Chapter 02: Hard Council
Orange Star's Commander Nell waited alone in the conference room, staring out the window with distant eyes and her button nose almost touching the glass. She was perfectly calm, even though the meeting had been set for four thirty and it was now a quarter to five. It was understandable. Considering the troubles their country faced – the mess they somehow had to deal with – it was a miracle she had been able to arrange a meeting at all.
Her face was still like the surface of a pond as she watched over the traffic passing in the dark canyon below. The view from the twelfth floor of the military headquarters was largely blocked by the multitude of towers and skyscrapers in the heart of the capital, and so the only way to look was down. Cars rushed back and forth through the shadowed maze, ferrying people home after a long day's work. Nell only wished she could allow herself the same luxury.
She brushed a speck of dust from one of the buttons of her suit, barely aware of what her hand was doing. She was about to adjust her small garrison cap when the door eased open without a sound, and a young woman with shoulder length red hair marched into the room. Her posture was ramrod straight, and her brown eyes moved to Nell without betraying any emotion. She was dressed in dark green military fatigues, although instead of wearing the top half, she opted for a short white tank top that bared her midriff a little. Around her neck was a pair of dog tags, the glinting metal a perfect match for the steely determination in her eyes.
"I'm glad you got here safely, Sami," Nell said, offering her a warm smile. "You didn't have any trouble?"
"None, ma'am." Sami took a seat and put her arms at her sides, still holding herself rigid. "Everything's quiet over east. At least for the moment."
Nell nodded, the movement barely noticeable in the darkening light. Her azure eyes remained fixed on the street far beneath even as a flatscreen covering half of the wall behind her came to life, an image of Max's broad face spread across its surface.
"How you two doing?" He shouted at them. He had to be loud to make himself heard over the dozens of vehicles mobilising at his back.
"We're doing okay," Sami replied with a small grin. "How about you? It sounds like you had a bit of excitement down at the beach."
Max's expression blackened. "Yeah, you could say that. Anyway, we ready to start the meeting?"
Nell turned away from the window with a smooth toss of her long blonde hair. "Well, we're just waiting on-"
She broke off as a boy dressed all in red raced into the room and slammed into a seat. He was out of breath and his dark brown hair was splayed in all directions, but he barely seemed to notice as he pulled his chair up to the table and broke out a grin.
"Sorry I'm late!"
Max shook his head. "Andy, are you ever gonna learn to read a clock?"
"It wasn't my fault! All the lifts were broken and I had to take the stairs up twelve floors!"
Sami stared at him in bewilderment. "The lifts aren't broken. I just took one."
"Huh?" Andy's head darted around wildly. "Then why did they look so weird…?"
Nell gave a small, weary smile. "In any case, I guess we can make a start now." She turned to Andy and Sami. "As you both know, Max and Rachel headed south to wipe out a small band of Black Hole troops, one we thought was just another remnant from the Omega War."
"Where's Rachel?" Andy asked, frowning. "Shouldn't she be here?"
"I'll get to that in a minute," Nell advised him. "As I was saying, what they found was something very different. Max?"
"The forces weren't Bolt Guard scraps," Max said bluntly. The screen flickered, for a moment making it appear as though he had three eyes. "They were brand new troops, and they looked like the ones we fought in the Second Great War, back when Sturm was in power."
"Did you find out who's commanding them?" Sami asked.
"They weren't exactly in a talking mood. Rachel and I got fired on when they saw us watching 'em, and we barely made it out of there. Rachel's been airlifted back to the city with a broken ankle and concussion."
"The bottom line," Nell interrupted him, "is that we were wrong when we thought we'd finished Black Hole."
"Couldn't these guys just be from the second war?" Andy suggested. "Maybe they've been hiding out somewhere and didn't know it was all over."
Max looked at his friend and shook his head. "Andy, they had a Black Cannon."
Sami blinked in surprise before turning and pinning Nell with an accusing stare. "Someone built a Black Cannon inside Orange Star's borders and we didn't even know about it?"
"Most of our surveillance satellites are pointed at Blue Moon," Nell explained, helplessness and worry spilling from her eyes. "There was no reason to be watching an isolated stretch of our own coast. And to be honest, it's beside the point. What we need to focus on is the fact that Black Hole has somehow recovered significant military capabilities, and it looks like they've got their sights set on Orange Star. Again."
"So we need to be ready to repel an invasion," Sami surmised.
"We need to be ready to repel two," Nell corrected.
"I still don't get it," Andy said, his eyebrows knitting together in confusion. "If it's not the Bolt Guard behind this, then who's left? Hawke and Sturm are dead, and it can't be…"
"We never did find out what happened to Flak or Adder," Nell offered, saving Andy from having to say the name.
Sami snorted and rolled her eyes. "I think we all know that brute Flak doesn't have the brains to plan anything more complicated than breakfast."
"Adder, then," Nell suggested, undeterred by Sami's scorn. "He's a competent commander and able strategist. Plotting an invasion wouldn't be beyond him."
"Yeah…" Max squinted a little as he considered the idea. "But why? I mean, Adder's the type to hold a grudge, but he was barely in Orange Star. Seems like he'd rather be messin' with Yellow Comet or going after Grit. What's he got against us?"
A medium tank drove past behind Max, and they all fell silent. Andy was staring at the polished wooden table with wide eyes, and next to him Sami's lips were set together more tightly than normal. The lack of answers was troubling. There were too many pieces missing from the puzzle, too much they didn't understand. Worse, there was the unspoken fear that something greater had already begun. They would have to make their choices without any comprehension of the magnitude of what they were facing, and they all knew how dangerous that could be.
"I think we should wipe out these Black Hole troops," Max said. "Get rid of 'em before they can do any harm."
Nell raised an eyebrow. "You'll need reinforcements."
"Pull a few squads from the border and I'll have these guys off our land in no time."
"Andy, Sami, I want you two to head back out to the Blue Moon border. Just… keep waiting, and give Max the troops he needs."
"Yes ma'am," Sami said.
"What will you do, Nell?" Andy asked.
"First I'm going to contact Green Earth and Yellow Comet. Hopefully they haven't abandoned our alliance and will be willing to lend their assistance. Then, I think I'll pay a visit to Thornfield."
Max stirred at the name of Orange Star's highest security prison. "You sure that's necessary?"
Nell looked straight into Max's eyes. "We have no idea who's behind Black Hole's resurgence, or what their goal is. Let's face it, we need more information."
"And no one knows more about Black Hole than-" Sami cut herself off before she could say the name. There were still a lot of painful memories from the last war.
Max stared back at Nell, his strong jaw set in an apprehensive line. "Just take care of yourself. Who knows what that twisted nut job might say."
"Don't worry about me," Nell said with forced cheer. "You're the one who's got the hard task ahead."
The only reply she received was a broad grin before Max terminated the connection and the screen went black.
"Do either of you have any questions?" Nell asked, turning back to Andy and Sami.
"No ma'am."
Andy shook his head. "Nope! This'll be easy!"
"Well, I hope you'll at least remember to take this seriously," Nell commented, before shaking her head a little and sighing. "I'll contact you again as soon as I learn anything new. Dismissed."
They left with only the sounds of muffled footsteps and creaking chairs, and Nell was once again alone with the sunset.
For a time she stood there like a statue, letting idle thoughts and fears run rampant through her mind. She glanced down at the gleaming wood of the table and at the thick file resting on it. She could not prevent the twist of disbelief that crossed her pretty lips. It had been weeks, and still the whole mess seemed absurd.
Nell had never been under any illusions about what their alliance had meant to Blue Moon. It was a pact born of necessity, nothing more. And yet, somehow it had still shocked her when they had accused Orange Star of violating the terms of the Allied Nations Charter. Orange Star had denied the charges and thrown back a few choice accusations of their own, but Green Earth and Yellow Comet were still refusing to comment either way. All the bonds between them dissolved in a heartbeat as every nation tried to justify where they stood. The lines between them had been drawn, turned into cracks, and deepened.
The worst part of it was seeing what it had done to Rachel. After Omega Land, Rachel had been elated. She had been so proud of the way she had led the Allied Nations and of everything the four countries had accomplished by working together. Seeing everything fall apart not six months later – all the battle-forged friendships cast aside and forgotten – had cut her to the bone. Even now Rachel remained a voice of hope, counting on Sasha and Colin to resolve things peacefully. Nell sighed. If it did come to war, she did not like to think about what it might do to her little sister.
"Commander Nell!"
She glanced up and saw that two men in suits and dark sunglasses had taken up a position on either side of the door.
"The President of Orange Star."
Nell blinked as the man in the midnight blue suit strode into the room, looking every bit as tired as she felt. "Mr. President, sir."
"Please, Commander, there's no need to stand on ceremony."
"Of course not, sir."
Nell glanced over the President with a wary eye, wondering why he had declined to advise her of this visit. There were dark bags under President Hale's eyes and a sadness, a sort of solemn dignity in his bearing. She was not surprised. Hale had been elected three years ago, and in that time Nell had watched as he led their country through three wars and emerged a better man for it. The very idea of the Allied Nations had been his, and seeing it all go up in smoke… Nell knew exactly what kind of toll it would be taking. She had done as just as much to build the alliance behind the scenes even as Hale made the official overtures.
"What is it you wanted to see me about, sir?" She asked at last.
The President had put his hands in his pockets and turned to face the window, and Nell could not glean any hint of his intent. "I read your report. I want to know what you're thinking."
"We've already started putting plans in place for a counterattack. The Black Hole outpost should be destroyed within the next few days."
"The outpost." A rueful laugh escaped from Hale. "A Black Cannon on our shores suggests a significant threat to national security. If this is the herald of something greater…" he paused. "Have you made any progress in discerning whether or not these forces came from Omega Land?"
"A little. We're confident that they weren't part of the Omega War, and we have reason to believe they're under the command of someone from the Second Great War. Or at least someone connected to it."
Hale's steel grey hair bobbed a little, signifying his acknowledgement. "And you realise your mobilisation's already been noticed? We've been questioned about it by the media, wondering what the military's doing down by the beach. If anyone looks any closer, there's a good chance they'll catch wind of this."
There was something in the President's voice that made Nell pause. Experience had taught her to recognise the terse undercurrent that crept into Hale's voice when he was worried, but this was something else entirely. "I can have Commander Max keep a tight lid on things if you like."
"No. I want this story to break."
And there it was. Nell could see that the President had an agenda in mind, and now she had a good idea what it was.
"There'll be a panic, sir."
At last Hale turned to face her, his lined face inscrutable. "I know. But we have to look at the bigger picture." He gave a sigh that was like a dam bursting and ran a hand through his hair, all at once looking human again. "I've requested a summit meeting with the Chancellor of Green Earth and Emperor Kanbei of Yellow Comet. Olaf too. I want to try and smooth things over, and perhaps even keep our alliance intact." The President bowed his head a little and straightened his scarlet tie. "To that end, I want to present a full briefing on this incident. Black Hole has given our countries common cause before. Maybe it can do so again. And if news of a resurgence breaks independently of the administration, hopefully it won't look like we've manufactured the threat."
"I'm sure Olaf will accuse you of that regardless," Nell murmured.
"Maybe so. But we've nothing to lose by trying."
"I'll make sure to keep you in the loop, then."
Hale nodded a few times, then made to leave. As he came to the doorway he stopped, and turned back to look at her one last time. "Nell… I want you to know, you have my full confidence."
She smiled a little, though such a small thing was not nearly enough to mask her fears. "Thank you, sir."
And with that, the President and his men were gone.
At first Nell closed her eyes and merely let the silence and the emptiness wash over her. There was something peaceful about it, something elusive she could not quite keep hold of. She sighed, telling herself it was foolish. She could rest later. For now, there was still far too much that needed to be done. She had a trip to prepare for, and it could not wait.
Not even for a moment.
