The Next Generation 25
Magicman: I take it by the screaming that last chapter's event was of some significance to you. I'm sure that you all want to see what happens next. Well what happens if I don't want to tell you what happens next, huh? What would you do then?!
Smokegirl: They'd hunt you down and cut out your heart.
Magicman: Oh. Well I guess I'd better continue, hadn't I?
The one building of legal business in Palas that had not been evacuated was the city's mental hospital. The doctors refused to leave their patients and the patients themselves were in no condition to live a normal life outside of those walls. And so, while the rest of the city was fleeing the immanent invasion, the inhabitants of the asylum maintained their strict routine.
Everyday the patients would wake up and head down to the breakfast hall where they would wait in line for their breakfast and mingle with each other. Then, in midmorning, the doctors would take them out to the yard for fresh air and exercise before lunch, after which they would have their various sessions with their various doctors. Then there was supper and more mingling before they went back to their rooms.
Van and Millerna arrived at the asylum at ten in the morning, shortly after the council had made its decision to ask for Allen Schezar's help. Hitomi had flat out refused to go and had forbid her kids from going anywhere near the man. Dilandau had seconded this opinion, using some vociferous language. The generals refused to deal with what they considered a traitor to the Asturian throne. Millerna was therefore nominated, and Van was nominated to go with her. Privately the king of Asturia though that this was a waste of time. But they had to try.
The king and queen walked through the building's iron gates and into the courtyard. The various patients were out in the yard doing whatever it was they did. Van watched a couple old men play with blocks. A middle aged young woman was skipping happily about, carrying a basket of flowers. A third man was standing by the gate, not moving and not speaking. When Van and Millerna passed by he turned to them.
"One is one" he said, "And all alone and ever more shall be so."
As the royal couple made their way through the people a doctor came from the main building to meet with them. He was a short man, bald with glasses. He approached the visitors with a sort of waddle.
"Queen Millerna" he bowed. "It's an honour to have you visit our hospital."
Millerna smiled. "Thank you doctor. But I'm afraid that this visit is business. We need to speak with one of your patients and I didn't see him in the exercise yard."
The doctor frowned. "Ah. You mean Mr Schezar. Yes, he refuses to mingle with the other patients. He refuses to come out of his room. He will not speak. He will not listen when spoken to. We have to bring him his meals otherwise he'd starve. He still feeds himself but he's been doing that for twenty years. I'm sorry but I don't think that we're doing him a favour by keeping him alive."
Millerna was adamant. "We still must speak to him. It is a matter of grave urgency."
The doctor sighed, as if to say 'It's your time to waste'. "Follow me then."
***
The hallways of the mental hospital were brightly lit. Rows of door lined each wall. Occasionally someone in a white coat came in or out of these doors. The doctor led the group through the halls and around several corners until they reached a door. The door looked just like all the others but here the doctor hesitated.
"Mr Schezar lives in this room. If you want to talk to him I'll wait outside. Let me know if he turns violent." He pulled some keys from his pocket. Selecting one, he unlocked the door. Opening it, he stepped aside and allowed his guests inside before closing it again.
Van examined the room. It seemed fairly decent. There was a bed along one wall and a window let in the light from outside. Never mind that the bed had straps to it to tie rowdy patients down, and that the window had bars through it. The walls were a pale green. A vase of flowers stood on a table by the bed and several books lay on the table by the flowers. And sitting on a chair in the light of the window was Allen Schezar.
Twenty years of living in a mental hospital hadn't seen much change in Allen's looks. At forty-one he still looked twenty one. The only indication of his age was his hair. It had always been long, but now it flowed down his back and onto the floor in large clumps. It looked as though it hadn't been cut for a long time. And instead of the familiar blonde locks that drove women wild, it was nearly white, with only a few streaks of tawny yellow to indicate its earlier colour. Allen sat on the chair, staring fixedly at the wall. He didn't give any indication that Van and Millerna had arrived, nor did he seem to care.
Millerna hesitated at the sight of him and was surprised, and slightly amused, to feel some of her old admiration for him resurfacing. Some things never quite changed, apparently. The queen took a few steps forward and carefully sat on the bed. Van remained by the door. "Allen?"
There was no response.
Millerna licked her lips and tried again. "Allen can you hear me?" The knight still didn't respond. Millerna pushed on. "Allen I don't know what's wrong with you but it doesn't have to be like this. We need you. Asturia needs you. Please" she touched his hand, warmed by the sunlight.
Van watched impassively while his wife pleaded with the mad man. He wasn't jealous. He was sad to see the former knight in such a state. Decades ago he had been a good man who Van had looked up to. Now... He sighed. "Millerna it's not working. He's gone. We should go."
Millerna didn't move. She stared at the knight, trying to will him to look at her. When her will failed she let his hand go. She stood up from the bed slowly. "I guess you're right Van. Goodbye Allen."
As the king and queen turned toward the door they suddenly stopped. Millerna turned and looked over to Allen. He had moved slightly. His lips were now slowly coming up into a bitter, sad smile. He laughed a quiet, almost soundless, rasping laugh. The laugh went on for an eternity before his breath ran out. Allen drew a breath then spoke, his eyes still on the wall.
"Millerna" The word was slow. It came from a throat that had not spoken for twenty years.
Millerna could only stand and stare. Allen continued.
"Millerna" he said again, that smile still fixed. "You always did stick up for me. Against your father. Against Dryden. Against any who spoke ill of me. You even sewed me up after that fight with Dilandau. It's touching." Allen sighed, his throat crackling with disuse. "But I'm afraid that all your trust in me was misplaced. You know what I did."
Millerna stepped forward to talk. "I know what you did Allen. But I don't believe that you're a bad person. You just made a bad decision."
Allen suddenly laughed again, this time self-mockingly. It went on for some time before dying down. "I am not insane Millerna, no matter what those quacks with their doctorates out there may think" He waved a hand vaguely at the door. "I've had twenty years to think about my actions and my choices. I've asked myself, 'If I could take it back would I?' And I am forced to answer 'No'. And I know that this is completely against my own moral value. I've asked myself 'Why did I do it?' The answer? 'Because I could'. That in itself is despicable enough to earn a lifetime in Hell." Allen smiled, more bitterly than before. "I've thought about killing myself. But I think that this is more suitable. I will live for many more years to come, all the while holding this piece knowledge: I tried to rape Hitomi Kanzaki; I tried to force her into near slavery; I had her kidnapped, murdering innocents in the process; and I totally betrayed my country. No Millerna, I've done much more than made a bad choice. I've destroyed my own soul. And I deserve it."
"Allen-" Millerna began but Van interrupted.
"There's got to be a better way for to fix your screw ups than locking yourself up for life."
Allen cocked his head. "I have seen no way to make amends, but I may as well listen. No one really talks to me anymore."
Van nodded. "Asturia is in grave danger."
Allen nodded. "Ah. You speak of course of the vaunted power of General Veers and his hordes. I know most of what goes on. The doctors speak without restraint when I'm around. I'm insane after all." He smirked.
Van nodded again. "You know the threat, now here's how you can help."
Van explained the whole plan. Allen listened, not moving from his position on the chair. Millerna just stood there while Van talked. When he was finished Allen nodded slightly.
"So you want to get your hands on the esteemed general's bombs and use them on his armies. And seeing as they're hidden in my old fort, I would be the logical choice to find them." Allen nodded slowly. "I must say that I am tempted. I do not wish to see my country be conquered and dominated. But what happens to me after this is all done?"
"What do you mean?" asked Millerna.
Allen laughed again. "I mean do I get executed for crimes against Asturia and for disgracing the knights Caeli like I should have been last time? I wouldn't want my internal suffering to be cut short."
Millerna hesitated a moment, trying to tell if he was being sarcastic. She decided that he wasn't. "If this plan succeeds and Veers is driven back then you will be accorded with a full pardon. You will be free to do whatever you like and go wherever you go."
"How did you manage to get the Caelis to agree to THAT?"
"They didn't have to agree. They were all killed in the Destiny War."
Allen was silent for a moment. "The Destiny War" he mused to himself. "That was when this whole mess started, wasn't it? It nearly killed everyone. It finished off the Knights. I'm all that's left of them. What a lovely piece of irony!" He chuckled to himself quietly. Van and Millerna watched and he eventually subsided back into thought. "I don't want the wars to start up again. I do love Asturia. I would hate to see it conquered. And who knows? Maybe Van is right. Maybe I can make amends to the country, if not to Hitomi." His voice seemed to harden up at the name.
Then Allen turned his head and looked at the royal couple for the first time. His clear blue eyes were ravaged by long years of guilt. They were so empty and haunted that Millerna could almost believe that he had destroyed his soul. "I will help you," he said. "You have a point. I can't just sit in here brooding while my country is destroyed."
Millerna sighed inaudibly in relief. "Thank you Allen. Would you come with us? We'll escort you to the castle."
"Of course". Allen started to stand up but staggered under the weight of his long hair. He glared at in annoyance. "You wouldn't happen to have a knife or something, would you?"
Van reached into his belt and pulled out a dagger. He tossed it to Allen who caught it. Putting the blade to his hair, he made one clean sweep and sliced most of it off. The locks fell to the floor and lay there unheeded. Allen, his hair slightly below his shoulders, handed the dagger back to Van. "Shall we go?"
When Van opened the door, the doctor was waiting on the other side. He didn't see Allen at first.
"Are you done? I'm sorry that your trip has proved fruitless, but-" he trailed off as Allen stepped through the door and gave him a slightly condescending look.
"Thank you doctor, for your years of care. However I am feeling better now and would like to check myself out if that's alright with you."
The doctor squeaked.
***
Veers was pleased.
The general was going over the statistics one last time. The report told of the Asturians' defenses their strengths, and their weakness. Using this data he had come up with a plan that would shatter the enemy's army and crush all resistance quite swiftly. Within hours of the battle's beginning, the city would be his. The final attack was slated to begin in three days.
He frowned slightly. There was something that was bothering him. Something he couldn't quite place.
Acting on a hunch, he pressed the com button on the wall. "Send for Sorcerer Kasar", he ordered the adjutant. Then he sat down to mull over his worries.
Kasar arrived within minutes. "You called my lord general?"
"I did, yes". Veers paused for a moment to summarise his thoughts. "Have you detected anything magical recently? Any signs of a disturbance of some sort in the general area of the Destiny?"
"No lord, I have not. Why? Is something wrong?"
"I don't know just yet" the general said softly, his voice low with speculation. "I want you to make a magical of Asturia and all of its territory that we've taken. Check for anything out of the ordinary."
Kasar nodded. "Of course". He pulled out his crystal and chanted some words over it while making arcane symbols with his fingers. When he was finished, the crystal was glowing with a milky light. Dubiously he used his magic to check the entire country in just seconds. Personally, he didn't know what Veers was talking about. The armies were in place, that troublesome bitch was as good as dead, and the prophecy had been broken, despite the Dragon regaining its sword. What could possibly...
The sorcerer's eyes opened and a puzzled look came over them. "What the Hell?"
Veers looked up. "What is it?"
"My magical shield was broken." Kasar was quickly losing his puzzlement and becoming angry. "I put a shield over that rickety old fortress so no one could tell if we kept the energist bombs there. Now that shield has been broken for days!" His teeth ground in fury. "And from the looks of things, it was broken with psychic force."
"Hitomi Albatou did it then!"
Kasar shook his head stubbornly. "No, it couldn't have been her. I made that shield too strong for her. She had help. And it could only have come from...but that's impossible!" The sorcerer slammed a fist on the table, narrowly missing his magical crystal, which winked out. "I dealt with that bitch for good! There's no way that she could have done this!"
"If Hitomi didn't break your magic then who could it have been? The daughter?"
Kasar did not answer, so overcome with rage and frustration was he. When he finally regained control, he answered. "Neither of them could have done it alone. It would have taken the power of both combined to do it. It seems I have underestimated them once again. They somehow brought back the daughter to aid the mother."
Veers shook his head in frustration. "It doesn't matter who did it. What matters is that now we can presume that they know where we are keeping those bombs. We can not let them gain access to them but moving them would attract undo attention. They would know for sure. We must reinforce the fortress. They must not get those bombs!"
Veers activated the com switch again. "Take us to co-ordinates 6-2-3 at full speed."
"But sir" protested the adjutant, "What about the battle?"
Veers frowned in disgust. It was a perfect plan. It accounted for nearly every possible scenario. If anything happened that he hadn't planned for, then he was sure that he could handle it. He didn't like leaving its execution to another officer but he had no choice. "Order captain Dylan to take over command for the battle. He is familiar with the plan." Veers' most capable officer, he would be the least likely to screw up.
Turning off the com, he left his quarters for the bridge, followed by a suddenly brooding Kasar.
The attack would take place in three days.
Magicman: There. I hope that calmed down the howling wolves. My exams are nearly over! Hooray! I HATE CALCULAS!!!
Smokegirl: BURN!
Dilandau-with-a-cowboy-hat: I hope that you all enjoyed this chapter. Bye- bye!
Magicman: I take it by the screaming that last chapter's event was of some significance to you. I'm sure that you all want to see what happens next. Well what happens if I don't want to tell you what happens next, huh? What would you do then?!
Smokegirl: They'd hunt you down and cut out your heart.
Magicman: Oh. Well I guess I'd better continue, hadn't I?
The one building of legal business in Palas that had not been evacuated was the city's mental hospital. The doctors refused to leave their patients and the patients themselves were in no condition to live a normal life outside of those walls. And so, while the rest of the city was fleeing the immanent invasion, the inhabitants of the asylum maintained their strict routine.
Everyday the patients would wake up and head down to the breakfast hall where they would wait in line for their breakfast and mingle with each other. Then, in midmorning, the doctors would take them out to the yard for fresh air and exercise before lunch, after which they would have their various sessions with their various doctors. Then there was supper and more mingling before they went back to their rooms.
Van and Millerna arrived at the asylum at ten in the morning, shortly after the council had made its decision to ask for Allen Schezar's help. Hitomi had flat out refused to go and had forbid her kids from going anywhere near the man. Dilandau had seconded this opinion, using some vociferous language. The generals refused to deal with what they considered a traitor to the Asturian throne. Millerna was therefore nominated, and Van was nominated to go with her. Privately the king of Asturia though that this was a waste of time. But they had to try.
The king and queen walked through the building's iron gates and into the courtyard. The various patients were out in the yard doing whatever it was they did. Van watched a couple old men play with blocks. A middle aged young woman was skipping happily about, carrying a basket of flowers. A third man was standing by the gate, not moving and not speaking. When Van and Millerna passed by he turned to them.
"One is one" he said, "And all alone and ever more shall be so."
As the royal couple made their way through the people a doctor came from the main building to meet with them. He was a short man, bald with glasses. He approached the visitors with a sort of waddle.
"Queen Millerna" he bowed. "It's an honour to have you visit our hospital."
Millerna smiled. "Thank you doctor. But I'm afraid that this visit is business. We need to speak with one of your patients and I didn't see him in the exercise yard."
The doctor frowned. "Ah. You mean Mr Schezar. Yes, he refuses to mingle with the other patients. He refuses to come out of his room. He will not speak. He will not listen when spoken to. We have to bring him his meals otherwise he'd starve. He still feeds himself but he's been doing that for twenty years. I'm sorry but I don't think that we're doing him a favour by keeping him alive."
Millerna was adamant. "We still must speak to him. It is a matter of grave urgency."
The doctor sighed, as if to say 'It's your time to waste'. "Follow me then."
***
The hallways of the mental hospital were brightly lit. Rows of door lined each wall. Occasionally someone in a white coat came in or out of these doors. The doctor led the group through the halls and around several corners until they reached a door. The door looked just like all the others but here the doctor hesitated.
"Mr Schezar lives in this room. If you want to talk to him I'll wait outside. Let me know if he turns violent." He pulled some keys from his pocket. Selecting one, he unlocked the door. Opening it, he stepped aside and allowed his guests inside before closing it again.
Van examined the room. It seemed fairly decent. There was a bed along one wall and a window let in the light from outside. Never mind that the bed had straps to it to tie rowdy patients down, and that the window had bars through it. The walls were a pale green. A vase of flowers stood on a table by the bed and several books lay on the table by the flowers. And sitting on a chair in the light of the window was Allen Schezar.
Twenty years of living in a mental hospital hadn't seen much change in Allen's looks. At forty-one he still looked twenty one. The only indication of his age was his hair. It had always been long, but now it flowed down his back and onto the floor in large clumps. It looked as though it hadn't been cut for a long time. And instead of the familiar blonde locks that drove women wild, it was nearly white, with only a few streaks of tawny yellow to indicate its earlier colour. Allen sat on the chair, staring fixedly at the wall. He didn't give any indication that Van and Millerna had arrived, nor did he seem to care.
Millerna hesitated at the sight of him and was surprised, and slightly amused, to feel some of her old admiration for him resurfacing. Some things never quite changed, apparently. The queen took a few steps forward and carefully sat on the bed. Van remained by the door. "Allen?"
There was no response.
Millerna licked her lips and tried again. "Allen can you hear me?" The knight still didn't respond. Millerna pushed on. "Allen I don't know what's wrong with you but it doesn't have to be like this. We need you. Asturia needs you. Please" she touched his hand, warmed by the sunlight.
Van watched impassively while his wife pleaded with the mad man. He wasn't jealous. He was sad to see the former knight in such a state. Decades ago he had been a good man who Van had looked up to. Now... He sighed. "Millerna it's not working. He's gone. We should go."
Millerna didn't move. She stared at the knight, trying to will him to look at her. When her will failed she let his hand go. She stood up from the bed slowly. "I guess you're right Van. Goodbye Allen."
As the king and queen turned toward the door they suddenly stopped. Millerna turned and looked over to Allen. He had moved slightly. His lips were now slowly coming up into a bitter, sad smile. He laughed a quiet, almost soundless, rasping laugh. The laugh went on for an eternity before his breath ran out. Allen drew a breath then spoke, his eyes still on the wall.
"Millerna" The word was slow. It came from a throat that had not spoken for twenty years.
Millerna could only stand and stare. Allen continued.
"Millerna" he said again, that smile still fixed. "You always did stick up for me. Against your father. Against Dryden. Against any who spoke ill of me. You even sewed me up after that fight with Dilandau. It's touching." Allen sighed, his throat crackling with disuse. "But I'm afraid that all your trust in me was misplaced. You know what I did."
Millerna stepped forward to talk. "I know what you did Allen. But I don't believe that you're a bad person. You just made a bad decision."
Allen suddenly laughed again, this time self-mockingly. It went on for some time before dying down. "I am not insane Millerna, no matter what those quacks with their doctorates out there may think" He waved a hand vaguely at the door. "I've had twenty years to think about my actions and my choices. I've asked myself, 'If I could take it back would I?' And I am forced to answer 'No'. And I know that this is completely against my own moral value. I've asked myself 'Why did I do it?' The answer? 'Because I could'. That in itself is despicable enough to earn a lifetime in Hell." Allen smiled, more bitterly than before. "I've thought about killing myself. But I think that this is more suitable. I will live for many more years to come, all the while holding this piece knowledge: I tried to rape Hitomi Kanzaki; I tried to force her into near slavery; I had her kidnapped, murdering innocents in the process; and I totally betrayed my country. No Millerna, I've done much more than made a bad choice. I've destroyed my own soul. And I deserve it."
"Allen-" Millerna began but Van interrupted.
"There's got to be a better way for to fix your screw ups than locking yourself up for life."
Allen cocked his head. "I have seen no way to make amends, but I may as well listen. No one really talks to me anymore."
Van nodded. "Asturia is in grave danger."
Allen nodded. "Ah. You speak of course of the vaunted power of General Veers and his hordes. I know most of what goes on. The doctors speak without restraint when I'm around. I'm insane after all." He smirked.
Van nodded again. "You know the threat, now here's how you can help."
Van explained the whole plan. Allen listened, not moving from his position on the chair. Millerna just stood there while Van talked. When he was finished Allen nodded slightly.
"So you want to get your hands on the esteemed general's bombs and use them on his armies. And seeing as they're hidden in my old fort, I would be the logical choice to find them." Allen nodded slowly. "I must say that I am tempted. I do not wish to see my country be conquered and dominated. But what happens to me after this is all done?"
"What do you mean?" asked Millerna.
Allen laughed again. "I mean do I get executed for crimes against Asturia and for disgracing the knights Caeli like I should have been last time? I wouldn't want my internal suffering to be cut short."
Millerna hesitated a moment, trying to tell if he was being sarcastic. She decided that he wasn't. "If this plan succeeds and Veers is driven back then you will be accorded with a full pardon. You will be free to do whatever you like and go wherever you go."
"How did you manage to get the Caelis to agree to THAT?"
"They didn't have to agree. They were all killed in the Destiny War."
Allen was silent for a moment. "The Destiny War" he mused to himself. "That was when this whole mess started, wasn't it? It nearly killed everyone. It finished off the Knights. I'm all that's left of them. What a lovely piece of irony!" He chuckled to himself quietly. Van and Millerna watched and he eventually subsided back into thought. "I don't want the wars to start up again. I do love Asturia. I would hate to see it conquered. And who knows? Maybe Van is right. Maybe I can make amends to the country, if not to Hitomi." His voice seemed to harden up at the name.
Then Allen turned his head and looked at the royal couple for the first time. His clear blue eyes were ravaged by long years of guilt. They were so empty and haunted that Millerna could almost believe that he had destroyed his soul. "I will help you," he said. "You have a point. I can't just sit in here brooding while my country is destroyed."
Millerna sighed inaudibly in relief. "Thank you Allen. Would you come with us? We'll escort you to the castle."
"Of course". Allen started to stand up but staggered under the weight of his long hair. He glared at in annoyance. "You wouldn't happen to have a knife or something, would you?"
Van reached into his belt and pulled out a dagger. He tossed it to Allen who caught it. Putting the blade to his hair, he made one clean sweep and sliced most of it off. The locks fell to the floor and lay there unheeded. Allen, his hair slightly below his shoulders, handed the dagger back to Van. "Shall we go?"
When Van opened the door, the doctor was waiting on the other side. He didn't see Allen at first.
"Are you done? I'm sorry that your trip has proved fruitless, but-" he trailed off as Allen stepped through the door and gave him a slightly condescending look.
"Thank you doctor, for your years of care. However I am feeling better now and would like to check myself out if that's alright with you."
The doctor squeaked.
***
Veers was pleased.
The general was going over the statistics one last time. The report told of the Asturians' defenses their strengths, and their weakness. Using this data he had come up with a plan that would shatter the enemy's army and crush all resistance quite swiftly. Within hours of the battle's beginning, the city would be his. The final attack was slated to begin in three days.
He frowned slightly. There was something that was bothering him. Something he couldn't quite place.
Acting on a hunch, he pressed the com button on the wall. "Send for Sorcerer Kasar", he ordered the adjutant. Then he sat down to mull over his worries.
Kasar arrived within minutes. "You called my lord general?"
"I did, yes". Veers paused for a moment to summarise his thoughts. "Have you detected anything magical recently? Any signs of a disturbance of some sort in the general area of the Destiny?"
"No lord, I have not. Why? Is something wrong?"
"I don't know just yet" the general said softly, his voice low with speculation. "I want you to make a magical of Asturia and all of its territory that we've taken. Check for anything out of the ordinary."
Kasar nodded. "Of course". He pulled out his crystal and chanted some words over it while making arcane symbols with his fingers. When he was finished, the crystal was glowing with a milky light. Dubiously he used his magic to check the entire country in just seconds. Personally, he didn't know what Veers was talking about. The armies were in place, that troublesome bitch was as good as dead, and the prophecy had been broken, despite the Dragon regaining its sword. What could possibly...
The sorcerer's eyes opened and a puzzled look came over them. "What the Hell?"
Veers looked up. "What is it?"
"My magical shield was broken." Kasar was quickly losing his puzzlement and becoming angry. "I put a shield over that rickety old fortress so no one could tell if we kept the energist bombs there. Now that shield has been broken for days!" His teeth ground in fury. "And from the looks of things, it was broken with psychic force."
"Hitomi Albatou did it then!"
Kasar shook his head stubbornly. "No, it couldn't have been her. I made that shield too strong for her. She had help. And it could only have come from...but that's impossible!" The sorcerer slammed a fist on the table, narrowly missing his magical crystal, which winked out. "I dealt with that bitch for good! There's no way that she could have done this!"
"If Hitomi didn't break your magic then who could it have been? The daughter?"
Kasar did not answer, so overcome with rage and frustration was he. When he finally regained control, he answered. "Neither of them could have done it alone. It would have taken the power of both combined to do it. It seems I have underestimated them once again. They somehow brought back the daughter to aid the mother."
Veers shook his head in frustration. "It doesn't matter who did it. What matters is that now we can presume that they know where we are keeping those bombs. We can not let them gain access to them but moving them would attract undo attention. They would know for sure. We must reinforce the fortress. They must not get those bombs!"
Veers activated the com switch again. "Take us to co-ordinates 6-2-3 at full speed."
"But sir" protested the adjutant, "What about the battle?"
Veers frowned in disgust. It was a perfect plan. It accounted for nearly every possible scenario. If anything happened that he hadn't planned for, then he was sure that he could handle it. He didn't like leaving its execution to another officer but he had no choice. "Order captain Dylan to take over command for the battle. He is familiar with the plan." Veers' most capable officer, he would be the least likely to screw up.
Turning off the com, he left his quarters for the bridge, followed by a suddenly brooding Kasar.
The attack would take place in three days.
Magicman: There. I hope that calmed down the howling wolves. My exams are nearly over! Hooray! I HATE CALCULAS!!!
Smokegirl: BURN!
Dilandau-with-a-cowboy-hat: I hope that you all enjoyed this chapter. Bye- bye!
