Disclaimer: I don't own either of the Code Geass, Gundam Seed or Star wars franchises. This story is not written with commercial purpose in mind. I make no money from it. It is not for sale or rent.
A Black Knight Rising
Chapter 2: Uprising
=ABKR=
Part 1
15 March 2009 A.T.B.
New Birmingham Complex
Buenos Aires
Area Six
It was a nasty little ambush, I'll give that much to the bastards. It was good that we didn't properly enter the kill zone or we would have been in a heap of trouble.
That by no means meant that we were in a good position. There were at least four or five more enemy squads spread around the buildings surrounding our position and they were reasonably well armed. A lot of RPGs, LMGs and assault rifles for everyone and their little brother.
Even better for the bastards, unless we wanted to get killed, we had to liberally shoot up one of our own residential districts. It was a good thing that the Britannian government and father didn't give a fuck for such things. Usually.
The possible PR disaster, while something I did consider for a few seconds, wasn't particularly high on my list of priorities.
"Alpha move into this building," I pointed at the block behind me. "Escort Delta in. Delta set up overwatch. Prioritize RPGs and LMGs. Beta and Gamma, cover the ground access points. All remaining elements, watch the higher floors. Collateral isn't an issue people. You can cut lose." I snapped off a string of orders.
The only silver lining of the situation was that the civies finally got the note and made themselves scarce, but not before at least a dozen or so were cut down in the crossfire. The medics were tending to them, once they were free from patching up any soldier who got unlucky.
The automatic grenade launcher mounted on the rearmost APC opened up, shredding the façade of the building across the boulevard. An RPG round flew from the suppressed area, slamming in a terrace high above us. The explosion shook me and rained pieces of concrete and shattered glass all over us. Meanwhile, a few additional grenades silenced that enemy position forever.
A few seconds later, anyone who had been engaging us so far was either dead or decided to wise up and switch positions, giving us a moment of respite. That gave me enough time to retrieve the map I was carrying and consider the alternative ways of getting out of here. The reason I had chosen the current path to the base was simple, it didn't force us to cross multiple bridges and avoided all together the Lujan river. We would have swung through the suburbs and once out of the city proper I would have chosen where to cross the Parana river before heading to the base which was a short way beyond it.
That plan had the benefit of avoiding most of the dense construction in this part of the city and we wouldn't have risked being caught on a bridge before we were near our destination. Besides, all places where you could cross Parana near the base were under military control so once we reached that area we should have been safe.
That still left the little issue of actually reaching friendly territory.
I glanced at the APC carrying my family. Getting them out was the only priority at the moment. The air support should be here in just a few minutes and that would give us some more breathing room…
"Kowalski, what's the composition of the QRF?" I asked into my comm. I knew that there were at least a pair of gunships and heavy armed scouts in play. If any of them had the carry capacity to get mother and Euphie to safety, that would untie my hands.
Then again, that wasn't the safest course of action either. A MANPAD or two could turn such extraction into a disaster, unless I was in the bird too and used the Force to deal with any missile coming our way.
"Two gunships and three scouts carrying a fire-team each." The gunner slash radio man of the APC carrying my family answered after checking up with the base. "They are three mikes out."
"When they arrive I want to know if they can land a scout on one of the roofs." I told Kowalski. I wasn't going to risk one of the birds coming down to street level. That simply begged for an RPG or machine gun to ruin its day.
I made my mind about the viable exifil routes and packed up the map, then concentrated on the Force. My awareness expanded, engulfing the residential complex around us.
For a few moments I was nearly overwhelmed by the sheer number of people I could feel and had to fight to keep my focus under the constant downpour of information bombarding my mind. Yeah, remembering how something concerning the Force works apparently wasn't the same as having a first hand experience with it, even if the direct combat use came to me like a second nature when I needed them.
I had to sit down and experiment with my powers once I had the free time and a place where I would be undisturbed.
I forced my mind to concentrate on the task at hand.
Fear. Confusion. Pain. Terror. Hate. Anger. Sorrow. Determination.
The combined emotions of the civies around us and those of my soldiers washed over me. It took me some time to stop noticing my men and concentrate my attention on the upper floors of the surrounding buildings. A lot of scared and wounded people there too. Angry, furious even.
Where were the kriffing terrorists attacking us?!
I forced my mind to continue searching.
=ABKR=
"Boss, everyone still alive is in position!" Lora reported.
Nate grunted in approval and carefully glanced over the balcony of the flat they had barged in. Luckily the place was empty, sparing him any further complications.
The imperials were deployed defensively on the street, with groups of their soldiers scanning the surrounding buildings. In theory that should at least made their vehicles easier to hit, though as the short fire-fight had proved, it was rather hard to aim an RPG while under fire.
Especially when the damn oppressors didn't give a damn for the collateral damage and cheerfully shredded the façades of the buildings where the freedom fighters took cover, killing and wounding dozens of people in the process. Nate knew that this was a coup for his side, a proof of the enemy's barbarity that no one could refute, no matter the actual outcome of the fight.
It was too bad that he and his people had to pay the price for that success, along with a lot of civilians, though he believed it would be worth it in the end.
Or so Nate kept saying to himself.
"Good. Tell them to target the vehicles in both ends of the convoy. Riflemen and machine gunners will provide suppressive fire and distraction while the rest will hit them with RPGs. All ready. We strike in twenty seconds."
Lora didn't bother acknowledging the order and started relaying his instructions.
Meanwhile, Nate sent a prayer, while counting down. He needed the other cells to start raising hell before enemy reinforcements arrived here in force. That would divert the imperials, who wouldn't care about the fate of a single platoon when the whole city was on fire.
"Time's up." He muttered and leaned out of his cover, lining up a shot at one of the murderous bastards on the street and gently squeezed the trigger.
At the same time a score of rifles and LMGs opened up, restarting the fight.
=ABKR=
Part 2
15 March 2009 A.T.B.
New Birmingham Complex
Buenos Aires
Area Six
Once I had the approximate locations of the enemies in the vicinity it was time to act. I concentrated, forcing my perception to shift so it would encompass the soldiers under my command. My mind touched theirs and with a supreme act of will I temporarily connected us all.
The Force poured through me like a tidal wave borne by shattered damn. I had to fight in order to keep the connection open and poured as much energy as I dared into it. My head started pounding almost immediately. It was going to get worse with each passing moment, yet it was working. The platoon was ready to act as a single organism guided by my will. The reaction times, perception and courage of my troops sky-rocketed while all enemies around us started losing their nerve.
However, it wasn't fast enough. The insurgents chose the same moment to renew their attack. At least a score of small arms opened up, trying to pin us down. My soldiers reacted with uncanny speed, as if they were anticipating the precise moment of the coming attack as well as the enemy's location.
The Britannian troopers around me shifted their positions in a smooth, calm manner, either taking better cover or to make aiming easier, before they returned deadly accurate fire.
"Beta nine o'clock, seventh floor. Epsilon up and right. Delta, across the street, two floors down from your position. Gamma six o'clock upper floors." I snapped instruction at the speed of thought, knowing that my men would think that they'd heard them through their comms.
What should have been a coordinated attack on our position fell apart as fast as it began. Only the initial bursts from the terrorists had something resembling accuracy, cutting down three of my men. Everything shot at us after that opening salvo went wide as the enemy were either promptly shot up or suddenly lost their nerve under a wave of hopelessness and despair.
The second wave of the attack, consisting of six RPG gunners went downhill fast as only two of the insurgents were courageous enough to take aim before firing. While they were blown to bits almost immediately after showing themselves, they managed to actually fire before going down.
An RPG round blew a crater in the street next to the rearguard APC. The second rocket found its mark and detonated on top of the driver's compartment, turning two good men into so much offal. The remaining missiles detonated harmlessly, blowing up smoking holes in the middle of the boulevard. The last one shattered another part of the façade on our right, showering us with debris.
Then it was over. Whoever among the enemy was still alive, decided that discretion was the better part of valour and made themselves scarce.
I was going to have none of that and started issuing orders, sending fire-teams to clear up the origins of the latest attacks, leaving only two squads and the snipers on overwatch to cover the convoy. I was reasonably confident that by keeping up the Battle Meditation until the air support arrived, I could insure our safety even if it was going to be exhausting.
Meanwhile, my men were going to try get me a prisoner.
It was a good time that the backup should be arriving any moment now, because using Battle Meditation even on this small scale was taking its toll upon both my body and mind. It made me furious too, because it was in your face example of how much weaker in the Force I was right now than the Sith Lord whose memories I got.
You see, using this technique on small scale was rather common to both the Jedi and Sith. However, what most people could do with it was to enhance a fire-team or two. A typical Jedi Knight or comparable Sith, could influence a platoon for a few hours if they were particularly strong in the force. Someone really powerful and skilled, who didn't have a talent for this technique could lead a battalion, perhaps a regiment for a few hours.
There were just a handful of people on each side who could influence both sides on a whole front or anything but a squadron of ships in close proximity. My… predecessor used to be in the latter category, though doing so would have knocked him out of commission for at least a few days and kept him from utilizing the Force properly for a few weeks afterwards. On multiple occasions Veil used Battle Meditation on whole fleets or armies. I reluctantly admitted to myself I wasn't up to that task. Might never be up to it.
In comparison, enhancing a platoon for a few minutes made me feel like dying. My head pounded as if more than a few armoured brigades were carrying live fire exercises in my skull and my body burned with the amount of Force energy I was busy channelling in order to keep the technique running.
Hearing the approaching choppers was the best thing I've felt almost as good as holding my family again.
I grit my teeth and slowly released the Battle Meditation, because terminating the technique in any other way would have given my men a nasty mental backslash, one that was likely to incapacitate a lot of them. The Force drained out of me, scalding my nerves. I had to grit my teeth to keep from screaming in pain.
=ABKR=
A shell-shocked Nate stumbled back into the flat. He slumped against the nearest wall, while clutching his bleeding left shoulder. One moment everything was going according to plan. He had lined up the shot and squeezed the trigger. A three round burst struck the head of the Britannian he was aiming at, and the freedom fighter had grinned when he saw a red puff replacing the man's face.
Then everything went to hell. Something hot slammed into his shoulder, spinning him back and incidentally saving his life, because the place where he was just a moment ago had been shredded by HMG fire.
That wasn't the first time when Nate had been into a fire-fight. Nor the first time he was shot. Yet, this time it was quite different. No matter what the revolutionaries did, the enemy stood tall, fighting like demons! For every single oppressor who was felled, at least three good men were murdered.
Nate simply couldn't see the point of continuing fighting. It was pointless, it would be a senseless way to die. The enemy was simply too good, too well coordinated to overcome.
And just like that, the fight had gone from the cell leader. He stumbled back to his feet and made his way out. He had to get away. He wasn't dying here for no reason!
At the door, Nate nearly ran over Lora, who had her back pressed to the wall and shacking uncontrollably. The sight of his friend shook him out of his daze, making him think a bit clearly. Nate shuddered as sheer terror clawed at the back of his mind.
"LORA!" He shouted at the dazzled woman. "We need to go, now!" Nate shook her with his hale arm, leaving bloody hand-prints on her blouse.
"Whuh?" She stared at him with unseeing eyes.
Nate slapped her, hard. That at last got Lora out of her funk. She shook her head in confusion, just now seeing him.
"Nate? What happened? You're bleeding!" She exclaimed.
"No time! We need to go!" He pushed her in front of him, before applying pressure on his bleeding shoulder.
They were already running down the hall, when Nate had the presence of mind to understand that the shooting had stopped. He simply knew that the freedom fighters had lost and time was running out. That spurred the pair to sprint faster.
=ABKR=
Part 3
15 March 2009 A. T. B
New Birmingham Complex
Buenos Aires
Area Six
After my stunt with the battle meditation, everything was quiet, bar the screams of the wounded. While I still could feel the foreboding sense of danger, it wasn't as immediate as before, letting me relax for a bit… and that was something that I sorely needed at the moment.
While my actions helped break the ambush, it left me physically and mentally exhausted.
I needed a bit of time to catch my breath and it would help me if I could get my family away from this madness. While my fear for their well being helped fuel my powers, it was also distracting.
I took a deep breath. The smell of cordite, blood, fire and dust was overwhelming everything else.
Kriff this. I wasn't risking mom and Euphie through urban fighting and given what I was still sensing, that was likely to be the norm for some time.
A call later, I had redirected a couple of choppers to come over the roof of the nearest apartment building. I was getting my family out of here and would be coming back to ensure the extraction of my platoon later.
"Beta, form on me. We're escorting the VIPs to the rooftops and shipping them out on the QRF birds. The rest of you – tend to the wounded down here and keep the area secure. ROEs are nominal. Shoot first and ask questions later."
My men gave me an affirmative response.
Once Beta was in defensive positions around my family's APC, I called the security detail.
"Aegis, Green Actual, get out here. We're going for aerial extraction."
Moments later, the rear door opened and the retired sergeant glanced around. He had a SMG in his hands and was ready to shoot at any perceived threat. Vong gave me a curt nod and got out, followed by the rest of the detail and my family.
"I'm on point. Bravo with me. Vong, keep the rear." I ordered my best command voice. Then I gave a reassuring smile to mother, who looked less than pleased at the situation, but kept silent and held Euphie close to her. My sister on the other hand… I could acutely feel her terror, which made me furious. I was going to find and kill every one of the sorry bastards who had a hand in this whole fiasco.
"Johnson – you're in charge down here until I'm back or you get new orders from command." I snapped a final order, shouldered my rifle and headed to the nearest entrance. I had to keep my head reasonable clear. Letting my fury rule me right now wasn't going to end well.
The few scared people we encountered on our way up scurried out of our way when they saw us. I didn't feel anything but fear and the occasional relief when they recognized our uniforms. Nothing to suggest that we ran in one of the terrorists who attacked us.
On the other hand we passed a few areas littered with debris after doors were blown off their hinges as grenades ripped nearby apartments apart. There were wounded people throughout the building and holes from high calibre bullets.
The bastards who planned this ambush could easily spin this in the press or at least the rumour mills in their favour – something that might be a problem in the long term. However, I didn't particularly care. My mother and sister were alive and unscratched. That was all that mattered. Besides, it wasn't like either Cornelia or myself had the authority and political power to resolve whatever issues the terrorists had with Britannia. We were here to kill them all and act as a band aid for the problems of the locals.
From what my memories told me, that wasn't particularly good way to keep a population in check in the long term. However, in my current position, that wasn't something I could change. So I had to help kill as many of the trouble makers and the people supporting them as necessary to clean up this mess. Temporarily.
Ah, the joys of being part of father's vision for Britannia.
At least we reached the rooftop without accident. Once there, we got engaged removing the forest of antennas, which were going to make boarding a chopper hard.
Just in time too, because I could hear the birds approaching.
"This is Horned One, Green Actual. Confirm location. " An unfamiliar voice sounded over my comm.
"Green Actual, Hornet One. Popping smoke. We're on a roof, west side of the boulevard. You can't miss us." I spoke and lit up a signal flare, that was a standard part of everyone's kit.
"Roger that, Green Actual. We can see you. Confirm red smoke. Requesting sit rep."
"Hornet One, that's affirmative on red smoke. LZ appears to be secure for the moment. Light casualties, moderate civilian loses. Requesting pick up for VIPs and deployment of reinforcements. We'll need a lot of medics down here."
"Roger that, Green Actual. We're on final approach. Relaying sit rep to Overlord."
If I was to guess, big sis was going to be as pissed about this mess as I was. Perhaps more – after all, as the ranking Imperial officer in the Area, she was ultimately responsible for this whole clusterfuck.
I shook my head and looked around, searching for the birds. I noticed them a few moments later – they were flying low, using high buildings for cover and making it less likely to be picked by MANPADS from long range, even if that made them more vulnerable to RPG and HMG fire.
The leading helicopter I could see was a dedicated gunship – an insectoid looking flying tank armed with a chain gun, rocket pods and AT missiles. There were scout choppers loaded with troops flying in a lose line behind it. Another gunship finished the small procession.
The flying tanks flew above us, undoubtedly scanning for trouble. The leading chalk came over after we confirmed it was reasonable secure and the fie-team it carried jumped out before it could touch down. I waved mother and Euphie to follow.
"Vong, with us. The rest of the detail takes the next bird.
A few moments later, my family was strapped in and I sat next to them.
"Beta, don't get killed, that's an order. I'll be back with reinforcements once the VIPs are secured."
"That's an order we'll be glad to follow up, your highness!" The corporal in charge of the fire team saluted and waved his boys and girls back into the building a moment before we lifted up.
"You two okay?" I asked mother, while giving her an once over. While I could feel that she was unharmed, I simply needed to make sure.
"Yes." She spoke frosty and glared at me. "You could have got killed!" Mother hissed at me. Just a pointed look and simple sentence made me feel guilty.
"I'm intact! See!" I waved at myself and gave her a reassuring smile.
She didn't buy it and hugged Euphie tighter, while still glaring at me.
"Sorry." I muttered and looked around.
Fuck. There were at least half a dozen columns of black smoke rising from various locations throughout the city.
"Pilot, any idea what the hell is happening down there?" I shouted.
"Sorry, sir. All we know is that's a mess. We got reports of attacks on Knight Police stations and the nearby power station, before we lost contact with most of those locations. There was confirmed jamming at the power plant and the situation at most precincts is unknown."
"So that fucking ambush wasn't just for our benefit." That didn't reassure me in the least. Neither did lessen the anger burning in my heart. It didn't really matter why the bastards endangered my family. They were dead men walking anyway.
"ETA to the base?"
"Just a few minutes, sir."
"Good. Just be ready to go evasive if the bastards decide to bag us."
"I'm always ready, sir."
"Delkatar. Language!" Mother hissed at me and nodded at Euphie, who was looking at me with huge, tear linden eyes.
I sighed at the admonishment and gave my little sister a reassuring smile. At least I hoped it was one.
=ABKR=
Part 4
15 March 2009 A. T. B
Army base "Lancelot"
Area Six
"Hell no!" Cornelia snapped at me. "You aren't leaving this base until we've dealt with the insurgents."
Once mother and Euphie were sent to rest into the officer's quarters – under heavy guard of course, my elder sister decided to be quite unreasonable.
"Two points. This isn't the time or place for this conversation." I waved at the command centre around us and all the people who tried very hard to pretend they weren't listening. "Second, since when did I become the reasonable one?" I shook my head. "Cornelia, I can take care of myself. My place is out there with my men." I waved in the general direction of the city.
A pair of purple eyes glared at me. "I thought I lost you once – just a few damn days ago!" Cornelia uncharacteristically cursed again, leaving the manners that mother did her best to instil into us behind. "I'm not letting you go get killed."
"You have no problem sending the rest of the army in." I shot back.
"They aren't my little brother!"
"I grew up, 'Nelly. I gave my word to my men that I will be back with reinforcements. You won't make a liar of me." I stated coldly and stared her back.
Something in my eyes made her flinch back.
"You've really changed, haven't you?" My sister muttered. "Get out and try not to get killed." Cornelia hissed.
I snapped a salute and made my way out. Well, that was a little disaster – we just gave more than enough fuel for the rumour mill and this was likely going to hit the army's morale and confidence sooner than later.
Kriff it, I should have handled it better! Cornelia too for that matter, yet…
Once I was out of the command centre, I leaned on the wall and closed my eyes as unbidden memories rushed into my head. Strictly speaking, Cornelia shouldn't be a general any time soon. She might have decent officer training and bit of experience, yet otherwise her only qualification was her birthright and title.
My sister wasn't ready for such a command – not when family and a situation needing some finesse to handle were concerned. Considering what was happening lately, I couldn't help it but think that this whole mess was a set up.
Then there was me – what I just did was little more than undermining Cornelia's authority in front of her senior officers – kriffing well done damn it. Hel.
I took a deep breath. Hopefully my sister could handle the fallout well enough. Considering our respective stations and ranks, there was no good way to immediately fix my fuck up. What I could do was to make sure my platoon was all right and cement my credentials with the common troops as someone who sees them as valuable – not just cannon fodder or a simple stepping stone.
I straightened up and headed for the airfield.
"Lieutenant." A less than amused voice came from behind.
I turned around and saw my sister's knight hurrying after me. So Cornelia wasn't pissed enough not to care if I got myself killed. That made me feel warm inside.
"Sir Guilford. Babysitting detail?"
The older man glared at me.
"I'm aware I fucked up back there." I shrugged and continued walking towards the waiting choppers.
"Are you really?" The knight snipped back.
"Undermining my sister's authority in front of her officers counts I think."
"Then why did you do it?" Guilford asked.
"Various reasons. Not being accustomed to following orders that weren't really thought through sure did help." I muttered. Well, actually I was accustomed to doing so before receiving the memories of someone who had been at the top of the food chain for a long, long time.
That was getting bloody confusing.
"You left basic and OCS not too long ago." Guilford shot back in disbelief.
"That's not the case as far as my alter ego is concerned." I whispered after making sure that no one was in hearing range. "It makes things difficult."
"Ah. Troublesome." That was the understatement of the century.
"You don't know the half of it." I grumbled.
"Will there be issues?" The knight asked.
"I can't promise anything. Not without spending some quiet time to sort out my head. Unfortunately that might not be an option any time soon." Kriff it, I hated meditation, even if some was warranted in this case.
"Then make the time." Guilford ordered. The "or else" left unsaid.
"It's on my to do list." It just wasn't anywhere near the top.
A few moments later we reached the airfield. Four transport helicopters flanked by a pair of gunships were waiting for us. The transports were loaded with a platoon kitted for urban warfare.
A fully armoured man with lieutenant bars on the shoulders hurried our way when he saw us approach and saluted.
"Sirs! Lieutenant Frank March, awaiting orders."
"At ease. We're to reinforce my platoon at the New Birmingham complex and secure the area. Once we're sure all insurgents are eliminated, we'll be moving at and eliminating various trouble spots around the city until the current unpleasantries are resolved. Try minimizing civilian casualties when practical, but don't place undue risk to yourself or your men."
"Understood, sir."
"Someone find me an up to date map of the city including areas under enemy control or attack." I added.
"I'll see to it."
A moment later I climbed into the nearest chopper with a free seat and strapped myself in. A bit of shuffling ensured and Guilford was seated next to me.
As the helicopter lifted, I couldn't shake the feeling that I was doing something wrong. That I was overlooking something important.
It wouldn't be until some time later that it would dawn on me – I was thinking and reacting like a relatively new lieutenant – failing to see the big picture for the trees and not using my new memories of someone who had been a quite successful general for a long, long time.
In hindsight perhaps there wasn't much I could do at that point. Despite the memories, I was still myself… more or less. I didn't suddenly turn into a tactical or strategic genius who could leverage experience into doing what's best given the information I had at the time.
=ABKR=
Part 5
17 March 2009 A. T. B
Army base "Lancelot"
Area Six
I was back into the base two days later, with what was left of my temporarily command.
I knew it intellectually, my new still distant memories told it straight, yet in the end I was surprised how much hel city fighting could be. Actually experiencing two days of city fighting… I shuddered despite the hot shower I was talking.
Proving myself. Not abandoning my platoon to earn myself the respect of the rank and file troopers.
That sounded like great ideas. Probably were in the long term.
Right now, I didn't feel like it. It didn't help that in few engagements, Guilford had to drag me back behind cover, because in the heat of combat I forgot myself as memories of half-forgotten battlefields' galaxy away surfaced. I felt that I could simply disregard a burst or two of small arms fire – let my not-existing shields and armor take the punishment.
Only Cornelia's knight, a bit of Force fuckery and once the armor plate over my chest kept me more or less intact.
After the last incident, Guilford called my elder sister and got us pulled back - officially so the platoon can consolidate and get some rest. Actually it was a good call – we've lost almost half our numbers in dead, wounded or leaving two fire-teams to protect two important locations we secured.
That's how I ended in a room of my own next to Cornelia's suite – taking a shower, while Guilford and Sergeant McGraaf were informing 'Nelly of my exploits. I had the feeling that she wouldn't be too pleased with me, but for the moment I didn't really care.
This was the first time I actually stopped to think since the latest unpleasantries began. Ever since the attack on the convoy, I've been reacting. No real plan, but improvisation drawn upon my training and new memories. I'm pretty sure it worked reasonably well in the beginning – after all Mum and Euphie are safe and sound and that's the most important thing – but afterwards? On the face of it, I did my job – I'm a bloody lieutenant, not an experienced and seasoned officer. Running a platoon and not getting my people needlessly killed was what everyone should be expecting of someone in my position. That much I did. While there were casualties, I don't believe any one of them were wasted because I fucked up.
However, I'm a bloody prince – so the expectations are quite bit higher. Then there're my memories and the Force.
They were the problem – a double edged sword. The one thing I couldn't afford any time soon is to get too obvious with the latter. My control and raw power were far from what I would need to survive and keep my family safe.
Then we're back to my bloody memories. I know I should be glad for the way that woman, or whatever she was, put them in my head. If she did it another way, they sheer amount of information might have either burned out my brain, shattered my mind or potentially worse – replaced my personality with that of a someone who didn't give a fuck for anyone on this world.
What terrified me was what happened during a few of the fire-fights. It was almost surreal. I'm not sure how to put it into words. There were moments where I wasn't exactly myself. It was as if I was merged with and echo of that man – Veil. I was reacting as if I was him facing the insurgents.
I shuddered as a chill ran through by flesh despite the hot water cascading all over me.
I needed to leverage my memories and help Cornelia wrap up this mess ASAP so I could get some time to sort out my head, because I had the nagging suspicion that if I fucked up with my memories and the Force I might be the greater danger to my family.
=ABKR=
Once I was done showering and making myself presentable, with a side of ravaging a MRE, I went to meet Cornelia. She was waiting for me in her office next to the command centre, where Colonel Dalton was coordinating the clean up of Buenos Aires. He had been out on manoeuvres until yesterday and missed a lot of the excitement along with a whole regiment of my sister's army. That probably explained the timing of the attacks at least in part.
I closed the door behind me and stood at attention.
'Nelly let me stew for a few minutes, while she made a show of reading a report. I'm pretty sure she did it to calm herself down before dealing with me – I could feel her delicious fury through the Force, her fear too. The fact that I enjoyed that she experienced those emotions was quite disturbing. Part of me wondered if I needed a shrink, while my memories told me that this was normal for a Sith and I should be able to get accustomed to it.
Or go at least as insane as Bradley, the brand new Knight of Ten.
Considering that he was a bloodthirsty maniac by even Imperial standards, that should tell you something.
"Delkatar." 'Nelly sighed and put the report down. "Are you trying to give me a heart-attack or something?" My sister gave me a tired look.
I don't think 'Nelly has slept since we got drunk the night before mum and Euphie arrived and I came clean with her. I had the Force to rejuvenate myself and cheat as far as endurance go, but Cornelia was just flesh and blood.
"That's the last thing I want, 'sister." I sighed.
"Don't Nelly me! You almost got killed five times!" My sister snapped.
Actually, they were just two times, I think. I had the Force wrapped as a shield around me for the other incidents. At least I was pretty sure that was the case, though I didn't say that aloud.
"Sorry?"
Cornelia glared at me. Her arm moved and a moment later the report was flying at my face. I acted on instinct and snapped up my hand. The Force responded and the paper froze in front of my face.
'Nelly shook her head at the sight and slumped back in her chair.
I cringed and snatched the report from where it was hovering, then I glanced at the windows. Thankfully, they were covered or I would be in much more trouble.
"What am I going to do with you, brother?" 'Nelly sighed.
I could sense her worry and fear of losing me – it was literally leaking from her person. Fuck. Serving under her, until I rose up in rank and didn't have to go gallivanting on the front lines would be hell for both of us. Yet with my abilities, I was too useful in combat to afford not to lead from the front.
In another military, there actually would be regulations against it or at least it would be discouraged. However, this was Britannia – we were all expected to tough it off and deal with it. Besides, in certain circles sending a sibling to die in battle could be considered a feature, not bug in the system – see our extended family for reference. To be fair, there were regulations preventing close relatives serving in the same chain of command – if they were commoners.
"Unless you have a better idea, we'll have to tough it off until I'm able to raise up in the ranks without our enemies accusing us of nepotism." Unfortunately I didn't have a better idea. Not short term one at least.
"That's it?" 'Nelly asked. "Don't you have something more?" She tapped the side of her head.
"Nothing that I would risk for the time being." I explained that my new memories were giving me issues.
"No front-line deployments until your head is straight. That's an order!" Cornelia snapped in her command voice. For a moment there was no sign of my loving sister on her face and I saw the general who earned herself command of her army.
"Yes sir." I snapped at attention at her tone. So my West Point gained reflexes were still well and very much alive.
"That said, do you recall anything useful in such a situation?" 'Nelly asked.
"The uprising?" I asked and my sister nodded. "Secure the area and get prisoners when practical. If any leader types are located, their capture should be a primary objective. We need Intel. From what I saw, there was at least a battalion or so spread through the city. Moving so many people and equipment should have raised many red flags to the Intel types."
"Yes. I've got people looking into it." 'Nelly snarled.
I was pretty pissed off at that too – this whole mess stank of a set up. One that directly threatened my family.
For that people were going to die. Screaming.
I shook my head at that thought. That was what Veil – the bloody Sith – would do… and I couldn't help but agree.
"You all right, brother?"
"Fine. Just a memory. Once the immediate threat is dealt with, we'll need to address three main issues. First, find and dry up the terrorists sources of finance. Operation of this size isn't cheap. Someone financed it and they need to be dealt with before they can cause any more trouble."
"Follow the money." My sister smiled. "Good start. What else?"
I suddenly felt like a schoolboy during an exam – one I didn't dare fuck up.
"Source of the equipment. It might just be the usual – black arms dealers. Still, there was a lot of hardware and it had to be shipped in the Area, then into the city and distributed without anyone being the wiser. Even if our Intel service is compromised – which is probably a given, what about police, Hel ordinary civilians seeing and reporting something? We both know how much hardware is needed to outfit hundreds of fighters and most of those bastards had much more than a rifle and couple of mags."
"Yes, enemy logistics. Sorting that out will be a mess too after the trashing Buenos Aires got. Still, we need to plug their channels of supply. What else?" 'Nelly's lips twitched in what might have been the beginning of a smile.
I'm pretty sure it was – she practically radiated her approval.
"Call it what you will – propaganda, hearts and minds, whatever. It's about denying enemy additional manpower. Shrinking their recruitment base."
"How would you do that?" My sister asked.
"First, find what the people in the area want. Depending on what it is, either discredit it or provide it to them if practical. Make sure that the terrorists are seen as what they are – murderous criminals instead of freedom fighters or something like that. Keep pointing out and when practical proving that we're the 'good guys' who're here to protect the population. That we aren't the enemy. Etc… At the same time hunt down the actual terrorists, though when practical avoid excessive collateral damage so we don't provide propaganda victory for the enemy."
"Interesting. I prefer more hands on approach – kill the bastards and their supporters. Make an example of them so no one dares to join their cause."
"That works too – if handled properly. Especially against hostile populations. We're in one of the oldest Areas of the Empire and most of those people are supposed to be our own citizens, a heavy handed approach might backfire – especially politically. I won't be surprised if we're being set up for a similar scenario. Even winning while killing too many of our subjects can be used against us."
"You didn't learn that in the academy." 'Nelly pointed out. She should know – my sister graduated with full honours as one of the best brand new officers to walk out of the Point.
"I could remember dealing with insurgencies. It was often… messy." By damned Sith standards. Most of those memories didn't really apply to the situation – quite different circumstances. At least I could use my memories on what not to do in this case.
Though, there might be a few useful memories, even if I got it right, the Sith Empire's Intel service was actually helpful and not the enemy when Veil had to deal with similar shite.
I blinked in confusion. Huh. I could recall that accident quite easy. Those dissidents on Dromund Kaas and that other mess…
"Delkatar! Are you all right?" 'Nelly asked.
I blinked owlishly at her. She had stood up and was giving me a concerned look.
"I'm not sure." I answered honestly. "When I though about dealing with insurgents, dissidents and radicals – there were some memories that came to the surface. At least a few were useful, but I'll need a bit of time to process them. However, all of them actually included helpful and competent Intel apparatus. I can't say the same for ours in the Area."
"You need some rest." 'Nelly walked around her desk and came to place a reassuring hand on my shoulder.
"Sure. I won't say no to some shut-eye. Ah. We should check on whoever survived from the Knight Police. Any investigators who made it might be useful. If we have any in the MP too…"
"First we'll have to finish cleaning up house." Cornelia interrupted me.
"And you're already dealing with it."
"Delegation."
"Combined with competent subordinates, that's probably one of the best things when you're general." I nodded sagely.
"Go sleep." 'Nelly ordered.
=ABKR=
Part 6
18 March 2009 A. T. B
Army base "Lancelot"
Area Six
When I awoke, it took me a few moments to remember where the Hel I was. At least the reasonably soft bed below me helped in that regard – it was a far cry from coming up after a short doze off while tied up into a wooden cage in the jungle. I was pretty sure that if not for Veil's memories slowly integrating with mine, I would have been much worse off after my African holiday and the more recent fighting in the city.
That was something to be thankful for at least – instead of a nervous wreck I was simply physically weary after the abuse I heaped upon my body.
On the other hand, I had pretty good idea what kinds of memories would become mine so to speak sooner rather than later and those were some nightmares I simply didn't need. Damn it, I had to find the time to sort up my mind before something went utterly wrong… Well, there was no time like the present, besides I was supposed to be napping still. So I closed my eyes, relaxed and began meditating.
For a short while, I left myself simply feel the Force all around me.
It was soothing. While no one would accuse Earth having its affairs in order or being particularly peaceful or nice place to live if you consider the world as a whole, there were merely five billion or so people on the planet. Even with Britannia's excesses, not to mention the "fun" that was the Chinese federation, the Middle East or large parts of Africa, this planet felt much more calm in the Force than the densely populated worlds that Veil had spent a lot of time on.
When all was said and done, even a war torn Earth with a population of single digit billions would be much more peaceful than a city world like Coruscant with its countless trillions on its best day.
That was an unexpected boon. I wasn't entirely confident I was ready to deal with a more chaotic or Dark Side aligned Force. Most of what I could do was more or less instinctual – I've been using the Force without really thinking about how exactly I did it by subconsciously drawing on Veil's memories.
It even worked rather well, if you discount the few close calls. However, that wasn't something I could continue doing – my luck was going to run off sooner rather than later and I would get myself killed unless I mastered my new abilities as soon as possible.
I concentrated and remembered doing so before – on Korriban and later as a minion of a Sith Lord who sent Veil to hunt Sith Acolytes gone bad. Hopefully, it would take me much less time to… learn? Relearn? Eh, to master the Force again.
Well, I knew how to do it, I just had to make the time. That however required that the current unpleasantries to be resolved and I needed to help Cornelia do by leverageing my gifts. Doing so was going to save some time and prove that I knew what the hell I was doing – something vital for a LT like me.
Damn, so much for meditating – just a few minutes and my mind began drifting. Eh. Veil wasn't very good with meditation either…
Instead of practically wasting any more time, I concentrated on the Force and began rebuilding my mental defences. While I didn't expect to meet another Force Adept who could fuck up with my mind, properly crafting my mental shields had other benefits too – it enhanced my memory and allowed for operation longer periods of time before fatigue started affecting my judgement. Hopefully, that would help with Veil's memories and if I was really lucky it would give me a measure of protection against head screwing geass types.
The latter was a long shot and not something I would be counting on if I had a choice. The former however was vital.
=ABKR=
My meditation session came to an abrupt end couple of hours later when the door to the small bedroom I was resting in was thrown open and a pink missile homed on my location.
"DELKATAR!" Euphie screamed joyfully and sprinted at me.
I was deep enough in my mind that I didn't sense my sister before she was inside and all I could do was brace myself just in time to receive the small bundle of joy when she jumped on my stomach, driving the air out of my lungs.
"Ahh… Euphie! We've talked about this, haven't we?" I grunted and picked up my little sister before she could plant her knees in my gut in her excitement.
Euphie giggled and hugged me, disregarding my scolding. Again.
I sighed and rubbed her hair. My sister wasn't paying any attention and instead, she was trying to hug the life out of me and babbling almost too fast to follow.
"Yes, I'm here and I won't be disappearing again." I promised.
It left unsaid that if it wasn't for the deal I made in Africa I would have died there. From what little Veil knew of this world, Cornelia and Euphie didn't have a full blooded sibling by the time the invasion of Japan happened. The fact that I should have died a week or so ago wasn't something I wanted to dwell upon.
Instead, I chose to focus on the present and the future – and be glad that I had a chance to experience them both.
"You're awake, I see." Mother glided in the room and smiled at us.
"Obviously." I deadpanned, starring at her outfit.
Mom was wearing a royal purple vest and trousers that simply screamed Cornelia. It was a far cry from the ornate gowns and dresses she usually preferred, though in hindsight it was to be expected. We didn't pick up any baggage from the plane and any mother's party had been probably still stuck at the airport and would remain so until the city was secured.
"Don't give me that, young man." Mom frowned.
I gave her my best innocent look, which was promptly ignored. So I tried deflection instead.
"You look just like Cornelia in this." I waved at her outfit. It was the truth too – Mom was a splitting image of what my older sister would look in a decade or two, which was damn beautiful… Even if I would never know how the women in the family got purple or pink hair – naturally at that. I remember grandmother having pink if mostly grey locks just a shade darker than Euphie's.
"When you joined the army I didn't expect you to do your best to try get yourself killed." Mother glared at me, completely ignoring my attempt to keep the conversation light.
"I didn't..." I trailed off when she levelled a look at me that made me feel like a little boy. Damn it, how did Mom do it every time she was peeved with me?
"It wasn't enough that we thought you dead for days and then, just as we saw you were all right, you couldn't wait to go out there!" Mother waved a hand, obviously meaning my escapades in the city.
"As you see I'm all right. Mom, I know what I'm doing!" I exclaimed.
Not really. Not until I would succeed in straightening up my head, but she didn't need to know that…
"Uh-huh. Try again." Mom huffed. She sighed and sat on the bed next to us before drawing us in a hug. "I can't lose you again, Delkatar." Mother whispered.
"If I have a say in it, you won't." That at least was the truth. I would do whatever it took to keep my family safe… and if what little I knew of the future to come, I would have my hands full.
"I'll hold you up to that promise. Now get up and make yourself presentable." Mother released us from her death grip and ordered in a tone brooking no argument. "We'll be having a family breakfast before Cornelia tries to send you in harm's way again."
I wisely declined to correct Mom and point out that heading out after she and Euphie were delivered safe and sound was my own idea. Once she figured it out, I wouldn't be able to hear the end of it. Preferably that wouldn't happen before I would be at least a continent away from Mom, unfortunately I had the sneaking suspicion that 'Nelly would be throwing me to the wolves shortly.
"Yes, sir!" I mock saluted. Then I glanced at Euphie who obviously had no intention of letting me go. "A bit of help here?" I asked Mother.
"You're a trained Britannian officer. You can deal with her." Mom snorted softly.
"Euphie, let go." I sighed.
My little sister shook her head and hugged me more tightly. Mom just watched the show with eyes sparkling in amusement.
=ABKR=
Once shower and clean change of clothes made me look more or less presentable, I went out. One of the guards gave me directions to Cornelia's suite, which was in a nearby building that doubled as a governor's secondary residence and officer's quarters. I probably should have found a room there instead of crashing in one of the small bedrooms packed up in the command centre so whoever was in command could take a wink or two when things got hectic and they had to be near to the base's nerve centre at all times. I had the sneaking suspicion that the beds where Cornelia and her retinue slept would have been more comfortable – a luxury I've almost forgotten ever since basic started.
A wry smile appeared on my face. That among other things was a transition that took some time to get used to. It was primary thanks to sergeant Vong's training that I managed to complete the Point with such a high scores – otherwise, I would have wasted too much time getting accustomed to the military lifestyle and lack of creature comforts. After all, being raised as a pampered Britannian prince really doesn't prepare you for the real world unless someone takes steps to make sure you are ready. To be fair, that wasn't something that really concerned most of my siblings, though anyone who wanted to make his mark in the army was in for a rude surprise.
Speaking about luxury – on the outside the officer quarters didn't look like much. Just a six story reinforced concrete building that could survive some light shelling. The inside was something else – a reflection that Area Six had been in our hands for a long time. The entrance looked reasonably modern – all metal, tiles and guards. Beyond that however… I had the sense that I've stepped in one of Pendragon's many clubs catering for the nobility, something that made sense. At the time this place had been furnished, most officers probably were nobles – something that had been changing in the last forty or so years as the military expanded in order to meet Britannia's needs.
Hell, even the hallways were covered with thick, expensive carpets and the walls had expensive looking wooden panelling.
It wouldn't surprise me if Cornelia's suite would be fit for the Emperor himself even if father wasn't one to particularly care about such things beyond what was expected from someone who had clawed his way up to the top. Especially nowadays when he was letting more and more of the running of the Empire to my siblings.
Yep, 'Nelly's suite didn't disappoint. It wasn't as ostentatious as our home, but it was hard to tell the difference – the place resembled more of a museum with modern conveniences added than anything else. From the ebony and mahogany on the walls, to the thick velvet curtains, rich Persian carpets, hand carved furniture… I shook my head. That place had obviously had been a governor's residence for not an insignificant amount of time when it was built or whoever furnished it had been written a blank check and told to go wild.
At least it was tasteful, not like some noble homes I've seen in Pendragon. There were a few places that almost made me claw at my eyes after going inside.
"I like your new digs, 'Nelly!" I waved cheerfully at my elder sister, who was sitting around a coffee table covered up with snacks.
Next to her, Euphie waved back and grinned around a muffin, earning herself a scolding from Mother for displaying manners un-befitting a lady.
"At least you don't look like a ruffian." Mom scowled at my fatigues once she was done chastising my little sister.
I sighed. She was never going to get over my teenage rebellion phase – even if it lasted just a couple of weeks before I was dissuaded from it by being given to Vong to shape me up. Those were "fun" few months.
I sat across the table from Cornelia and with a practiced ease went for the pot of hot coffee, leaving all the tea to Mom and Euphie. That earned me another frown. Apparently, young ladies and gentlemen like me were supposed to live on tea instead of coffee. Don't get me wrong, I did love cuppa, but after starting the Point I practically lived on the black gold and I don't mean petrol.
As far as Mom was concerned, the academy had corrupted her two eldest children and she was determined that at least Euphie would remain a proper lady. That reminded me that my poor little sister was left with all of Mother's attention ever since I followed into 'Nelly's footsteps and left home for the military. I probably should make up for that before Euphie turned into a typical Britannian noble lady – not something I wanted to think about.
We all loved Mom, but some time she was just impossible with her fixation on making us all into proper nobles.
"Del, are you with us?" Cornelia glared at me.
I looked up from my coffee. Huh. My mind had drifted and I wasn't paying attention. I obviously needed some more time to either sleep or meditate, preferably both.
"I'm still awakening." I nodded at the cup in my hands. "I'm not really up before my first coffee for the day." I drank a mouthful of the hot liquid and sighed in content. It was the best stuff – produced in this very Area in fact.
"Your fascination with that awful liquid is simply disgusting." Mom sighed, finally leaving the noble propriety behind and relaxing on the couch.
"Look at it from the bright side – that's way all the best tea's left for you and Euphie." I countered.
"There are servants, orderlies or whatever the help's called around here to make more." Mom snipped back.
'Nelly shook her head and a fond smile tugged her lips.
"Orderlies." Cornelia took a sip of her own coffee, sighed in content and looked sharply at Mother. "While I would love nothing more than a quiet family breakfast and a bit of time to relax, I simply don't have the time for it." My older sister sighed. She glanced at her watch – a gift from me I gave her when she graduated the Point. It was water and impact resistant, something that she probably found useful. "Mother, where exactly do we stand. My information about our allies in Pendragon is fragmented at best and mostly conjecture."
Mom pursed her lips and for a moment looked all her fifty years.
"Politically? Right now we're ruined. What friends we had been either destroyed, exiled or wouldn't acknowledge we exist in order to protect themselves. The same goes for everyone else who supported Marianne. A few of the more enterprising ones might rebuild their power bases but that would take years and most of them would have to start in the areas or even abroad to have any chance. For the foreseeable future, Pendragon is hostile to our family." Mother succinctly explained our political situation and didn't hide her displeasure with the mess.
"We though as much." 'Nelly nodded at me.
"That helps explain this mess. It's likely a set up, though we can use that." I added, trying to channel my new memories into something useful. "Our Intel services either dropped the ball badly or were ordered to look the other way while this whole fiasco was set up."
"You want to go after them." Cornelia summarized.
"It's not like we can trust them after they left us all hanging. The same goes for a lot of the local police and government." I shrugged.
"Those are more or less the same conclusions my staff and I reached." 'Nelly nodded. "We have a few military intelligence types we'll be using. By we, I mean you." Cornelia gave me a cheerful smile. "I understand you're uniquely qualified to head up cleaning up that particular viper's nest. I'll even throw in an incentive – you're getting brevetted to a captain and I might even let you keep the rank permanently if you get the job done without getting into too much trouble."
"No going out to be shot at?" Mom gave my big sister a pointed look.
"Nope. He'll have people for that." Cornelia grinned at me. "It's a staff position and most of his work will be on base anyway." She added.
Was that a punishment for going out with my platoon after retrieving our family or just the reward for a job well done? I certainly couldn't tell the difference.
Yet… Veil had dealt with similar messes and worse. Besides, I had the Force and could and would cheat. Plus, we needed to figure out if what we faced in the last few days was all the insurrectionists had to throw at us or just an appetizer for things to come. Someone in the intelligence apparatus in Area Six had to know what the hell was happening here.
"Good." Mom relaxed. "I trust that between you two the local unpleasantries will be promptly resolved so we could concentrate on the important issue – restoring our family's reputation and power."
"Step one is securing Area Six and making sure that no one in their right mind is going to pull of another such stunt." I grumbled. The fucks went after my family and I would be dealing with whoever was behind this little show personally. If I ever got my hands on them I would show them why a whole galaxy was terrified by the Sith.
"You do that. Once it's reasonably safe, we should start making connections and alliances among the local nobility and lesser power players. Those who didn't inconveniently got themselves killed that is." Mom smiled. "As for the rest – a death or two could be useful during a hostile takeover."
Sometimes even I forget that below the mellow and typical noble lady mask Mother usually wore, she hid a keen mind and a lot of ruthlessness. That was one of the chief reasons why our family's star rose when she took the reins of power from grandmother shortly before Cornelia was born.
It was just too bad that some times Mom had skewed priorities… Yep. She was frowning at my fatigues again. It wasn't like I could be out in the field into something that 'Nelly cheerfully wore around the base. Besides, while purple and pink did suit the females in the family, it simply wasn't my colour.
"Manufacturing as well as R&D." I looked at Cornelia, hoping that she would get my meaning. My sister stared back and raised an eyebrow.
I gave her a sharp nod and saw a sharp smile forming on her face.
"That would be for the best." 'Nelly nodded. "We could use some local procured supplies and equipment as well as some modifications we have in mind." She returned my nod.
"Can't really trust receiving proper supply from the Mainland?" Mother asked. She groaned. "Of course not. Even if it isn't official, someone would probably try messing with us to cure favour with the powers that be in Pendragon. I'll see what I can do. Exactly what powers you have in this Area dear?" A shark like grin appeared on Mom's face, one matched by Cornelia.
I had the feeling that a lot of people in Pendragon would rue the day when they fucked us over and didn't succeed removing us from the playing board.
I finished my coffee and closed my eyes savouring the taste. If, or rather when Mom was able to procure some manufacturing and research assets I had ideas. While a lot of what Veil was familiar with tech wise was a long, long time away even with the best funding and minds at it, there were still many things that went from mere upgrades up to game changers that should be achievable in a reasonable amount of time.
In his time in that other galaxy, or was it a dimension, my namesake had picked up a lot of things.
I shook my head. My dreams of introducing better tech would have to wait. Eat first, then deal with the spooks.
With that thought I fell on the snacks, earning myself scolding from Mom for eating like a pig.
=ABKR=
Safe house
Buenos Aires
Area Six
"Damn it Nate, stay still!" Lora hissed at her boss.
Said man was laying on the dinning table and too engaged biting into a wooden spoon to answer with anything more intelligible than painted grunts and moans.
"You're damn lucky, you know that?" The woman glared at the man she was treating. "If this was machine gun round, you might have lost the arm."
Lora frowned and continued cleaning up the wound using alcohol. She was pretty sure that her boss had gotten very lucky to be tagged into the shoulder instead the head or chest by that damn Britannian sniper. She was too for that matter – because, the higher floor positions like theirs were taken out primary by auto-cannon and grenade launcher fire – something none of them would have survived. The close miss that ravaged the terrace was bad enough.
"That's it." Lora sighed. "Now I just need to sew you up and bandage the wound." And apply more alcohol to hopefully keep any infections at bay, but she didn't add that aloud. It was a miracle that Nate hadn't lost too much blood until they could sneak into a safe-house unobserved. That's on top of reaching it while the Britannians and the rest of the freedom fighters were too busy tearing each other apart all over the city.
"Good." Nate removed the spoon. "That's nastier than my grandfather's moonshine." He nodded at the medical proof rot-gut Lora was using.
"I wouldn't know. What do we do now?" She asked.
Nate looked around, finally paying attention to their surroundings. The safe house appeared to be an ordinary middle class house on the outskirts of the city. Reaching it and getting in unobserved in the middle of the night hadn't been fun, much less with him almost high on painkillers and stimulants.
"We need information. The fighting has been dying out in the last few hours..." Even someone in his condition couldn't help but notice the fire-fights and explosions becoming less and less frequent.
"It would be easy to figure out the Britannian's version." Lora nodded at a small TV on the kitchen's counter.
Nate snorted. "I can already imagine it. Even if we had managed to kick them out of Brazil, they would hail it as a victory, the Imperialist bastards."
"That would be too much for even them, I reckon." Lora smiled for the first time since everything went to hell.
"True, true. We'll need to speak with the Coordinator and seek new orders as well as information on how successful the strikes were." Nate frowned.
"I have my doubts." Laura whispered as she picked up a needle and started carefully sewing up Nate's wound. "After the Britannians found us..." She trailed off.
"That was at least a mech platoon, military obviously and not the police. We have a leak somewhere." Nate winced as the needle went through a particularly tender spot. "Not surprising. We're too big an operation for to keep everything quiet."
"Stay still. This isn't exactly easy you know." Lora glared at the fidgeting man.
"I don't need to prove my masculinity to anyone." Nate grumbled.
"What masculinity, you big baby?"