A.N. For those who don't know this is a continuation of chapter 10.
Chapter 11
Control Room
Claus typed away at his keyboard, a message came up saying 'automated launch completed.' Claus then grinned in victory and said, "Yes, finally!" His victory was short lived as another message came up saying 'error, Alexander charging systems malfunction.'
"Dammit," sneered Claus. He continued to type and brought up the progress of the drones and the survivors. Ryo, Akito, Leila, and Ayano had converged on the entrance to the lower levels, however Yukiya was missing. Claus sighed as he knew that Ryo would not have abandoned his friend without reason. He saw Ryo shake his head and the heads of all present at the entrance dropped and he could see tears falling down Leila and Ayano's faces.
He opened a communication link to the group and said, "alright, get down to the Alexander pod bay. The troops down hear shouldn't bother you, there's an open path to the bay. Move!" Another message came up on the screen, 'back up files uploaded to Alexander.' "Well, this might work after all," said Claus.
Banging came from the door followed by a shouting voice saying, "open up in there, in the name of Napolean Macheval, open up."
Claus snickered, "like hell, I'll open up for you bastards. You'll just have to come in and get me!" After word he gazed down at the three pistol magazines just above the keyboard, and his pistol next to the keyboard.
Major Hammel's Position- A few minutes earlier
Hammel didn't know how many Guards he had killed, every time he downed one the body was dragged away to make room for the next. The walls were pocked mark by bullets and shrapnel, singe marks from grenades covered the floor, walls, and ceiling. He broke cover and emptied the remains of his pistol into two Guards that tried to charge his position. They dropped to the floor with muffled thumps, and a hail of bullets passed above the corpses seeking Hammel. Taking cover again just as the rounds passed him by, he ejected the spent clip and reached for another. He paused as he pulled out his last magazine, he sneered and thrust the clip into his gun, thumbed the safety and peered from his cover.
He saw the Guards creeping up the hall towards him, pulling back Hammel reached into his coat with his left hand and withdrew a large combat knife. He held the serrated blade in a back hand position, and the pistol in his right. He peeked around his cover again and saw the Guards growing ever closer. Pulling back again he took several deep breaths and offered a silent prayer that his actions would not be in vain.
He broke cover and began to sprint down the hall, as he came into view of the Guards he fired two shots from his pistol. The rounds blew to Guards heads off, the sudden attack and the death of two guards stopped the rest in their tracks. There pause gave Hammel the time to close the distance, in a back hand slash he sliced the throat of one guard, and fired another round into the head of another guard.
The Guards snapped out of their stupors and tried to raise their guns, Hammel twirled around kicking a Guards gun just before it fired. The gun released a stream of bullets as it and its holder were turned around by the force of the kick. As the Guard twirled his fire collided with another Guard beside him, Hammel brought down his knife into the gap between the Guard's neck and shoulder. Blood spurted from the wound staining the wall, and coating Hammel's uniform.
As the Guard fell Hammel leapt over the corpse and brought the butt of the gun into the nose of the next Guard. The nose bone was driven back into the soldier's brain, Hammel, in an instant, brought his pistol to bear on another Guard killing him with a round. Switching the knife's position Hammel brought the knife up into another Guards lower jaw.
Hammel then turned his gaze toward the rest of the Guards, he saw them slightly farther ahead of him than the former Guards. He raised his pistol and unleashed a fusillade of bullets, blood spurted from the bullet holes of the Guards. Suddenly a separate sound of gunfire joined the sound of Hammel's pistol, for a second siring pain came from his chest just before his head jerked back as a bullet passed through his forehead. His body fell back joining with the corpses of the Guards he had killed, his own body make a muffled thump as it struck the hard ground, as he lay there the Guards passed over him.
Alexander Bay
Akito and his group entered the bay, Akito and Ryo had their rifles raised ready for any surprises. As the two males scouted the bay Leila closed the door and locked the door and quickly scrambled the unlocking codes.
"Alright Claus," said Leila into her communicator. "We've made it to the bay, know what."
"Right," replied Claus. "I've activated the 'automated launch systems' for 'Apollo's Chariot.' However the Alexander charging systems have malfunctioned, what time for faulty equipment. Anyway get into your pilot pods and I'll load you into the rocket."
"Very good," replied Leila before realization dawned on her, and her eyes widened. "Wait how are you going to get down here and escape?"
"Hehe," chuckled Claus, everyone was focused on Claus's voice. "Sorry Leila, the Guards are already outside the control room, I think I'll just stay and give'em a hard time."
"But what about your family?" cried Leila, she had lost so many today she didn't want to lose anymore. "What'll they do without you?"
Claus sighed and with an obvious sad tone, "my daughter passed about a month ago Leila. And my wife, well she died in a car accident trying to get to the hospital to see my daughter. If anything Leila I'll see them soon, don't worry about me, get in the pods, only you can bring justice to the people who did this."
"NO! No please don't do this Claus," cried Leila. Ayano once again had tears in her eyes, Akito and Ryo hung their heads. Eliza nuzzled Leila trying to comfort her master, Akito then came and placed his hand on Leila's shoulder. He nodded to the two others to enter their pilot pods, he then turned and said, "Leila, we must go otherwise this will have all been for nothing."
With tears in her eyes, and Eliza in her arms, Leila allowed herself to be lead over and placed in Akitos pod. Akito followed behind and entered the pod with her sealing the pod behind him. He then notified Claus saying, "alright Claus, we're ready."
Control Room
Solemnly Claus pressed the button and the pilot pods began to move towards the rocket. He then typed in automatic commands, coordinates for the rocket, and then sat back and pulled out his flask and pocket size picture of his family. Screens around the room burst into static and error messages began to pop up, a flashing red error message stood out from the rest, this one showed a malfunction in the power grid.
Looking at the picture of his family he said, "we'll be together soon." He then opened one last communication link to Leila and the survivors. "I've uploaded all our back up files to Akito's Alexander, and I've wiped the rest of our computers. Nothing will fall into the Guards hands, our enemies have a face know Leila, don't let them get away. Akito, Ryo, Ayano, your Alexanders will have enough power to land but that's it. Be safe, and good luck my friends, it's been an honor."
Replies came over the communicator, "Thank you. It has been an honor. Justice will be done." Claus downed the contents of his flask and tossed it aside and picked up his pistol, and the picture of his family. He watched as the screen in front of him showed the pods were loaded onto the rocket, and the countdown began "10...9…8". Then a small explosion blew a small whole in the side of the door, screeching metal could be heard as the guards pulled the door open. Claus then aimed his pistol and as the Guards poured into the room he unleashed his firearms contents. On the screen the rocket's engines smoke and then spit fire, the great flaming vehicle then lifted from its place and shot into the sky, whisking away the survivors to safety.
Smiling Claus ejected the magazine, and slammed the gun down onto one of the magazines on the table. Thumbing the safety he loosed his fire on the Guards again, and this continued until the other two magazines were emptied. In the pause after Claus ceased firing, a Guard fired a burst and hit Claus's legs. Falling to the ground, the Guards poured into the room, and several pointed their guns at him.
"Traitor," said a Guard. "For resisting arrest and obstructing us in the performance of our duty to Napolean Machavel. You are now to be executed, do you have any last words."
Looking behind the Guards at the screen, the red error message flashed faster than before. Smirking Claus said, "I have some last words, but they will not be remembered, and not because you will snuff them out. But because you won't live to recite them, you want to know my last words, then here they are. Duck you sucker!"
Confused the Guards turned to look at the screen Claus was looking at, the Guards would never understand. The floor beneath them burst up in flash of flame and metal as the Sakuridite power core overloaded. Above ground the castle walls flashed before the foundations of the castle blew into the air. Other explosion ripple across the island holding the castle, as defense system ammunition dumps exploded. Finally one last great explosion blew a large portion of the island away as the rocket fuel storage depot exploded. The island and the forest surrounding the lake burned for three days.
E.U. Newscast
"Riots, have broken out in Poland and have spread to the Northern and nearby states," said the newscaster. "As a result stock market prices have begun to drop -." Before she could continue the broadcast was interrupted and the words 'Public Service Announcement.'
"To the citizens of the E.U., by order of the President of the European Union, in response to the worsening conditions of the nation, a state of emergency is in effect. Therefore in order to return to peaceful conditions and ensure that those responsible are apprehended and justice is done, the following amendments shall be implemented until further notice. Right to assembly of more than five persons outside immediate family is suspended. Right to legal council is suspended. Juries of peers are prohibited and juries of government appointed officials are to be instated. By executive order all persons found guilty of inhibiting the workings of the state, aiding and abetting an enemy of the state, or knowingly associating with an enemy of the state, shall be put to death. May the wisdom of our glorious leader guide us to better days."
Unknown Location
White snow blew on the winds, darkness pervaded the landscape, and ice caked the ground. A shape stood out from the mountains of ice around the area, an ice covered castle was imbedded in the ground. If you were to see inside large metal humanoid machines, and humans alike were, frozen where they stood. At the very top of the castle a tiny form in a wheel chair sat, the girls hands wrapped around a detonator. She sat there frozen in hibernation and there she would sit for long years to come.