Chapter Ten - Dancing Upon A Volcano
A new day began as the sun began to rise above the vast forest surrounding the Santa Isabel Monastery in the Paraguayan Quadrant. The relative peace of the sanctuary for those wishing to escape the world was a relief to two visitors, especially seeing the circumstances as to why they ended up in this location. Looking out over the farmlands towards the forest, Lieutenant Ortega smiled as he took a sip of coffee. You wouldn't even know the rest of the continent is losing it's damned mind looking out here, he thought as he took a sip of the piping hot beverage. As he looked out, he could see a few of the monks tending to the herds of sheep and cattle that not only fed the brothers that called the monastery home, but also helped with financing the day to day activities of the complex. He took a quick glance at his watch. The Abbot wants to meet with us shortly after morning Vespers, he thought. That should be coming up shortly if my watch is right. A sharp clang of a bell from the chapel tower off to his right confirmed this.
A creaking of a door behind him alerted Ortega that he now had company. Turning around, he nodded towards the other figure that had arrived.
"Morning, amigo," he stated plainly with a smile. "Might want to try the coffee. It's pretty good."
"For the last time, Lieutenant, I'm not your amigo, no matter how much you say it," the other man groused. "And yes, the coffee is good."
"No need to be so grouchy all the time, Cryndor," Ortega said back. "Was just trying to make conversation, that's all."
"Sorry, Lieutenant. It's just that my mind's back on what's going on in Buenos Aires. You can kind of understand the whole concept of having my fellow Zentraedi be possibly wiped out by a madman that you, up until a few days ago, worked for, has made me, as you said, 'grouchy' this morning."
Ortega nodded as he took another sip from the mug. Point taken. If the roles were reversed, I'd be just as grouchy too.
Cryndor looked out over the fields. "So, any news from back in Buenos Aires?"
Ortega shook his head. "Nada. The brothers here have shunned most modern technology, so getting any information feeds is next to impossible." The Lieutenant showed his cellphone. "See? No service out in these parts."
"That is far from a comforting thought," the Zentraedi said with a hint of resignation. "Did that Brother...Maynard, was it?" A quick nod followed from Ortega. "Did he give you any reason as to why the head priest wasn't able to meet with us yesterday?"
Ortega shook his head. "No, he didn't. You know as much as I do."
"The old 'something came up' excuse," Cryndor huffed. "Back on ship, usually if that came up, it meant we were getting a new commanding officer or ship captain after a loss against you Micronians. Khyron did not suffer fools long."
"I doubt the good brothers of this house of God subscribe to the same tactics as your old commander," Ortega responded with a smirk. "I'm sure we'll get a good explanation when we meet later on."
The two turned their gaze towards the south. One wondering of what the next direction events would take him, the other wondering of the fate of his fellows back in a place that until recently had been home.
In the brief time since the explosion that rocked the Government Center of Buenos Aires, rescue and recovery crews were being replaced by construction workers at the shattered remains of the La Casa del Sol Naciente in an effort to bring some sort of normalcy back to the area and to the city.
Nearby, the workings of the government of the Argentine Quadrant had moved to a few of the adjacent office building that either survived the blast intact or had minimal cosmetic damage. In one of the buildings was a wing that was closed off to only a few well-vetted members of Colonel Anatole Leonard's immediate staff. But, there was one office that was off limits to everyone but the Colonel himself. In this location, a shadowy figure sat behind a desk with a bank of monitors tuned into different news reports and other streams of information. The figure, however, was paying more attention to a particular bit of information that was on a laptop directly in front of him on the desk.
Looking over the screen, a sly grin came across the man's face. Well, I never knew you had this in you, but color me impressed, he thought as he scanned the screen with thoughtful intent. Glad to see Sparrow was able to get a bit more up there than just messing with that new toy of theirs. A tidbit like that would make for quite a few happy people, that's for sure. He took a sip of water as he glanced over some more information. And some others too, if what Dragon told me was correct. How I was able to convince Ol' Anatole to go along with that is a mystery, but I guess anything that can keep our friends in Macross tied up can only help in the overall grand picture.
The man glance at his watch. Should be about the right time to call over to Lupe, he thought. Picking up the phone, he dialed a number from memory and awaited the response.
"Lupe, It's Raven. I believe I may have some good news about an upcoming job soon."
"Glad to hear it," came the voice on the other side. "It's been beyond boring as hell here and the guys are itching for a payday. The current pay we're getting isn't bad, but the guys are tired of the same cheap broads and weak beer, if you catch my drift."
"Worry not, my friend," Raven responded. "This job would pay extremely well if my sources are correct."
"How much are we looking at?"
Always the mercenary, Lupe, Raven thought with a bit of a smirk. You do have your uses, but you certainly are expensive sometimes. Would be rather unfortunate if something were to happen and I could just pocket the cash, he added darkly. Pulling out of his thoughts, Raven continued on with the conversation.
"Not sure as of yet, but it should be plenty for you and your men."
"Retirement level?"
"From what my source told me, more than enough to buy your own private island somewhere. At least one that didn't get totally vaped by that Xerox bastard Dolza."
"Sounds like my kind of job then," Lupe responded, punctuating it with a broad laugh.
"I should have some more details soon, Lupe. Also, I'll be sending a courier with the information when the time is right. You also may remember the courier well. They have some talents that you will certainly find useful."
A laugh came over the other side of the line. "If they can fly and shoot in a straight line and hold their alcohol, there's always room in the 'Pack for newbies. Any help is good help, I figure."
Knowing your bunch, Lupe, the shooting and flying in a straight line is optional most of the time, Raven mused silently. How you and your merry band of idiots managed to survive for this long is some sort of miracle. No matter. Just as long as you don't screw this up, you'll serve a great purpose in the overall scheme of things.
Springing back into the conversation, Raven smirked as he read an email that had just arrived.
"I will tell you though, your courier may be coming a lot sooner than expected. Also, you may get a bit of heat for the job as well, just as a heads up."
"As long as the money is good, I'm your guy. Wouldn't be the first time I've gotten into trouble. Won't be the last either."
"Contact me once the courier arrives and I should be able to go into a bit more detail on the job particulars."
"Will do, buddy. Hey, next time you're in town, I have to take you to a great place I found. Beer's pretty good and the chicks at this place..."
Raven felt a wave of distaste come up. "We'll see when I'll be in your neck of the woods again, Lupe. And if so, then maybe a drink or two may be in order." And I'll make damn sure yours is laced with something like antifreeze or prussic acid, you pig, he added silently. With that, he cradled the phone and took a deep breath.
As revolting of a human being Lupe is, he still is the best we have in that area, Raven thought. Although, I should probably go ahead and hedge my bets in case this moron screws up. He gazed over a list in front of him and smiled as he read over one particular entry. Hmm, I probably should have reached out to him sooner, he thought as he re-scanned the entry. He might have to travel a bit, but I know he's reliable. Would be a much better choice than Lupe's bunch.
It was then Raven had the dawning of an idea. The smile on his face grew.
Well, it's an abrupt change in plan, but I can take care of a few things in one shot, he thought. Forward our plan, get some more reliable folks under our wing, and remove one potential source of embarrassment. He picked up his cellphone and tapped in a brief message to a familiar contact.
"Sparrow, slight change in plans. I'll fill you in later."
Satisfied with the message, he tapped on the Send button and smiled. Checking back, he picked up the receiver for the desk phone and dialed another number.
"Bonjour mon ami, I think I may something that may be of slight interest to you."
At Macross Command, the sun began it's slow rise up from the East, bathing the base and the surrounding city in a warm glow. On base and in New Macross itself, activity began to increase as a new day was in it's early throes. However, in some parts of the base, activity had been going on for some time. One spot where this was true was inside of one of the many conference rooms that dotted the main portion of Macross Command. There, since before the sun had even come up, a few uniformed RDF personnel were busy at work making some key adjustments to the room.
In one corner, a blue haired man and a stocky brown haired man were at work adjusting one of the many monitors.
"You got a firm grip on that, Ben?," the blue haired man asked his counterpart.
"Yeah, got it, Max," came the response. Looking upwards, he noticed a woman with brunette hair on a ladder in front of them. She was working on attaching something to the monitor. "How much longer?"
"Almost got this," she responded. "Just need another minute or two." She looked down at Max and smirked. "Tell me again as to why we're doing this?"
"So the Boss doesn't have anything out of the ordinary happen when he has this room at 1300, Amelia," he responded. "Or at least recorded evidence if someone decides to go a certain route." The last person that tried a stunt like this didn't have much success, Max reflected silently.
Amelia nodded. Can't say I'm too shocked about the reasoning why, she thought as she adjusted the object she had attached to the monitor. Never really trusted her very much to begin with. When Rick Hunter had explained to Amelia, Ben, and Max as to the reasoning behind this sudden remodel to the conference room, it wasn't much of a stretch for all three to volunteer to help out. Of all the dumb things someone could be thinking of doing, that's right at the top of the list, she thought as she attached another object to the monitor and linked the two with a small cord. There, all set, she thought with a smile. Looking down at Ben, the smile grew. If this goes about as well as I think it will, this may be the one time the Popcorn Joke would apply properly. You may get to say that without a smack today.
"Nibs, darlin'? Mind hurrying it up a bit? I can't hold this thing forever," Ben responded. "Besides, I don't feel like seeing most of my next few paychecks being put to buying a state-of-the-art monitor. I just got the cable back at my house and I don't feel like having them shut it off again."
"Ahem," Amelia answered with a snort. "The cable's in my name now, remember? I think I remember what they said at the cable company when you went to pay off that bill. Something about letting Khyron open an account before you? Yeah, that was it," she added with a smirk.
"Don't remind me," Ben muttered.
"Well, it's all set. Time to let the big strong men do some work here," she said with a smile as she climbed down the ladder. Within a few minutes, Max and Ben had gotten the monitor back in its original position. Looking up at their work, the three smiled.
"Was that the last one?" Ben asked.
"Yeah, everything's all set," Amelia added.
"Thank God," Ben said with an exaggerated exhale. "That was harder than it looked." Looking over at Amelia. "At least you had the easy part hooking everything up."
She raised an eyebrow at this comment. "Like it was easy to get those cameras in place and make them look like they were part of the decor," she shot back.
"Those monitors aren't exactly lightweight either, right Max? 'Thin plasma monitors', my ass."
Max started to chuckle a bit. "More like just awkward to hold up if anything. But, we got everything in place. Might as well let the others know." He fished into his pocket and pulled out his cellphone. Tapping quickly, he found the contact he was looking for, tapped the screen again and brought the device to his ear.
In the same wing as the conference room, three other figures sat around a bank of monitors in the center area of the office. On each of the monitors was an image of the RDF emblem. One of the figures, a black haired man in an RDF officer's uniform, felt something in his pocket. Reaching in, he pulled out a cellphone and saw the contact information. Tapping on the screen, a semi-serious look came over his face.
"Go ahead, Max," he stated.
"Rick, we're all set over here. Wanna go tell Mr DeMille we're ready for our close-up?"
The serious look that Rick Hunter had been showing melted quickly with the well timed quip from his friend. He turned towards another figure, a taller man with short brown hair and glasses.
"Danny? It's showtime."
A quick nod came from the man as he opened a laptop and started typing. One by one, the monitors changed from showing the RDF emblem to showing the conference room and the three others in it at different angles. Once all the monitors came alive, the man smiled.
"Looking good. All the cameras are in working order," Danny stated. He heard a sneeze on the speakers, noticing that Ben had indeed done so in the room. "Mics are up and running." Turning towards the third person in the room, he continued. "Everything's in place."
The third person, a brown haired woman in a white uniform nodded. "Good to know, Major," she stated with a small hint of a smile on her face. She walked over towards Rick and with a smile took the phone. "Max, Ben, Amelia, good work and thanks for helping on this one."
"Not a problem, Lisa," came the response from Max. "Somebody's gonna be in for a real surprise."
Commodore Lisa Hayes nodded, feeling a wave of anger starting to brew at the slight mention of the reason behind the cameras. Thinking better of any comments, she handed the phone back to Rick. Looking over at Lisa, Rick felt his free hand balling into a fist. I know you don't like this plan, Forever Girl, he thought. But just trust me on this one. I swore I'd never break your heart again and that's a promise I intend on keeping.
Returning to the phone, Rick pushed whatever potential dark thoughts of the event scheduled for later out of his head. "OK, you three, you're dismissed. Follow your normal routine and try not to tip anyone off."
"Roger that," Ben drawled. "Nibs and I will be at our usual hangout."
"It's getting to the point we should just forward your mail to the sims," Rick responded with a laugh. "I can't guarantee I'd be able to intercept any cable bills though."
On one of the monitors, he could see Ben shaking his head and muttering something low enough that the microphones were unable to pick it up. Rick also noticed that Ben and Amelia were both nearly doubled over laughing.
"Max," Rick continued. "I have to thank you for the other good idea."
"Didn't think it'd a really good idea to have Miriya around if things went south. You know how she feels about...our friend," he added with a shake of his head.
"Seeing they were going to be down a pilot, she became an honorary member of Baker's Half Dozen for today," Rick said with a smirk. After letting the others know what was going on, Max had raised this point of concern about his wife. Also, Rick and Max realized that the usual Zentraedi way to deal with a problem was to make it disappear, often in a very thorough and destructive manner. Having Miriya go on patrol was probably the safest decision made.
"Well, seeing she outranks all the usuals, it'd be more like Miriya's Minions for today," Max corrected.
"True. See you back at the offices, Rick." With that, the phone went dead. On one of the monitors, the three in the conference room made towards the exit and left the room empty. Danny stood up after the others had left and turned towards Rick and Lisa.
"Mind if I grab some breakfast at the mess and some snacks from the PX? I figure I'm gonna be here for a while today."
A nod from Rick followed. Danny then turned towards Lisa.
"Ma'am, want anything from the PX?"
"Not right now, Danny. Thanks for asking, though," she responded.
Both Rick and Lisa watched Danny leave the room.
As the door to the office shut, Rick turned back towards Lisa, who still had the same mixed look of concern and anger. She was the first to speak after the phone was put away.
"You know, I still don't really like this plan. And you know I can still order someone to be in that room with you too," she said.
"So noted," came the response. "And you know I'm not thrilled of the prospect of getting molested by a possible traitor. Also, if it wasn't just me, she'd be on her guard and wouldn't be relaxed enough to possibly incriminate herself."
Rick walked over to Lisa and took her hands in his.
"Besides, those camera's are our insurance policy. I can pretty much reject her like I would anyways and she can't play that one card Penn had mentioned." The subject was one that gave both a cause for concern.
Lisa nodded. "Rick, it's going to take an awful lot for me to not go into that room the moment she puts a move on you. It'd be like reliving Minmei's attempts all over again."
Rick shuddered at the memory of the now-reclusive pop star's last ditch efforts to rekindle a relationship during Khyron's attacks nearly a year prior. Smiling as he looked into Lisa's eyes, he pulled her closer.
"Lisa, I love you and you only. You have nothing to worry about. I know where my loyalties lie."
A wave of warmth came over Lisa, pushing down the growing anger. "I love you too, Rick. I do know you've been true to your word and always will be," she said with a weak smile. "But I'll also be damned if I'm going to let some tramp try to have her way with you. Not on my watch, mister."
"I know, Lisa. And if the roles were reversed, I'd probably be a lot like you are. Maybe even more so."
Lisa moved closer as Rick followed suit. A soft kiss between them grew, as if it were reassurance of their feelings for one another.
The tender moment was broken by the soft buzz of a phone. Pulling away and grumbling, Lisa looked down at the offending piece of technology and saw it was a reminder alarm she had set.
"Have a meeting with Lieutenant Werner and Commander Mueller about our situation in Europe in 15 minutes," she stated with a sigh.
Rick nodded. "How are things there? Last I heard, the Em Zees got a bit frisky none to long ago and gave the folks in Munich a scare."
"Not sure if it's calmed down totally, but it sounds like from their last report things are a bit better."
"Gotcha," Rick drawled. Glancing at his watch, he frowned. "Guess I should head back and help Max with all that paperwork. Nothing makes a day drag like going over performance reviews." He turned back towards Lisa. "Although, given my alternative today, I'd take the reviews."
As they made their way to the door, Rick and Lisa took the time for one last kiss before they parted ways for the time being.
Across the bustle of a normal day in New Macross, the current state of affairs in the Frag was much like that everywhere across the Earth. One eye was kept on normal appearances with another kept on the growing situation in the San Rafael district of Buenos Aires. In one of the houses in this volatile neighborhood, it appeared to be quiet, but inside was a much different matter.
The three usual residents of the house were joined by a visitor this day. The attention was drawn to the large TV in the corner of the room. The images coming across the screen detailed the latest events in Argentina.
After a considerable amount of time absorbing the latest news, one of the Zentraedi in the residence, a purple skinned man with whitish hair, was the one to break the silence.
"Strange that the Micronians have yet to move, is it not?"
Another off to the side nodded. "Yes, Quazmin, it most certainly is. I would have figured they would have tried to attack by now. The numbers certainly favor them at this point."
"If I were in their place, Pyoto," one of Zentraedi on the couch stated. "I would have already made the call to attack and that area would be nothing but a flaming ruin."
"Of course you would, Xamdar," Pyoto responded quickly. "Tactically, it's sound and it's the logical move. However, the Micronians have shown time and time again that logic does not apply to them."
"Ah, yes, 'public opinion'," Xamdar snorted. Turning to the fourth observer, an orange haired warrior by the name of Rentik, Xamdar nodded. "So, seeing everyone here has an opinion. If you were leading the Micronians, how would you handle this?"
Rentik nodded as he thought over his answer, finally giving voice to his observations. "I would wait for one of the residents of that settlement to take the first strike. As you said, this idea of 'public opinion' plays a lot into their decision making, especially with the information blasts all over. A wrong move could touch off a much bigger situation." He looked around the room and then at the window facing the street. "A mistake there means more than just a possible battle in that quadrant, but possibly all over the entire planet. This Leonard would have to be either insane or just plain careless to take the first shot."
Quazmin nodded. "Impressive assessment, friend," he said with a smile. "That is why I've been in constant contact with one of the commanders in that settlement. I've been advising to tell his warriors to not make the first move. Let them start the fight."
"But this goes against everything we've been taught," Xamdar said flatly.
"Look, just because you are, as the Micronians say, itching for a fight, doesn't mean it's a good idea to be the one that starts it," Pyoto shot back. "Quazmin and Rentik are right on this."
Turning towards Quazmin, Pyoto continued. "I think it may be time to call our warriors here in Macross together as well. So we have a common plan and make sure nobody deviates from it," adding a look at Xamdar in the process. You're too consumed by revenge against those that ended your last clone, old friend. Revenge doesn't usually come swiftly.
"On this point, I do agree," Quazmin responded. "Gathering the warriors would be most beneficial right now. We don't need one or more deciding to lash out at the Micronians and have the Frag become like what we're seeing on this information blast right now. The time for action will present itself in due course, but that time has yet to arrive."
Xamdar stood up. "If we wait too long, the Micronians may just annihilate us all while we wait for that right time to act."
This earned stern looks from both Pyoto and Quazmin. However, it was Rentik that decided to speak up.
"We've had our share of suicidal attacks and look where that's gotten us. It makes for great reading in the Archives, but it doesn't win battles. Breetai was the only commander that realized this. That is why he still lives."
"As an enemy and a traitor," Xamdar muttered.
"He also wasn't reduced to atoms like some of our other vaunted leaders during the war with the Micronians, either," Rentik continued. "You notice that a majority of us on this planet served under his banner. I may not agree with his choices during and after the war, but I will respect the fact he was able to get the most out of those that did serve under him."
"As much as Breetai is disliked," Quazmin opined. "Our friend here has a point. Throwing caution to the wind would be most foolish, especially with what we are seeing right now in front of us on this monitor."
Pyoto nodded. "This battle that may be looming may be the most important in our history. If we were to lose, we may fade from the universe."
"Better to lose fighting as opposed to this meek hiding and not wanting to offend the Micronians tactic," Xamdar spat back. "If I were in charge, I'd have Izadu go after.."
Quazmin cut him off quickly. "But you're not. And we all know what happened the last time you led a major operation. You got the entirety of the Army of Righteousness destroyed and you got your insides splattered all over one of those fancy mess halls that the Micronians are fond of." This earned a glare of pure hatred from Xamdar. Quazmin ignored this as he continued on. "That is exactly why I was put in charge of operations here and you were not. I, like you, like Pyoto, and like our friend here, crave revenge against the Micronians. However, what you've been pushing for is tantamount to suicide."
Pyoto spoke again. "It's not like before Dolza's attack when we had ample resources. The Micronians outnumber us and they outgun us."
"That is also why I studied the Micronian archives and also alerted Khyron to their unusual, but effective, tactics."
"Indeed, Xamdar. And they can still be effective if needed," Quazmin stated. "However, they are not needed right now. Not yet, at least."
Xamdar was about to press his case further when he felt something buzzing in his pocket. Getting his phone out, he looked at the screen and smiled. "You will forgive me, but I need to take this call. It's something that may be helpful soon to even the odds, so to speak." With that, he walked out of the room, deep in conversation with the subject of the phone call.
Rentik also stood up at this point as well. "I must take leave as well. My Micronian employers may not be so understanding if they were to find out I was late to my job because I was actively working towards their downfall."
Quazmin nodded towards the warrior as he made his way towards the front door. Pyoto had also risen and followed Rentik out as well, stopping the other on the front porch area.
"I will contact you when the meeting is to take place," he stated. "Also, you had said you knew of some other warriors that may want to join our cause?"
Rentik nodded. "Yes. Two of my old shipmates that happen to work at the same place I do. Both are tiring of the Micronian ways. As I am as well."
"Perfect. Bring them along when the time comes. And I can sense that the time is drawing nearer. Be well, Rentik."
"You as well, Pyoto."
A short time later, Rentik arrived at a house that was about a good twenty minutes away. Looking around to the sides and behind him, he smiled as he entered the front door.
Inside the house were three men sitting around a number of monitors. The first, a heavier set man with reddish brown hair, asked the first question.
"Were you followed, Rentik?"
"No, Bron, I was not."
"That is good to hear," came the response of a second man sitting to the left of Bron. He was a taller figure with striking purple hair. "Do they suspect anything as of yet?"
"That is the good news, Konda," Rentik responded with a smile. "They don't suspect a thing. I even did the little gambit you suggested and outwardly praise Lord Breetai in front of them. One of them, that madman Xamdar, did bristle a bit at that. However, the other two do not take him very seriously."
The third member of the group stood and smiled. This man was shorter than both of his counterparts and had black hair and long, rather drawn out face. "Good. I also suspected that to be the case regarding our old friend Xamdar, seeing how Captain Hunter made him look rather foolish for all his schemes he came up with. How Khyron bought into some of those still amazes me."
"True, Commander Rico. Also, the rumors are true as well regarding who is leading the whole enterprise in that part of the Frag. Quazmin is what our friends in the RDF Intel branch would call a 'dead ringer' for the dearly departed Khyron."
Rico, Bron, and Konda all nodded at this news. Rentik's face turned to that a look of concern.
"However, where this Quazmin differs from the Backstabber is that he's not even remotely insane. He's very level headed and takes a lot after Lord Breetai in his tactical assessments."
"That is a bit of a concern," Rico added. "As unbalanced as Khyron was, he did have a reputation of being a marvelous tactician if the occasion called for it. Without the imbalances that were present, this could make him even more dangerous than Khyron ever was."
"I do see a kernel of doubt though with him," Rentik stated. "He seems rather hesitant to attack without as much as a care as we would have in the old days. He seems acutely aware that his adherents are much less than anything the RDF or even Macross Metro could throw at him if he decided to make the Frag into a re-enactment of the Argentine Quadrant."
"Also, he would be facing some of the best, if not the overall best the RDF has in Admiral Gloval, Captain Hunter, and Commodore Hayes," Konda commented.
"This Quazmin also has to be acutely aware that Khyron's tactics did not bring the desired results either," Bron added with a bit of a smirk. "I'm sure Pyoto has reminded him of this."
"Strange that Xamdar is now the less patient one while Quazmin is the one preaching caution," Rico said with a nod. "I would be willing to bet that something went wrong with the cloning this time around with him instead of with Khyron." Turning back to Rentik, he asked the question that had yet to be asked. "So, what are their plans?"
"Right now, they are opting towards not doing anything at the moment," Rentik stated matter of factly. "However, Quazmin did state he was going to have a meeting with his main warriors soon to go over a common plan of action. He is hopeful to keep anything from drawing attention to them here in New Macross. He also has been in contact with the Argentine Quadrant and has been stressing the point about not having the Zentraedi in San Rafael be the ones to start the conflict. Something about 'public opinion' among the Micronians was the given reason."
"Wise strategy," Konda mused. "I may have to let our friends at Macross Command know of this. They may be able to rein in Colonel Leonard a bit."
Bron chuckled darkly. "I doubt he'd listen to Admiral Gloval anyways if the talk from our RDF contacts were correct."
Rentik looked over at Rico, who nodded for him to continue. "With that meeting, I did get some good news. I did let it be known I had two other warriors I knew that were of like mind and wished to attend the meeting. Pyoto and Quazmin both gave their blessing."
Rico smiled. "Excellent. I will let Wigeato and Fortan know that they will be joining you. Let us know when they plan to go ahead with this meeting."
"Yes, sir," came the response. With that, Rentik saluted in Zentraedi fashion and left the room.
The three remaining Zentraedi Intelligence officers sat in silence for a few minutes as they processed the information. Bron was the first to speak to his colleagues.
"Should we contact the Micronians?"
Rico shook his head. "Not yet. We may learn more after the meeting that was planned by Quazmin." A deep sigh followed. "Besides, we would need to get the go ahead from Lord Breetai and we do not know where he stands on this current situation in the Argentine Quadrant."
"It would be distressing if we were at war again with the Micronians," Bron said with a bit of regret. He looked at his counterparts and sighed. "All of us would be opposing not true enemies, but those we would consider brothers and sisters."
Konda shook his head. "I would dare to think that it would be the same among our friends at Macross Command."
The relative melancholy among the three Zentraedi was broken by a buzzing on a nearby console. Rico moved towards it and hit the flashing red button.
"Commander Rico, this is the Crimmon Magdomilla," came a disembodied voice. Recognizing the name of the ship given, Rico seemed a bit concerned. Normal protocol has us usually contacting Lord Breetai, not the other way around, he thought. Gathering himself, he cleared his throat before tapping the button again.
"This is Commander Rico, go ahead."
"Commander, Councillor Exedore wishes to speak with you and your two subordinates immediately."
If Lord Breetai is having Exedore contact us, something, as our friends here say, is definitely up, Rico thought. He looked over at his two counterparts and nodded. The grave looks of concern mirrored his own.
"As he commands," came the rehearsed reply. "We will open up channel Eighty Seven Delta Six for immediate contact." Konda immediately shifted over to another console and punched in the channel. One of the monitors immediately went black and then was replaced by a snowy pattern.
"Acknowledged. Stand by for transmission." The disembodied voice dropped off and the red light on Rico's console went dark. Almost immediately, the monitor jumped from the snowy pattern to that of the inside of a Zentraedi cruiser with the familiar form of Exedore prominently displayed. The three Zentraedi intelligence officers immediately snapped to attention and saluted Lord Breetai's second in command. A slight nod came back in return from the smaller Zentraedi towards Rico, Bron, and Konda.
"Commander Rico, I know this was a bit unexpected, but events on Earth have warranted this slight breach in our usual protocols," Exedore started. "Have you and your men been able to gather any information regarding this situation in New Macross?"
"We have, your excellency," Rico responded. "So far, it is quiet here. However, most of my men have been reporting that if anything were to happen in the Argentine Quadrant, it may have grave consequences across the planet. And most especially here. One of my more trusted men has been able to infiltrate the main group and has made contact with the leader of the most prominent faction. There are talks there will be a gathering soon to lay out a common plan of action going forward. We should have a full report in place shortly after this happens. Also, our man appears to have been able to potentially get two more of ours in with the group."
Exedore nodded. "Excellent work. Lord Breetai will be most pleased."
Rico smiled. "Thank you, your excellency." A sigh followed as he prepared to ask the next question. "What of our standing with our allies at Macross Command? We know Colonel Leonard was up until recently a highly ranked officer there. I am sure they would appreciate any information we have as well as to what they may be facing."
Exedore had a grave look on his face. "Lord Breetai and myself did have contact with the Admiral just recently as well. We are both of the opinion that he and his two executive officers can still be trusted. There is a great sense of disapproval of the actions taken by Colonel Leonard by the Admiral, Commodore Hayes, and Captain Hunter."
"That, as the Micronians would say, is a relief, your excellency," Rico responded.
"However, we must still be cautious. If the situation were to change, there may be a chance that the RDF may become our foes again, despite the feelings of their commanding officers at Macross Command."
"They would be foolish to cast them aside," Konda stated.
"That is also very true, Konda," Exedore mused. "It is also true that the Micronians are probably the most unpredictable species we as Zentraedi have ever dealt with. They have proven this countless times in the past."
Exedore sighed. "Lord Breetai and myself also share your concerns regarding the potential of having our allies for the past few years turn back into our rivals again. That is why we are waiting before reaching out to them further with any potential information your men can cull."
"Understood, your excellency," Konda said with a sense of dejection.
Deciding to go in a bit of a different direction, Exedore continued on. "Have you heard anything from the Argentine Quadrant?"
Bron shook his head. "No, your excellency. We did have an asset there, but have not heard anything for about a week before this madness all started. We believe he may have been compromised one way or another."
"That is rather unfortunate."
"However, our source here among the main group of malcontents has been able to confirm that they are in contact with the leaders down there in that settlement. It also seems that the tactics in use are a bit unexpected. Instead of pushing for attack, the leaders here have been advising caution. And so far, it seems to be taking hold. It would appear that the tactic that is being explored is to let the Micronians strike first and allow what they call 'public opinion' to sway matters."
"An interesting gambit," Exedore mused. "One that our friends, if they had prior knowledge, could use to potentially defuse the situation."
"We also thought of that, your excellency," Rico interjected. "However, knowing Colonel Leonard's tactics and his feelings towards the Zentraedi in general, we feel it may, as they say, fall on deaf ears on his part."
"Still, I doubt the Admiral is aware this is occurring," Exedore responded. "I will discuss this further with Lord Breetai and I will be back in touch as to our decision going forward. For now, your orders remain the same. Observe and collect information."
The three saluted briefly as the image of Exedore faded to black.
In Buenos Aires, in the confines of a small office, Raven looked at one of the monitors that was showing the latest from San Rafael. Just a matter of time before we can fully strike, he thought as he observed the groupings of Zentraedi protesting the current situation. Surrounding them were numbers of city police and members of the Iron Brigade. Further off in the distance, a few Destroids were setting up to act as back up for the forces surrounding the barrio.
However, these Xeroxes have been maddeningly patient, he thought with a scowl. Normally, one or two of them would have reacted by now. It would have been all the excuse we would have needed to go ahead with the first step. Raven then turned to his computer and smiled at the message that had come up. Well, that is much better than I expected, he thought. Phase Two may be a bit further along than first thought. The Colonel will be most pleased.
Whatever further thoughts Raven may have entertained were interrupted by the ringing of his desk phone. Taking note of the number, the brief smile he had was replaced by the earlier scowl as he picked up the receiver.
"This had better be important."
"Sir, we found the wreckage of the car driven by the traitor Ortega and that Xerox he was harboring."
Raven's scowl disappeared. "Excellent. And what of our friends?"
"We did find two bodies in the car. However, as the car was burnt out, the fire did considerable damage to what was left of those two hijos de puta. Our investigator needed to use DNA records to identify them. They were a positive match for both."
One less loose end to worry about, Raven mused to himself.
"There may be a slight complication though, sir," the voice on the other end hesitated for a second.
After a second or two, he felt the good feelings he had slip away. "Somehow, there is a silence that is covering some less than satisfactory news you are about to deliver, am I correct?"
"Our station on the quadrant border reports that two members of the Guard, a Wolfsberger and Hochenburg, have not reported back. They reported last that they had the car in sight before going on strict radio silence."
I should have known Ortega had some extra tricks up his sleeve, Raven fumed to himself, remembering the file about the DNA scrambler that had been issued to some of the RDF Intelligence wing. I should have just shot the bastard when I had the chance before all this happened. I told the Colonel that it was making it too complicated to go this route. Well, that does present a major problem and if he were to escape and let some others know...No, now is not the time to think the worst.
Collecting his thoughts and exhaling, Raven spoke in an even tone that hinted at some potential malice if the instructions were not followed.
"I want you to contact Blienemann and Yovgeno in Ascuncion. Tell them they are to search every square meter of that God-forsaken quadrant until Ortega and the Xerox are found. Failure is not an option. And if failure does happen to occur, I will mail their skinned skulls back to their families. And I will mail your family back your heart with a knife through it. Understand?"
"Ye..ye..yes, sir." With that the other end of the line went dead.
Grumbling to himself at the apparent change of plans that came about with the latest news, Raven tapped in an extension he knew by heart.
"Colonel, it's Raven. We have a potential issue that's arisen."
At the Santa Isabel Monastery, both Lieutenant Ortega and Cryndor were sitting out on a covered porch area just outside of the residence of the Abbot of the sprawling monastery. The two sat in near silence while awaiting their much expected audience with the leader of the monastery. The silence in of itself was not a conscious choice, as any attempts at friendly conversation made by Ortega with his less-than-willing Zentraedi travelling companion were met with terse responses, outright silence, or, in one case, a request for the Lieutenant to perform a physical impossibility.
The icy silence hanging over the porch area was broken as one of the monks, a Brother Maynard, approached.
"Senors, this way, please. The Abbot will see you now."
The two rose and made their way towards the door leading back into the residence. Cryndor let out a half muttered "About time," as he followed behind Ortega and the monk. Going through the residence, both took note that the dwelling would be best termed as modest, yet comfortable. Bookcases lined the walls of the main corridor and around the living room area. Off to the side, Ortega noted a dining room area and a kitchen nearby. As they made their way down another hallway towards a flight of stairs, he assumed the upper portion was the Abbot's personal chambers. Not too bad of a place for being out the middle of nowhere, Ortega mused. This is probably the nicest house between Asuncion and the border.
"I thought you said these were men of God," Cryndor whispered over to his counterpart. "From what I remember of them in the area I lived in, they had nothing of this sort. Something about what they called a 'vow of poverty,' whatever that is."
"God works in mysterious ways. Also, they are just as human as the rest of us. But with a better connection with the Almighty."
Cryndor rolled his eyes. "For the life of me, I'll never understand this religion concept of you Micronians."
"Oh ye of little faith," Ortega responded with a smile, leaving his counterpart even more confused than usual.
Motioning the two behind him to follow, Brother Maynard made his way down another set of stairs towards another corridor. This one was decorated with fine woodwork. Coming to a door, he opened it. Behind the door was a standard reception area with another monk at a desk, typing up something on a rather old typewriter.
The group of three stopped at the desk as Brother Maynard stepped forward.
"Good day, Brother Tuck. Our visitors are here to see His Grace."
The other monk nodded and stood up. "Gentlemen, follow me please." Brother Tuck then led Ortega and Cryndor to a large set of doors. Pulling back, Brother Tuck opened one of the immense doors and motioned for the two men to follow him into the next room.
The room was much like the rest of the house in that the walls had massive bookcases attached, each one filled with books of various sizes, languages, and subject matter. At the end of the room was a large desk and a figure facing towards the back wall sitting behind it.
"Your Grace. May I present our visitors. Lieutenant Ortega and Senor Cryndor."
"Gracias, hermano," came the response from the figure behind the desk. "You may leave us now."
Brother Tuck bowed and walked back towards the entrance, pulling the door shut with a loud click. The man behind the desk turned towards Ortega and Cryndor and rose. Pulling back the cowl of his cloak, Cryndor did a double take at the sight. The man in front of him, outside of minor differences in complexion and hair color was almost a virtual match of the man standing next to him, right down to a distinctive eye patch over his right eye.
The Micronians seem to have really adapted to the secrets from Zor's flagship, Cryndor thought. Not only have they harnessed the power of Protoculture, but they also have learned the art of cloning if what I see in front of me is correct.
The Abbot noticed the puzzled look on the Zentraedi's face and tried not to start laughing at the reaction. Clearing his mind of the thought of a Zentraedi trying to process the concept of identical twins, the Abbot began to speak.
"Buenos dias, senors. I am Father Jimenez, Abbot of the Santa Isabel Monastery. I believe we have a lot to discuss as to how you two wayward souls ended up on my doorstep."
Back at Macross Command, the small office was a hive of activity on the inside as Major Danny Rodgers looked over the monitors showing the inside of a conference room. Taking a quick peek at his watch, he noted the time mentally in his head and turned towards another figure in the room.
"Rick, it's 1245. May want to get into position so that our friend doesn't think anything is off."
Rick nodded back towards Rodgers with a grim look of determination on his face. He also looked over towards yet another figure in the room who had a mixed look of concern and anger towards the upcoming events that were pending.
"Rick, I'm still not fully in favor of this," Lisa Hayes stated. "I could just have a platoon of MP's show up at her dorm room and have her tossed in the brig.."
Rick cut off the conversation before Lisa could go any further. "On what grounds? Circumstantial evidence is hardly enough to warrant a room search. A first year JAG would be able to get her off on that charge faster than you can say 'illegal search'. As much as you don't like this and as much as I don't like this, it's our best chance to get something concrete."
"Still, if that tart tries anything, I'll be in there before she would have a chance to drop her..."
A loud ahem cut off this vivid description from Lisa as to the possible events that may unfold. Stepping forward was the tall figure of Admiral Gloval.
"Commodore, you will do nothing of the kind," the Admiral intoned. "You will stay here until the signal is given by Captain Hunter."
Lisa nodded, but shot Rick a sour look. The Admiral took note of this and softened his tone before continuing.
"Lisa, I also do not like this one bit. However, you can trust Rick on this. It may be our only chance to see if our suspicions regarding Sergeant Graham are founded and also if there are potentially others on base engaging the same activity."
Rick nodded emphatically. "I said there's nobody else but you and I mean it."
"You still didn't have to call in Admiral Gloval though, Rick."
"I also know you too well, Forever Girl. Graham would see you in there and her shields would be on full." Just like yours were up on full after one of our many spats, Lisa. Can't say I really don't miss having to walk on eggshells around you. Taking a deep breath, he walked over to Lisa and held her close.
"I promise you, I'll be on my best behavior."
"It's not you I'm worried about, Rick," came the answer.
Rick nodded. "That, Lisa, I do agree with you about. But, as we both said, I don't enjoy being bait and you don't like seeing that happen. However, we need for her to have her guard down."
Rick kissed Lisa tenderly and released her from his hold. Starting towards the door, he turned and saluted to the others in the room as he exited.
Closing the door behind him, Rick started towards the conference room, alone in his thoughts.
I hope to God I'm doing the right thing here. Too much can potentially go wrong, and it could crush Lisa in the process. Pushing the thoughts out of his head, a sense of determination came over him as he entered the room. Looking up towards one of the array of hidden cameras, a small smile came across his face as he settled in at the front of the table.
It was one thing Pops always told me. Always be damn sure you have an insurance policy handy. You never know when you'll actually need it.
Author's Note - More movement towards an eventual resolution of a great many things, hence the title for this one. It's just a matter of time before the volcano erupts.
Quick bit of business to cover review-wise:
Just A Crazy Man - Indeed they are. In what direction remains to be seen (as a famous philosopher once said, the future is always in motion). Forgot about that with our old buddy Leonard. Still, keeping him at Colonel level kind of gives it a bit of that old school malevolence regarding coups in the real world as a lot of them seem to be led by Colonels. As for Russo and the Senate and Council, they'll figure in again soon enough. As for the other ideas...all will be revealed in due time.
In the next installment - Tensions increase as plots and plans are revealed and the world seems bent towards going into utter chaos. Stay tuned for Chapter 11: Flashpoint, the next exciting episode of Robotech: Shrouds Of Darkness