I know that you're suspicious. You know the importance of keeping a secret, so I hope you won't press me on this, because I can't tell you anything, but, I just need you to keep the others, especially that asshole from finding out." Michael just nodded quickly, willing to trust what it was that Risa had just said, being that she had always been there for him. "Sure, I'll do it, but I can't promise anything when it comes to Maria." Risa just nodded her thanks. "Thanks Lieutenant, I appreciate this." Michael walked away, confused by Liz calling him Lieutenant, by in spite of this confusion, he had swore to himself that he would stand by Liz no matter what, and that included even when he didn't know the whole story. Now, he just had to make due on that promise.