Moving on in the wake of the first major earthquake to hit the Empire in centuries. Once again, I do not own GATE.
Now on with our story, and as always, please Read and Review!
The Janus Campaign
Chapter 35: Aftermath
Fort Defiance, Alnus
It had been hours since the earthquake, and Tyuule was still trying to make sense of all that had happened. The one time Queen of the Warrior Bunnies and until today, slave of the Imperial Prince was astounded by the vehicles used by Noriko's people. Especially the helicopter that carried her and sweet Noriko to Alnus. Well, astounded might not be the right word as Tyuule's mind was simply overwhelmed. The noise from the engines was horrible as she folded her ears and pressed her head into Noriko's lap. She spent the entire flight like that trying to close out the chaos of alien sounds around here. The only sensation that Tyuule allowed herself to feel was the calming touch of Noriko holding her, while inside she pulled away to a world of her thoughts. Of course, it was right that Noriko be freed and Tyuule admitted that if Noriko had left her there, Tyuule would have surely felt a betrayal worse than Zorzal's lies and nearly as bad as her own people's hatred. Tyuule was terrified of the madness that still called to her. It was a demon that wanted to consume her in hate and she had been so near to being its slave even more than Zorzal's. But somehow, her sweet, beloved Noriko had saved her. At least for now.
For there was still part of her that wanted to scream at Noriko and the other off-worlders for pulling her away and denying her chance to destroy the Empire and yes… her own people for despising her. Was it not for them she had allowed herself to become the plaything of a sadistic monster? And for her own kind to call her 'betrayer' and swear vengeance upon her? How dare they! They had chosen her to lead the great war and she had tried. She had failed but she had never betrayed her people.
But sitting next to her beautiful flower, Tyuule wanted none of the hate, none of revenge tainting the warm feeling of her deliverance. Zorzal had lied to her so of course, he lied to her people. And the events in the throne room had shown quite clearly that Zorzal was determined to seek the most self-destructive path possible. Bouros would still try to manipulate that to his own ends but, inevitably, Zorzal would destroy everything he touched. So it was not even necessary for Tyuule to be there to guide him. The only question was whether he would destroy himself alone or take the Empire with him. Tyuule realized she didn't care if the Empire lived or died. Whether Zorzal was the Empire or an aberration, the Empire would either follow him down in flames or it would deny him as surely as her own people denied her. Either would be fitting and was no longer her problem.
Eventually, they arrived at Alnus. It was a few hours but Tyuule honestly couldn't say whether it was hours, minutes, or eternity. She turned to Noriko as the helicopter settled over its landing pad and the noise of the engines ceased and gave her a small smile. It was a frightening new world but Tyuule would not be afraid of tomorrow for her Flower would be there to guide her.
Imperial Palace, Sadera
Emperor Molt sat deep in thought. Zorzal's surviving henchmen had helped him from the throne room. Next to Molt, his youngest child, Pina stood projecting an admirable calm as she continued to deal with messengers and pass instructions. Through her, the Empire was beginning to react to the disaster that had struck. More specifically, the disaster that the public was aware of. For in Molt's own throne room, another had unfolded before him.
Molt could now see that his plan to drag out talks with the Japanese and their allies was as dead as the Imperial soldiers cut down by the foreigners' weapons before his eyes. He could see it in their eyes and hear it in their words that so directly antagonized, they had no incentive to allow matters to quietly drag on.
Pina had understood this.
Once again, Molt faced the folly of his own choices. Zorzal was not capable of running the Empire without guidance and one thing the night's events had taught him was an awareness of his own mortality. If Molt were to die, leaving the Empire in Zorzal's hands, it would be a disaster and one that Molt had very deliberately shaped. But Pina was different. Naive, too trusting perhaps, but strong AND adaptable. Even now, with the dismay she certainly had to feel, she remained here, doing her duty to bring order amid the chaos. Except, Molt admitted with a touch of shame, it was not Pina's duty. It was his. As more of the guard reported in and the various generals and ministers began to report in, Molt turned to his daughter and favored her with a smile.
"You have done well this night, Pina but it is time for you to see to your own. Do not worry. General Maxius is setting up his command tent outside as we speak. I will move there once that is complete, I promise. But your brother has left us with a problem. I will work on this matter and trust you to work on repairing the harm he has caused. They trust you and after this night, I would trust no other to handle this. I must place a heavy burden upon you but you have shown me that you are fully capable of bearing it." He lowered his head and sighed, speaking very quietly.
"We have lost, Pina. I cannot avoid this truth. But this is not something our people or indeed, many in positions of power are ready to hear yet. At least not in such a direct manner. Be careful and be clever, my daughter. You must fix the errors I have made."
Pina acknowledged her father's dismissal and withdrew. Champagne, a very promising knight of the Red Rose, waited with a fresh horse for Her Highness. Together, the two rode back to the Jade Palace, where Pina was relieved that Misters Sugawara and Russell had not simply left.
She approached them with some trepidation."Ambassadors, again, please believe me! I had no knowledge that my own brother was holding one of your people!"
"As we said," Sugawara told her, "We do not hold you, personally responsible. We do, however, have every intention of getting our people back, through whatever means are necessary."
Pina nodded. "If… If you could supply me with a list of just who I might be looking for? Anything might help?" Pina respected and liked Itami and even considered him 'friend' but she had just watched his people kill twenty Saderans in order to retrieve one Japanese citizen. While it was true that it would never have come to that had Zorzal not forced the outcome, it still underscored that the Japanese would be utterly ruthless in their efforts to recover their people and if it was necessary for them to kill twenty Saderans for each of their people, then they would do so without hesitation. If they had to kill a hundred, they would do so, and if they had to level Sadera, they would do so.
Sugawara nodded. "That is not an unreasonable request. We will see that it is as complete a listing as we can."
Pina nodded, then after careful consideration decided to reveal what her people had managed to accomplish to date on that matter. While it was not how she intended to reveal her efforts, she felt that a failure to fully disclose her efforts would, at some point, cause a dangerous misunderstanding. "In the interest of full disclosure, two of my knights have successfully located forty-seven people from your world, mostly women. They are recovering at a private villa. I had hoped to disclose this once official talks began. My knights, Flavius and Dyet are still searching for others."
"I see," Sugawara considered. Pina's strategy made some sense but now, Japan and her allies would have to respond. "We will want to arrange for their repatriation as soon as possible."
"Of course," Pina replied. "If I may? What will your people do now?"
"We have a number of options, your Highness." Ambassador Russell remarked, joining the conversation. "Our governments will want to send a clear message to your people. We, of course, are not at liberty to disclose exactly what form our response will take."
"Of course," Pina replied solemnly.
"However," Russell continued. "We have no desire to either harm innocent lives if it can be avoided and we have no desire to abandon the dialogue we have begun."
"You have my personal gratitude," Pina told them.
"And you have ours, Your Highness," Sugawara told her. "Hopefully, there will be no other surprises on our path to peace."
Italica
It was a rescue operation unlike anything in recorded history. Even as a number of Knights of the Rose Order and Marines of 2nd platoon, Echo Company partnered up to investigate and report on the condition of the local villages, 1st platoon of Fox Company deployed to the hardest hit section of Italica. Their Fae operated on tether lines, flying into crevices too small for others to manage, searching for signs of victims trapped under the rubble of collapsed buildings. Bunny Warriors listened with incredible hearing for signs of life while Canids and Catgirls utilized enhanced senses of smell. Dwarven builders helped survey damaged buildings and guided in shoring them up. As noted before, Inferni did everything from serve meals to laboring to clear debris. More of Panache's knights worked alongside Uial to clear landing zones for helicopters while several members of the Science Mission ministered next to local mystic healers and an Inferni Priestess. Elves used spirit magic to allow some patients to sleep while they awaited treatment. All of them working under the direction of Colonel Blake.
"Everything you can name, we need Colonel!" Taylor reported to Colonel Emerson back at Alnus. "Blankets, tents, bandages… You name it sir! Right now, we could use every flashlight you can find, sir. The one thing we have in abundance are volunteers but we need to be able to see to do anything useful, sir."
"We will send you everything we can," Emerson promised. What he could not disclose was that General Hazama was now having to deal with another situation. Namely that involving the confrontation between Lieutenant Itami and Prince Zorzal. Still, as Hazama's ranking deputy, Emerson would take charge of directing the relief efforts from Alnus.
"Thank you, sir. That's about all for now, sir. I'm sure you can appreciate that I need to get out there now."
"Very good, lieutenant," Emerson agreed. Battles were won in the field, after all, and what was a disaster but another kind of battle to be fought?
Waiting for him outside his office was an Inferni woman who identified herself as Mary and that she was the Church Mother for their sect in Italica.
"One of my parishioners has been missing since the shaking. I am confidently sure where she is but I can't get the search teams to look for her."
"Why not?" Panache asked.
"Because she was in a building we used to use for supplies. It was damaged during the fighting on the last big push on the South Gate. Most of the buildings in that area were abandoned after the battle, which is why none of the search crews want to go there." Mary sighed. "I can understand their reasoning. It's a large area to look for only two people when there are entire neighborhoods that need help. But I know they are there and I know if God is merciful, you will help them."
"You said one of your parishioners was missing but you believe two people are trapped," Taylor noted. "Who is the other person?"
"She is Kas, a Thraken girl and a priestess of a sect of the goddess Miritta declared heretical by the central temple in Sadera," Mary explained. "It has always been our way to aid the persecuted, as we ourselves have often been. We were giving them the building to convert it into a temple. Since the area was pretty much abandoned, we all believed that would give their worshippers privacy. Abigail was going to help them set up."
"I'm impressed that you would be so willing to help the followers of a competing religion, ma'am," Yeoman Locke observed.
"For us, there are no competing religions. Other gods obviously exist in this world, although they are obviously lesser than the Lord Creator of the Universe. We know not what their role in God's plan might be but we will not dismiss them. In this way, we hope to guide others to hear the word of Our Lord."
Taylor looked at Panache. With the search parties organized and higher-ups informed, there was precious little to be gained by sitting in his office. "Locke… We'll need rope, flashlights, shovels, walkie talkies. water, and first aid kits." He turned to Mary. "Let's go." Together, Taylor, Locke, Panache, Aurelia, and Nayu followed Mary to the site of the former storage building, having gathered whatever hands weren't already busy. Aenaire joined them as Galador plead that his hands could at least help. Taylor relented, provided Galador did exactly as he was told. Taylor did not want to risk his son's safety but his son was right, this was no time to refuse any hand they could find. Among those they encountered was Doctor Stevens who, unfortunately, did not hold a medical doctorate as some of his colleagues did but despite his previous reluctance to interfere with the existing society, was anxious to help in any way he could.
"Doctor, right now there are some things that you might be the best person to handle."
"Whatever I can!"
Taylor pointed over to where a large party was working through a collapsed tenement building.
"You've got a camera. Film that. Everyone on Earth needs to see what's going on here. Not the tragedy," he clarified. "But those people coming together. I'd dare say this is the single most diverse group of people in history coming together to help their neighbors. That story needs to be told."
"Do you think anyone back home will even care?"
"Maybe some will."
"Why not here?" Stevens asked.
"Because I'm not the story." He gestured back to the crowd, men and women dug with whatever tools they had or with their hands until they were exhausted and only then relenting and allowing fresh hands to take their place. "It's theirs and you're the guy who is going to tell it."
Stevens nodded.
"Go make some history, Doctor." Taylor clapped the Sociologist on the shoulder. Then, he walked over to where the Church Mother indicated the entrance to the building had been.
"Aurelia, keep your ears open for any unusual sounds. Sounds of life or of something shifting."
"Yes, My Lord."
"Let's get some light?" He asked Aenaire only to be surprised when Mary began to cast a strong light spell.
"Will this do?" She asked.
"Huh… I would have thought your church might have a problem with magic. 'Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live'," Taylor quoted.
Mary shook her head. "Poisoner," she corrected. "And all power comes from God. So we consider it His will that we use the gifts he grants us in carrying out his work and mercy." Mary smiled. "It is the abuse of His granted gifts and attempting to subvert His will that our scripture forbids."
Wonder what the 'Backwoods Baptists' will make of that, Taylor thought. Mom is going to get a kick out of this! At any rate, the warm and bright glow of a large ball of light, almost as bright as one of the defensive searchlights on the outer walls. Reminded of this, Taylor sent a man back to get the spare lights out for the rescue parties.
"Now let's start digging." After much effort, they managed to break through to a pocket in the ruins. Eventually, they found the two young women, one Inferni, and a four-armed Thraken huddled together under the stone steps that led into the cellar. The Iferni, Abigail, was semi-conscious and continuing to murmur prayers as Taylor brushed a lock of white-blonde hair from her face. Her compatriot smiled weakly at Taylor and looked at him with violet eyes, almost electric in color.
"They knew you would come. It is good their faith was rewarded. Her God has rewarded her faith. My rewards will come soon." The Thraken lost consciousness, in Aurelia's arms, drained it seemed.
"Not if I have anything to say about it. Not today," Taylor said gently, unaware he had misunderstood.
Palace of Prince Zorzal El Caesar, Sadera.
Zorzal sat on his bed, staring out his window at the Capital. Part of him almost seemed to gather cruel satisfaction as he noted the fires burning. He hated them. He hated all those worthless little nothings. He hated them for all the adoration they gave his father, Father… Zorzal snorted in contempt at the word. What father allows his enemy to assail his son and heir like this? Zorzal knew Molt was many things: calculating, occasionally cold but never before had Zorzal thought the Emperor was a coward. Yes, only a coward would stay silent while barbarians beat his son.
Zorzal continued to brood as the healer finished ministering to the sullen prince, curtly dismissing the man when he was finished. Virtually no one, even those among his closest associates, dared approach him until Bouro, his tool and spy, entered with head lowered in a suitably and appropriately submissive posture.
"Your Highness, I have just heard was has happened. Not only is the assault on your person a shocking crime but compounded with Tyuule's betrayal!"
Zorzal actually looked curious at that. Tyuule had stood to protect him. It was the barbarians who took her. "Betrayal?"
"I suppose it should have been expected of a mere slave but I do not think betrayal is too strong a word. After all, have you not been a generous master? And should not a slave love her master? If Tyuule had truly been loyal, then why did she not fight to stay with her master, who has loved her with such great kindness?"
The Prince had not considered that. Bouro was correct. He had been very generous to Tyuule and the Rabbit Bitch had betrayed him! It made him all the angrier.
"Why are you here… beyond to lap at my feet, Bouro?"
Bouro suppressed a flash of anger at his patron. One day your usefulness will be at an end, oh prince. On that day I will cut your beating heart out in front of you and throw it to the dogs. But there was much work to be done first and Zorzal was a necessary tool. Truly, losing Tyuule had been an irritation to Bouro's plans but Tyuule had always been expendable anyway. The loss merely forced him to accelerate other plans.
"I thought that perhaps His Highness would benefit from… company."
"You're hardly my type, Bouro."
"Yes, Your Highness… But there is a lady born of noble Imperial Blood who has been very interested in meeting you and serving His Highness were it his desire."
"Oh?" Zorzal had to admit that he was intrigued.
Bouro grinned. Raising his voice, he gestured to the door. "I present Lady Cassiopeia."
Zorzal looked to see a tastefully dressed young woman enter his chambers. Odd that she was clearly Vulpine.
"Cassiopeia…" Zorzal rolled the name thoughtfully. "I was told you are of noble blood. Curious."
"My father is a Senator, your highness. However, it appears I am an inconvenience. A shame to the family. "But is the shame mine or his, My Prince?" She dared. "That I should suffer for his weaknesses?"
Expertly, she twisted the knife in Zorzal's wounds as she struck a chord in him. "It's like a betrayal, isn't it, Cassiopeia?"
"Yes, Your Highness. Blood betrayals cut the deepest. I would give my undying devotion if he would simply acknowledge me as his."
"Perhaps such devotion is more than such a man deserves, Cassiopeia," Zorzal replied. Then he smiled as he saw something in her eyes. Something beyond mere agreement to understanding. He turned to Bouro. "Leave us. We will speak later."
Bouro acknowledged the dismissal and left, satisfied.
"Cassiopeia…" He smiled at her.
"That is the name my mother gave me. It is yours to command me with if you wish, My Prince."
"Is there another name you would go by?" He asked.
"For those who do not deserve my given name, I call myself 'Vendetta'." She dared a hateful smirk.
Zorzal smiled again, despite the pain. "Vendetta… It is a name that promises deeds, my dear."
"Indeed, My Prince."
"Tell me what is to be done with those who would betray Your Prince?"
"The price of betrayal is death, My Prince."
Zorzal grinned and though his body hurt in terrible ways, he pulled Vendetta to himself. "Serve me well," he commanded. "Serve me and me alone and I will give you vengeance upon those that have wronged you and forced you to hide. Serve only me and I may grant you the World itself."