Chapter Five - The Spark That Lights The Flame
Seven long months have passed.
The tense situation in the South American quadrants had not lessened in its intensity, even if there was little direct action going on. With the arrival of RDF Ground Forces Colonel Anatole Leonard shortly after the Buenos Aires Riots started, the RDF forces had been quickly deployed and assisted with the local police forces in pushing the Zentraedi rioters back into the barrios and favelas they called home. The rioting had lessened over time as the forces employed by Leonard had standing orders to shoot any troublemakers, and the police had been emboldened by their reinforcements to reassert themselves. As one observer put it, 'it wasn't too tough to be brave when you had a platoon of Destroids as your backup.' A sort of tense detente settled over places such as Buenos Aires, Rio De Janeiro, Sao Paulo, and other major cities in the South American quadrants.
However, the discontent was still there among the Zentraedi citizens and the treatment they were receiving. Combined with heavy restrictions placed on the Zentraedi populations in these quadrants, and the severe treatment they received from the local policia and (on occasion) the RDF, the situation was not, as Colonel Leonard had been reporting, lessening by any stretch of the imagination.
The mood in New Macross and Monument was not much better as the news reports filtered in about the situations in South America. This led to a sharp rise in tensions in those locations as well. Although the Malcontents in those areas were not active, they were biding their time, waiting for the moment to re-emerge and bring back the fear and terror they had sewn not too long ago. Those at Macross Command were acutely aware of the rising tensions, trying to keep tabs on the increasingly bleak situation to the south and the rising tensions in their own back yard.
It was, as another observer put it, a situation where one tiny spark would touch off a firestorm that had not been seen in years.
The sun rose over the sprawling city of Buenos Aires, bathing it in its warming light. As the sun began its climb up the daytime sky, the hustle and bustle of the city began to pick up in earnest across the winding avenues and streets as the citizens went about their business. In the barrios off in the outskirts of the main downtown areas, the day began again for the Zentraedi that called the city home. The curfews that had been put in place months earlier were still in place and most of the neighborhoods had local police patrolling the boundaries. In that regard, it was a step down as before it had been RDF ground troops that had manned these posts, only to be recently called back as tensions had been assumed to be dying down.
In the San Rafael barrio, two Zentraedi made their way from the neighborhood after passing through a police checkpoint. After a brief conversation, the two ended up being waved through relatively quickly by the guards. Heading past the checkpoint, the two began to walk towards the city center, looking as if they were making their way to work. Both were dressed in the manner and fashion of two supporters of the many football teams that called the metropolis home, which was unsurprising as the season was well underway and one of the better supported teams in the city played in the downtown area.
After advancing a bit further from the checkpoint, one turned to the other and smiled.
"It appears we were able to trick them," one stated.
"For now, Alondo, for now," the other stated flatly. "The Micronians are not as foolish as we take them for, but some are more corrupt than others. And those two Micronians back there were some of the more corrupt ones I speak of. I was able to slip a few payment credits their way so as to not check my backpack this morning." Looking ahead, the Zentraedi looked at a busy street ahead. The activity was expected as it was one of the main routes towards the downtown area of the large city. Spotting a bunch of Micronians passing by wearing the same shirts as they were, Alondo smiled. This was a perfect disguise Nadtal picked out, he thought. Personally, I prefer the training drill the Micronians call 'rugby' to this 'football', but I'm also not the one in charge of this operation.
"I can assume as to what is in the backpack, Nadtal?" Alondo questioned.
Nadtal gave a quick nod. "Yes, I got the word from the ship last night from Fiago. We are to proceed with the operation as ordered. It will be the opening salvo in breaking the hold the Micronians have on our warriors and it will also eliminate one of the thorns in our side in the process."
Looking at the backpack, a feral grin came over Nadtal's face. "The RDF has been lulled into a false sense of security and we shall strike hard with our first blow. Especially with what the information streams have been reporting."
"To say it's what the Micronians would call a 'golden opportunity' is overstating it, Nadtal," Alondo added, echoing his counterpart's grin. Glancing at his phone, he nodded. "We're about three kilometers from where we need to be. We wouldn't want to be late, now would we?"
The two continued down the bustling street, moving towards a parking area for one of the many luxury high-rise apartment buildings in the area of the city known as La Milla Del Oro. It was one building they were looking for out of the dozens that stood alongside the road heading towards the central square and towards the government buildings that surrounded it. As they walked down the sidewalk, to any of the others that passed by, it appeared that Nadtal was checking his cellphone for a text or was checking yesterday's scores in the Apetura. However, he was verifying that he and his companion were nearing their destination.
"Turn right at the next intersection and head down about three hundred meters," he said to Alondo. "Our target is there."
They ducked down a small alleyway located behind one of the massive buildings and looked down the side. Looking down towards the right, there was another man in a black suit standing by a doorway, casually smoking a cigarette and looking off to the side. Turning towards the two at the front of the alley, the man smiled and motioned to them to come towards. As they arrived, Nadtal and Alondo smiled as they recognized the man standing outside. The man gazed at his watch.
"You're two minutes late," he stated to the two as they arrived.
"Damned policia were a bit extra frisky this morning," Nadtal grumbled. "However, our cover was good."
Alondo nodded. "They thought we were going to the big football match downtown. Probably were thinking we were in a hurry to get there."
The other man laughed. "The talk around the office here was about that. Not that I care personally."
Nadtal turned towards the other man and smiled. "Is everything all in readiness, Cryndor?"
Cryndor nodded. "That it is. Our target is still eating right now, but he sent me to get his car ready. We have about ten minutes to get everything set." He tossed the cigarette aside and pulled open the door. "Follow me."
The three entered through the door and found themselves in an underground parking garage. Moving briskly through the packed area, the three made their way towards the back of the area and towards a dark blue sedan. Nadtal took a quick look at the plates on the car and looked over at Cryndor, who nodded. Motioning towards Alondo, he smiled. "This is the one. Bring our gift for our friend."
Alondo stepped forward and slid the backpack off his back. Opening it up quickly, he reached into the main pouch and pulled a device that looked like a brownish block with some wires and a cellphone attached to it. Moving swiftly, Alondo went underneath the car and attached the device to the gas tank of the sedan. Popping back out with a smile he looked over at both Nadtal and Cryndor.
"Everything is all set," Alondo said while dusting himself off.
Cryndor glanced at his watch again. "I should get back to work before I'm missed." He reached inside and turned on the car's ignition. "I'll contact you when the vehicle is in position."
Nadtal nodded. "You will want to get clear of the area once the vehicle is in position. I would figure at least one block away would be ample."
Cryndor nodded. "I figure I can use the excuse of getting a coffee to my favor to slip away," he stated with a smile. Turning towards the other two, he saluted with an arm across his chest and his fist at his heart. The gesture was returned by Nadtal and Alondo.
"You can slip back out the way we came in," Cyrndor stated. "I made sure the surveillance cameras were shut off. Nobody outside of the three of us will ever know who was here and put the device in place." With that, Nadtal and Alondo started on their way back towards the side entrance.
Checking the alley, Nadtal and Alondo made sure they had not been spotted. Making their way back to the main avenue, they smiled. Reaching into his pocket, Nadtal pulled out a small communicator and turned it on.
"Fiago, everything is in order. Our little package is being delivered as we speak."
"Excellent," the tinny voice came back on the other side. "I will let our friends at the asteroid and in Macross know everything is proceeding."
Nadtal nodded. On the other end, Fiago continued.
"Cryndor knows what to do, correct?"
"Yes. He knows he is to be a sacrifice to the greater cause. He will contact us once the target is in the transport. Once he does, we will send the detonation code through once he is in transit."
"Excellent. Have the warriors await for our signal to proceed with the next phase. We shall let the Micronians make the next move on this."
"Understood," Nadtal responded with an evil smile. "Today, this world will burn with our vengeance."
Cryndor slid behind the wheel of the car and watched as the others made their way out in the rear view mirror. After about a minute, he pulled the car out of the spot and started driving. Looking around as the car reached the exit, he checked the traffic. As soon as the coast was clear, he pulled out into the busy avenue and headed towards the main downtown area.
Behind him, a tall, gaunt man rose from the back and settled back in the seat. Out of the corner of his vision, Cryndor caught a glimpse of his passenger and found himself unsettled by the eye patch that covered over an older injury. The man in the back of the car was one of the higher ranking intelligence officers among the RDF command in Buenos Aires. Twirling his mustache for a semi-dramatic effect, the man smiled broadly.
"You did well, amigo," Lieutenant Gabriel Ortega stated with a wry grin.
A scowl came over Cryndor's face. "I'm not your friend, Ortega. I'm only doing this because of the information you showed me. It was just coincidence that Nadtal and the others were planning this move."
"Well, there's no need to be cross about it," Ortega responded. "Besides, with what I know is about to happen today, you'll be thanking me later, hermano. Your friends just gave an excuse to proceed with things. And you know very well that I knew that this little act was going to happen. You really need to teach your friends about hiding their moves a bit better."
Ortega, to his credit, had been able to find out about this attempt on an unnamed member of the Colonel's staff relatively quickly, thanks to some key sources that were in the barrios around Buenos Aires. Digging a bit further, he found that he was to be the target of the assassination attempt. To be honest, I should be honored, he thought as the car continued on its way. It's not every day you make the Zentraedi's Hit List. He had duly notified Colonel Leonard of this news, but his new commanding officer had a much different idea on how to handle it. Rather than just go and round up the plotters with all due speed, Leonard had instructed him to let the plot go forward, but with some minor changes.
And minor changes I did make, Colonel, Ortega thought. Just a few that aren't expected. In light of what I know now, I think my adjustments may do some good for now.
"It's a pity your beloved Colonel won't be the recipient of this gift from my people," Cryndor said with a touch of spite. "Or you for that matter."
"Now, now, now, we can't have that, Cryndor," Ortega said. "As abhorrent as the Colonel is, we do need him to stay alive for a while." He then cracked a bit of a grin before continuing. "Besides, your friends don't exactly have a great track record when it comes to these kind of little adventures. Khyron and Dolza did think the same way, and look what it got them. As for killing me? I would highly suggest not doing that. Face it, you are going to need whatever friends you can find shortly. And right now, I'm the only one you can possibly trust."
A dark look came over Cryndor. He thought of a biting remark to make, but thought the better of it. This Micronian is correct, he thought. Both Lord Dolza and Lord Khyron took too many chances and it cost us in the end. It would have been much different if Breetai had been in command. But even he saw that this was all folly and threw his lot with the Micronians. He thought of the current plan and realized that much like the other attempts, it probably would end in the same manner as the other attempts to defeat the Micronians. They figured out what we were up to rather quickly, he thought further. It was almost as if this was supposed to be sniffed out by the Micronians. If so, it's a master stroke of a move. However, seeing our best strategic minds are either already aligned with the Micronians or dead, I doubt this is the case. As hard as it had been for Cryndor to give up the information once Ortega had cornered him about a few days prior, he also realized more and more it may have been the wiser choice, especially in light of what was hinted would be in store if this went through.
It was just then that the car arrived at its destination. One of the MP's stationed at the entrance waved the car through to the below-ground parking area. Pulling the car in, Cryndor and Ortega exited and made their way towards the entrance.
One thought went through Cryndor's mind as he walked with the Lieutenant.
I hope I made the right choice.
The large building, dubbed La Casa del Sol Naciente, was the main home for the UEG's governmental features for the Argentine Quadrant. Also, with it being the home of the largest conference area on the continent, it was commonly used for major meetings between the various governors in this part of the UEG's burgeoning expanses. Today was no different as a major meeting between the governors and the RDF's main commander was to take place in the main hall. On the table to be discussed was the final implementation of a plan that the new RDF commander had brought with him when he had relocated to the city nearly seven months prior. The controversial plan, known as Southern Cross, had yet to be fully rolled out, but the governors that were assembled saw this as another attempt of the military to overstep their bounds, as they saw it. What the governors didn't realize was that fate had another plan in store for them.
Inside of the main hall, the governors of all the quadrants of South and Central America assembled around the main table. Two large viewscreens were also in use as members of the Senate, namely the powerful Senator Ulysses Russo, and the military's top representative, Colonel Anatole Leonard, were discussing the proposal made to implement Southern Cross.
"With all due respect, Senator," stated Governor Almarez of the Peruvian Quadrant. "I do not see how a plan as such can lead to what the Colonel characterized as 'harmony amongst our peoples'. This plan seems a bit heavy handed."
"Governor Almarez," the Senator responded with a smile. "I did share the same concerns, but after talking to Colonel Leonard, I know he has the best interests of our guests in mind."
"Right now, Pedro," Colonel Leonard answered, using the Governor's first name. "The Zents are holed up in the various barrios and favelas around the major cities. This plan, this would allow them some breathing space and give us some breathing space as well as it would cut down on tensions."
"Of course, I cannot understand as to why Pedro is complaining so much," commented Governor Soares of the Brazilian Quadrant. "My quadrant has the most room, so it will be there that the cópias will be ending up. Am I right, Colonel?"
"Well, that does go to say, Governor," Leonard replied. "However, there's other areas that have a lot of room as well. We also are looking at some spots in the Mexican Quadrant and also here in the Patagonia area of the Argentine Quadrant as well."
"Makes sense," Governor Pinella of the Mexican Quadrant sniffed. "We'll be the destination for the Norteamericanos as well."
"Not so," Senator Russo chimed in. "It will be tested exclusively with the Zentraedi in the Central and South American quadrants only for now. It will not be rolled out anywhere else as of yet."
Colonel Leonard nodded. "The Senator is correct. For now, it's just here. There's not as many Zentraedi as we suspected in the quadrants. Maybe three hundred thousand at the most between all twenty quadrants."
"But the logistics of moving them," commented the Governor of the Venezuelan Quadrant, a shorter man named Zendejas. "That's not going to be cheap."
"And you'll need to get them to go along with that. A lot of them are attached to the favelas they call home, Colonel," Soares added. "You may face what you saw when you came here a few months ago, but on a much larger scale."
"I can assure you, that won't be a problem," Colonel Leonard said with a bit of a smile. "I have some very persuasive arguments I can make to our friends."
"Like a full battalion of Destroids with orders to shoot to kill," muttered Soares under his breath.
"Rest assured, my friends," Senator Russo chimed in, noticing that the situation was about to get more acrimonious. "The Council would not have approved the measure if it felt it would cause more harm than good."
"Easy for you to say in Monument, Senator," Zendejas added with a bit of acidity in his tone. "You're not on the front lines here. The Colonel would even see that and he should know it would be causing more trouble than it may be worth."
"Do you want peace or do you want the same tensions to keep rising, Governor? It may be peaceful now, but all it can take is one incident with the police having a moment of insanity to touch off the next riot," Leonard shot back. "I saw that first hand when I got here with the riots in this city. This is the only way we can proceed and have the cities be under less tension. I'm not going to mince words. We're sitting on a powder keg and all it will take to touch it off is one spark."
Leonard turned towards the side and saw something out of the corner. He lit up a cigarette and smiled.
"Now, we can do this my way, and ensure the peace. Or we can do it your way and have the threat hanging over our heads. It's up to you how to proceed." At his office, he nodded towards a private screen he had open with Russo. Turning back to the main screen, he smiled without any sort of friendliness behind it. "If you will excuse me, gentlemen. Something just came up that needs my immediate attention."
With that, his screen and the screen with Senator Russo went dark, leaving the Governors to discuss the matter further.
As the screens to the conference room went blank, in Colonel Leonard's office, the screen came back alive, this time with Senator Russo front and center.
"Well, that went well," Russo stated sarcastically. "They don't seem very willing to cooperate."
Leonard took a drag off of his cigarette and expelled the smoke with a grin on his face. "Well, Senator, as I said, I'm very persuasive when I have to be. And I think I may have to be now. They'll come around, one way or another."
"Just make this happen, Colonel," Russo said. "I have a lot riding on this."
"Don't worry, Ulysses," Leonard responded with a wry grin. "You'll never know want again after all of this. I'll be in touch when our friends have seen the light."
With that, he broke the communication and looked at one of the screens nearby. Reading over the report, a wry smile came across Leonard's face.
Well, at this point the fools can keep on debating. Events are about to overlap them.
Leonard reached over and hit a button the control panel. The intercom came alive.
"Our friends just brought their package over," the voice came back.
"Good."
"Understood. And the delivery boys?"
"They are no longer any use to us. Ortega is to give his life to the greater cause. As for the Xerox that drove him over, one less roaming around is always a good thing."
"Understood."
The intercom went dead. Tapping at another button at his control panel, a slight hum came across and the voice of another unidentified man came up.
"Your orders, sir?" the voice answered.
An evil smile came across the face of Colonel Leonard. "Raven, Plan Hydra is a go. Get your men in position and wait for my signal."
"Yes, sir!"
The intercom went dead again. Leonard sat back in his seat and smiled as he took one final puff off of the cigarette before putting it out in the ashtray on the desk.
Remember that spark I spoke of? Well, it's about to be lit.
Inside of the main concourse of the building, Lieutenant Ortega checked the time on his phone. As he placed his phone back into his pocket, he turned towards Cryndor.
"Time for us to go."
Cryndor gulped a bit. "But we'll be spotted."
"No we won't. And believe me, we will want to be as far away from here as possible."
The two made their way towards the elevators and down to the parking area below. Getting off at a different floor, Ortega and Cryndor walked towards another car. Ortega pulled out the keys and tapped on one of the buttons, disarming the alarm and identifying the car to the two. Cryndor got behind the wheel while Ortega sat down in the back.
"Now, drive casually," Ortega explained calmly. "No rush and no need to draw any attention towards ourselves."
"But you said we wouldn't be spotted!" Cryndor shot back.
"We won't," Ortega snapped back. "As long as you don't panic, we'll be fine. Just drive."
After a brief stop at the checkpoint, the vehicle was waved through by the MP's on duty and was out on the main avenue, heading away from the complex.
"So what now?" Cryndor asked.
"Well, if the Colonel said it correctly, your role in this whole drama has ended. Well, outside of contacting your friends."
A shudder of fear went down the spine of the normally unflappable Cryndor. So, this is how it ends, he thought. He could be armed, but I'm also at the wheel of the car. What's to say I don't suddenly mistake the gas for the brake and barrel into another transport or into something a bit harder. I may die, but I can take him with me...
"However, there's been a change in plans," Ortega said with a grin. "You're far more useful alive than dead. We'll just have to have the Colonel believe you are no longer among the living." Besides, Ortega thought to himself, if I can do it, I think I can also hide this Zent. Going to have to call in a few favors though.
"How..how...how will you manage to do that?"
"I have ways, Cryndor, I have ways." Ortega handed Cryndor a piece of paper with an address. Nodding, the Zentraedi drove towards one of the expressways that formed a ring around the city and headed towards the north and west.
Back at the main conference hall, the discussion between the governors had not abated while Colonel Leonard and Senator Russo had disappeared on the screens in front of them. Discussions between the assembled heads of the quadrants on the merits of Southern Cross continued in varying degrees of animation. To an outside observer, it appeared that the one thing the governors could agree on was that the plan was not going to be implemented.
Just then, one of the screens came back alive and the vision of Colonel Leonard came back up.
"Sorry about that, gentlemen. One of my lieutenants had some information about something going on in one of the barrios over in Rosario. I think we have it under control now. Now, where were we?"
Governor Carbajal, head of the Chilean Quadrant stood up.
"Colonel, on behalf of all the governors here, we will be recommending to the Council that we will not be going ahead with Southern Cross as you outlined. It will lead to even worse problems for our police forces and for the RDF forces in place here. Furthermore, we will be recommending that you be asked to return to Macross immediately and let Colonel Goncalves return to his role as head of the RDF forces here in South America. We will not be browbeaten by a madman into agreeing to a badly thought out plan that would lead to anarchy in our streets!"
Colonel Leonard frowned at this news. Casually lighting up a cigarette, he looked towards the assembled men. Behind them, the governors never noticed the four men clad in black that had walked in behind them.
"Well, I'm truly sorry you feel that way. There's only one thing I can do in this situation."
He tapped a button on the console. Behind the governors, the doors clicked ominously. It was followed by the four black clad men leveling semi-automatic rifles with noise suppressors attached to the barrels. On the screen, Leonard took a long drag off his cigarette and expelled the smoke with an evil smile.
"Raven, execute Plan Hydra."
The sounds of automatic gunfire echoed throughout the room as the unarmed and trapped men were mowed down one at a time by the four others. Within a few minutes, the gunfire stopped and all twenty of the governors lay dead in expanding pools of blood beneath them. One of the black clad men looked over at the viewscreen and saluted.
"Excellent work, Raven," Leonard stated with a grin. "Get your men clear and meet back at base. I may have some more work for you soon."
A quick salute and nod followed as the screen went dead briefly, only to be replaced by a recording of the now dead governors in discussion. Undeterred by the carnage around them, the four changed into RDF MP uniforms and disposed of the black coveralls in a side closet. Locking the doors behind them, they headed towards the exits, unnoticed by anyone that saw them. To anyone that had walked by the conference room, they would only assume the governors were deep in discussion and did not want to be disturbed, not knowing what actually was behind the door.
In the car, Ortega felt his phone vibrate. Indicating to Cryndor to remain silent, he answered.
"Yes? Everything on my end has been taken care of. I will send the code as requested." It was at this point that Cryndor looked and could have sworn the color drained from Ortega's face upon what he heard. Quickly composing himself, Ortega continued with the call. "Understood, sir. I'll be heading back towards base shortly."
Ortega tapped in a quick sequence of numbers and hit the send button. Looking at the very nervous Zentraedi behind the wheel through the rear-view mirror, he took a deep breath and then cracked a very humorless smile.
"Well, events have escalated and not in a way I predicted. This definitely escalated quickly."
"You just agreed to set off the bomb for that madman you call a colonel! How much more can it escalate?"
Ortega laughed. "Your bomb is just a diversion. There's a much bigger bomb already in place at the hall. One that will get pinned on your friends. That much I found out today. Initially, I thought the plan was to just have the smaller bomb go off and Leonard would have his ready made excuse to push forward. That code I sent will route the signal that was to go to the little bomb to another phone instead. Once he gets that code, he will let the larger bomb do his work for him."
Cryndor's eyes widened. Ortega sat back and continued.
"However, the Colonel ran into some resistance. Namely the governors. They appear as if they weren't on the same page as him. So, he just upped the ante in a big way."
The realization of what was about to happen dawned on Cryndor. This lunatic means to kill all the quadrant governors! Turning around to his passenger, Cryndor stated plainly. "We have to stop this lunacy!"
Ortega shook his head. "It's already way too late to stop anything, Cryndor," he said with a sense of sadness. "The Colonel already took care of that at the Government House."
He took a deep breath before continuing. "I was also supposed to dispose of you and martyr myself as well seeing Leonard didn't want any loose ends. However, I cannot go along with that. Or his plans for that matter."
Cryndor gulped before asking his next question. "Dare I ask what his exact plans are? You only hinted at things."
"I'll reveal that in due time, Cryndor. Right now, I need to figure out what the next step is." Checking the surroundings, Ortega broke into a broad grin. Should have done this a lot earlier, he thought. Noticing a large building up ahead, he motioned to Cryndor quickly.
"Stop at that church!"
Cryndor stopped the car as suggested in front of the large cathedral. "This is a strange time to get a case of religion, Lieutenant," the puzzled Zentraedi shot back. "You Micronians are an odd lot."
The Lieutenant merely shrugged as he got out of the car. "You have a lot to learn, mi amigo. Come on, and try not to look too suspicious."
Cryndor could only nod at this suggestion. What sort of mess have I gotten myself into?, he thought to himself as he watched his new companion walk through the main entrance. He found himself following along inside of the impressive structure.
Inside of the cathedral's main hall, Ortega spotted a small row of boxes off to the side. Picking one closer to the entrance, he made his way towards one. Turning back towards the Zentraedi, Ortega handed over a phone. "You may want to let your pals know everything is all set, or else they're going to think something went wrong." With that, the Lieutenant entered one of the boxes and shut the door.
Taking a deep sigh, Cryndor went ahead punched in a well-rehearsed number into the phone, muttering something about how the certain situation he had gotten himself into was getting worse by the second.
On one of the avenues in the center of Buenos Aires, two men sat in an outdoor patio area of a pub, appearing to be paying close attention to an ongoing football match on the TV. However, the attention of one of the men was broken when his phone lit up with what appeared to be a text message. Looking down, Nadtal smiled and turned to his companion.
"Alondo, that was Cryndor. Our present is in position." He glanced at the time on the phone. If he messaged, he should be clear of the blast area. Taking a deep breath, Nadtal picked up another device and opened it.
"Fiago, everything is set. Shall we proceed?"
The figure on the small screen nodded.
"Strength and honor, Nadtal. Let our vengeance speak loudly."
"That it shall, Fiago. That it shall."
He closed the device and nodded to Alondo. With a smile, Alondo took out a smaller phone and tapped in a rehearsed code and hit send.
Inside of his office, Colonel Leonard smiled as the phone sitting next to him lit up. Fools don't even realize we were able to crack the code on the 'present' they left us and it routed the call here instead of to what they were intending. Lighting up another cigarette, Leonard sat back and looked towards the sky. And now, it begins, he thought. Nothing will stop me now. He looked at the conference room one last time before proceeding. Your lack of vision has you all in this current state, amigos. Should have played ball. You'd be reaping the rewards. Now, all you'll do is see the light very shortly. Well, you would be seeing the light if you weren't all dead. With a smile, he pulled out another device and tapped on a button. A short timer came up and counted down from thirty. With that he shut off the viewscreen and sat back, waiting for the first panicked call to come in.
Back at the underground parking, inside of the trunk of another vehicle parked close to the one planted by Nadtal and his allies, an ominous silver cylinder began to hum. On the front of the cylinder, a digital timer began a swift countdown from thirty. As it reached ten, the cylinder began to glow very brightly. By the time it had hit five, the light was pouring out of the trunk itself and a loud hum began to come through the parking level. Once the timer hit zero, everything was enveloped in a bright white light and began to break apart in the bright glow.
For a brief second, the Casa del Sol Naciente was bathed in the same bright white light as the parking area underneath, much like it was the rising sun itself. A split second later, a massive concussion wave and heat blast put forth what had exactly happened underneath the formidable building. The ensuing explosion ripped apart a whole city block, reducing the once mighty edifice into a pile of smoking rubble. The sound of the explosion could be heard throughout the city and the resulting debris cloud could be seen as far away as Montevideo in the Uruguayan Quadrant.
As the sound of the explosion drifted further away, a new sound replaced it. That of terrified screaming and sirens.
The sound of the explosion was felt dramatically at the pub Nadtal and Alondo were sitting at. They looked at one another and towards the large debris cloud that had rocketed into the sky around the area of the Government Center.
"Was it strong enough to do that?" Alondo stated.
"No, Alondo! It shouldn't have done that!" Nadtal shouted. "The sooner we get clear of here, the better! We need to get back to the barrio before they lock it down!"
The two Zentraedi wasted no time leaving, drifting into the stampede of citizens looking to get as far from the blast as possible.
Inside of the church, Lieutenant Ortega sat in front of a screen, biding his time. As the screen slid open, he recited a line well rehearsed over the years.
"Forgive me, Father, for I have sinned. It has been two months and five days since my last confession."
A voice came from behind the screen.
"It has been a while, my son. What sins do you wish to confess to?"
It was at that moment a loud rumble could be heard followed by shaking. Immediately after that, the sound of warning sirens began to blare outside.
"Well, Father," Ortega deadpanned, "I think someone else has some serious sins to confess to."
"Indeed, my child. I think it may be time for us to do the Lord's work. Go forth and be that salvation for the sinners out there."
Ortega nodded. "Yes, Father." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a thumb drive. "I think the Holy Fathers may want to have a look at this." With that, Ortega slid the drive through a partition to the figure on the other side of the screen.
"Thank you, my son. I will be sure the His Holiness himself gets this. It will be on the next packet out to the monastery. Go in peace, my child."
Ortega crossed himself. "Thank you, Father." With that, he exited the box. Turning towards a stunned Cryndor, he smiled, which only added to the confusion on the face of the Zentraedi as they walked out.
Outside of the church, residents were looking towards the city center and the large plume of smoke that was rising skywards. Loudspeakers were rattling off instructions for citizens to shelter in place for the time being.
"Well, by the sounds of things, I think things just escalated a lot faster than I thought," Ortega mused. "Come on, we need to leave this city before things get sealed off. Now."
"I'm not about to argue with you on that," Cryndor shot back. "Where exactly are we going?"
Ortega tapped on the car's built in GPS and entered an address. "That's for me to know and you to find out, amigo. I have some friends that should be able to help. For now, get in the back and stay out of sight. Any Zent wandering around right now is going to be a prime target, friendly or not."
Somehow, if that was supposed to be comforting, Lieutenant, it failed, Cryndor thought to himself as he and Ortega began their journey out of the city.
From his view in the heights of the San Rafael barrio, one of the residents looked at the debris cloud hanging over the city center with dismay. The man, sighing deeply, picked up a communicator and punched in a code. The device beeped as it came to life an a tinny voice came over.
"You weren't supposed to report until tomorrow."
"I know," the man answered. "However, the situation has changed drastically. If you want proof, I'd suggest checking the info blasts from the Micronians. I have no idea if Nadtal and Alondo modified the plan or not. They have yet to return."
A short silence followed before the device responded.
"I will have to let the others know of this situation. Once those two get back, find out what exactly went wrong and report in immediately."
"As you command. Also, what steps should we take here? The Micronians are not going to take this lightly."
"Be prepared for anything. However, do not be the ones to strike the first blow. At least not yet."
"Acknowledged. I will alert the others to be on guard."
The communicator went dead. The man put the device back into his pocket and took a deep sigh. Things are only going to get worse now, he thought. This could be that excuse the Micronians here need to start a new war. The Zentraedi looked back over at the skyline of Buenos Aires. If Nadtal and Alondo modified things from what we discussed, this may have gone ahead and made things a lot worse.
It was just then that he spotted Nadtal and Alondo making his way towards his house. Sighing, he made his way from the roof down into the main room of the house just as there was a knock at the door. Opening the door quickly, he motioned for the two to come in and proceeded to shut and lock the door.
The Zentraedi turned towards his counterparts with a cold stare.
"What did you two do? You may have just signed our death warrants!"
Nadtal looked their host and shook his head. "We did not modify a thing! Alondo and I met with Cryndor at the meeting point and had everything in place. That blast should have just killed Ortega and nobody else. There was hardly enough explosive to cause that amount of damage."
"I should know," Alondo stammered. "I was the one that built the device. It was just enough to destroy that transport and nothing more. Izadu, you have to believe us!"
Izadu started to pace a bit and thought. "And how about Cryndor? Has anyone made contact with him?"
Both Nadtal and Alondo shook their heads. "We tried contacting him on our way back, but he has yet to respond," Alondo stated. "He could be caught up in the chaos right now."
"It's possible, but I think we also may have to entertain the fact that he may have been compromised," Izadu said. "The Micronians are good at doing that, especially since they have Breetai's intelligence wing working with them."
Nadtal shook his head again. "But what purpose would destroying their seat of government have?"
Izadu laughed nervously. "Because all their regional governors were having a conference there today. That would be a pretty good excuse for attacking if I were the Micronians." He turned to his two stunned compatriots.
"Congratulations, you just may have started a new war."
A/N - Yeah, this one took a serious detour down Dark AF Alley. This one was more focused in on events that would trip off the next big conflict more than anything, so it was more focused down in Buenos Aires as it was on New Macross. Fret not, though, our usual band of heroes returns in the next chapter as they have to deal with the incident down south and the repercussions.
New Author's Note (3/18/18) - Biggest change was with a character originally referenced being changed around. It will definitely make more sense going forward. Also, added some other portions to this and decided to go in a new direction or two as opposed to the original.