Imperial Airspace, Five kilometers south of Sadera Hills, February 17th 2017, 0930 hours AT
« Thunderhead, this is Ours One. We have reached checkpoint Alpha. Waiting for instructions. Over. »
In the light of the early day, two giant birds of prey were flying over the foothills of the Dumas Mountains, spitting out flames in a deafening roar, but flying so high that for any observer on the ground, they were just dots silently gliding through the air. They had left their nest early to make a trip they had already performed several times, but this time their intention was completely different.
« Ours One, this is Thunderhead. We are reading you loud and clear. JTAC team is already in position. Codename Fantôme. Switch to frequency three one six point seven seven and reduce altitude to predetermined flight level. How copy ? Over. »
« Solid copy. Switching to frequency three one six point seven seven and reducing altitude to flight level four zero. Ours One out. »
With precise movements, the two pilots twisted knobs and pressed buttons to do the required changes while noses of the planes pointed downwards, the distance between them and the ground rapidly decreasing.
The payload of the Rafales was unusual. Along the fuel tanks and the standard missiles that the planes carried every time just in case, both of them were carrying a laser guided bomb which role were to convey a particular message.
« Fantôme, this is Ours. We are in position. Awaiting coordinates. Over. »
Down below, a group of operators had found a great position on the roofs that gave them a great view of their target. Meanwhile, a larger team was leaving the target building after having verified that it was empty.
One of them pulled out a massive pair of high tech goggles while the other manned the radio.
« Ours, Fantôme. Target building is confirmed empty. We're marking the target with the laser. Over. »
In the streets, people of Sadera were still recovering from the earthquake. Some were trying to dig people out of the rubble of destroyed buildings while others were fetching food and water for the injured. However, many of them could only look at what they had left. But in those moments of contemplation, some noticed an unusual sound, like a very faint rumble that was getting closer.
« We have the target. Ten seconds to weapon release. Over. »
Suddenly, the roar became louder as the two fighters finally flew over the walls. People suddenly looked up, watching as two flying triangles went past over them.
« Ours One, bombs away. »
« Ours Two, bombs away. »
The entire city noticed the two objects that those large birds dropped. And after a few seconds of a rapid free fall, they could only feel the shock as the Imperial Senate disappeared in a cloud of dust and rubble.
« Good splash, good splash. Target destroyed. »
« Copy that, Fantôme. Proceeding to second phase of the operation. Ours out. »
As the large brown cloud slowly rose up in the air, the two jets lowered their altitude yet again to orbit over the tallest hill at the center of the city, doing loops, barrel rolls and simple airshow figures as a way to taunt all the high ranking Imperials that rushed on the different balconies of the palaces.
When the first wyvern riders tried to close in to attack the planes, the two turned south, back towards Alnus, even though they were not risking anything.
All of this only lasted a few minutes, and this small period of time had been enough to send one clear message. A message that the first Imperial soldier who reached the ruins of the Senate discovered spray-painted on one of the last standing pieces of the wall:
WE DO NOT WISH TO DESTROY YOU
BUT THIS IS WHAT WILL HAPPEN IF YOU REFUSE PEACE
« They cannot be clearer. This is why we must find an agreement for a long and lasting peace. »
All the senators had gathered in the early afternoon for an emergency session of the Senate. However, with workers still cleaning up the rubble of the building they were supposed to be in, they could only sit in circles in the large park that surrounded the Senate on chairs that each one had brought with them, following the layout of the room they usually met in.
The Emperor was there, surrounded by his personal guards, but this time, he was also with the two princes and the princess. But all attention had been turned towards Zorzal, his face covered in bruises and a bandage covering one of his eyebrow. He was ashamed, and tried to make himself a small as possible. But they kept watching him until Senator Cicero had risen up from his chair.
« First, they destroy without difficulty the most powerful army that has ever walked on this land. Then they cease the control of Italica. It is a miracle that they did not decide to cross the border, and many of us were wondering why. However, some of the senators present here, including myself, already know. »
That last sentence sparked a wave of comments from all sides of the makeshift arena. One powerful voice managed to rise up from the mess, coming from a veteran that always wore his old uniform even after his retirement.
« Why did you not say anything ? We must get as much information as we can to launch our counter attack ! »
Some that were sitting next to him applauded, while other yelled to show they clearly did not agree.
« Do you want to send what remains of the Army to a certain death ? »
« This is better than doing nothing ! Either we save the Empire, or Emroy shall welcome us. »
The verbal fight between both sides grew louder, but it quickly came to a stop when another voice silenced everyone.
« Enough ! said the Emperor without moving from his small wood throne. For now, only Lord Cicero holds the right to speak. »
The senators sat back down with the frustration of an unfinished battle clearly visible on all faces.
« Thank you, Your Highness. But I won't keep this right for long. I request the right to speak to be given to the Third Imperial Princess Pina Co Lada. »
Without waiting for a reply, the senator walked back to his seat and sat down while Pina rose up from her chair.
Immediately, she felt the weight of all the looks turned towards her. In the middle of old men that all had years of political experience, she felt like a kid being judged by professors. Every word was going to count.
« You already know that I went to Italica as our enemy walked on our lands, she started after taking a large breath. You already know that some of the knights of the Rose Order are currently in the city to gather information. All of this is true, but most of you are not aware of everything that happened. I watched with my own eyes hundreds of well-equipped bandits getting torn into pieces by the thunderous might of those soldiers. When the first helicopter appeared in front of me, I knew that there was no point in trying to fight. So I took the decision to meet their leaders to find a way towards peace. »
Some of the warmongers yelled again.
« Get out of here, girl ! »
« War is none of your business ! »
« Not only is she a bastard, she is also a traitor ! »
She pulled out some parchments and carried on without paying attention to them, and the looks of the senators that wanted to listen to hear forced them back in their seats.
« They told what their objective was, and they also told me about what they could give up in order to accomplish it. They have agreed to immediately release a small group of prisoners that they have captured during the failed invasion if a cease fire is signed and proper negotiations are initiated. All of them are members of your families. »
Some eyes widened, a spark of hope lighting up inside the minds of those that had finally came to accept they were not going to see their sons ever again. Suddenly, the words started to be more impactful for them.
« I accepted to host one of their diplomats at the Jade Palace and introduce him to some of the members of this Senate. He presented to them the demands of France which, for the majority of you that do not know yet, are the following… »
There were five points, and she told each of them the same way Sir Costi had told them to Cicero and the others. The war reparations, release of all prisoners, arrest of officials involved in the attack, establishment of proper diplomatic relations and the handover of Alnus Hill to the United Nations. For a second, she turned around to see how her father was reacting. His face was closed, as always. But she was his daughter, and she could feel that deep inside he was troubled. She also quickly launched a look towards Diabo who could only sigh. The only thing he cared about was finding new workers for his mines. However, the senators' reactions were clearly visible, and all of those who did not have the privilege to visit the demonstration of weapons from the other world were clearly surprised.
« What do you mean by "officials involved in the attack" ? Our glorious Emperor decided to send those legions through the Gate. Do they really ask for His Highness to be imprisoned in exchange for peace ? » asked a senator that Pina could not identify.
It was the one question she hoped nobody would ask. The answer was simple, yet powerful.
« Yes. They have deemed him directly responsible of the death of one hundred and seventy six innocent people by the hand of soldiers of a standing army. They have already captured the young General Palesti, and General Lanti has been killed during the first fighting around Alnus. My father is the only one that is left. »
Despite being the center of the conversation, the Emperor did not move an inch, observing how the assembly was reacting. After all, he had witnessed their power with his own eyes. He had been just in front of them. If they wanted him dead, he would not have been sitting next to the rubble of the Senate. Meanwhile, the senators clearly showed their reactions through their facial expressions, but none of them said anything loudly, instead whispering to people close to them what they were thinking.
« But then what about what happened yesterday ? Why did they come to the Imperial Palace ? Does it have anything to do with the Crown Prince's sudden injuries ? »
At that point, she had said too much to simply walk away, and she knew that trying to come up with a lie could only lead to more trouble. The only words she could say were those that carried the truth.
« The diplomat that I hosted knew many things about the phenomenon that caused the ground to shake last night. I thought it was a good idea to make them meet my father so that they could advise him on what to do. However, my brother made an unannounced entrance and he was accompanied by many of the female slaves he owns. He came with the same intentions, having heard of the dangers of the shaking by one of these slaves, a young woman that had been captured during the failed attempt to cross the Gate. When they learnt who she was, they immediately did everything in their power to free her. »
« They beat the Crown Prince over a single slave ? »
« For them, she is not a slave. Seeing one of their own being reduced to the state of mere object only woke up their wrath… »
In a dramatic movement, she extended her arm, pointing it towards the nearby ruins.
« And this is the result. »
Elbe Kingdom airspace, Twenty five kilometers south of Italican territory, February 17th 2017, 1930 hours AT
Even after their unusual mission in the morning, the two grey birds had left the nest again in the late afternoon to spy on the infrastructures of the southern neighbor of the Task Force. And while they were cruising along the local mountains, the two pilots could not help but talk between each other about various subjects.
« No. It's clearly a bad idea. You're not capable of getting a date around the base in Mont-de-Marsan so I'm pretty sure you'll not be able to get anything here. »
« Oh come on ! That's the married man that's talking to me… I want to speak with the friend. »
And as it often does when one is in a stable relationship and the other is single, it conversation ended up around the latter's attempts at seducing women.
« You know how it ends up. First it's all fine, but then she starts pulling you around by the tip of the nose. Remember what happened with that blonde two years ago ? »
« Man, don't be so mean. I'm learning from my mistakes. And then there are those knights that always hang out next to the… »
He stopped himself immediately when he saw a large dot appearing on one of the many screens of the cockpit of his Rafale.
« What the… » said his older teammate as he also noticed it on his own screen.
« Holy shit… It's almost as big as an airliner. »
« Birdnest, this is Ours One. We have radar contact with one large bogey heading zero three niner. Altitude four thousand feet. Over. »
While he awaited for a reply, the other pilot could not help but speak what was on top of his mind.
« There aren't any tourist buses in this whole world… Can only be one thing… »
« Ours One, Birdnest. Copy that. You are cleared to divert from the flight plan to investigate. Over. »
« Copy that, Birdnest. We'll radio back when the target is confirmed. »
The engines roared again, and the two fighters changed course with a certain form of elegance to head towards the mysterious dot on their screens. Both of them took their small notepads and went to one specific page, containing all the information they needed for the most likely situation they were going to encounter.
On their screens, the dot was only getting closer, disappearing and reappearing as the fighters got closer to the peaks of the mountains, blocking the view and radio waves. Whatever it was, it was using the valleys as a way to cover itself, willingly or not. But from high in the skies, the two Ours did not have to wait long to finally find out what was hiding behind that dot as a large red shape finally came into view.
« Birdnest, this is Ours One. Confirmed visual on a Class Alpha flying creature. I repeat, confirmed visual on Class Alpha flying creature. Over. »
A Class Alpha flying creature was better known among the local population as the Flame Dragon, while FORSO soldiers called it Smaug. It was casually flapping its enormous wings, completely unaware of the cameras pointed towards it, recording its every move.
« Copy that, Ours One. Follow predetermined instructions and gather as much information as possible. How copy ? Over. »
« Ours One copies all. Out. »
Because of its massive size, it was not able to fly very fast, and one could only wonder how big the heart of such a creature was.
« I have around thirty minutes of fuel before bingo. What about you ? » asked the second pilot.
« About the same. Alright, go poke him a little. »
« Roger that. It's time to play, you red son of a bitch. »
The second Rafale broke off from the two-plane formation and violently plunged towards the red beast that was still unaware of the presence of the two jets. However, both pilots saw the large head turn towards the charging fighter when it entered the valley. By getting close, the pilot finally realized how enormous of a beast Smaug was, especially when he got close to it to taunt the thing. And it apparently accepted the challenge, roaring and speeding up.
The first thing they had to find out was how fast it was. And fast it was for a monster of its size. However the fast and agile Rafale had no trouble gaining an important lead. Next on the list was agility. It was clearly not capable of hovering over one location, but the fact that its body could twist around made it easy to change direction quickly when the jet passed next to it several times. Then, it was maximum altitude. The bait plane pointed its nose upwards and quickly rose up in the sky, and the big red fish tried to follow it, hitting the air powerfully with its large wings, but not without some difficulty. Several thousand feet in the air, it stopped, not even trying to continue. Instead, it kept following its prey from far below. The observing pilot wrote down the altitude to which it stopped before continuing to watch, hoping to find out more things.
The next item was simply labelled as "dive". After all, everything that goes up must go down. And with its nose pointed towards the rocks of the mountains below, the Rafale roared again like a lion charging its rival. And again, the dragon followed closely, using his massive weight to fall down like a rock to get closer to its small grey target. But the ground was coming way too fast, forcing the jet to pull up while Smaug deployed its wings to slow down and glide away safely.
« God dammit, commented the pilot as he moved to a safe distance away from the beast. That's like a Hercules on steroids. Now it's your turn. »
The older pilot finished writing off some details on his small notepad before putting everything away and grabbing the controls of his plane.
« Copy that. Now time for the weapon tests. » he said, as he maneuvered to put the large red beast in the middle of the green heads-up display.
As he expected for a creature that was just a big flying lizard, the infrared systems trained to lock on hot engine exhaust could not pick up anything. As for the radar, the surrounding mountains made it difficult for the system to get a precise answer, the radio waves bouncing on all the rocks. And even then, weapons designed to cut through light layers of metal and electrical wiring were probably not going to affect it a lot. It meant that in this kind of engagement, only unguided weapons could work. And now they had to try.
« Birdnest, this is Ours One, requesting permission to engage the target. Over. »
« Ours One, Birdnest. You are cleared to engage the target. Be careful with potential collateral damage. Birdnest out. »
A small smile appeared on the pilot's face as he flipped and pressed the required switches and buttons. Now, his finger was in front of the trigger and it was just a question of distance.
The dragon noticed the other jet closing in on him and stopped following its original prey. With quite the violence, it landed heavily on the side of a mountain, holding itself to the top like a scaled covered King Kong with what he could see was his only arm, a dim orange light slowly appearing in his mouth. The pilot had expected to get a clean shot, but instead he got a joust. He felt like a knight from a fairy tale, charging on his trusty steed against an evil dragon, and the only difference with reality was that he was an Air Force pilot.
« Come on, you bastard. »
They were both looking at each other in the eyes as the distance between the two reduced. It was a game of who would dare to fire first. Then the dragon started to open its mouth, revealing a fire ball that was already coming towards the plane.
« Guns, guns, guns ! » he suddenly launched in his radio before pressing the button on his joystick.
The cockpit rumbled as the thirty millimeter shells left the barrel of the gun in a short burst. But before he could think of anything else, he pulled in the stick, violently raising the nose of the plane. The flames had been evaded, but the heat had still licked the back end of the engines. It had been close. Way too close for comfort.
« No effect on target. I repeat, no effect on target. » said his wingman that had watched the engagement from a safe distance.
When he turned his head, the dragon was still there, moving like it wanted to take off in pursuit. At that point he could not tell if he had missed the target, or if the dragon took all the rounds not feeling a single one.
« Guns are out of the question. It's either bombs or rockets… »
« Well the only thing I have is just enough fuel to go back to base. I'm at bingo. »
« Understood. Birdnest, Ours One, engagement unsuccessful, we are RTB. Over. »
« Ours One, Birdnest, solid copy. Continue on vector zero one zero until entrance into Italica airspace. »
The two Rafales flew away in the ordered direction. The dragon tried to follow them at first but quickly gave up and returned with frustration to whatever it had been doing before this unforeseen battle.
But the one thing the three flying beasts ignored were the pairs of concealed eyes that had observed the fight.
At the same moment, hundreds of television screens started to show the same images of a single military officer stepping inside a room filled with journalists that had been sitting on uncomfortable chairs for several hours. All of them were members of the press accredited by Ministry of Defense, and they were surprised when they received the news of an emergency press conference. While the soldier put down a small bundle of papers he was carrying with him, the patch of Opération Marteau de Justice was clearly visible on his right arm, making it obvious that what he was going to say was related to the Special Region.
« Ladies and gentlemen, thank you all for coming to this emergency press conference. Yesterday, February seventeenth at two fifty AM local time, six fifty AM Paris time, an earthquake of magnitude five point two hit the area of operations of the NATO Special Region Task Force. Thanks to the early detection of tremors by members of non-human species, all necessary decisions have been taken and no casualties has been counted among soldiers of the Task Force or refugees living near Camp Alnus. »
As they started to write down the information on their laptops, some journalists felt disappointed. Sure, they could write a few lines about it, but it was not the kind of news that was going to sell a lot of papers. But for others, something was still off. A simple earthquake that did not cause any damage was not a valid reason for an emergency press conference.
« Operators from a covert special forces team used the confusion to gather intelligence on an important military objective. This team's original goal was the protection of a covert diplomatic team that was trying to convince Imperial politicians into initiating proper peace negotiations. »
Suddenly, it all became more interesting for the journalists, all of them having the first ideas of how they were going to either praise or criticize the government in their front page articles, depending on political affiliation of the editorial staff. But something was not quite right. In the look of the spokesperson, some were seeing that the biggest news was still to come.
« During this reconnaissance operation, the soldiers discovered a French civilian that had been taken prisoner and enslaved by an Imperial official, as well as the existence of other civilians used as labor workers in mines owned by another Imperial official. »
This was the bombshell that caused all the eyes to open and the "Breaking News" banners to appear on every television screen. Now, the entire room was drinking the words that were coming out of the spokesperson's mouth.
« Using lethal force, the operators secured the prisoner, who was safely evacuated by helicopter to medical facilities at Camp Alnus. Seventeen year-old Emilie Duong was last seen on August nineteenth by security cameras at the Franklin D. Roosevelt metro station just before their destruction by the attackers. After extensive medical exams, doctors assessed that her life was not in danger despite marks of malnourishment, physical violence and sexual assault. »
People all around the world were shocked by the news, and the related keywords in every language quickly made their way up the trending sections of social media as anonymous users expressed their sadness or their anger.
« Among the witnesses of the rescue operation were Imperial diplomatic personnel. Impressed by this unexpected show of force, they agreed on sending a delegate to initiate discussions on a cease fire. The government has added the liberation of all French and foreign civilians currently on Imperial soil to the set of preexisting demands, as well as the prosecution of all officials involved in this traffic of civilian prisoners under provisions of the Geneva Convention. Thank you for your attention. I will not answer to any of your questions. »
The spokesperson grabbed his papers, stepped back from the stand and walked towards the door from where he entered as all the journalists stood up, shouting questions all at the same time, creating a noise that nobody could understand.
All the television feed quickly cut back to baffled show hosts while panelists tried to find the appropriate words to express their opinions. The announcement had been short, but the impact it had was incomparable to anything that had happened before. Within a few hours, the news had reached everybody with a smartphone connected to the internet, even those who did not care about the Special Region and the military operations there.
And with millions of spectators, one single news revealed by one man gave birth to millions of different opinions. Since that day, trying to content everyone became an impossible task.
Alnus Village, La Halebarde Noire, February 18th 2017, 1950 hours AT
As they sat down around the tables, all members of the Third Recon Team sighed in relief. Between the time needed for the Caracal to land at Thunderhead, go back and forth to the Jade Palace to gather all of their equipment, wait until the arrival of Fourth Recon while the liberated hostage underwent the first medical exams, the flight back to Alnus and the standard routine at the end of a mission, it was only at that time that they could sit down and relax.
At that time of the day, the tavern was at its most lively. In the large hall, villagers, traders, cooperative convoy escorts and FORSO soldiers were coming and going, drinking alcohol and eating food mainly imported from France, chatting about a wide variety of different subjects, listening to music either through a small speaker lying on the bar or when a trader was carrying an instrument with him or knew how to sing. And even if the atmosphere was not far from what one could expect from a medieval tavern, the camouflaged uniforms were sticking out of the crowd and flags of the four members of FORSO were clearly visible on the walls. In the end, the more alcohol was consumed and the more laughs were shared, the more the tavern represented the nature of Alnus Village, a mix between two different worlds.
« What's going on, boys ? You look all tired today ! »
It was Delilah, the head waitress of the tavern, putting down a small jar and a bunch of shot glasses on the table. She was wearing a white apron covered in various stains over a basic brown dress.
« Sorry, can't tell, replied Anthony with a smile before pointing at the jar. What's this ? I don't have a lot of cash on me, so… »
« Don't worry, it's on the house. Traditional Warrior Bunny alcohol made from the tuber of the Nirta plant. It'll help to put back some energy in you. Enjoy ! »
With precise movements, she distributed the glasses and poured small amounts of the transparent fluid in each one of them.
« There's barely any… That's not a good sign. » launched John, and several nods made it clear that the sentiment was shared.
They all grabbed their glasses, and after hitting them together to cheer, they brought them next to their lips. But none of them drank. Instead, they were all throwing looks at each other to see who would drink first.
It was Marc that broke the stalemate by jerking his head backwards before slamming the empty glass back on the table. Despite the distorted face, he was still alive, and so the others followed him, with the same reaction.
« Faut quand même admettre, c'est plutôt une boisson d'homme. » said Anthony to himself as the drink went down his throat and he felt like it was cleaning everything it touched.
But Marc recognized those words and bent slightly to talk directly to the Lieutenant.
« Tu sais pas ce qu'il me rappelle ? Cette espèce de drôlerie qu'on buvait dans une petite taule de Bienh Hoa, pas tellement loin de Saïgon. Les Volets Rouges… Et la taulière, une blonde comaque… Comment qu'elle s'appelait, nom de Dieu ? »
Without turning his head, Anthony replied, contemplating what was left in the glass.
« Lulu la Nantaise. »
« T'as connu ? »
After a few seconds of silence, they both started to laugh. To the unknowing observer like all the non-French soldiers of the team, those sentences were random. But the two Frenchmen did not care as they imagined themselves as gangsters, heroes of an early sixties movie, throwing memorable punchlines one after another.
As the night went on, regular beer replaced the exotic alcohol and discussions between the reconnaissance soldiers returned to normal subjects like the happy news that one got from a relative back home or plans of another during the next permission. During that time, Pierre kept looking towards the entry of the tavern every time someone passed the door.
« You're waiting for someone ? » asked Karl, chewing on a piece of dried meat.
« Ye… Yeah. » faltered the French private, quickly turning his head back towards his drink.
« Female ? » added John, who was sitting right next to him.
A slow and embarrassed nod was his answer.
« Oh boy, laughed Frederico with his recognizable Latino accent. Looks like our corporal isn't the only one who got a hit. »
The remark sparked laughs from all the other soldiers, except said corporal as his face became red. It's not really fun when you find out that your secret relationship is actually well known.
« But who is it ? Marc has the blonde one so… »
« Well actually, she's not a… »
« Hi Pierre. »
In the crowded tavern, nobody had seen the slim silhouette coming next to their table, only noticing her when she spoke with her light voice.
Standing there was one of the Cat People Cooperative employee, or rather a maid from the Formar House that worked at the General Store to be more precise. Her fur, if you could call it that, was black and her eyes were of a shiny shade of green.
Pierre stood up next to her before rising his arm towards the squad, ready to make the introductions.
« Persia, those are the members of my unit. From left to right, their names are Johann, Muhammad, Daniella, Karl, Jordan, Marc, Anthony, Frederico, John, Mary and Hans. Guys, this is Persia. She works at the store. »
All of his squad mates said hello when they heard their names. Likewise, she saluted them by bowing, clearly showing her experience as a house maid in a ruling family.
« It is truly an honor to meet all of you, she said. Here and in Italica, I have heard a lot of stories about you, especially about all the feats that you have accomplished, Sir Moreau. »
« Well my name wouldn't be anywhere if it wasn't for this entire team. But to be fair, one of the most important members of the team is our little radio man. Am I right, guys ? »
They all replied with nods and large smiles, but it was more to hide their hilarity than a genuine sentiment, especially when Persia turned her head towards Pierre, her ears clearly showing that she wanted to know if it was true.
« Ye… Yeah. I am a key link in the command chain. Every bit of information goes through me and my radio. »
« Wow ! That is really impressive. »
The rest of the team shared amused looks. At that point, they were just a bunch of buddies at the bar, playing the wingmen for their friend.
« Anyway, would you mind joining us ? I'm sure we could find a chair somewhere over here. » asked Pierre, starting to look around for a seat for her.
« Thank you, but I work the early shift tomorrow and I have a lot to do in my room tonight. I just wanted to see if Pierre was alright, but I am really glad to have met all of you. Have a good evening. »
Again, she bowed before walking away, everyone watching her feline movements. When she disappeared in the street, John launched a few words.
« You fucking furry. »
It sparked another set of laughs and then all the interrupted conversations started again.
As the night went on, the number of people inside the tavern started to decrease. It was also true for Third Recon, some leaving to walk around a little in the cold air of the village, others wanting to be in the calm of the barracks and, in the case of a certain corporal, to join a blonde-haired shadow that had been waiting at the corner of a street.
In the end, only Anthony and Daniella remained at the table, and they actually wanted to be alone to talk about one important subject.
« You talked to the psychologist ? »
« Yeah. Apparently, while we were gone, Lelei somehow managed to convince her to get an appointment. He asked her about how she lived in her village to find out if she ever had any previous psychological problems, but when he started to ask about her father, she panicked and left the office, running back towards the village. She almost ignored the identity check when she left the camp. »
« Oh boy. So I guess he can't say anything about her mind. »
« Yup. And even if she had answered all of his questions, he told me that his conclusions would have only been theories. He said something about not knowing how the mind of an elf works and this interview being a first time in history. »
« So we're back to our starting point. »
« Yup. »
« Fait chier ! Why does she keep believing that her father is with her ? »
Anthony did not yell, but his anger was clear in his voice.
« Well I guess being brutally separated after more than one hundred and fifty years does funny things to your mind. He could perfectly be still alive somewhere though. We don't have any proof that he's dead. »
The Lieutenant answered with a suspicious look.
« We don't have any proof that he's alive either. He could also very well be one of the bodies we found back there. And then, if he survived, why didn't he come back to pick her up from the well ? »
« We arrived just after fire ended. Maybe he came back after we left… But yeah, the Task Force's been ruling the place for months, and apparently elves rarely leave their home forests even after great fires… Ah, dammit, why are we even trying ? »
« So the magic of the other world does not include divination ? »
The comment was ironic and unexpected, and the voice was giggly. There was not a doubt over who could have said it.
« Delilah ! A beer, please. » launched the apostle, sitting down next to Anthony who quickly turned his head as she sat. She was not wearing her black gothic outfit, clearly showing that she had a day off at the Gendarmerie. To be more comfortable in the colder weather, she had instead chosen small boots, a pair of jeans and a black hoodie bearing the name of a famous rock group, making her unrecognizable to anybody that did not knew her. In a way, her choice of civilian clothing reminded him of his large and bearded brother, which could only bring a smile on his face.
« Well I don't remember the telepathy part of my formation. » answered Daniella before taking another sip of her pint, trying to lighten the atmosphere.
« Anyway, continued the Lieutenant. We could just tell her the truth right in front of her, but I'm not really sure if it's a good idea. »
« Why not ? If we don't do anything, she'll probably carry it with her the rest of her life, and it's several hundred years. »
« Do you want to make her insane ? We are completely blind ! It's like… poking a bomb with a stick to see if it is going to defuse it. I don't want to take any risk… At least not until we have more information. Understood ? »
With one last sip, the medic finished her drink before standing up rather sharply.
« Understood, Lieutenant. I'll go back to the barracks, I have things to do. »
It was clear in her tone that she was not happy with keeping the status quo, but it was coming from her superior, and she had to accept it.
While she watched Daniella walking away, Rory could not help but think about the issue. In more than nine hundred and sixty years, she had encountered countless people, made hundreds of friends, and attended almost the exact same number of funerals. She had outlived dozens of generations of humans, and after the first few centuries, she had gotten used to it. But being confronted directly with Tuka's refusal to admit her father was no longer with her made her realize how much she had moved away from her humanity. Was it a curse linked to immortality ?
They both stayed silent for a few minutes, both of them deep in their own thoughts. All around them, clients started to leave, leaving behind them empty cups and a few coins for a waitress to pick up. Everything was becoming calmer around the two.
Anthony was the first to break the silence.
« I have a question. » he said in French, just like on the balcony of the inn
« Go ahead. » she replied using Molière's language.
« Why are you still here ? »
By looking at her deep red eyes, it was clear that she was clearly not understanding the meaning of the question.
« I mean you're the Apostle of the God of War, he continued. You're supposed to follow armies during great campaigns, collecting the souls of those who died on the battlefield for your lord and destroy groups of raiders. It has been four months since you arrived here, and since that army tried to attack the hill, nobody has killed anybody here. Hell, the closest thing we have to a front line is almost a hundred kilometers north, and they only shoot at piles of dirt to scare guys on the other side. So why the hell are you still here, becoming a big part of the community ? »
Rory took the time to think. It was not a question she had asked herself before, and she clearly had not expected such a deep interrogation.
« I have been walking on this ground for centuries, she started as she still thought about her words. I have seen everything that the human eye can see, visited every city and encountered many warriors, and during this time, I was always following orders from my lord. But my time is almost up, and it is like I feel the need to experience a simpler life. I have only forty years left to live like all of those that I have encountered during my long journey. »
« And so you want a place that you want to call home, huh ? »
She did not say anything, instead taking another sip of her large drink. Anthony understood this silence as an affirmative.
« Ironic… The demi-goddess of war and death and whatnot says she wants to enjoy life. » he simply commented before drinking.
« You do not know what Emroy's teachings about life and death are. Your death is just one moment of your life, and to have the most beautiful and praiseworthy death, you must live a beautiful and praiseworthy life. That is why I hunt down every bandit I encounter. My duty is to give scum the painful death they deserve. »
« A praiseworthy life… » said Anthony to himself.
Did he have a praiseworthy life ? If you asked anyone that lived in the camp, they would reply yes. He was the one who took the decision to escort Coda's villagers, he was the one that defeated the Fire Dragon, and he was the one who saved Italica. If you asked Task Force officers, they would tell you he was a good soldier that obeyed orders. If you asked the soldiers of Third Recon, they would answer that he was a nice guy that mainly took good decisions. But opinions were not limited to these groups. The general public also had its own opinion on him. He was the Hero of the Battle of Paris, the symbol of bravery against the hordes of savages from the other world, the poster boy of all the new recruitment campaigns of the Army. But he was still wondering. Was his life really as praiseworthy as some believed ? He himself was not sure. He obviously did a lot of good things, but there were many moments in his life where he cheated, fooled people for his own benefit, became violent impulsively. He felt like he was in a grey area, and that now someone up above was judging him for not only what he was doing, but also for what he had done.
He was deep in his own thoughts when his daydreaming was interrupted by Rory, loudly requesting another beer from Delilah. When the drink arrived at the table, Anthony could not help but speak up.
« You really shouldn't drink that much… »
« Come on… Just a second one. » she giggled, already putting her lips into the white foam of the beer.
« Well last time you said you'd only drink two, I had to carry you back to your place. I'm not going to do it again. »
With her feet, she poked his leg to protest the ultimatum.
« Don't be so rude… »
« That's how weird rumors start… And if one of those makes it way up to Command, then here goes my ass. »
But deep down, he could not really refuse. Having the reputation to always help people had its downsides.
« Hey ! What is going on here ? »
This call grabbed the attention of all the personnel of the inn and the few patrons that were still at their tables. It was the voice of a woman, standing near Anthony and Rory. In the middle of their discussion, they had not noticed her entering and stepping towards them. She was literally covered from head to toe by a cloak that had visibly protected her from most if not all weather conditions. Her face was completely covered, and the opening for her eyes was so dark that Anthony could barely see them.
« Huh… Can I help you ? » asked Delilah from behind the counter, her tall ears showing her confusion.
In one swift movement, she uncovered her face, revealing dark skin, silver hair and pointy ears that poked out of her.
Dark elves. Another species Anthony could tick on the list of World of Warcraft races.
For a few seconds, Anthony made contact with her golden eyes, and it made one thing very clear. Whatever her goal was, she was filled with determination.
She turned her head towards the Warrior Bunny before speaking up again with a powerful voice.
« Innkeeper ! Do you let young girls drink alcohol in your tavern ? I heard that people in this town uphold good values, yet this vile spectacle is the first thing that I encounter after arriving. »
Delilah, who had a long and tiring day of work, just stared at her, completely dumbfounded. After a few seconds, she started to laugh uncontrollably. Good values ? In a shop where people drink loads of alcohol ?
That reaction only angered the dark elf even more, and after Delilah had stopped laughing, she yelled again.
« Are you mocking me ? You are the one who gave this girl a drink ! »
As she was still looking away from him, Anthony stood up and made a step towards her, trying to appease the atmosphere.
« Please calm down. It is just one big misunderstan… »
But before he could finish his word, the elf turned around in the blink of an eye and the cold point of a sword was poking his neck. Instinctively, he backed off and pulled out his pistol that had been on his leg the entire time.
« And you ! Do not dare talk to me, human. Your outfit is telling me that you should have morals, yet it does not suit your actions. What were you planning to do with her by getting her drunk ? »
« Drop your weapon. This is not going to end well for you if you keep menacing me. »
He had not rally paid attention to what she had said, instead focusing on her position, the way she stood, how much range she had with her curved blade. Though it did not prevent him from noticing that some privates that were still in the inn rushed outside, likely to alert the Gendarmes.
« I have no orders to take from you ! The filth is visible on your face ! »
Anthony took one step backwards to get himself out of swing range. If she wanted to attack him, she would have to make one step forward. A step that would most likely be followed by one shot. Focusing even more on her, he pulled back the slide, cocking the hammer, before letting it go back into its normal position, catching and pushing one round into the chamber.
He always carried his PAMAS with him while walking around town as a tool of dissuasion. The vast majority of people who entered the village had either heard the rumors about the weapons used here or witnessed soldiers training in the open firing range along the road. Seeing a gun so close was terrifying for a lot of them, and Anthony hoped it made some think twice before doing things. However, looks was the only thing he was going for, meaning that he was travelling with an empty chamber and with only a few rounds stacked in a single magazine. And he sure hoped he would not have to use it.
« This is my second warning ! Drop the sword or I will have to use deadly force ! »
Needless to say that all the customers of The Black Halberd were looking at the scene, but the yelling had also attracted everyone that happened to be in the street at the time.
« Gendarmerie ! Coming through ! Let way ! »
The crowd split up in half, revealing two gendarmes. One of them was a regular gendarme coming from a regional brigade, wearing a bright armband with the word "Gendarmerie" written with both scriptures, while the other was Myuute, the same band around her arm. Anthony had already seen her patrolling the streets several times since they had brought her back from Italica. In a way, seeing her at that moment was making him thankful for the one who chose to bring her here. On her belt, a police baton was hanging, but the weapon she was using was a modern lightweight bow, something she knew how to use.
The sudden appearance of the two clearly destabilized the elf. It looked like she knew what would happen if she tried to escape a fight with a Siren wielding a bow. Her escape path was blocked and the fight was already lost.
« So this is how it all ends for us ? »
« Drop the sword slowly and put your hands up in the air. » ordered the gendarme, also pointing his small pistol towards her.
Her face lost all of the determination it had as she brought her arm down and let the sword fall on the ground. Myuute made a few steps towards her, grabbed her two arms, put them behind her back and linked them with cuffs.
« You are under arrest for attempting to assault a soldier of the NATO Special Region Task Force. You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law in Italica. » said the Siren as she locked the metal rings around the two hands.
The elf started to cry. It was like she had made great efforts to arrive there, and that suddenly everything was in vain.
« Are you alright, Lieutenant ? » asked the gendarme as both men put their handguns back in their holsters.
« I'm fine… Got a little scared, but I'm fine… »
« Good. I'd like to take your deposition. Can you come with me at the Gendarmerie ? »
« Yeah, give me a minute. I'll catch you up. »
The man nodded before turning around to help make a clear path through the crowd to his colleague and the newly arrested elf.
Shamefully, the latter lowered her head to hide her face as people all around were directly looking at her, some yelling what were probably insults. And there was no doubt some of those remarks were related to her species.
Anthony was still standing in the middle of the tavern that was emptying itself as bystanders followed the literal walk of shame. He turned around to face Rory, still sitting on her seat like she had not moved an inch during the whole incident. In fact, she had returned back to her drink.
« You could have said something… » he complained.
« Oh… But there was so much to watch and observe. » she simply replied, putting a now empty cup on the table.
« Watch ? What was so interesting to watch in me being threatened for no reason ? »
« Seeing if your actions are praiseworthy… »
Hello and thanks for ready chapter 26 of Gate : Opération Marteau de Justice.
First of all, a huge thank you to my friend Space Fox for beta reading this chapter.
Second of all, I want to tell that my exams are litteraly in less than a month. Until further notice, I will not be working on any of my stories (OMJ and ToDL). If things go smoothly, I'll go back to writing in two or three months and I really hope I'll be able to return to a monthly schedulde.
Also it seems a lot of you have fallen for my April's Fools joke. I was not expecting to bait so many of you with a cheap Rick Roll.
Anyway, thanks a lot and I hope you enjoyed this chapter.