Gear Breaker: Chapter Three
Night fell on the Rubina base. The moon hung in the sky, every now and then letting a ray of silver light rain on the earth.
It was a routine. The short interrogation, the filling out of the report, and the dispatch. Rhiem walked out of Captain's tent like he had just walked out of a grocery store. It was too…easy. Rhiem turned and headed towards the Medical Bay, to check on Riu one last time before he retired for bed. Rhiem slowly opened the door, in case she had already fallen asleep. He peered in, and grew frustrated that the room was pitch-black. He waited through the darkness, looking for the light-switch.
Then, the moon shone into the room, and illuminated everything in a silver luster.
His breath seemed to freeze in mid-air.
Riu was gone.
As soon as he caught a glimpse of the room, he ran over to the light switch, and turned the neon lights on.
Rhiem quickly scanned all the rest of the beds, looking for Riu. Nothing. Nothing but the plain white beds, all ominously uniform and spotless. Like Riu was never there. Rhiem started to panic. Where in the world could she be? Bathroom? No, then why would she make the bed?
Sick? Stupid. This was the Medical Bay. She would wind up here anyway.
Nurse Taya. She was the last one to see Riu. Rhiem leaped over to the records, quickly finding Nurse Taya's room number. Dormitory # 4, room 18.
Rhiem ran all the way over to the Dormitories, and found 4-18. Rhiem bashed on the door, tossing out courtesy and manners.
A suitably grouchy Mayella Taya opened the door groggily.
"Wha?"
"Ms. Taya, that girl, Riu, did you see where she went after you treated her?"
"The…captaintookherfor……screen…buh." As soon as Rhiem heard the word, "captain" he dashed to the one last place Riu could be. The Central Command Center.
He kicked open the door, and brushed off the offended person on the other side. Rhiem turned a corner, and dodged into a side corridor.
The hallways were gray and poorly lit in that manner, the lights hung low off the ceiling, and divided the world between light and darkness. Rhiem took a right, then a left…how many more?
He stopped at a gray door, nearly hidden behind a metal container. Rhiem slid the door open. Inside, a jail-cell lurked in the corner, ominously. In the darkness, Rhiem could see the silver of Riu's hair. Rhiem took only one step before he got yanked by the collar, Hard.
The force drew him backwards, and threw him against the adjacent wall.
Rhiem hit the ground on his side, and his lungs started to bruise. The Captain stepped out of the shadows. His meaningful, soulful eyes spoke volumes of veterency, and powerful muscles rippled under the commander's combat vest.
"Private Rhiem. Where do you think you are going?"
"What…what are you doing with Riu?"
"Imprisonment. We can't let her escape."
"WHAT? For WHAT?"
"It doesn't concern you. If your life doesn't want to become miserable, you'll pick yourself up and return to the barracks." Rhiem slowly, but painfully, pulled himself up.
"Not…without…Riu."
"You have strong will. But trust me, ignorance is bliss. You'll live a happier life if you leave immediately."
"…You think I'll…take that shit…as an Answer?!?" Rhiem managed to prop himself up against the wall. "Why are you taking Riu?"
…
…
"You fool. That is the best Jail in the Base. It's the Death-row."
Rhiem could feel the hairs on his neck rise with fear and confusion. Death-row? For What?!?
"She didn't do anything! What are you doing?!?"
"Fool." The Captain bore down upon Rhiem, letting the aura from his presence intimidate the boy. "She's an Archeries Illuminate. The Great Enemy."
"What?"
"Do you see that silver hair anywhere in Rubina? Or the fact that you found her miles from any other human encampment, other than this firebase…and the unknown Archeries Stronghold elsewhere."
"She's doesn't remember anything! She's innocent!"
"She's an enemy. No doubt an elite operator, who knows how many have died at her command"
"YOU SAID NOTHING WOULD HAPPEN TO HER!"
"…for my duty, I will become the devil." The Captain spoke with a finality that left no space for argument. Rhiem's head was growing light-headed from shouting. The world started spinning.
"No…no! I was the one who brought her here! Whatever happens let me take the punishment!"
"I can't do that."
"Please!"
"She has one chance. I am not a dishonorable man; and you're right. We should not treat and heal a person, then kill them. So I will give her one chance only. In single combat, if Riu can end my life, she may go free."
"You…you know that's a death sentence!" The Captain was a Class-SSA close range fighter, with enough experience, skill, and strength to take on fifty trained soldiers at a time. Against a weak girl like Riu, she would be destroyed.
"You have a duty to yourself to sort out your priorities." The Captain stopped for a second.
"The Execution is tomorrow. You have until then." Rhiem walked as if he were underwater, each footfall a heavy chain locked to the floor.
"Riu…"
0545 hours, Central Square.
Loki was acting secretary. In front of the assembled troops, he was giving his report.
"It has been discovered that the subject here," Loki swept his hand to Riu, who was on a platform, and chained to a ring on a metal stake. "Is an Archeries Illuminate." A murmuring, hidden, but enormous, passed through the crowd like wildfire. Many of them had never seen an Archeries before, and none of them ever suspected Riu.
"The law says that we must execute all enemies. However, because of the Captain's honor, he will face off in single combat against the Archeries." The Captain, in a fresh suit, and armed on every limb with a large knife. Riu, chained to a pole, confused, and weak.
A Rubine guard came forth with a selection of weapons.
"Miss. Chose one'm." Riu silently went over all the various sharp objects and firearms contained in the case. She shook her head, and the guard stepped back.
The Captain searched to observing crowd until he saw the spot where Rhiem was supposed to be. An empty space was there, like a hole on a beautiful face. The Captain kicked the ground in disgust. His friend was about to die, and he couldn't even be here to support her?!? Coward!
The Captain's gaze traveled back to the Archeries. He knew in his heart the frail girl had zero chance. But it would be the height of dishonor to not give her any chance at all, and a breach of his sense of duty. The girl was ready. He gazed over, and saw that she had no weapon.
"Dying on your own terms, are you? I respect that." Just a swift cut to the throat, and she would die painlessly. He raised the knife, and pulled back, ready to throw it.
A single black glove caught it, with tremendous strength. Strength of one who is protecting.
Rhiem spoke softly.
"I've made my decision, Captain." Rhiem seemed to command more of a presence now.
"I'm eternally grateful to the military for taking me in, for providing me with food and shelter and family once my parents had died. It has been the reason I live today…"
The Captain caught the hesitation in his voice.
"However?"
"However…I joined the military to protect the ones who are close to me, and to other people. Yet what would I be in the army for, if I couldn't protect my close ones from there either?!?" Rhiem pushed the Captain back.
"Captain, this is my decision." Rhiem stretched out his hand. "Sugar, throw me my usual!"
Corporal "Sugar" Johnson felt no reason to argue. He reached into the case offered to Riu, and tossed his friend the #17 tomahawk.
"No! Rhiem! Don't do it!" Riu struggled frantically against the pole she was chained to. Sugar put a hand on her shoulder. She looked up at him.
"Dun't worry, Miss. Rhiem will'o fine. I kin feel it."
Rhiem held his tomahawk in ready stance. The Captain dropped low, and reached for a knife. The arm swept, and a knife flew at Rhiem's chest. He rolled, and charged at the Captain.
A second, hastier knife went to Rhiem's leg, trying to cripple him. He blocked it with the handle of his Tomahawk. The eight-inch knife stuck barely into the carbon handle.
Only twenty feet between the two fighters. The Captain wasted no more knives, and drew his third one. Yet he wasn't the only one who could throw.
Rhiem took a decisive step down, and hurled the tomahawk straight at his Captain. The Captain hit the ground, hard, to avoid it.
But now…Private Rhiem had no weapon. The Captain took one more step.
A whizzing, growing louder, became apparent to his careful ears. The Captain realized what it was at the last second, and hit the ground, hard, a humiliating second time.
A free chain was attached the center of the Tomahawk, and Rhiem has pulled it back, making a second trip back to his hand.
"Rhiem…when did you modify that gear?"
"During class. When I should had been learning how to survive. Guess not paying attention paid off."
"You have no chance of winning. Even with your tricks... Keep your honor and your life, and desist immediately."
"*sigh*…I know I have no chance of winning. And I know you would win this fight if it continued."
"What do you mean, if it continued?"
"I mean…" Rhiem raised a single, black-gloved hand. "You have more pressing matters to worry about." The Captain whirled around, and saw, in the distance, an estimate of an entire fleet of Wyvoids approaching their base. The Captain stared back at Rhiem with incredulous fury.
"You Planned this?!"
"I predicted it. You wonder why the Archeries launched a fruitless skirmish on the Rubine Firebase? It was to retrieve Riu. I didn't make the connection until now." The Captain screamed to his officers to marshal the men. They would have to fight.
"I'll take Riu." Rhiem walked over to where Riu was chained, and swiftly cut the metal links in one stroke.
"Goodbye, Captain"